And as
the giant paused, Keelta seized his spear and tore it from him. But
the giant waded on, and soon the Fians were floundering in deep water
while the huge form, thigh deep, was seen striding towards the setting
sun. And a great ship seemed to draw near, and it received him, and
then departed into the light, but the Fians returned in the grey
evening, bearing the spear and the great shield to Finn. There they
found the maiden at point of death, and they laid the weapons before
her. "Goodly indeed are these arms," she said, "for that is the
Thunder Spear of the King Oversea and the shield is the Red Branch
Shield," for it was covered with red arabesques. Then she bestowed her
bracelets on Finn's three harpers, the dwarf Cnu, and Blanit his wife,
and the harper Daira. And she bade Finn care for her burial, that it
should be done becomingly, "for under thy honour and protection I got
my death, and it was to thee I came into Ireland." So they buried her
and lamented her, and made a great far-seen mound over her grave,
which is called the Ridge of the Dead Woman, and set up a pillar stone
upon it with her name and lineage carved in Ogham-crave.[23]
[23] Ogham-craobh = "branching Ogham," so called because the
letters resembled the branching of twigs from a stem. The Ogham
alphabet was in use in Ireland in pre-Christian times, and many
sepulchral inscriptions in it still remain.
Pages:
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204