The Loathly Lady among the Fdin*and her Nonh Ailantic frav.ls

Jorrru Srr,,rv

Inthe third volume ofJohrr Francis canrpbell's major collecrion of scottish Caelicfolkmles from thc nineteenth century, Poputar Tateiaf the wtst Highl,tnis, rhc morifolrhe Loarhly Lady (D7J2 in Sdth Thompson's nrorif classificarioir sysn:m) appcar:;in the story sumnrarised below:l

Fionn M,rc Cumhaill and his h,and arc passing a rvild and snor*y rrighr onBcinn Eudainn in Ircland when rhey areipproiched around midnishibv anuncouth lemale w.irh hair down ro'her hiels who knocks on Firrn"n'rr'ltorasking him 'to let her in under rhe border of his covcring'. Vihen Fionncomments on her hideoru appcarancc and sends her arvay shlc gives a scrcarnand apprc'aches Oisean, askirig rhe same favour, and he iikcwi"se remarks onher bizarrr: appearance wirh rhe,same derail and sends her awai', g.ving rise toasecondscream. Diarmaid,howt:ver,aftcrrrertinghelnrLhcsar,,c-ob*.ivarions,i.vires her in. oncc under the covering shc rela-tcs her srory, sayine rhar sht:has spenr scven veani 'travelling orer dccrn rnd sea' tnd juri'ie rEar enrin,rirne. has nor spenr one-single nighr.: After warnring herself bcide rhe fire.nruch to the distasre of the Ferri-an band, they rcriri and she asks ro .o*i,under Diarmaid's blanker. Diarmaid .n,n*.ni, on hcr boldness bur asrees"tucking a lold of ir bcrween rhem, and beFore long he qlances n"., ,o"findhimsellbeside'the finesr drop oFblood rhrr ever wis, f.Jm rhe begihnins ofthe universe dll the end of thc world', Hc imnrediarely sunrmons-the Filnnand on v-c,,ving her rhey agree rhar shc has beconrc 'rhc mosr beaureorrwoman rh.rr man evcr saw'. She awakens shorrly thereafrcr, asking Diarmaidwhere he worrld likc a castle ro [.e brrilr, and when he r,cxr awakeni she show,him a fine casrle on the spor he ha.l specified above Beinn Eudainn.Diarmaid asla her ro go rhcre wrth hirn, anC she agree\ on rhe condition rharhe never say ro her thiee rimes how he had foundler.. .

A-frer.rhree^days in rhe casrle, rvhich is equipped dorvn ro thc lasr derailincluding a he rd for rhe geesc, Diarmaid bqiins'to'rniss his comrudes arrd soesro find them, enrrusring rhe woman rvirh-rhe carc of his fernale grcyho;ndand her rhrec pups. 'l'hJFeinn

u,elcome Di;rrmaid, bur in rhe m.r,iri*. hau.beg.uq 19 harbour ill-vrill toward him on account oftheir own losr opportunitiesand rheir enry of his good fortune. Consequentlv rvhilc l)iarm:rid is awayFionn approaches rhe woman, reqrrcsring .,ne o[ the ttups, which she handsover withour quesriorr, giving Fionn his chorce of rhern. l)iarmaid rerurns and

Fdin/Fianna and OiseanlOisin are uscd inrerchangeablr.(18r2),42r-40.Under she.lter, presumbly.

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is met bv the grevhound who gives a vclp, and when he finds one olthe pupsgone he reproaches the r,r'oman, sxying, 'But if rhou had'st nrind of horv I{ound rhee, ho',v rht hair was down to rlry hcels, chou had'st nor ler rire pupgo'. I Ie immediately a^rks hcr forgivenass foi his firrrt breakj ng oF rhe prohibirion,rvhich shc grrnts hinr. Nt'r.'erthelcss over the lollowing rw,.l days shc allowsOisern and anc,ther menrt'cr of the Fiinn ro take their pick of the rem.riningt!!'o pups. Diarrnaid is uret by the greyhound who gives &\ro and then rhreehideous yelps. Despite the rvoman's wlrnings Diarmaid on each occasionviolatcs the injunctions ser for hiur and he tlnds hirnself on the final e,,'ening'withour rvifc or bed beside him, as he ever had f,cen'.

On rhe loilorving r'rorning, upon a\4'akening in a nross-hole wirh notrece of rhc carrle rcmeining, he deLermines ro find heL. Hr: carries thc grcy'-

hound, rvhich has since e,,p"ir.d, over: his shoulcier and rraces fie *onr,in ioLhe strand x'here she rvas last seen by a herd. Eventually, still carrvi,ng rhcgreyhound, he boards a bolt lowed by one man which clescends to a phinrvherc he disen.barks. Aticr a short rinre rvalkirre hc comes acr,:ss rhrec sulosof blood, rvhich he careLrlly garhels intr.r a napkin and transfers inti tiiipour:h, thinking thcy ere the greyhound's, A .short distance lurther on he

enct)unlers a wornan busily gat]rcring rushes. rvht re[s him that hc has arrivedin trlioghachd J,b Thuinn ('Realm Undenvaves') and that the rushcs are toprolide a whoft:somc bed {br the king's daughter rvho has returned after seven

years under sp,ells and is ill with an ailment tlLat the assembled lceches o[ChrLstendom cannol curc. Diarmaid asks to bc taken to thc princess, and thcwonran obligingly rvraps hinr in r bundle ofrushcs and conveys him rhere onher back. They are joyfully reunited, and thc princess tells him that akhouqhhcr,rilmenr is parrially cured she has lost a gulp,rf'her hean's blood lor c'"'enrimt shc rhougirr of him on her jouLney. When Diarrnaid otfers to administerro her rhe thret gulps in a drink she replies thatthel,u,ill have no eflect since

she cannot hav,e what she rnost needs, namcly three draughts from rhe cup ofRigh Magh att lughrt,tidh ('rhc King of rhe'Plain of WondeL') arrd neiiherDialmaid or any other man in the wnrld is capable of obraining the cup.

L)iarnraid resol.ves to try, however, and she diiects him t" R;gi M,tgh inIoghnaidh, l year and a day's journey removed and close ttt her orvn farher's

dwclling. l)iarnraid depans on hrs qucst rnd is aided in crossing a rivul,:r by a

littlc russet mrn, n,ho thcrr accompanies him. Whcn hc reaches thc kinq'shou,re at the Plairr ot Wonders he dernands the crrp. In spite of the rerriiicoddt he vanquishes rhe king's champions in rhrt'e bartles md the king, uponlearning rvho hc is (his arrival and victolv over tht.- kinglom having bcen

forer:old scven years bcFore his birth), prcsents.hirn with rhe cup which no

man has cver ol,taincd bclorc. 'fhe king also offers a ship tLr return in, whichhe declines, ancl he is joinet.l again by thc little russet man.

300

On his rerurn joulnev Diarmaid, on rhe ljrtle russet nrirn's advice,Grdres a botrlc ol rv.rter lronr a certain rverl to rnix with thc errlo, c,f bloo,l.His helper also advises him thar he will takc a dislike tu ch,, r,rinc.rs ,ruce sheis crrred. and ther she will be'the one lor r'116n1 thou clrest lel"t riur .r,erthou hast scen befb*: thee'. Her tarhcr King Undem,a'e will rhcn ctrme andutTer him nruch silver and gold for healing hei, alons wirh her hanJ in nrarriasc.Hc will n,t accepr rhc ofGr. bur: insreaJwill t.qu.rt, ship to ralit hinr hil<ro lreland. The cverrrs rLnrbld as dcscribed. l)irimaid lerches the warcr rron,the rvell and arrives back at rhc palacc wirh rhe cup, and is *,elcomcd by thcprincess who savs that shc had n,it expected hinr ro succeed, si'ce no ou. h.devcr accourplished surh a lerr berbrc.

- lJc adminisrers tirc rhrec uuios of bloocl

rvirh rhe v,'arcr in rhc crLp and tl.e princess rs insranrlv and coniniLlrelv.rrred.Ac rhar ve,r momenr Diirmaid fi.ds th,rt he can baL.:ly bri.e himr.lf to loukar her, rvhich he adnrits to wher, contionre,l b1.her. ll{eaniihile word olthecrrre is circrrlared an,l rhe king otlers Di;rrn,,rid payrnenr in.rilr.er.rnd hisdaughrer's hand in marriage, bur he refuse,i thesc, rcqu.sriug onlv a ship tr:rakc hirn back ro Irehnd,rnd rhe leinn. l'hc rrury.n,1" *icKhis ir,urn',,r,hearry rveiconre by his comrades.

