Celtic Mythology and Religion

144 CELTIC MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION.
Diarmat, arriving at the bottom of it, finds himself
where he does many
in a most beautiful territory,
deeds of valour, and helps a distressed prince to a
throne. The Highland tale represents him as sheltering
a loathly creature that turns out to be a most
beautiful lady under spells. She is the daughter
of the King of the Land under the Waves.
After
presenting Diarmat with a fairy castle, and living
with him some time, she left him for her own country,
a slight quarrel having occurred.
He followed her,
crossed on the " Charon " boat, much as already
described in Loeg's case, and arrived at an island,
where down went the boat to a land under the sea !
Here Diarmat found his love, but she was deadly
sick,
to be cured only by a drink from a magical
cup in the possession of the King of Wonderland.
This is
procured by the help of " the messenger of
the other world," who advised him to have nothing
to do with the King's silver or gold, or even with the
daughter, an advice which Diarmat took,
for after
healing her, "he took a dislike to her." Diarmat,
therefore, was allowed to return from the realms of
death.
The " Voyagers' Tales " of Ireland can compare
for sensuous imagination very favourably with any
other country's " Travellers' Tales." Naturally
enough, the tales deal altogether with sea-voyages,
generally to some western islands, and they must
and do contain many reminiscences of the Happy
Isles, where the dead live and the gods reign. De-