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Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

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278 <strong>Myths</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Legends</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Celtic</strong> <strong>Race</strong>[324]<strong>the</strong> pedestal was a door, closed <strong>and</strong> locked, which <strong>the</strong>y could notopen, so <strong>the</strong>y sailed away, having seen <strong>and</strong> spoken with no one.The Isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> WomenHere <strong>the</strong>y found <strong>the</strong> rampart <strong>of</strong> a mighty dūn, enclosing amansion. They l<strong>and</strong>ed to look on it, <strong>and</strong> sat on a hillock near by.Within <strong>the</strong> dūn <strong>the</strong>y saw seventeen maidens busy at preparing agreat bath. In a little while a rider, richly clad, came up swiftlyon a racehorse, <strong>and</strong> lighted down <strong>and</strong> went inside, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> girlstaking <strong>the</strong> horse. The rider <strong>the</strong>n went into <strong>the</strong> bath, when <strong>the</strong>ysaw that it was a woman. Shortly after that one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> maidenscame out <strong>and</strong> invited <strong>the</strong>m to enter, saying: “The Queen invitesyou.” They went into <strong>the</strong> fort <strong>and</strong> ba<strong>the</strong>d, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n sat down tomeat, each man with a maiden over against him, <strong>and</strong> Maeldūnopposite to <strong>the</strong> queen. And Maeldūn was wedded to <strong>the</strong> queen,<strong>and</strong> each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> maidens to one <strong>of</strong> his men, <strong>and</strong> at nightfallcanopied chambers were allotted to each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. On <strong>the</strong> morrowmorn <strong>the</strong>y made ready to depart, but <strong>the</strong> queen would not have<strong>the</strong>m go, <strong>and</strong> said: “Stay here, <strong>and</strong> old age will never fall onyou, but ye shall remain as ye are now for ever <strong>and</strong> ever, <strong>and</strong>what ye had last night ye shall have always. And be no longera-w<strong>and</strong>ering from isl<strong>and</strong> to isl<strong>and</strong> on <strong>the</strong> ocean.”She <strong>the</strong>n told Maeldūn that she was <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seventeengirls <strong>the</strong>y had seen, <strong>and</strong> her husb<strong>and</strong> had been king <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> isl<strong>and</strong>.He was now dead, <strong>and</strong> she reigned in his place. Each day shewent into <strong>the</strong> great plain in <strong>the</strong> interior <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> isl<strong>and</strong> to judge <strong>the</strong>folk, <strong>and</strong> returned to <strong>the</strong> dūn at night.So <strong>the</strong>y remained <strong>the</strong>re for three months <strong>of</strong> winter; but at <strong>the</strong>end <strong>of</strong> that time it seemed <strong>the</strong>y had been <strong>the</strong>re three years, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>men wearied <strong>of</strong> it, <strong>and</strong> longed to set forth for <strong>the</strong>ir own country.“What shall we find <strong>the</strong>re,” said Maeldūn, “that is better thanthis?”But still <strong>the</strong> people murmured <strong>and</strong> complained, <strong>and</strong> at last<strong>the</strong>y said: “Great is <strong>the</strong> love which Maeldūn has for his woman.Let him stay with her alone if he will, but we will go to our own

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