^ _!.n.his.a5conrp^anyi.g nores Campbell tells us rhar rhc.*orv was rvritten dorvnin 1860 by his chief assisiant Hector

-Macl.eln tiom 'Roderic( N,trcl,can (railor),

Ken 1 angval, Barra, *4ro heard ir liequen,ty r..riJ rri; "r,l

n,.n in s";,l,-lji,;. .b;,,,hncer. years agr.i. L)ne ol thcrl was Angus 14aclrrryrc, Bornish, who was ahour,jishrv1'ears uld lr lhe rime'. Campbell addi,'l omir rhe C.;relic for wanr,..,[room,j',rndtranslare closcly lrur more tr,jelv'. Unfbrtunarelv onll rhc l.nglish rlanslation r,lth.storl', wrirten in his own hand, sun'ives:rmong his Fap.rs. Scaircr.d thro,Lrchour rhctransl;rrion, horvever, are c:unpbell's nut.. ni (iaili. expres.;ion, such .s" witheadnialrlnitt ('grc1'hourrd'),r fla'th'ai /aiir ('a chicfs h,rnour and.+eiconre') ,nd a'r,*it',d fonn\ iretbrr i'g ro thehideous wornan's herr) which indicir:e rhar he was *orkinodirectly iiom Ht'iLor i\'lacLern's rrens':riprion.( campbell makes ir cl.ar thrr lrlregards rhc ab.ve as u 'curious..'"rt,-*,'rJ':,n."lr.r,tnjiLp.rrrct. drarvirrg.rrrenrionto lo,.r;e cnds in the story such as rhe grcl'hound. F4e'is cliarly puzzlcd byiir. sr,rw'smeaning, rcmarking thar.'unless ir i. "mvrhologicrt i, .*nno,'hi .,,pt",,.i: i. ifr."devorts rhc remainder of his notcs to dii;cussin-g sinrilar or relaLed motifs rhar he hadencou.ntere<i from oral and writren sources.

In 1986 I recorded a version o[ the same tale in Nc,va Scotia li.m pererMact.rrheln (Pitlrais AoilKhui: lain'ir Dhitnhtmill 'ir 'Philrdin Bltiitr 'ic Rashnailhof (,lenda.le' Inverness (-.unry, C.apc B'eron.- The rc<irer lca'red ir fr,m l,is f.t.rn.iJ ,h"-|"-il "*;""q ""d.r*..r*r* t'.rq;;h. *bf,rh.,,T,"d*.T;.;n" Ne luor( lrkel),connerled urtlr rhc u'orrl.rrigl lritclr- in an eiprc.sion rrrclr ar uigl) rio ,nhful,hor,t t

5{el'hound Drrcn. .)zrgl, occurs clssherc rn lenian krrc cf. Carnrichael ilgl8-lq;ll. l. l.l in\./lscdn \ w;rlntng to hl: mothcl

I L),ta,ls.ol-rhi.kiidirrepopularinG;elicrJcrcriptirrnsuf hrecourwumen*hert/it';and liontt,trttqxr htad :nd tniy hair respectiveiy. For a p.rirllcl scc th clcscrigriolr ofrhd srotc.oac worlrn

. j!'ekrrgenrlance rrrthehosrr.l ir: Knoni|9J'6), 16*momicc.ula'[e,inr-icl,urihfitti,incliiil.(r Hecr,rr Maclc.rn's (,aclic rrlnstriprion ir prirrred in tr{:rcKny llgf't.

l0l

grandnrother Isebel, r,€e O Handlev (lseab,zl niyhenn ,4onghui: ic Ruairidh tlthdil-t"ho r"at borrr in neighhoringJudiquc and was ufsourh Uisi d.r..r,t. Pldraig'r, is rhe

onli'instaucc of rhe rllc known Lo me anrong a good numher of Fenian tal:s andballa,ls. complere lnd fragnrcnrary. recordcd or-knoto,n ro have existcd on Capcllreton Ishnd rnd rhe adjacent rnainland. Sincc the irenr is sonr,:rhing of .r rariryPidrarg has becn encour"gid ro rell it on various occasions and a nurnber ifrecordingsend transcriprions exisr 1-rom I 986 ro 1995 *hich show grear cons.istency, althoughhe has clc:rrly rec,rlled more der,ril:; since the lirsr recording. A comparisou shov;s thitthe talc.is':losely relar:ed to thar notcd down oyer a c,:ntury eariicr in Campbcll s

collection, but by no rneans so dctailed, arul diflers irom it'in a number of minorpartiqllars lvhich are worth ltoting. Here the rvarricrrs named arc Oscar, Oisean and

Fionn, and they are approached by a dread[rrl apparition wirh a bod-v half q,oman

and half f.irih,s'rvho is turncd away by Oisean 'and Fionn bur rnk.ri in by Oscarinstead of Diarmaid, Immediately after hcr rransforrnation shc makes it clear toOscar. that he has released her frorn spells bv enr:hanrment (fo shaasaihh bbLtitl;erhlt, and she lavs dorvn the same condition thar hc musr nriver'menrion bvrvay_ of reproach ho* ihe came ro him. In addirion rcr a birch fudla) Oscar has a

pa)trey $itaire\ and Lhere is no rnenriorr o[ a nragicallv appearin]1 casrle. They aLe

married, to rhe grcat entt'of Oscar's corladcs. and when (lrscar violares rhc

prohibitior, the princess takes to hcr bed and cxpels rhree gulps oi'blood beli'rcsheapparentiv disapperrs and rhe bitch and tlLe palfrey die. He carefully gerhers theblood inro a napkin a.nd nraltes his u.av to rhe shore, inrcnding to drown hirnsclf,but instead tirlls asleep in .r bo.rr which rransports hinr to a srringe land. Thcre he

encounters a large wornln garhering rushes for the princess, his wiFe. who is ,rn herdeath bed. He carrics the rushss ro rhe princess and she asks for rhe rhrcc gulps olblood. He produces rhese and is told rhar shc can be curcd by a drink ltioni theBrurvn (.up (nn (h1,a Dana) bclrnging to Righ Blvtn-righinn Fhionn, hkely a

substinrtion for Riglt hlaglt m h'gltntilh in the Barra version. Guided bt a cleer inplrce of the rrrssc't man he rcaches thc palacc, and aiier glrhering l baskeriirl ofbLarnbleberri., in Janrrary) he rvrtsrlcs with anJ purs do*,r rfie .,,p'rL,.ep.r, An GilteG1n.''rhe Crcy Lad', vrho recognrses him. The Grey Lad rells lrim rhar borh he and

his sistcr, Oscar's rvilc, were phccd undcr spells by a wirch, but that thcse have nowbeen ]ifred ,A,ficr vanqrrishing a regimcnr rhey rerurrr rogerher ro rlre palace,.rlrheGrey Lad's lather, arrrl Oscar's rvile rakes a drink fiom the crrp arrd is curcd. 'lhev

return to Ireland tc.gerher and Oscar is given land and the kingdom.

l)eter .lv{rcl,achern's version, particularly in rhe second hal.fi is c,rnsiderablvshorter than thar pubtished irr Campbell's lVnt Highland Tales, and hE remrrks,uthe crrd ofthc firir (1986) reconling rhar he has'iorgortcn rhe n:st ofir'. It is rhe

7 )5/tA2:l/lliS6,CacLicfblhloreprojectcollecrion,StFrancisXavier[.lniversiry,AnriBonrsh,NovaScotia.

8 Tlre 1986 version has ardhublt s e rcltas boireannach ru cobas irup aa tu di a blt'ann 'u'hethcr irwarrhcrFleannicof ,ruomlr.,orrfi,h,urwhrrcverirnr.'i inlaier(l)8E. Ig9i) rccord:.nBsJtis hJf wririrn arrd half flsh.

9 A difiicult or ir:rp.rssible task widcly:Latured in rrles and proverbs.

302

only tale lronr the F,enian c,rcle in his repertoire and one c,l rhe vrry {erv ro bcrecorded iu r.vestern Cape Brrton.

,,\ third Scottish varianr, ritlcd, Sniiridh Orair ('The Srory olOssian'), rvaspublished in 1978'0 fl',rm the recitarion of Alasdair'llrian'Srcrvart, ,r Geclic-spcekingtraveller irr Surherl'rnd who lcarned it lrom his grandnrother Sirrseidh 5r.t"arr.,rnat.ive of'fu$,|e. H.:re Oisean ,rnd his ni,o vorrngcr Srorhers are living in rhrLc shiclinqborhies when thc loarhsomc fenralc arriv':s onCsrorrrr" nighr ir rhi forrn of .r hhc[crow (fiannaglh.riil). Signifii:andy, in_a variant recorded i,rrlicr fronr lvlary Stervarrctow \rcdt|n4! InilDil).of the sanc familv she rhe lenriliar lbrnr of 'the ugliesL woman )ou everof the sanrc familv she appelrs in rhe fenriliar lornr of 'thc ueliesL woman !ou eversal'(Ll,h.nnighoiieannarlinnna'ti,tbug,hrinnd'ncl,urutttsil,i,riamhj.ttAficrbcirrtturncd lrvav bv rh': hrorhers the is finally given shelter by Oise.rn, wh,.r also shrrcihis suooer. In the rnorning whcn he aritcs h-e behol,ls', Mrrrn rher"

"c h"",,rifi,1 ..his supper. In the morning whcn he ariscs lie beholds'a rvonran rher.c rs berurilul .rs

he had cvcr seen'li,.hoireainacb ann a shin cho briagl,'5a chuanaig e riamhl whoexplainr; that shc rvas under enchantments t<-r rernrin in the ficrnr-of a crorv unrrlsomcone provided her with bed and food, and that she will nov,, be Oisean's wile so

!9lg a* h. Joes no,'.throw up to heL in a quarrcl rhc shal'c in u h ich she arri'cd. for.if he docs she will depart, bccoming r cr'lrv agein. OiscJn agre,:s ro her cc,nditions.'l he rw,.r broLlrcrs - "i in rhe ilarralUist

