Early Irish Myths and Sagas (15 page)

Fróech son of Idath of the Connachta was the son of Bé Find of the Síde, and Bé Find was a sister of Bóand.
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Fróech was the handsomest warrior in Ériu and Albu, but he did not live long. His mother gave him twelve cows from the síd; they were white, with red ears. Although he had no wife, his household prospered for eight years. Fifty kings’ sons were the number of his household, all equal in age and form and appearance.

Findabair, the daughter of Ailill and Medb, fell in love with Fróech after hearing stories about him, for Ériu and Albu were full of his fame and his stories. Fróech was told of this at his house, and it fell to him to go and speak with the girl. He discussed the matter with his people, and they said ‘Go to your mother’s sister, that she may give you some of the wondrous garments and gifts of the Síde.’

Fróech went then to his mother’s sister, to Bóand, in Mag mBreg. He brought back fifty blue mantles; each was the colour of a beetle’s back, with four dark grey corners and a brooch of red gold. Fifty tunics of brilliant white, with animal embroidery of gold. Fifty silver shields with gold rims, and fifty candles of a king’s house in the hand of each man, with fifty rivets of white gold in each candle, and fifty coils of refined gold about each.
²
The spear butts were of carbuncle, the spear blades of precious stones, and these would light up the night like the rays of the sun. Fifty men with gold-hilted swords, and fifty dapple grey horses; for each horse a bridle bit of gold, a silver breastplate with little gold bells, a crimson saddlecloth with silver threads, an animal-head pin of gold and silver, and a horsewhip of white gold with a gold hook at the end. Seven hounds on silver chains, with an apple of gold between each two hounds. Shoes of bronze, and no colour that was not on them. Seven horn-blowers, with horns of gold and silver and clothes of many colours, with shining mantles and the golden yellow hair of the Síde. Three fools preceding, each with a silver gilded diadem and a shield with an engraved spiral ornament and polished strips of bronze inlaid along the sides. Three harpers in royal garb about each fool.

That company set out for Crúachu, then, and the watchman at the fort perceived them as they entered Mag Crúachan. ‘I see a great company approaching the fort,’ he said. ‘Since Ailill and Medb became sovereigns, no nobler or
handsomer company have ever arrived, and no such company ever will arrive. The wind that blows from them is such that my head might as well be in a vat of wine. One warrior performs a feat the like of which I have never seen: he casts his javelin on ahead of him, and before it can strike the ground, seven hounds with their silver chains have caught it.’

At that, the hosts came out of the fort of Crúachu to see the company, and there was such a crowd that the people suffocated, and sixteen men died looking. The company dismounted at the door of the fort. They unbridled their horses and unleashed their hounds; they hunted seven deer to Ráith Crúachan, and seven foxes and seven hares and seven wild boars, and the warriors slew these on the green of the fort. After that, the hounds leapt into the river Brei and caught seven otters and brought them up to the entrance of the royal dwelling.

The company sat down, then, and messengers came from the king to ask them who they were and whence they came; the company gave their true names, and their leader said he was Fróech son of Idath. The steward related that to the king. ‘Welcome!’ said Ailill and Medb. ‘A splendid warrior Fróech,’ said Ailill. ‘Let him enter the courtyard.’

A fourth of the house, then, was set aside for the company. This was the arrangement of the house: seven rows, and seven apartments round about the house from the fire to the wall. Each apartment had a façade of bronze, divided laterally by specially ornamented red yew, and there were three strips of bronze at the base of each apartment. Seven rods of copper ran from the house vat to the ceiling. The house was built of pine, with a shingled roof; there were sixteen windows in the house, with a copper shutter for each window, and there was a copper grating for the skylight. In the exact centre of the house was the apartment of Ailill and Medb. It had copper pillars and was ornamented everywhere
with bronze; two borders of gilded silver went about it, while a silver moulding from the headboard rose to the crossbeams.

The company made a circuit of the house, from one entrance to the next; they hung up their weapons and sat down and were made comfortable. ‘Welcome!’ said Ailill and Medb. ‘It is for that we have come,’ said Fróech. ‘Then your journey will not be for nothing,’ said Medb. Ailill and Medb played fidchell after that, and Fróech began to play with one of his own people. Beautiful his fidchell set: the board was of white gold, and the edges and corners were of gold, while the pieces were of gold and silver, and a candle of precious stone provided light. ‘Have food prepared for the youths,’ said Ailill. ‘I have no wish,’ answered Medb, ‘but to go and play fidchell with Fróech.’ ‘Do that, then; it is fine with me,’ said Ailill. Medb and Fróech played fidchell after that.

