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Read Ebook: The Coming of Lugh: A Celtic Wonder-Tale Retold by Young Ella Gonne Maud Illustrator
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Ebook has 83 lines and 5735 words, and 2 pages
"O King!" he said, "the most wonderful youth in the world is waiting outside your door to-night. He seeks admittance as the Ildana, the Master of every craft."
"Let him come in," said King Nuada.
Lugh came into the dun. Ogmai, the champion, took a good look at him. He thought him young and slender, and was minded to test him. There was a great stone before the seat of the king. It was flat and round, and fourscore yoke of oxen could not move it. Ogmai stooped and lifted the stone. He cast it through the door, so that it crossed the fosse which was round the dun. That was his challenge to the Ildana.
"It is a good champion-cast," said Lugh, "I will better it."
He went outside. He lifted the stone and cast it back, not through the door, but through the strong wall of the dun so that it fell in the place where it had lain before Ogmai lifted it.
"Your cast is better than mine," said Ogmai, "sit in the seat of the champion with your face to the King."
Lugh drew his hand over the wall; it became whole as before. He sat in the champion-seat.
"Let chess be brought," said the King.
They played, and Lugh won all the games, so that thereafter it passed into a proverb "to make the Cro of Lugh."
"Truly you are the Ildana," said Nuada. "I would fain hear music of your making, but I have no harp to offer you."
"I see a kingly harp within reach of your hand," said Lugh.
"That is the harp of the Dagda. No one can bring music from that harp but himself: when he plays on it the four Seasons--Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter--pass over the earth."
"I will play on it," said Lugh.
The harp was given to him.
Lugh played the music of joy, and outside the dun the birds began to sing as though it were morning, and wonderful crimson flowers sprang through the grass--flowers that trembled with delight and swayed and touched each other with a delicate, faery ringing as of silver bells. Inside the dun a subtle sweetness of laughter filled the hearts of everyone: it seemed to them that they had never known gladness till that night.
Lugh played the music of sorrow: the wind moaned outside, and where the grass and flowers had been there was a dark sea of moving waters. The De Danaanans within the dun bowed their heads on their hands and wept as they had never wept for any sorrow.
Lugh played the music of peace and outside there fell silently a strange snow. Flake by flake it settled on the earth and changed to starry dew. Flake by flake the quiet of the Land of the Silver Fleece settled in the hearts and minds of Nuada and his people: they closed their eyes and slept, each in his seat.
Lugh put the harp from him and stole out of the dun. The snow was still falling outside: it settled on his dark cloak and shone like silver scales; it settled on the thick curls of his hair and shone like jewelled fire; it filled the night about him with white radiance. He went back to his companions.
The sun had risen in the sky when the De Danaanans awoke in Nuada's dun. They were light-hearted and joyous, and it seemed to them that they had dreamed over-night a strange, beautiful dream.
"The Fomorians have not taken the sun out of the sky," said Nuada. "Let us go to the Hill of Usna and send to our scattered comrades that we may make a stand against our enemies."
They took their weapons and went to the Hill of Usna, and they were not long upon it when a band of Fomorian devastators came on them. The Fomorians scoffed among themselves when they saw how few the De Danaanans were and how ill-prepared for fighting.
"Behold!" they cried, "what mighty kings are to-day upon Usna, the Hill of Sovereignity. Come down, O Kings, and bow yourselves before your masters!"
"We will not bow ourselves before you," said Nuada, "for ye are ugly and vile, and lords neither of us nor of Ireland."
With hoarse cries the Fomorians fell on the De Danaanans, but Nuada and his folk held together and withstood them as well as they were able. Scarcely had the weapons clashed when a light appeared in the horizon and a sound of mighty battle-trumpets shook the air. The light was so white that no one could look at it, and great rose-red streamers shot from it into the sky.
"It is a second sunrise," said the Fomorians.
"It is the Deliverer!" said the De Danaanans.
Out of the light came the glorious company of warriors from Tir-nan-oge. Lugh was leading them. He had the helmet of Mananaan on his head, the breastplate of Mananaan over his heart, and the great white horse of Mananaan beneath him.
The Sword of Light was bare in his hand. He fell on the Fomorians as a sea-eagle falls on her prey, as lightning flashes out of a clear sky. Before him and his companions they were destroyed as stubble is destroyed by fire. He held his hand when only nine of them remained alive.
"Bow yourselves," he said, "before the King, Nuada, and before the De Danaanans, for they are your Lords and the Lords of Ireland, and go hence to Balor of the Evil Eye and tell him and his misshapen brood that the De Danaanans have taken their own again, and they will wage war against the Fomorians till there is not one left to darken the earth with his shadow."
The nine Fomorians bowed themselves before the King, Nuada, and before the De Danaanans, and before Lugh Lauvauda, the Ildana, and they arose and carried his message to Balor of the Evil Eye, King of the Fomorians.
Transcriber's Notes
--Copyright notice provided as in the original--this e-text is public domain in the country of publication.
--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and dialect unchanged.
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