"ersiJn -,rrc cnuiniir, bur nran' r,eari D:rss

arrd rs rhe three of thcm are f r','paring to hunt deer rvith rhe stag-hounds ('n'idt-rhit,l.Oisean rrores that rhe birrh is abour ro have pups and insrrir<'rs his witi ro pur r,trirrg around rhe neck of rhe firsr born. Shorrly altcr they dcpa.rt rhe pups rre'b,_,rnarrd a rrarr.rrrives, tlemanding the firsr of rhem. Oiscan's uife-arr.nrpts ro tLi.k him,but he rhrcatens hcr rnd rakc., rhe pup rrvay undcr his urm. \,'lrcn Oiserrr returnsanC ask'_after rl:e pups shc tries ro.ilcieive hinr by prrrring a srring around Lhe neckof onc t'f rhe other prrps. again withour success. V4r,:n she r,:htcs ivhaL has occurredOisean loses his he.rd and brcalisrheinjuncrinn by calling her a black crow, and sheIeturns to her fbrrner shapc ,rnd gL)cs our, saying that ih. .^t,not return. As shcdeparts, hou'evcr, she givcs him;r ring, saying that a.s long as he possesscs ir hc rvilllive and instructing; him to keep it on his finger end nevei ro give it,nvay,

Oisean rcturns to his shieling whele, nolv an ,rld man unable tn do nruelr, heis sought out by Sxint Patrick rvho is rvriring books about the srory of(lisean andLhe placcs hc knetv. Eventurlly, alter,r numFer crladventures l.,..longlng prr4rglly 1rr

rhe irnli Okeart an ddidh ua F.{inneadh ('Oiscen afrer thc Fiinn'.r, Oii.^?,i ou*, t 1inaand failrng, asks rhe !oung lad who hai accompanicd hjm to take him io thc burnro barhi: him. As he rvashes Oisern in th,: burn thc hd rakcs rfre ting oflhi' flneerand lays it on a stone, antl a crow rnrkes ,rff uvith it. Oisean inrrnediaiely fcels d.,irhcon)rns on. ;rrrd rrpon ,rsking is tcrld of thc loss o('ttre rirrg. As the lad'rv.rshe, fiimOisc.rn pltccs his hrrnd on thc b.rck o{ Lhc lad's ncck and breaks ir. killing hirrr so rhar

ll liixr 2) (l97tt), 292-10 I . Re,:ordsl bv David Clemerrt: i.inguistit Surrcy o[ Scotland, l rPr_r65.

,1 t4 I 957148 82. Nlan' qarc her sourct- irs hcr larhcr (Briar's uncle) Alec'Aili l)all' Srervrrt nlrorecorded thc \rme virr:nr (S,4 19511173 All) rvhich hc l:erned iiorn his nrarernil uncle. (lf.llruftrrd ( 1987), 51.

30_l

he will 'or

recount l*har he hes sccn. He rhen returns ro his shieling, ne'er ro riseagai n.

D. A. lv{acDor:Lald and rhe late Alan Bruiord in rheir renr:rrks on rhe rravelrervariant obscrvc rhar rhe proscript.io' common ro all ScotLish varianrs aqainsr re,flrring,ro the ladv. s origins ()31.9. ir Thompson's /vlotiflndn) is parelleled in orrt jiu,,irf,versions of Leighcat coue Ciin ('1 he Healing ol'cian's I.eg'), a Fanr,rus cale apparentlvconsisting of rwenty-four parrs rvhich ,uiuiues in nineieenLh-cenrury ricitario,i.from Argyll._a brief sumnran'lionr Gairloch and in a nvcntierh-cenrury fre.grnerrrfrom_Capc Breton.r: O'Croini,:eard whilc hu'ting comes across , lirr. "*hi.htransforms itseli inro a beauriful womair. He asks t5 .rrry hcr irnd she consenr,,usuallv r-urdcr three conditions. J'hc one which occurs consiitenrly is that he not casiup to her the circumsta'ccs and form inr which hc tound her. They arrive ato'croinicr:ard's rudimentary drvelling whic,h hc finds translormed into a b*"utifriroom when he *vakens the nexr ,'orn-ing, l{e soon breaks thc graz or prohihitions,his rvife departs in rhe l:orm ola filly, ani h* fi"ds hinrself in hii fnr..i hut a',1 rheaccompan;,ing wealrh uorvhere ro be seen. lnteresringly, as in rhe Capc Breronuersio' above, rhe rvoman's.brorher appea^ in rhe rale,ilro,rgh herc it is in order rowarn hinr afrcr thc rabu is broke' loi'rhe second rimc. ThI violaring of rhe eea,aprecipitarcs rhe carasrrophe in rhc Scotrish r,ral versions, which is :choid in rh."oneknorvn Irish oral version lrom Carna, corrnr_y Galway. fhis {:earure, howo.er, is norpresenr. in rhe lv{s rradirion (the earliest N{S, from iounry cauan, is from the latefilrreenrh c-nrur|), which leads Brulord ro posir'*.orrnon oral rradirion whu,ebasis mav re even older th,rn the survi'ing 6freenrh-cenrury lr,ts'.lJ ]r also suggesrthat oral",'ersiors ol rhe rale were *idesprlrJ rnJ ilnut, ariong scottish r..i;3R.--

ln rddition to incorporating rhe appearance of the crow in the rolc oi theloathsome female_a-;'paridon, along"wirh rhi lilc-mainmining ring. Stiinlh aiseinisset apan frorrr its Hebridean cou.rerparrs bv a fearure conraiiring-wider signif;cance.In the travcllers' tradition it not onlv preci,Jes, but serves ,, a !or, ofiniroductionLo, thc rale of (')isean ott thirlh n.a Llinne ('oiscan after rhe Fdinn'), DLacine ir witlisome prccision in the larger Fenian rradirir.rn. Thar such associared iradiriSns hau.had oral currency in Scorland lbr some rim: is confirmed bv rhe earliest version ofthc stolvlt summarised in the StafFa Collecion, a tr,lS prepared for MacDonald ofsrafla.and no'6 among the campbell of Islav MSS.ri According to the con,piler'srntroducrrc'n rhe summan'16 is bascd on an oral versiorn from Torosav, Mull going

ll Brufirrd 11969).26.1: lrlacNerl (1987),56 60.4i1 5.l.J Brufrrrd i1969), lJO.i4 Brufurd (1987), jJ ff.l5 Neriorrrl l.ibnrv of Sr:orlarrrl Arrv. I1S. 7J.2.1.16 lv{s' P' 1

Roimhtaitc

Au butgtn ta hanas a)a spmid'hlcrth Eathdruitlh na Fcinw; Ata ,ak air a qhabhai! ann anSgriablndh, o.'hhcuhd"zs, Dhotni,natll-nhir-an-l uthain. a rup,t/h llhadrna ruif deur Thuir atttluttttt,t,huid as mo dd r':eanatla o cha/un mnr phal a lh't'an-athir sa rinn"tri-fthul NollriomJ'or v lha .lnn arn Balc gan Aun Rothil! ann ,r' Sgtoil,rruiihi ltio*,ir

"' J'- "- ' -"'a

304

Jot tN Saqv'

back at least ro thc lare se'enteenrh ccnrury. In a secrion o[the ]v{s wirh irs own head-ing, inrmediarely l:ollowing upon rhe summ arv ol ()i:ean an diidh ,u Fii,,r,r, *e ind,rn account of the loss of Oisean's ring. tr

Mar a rhai,ll 0iin a fiinne

Bha oisin na bhuachille re cuallach na mealtn, aig padruiq ayus aix a nishin,Bha e siu ta ga ascich fein agus a;{us thug e,nuch'ort,puri, ir,r, in-r;if,;,;fatnne,.agus chuir e air lar kmh ris e. tgus na dheidh'sin chadir c. Thaniv ambiarach .air heaig anua.s as na Spnrilt\, us e air l,aicsitt Taip ,nL,s7 t$eayr,thuotl leis gum bJheoil a bha ann agus sgob e hi: e dhi,nntui1h aneid hr aiu*!,h t!: heoin aig an uairsin. Aga.s thuaii e ,ithi:r e, n,ait a chuir an C;itz Staro{th/lf " ktt d cltfalg e

I How Oisean Losr the Ring

Oisean was a herd te nding the. young goacs belonging to patrick and hisdaughrer. One tlay he as hJwas bathin-g f,e broughr i,,,ih. o,.rrr. .,o;;l;;rhe ring, placed ir on the ground beside him, aid *enr to ileen. The ra,ef;llew down our oi the sky, seeing a large, red objecr and thinkine ir was mearspirired it olr ro its nest where ii hrd iix young'birds. ,lu,d h. tdir.rni ."n.,.into possession o[ir again when rhe pale, ialtt'rirad direcred him over *,. .tin']

Incorporared roward. thc end of rhe sunlmary of oisean an dl;idh na Fiinne irself isthe ac:ount alluded ro here concer'ing rhe ring and its recovcrl' bv ()isean,uninre rtionallv aided bv his qrarrtrson:.,

Le Lin lllat'lltly;irtch. Mai14hi,fi .Sguil san Lilein Mhuil,arh; aan do thleirbltitith u ruideachdUrrtmaith' u rhum eo!'a L'tria:d a Sgaolidh fiadtl, C*throt,r:oiiJ ig* tiir,,ri'i't,:itirir,^'-

April 1803

Inrroduction

Thc lirtle rhar follows of fraqtrtettts uf rhc hisrory of chc FeirLn: nrlw (0mmilcd ro wrir irrg frt,mthc{;raj:tradirionotDonal8lr'lact,a" torninihiyi.. liii;.H..,*,i,:;;'irlLi".ii,i;,riaiiil;lifrour hrs srrndtjrher Malcolm N'rarPhail and spentiiiry-iin,, r:i,ririrr,.i i"'ii;;;i]l,io:;ij:iRothill in rhc oarish ofThor,r"u.

