Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER VI: TALES OF THE OSSIANIC CYCLE 261has handled it. 190 But the Celtic story-teller felt differently. Thetale of the end of Deirdre is horribly cruel, that of Grania cynicaland mocking; neither is in the least sentimental. Grania is atfirst enraged with Finn, and sends her sons abroad to learn featsof arms, so that they may take vengeance upon him when thetime is ripe. But Finn, wily and far-seeing as he is portrayed inthis tale, knows how to forestall this danger. When the tragedyon Ben Bulben has begun to grow a little faint in the shallowsoul of Grania, he betakes himself to her, and though met at firstwith scorn and indignation he woos her so sweetly and with suchtenderness that at last he brings her to his will, and he bears her [304]back as a bride to the Hill of Allen. When the Fianna see thepair coming towards them in this loving guise they burst into ashout of laughter and derision, “so that Grania bowed her headin shame.” “We trow, O Finn,” cries Oisīn, “that thou wilt keepGrania well from henceforth.” So Grania made peace betweenFinn and her sons, and dwelt with Finn as his wife until he died.Two Streams of Fian LegendsIt will be noticed that in this legend Finn does not appearas a sympathetic character. Our interest is all on the side ofDermot. In this aspect of it the tale is typical of a certain classof Fian stories. Just as there were two rival clans within theFian organisation—the Clan Bascna and the Clan Morna—whosometimes came to blows for the supremacy, so there are twostreams of legends seeming to flow respectively from one orother of these sources, in one of which Finn is glorified, while inthe other he is belittled in favour of Goll mac Morna or any otherhero with whom he comes into conflict.End of the FiannaThe story of the end of the Fianna is told in a number ofpieces, some prose, some poetry, all of them, however, agreeingin presenting this event as a piece of sober history, without any190 Dr. John Todhunter, in his “Three Irish Bardic Tales,” has alone, I think,kept the antique ending of the tale of Deirdre.