Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

276 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[322]and wine on the feasts of Apostles, of Mary, of John the Baptist,and on the high tides of the year.The Island of the SmithyAs they approached this they heard from afar as it were theclanging of a tremendous smithy, and heard men talking ofthemselves. “Little boys they seem,” said one, “in a little troughyonder.” They rowed hastily away, but did not turn their boat, soas not to seem to be flying; but after a while a giant smith cameout of the forge holding in his tongs a huge mass of glowing iron,which he cast after them, and all the sea boiled round it, as it fellastern of their boat.The Sea of Clear GlassAfter that they voyaged until they entered a sea that resembledgreen glass. Such was its purity that the gravel and the sand ofthe sea were clearly visible through it; and they saw no monstersor beasts therein among the crags, but only the pure gravel andthe green sand. For a long space of the day they were voyagingin that sea, and great was its splendour and its beauty. 199The Undersea IslandThey next found themselves in a sea, thin like mist, thatseemed as if it would not support their boat. In the depths theysaw roofed fortresses, and a fair land around them. A monstrousbeast lodged in a tree there, with droves of cattle about it, andbeneath it an armed warrior. In spite of the warrior, the beast everand anon stretched down a long neck and seized one of the cattleand devoured it. Much dreading lest they should sink throughthat mist-like sea, they sailed over it and away.The Island of the ProphecyWhen they arrived here they found the water rising in highcliffs round the island, and, looking down, saw on it a crowd ofpeople, who screamed at them, “It is they, it is they,” till theywere out of breath. Then came a woman and pelted them from199 Tennyson has been particularly happy in his description of these underseaislands.