Bv [;rn [4acMhui.ich. ,.hool,rrs,er in rhe Isle of Mu]l; orrc of rhe servanrs of rhe rcrrcmblccorrqrcqatr(tn cnflrged wllh sDrt'adlng thc krrowledge of (-hrisr rhrorrghour rhe Ilighlarrrl. endIsJands-oi Scrrrlandl.

t I l\lS p. J5 = l. F. ( .ampbell ( 1872), .lS.l8 Oisian's grarrr.lson ,42 Gilh Bkr Otlhar' Ilc Pale, Sallo,r Lad' i* alro rhus namqd in f, CrDcbrer'n'errirn rl rhe sro.u recorded fiom Joc Neil MacNcir (.ll1A6-3J<Ar. tgiidir ciili,

Folk.ore Prujccr (.ollccriori, Sr Frarcis Xaviir Llniversirr-.Aniis,,nirh, ruo* S.oiii.I') MS pp. J.i-Jt -- [. F. Clmpbel {tS72),39. --'- -'-'-r'"-""b

305

rnd hcr North Atlantic fmuels

Ghh,ais t fcin us odhd chum pillidh do Chkann cttoiu Jheoir, Ach st 'chorthai,l'

rhin\ a,t'rwnn ldhd Oisin gu feuthadh eJhuidhdh i O,tin a th'sheanarhir,tchui, le craig. L'homhairlich a mh,uhir dha ro kimh :,in a lhcanamh.Thrrcruich sie gu bruaich Lliridh-Bhiamich ris rn gaorir g:t cummanla miUirilh \ fhithi,.h, asus dh ftts e rud a. 7 huit e leis a rhrais ants stad e me,zdhoin

na h uirilh. Bha e iar uinT'irarn buirinn dha sluasad, aih'clro luatb sa rhuir e

m preathal sin searhad, titoisirh e dir meurti.hadh n?dq rudifi dha, gw an

d'fhuir e fairtne, dheallui h ris uine roimlte so. Nois s,tnn a l.eannan sith a

tltuair e n roisich e. Bha do L'huaidh air nach cailidh e rddhatc agw nach flnid-hiih e has. [ha,inic e nsin d.hathich, le J'h'ainne agus le ralpa'n Luin, agus mar

a thubhairr e riu man lfhalbh e, us anthluidh b for, be calpa it Luin momn hu

mho.

[He (Oisean) and his grandson set oltt to return ro Gleann-caoin-fheoir, but

tlre advice arisine in rhe nrind oiOis'ean's grandson wns fbr hint Io attenlDt

ro rhrow his srir;diarher over a clifT. I{is m,jihcr had adviscd him belbrchuidto do this. So he guided him [OiseanJ to the precipice oF Uiridh-Bhiataich,commonly callcd Uiridh 'n Fhithich IThc Raven's Shelfl md abandoned himthere. He'[Oist:an] fell over the cliffand landcd on the middle of the shell. kwas some tirne befbrc he could mov,:, but as soon as he rctovered trom his

dizziness he srarted Feeling around hirn until he found rhe ring lrom wltich hc

rvas parted earlier. Now fic had originally obtained ir lrom ifairy iover, urdir h;rti propeni':s rhat would prevcnt hinr lrom iosing his srght oL dying. Heret{rrned horne thcn wirh his rinq anrl rhe blackbird's shank, rnd it nas iusta. hr rold thenr belore he h,rd set out, thc blackbird'.s shank rtts rnuch rhe luger.]

Most Scorrish versions ol Oisean an ,iliidh na Fiinne do not include Oisean'.s

killine his grlndson at (he end; however thc episode does appear in a variant lromrl,* liguli r"nainland rnd in orre ,,f rhe ,umrnaries noreJ dow,i bv J. F. (-arnpbell in

['lull in 1870.]o

Thc rravellers' accounts and thc \'luil traditions rre closely associated with the

surviving story and ballad materials, mainl'r lrish, concerning Oisean's visit to rhe

Orherworld. in lreland thc themes of the hideous f'emale visitor, the otherworldjourney- and Oisin's la.st hunt appear in a small nr.rmber of crral versions recorded this

..n.r,ry, and in metrical versioris mainly fronr nineteenth-century MSS. Ilecentll'M{irrin O Bririn in his inlrormative studv ol Laoi Cbakinn gan ()heann ('The Lay

of rhe Headless Bod,v'), a poem survivin[ in a small nombeiof nineteenth-centur]'lrJ.SS. has brought r,r'lighr irruch oIthe bickqround to tlre oral narratiuc and ntetricalversions of'rhe1ale.rl The tale versions occrir in some varicrv* and deal mainlv with

l0l1

l. f . CanLobell (ldrO 9l),3, 120: \dv. M'S 50..1.2r t4l.i1) B,irin lt'l'l-i. I rjsL rr chank lvliirrin 0 llriain ior rnakinq srrccessive drrlts ofhis uor[.

available ro nre.

306

Ois(n's journey rc 7'ir na h1ige ('The Land of Youth'). O Br:iain draws anenrionthc wide distriburion ol'rhe rrle, raking in Calrv,ry, sourh Donesrl, and Arnraeh,noring rhat rhc Irir,h prose nirrarivcs can-be classed as eirher 'derirarive', heing pr6reretellings ol l,aoi Cholainn gtn Cheann and limired ro an arca of Galway iroLrndLoch Corrib; or'(ognate'r'irsions reflecting rhe I,rv's earlicl oral source.li Amongrhose classed as c.ognate versions the r:losesr known parrllel to thc S'-rrhcrlanJtravcllers'version'.vastakendou'ninSlieoatrheherinnineoftniscentun.llOisin'smorher is placed undcr enchrnrmenrs bi' her f'athei senr Trom Tir na h1i:qe and inrhc forrn olr d..r is rescued bv Oisin. She is rransformed inro a beautiful'nrintss.gives him a magic ring and ,.*rn, ,u hcr counrry. She scnds * bitd iuhn r'r.rt. ,tr.ring while Oisin is bathing, and he pursues rhe bird ro his morl'.er's land. Afier whirtscems a short tim: but is in fact 300 Iears, Oisin desires ro return. His nrorherprovides him with a cloak and a horse, saying thar he rnust disnrount onro rhe cloakIest he be overtaken by old agr:. \X4ren he meers Patrick Oisln fbrgers thc advicc andbecomes a withered old nran. Following upon rhis is thc tale ol 'Oisin and Parrick'sHousekecper', rhe Irish counrcrp:rrr of Olsean an dii/h na Fiinne, which in irs detailscloseiy.,:orresponds to that gircn in the Scottish Sti,iidh Oiseinabove.2l,l)oinring torts widc distributirrn throughor-rt Gaeldom, N{qrphy:5 regards the last story is

"significant, ftrlly ev,rlved t"leirnd onc, we may add,'rhat presll'rpp,)ses oral tr*,rsmisrionover sorne length o[rime. The remaining narritives deJirig with our rheme cc,nccnrr,rreon Oisin's orherworld journey, x rheme which irsell is llnked rairh rhe irrrernationeltvpe A1- 470* 'I'hr Hero Visits tbe Land of the Immrtrtab' .)(, The woman appears ina varicr,'or lornrs includinp, a headlcss bodv, .r br;du rvith a cow's or oip's-head. orsimply i hideous wornan,r?'xnLl rvhen shc deparrs ir'is oltcn in rl,. forrn"of ,, hrre.

!,aoi Cholainn gan Cheann, rhe nrost coniplere ofthe metrical versic,ns ofthestory, has-come dou'n in 'a handful of ninerecnrh cenrury manuscriprs' from rheviciniry of Lough Corrib, counry Calway.2s To summarise -

One day the Fianna are.approached 6y Ca,kinn grn Chean& a lemale olBrotesque appearence. They are revolted b,r her look,i and Conin Maolproposes killing her, but shc pleces herself'under F-ionn's prorecrion. Fionnrhen tries ro brrbe lrer ro leave, but she rejccrs rhc brihe and oflers herseif rohim. lVhen he declines she rells rhem rhat she is rhe dauehrer of rh,: Kins ofTi, na h1ig'e ('The Land olYourh') tnder geasa,,,nJ rJr.r she will ietir.crheL head onlywhen one olthe Fianna sleeps v,irh her. She accomplishes this

n)ilc

l5)/:

11

l8

Oo. trt.. 1)-3.tdd. trqlor.T[rt yr -rrles ue also linkrd i r .r lurrhcr .ourrry Gllrrru '.arianr kin,]lu tjnqarded ro ;ne brlvl:irrr:in 0 Bririn t I.FC 1 8l : I 7:i5t.( 19 5:l), xir-xx wirh biblioeraohr'.fhc narurc oirhe -elatiunshii' ii nr,L enrirelu.lur- Bruford (lq87r, 50. O hOej.n (198, ). IJ+pourts to possilrle rnediev.rl corrtinental st,urcs. wlrich if valiJ would rncan iirar the sron otQriin'' otlienrorld io;rney'crn hardly bc older rhan abour rhe fourreenth ccltun'.O tlr..rirr (l99ir, ll.Op. cit.. 4-ll.