Meanwhile, Fróech’s people were roasting the game. ‘Let the harpers play for us,’ said Ailill to Fróech. ‘Indeed, let them,’ said Fróech. The harp bags were of otterskin and were decorated with Parthian leather ornamented with gold and silver. The kidskin about the harps was white as snow and had dark grey eyes in the middle; the coverings of linen about the strings were white as swans’ down. The harps were of gold and silver and white gold, with the forms of snakes and birds and hounds in gold and silver on them; and as the strings moved, these forms would make circuits round the men.

The harpers played, then, and twelve men died of weeping and sorrow. The three harpers were fair and melodious, for they were the fair ones of Úaithne, three brothers, Goltrade and Gentrade and Súantrade, and Bóand of the Síde was their mother. They were named after the music that Úaithne, the Dagdae’s harper, played. At first, the music was sad and mournful because of the sharpness of the pains; then it was
joyful and happy because of the two sons; finally, it was quiet and peaceful because of the heaviness of the birth of the last son, and he was named for the last third of the music. After that, Bóand woke from her sleep. ‘Receive your three sons, O passionate Úaithne,’ she said, ‘for the music of sleep and laughter and sorrow will reach the cattle and women of Ailill and Medb that bring forth young. Men will die from hearing their music.’

The harpers ceased to play, then. ‘It is a champion who has come,’ said Fergus. ‘Divide for us,’ said Fróech, ‘the food that has been brought into the house.’ Lothur strode to the centre of the house and divided their food for them: he divided each piece in his palm with his sword, but neither skin nor flesh was ever touched. From the time that he became carver, no food in his hand was ever lost.

Medb and Fróech spent three days playing fidchell, by the light of the precious stones in Fróech’s company. ‘I have been good to you,’ Fróech said to Medb, ‘for I have not beaten you at fidchell, lest you be dishonoured.’ ‘The longest day I have ever spent in the fort this,’ said Medb. ‘Certainly,’ said Fróech, ‘for we have been here three days and three nights.’

With that Medb rose and went to Ailill, for she was ashamed that the youths had had no food. ‘A great evil we have done,’ she said, ‘not to have fed the youths who have come from so far.’ ‘You preferred to play fidchell,’ replied Ailill. ‘That ought not to have prevented the distribution of food to his people in the house,’ said Medb. ‘We were here three days and three nights, but we did not perceive night because of the brilliance of the precious stones.’ ‘Tell them,’ said Ailill, ‘to leave off their amusements until their food is distributed.’ The food was distributed, then, and everyone was good to them, and they stayed and feasted for three days and three nights.

After that, Fróech was summoned to the house of council,
and he was asked what had brought him. ‘We would like to visit you,’ he replied. ‘Indeed, the household enjoys your company,’ said Ailill. ‘Better more of you than less.’ ‘We will stay about a week, then,’ said Fróech. The company remained a fortnight in the fort; they hunted about the fort every day, and the Connachta would come to watch.

Fróech was distressed not to have spoken with Findabair since it was the need to do so that had brought him. One day, he rose at dawn to bathe in the river, and she and her serving maid came to bathe also. Fróech took her hand and said ‘Stay and talk to me. It is for you we have come.’ ‘Welcome that, indeed,’ said the girl, ‘if it were possible. I can do nothing for you.’ ‘Will you come away with me?’ asked Fróech. ‘Indeed, I will not,’ she replied, ‘for I am the daughter of a king and queen. You are not so poor that you cannot get me from my people, and it will be my choice to go with you, for it is you I have loved. Take this thumb ring as a token; my father gave it to me, but I will say that I have lost it.’ They parted after that.

‘I fear,’ Ailill said to Medb, ‘that our daughter will run off with Fróech.’ ‘There would be profit in giving her to him,’ replied Medb, ‘for he would return with his cattle to help us on the raid.’ Fróech found them in the house of council. ‘Is it a secret?’ he asked. ‘There is room for you,’ said Ailill. ‘Will you give me your daughter?’ Fróech asked. ‘I will,’ said Ailill, ‘if you pay the stated bride price.’ ‘It will be paid,’ said Fróech. ‘Three score of dark grey horses,’ said Ailill, ‘with gold bridle bits, and twelve milch cows such that a drink of milk might be had from each, and a white calf with red ears for each cow, and your bringing your entire number and your musicians to help us take the cattle from Cúailnge.’ ‘I swear by my shield and my sword and my apparel, I would not give such a bride price for Medb herself,’ said Fróech, and he strode out of the house.

