Old Celtic Romances Part 22

After seeing and hearing these things, the crew sailed away from the island as quickly as they were able, into the open ocean, for they felt quite sure that the mult.i.tude they saw was a gathering of demons.

A s.p.a.cious isle of meadowy plains, with a broad and sandy sh.o.r.e: Two bold and trusty spies are sent, its wonders to explore.

Mysterious signs, strange, awful sights, now meet the wanderers'

eyes: Vast hoof-marks, and the traces dire of men of monstrous size: And lo! on the sea, in countless hosts, their shadowy forms expand; They pa.s.s the affrighted sailors by, and like demons they rush to land; They mount their steeds, and the race is run, in the midst of h.e.l.l's uproar: Then the wanderers quickly raise their sails, and leave the accursed sh.o.r.e.

FOOTNOTES:

[LXXII.] See note, page 128.

CHAPTER VII.

THE PALACE OF SOLITUDE.

They suffered much from hunger and thirst this time, for they sailed a whole week without making land; but at the end of that time they came in sight of a high island, with a large and very splendid house on the beach near the water's edge. There were two doors--one turned inland, and the other facing the sea; and the door that looked towards the sea was closed with a great flat stone. In this stone was an opening, through which the waves, as they beat against the door every day, threw numbers of salmon into the house.

The voyagers landed, and went through the whole house without meeting any one. But they saw in one large room an ornamented couch, intended for the head of the house, and in each of the other rooms was a larger one for three members of the family: and there was a cup of crystal on a little table before each couch. They found abundance of food and ale, and they ate and drank till they were satisfied, thanking G.o.d for having relieved them from hunger and thirst.

Aloft, high towering o'er the ocean's foam, The s.p.a.cious mansion rears its glittering dome.

Each day the billows, through the marble door, Shoot living salmon floundering on the floor.

Couches that lure the sailors to recline, Abundant food, brown ale, and sparkling wine; Tables and chairs in order duly placed, With crystal cups and golden goblets graced.

But not a living soul the wanderers found; 'Twas silence all and solitude profound.

They eat and drink, give thanks, then hoist their sail, And skim the deep once more, obedient to the gale.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ISLAND OF THE WONDERFUL APPLE TREE.

After leaving this, they suffered again from hunger, till they came to an island with a high hill round it on every side. A single apple tree grew in the middle, very tall and slender, and all its branches were in like manner exceedingly slender, and of wonderful length, so that they grew over the hill and down to the sea.

When the ship came near the island, Maildun caught one of the branches in his hand. For three days and three nights the ship coasted the island, and during all this time he held the branch, letting it slide through his hand, till on the third day he found a cl.u.s.ter of seven apples on the very end. Each of these apples supplied the travellers with food and drink for forty days and forty nights.

CHAPTER IX.

THE ISLAND OF BLOODTHIRSTY QUADRUPEDS.

A beautiful island next came in view, in which they saw, at a distance, mult.i.tudes of large animals shaped like horses. The voyagers, as they drew near, viewed them attentively, and soon observed that one of them opened his mouth and bit a great piece out of the side of the animal that stood next him, bringing away skin and flesh. Immediately after, another did the same to the nearest of his fellows. And, in short, the voyagers saw that all the animals in the island kept worrying and tearing each other from time to time in this manner; so that the ground was covered far and wide with the blood that streamed from their sides.

In needless strife they oft contend, A cruel, mutual-mangling brood; Their flesh with gory tusks they rend, And crimson all the isle with blood.

CHAPTER X.

AN EXTRAORDINARY MONSTER.

The next island had a wall all round it. When they came near the sh.o.r.e, an animal of vast size, with a thick, rough skin, started up inside the wall, and ran round the island with the swiftness of the wind. When he had ended his race, he went to a high point, and standing on a large, flat stone, began to exercise himself according to his daily custom, in the following manner. He kept turning himself completely round and round in his skin, the bones and flesh moving, while the skin remained at rest.

When he was tired of this exercise, he rested a little; and he then began turning his skin continually round his body, down at one side and up at the other like a mill-wheel; but the bones and flesh did not move.

After spending some time at this sort of work, he started and ran round the island as at first, as if to refresh himself. He then went back to the same spot, and this time, while the skin that covered the lower part of his body remained without motion, he whirled the skin of the upper part round and round like the movement of a flat-lying millstone. And it was in this manner that he spent most of his time on the island.

Maildun and his people, after they had seen these strange doings, thought it better not to venture nearer. So they put out to sea in great haste. The monster, observing them about to fly, ran down to the beach to seize the ship; but finding that they had got out of his reach, he began to fling round stones at them with great force and an excellent aim. One of them struck Maildun's shield and went quite through it, lodging in the keel of the curragh; after which the voyagers got beyond his range and sailed away.

In a wall-circled isle a big monster they found, With a hide like an elephant, leathery and bare; He threw up his heels with a wonderful bound, And ran round the isle with the speed of a hare.

But a feat more astounding has yet to be told: He turned round and round in his leathery skin; His bones and his flesh and his sinews he rolled-- He was resting outside while he twisted within!

Then, changing his practice with marvellous skill, His carcase stood rigid and round went his hide; It whirled round his bones like the wheel of a mill-- He was resting within while he twisted outside!

Next, standing quite near on a green little hill, After galloping round in the very same track, While the skin of his belly stood perfectly still, Like a millstone he twisted the skin of his back!

But Maildun and his men put to sea in their boat, For they saw his two eyes looking over the wall; And they knew by the way that he opened his throat, He intended to swallow them, curragh and all![LXXIII.]

FOOTNOTES:

[LXXIII.] The verse in the original is quite serious; but I could not resist the temptation to give it a humorous turn. The same observation applies to the verse at page 122.

CHAPTER XI.

THE ISLE OF RED-HOT ANIMALS.

Not daring to land on this island, they turned away hurriedly, much disheartened, not knowing whither to turn or where to find a resting-place. They sailed for a long time, suffering much from hunger and thirst, and praying fervently to be relieved from their distress. At last, when they were beginning to sink into a state of despondency, being quite worn out with toil and hardship of every kind, they sighted land.

It was a large and beautiful island, with innumerable fruit trees scattered over its surface, bearing abundance of gold-coloured apples.

Under the trees they saw herds of short, stout animals, of a bright red colour, shaped somewhat like pigs; but coming nearer, and looking more closely, they perceived with astonishment that the animals were all fiery, and that their bright colour was caused by the red flames which penetrated and lighted up their bodies.

The voyagers now observed several of them approach one of the trees in a body, and striking the trunk all together with their hind legs, they shook down some of the apples and ate them. In this manner the animals employed themselves every day, from early morning till the setting of the sun when they retired into deep caves, and were seen no more till next morning.