Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

90 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[111]with the myth.The story, then, goes that Balor, the Fomorian king, heard ina Druidic prophecy that he would be slain by his grandson. Hisonly child was an infant daughter named Ethlinn. To avert thedoom he, like Acrisios, father of Danae, in the Greek myth, hadher imprisoned in a high tower which he caused to be built ona precipitous headland, the Tor Mōr, in Tory Island. He placedthe girl in charge of twelve matrons, who were strictly chargedto prevent her from ever seeing the face of man, or even learningthat there were any beings of a different sex from her own. Inthis seclusion Ethlinn grew up—as all sequestered princessesdo—into a maiden of surpassing beauty.Now it happened that there were on the mainland threebrothers, namely, Kian, Sawan, and Goban the Smith, the greatarmourer and artificer of Irish myth, who corresponds to WaylandSmith in Germanic legend. Kian had a magical cow, whose milkwas so abundant that every one longed to possess her, and he hadto keep her strictly under protection.Balor determined to possess himself of this cow. One day Kianand Sawan had come to the forge to have some weapons madefor them, bringing fine steel for that purpose. Kian went into theforge, leaving Sawan in charge of the cow. Balor now appearedon the scene, taking on himself the form of a little redheadedboy, and told Sawan that he had overheard the brothers insidethe forge concocting a plan for using all the fine steel for theirown swords, leaving but common metal for that of Sawan. Thelatter, in a great rage, gave the cow's halter to the boy and rushedinto the forge to put a stop to this nefarious scheme. Balorimmediately carried off the cow, and dragged her across the seato Tory Island.Kian now determined to avenge himself on Balor, and to thisend sought the advice of a Druidess named Birōg. Dressinghimself in woman's garb, he was wafted by magical spells acrossthe sea, where Birōg, who accompanied him, represented to