After that, Ailill and Medb conversed. ‘A multitude of the kings of Ériu will besiege us if he takes the girl,’ said Ailill. ‘It would be best to set upon him and kill him now, before he can bring about our destruction.’ ‘Pitiful that,’ replied Medb, ‘and we will be dishonoured.’ ‘We will not be dishonoured, for I will arrange it so,’ said Ailill.

Ailill and Medb returned to the royal house. ‘Let us go out,’ he said, ‘to see the hounds hunt, until noon comes and they grow tired.’ Ailill and Medb went out to bathe in the river. ‘I am told,’ Ailill said to Fróech, ‘that you are good in the water. Come into this pool, that we may see you swim.’ ‘What sort of pool is this?’ Fróech asked. ‘We know of nothing dangerous in it,’ said Ailill, ‘and it is our custom to bathe here.’ Fróech took off his clothes, then, and went into the water, leaving his belt behind. Ailill opened Fróech’s wallet, then, and the thumb ring was in it, and he recognized it. ‘Come here, Medb!’ he said; Medb came, and he said to her ‘Do you recognize this?’ ‘I do,’ she replied. Ailill threw the ring into the river; Fróech perceived this, and he saw a salmon leap for the ring and catch it in its mouth. Fróech leapt after the salmon and caught it by the gills; he made for land and hid the fish in a secret place on the river bank.

After that, Fróech made to leave the water. ‘Do not come out,’ said Ailill, ‘until you have brought me a branch from yonder rowan on the river bank. I find its berries beautiful.’ Fróech went back, then, and brought the branch through the water on his shoulders. Findabair said afterwards that, whatever beautiful thing she saw, she thought it more beautiful to look at Fróech across the dark water, his body very white, his hair very beautiful, his face very shapely, his eyes very blue, he a gentle youth without fault or blemish, his face narrow below and broad above, he straight without blemish, the branch with the red berries between his throat and his white face. Findabair used to say that she had
never seen anything to match a half or a third of his beauty.

Fróech brought the branches from the water to them, then. ‘These berries are choice and delicious. Bring us more.’ Fróech went back into the water, and in the centre of the pool a monster seized him. ‘A sword for me!’ he cried, but not a man there dared give him one for fear of Ailill and Medb. Findabair, however, threw off her clothes and leapt into the water with a sword. Her father cast a five-pointed spear at her so that it went through her two tresses. Fróech caught the spear, the monster at his side, and sent it back in a kind of play of weaponry, so that it went through Ailill’s scarlet mantle and through his shirt. The youths rose about Ailill then. Findabair came out of the water, but she left the sword in Fróech’s hand, and he struck off the monster’s head and brought it with him to land. Thus is named Dub-lind Froích in the river Brei in the land of the Connachta.

Ailill and Medb went back into the fort, then. ‘A great evil have we done,’ said Medb. ‘We regret what we have done against the man,’ said Ailill. ‘The girl, however, will die tomorrow night, and not for the crime of taking the sword to him. Have a bath prepared for the man, a broth of fresh bacon and the flesh of a heifer chopped up with an adze and an axe and added into the bath.’ All this was done.

Fróech’s hornplayers preceded him into the court, then, and such was their playing that thirty of Ailill’s dearest ones died of yearning. Fróech entered the fort, then, and went into the bath. A company of women rose about him to rub him and to wash his hair; after that, he was taken from the tub, and a bed was prepared for him to lie down. But the people heard weeping outside Crúachu, and they saw three fifties of women wearing scarlet mantles and bright green headdresses and silver animal bracelets on their wrists. Messengers were sent to find out why the women were weeping, and one woman said ‘Fróech son of Idath is the
favourite youth of the king of the Síde of Ériu.’ At that, Fróech heard the weeping, and he said to his people ‘Bear me outside. The weeping of my mother this, and of the women of Bóand.’ Fróech was borne outside, then, and the women gathered about him and took him off into the síd of Crúachu. On the evening of the following day, the people saw him return, accompanied by fifty women and completely healed, without fault or blemish. Of equal age and form and beauty and fairness and comeliness and grace the women about him, so that there was no telling one from the other; and they had the look of the women of the Síde. Men all but suffocated about them. The women departed at the entrance to the courtyard, but in leaving they so poured forth their lament that the people in the courtyard were laid prostrate. Thus it is that the musicians of Ériu possess the weeping of the women of the Síde.