Early Irish Myths and Sagas - Jeffrey Gantz [84]
red if they are stones.
Why is there a gleam on each point –
a contest dark and certain.
Men go past the tips –
why do they bend over?
Cú Ruí, the son of handsome Dáre, overheard the contention between the two druids outside on the wall of Temuir Lúachra, and he said ‘Not in harmony those druids outside.’ Meanwhile, the sun rose over the earth’s orb, whereupon Cromm Deróil said ‘Now the host is evident.’ The sun rose over the slopes of Irlúachair, and Cromm Deróil recited this poem:
I see many-hilled Lúachair,
the bright-fronted sun shining against its flanks;
they are youths who travel from afar,
between the brown moor and the trees.
If that is a flock of ravens yonder in the east,
if it is a flock of fat landrails,
if it is a flock of noisy starlings,
if it is a flock of herons or barnacle geese,
if it is a flock of shrill barnacle geese,
if it is a flock of shrill swans,
they are still far from heaven,
they are still close to the earth.
Cú Ruí, son of dear Dáre,
man who traverses the streams of the ocean,
tell us, since you know best,
what crosses the ancient mountain.
Cú Ruí answered with this poem:
The two watchmen, the two druids,
great their perplexity.
What their eyes see terrifies them;
their resistance wavers.
If those are curly-horned cattle,
if they are hard-skinned rocks,
if it is a sparse, dark green wood,
if it is the roar of waves of Muir Miss,
if they are cattle, with the colour of cattle,
they are not one kind of cow;
there is a fierce man with a bloody spear
on the back of each cow.
There is a sword for each cow
and a shield on the left side;
hard standard against hard standard
above the cows that I see.
They had not been there long, the two druids, before a destructive white leap broke from the first troop across the glen. The men advanced with such ferocity that there was not a shield on its peg or a sword or spear on its rack that did not fall down. Every thatched house in Temuir Lúachra had its thatching fall away in flakes the size of tablecloths. It was as if the ocean had washed over the walls and across the corners of the earth towards them. Faces fell and teeth chattered within Temuir Lúachra. The two druids grew dizzy and swooned and fainted; Cromm Darail fell outside the wall, and Cromm Derdil fell inside. Even so, it was Cromm Deróil who rose and cast his eye over the first troop to reach the green. This troop descended upon the green and sat there as one man, and the heat of the great valorous warriors was such that the snow softened and melted for thirty feet on every side.
Cromm Deróil then went inside to Medb and Ailill and Cú Ruí and Echu son of Luchtae, and Medb asked ‘Whence has this loud clamour come: down from the air, or across the sea from the west, or from the east across Ériu?’ ‘Indeed, across Ériu from the east, across the slopes of Irlúa-chair the march of this barbarous host,’ said Cromm Deróil.
‘I do not know if they are Ériu or foreigners. If they are Ériu and not foreigners, then they are Ulaid.’ ‘Would Cú Ruí not recognize the Ulaid by their description?’ asked Medb. ‘He has often accompanied them on raids and hostings and expeditions.’ ‘I would recognize them if they were described for me,’ said Cú Ruí. ‘Indeed, I can describe the first troop that descended upon the green,’ said Cromm Deróil. ‘Do so, then,’ said Medb.
‘Outside and to the east of the fort,’ said Cromm Deróil, ‘I saw a great regal band, and each man was the equal of a king. Three men stood before the band; the middle man was a tall, regal, broad-eyed warrior, his face like the moon in its fifteenth day. His forked beard was fair and narrow; his hair was short and reddish yellow and bound at the back. A fringed, scarlet cloak round him; a brooch inlaid with gold fastening the mantle over his white shoulders; a tunic of kingly satin next to his white skin. A dark crimson shield with bosses of yellow gold he had, and a sword with an inlaid gold hilt. A spear with a glittering blade in his white, illustrious right