Chapter II: Preface: To the Third Edition

In this edition there is an additional tale, "The Fate of the Sons of Usna," a notice of which will be found at page x, above.

LYRE-NA-GRENA, LEINSTER ROAD, RATHMINES, 1907.

FOOTNOTES:

[I.] In the Book of Leinster, a manuscript now in Trinity College, Dublin, which was transcribed about the year 1130, there is a very interesting list of ancient historic tales--187 in all--classified in the manner indicated above, which an ollave was obliged to master, so as to be able to repeat any one of them from memory, whenever his patron required him to do so. (See O'Curry, "Lectures on the MS. Materials of Irish History," pages 243 and 584.)

[II.] Macpherson never sinned in this way. He caught the true keynote; and his "Poems of Ossian," however perverted in other respects, are always dignified in thought and expression. Among other examples of the true interpretation of the spirit of these old romances, prose and poetry, I may mention Miss Brooke's "Reliques of Irish Poetry," published in the end of the last century; the Rev. Dr. Drummond's "Ancient Irish Minstrelsy," published in 1852; Lady Ferguson's graceful and interesting book, "The Story of the Irish before the Conquest" (1868); and Mr. Standish O'Grady's ably written volume, the "History of Ireland" (Vol. I., The Heroic Period 1878).

[III.] With one partial exception. In "The Book of the Dun Cow," "The Voyage of Maildun" is divided into parts or chapters, which are numbered on the margin in Roman numerals, each chapter relating to one particular island; but no spaces are left, and the chapters have no headings. In this tale I have followed the old sub-division.

[IV.] "Deirdrè," by Robert D. Joyce, M.D., M.R.I.A. Boston: Roberts Brothers. Dublin: M.H. Gill and Son.

[V.] O'Curry, _Atlantis_, Nos. vii. and viii., page 390.

[VI.] See the ballad and air of "The Fairy King's Courtship," in the author's "Ancient Irish Music," page 1.

CONTENTS.

THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR; OR, THE FOUR WHITE SWANS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. Bove Derg chosen King of the Dedannans, 1

II. The Children of Lir, 4

III. The Four Children of Lir are turned into Four White 6
Swans by their Stepmother,

IV. The Four White Swans on Lake Darvra, 10

V. The Four White Swans on the Sea of Moyle, 18

VI. The Four White Swans on the Western Sea, 26

VII. The Children of Lir regain their Human Shape and die, 32

THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN; OR, THE QUEST FOR THE ERIC-FINE.

I. The Lochlanns invade Erin, 37

II. The Murder of Kian, 42

III. Defeat and Flight of the Lochlanns, 47

IV. The Eric-Fine on the Sons of Turenn for the Slaying of 51
Kian,

V. The Sons of Turenn obtain Mannanan's Canoe, the 60
Wave-Sweeper,

VI. The Apples of the Garden of Hisberna, 63

VII. The Gifted Skin of the Pig, 67

VIII. The Blazing Spear of the King of Persia, 71

IX. The Chariot and Steeds of the King of Sigar, 74

X. The Seven Pigs of the King of the Golden Pillars, 78

XI. The Hound-Whelp of the King of Iroda, 81

XII. Return of the Sons of Turenn, with part of the 84
Eric-Fine,

XIII. The Cooking-Spit of the Women of Fincara, 87

XIV. The Three Shouts on Midkena's Hill, 89

XV. Return and Death of the Sons of Turenn, 91

THE OVERFLOWING OF LOUGH NEAGH, AND THE STORY OF LIBAN
THE MERMAID. 97

CONNLA OF THE GOLDEN HAIR AND THE FAIRY MAIDEN. 106

THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN.

