Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER VII: THE VOYAGE OF MAELDUN 269cento of stories and incidents, some not very interesting, whilein others, as in the adventure of the Island of the Silver Pillar, orthe Island of the Flaming Rampart, or that where the episode ofthe eagle takes place, the Celtic sense of beauty, romance, andmystery find an expression unsurpassed, perhaps, in literature.In the following rendering I have omitted the verses given byJoyce at the end of each adventure. They merely recapitulatethe prose narrative, and are not found in the earliest manuscriptauthorities. [313]The Island of the SlavesMaeldūn and his crew had rowed all day and half the nightwhen they came to two small bare islands with two forts in them,and a noise was heard from them of armed men quarrelling.“Stand off from me,” cried one of them, “for I am a better manthan thou. 'Twas I slew Ailill of the Edge-of-Battle and burnedthe church of Doocloone over him, and no kinsman has avengedhis death on me. And thou hast never done the like of that.”Then Maeldūn was about to land, and Germān 194 and Diuranthe Rhymer cried that God had guided them to the spot wherethey would be. But a great wind arose suddenly and blew themoff into the boundless ocean, and Maeldūn said to his fosterbrothers:“Ye have caused this to be, casting yourselves on boardin spite of the words of the Druid.” And they had no answer, saveonly to be silent for a little space.The Island of the AntsThey drifted three days and three nights, not knowing whitherto row, when at the dawn of the third day they heard the noise ofbreakers, and came to an island as soon as the sun was up. Here,ere they could land, they met a swarm of ferocious ants, each thesize of a foal, that came down the strand and into the sea to get atthem; so they made off quickly, and saw no land for three daysmore.194 Pronounced “Ghermawn”—the “G” hard.