Sacred Texts Legends & Sagas Celtic Index Previous Next
ON a day when Fionn and his set of men were out hunting in Haslainn, in Gortean Taoit in Ile, they saw coming to meet them an unhandsome man, with a shaggy eye in the front of his face. 1 He was running with might, and making right for Fionn MacDhuil. When he met them he asked them to follow him to
the door of the smithy. Said Fionn, "Where, stripling, is thy smithy? or shall we be the better for seeing it?"
"My smithy," said the Fairy Smith, "is not to be found; and if it may, ye shall not see it."
The Fairy Smith and Daor Ghlas stretched out against the mountain breast; and they would but give the one step over each cold desert glen; there could but scarce be seen a glimpse of their clothes on their hips.
On nearing the door of the smithy the heroes neared each other.
"A little opening," said the Fairy Smith.
"Tear it before thee," said Daor Ghlas.
Then turned round the Fairy Smith and he said,
"Oh king! that thou hast earned the name oh Caoilte (slenderness), Daorghlas shall not be thy name from this time."
It was then that they began at MAC AN LUINNE, and when they were at it the daughter of the Fairy Smith came in to the smithy, and she asked,
"Who is the slender grey fearless man?"
"A shineadh a' pinah cruach?"
The maiden fell into weighty questions with Daor Ghlas, and she gave him notice that her father would say to him when the sword was ready, "What did it want new?" and that he should say, "It wants one little thing yet;" then that he should seize the sword and thrust it through her father's body to temper it.
Gaelic omitted
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122:1 He is one-legged in the poem, and his name Lun MacLiobhain, and he has seven hands.