Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER VI: TALES OF THE OSSIANIC CYCLE 259on thee. Lay thee down again.” But three times the hound's voiceawakens him, and on the morrow he goes forth armed with swordand sling, and followed by his own hound, to see what is afoot.On the mountain of Ben Bulben in Sligo he comes across Finnwith a hunting-party of the Fianna. They are not now hunting,however; they are being hunted; for they have roused up theenchanted boar without ears or tail, the Boar of Ben Bulben,which has slain thirty of them that morning. “And do thou comeaway,” says Finn, knowing well that Dermot will never retreatfrom a danger; “for thou art under geise not to hunt pig.” “Howis that?” says Dermot, and Finn then tells him the weird story ofthe death of the steward's son and his revivification in the formof this boar, with its mission of vengeance. “By my word,” quothDermot, “it is to slay me that thou hast made this hunt, O Finn;and if it be here that I am fated to die, I have no power now toshun it.”The beast then appears on the face of the mountain, andDermot slips the hound at him, but the hound flies in terror.Dermot then slings a stone which strikes the boar fairly in themiddle of his forehead but does not even scratch his skin. Thebeast is close on him now, and Dermot strikes him with hissword, but the weapon flies in two and not a bristle of the boaris cut. In the charge of the boar Dermot falls over him, and is [302]carried for a space clinging to his back; but at last the boar shakeshim off to the ground, and making “an eager, exceeding mightyspring” upon him, rips out his bowels, while at the same time,with the hilt of the sword still in his hand, Dermot dashes out thebrains of the beast, and it falls dead beside him.Death of DermotThe implacable Finn then comes up, and stands over Dermotin his agony. “It likes me well to see thee in that plight, ODermot,” he says, “and I would that all the women in Irelandsaw thee now; for thy excellent beauty is turned to ugliness andthy choice form to deformity.” Dermot reminds Finn of how he