307

bv olacine oisin under geasa,andrvhen he awakcns rhe follc,wine rnorning hc

ni li t.r'changed inri a beautiful woman. The Fianna are euvious -iJi".*ii.1 oo., i f* n, ,o .*por. rhc love-spor (ball srari':\ on his lorcherd

,f,r,'""..t" fi,"l iir.iittibl. I ,o nu avait. She elects to renrairr rvirh Oisin

und., ,*,o conclitions: tha,: he nor beat herrvirh.a hound's l,:ashnor reproach

h*J;r'h; ;;;ii.r physi."l aPpearance (an tutl' ina raibh m4 ' I'ker t6ev ha'e

iir.a .o.if..i.nd'piod,rc.J il,r.. ronr Fionn comes to her onc dr1'rn,l.takes

;*;; ;"";;ioitint pupt, raking care rr., sclect the one descrnded fionr Bran'

?iirf" "".iii*t -ti.r"ria.

o,, biing informeJ ,ri the truth' violatcs the nvo

;;];,i:;;;;J hii *itc deparrs wit[ ;er thrce-sons. oistn's search for his wilc

;;'il i;* tt6ort frut lieland to Tir na. h1ige' a,place of such beruw thar

his uerceirei vear and a h,rlfstay is actuallv several hundrcd vears' bvenrualll-

he lia, , vision that none of the Fianrra rcmlin rlive' h.avinl; been superscded

by .short men and clerics'. His wife discounts the r.ision, bur glves htm a

;ilrk;;it;;; ,nJ1 gotd r:ing'ro 51't instructs hirm that hc. must alwal's wear

the rine on his fineei] and tl,"e cloak tnust always be placcd benveen.him and

thc ero"und should*he dismount. On rerurning ro Ireland Oisilt conirortLs rhe

i;::,'iil'hir;;;';;;;; long gon.' As he Jisnro"nts to qather a bunch of

watcrcress lrorr Diarmaid s house as a keepsake he forgets to use the cloal(' a

bird .sreals the ring olf his.linger and- hc thus. loses. his, prote'tion from rhe

prri"g" of ti.., ifrmediar'ely tirning into a wizened old man'

A less complere but closelY related account of the Fianna's encounter rvirlt

Cahtnn lan Cheinn, consisting of l5 tluarrains, aPPesrs anrong,the ad"cnturcs

,..oun,.i bv Oisin to Patrick irr rhe metricirl conrP'lslt)on agauamh y.t!t' 1g:Ph,irtrais,'ih. Di.loeu. of oisin and Parrick'), based on a M5 lrotn v'ateriord

.;;il;; i. li8d.; tir'.hisod. i, found in ar least one other versi,rn oF,the poem,l?

which itsclf exists in numetout MSS and rvas-composed not belorc the slxtcendl

;;I'i,-h;; io,ri. do*n in a numbcr of Scoitish 'ersions

and _the episode

ilil; irl tii-f. f**ment ot22 lincs noted down in 1866 lrom a Ness' lsle of

;;;i;,;.;i,;"'#;'11*i. MacPhail' Preserved in J' f Canrpbclls papers and larcr

oub[shed by hirnr" under the rirlc collun gun tlhearyn. canlplell note; thrt the tragmenr

ir,rnioue (MacPhail *rote'No rirle'ar rhe top of the M5) but dra$'s attcntton to rne

;;;Jti;i;h ,h. s.",Juir, version of tl,e r,,le, and suggests that.'all thcse:;trange

m*thical legends were rold in .alrernarc prose and ntrse" presumably alluding to rhe,Pracuce

,.r.,ciared with thc recitation o[ Fenian tales that continutd into mude rn ttmes''

lo

l0

l1t13Ja435

1he bal! ,earr aooears frcqucttrlr' :s an artrilrttte of Dirrmaid in orrl traditiorr c[ O hOgnlr

IrqRT) )?R 'nd'6 Brrain (199-i,6.lne bdlt 'edrc aooears lrcquctrLrr rs

r1987).218 and'O llrrain (199-i 6

HiiJl;rj?.'il,il i.lTi.iiJi G lr""i auudcd ro in an earrie r ,,ersc as beins in t6e prxseirion ofl:vtociruv rn€his son Oscar.' i" ) ii".'itii' ut, lt, O st

",t n it \oc it 11 I ( I tl s0), sxi' 1'{'9

O Bririn (t997), t:.\,lurohv il grJ), I l4-('.a.r".'[{s. sd.1.t,16z-s = l. F, Campb,ll (187]), 212'

C[ ]r'lacNcil (1987), 29.

308

Irxr Su,rrr'

A funher nletrical composition on rhc srme thcmc ritl:d J.aoi Oi,in dr ThirM n-d.q i'Lay o{ Oisirr ou ihe Land r.rf Youths)''c conrpcrcd arountl 1750 hyIt'{ichc'if Crrimin is likewise ltrcsred in MSS no ol,ler tl,an ih. ninetcerrch..n,u*j.The cpisodc olOis(n's orhenuorld.sojourn is used r,o provide a plausible e:rplanationlor hii outliving his cornrades; alrhough rhc date of ,;onrposiriori is late the iiea Iikelyr-rriginates with older orai and possibly rvrirren sources,i7 Oisin's orher$,orld u,ifc Niamhis represented as being of comely appearmcc, and his old age rrrd blindness upon hisrcrurn are t,roughL aborrr bv violating a pr:ohibition against touching the ground.

In spire of their bcing attesred only in recerrt MS tr:rdition, rhe drstriburionof the prose and metric'rl versions points to an earlier oral accounr of Oisin in theotherworld which bcars all the hallmarks of being considerabll.older rhan C.uimin'spoem.'8 There is, howevcr, the matter of the notable abscnc.c of any rnention oiOisean's othenvorld iourney in the Scotrisl-r traveller version, which in nranv of rrs

orher details agrecs so closelywith the Irish prose and rnetrical vcrsions thrr we havcotner oetarls agtees so close.Lv wrrh the lflslr Pr(exarnincd. Unlike lreland, rhc rale-npe 470' i

: gq : 1T ". :: -si:l''.::9:, : l'^l'gl, l'x, ::::l

r -l :: t':Irish counterparts in other.rcspccts,l! is not strongl,,',associated wirh Oiscan. A trace

ol the .story has b,een rctained, neverthcless, in a, tale apparently fronr Skye whichrclatcs how Oisean was nurscd by a deer who was nor his mother, and was senr roTir. na h- hQige 19 pteucn, anli resulting ralk.i0 Eventually he made his way toIu n4 t)- hutge to prevcnr any resultrng talK.,' Lventuallv he made lllt wav toIrelancl and found his daughrer who was marricd to Parrick oirhe Psalms, scrting rhescene once again for thelale Oisean an rkidh na Fiinne. A sirnilar tale (again rn

English) also recounts Oisean's mecring his mother in cervine forrn. She lea-d.s himinto a hill wlrerc she is trlnsfirrrned into a beautiful wonran anC enrertains him rvithfood, drink and music. Aftcr three day; Oisean detcrmines ro sce rhe Feinn rgainerrd lcavcs rhe borver, onll rc find rhai h. has becn lbsenr for rhree ve,rrs,4l

Our examination of the story of Oisean, his r.isit to rhc othenvorld and hisencounter with the Loathly t-adv in thc availablc r,,ariants shows us thar the srorv,thougl- olten only recently artesr,:d. musr be regarded as Prn-Gaclic and wellcstabli,,hed in oraI rradition for a number ol'cenruries. \\ftt:rher irs ur.lrc rcce:r(history is ro be lound in Sutherland or Argyll, Stitirt'dh Or,teix, the Scortish travcllers'version, shires mrny more feirturcs rvith its Irish counrerpans .- Oisean ari thc maincharacter, the appeararrce in the lorm ofr crow, the agc,deSing ring and c,rhcnvorldrinre-suspension -.than ir does with the Scottish Flebridean prose vcrsions. Theselast, though clcarll' the same story, diverge frorn all other varianrs in Gaeldom knownto rne by incorporating details such as rhr'.princess' sickness, the thrce gulps oiblood,the quest aftcr the healing cup, rhe magic helper and rhe meetinq with ihe brorhcr-in-larv. Thc substitution of the nrn.res Diarnraid and Oscar in a siorv clsewhere firmlv

ji Tran*ions ol rh, Osunit ioricFl 4 (ltJ56), i.i.i-7q.3? O hJgiirr (1987), .ll3-4; Bnrfbid (1987),4q 50; O Briain (19e7), I.3t{ Mrrrphy (1951), xxiii..]9 Brulbrd (1987), 49-50.40 J.

(i lrnrpbell (1891), 80.4l Crnuichael i l9l8.l9;l). l. :::.1.

309

linked to Oisean indicates that the Outcr Ht:bridean varianrs of our story, howeverconservative in some ,rf their conrents, had comc to bc rcgarded as less se,:urelv

bound rcr Lhe Fenian world than rhose q,e have seen elsewhere]Such a rclative clegree

of independence woulcl in turn cxphin the ease wirh r,r'hjch motifi could be attraitedlnd horroued from orher talcs. Ir is therclore likelv thrr rhe disappearing crsrle and

orher incide nts rvere drawn from c,ral versions of Liightat Cuise Ciin,artracred b1- rhe

comnlon fcature of gezra associ,rred r.r'irh marriag€ rc an othcrworldl,v woman,

iiun'iving vr:rsions ol Ieiglttas Coise Cliz ere not plentifirl. but in rheir case as u'ell a

,ryide geographical distribution attested throughout Gaeldonr suggests rhar a commonorsl sourcc was in circulation, probably fbr a matter of ccnturies, bcforc bcing writtenrlown.InrcrcsLingIy,L,'iglte,t'CoiirClinbyandlargeshareswirh OiseanandlidltwtFiinne ('Oisin and Parrick's Housekceper') a long hisrorv' in oral rradirion rnd a

relatively recent appearance in lv{SS orh.ld r"c.,riings,{r'ln rhe nnge of rales and

rnctrical versions the c,rnditions relaring ro nrarriage to rhc supernatural Llride show

r remarkable uniformitv,4l suggesring that a ntrmber of rvidespread oral tales bccamc

associated through borron,ings in Fenian traditiorl.