I. Maildun's Childhood and Youth. He begins his Voyage in 112
Quest of the Plunderers who slew his Father,

II. The First Island. Tidings of the Plunderers, 117

III. The Island of the Monstrous Ants, 119

IV. The Terraced Isle of Birds, 120

V. A Monster, 121

VI. The Demon Horse-Race, 122

VII. The Palace of Solitude, 124

VIII. The Island of the Wonderful Apple Tree, 125

IX. The Island of Bloodthirsty Quadrupeds, 126

X. An Extraordinary Monster, 127

XI. The Isle of Red-Hot Animals, 129

XII. The Palace of the Little Cat, 131

XIII. An Island that dyed Black and White, 133

XIV. The Island of the Burning River, 135

XV. The Miller of Hell, 136

XVI. The Isle of Weeping, 137

XVII. The Isle of the Four Precious Walls, 139

XVIII. The Palace of the Crystal Bridge, 139

XIX. The Isle of Speaking Birds, 143

XX. The Aged Hermit and the Human Souls, 143

XXI. The Island of the Big Blacksmiths, 145

XXII. The Crystal Sea, 147

XXIII. A Lovely Country beneath the Waves, 147

XXIV. An Island guarded by a Wall of Water, 148

XXV. A Water-Arch in the Air, 149

XXVI. The Silver Pillar of the Sea, 150

XXVII. An Island standing on One Pillar, 151

XXVIII. The Island Queen detains them with her Magic 152
Thread-Clew,

XXIX. The Isle of Intoxicating Wine-Fruits, 156

XXX. The Isle of the Mystic Lake, 157

XXXI. The Isle of Laughing, 163

XXXII. The Isle of the Blest, 164

XXXIII. The Hermit of the Sea-Rock, 164

XXXIV. Signs of Home, 174

XXXV. Maildun meets his Enemy, and arrives Home, 175

THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES.

I. Colga, King of Lochlann, invades Erin, and is slain, 177

II. Midac, the Son of Colga, meditates Revenge, 181

III. Finn is entrapped by Midac, and held by Enchantment in 189
the Palace of the Quicken Trees,

IV. Innsa, Finn's Foster Son, defends the Ford leading to 196
the Palace of the Quicken Trees,

V. Ficna, the Son of Finn, defends the Ford, 203

VI. Dermat O'Dyna slays the Three Kings of the Island of 213
the Torrent, breaks the Spell with their Blood, and
frees Finn,

VII. The Fight at the Ford with the Foreign Army, 219

THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA DACKER AND HIS HORSE.

I. Arrival of the Gilla Dacker and his Horse, 223

II. Conan and Fifteen of the Fena are carried off by the 235
Gilla Dacker's Horse,

III. Pursuit, 239

IV. Dermat O'Dyna, in Quest of the Gilla Dacker, 245
encounters the Wizard-Champion at the Well,

V. Dermat O'Dyna in Tir-fa-tonn, 253

VI. Finn, in Quest of Dermat, fights many Battles, 259

VII. Finn and Dermat meet, 265

VIII. Conan and his Companions found and rescued, 267

THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA.

I. Finn, the Son of Cumal, seeks the Princess Grania to 274
Wife,

II. Dermat O'Dyna secretly espouses the Princess Grania, 277

III. Flight and Pursuit, 285

IV. The Fastness of the Seven Narrow Doors, 289

V. The Three Sea-Champions and their Three Venomous 296
Hounds on the Track of Dermat and Grania,

VI. What Befell the Three Sea-Champions and their Three 305
Venomous Hounds,

VII. Sharvan, the Surly Giant, and the Fairy Quicken Tree 313
of Dooros,

VIII. The Attack of the Witch-Hag, 330

IX. Peace and Rest at Last, 332

X. The Death of Dermat, 334

THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN, 351

THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD, 362

OISIN IN TIRNANOGE; OR, THE LAST OF THE FENA, 385

THE VOYAGE OF THE SONS OF O'CORRA, 400

THE FATE OF THE SONS OF USNA, 427

NOTES, 455

LIST OF PROPER NAMES, 471

THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR; OR, _THE FOUR WHITE SWANS._

Silent, O Moyle, be the roar of thy water;
Break not, ye breezes, your chain of repose;
While murmuring mournfully, Lir's lonely daughter
Tells to the night-star her tale of woes.

MOORE.