Celtic Lore & Legend (10 page)

Unfortunately, for this beginning of the red-headed banditti of Mawddwy, Tacitus states in his
Life of Agricola
ch. xi that there were in Britain, men with red hair whom he surmises were of German extraction. We must, therefore, look for the commencement of a people of this description long before the twelfth century, and the Llanfrothen legend either dates from remote antiquity or it was some tale that found in its wanderings, a resting place in that locality in ages long past.

From a legend recorded by Geraldus Cambrensius which shall by and by be given, it would seem that a priest named Elidorus lived among the Fairies in their home in the bowels of the earth, and this would be in the early part of the twelfth century. [
Editor’s Note
: In another part of his work, Owen refers to a legend from Cambrensius’s “Itinerary through Wales,” which the Archdeacon had learned in 1188 during a visit to St. David’s. The legend, already ancient at the time, relates how a boy, Elidorus, being trained for the priesthood and anxious to
escape his rigorous masters, fled into an underground world inhabited by a smaller race of men and women who spoke a language similar to Greek. He lived amongst them for a time, returning occasionally to his own sphere and at last was prevailed upon by friends and family to return permanently and to resume his priestly studies. Cambrensius cites the source of this tale as being David II, former Bishop of St. David’s who died in 1176 and who allegedly had spoken to Elidorius when the priest was in his old age and who also had learned some of the language of the underground world.] The question arises, is the priest’s tale credible, or did he merely relate a story of himself which had been ascribed to some one else in the traditions of the people? If his tale is true, then, there lived even in that late period a remnant of the aborigines of the country, who had their homes in caves. The Myddvai Legend in part corroborates this supposition for the story apparently belongs to the thirteenth century.

It is difficult to fix the date of the other legends here given, for they are dressed in modern garb with, however, trappings of remote times. Probably all these tales have reached, through oral tradition, historic times but in reality they belong to that far-off distant period when the prehistoric inhabitants of this island dwelt in Lake-habitations, or in caves. And the marriage of Fairy ladies, with men of a different race, intimate that the more ancient people were not extirpated but were amalgamated with their conquerors.

As Christianity began to spread across the Celtic world, the ancient tales began to adapt in order to include elements of the new faith. Many of these old stories concerned the deeds of mighty heroes of times long past and of their battles against monsters and giants. Some of them would later form the basis of well-known fairy tales such as “Jack the Giant Killer,” which is the adaptation of an old tale from Cornwall where giants and monstrous men were believed to be plentiful.

Scotland, too, has several legends of these monstrous ogres, usually living in the Western Highlands and who were defeated by ancient Scottish kings and heroes. According to extremely ancient travelers’ tales, a race of huge and mighty men lived along the coasts of Argyll and Kintyre and in the North Antrim area of Ireland who preyed on passing ships, luring them to their doom on the rocks with fires and torches, which the sailors mistook for signals. According to these same stories, these giants were cannibals who quickly
devoured those who survived the shipwrecks. For example, it was said that three great cannibal sisters dwelt in the coastal Ballypatrick Forest, near the present-day town of Ballycastle in North Antrim, devouring those who were washed up on the beaches below or who passed by their huge stone house beside a trail that led through the forest to the clifftops beyond. They were slain by a Highland hero (different names are given for him, and in some cases more than one hero is mentioned) who came from the Mull of Kintyre to accomplish the deed. In some variants of the tale, they were slain by a bishop, emphasising the power of the Church over the pagan past and bringing Christian elements into the story.

The following story comes from the Western Highlands. It is part of a series of folktales collected there by J. F. Campbell from a number of old people whom he interviewed. Two sources are given for it. Campbell notes a Hector Urquart, whom he spoke to on June 27, 1859, but the actual story was recited by Kenneth MacLennan, aged 70, from Turnaig, Pool Ewe in Ross-shire, who was able to repeat the story, which he’d heard when only a young boy. It is probably a remnant of a number of ancient hero stories from the Highland Celtic tradition that have been given some passing and superficial Christian elements. According to the notes, the tale was originally recited in Scots Gaelic and the translation is Campbell’s own.

There was a king over Eirinn once, who was named King Cruachan, and he had a son who was called Connal MacRigh Cruachan. The mother of Connal died, and the father married another woman. She was for finishing Connal, so that his kingdom might belong to her own posterity. He had a foster mother, and it was in the house of his foster-mother that he made his
home. He and his eldest brother were right-hand of each other [
Editor’s Note
: They were close.]; and the mother was vexed because Connal was so fond of her big son. There was a bishop in the place, and he died; and he desired that his gold and silver should be placed beside him in the grave. Connal was at the bishop’s burying, and he saw a great bag of gold being placed at the bishop’s head and a bag of silver at his feet, in the grave. Connal said to his five foster-brothers that they would go in search of the bishop’s gold and when they reached the grave, Connal asked them which they would rather; go down into the grave, or hold up the flagstone. They said that they would hold up the flag. Connal went down and whatever the squealing was that they heard, they let go the flag and took to their soles home. Here he was, in the grave, on top of the bishop. When the five of the foster brothers reached the house, their mother was somewhat more sorrowful for Connal than she would have been for the five. At the end of seven mornings, there went a company of young lads to take the gold out of the bishops grave, and when they reached the grave, they threw the flag to the side of the further wall; Connal stirred below, and when he stirred they went, and they left each arm and dress that they had. Connal arose and he took with him the gold, and arms and dress, and he reached his foster mother with them. They were all merry and lighthearted as long as the gold and silver lasted.