Thc motif of the Loatl,sorne l.ady is well knou'n lrom carly lrish litcruture,;tnd rhc cntries in Cross (l9il) indic.rti Lhrit it is nrosL tiequenrl' attached r:o thc,-on(epr rh(: Sovereignry of Ireland. The srorv is given in tlrc Ct;lz Annnnn ('The

.Firncss ,-rf Nanrcs'), dating in its edirerl ver,;ion from ,rround 1300, whcrc onc ol

Ddire l)oimthech's sons, Luguid Laigdc (his fbur acconrpanytng brothers are n.amed

[,rrgaid as -ri'ell) rllows a hag inro his bed who oncc rransformed identifies herself as

rhe Ladv Er iu, saying rhat this Lugaid rvill have the kingship.aa y'ur older and nore

':omple(c r;Lount o[ the sovereignty story, Carn tr[itil, is lound in tirc mctricalversion ot- rlre Dindshatchus, a mcdicvrl compilation of pLacename lore. It was u'rineninto the Book ol l.einr;ter benveen 1 156 and I 166 but is bclicvcd to go back to ar

.least the fin;t quarter o[the eleventh century"*5 ]'he oldesr account olt]re du"l fc'rrn

of the goddess Sovcreignry rirlcd Erhtra rnat n-[chdach .Mugrnedoin is in the cycle olNiall of the Nine Hosr:ages aud cannot be older than thc clcvcnth century.46 Weare

rold r\at thc fivc sorrs c,f Eochaidh, while hunting, seek water from a w,ell gu:rdel bv a

hideous olcL woman - hcrc as in the rest of Gaelic literature enrhusiasrica.lly and

graphically described .. who demands a kiss in cxchang,:. Niall, the last of rhel sons,

Lx.rt onlycornplies brrt lies wirh hcr rnro rhe bargain, rransforming hcr into a srrikingdamscl. Sh': inlorms hirrr that the kingship, oi lreland will be his, for she is tlrr.\overeignrv o[ Ireland, and that hcr transforrnation from repLrlsivcness ro beau* is

rncrely an allegow l:.rr the dual aspect of achievingsamc. She advises Niall to withholdrhe warer lrom his brotlrcrs until they have 6;ranted hinL senioriry.

'ii Tlre erceprions rrc tl-c nvo lrish \1i versiorrs o( L"i,rhn Coit. L'in fronr rhe larc Iilteenth,rrdsevenreen:h cenruries rvhi;h do n()t rr( lrJ(lc rhe ftiryivife's condiriuns (cfp..J0j above); Brulord1969). 1.t4.5, 16l. The rorlrtnce la,"ra (.'ltiatlnigh,\lhdral.;o pred.rces'rt:, ninereettth ienru.

\lSS rnd nrav be incluJc,l in rnis c:rrcgon' (Op. .i.. 126-l''..ii 0 Briain 0997). 13..{,1 Stokes (lu9l, 3 l7-23'i5 C*"rnn 11921\.4, lJ4-4J; Reinh;irol (l 933), 152.,i6 Dillon (1946). 38-11,

310

Jn the carlv lrish accounrs givcn hcrc rhc trarrsfbrnrarion is broughr about byr yourh of noble lineage. Ir is in tle iorm ol Eriu rhe Sovcrcignw Cu.li.., Llrar rliemorif rravellccl ,b,o.i flon, Ireland, anaching it.self to rhe'Arihurian Cycle andbecoming the prororype ol thc Grail Bearer and the Loathly f)amsel.a' By the larterpart ofthe nvelfth ,lentury it had appeared in Francc in Crdricn de Troyes' Perriitt|thc portrayal ol rh,: danrsel in her hideous aspect in the rWelsh Arthurian romanccleredur echoes tlrose thlt we havc seen in the lrish stories ab,rve and derives fionrthe same tradition. r\s lor England, a version o[the conrbincd Sovereignry-TrarxtbimedHq srorl alrpeals in Tlrc V/cdlynge af Syr,Gawen and Dame Ragnell an'dsubsc<lucntlyin Chaucer's Jv V'{, ul Batlt', ftl1.

Productive and widespread as rhc lbrm t-rf thc motif wrrs, rrppearirrg .ir-r rhe

urdition of at least fbur counrries on rhe edge of the Nonh,i\tlantic in rnrdiev:rltimes, ulerc is rcason to question vr.hether the Sovereignw form of rhe motif inIreland is the oldest that can be traced. In his work on mcdio'al romince arrd Celticprohibition (grzi) nrotils Reinhardas cons,iders rhe Ctjir Anmar*i vcrsion to be not a

iinglc story but r combining oFtwo originall,v separate traditiorrs. He obsen'es thatin lJaik in Scdil('Thc Phantom's Ecstasy'), ancsted in sixteer.rth-seventeeuth cenruryIvISS but mentioned by lltann lr{ainistreach who died in 1056,'sovcreignry'rsponraycd as a,voung wonrrn in a splendid house rvith a golde n crown upon her headdistriburing bowls,,ircd ale, frcc of ,rrry hidct-rus.rspt:cr and hrrborrring no rpparentalnoroui; intenrions.4n [.ikewise rhe theme of rhe I.oathly Lady rppclrs sep,rr.rrelv rnthe Feniarr poem Sr,/g Ghleanna an Snzdil{''I'he (lhase of Thiusti hlen't iescribingan enco:nLlr with

'r Ii,rg, once the d,rughter of the King oiGreece , uho rnusr marnl

Fionn in order to lift the grav, I.rid on hcr bv hcr fitheL. In this case she t'.rils in herquest and is not transformed. On the basis of these and latcr oral prosc accounrs(rnclucling Crnrpbell's hQhean Righ fn Tltuinn), he .;uggescs nvo orifrnally seprrar('themes: thar oiso"elsigns.!, pr,.,bably u nrittor divinin. who nragicaJly bestorvs hcrqualities on deserving aristoctars; and rh.rr of a 'ladv trlnsft-rrnrcd out oi'lrrr ownshape bl a spcll or turse'and into that of a hag, or an animal.10 Olten the sp'ell couldbe removed by'ph1'sical conriLct, morc or lcss irrtimate rvith a champion or king'sson'.sr Reinhard concludes rhar'a simple story of r. lad,; so curscd'antetlarecl rhe

combined lbrnrs ol the stc, ry ft.g Carn hldi|, and that the BarralSouth Uisr NigheanR)gh fo Thuinn, in spitc of its being an otal version attestecl only in recent timesshows characteristics thar pla.ce its origins wcll back in medieval rinres, ii notlxfbrc.t'r In his vierv the thernes would h.ave then been combined by an rlnhnown

47 Loomis (1963), j1, 27,1.48 Rcinhard (1933). 351-2.,t9 Op o't.,357.(u Or,. ii'., .156-70.i I C1. Di6i.5.l' Tr,rn.lormarion by ,cxurJ irrt(rtoursc.12 Oa.dt.,3(r6-T.Thcuncombincdrirrry.rharofrlrchas'sLransformation,survivedinScotrishba]-

lril lir.r.rrrn, rurtrlv in klmo Out,j, rrlrcrr rlrc ,lanisel e.res hcr .e"iue r 'a rovrl rinr ... /rh.rr lh*r lbrrnJ in rhc crien.cr;/ Anu 'il,ilc vour finerr it is oI:,i Dra*n shall 'our'bloo,l"never be -

(};ld{1956), l09i Rcinhar,.l 1tr1.1, 144 }6'i-6"-iuggesringa.loscaillnirryrorhebr,isoluharrppeirrs in oml Fcnian rradition.

Jl l

iuthor !o creare a bettcL dynastic story fbr political purposes sonetime before the

clcvcnrh cenrury, givine risi'to storics such ai f,/rta ita,.:n-khdath MugmtdrinatdCarn lvldil. Su.h"an livpothesis would account for the N'lS versionr,"irnd rvouldrequire at least.somc oral versions o[the second theme to be in circularion betbre thc

bccinnine of the clcuer-rth centun'. \X/hile it is rrue that most versions of thtlr.iit.he8 !rrinccss turncd hag sr,riy are not atrcstcd u;rtil the nincteetrth centLrryl

r:he possibilirv of an c,ral ,rr8i,iun'cxisring side b1' sidc wirh 1\'{SS 'ersi,'ns ovcr

,.cnturies rv,,trld go fir in explaining the geog;iaphical di;triburion {and variarion) oiLhc cognatc orai versions.

