Early Irish Myths and Sagas - Jeffrey Gantz [16]
The Dagdae took his son to be fostered in the house of Mider at Brí Léith in Tethbae, and Óengus was reared there for nine years. Mider had a playing field at Brí Léith, and three fifties of the young boys of Ériu were there together with three fifties of the young girls. And Óengus was their leader, because of Mider’s love for him and because of his handsomeness and the nobility of his people. He was also called the Mace Óc, for his mother had said ‘Young the son who is conceived at dawn and born before dusk.’3
Now Óengus fell out with Tríath son of Febal (or Gobor) of the Fir Bolg – Tríath was also a fosterling of Mider and was the other leader at play. Óengus had no mind to speak with Tríath, and he said ‘It angers me that the son of a slave should talk to me’, for he believed that Mider was his father and that he was heir to the kingship of Brí Léith, and he did not know of his relationship to the Dagdae. But Tríath answered ‘It angers me no less that a foundling who knows neither his mother nor his father should talk to me.’ Óengus went off to Mider, distressed and in tears at having been shamed by Tríath. ‘What is this?’ asked Mider. ‘Tríath has mocked me and thrown it in my face that I have neither father nor mother.’ ‘False,’ replied Mider. ‘Who are they, then, my father and my mother?’ ‘Echu Ollathir is your father, and Eithne, the wife of Elcmar of Bruig na Boinde, is your mother. I have reared you without Elcmar’s knowledge so it would not pain him that you were conceived behind his back.’ ‘Come with me, then,’ said Óengus, ‘that my father may acknowledge me and that I may no longer be bidden away and reviled by the Fir Bolg.’
Mider set out with his fosterling to speak with Echu, thus, and they came to Uisnech Mide at the centre of Ériu, for that is where Echu dwelt, with Ériu extending equally far in every direction, north and south, east and west. They found Echu in the assembly, and Mider called him aside to speak with the boy. ‘What would he like, this youth who has never been here before?’ asked Echu. ‘He would like his father to acknowledge him and give him land,’ answered Mider, ‘for it is not right that your son be without land when you are king of Ériu.’ ‘A welcome to him,’ said Echu, ‘for he is my son. But the land I have chosen for him is still occupied.’ ‘What land is that?’ asked Mider. ‘Bruig na Bóinde, to the north,’ said Echu. ‘Who is there?’ asked Mider. ‘Elcmar is the man who is there,’ said Echu, ‘and I have no wish to disturb him further.’
‘What advice, then, can you give the boy?’ asked Mider. Echu answered ‘This: he is to go into the Bruig at Samuin, and he is to go armed, for that is a day of peace and friendship among the men of Eriu, and no one will be at odds with his fellow. Elcmar will be at Cnocc Side in the Bruig with no weapon but a fork of white hazel in his hand; he will be wearing a cloak with a gold brooch in it, and he will be watching three fifties of youths at play on the playing field. Óengus is to go to Elcmar and threaten to kill him, but he should not do so provided he obtains his request. That request is that Óengus be king in the Bruig for a day and a night, but Óengus must not return the land to Elcmar until the latter agrees to abide by my judgement. Óengus is to argue that the land is his by right in return for his having spared Elcmar – that he requested the kingship of day and night and that it is in days and nights that the world passes.’
Mider set out for his land, then, and his fosterling with him, and on the following Samuin, Óengus armed himself and went into the Bruig and threatened Elcmar; and the latter promised him a kingship of day and night in his land. Óengus remained there as king of the land during that day and that night, and Elcmar’s people did his will. The next day, Elcmar came to reclaim his land from the Mace Óc, and at that, a great argument arose, for the Mace Óc said that he would not yield the land until Elcmar had put the question to the Dagdae before the men of Eriu. They