There was a great giant near the place, who had a great deal of gold and silver in the front of a rock; and he was promising a bag of gold to any being that would go down in a creel. Many were lost in this way, when the giant would let them down, and they would fill the creel, the giant would not let down the creel more till they died in the hole.

On a day of days, Connal met with the giant and he promised him a bag of gold, for that he should go down the hole to fill a creel with gold. Connal went down, and the giant was letting him down with a rope, Connal filled the giant’s creel with gold but the giant did not let down the creel to fetch Connal and Connal was in the cave among the dead men and the gold.

A hero displays the head of the last of the giants.

When it beat the giant to get another man who would go down into the hole, he sent his own son down into the hole, and the sword of light in his lap, so that he might see before him.

When the young giant reached the ground of the cave, and when Connal saw him, he caught the sword of light, and he took off the head of the young giant.

Then Connal put the gold in the bottom of the creel, and he put the gold over him; and then he hid in the midst of the creel and he gave a pull on the rope. The giant drew the creel, and when he did not see his son, he threw the creel over the top of his head. Connal leaped out of the creel, and the black back of the giant’s head (being) towards him, he laid a swift hand on the sword of light, and he took the head off the giant. Then he betook himself to his foster-mother’s home with the creel of gold and the giant’s sword of light.

After this, he went to hunt one day on Sliamh na lierge. He was going forwards, till he went into a great cave. He saw in the upper part of the cave, a fine fair woman, who was thrusting the flesh-stake into a big lump of a baby, and every thrust she would give the spit, the baby would give a laugh and she would begin to weep. Connal spoke, and he said: “Woman, what ails thee at the child without reason?”

“Oh”, said she, “since thou art an able man thyself, kill the baby and set it on this stake till I roast it for the giant”. He caught hold of the baby and he put a plaid that he had on about the babe, and he had the baby at the side of the cave.

There were a great many dead bodies at the side of the cave and he set one of them on the stake and the woman was roasting it.

Then he heard under ground trembling and thunder coming, and he would rather he was out. Here he sprang in place
of the corpse that was in the fire, in the very middle of the bodies. The giant came and he asked, “Was the roast ready?” He began to eat and he said:

“Fiu fau hoagrich, it’s no wonder that thy own flesh is tough, it is tough on thy brat”.

When the giant had eaten that one, he went to count the bodies and they way he had of counting them was, to catch hold of them by the two smalls of the leg and toss them past the top of his head; and he counted them back and forwards thus, three or four times; and he found Connal somewhat heavier and that he was soft and fat, he took that slice out of him from the back of his head to his groin. He roasted this at the fire, and he ate it, and then he fell asleep. Connal winked at the woman to set the flesh-stake in the fire. She did this, and when the spit grew white after it was red, he thrust the spit through the giant’s heart, and the giant was dead.

Then Connal went, and he set the woman on her path homewards, and then he went home himself. His stepmother sent him and her own son to steal the whitefaced horse from the King of Italy, “Eadilt” [
Editor’s Note
: This was the name of the people who had charge of the horse, which was supposed to be a magnificent animal and one of the swiftest in the world.] and they went together to steal the whitefaced horse, and every time they would lay a hand on him, the whitefaced horse would let out an ialt [neigh?]. A “company” me out and they were caught. The binding of the three smalls was laid on them painfully. [
Editor’s Note
: This was a form of torture allegedly used in Italy and other Mediterranean countries. It was said to involve tightening knots in a rope against various sensitive parts of the body.]

“Thou big red man”, said the king, “wert thou ever in such hard a case as that?”

“A little tightening for me and a little loosening for my comrade and I will tell thee that” said Connal.

The Queen of the Eadailt was beholding Connal.

Then Connal said:

“
Seven morns so sadly mine,

As I dwelt on the bishop’s top,

That visit was longest for me,

Though I was the strongest myself.

At the end of the seventh morn,

An opening grave was seen,

And I would be up before,

The one that was soonest down.

They thought I was a dead man,

As I rose from the mould of the earth;

At the first of the harsh bursting,

They left their arms and their dresses;

I gave the leap of the nimble one,

As I was naked and bare,

‘Twas for me, a vagabond,

To enjoy the bishop’s gold
.”

“Tighten well, and right well,” said the king, “it was not in the one good place that he ever was; great is the ill that he has done” [
Editor’s Note
: By desecrating a bishop’s grave and by spending his gold, he enraged the Italian Christian king.] Then he was tightened somewhat tighter, and somewhat tighter; and somewhat tighter; and the king said:

“Thou great red man, was thou ever in a harder case than that?”

“Tighten myself and let a little slack with this one beside me, and I will tell thee that.”

They did that. “I was,” said he:

“
Nine morns in the cave of gold;

My meat was the body of bones,

Sinews of feet and hands,

At the end of the numb morn,

A descending creel was seen;

Then I caught hold on the creel,

And laid gold above and below;

I made my hiding within the creel:

I took with me the glave of light,

The luckiest turn that I did.
”

They gave him the next tightening, and the king asked him. “Wast thou ever in case, or extremity, as hard as that?”

“A little tightening for myself and a slack for my comrade and I will tell thee that”. They did this.