A comprrative look ovcr a wider geographical area provider; a further uselul

perspecrivc roihe background of our st,rni. ln a wide-ranging article on some hithenoi-rverlookcd aspccts ot'the Loathlv I ady motif in a ranqe ol'culttrres, (.o()nlalaswamy

,lraws atrerrrion ro ,r numbcr of iuggciriue orient:rl p.riallclr, et th(:tuuc timc raking

r:are to observe thar these n-rrr, ,.p.i!.n,'universal mythical pattern5'.'3 The Loathli.Lady's ophidian naturc is ex;rlicit in rhe Brahrnznar, in the oldest Indic source, the

Rig Vuk, she is referred rc ^ xp.tli t'tboLlcss ), e w',rJ vrhi.h clscrr'.hcrc ch:rrectcris.-s

rhc serpent Ahi Vrit,a in the lndra leeend. lr is as Apili, lndra's bride, rhat she firsrirppear; in dre same text, and lar,:r sources grrovide the srory of her transfbrmationinio a tairer lorm. As rhc personificatrt,n ol sovercignry ilr lndiarr tra,liLiorr shc itfickle in nature, es 'well as be ng closell associared with the Vaters. Finally

C.omaraswamy remarks rhat'more than onr: Indian dynasry tracer; its descenr fromthc union of a hurnur orincc with such rn Ur-rdine'.ta Vhe ther ther;e and the firrthermotifs ol the Fier Ba,s!r - rvpicallv occurrins in an Orhcrwc,rld or undcr wAvc - orthe bride's cup, can be rigorously tiaced and iated is only part ofthe.question. Thcirc,.,-,,ccr,rr.n.e elservhere-lerrds support to the earll' pre.s€nce of oral variants of rhe

nrotif in Gaclic tradition tlut we have exantined above, and cautiorls us against too

strict an adherence ro Reinhard's suggcstion that thc sc,vercigntv and Loathlv Ladl'

themes rvere originally se parate.

Alrhough it is true that rnv ettcmpt to unravcl the rcgional histctry of our

morif and rhe.atrached srories inei'itably rvill be plagued by questions associate,i withAlhnt.'eltrrtt,,tircrrnd surlacr.sinril:uities, there is a parallel ro the |eniiur accoLrnts found

in thc Icclandic stc'ry Hrdlf saga h'ahawhich is striking enough to de:;erve a closer look:

One stormy Yule-eve tlelgi, the wartior-king of l)enmark and the father olHr,jtfr Kr'ili, is raircd fruni hi. hcd b'r a tiiniknocking and rdmirs a tatreted

creature who ptreads to share his bed. He is revt,ltcd but allows her tc' cttvcr

herscifrvith stiaw and a bearskin, and keeps his distance bv making her lie inhcr- clothcs ac tlre cclgl- ol rLre bcd. Latcr thet night Helgi glances over to see

thc c:rclture rr,rrrsfornred inro'l r*om;rn lf ing rhcrc, so lovely thar hc thought

r: !.t,iJnii\,ri$rr!t\, r i//i;j. -l'.t)'t4 (la ;ir 1'1a-i;.

3rl

J0HN 5HA\/

that he had never befbrc lrchild rvoman more fair' \at eigi fykhi:t hann adr,thonu tridtri slt lnzfa). She explains that Helgi has relea.sed-hei fiorn spells cas:on hcr bv a wicked stepmother, and thar she 'has r.isired nanl.kingi in rhcir:homes' sieking deliverance. Shc then asks to lcavc bur is urged to iemrin bvHelgi, u'ho wants to marrv hcr. They sleep rogerhcr thai night, and the:

f-ollowing rnorning the woman :lnnounces rhar rtrey winl have a cliild and giver;him instructions lvhich it rvill cost him dearly to ignorc: hc must comc andretrieve rhe child at the srnre timc the following "*i,lr., ,t his boar,house.t-lelgi disregrds thc instructionr;, but is visited at i-ridnigh, rhree years later airltc samc housc by the woman wirh rhre,.'men bringing a girl clrild. Thc\voman reproaches him lor not c,omplyingrvith thc conditions, saving thar hi:;kinsfolk musr Fay. ,rddirrg rhar hc slrrLll 'reap rhe benefirs'of rcleJsing herFrorn rhc spell and rhar rhi dau6;hter's name is 5kuld. meaning lirerally iebr'or 'obligation'. The;* then ride anay. Helgi hears r)o nrorc of thc ,woman rnd.we are rold thar she is an elflwoman (ilfhand).;i

Alnrost irnmediately precedine rhe ell-wonran's;rr)ucarar)cc in rh( srisir is rhuepisode of the loss and t..ni'.ry nl Fi.lgi" farnous ring Liv hi. ncphew AgnJr. Helgrpresents his brnther Hroar, who lives in Nonhumberland, with the ring, which is hisgreatcst trcasure. It is also covered by hj.s cou-rin Hrokr. howerer, who a1 his nrothcr'sinstigation approaches Hele;i fbra share of his kingdonr or rhc ring, but ro no avail.Hr6kr rhen goes to visit its prcscnt owncr Hroar. One day as lLe and Hroar have beensailing off the coast and arr: lving ar anchor in a firth Hrokl asks hin lor rhe rinsand, rrpon being refused. rcquests to examine ir ro see ii'lr rs indecd rl.c prcci,,uijcwcl it is reputed to be. .{ft:r inspectirrg it at his lt'i.ure hc dc':larcs ir besL loi no onero enioy it and htrrls it irrro rhr sea. Hroar punishes him bl choppirrg oll his [eet.but is slain later by Hr6kr in Norrhumberland. lvleanwhile a son, Agnir, is born rcHroar. By the age of nl'elve he demonstrates unusual pronrisc rrs r rv:rrrir,r rndexpress€s an intr:resr in rhe ring. He is dirccted ro rhe finh and, ro his endurine;fanre. dives in,rrrd rccovcrs the ring on his rhird arremlr. Such a irrrrrllel to thiFcnian anccdotes of rhe loss and recoverv of Oisean's rir-rg by itsclf might appear tocfar-fetched or coincidental to desene seii.,us coni'iderrriin, *.er. ir rior fo'r'the licrthat the',vord hrdkrin Old Norsc rcfcrs !o r'rook' i.e. a crorv-like bird.

Over rhe last century or so tht; problem ,of Gaelic and L^onrinenral story.cont:r.ts with ]ccland has p,rodugscl a considerable Iirerarure.56 It is knorvn rhat ':r

rcronable proportion of the popularion ',vas Ca.'lic, coming liom a culrural ;rrelwhere oral prose narrati\re was,rlrca.ly wcll established'.tt Gails, being f,rr rhc mosrpart slaves, did not lcar.c behind a substantial legacy of pers,rrral narnei, eirher in rhe

popuietion or in the saga literature. How-ever. such inrporrcd, presumably orally

t5 Sttntlt:.rl baseJ ott trarr-.lati,'rr I'v Jont' ' l96l), :46-qi(i 5c,: Si*rrdsson (l')88), ,trli- r)p fii., I Il{.

313

ind her Norrh Atlannc I ravfls

transrnittccl, Celtic c'r Celtic-Norse mori[s are parricularly plenriful onr:e rhe

foma/^darsii,Vtr kaps ',Jealing rvith the legendan, pasr' which appr:ar berween 1210and around 1400) and the later Igisiigur ['lyingsagas') '"er.e.omnrirred ro wriring.is

. lrolf sgga lerahawhich bt'longs ro the older fornaldarsi)gur<:aregory, recounrsthe,exploitr; <-rla Danirh king frorn,t.ri f'lrt r:enrury. ln rhe exiiring re"rsion rh. rrvleand hnguage indicare a reliriuely laLe drte,5') p.rhrps 1400. Nerlenheless thc s,r.sa

incorporares nranv earlv nrorils, a.d judging lrum tlre number of sun iving ]lssltc,njoycd some populariry in Iceland.(0 Hr6lir Kraki's exploirs are also reco-unred inrhe Cesta L)anorum, rvrirren in Larin by rhe Danish histoiian Sa-ro Grammaticus andcompiled around 1200r unwpicallv'for rhe Aenre ir. gencrallv agrccs wirh rhclcelandic A,rcourrrs"r and Srx,t'i probable mrin iourc. ir ihe Larg'e,y To sr. ShidAungaraga. Olgreer intcrcst ro us is rh,: facr rhar Skuld appears in Sax"o'i ,vork, dur the?eis no accounr of Helgi's encounrcr rvirh rhe elf-womin, nor of rhe loss and re.overyof his ring. Frrrthe'nore ir has be.'n.bseruei. thaL rhc L,rarhly Lady morifis vinuallvaltscnt fri,m rhe resr of Scandinavian rradition, leadine ro the iuesesrion rhar iioriginated in Britain c,r Ireland and arrived in lceland r;iire early.t':'-

