Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

274 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[319]perforce, but not the foster-brother. The two rescued ones couldnot explain their conduct except by saying that they had to do asthey saw others doing about them.The Island of the Four FencesFour fences of gold, silver, brass, and crystal divided thisisland into four parts, kings in one, queens in another, warriorsin a third, maidens in the fourth.On landing, a maiden gave them food like cheese, that tastedto each man as he wished it to be, and an intoxicating liquor thatput them asleep for three days. When they awoke they were atsea in their boat, and of the island and its inhabitants nothing wasto be seen.The Island of the Glass BridgeHere we come to one of the most elaborately wrought andpicturesque of all the incidents of the voyage. The island theynow reached had on it a fortress with a brazen door, and a bridgeof glass leading to it. When they sought to cross the bridge itthrew them backward. 197 A woman came out of the fortress witha pail in her hand, and lifting from the bridge a slab of glassshe let down her pail into the water beneath, and returned tothe fortress. They struck on the brazen portcullis before them togain admittance, but the melody given forth by the smitten metalplunged them in slumber till the morrow morn. Thrice over thishappened, the woman each time making an ironical speech aboutMaeldūn. On the fourth day, however, she came out to themover the bridge, wearing a white mantle with a circlet of gold onher hair, two silver sandals on her rosy feet, and a filmy silkensmock next her skin.“My welcome to thee, O Maeldūn,” she said, and shewelcomed each man of the crew by his own name. Thenshe took them into the great house and allotted a couch tothe chief, and one for each three of his men. She gave them197 Like the bridge to Skatha't dūn, p. 188.