Early Irish Myths and Sagas - Jeffrey Gantz [50]
That company set out for Crúachu, then, and the watchman at the fort perceived them as they entered Mag Crúachan. ‘I see a great company approaching the fort,’ he said. ‘Since Ailill and Medb became sovereigns, no nobler or handsomer company have ever arrived, and no such company ever will arrive. The wind that blows from them is such that my head might as well be in a vat of wine. One warrior performs a feat the like of which I have never seen: he casts his javelin on ahead of him, and before it can strike the ground, seven hounds with their silver chains have caught it.’
At that, the hosts came out of the fort of Crúachu to see the company, and there was such a crowd that the people suffocated, and sixteen men died looking. The company dismounted at the door of the fort. They unbridled their horses and unleashed their hounds; they hunted seven deer to Ráith Crúachan, and seven foxes and seven hares and seven wild boars, and the warriors slew these on the green of the fort. After that, the hounds leapt into the river Brei and caught seven otters and brought them up to the entrance of the royal dwelling.
The company sat down, then, and messengers came from the king to ask them who they were and whence they came; the company gave their true names, and their leader said he was Fróech son of Idath. The steward related that to the king. ‘Welcome!’ said Ailill and Medb. ‘A splendid warrior Fróech,’ said Ailill. ‘Let him enter the courtyard.’
A fourth of the house, then, was set aside for the company. This was the arrangement of the house: seven rows, and seven apartments round about the house from the fire to the wall. Each apartment had a façade of bronze, divided laterally by specially ornamented red yew, and there were three strips of bronze at the base of each apartment. Seven rods of copper ran from the house vat to the ceiling. The house was built of pine, with a shingled roof; there were sixteen windows in the house, with a copper shutter for each window, and there was a copper grating for the skylight. In the exact centre of the house was the apartment of Ailill and Medb. It had copper pillars and was ornamented everywhere with bronze; two borders of gilded silver went about it, while a silver moulding from the headboard rose to the crossbeams.
The company made a circuit of the house, from one entrance to the next; they hung up their weapons and sat down and were made comfortable. ‘Welcome!’ said Ailill and Medb. ‘It is for that we have come,’ said Fróech. ‘Then your journey will not be for nothing,’ said Medb. Ailill and Medb played fidchell after that, and Fróech began to play with one of his own people. Beautiful his fidchell set: the board was of white gold, and the edges and corners were of gold, while the pieces were of gold and silver, and a candle of precious stone provided light. ‘Have food prepared for the youths,’ said Ailill. ‘I have no wish,’ answered Medb, ‘but to go and play fidchell with Fróech.’ ‘Do that, then; it is fine with me,’ said Ailill. Medb and Fróech played fidchell after that.
Meanwhile, Fróech’s people were roasting the game. ‘Let the harpers play for us,’ said Ailill to Fróech. ‘Indeed, let them,’ said Fróech. The harp bags were of otterskin and were decorated with Parthian leather ornamented with gold and silver. The kidskin about the harps was white as snow and had dark grey eyes in the middle; the coverings of linen about the strings were white as swans’ down. The harps were of gold and silver and white gold, with the forms of snakes and birds and hounds in gold and silver on them; and as the strings moved, these forms would make circuits round the men.
The harpers played, then, and twelve men died of weeping and sorrow. The three harpers were fair and melodious, for they were the fair ones of