. (-onrparison with rhc Gaelic vrrianrs can provide some useful hints as ro rheprobable origins of rhe episode in lcelandic, rhough rhe eviderrce is admirredlyfiagmentary.'l'he parallel rvas flrsr poinred orrr in 188:2 by Francis J,rnres Child iirhis nores to thc ball.rd King Henrywhere he obsenes rhar

ieverv point of rhe Norsesaga, excepr rhe srepnrother's i+iird, is fourrd in rhe (iaelic raie"'Nighean Rish foThuinn"'.6i Sovereignri'is nor an issue in the Hebridqan storv (oi in rhe irherFenian tales) rror in ihis parricular cpisode of Hrdlf vgt hraha,making it likelv rharrhe vcrsion that rerchid Iceland'did nor in.orpotrr. rhe repreienrarions oISovereignry that appear in rhe nredieval lrish versions so widely eipon.d into rheArrhurian ,:ycle bv rhe rwel[th cenrury. In this respect rhc sag:r cpiroic morc ,-losclyresenrbles .he Pair-Gaclic orully basid prun. r=riions prop"or.d 5v O Briain anlassociated'with the Fenian cycle, and miy reflecr an eaily 'unco.nr,bined' version olrhe story in lreland. The absence of th! other*'or.ld.journey therne in thr saqa,however, contrasrs significantlv wirh the Gaelic Feniin tales. The theme ol ihe

t8596061

Sveinsson (1959), 16.Einarsson (1957), 160.Davidson & Fisher (l()E0),.i9.[.inarssor. (l(t57). 158; Drvlj5pn &: lishcr (198()), 38.Sveinsson (1959), 19. fngland or the_ Continent are possibie bur lcss likcly sourccs frrr thc clf.uornan cprsode, rhouglt onc surrry ol lysitnwr - F.inarsson (l 957), 165 - rrroduccd 'mc.rc rhrnI5[r ron.inccs prolesr-rrg to bc rci,rrJi',][ ihivalrv in forci,.ln lanJs inclullinr r rr,rnslarion oring a rr.rnslarion r:Il5t) rominces ptor'9d,lg to- be re'c,ridr'.",f &ir"try. i" i.ir.ig" tr-n'itt in.tullil)u rontan(cs plolessillg to Oc rcrurds ot chlvatry tn lor(l,inCritierr Jc Troles L,r, rizl ho:n rh, Arrhurian (.v'cle. I he rirand nrodern lo-lktalcs is gcncraliy rssociarrrl *irh transf,rrmrnrothers (Sigurlrsor) l!)88: I0l) ildroush rh.r. i.; one modern

,i'tuar trort rnfr n rrnunen (.ycle. Ine mOtrr s occurrence ln lcelandt(is gcncraliy rssociarrd *irh transf,rrmrrion. ncrforncd bv wicltd

i)88: l0l) ilrhough rhcrc i.; one modern lblkrale - R(:inhara llgJi)

Ie. I'he moriFs occurrence'in lcelandic srgasallU Ill(,qglIl lo-]trtal(s l5 H(IlCIally iNsOClatt0 Wlln ttanSft)fmJ{X)n\ pCtt0tn('o Dy WtCh({l S[CD-

nrothers (Sigurlrsor) li)88: l0l) ilrhoueh rhcrc i.; one modern lblkra'le - Rr:inhard ll9li).394-i rvhidr showr rlrc close uarallcL: Lu Gaelic tratlition rhat arc ftrun,l in Hrilfr ;aqa hraka.

nrorhers (Sigurlrson li)88. l0l) alrhoush rhcrc i.; one modern lblkrale - Rr:jnhard {l9li),391-i rvhidr showr rlrc cJose parallcl: Lu Gaelic tratlition rhat arc [r,untl in Hrilfr ;asa kraka.6J Child {1956), 197-tj. iieea'lso Nltr A. G, GilchrjsLs rurres ro Frrnccs lolmii's ciilktior, uirm-Ltuldl.l)r56),.197-8.SeeaisoiVlssA.G.Gilchrjst'snotestoFrrncts lolmii'scollcctiorr oIrm-

diriorralScottrshGaeli(sonqs-lolrnic(1911),1i37, Forothcroccurrencesofl)T3linlcelandicltorie5 ser Boberg (1966). 60.srories see Boberg (1966),

3t4

orhenrorld journey is loun,i elservherc in the fonnnldar:b1ur wltere iL is rpp;ucntlyderived from a body oForal rales incorporaring elemenrs'From \orse mviholoeiciltales and Celtic elements, most notably GaeliI tales daring lrom th. eirly Vi'liingperiul or bclore t+'hich rvcrc likcly ro l,ivc entercd IcchndYirr trral l,.lrrn drlri's rhiperiod olserrlerr.enr in rhe iare eighrh .l.nd ninrh c:enturies'.ur

In rhe Iighr of'orher borrowingr; we nray rhcrefbrr regard it as unlikcly rhatthe r.tlherwctrld-j,rurnuy thcrne

"os uri-ginollu prescnr in rhe iaclie version *hich hv

behind the episode olHelgi's encounicr wirh rhe elf-woman and rvas subsequentlvdropped.lor sonr-e-reason. \fle have already seen rhar rhe rhenre is not preienr inmedienal lLish lt,{S versions of rhe appe,rrance ot the Loirthly Ladv moiif. whichraises rhe po.sibility that thc rturv *ni.rcd Iceland belore rh. inr.rnitionel type AT470* rvas borrovyed inro lreland from the European continent from rhe founeenrhcennrry.65 If such is indeed the hisrory of rhe tali-rvpe in lrcland it firs rvell w.ith thedilloj g.olnosition for lnilfs Saga Kr,eha. If wc ariach any imporrancc ro thc sroryof He[gi's ring, rhe likeLihood iniieases' that the Gaelic sourcr: w"as an oral one closlto that shared b'r the scortrsh travellers' Stbiridh oisein, the recerlrly attesred Irishtales, metricrl virsie,ns such u laai Cl'olainn gan Chnnn, and thc plrsrge an"chedin sorne MSS rc.Agalknh Oisin agu; Ph,idraiglThe Mull srory of rhi reco'nery of rhering wirh rhe involvemenr of Oisean's grandion nray lead rrs ro favorrr a Helrrideansource, rvhich ir; supported by rhe vieu rhat rhc lcclandcrs' contacts wirh thcHebrides and th,: Is[e of Man may well have been closer rhan rhose rhev esrablishedwith lrish (iaels.'16 Among the oral uersion.s, Nighean Righ fo \-huinn lroi, Barra/LIisrcontrins the mosr striking parallels ro rhe Help,i epi"sode lr:d at rhe same timedisplays the grearest anomilics *ithin the Gaelic rradrtion. Firstly, it retains leaturessuih is- the llndine appearance and 'underw'ave' orisins,6T refiecting a very earlvstage.ofthe sro4'. a_long rvith rhe healing/bridal c,,p *;hich is presentin Echira rnirn"Ee l:,dach lv[utntetloin and ,\rthurian r,rmancc bur abscnt from thc orhcr Gaclic oralversions. It is no.minally associared rvith the body,:f Fenian mles; yer irs associarionswith'rhe metrical versions ofrhe story are tenuou-s, and it has apparenrly attracrednrotif! from Leigheas Coise Ciin rarher rhan itsclF bcing draruri

-inro rhc popular

Agallamh Oisin agus PhtidraiglOisean an deidh na Fiinneiomplex.Gs

The considerable anriquiry and rvide geographic range From sourhern Asia rowestern Europe otthe Lontlly'Lady moril*irld r..^iu rn.k" it an cxccllcnr

64 Power (1985), 156, 167.65 Ser n. 26 *!ra.6(r Alrrrqviit ( I 996; , 142 I hc assriciation wirh our main srorv, horvcvcr, is thrurugh Oix.an an dlidl

na finnt, and rs ar hrst tcnuour.67 (it. Helgi s pronrise to iullcct his child lrv the clf-woman ar rhc hoathousc (zamr) rhe nexr

* inrcr -'lonis ( I 96 I ). 247.(r8 I hc prine.s"\ ill:rcsr and rhc rhre.gulps,rIbl,rod, ar m,t',J .uDra n. 20, rrc unicur ro rhc ()uLcr

Hrbii.lr<arr,crsions. A relerencc to-hilfcan Riuyh'lhir'fa fhuiin ( l)rushrci ,r[ Lhr King oll.rnJ lJndtr lfavc') who apprrrchn rlil, I.jinn lilr prrrct.cri<rn, rhis rilne in fi., .,,.-. nr..*n,rbl.Iotrrr, sutrives tionr thc crilv sirrccnrh ccnrury in ihc.\c,'rrish Broli of rhc l)can ol'l.ismor'-Ross (1939), l-16-47.

315

rendidare for a uni'ersal morif. Yer rhe i'formation containcd in srith 'l'hompson\,\.[oti,f lndcx atr) Coomarasrvamv's conrplraiive work also ,.u..tl ,hri-i .;;";;;;;clusre r on rhc Norrh Arlanric seaboard lrom France ro Iceland. \{'rirren urd o'ri varieriesof tlrr motif developed in lreland during rhe Middle Ages .*isred olonesid. .r,liulhcr. and rvere strbsulucnrly successfully cxporrcd, gairrirre considerahri crrrrrc'a.nd populariq' e,vcr a large geographie rrca. \xhile rhi m"dl'eval wrirrer, ucrsionsofthe associatcd st,rries in lreland have atrracted rhe most arrentior-r, it is evident rhata. parallcl and equally important oral tradition has existerl f", .oriv ..li.rJtrmcs"v and has continucd on to the rinrc of rhe field ccrllecLors in rhe second haliofrhe ninereenth Lijnrur.yr and indecd inro our own lifbtimes.

( irnpLrc ( riunr \lrtlc.rrr r v cns jonc:rnirrg the prim.rc,ur.il rrLnrr';rsrnn oI crrJrriors jr'.r:. rhr tolk r:er.ic,ri: o[.]rib.r:sJ - \lr.'iern (ltj9t. i7;.,,',1' [n,r,, ".]9 11985,. 35.

of oial rrlditioa and rhe continuouTlira) on l hich Jicerary r'crsions utrc

(r9

316

Islandersand

Whter-Dwellers

Proceedings

ofThe Celtic'Nondic-Ealtic Follilore Symposium

held at

University College Dublin

l6-19 June 1996

Editors

Patricia Lysaght .sdamas 6 CathdLin Diir:hi O hClgein