The Colloquy with the Ancients

an Irish Folk Tale

excerpt dealing with Arthur:

St Patrick said " In the Fianna had you horses or cavalry?"

Caeilte answered: "we had so; thrice fifty foals from one mare and a single sire"

"Whence were they procured ?" "I will tell you the truth of the matter:-

"A young man served with Finn: Arthur son of Beine Brit, his complement being thrice nine men. 

Finn set out on foot the hunting of Ben-Edar 

(which indeed turned out to be a bountiful and a fruitful hunt)

They slipped their hounds accordingly, while Finn took his seat

on the Fians Cairn between Edars eminence and the sea;

there his spirit was gay within him when he listened to the maddened stags bellowing

as by the hounds of the Fianna they were swiftly slain.

"where Beine Brit's son Arthur was stationed was between the main body of the hunt

and the sea in order that the deer should not take to the sea and elude them by swimming

But Arthur, being thus on the outside and close against the shore,

marked three of Finn's hounds: Bran, Sceolaing and Adnuall, and he resolved on a plan, 

which was: himself and his three nines to depart away across the sea, 

he carrying off with him into his own land those same three hounds.

This plot was put into action then; for well I wot that they,

having with then those three hounds traversed the sea's surface

and at Inbher Mara Gainniach in Briton-land took harbour and haven.

They landed there, proceeded to the mountain of Lodan son of Lir, and hunted it.

"Touching the Fianna: after this occurrence they made an end of their hunting 

and of their sylvan slaughter, the camped at the eminence of Edgaeth's son Edar,

and (as the custom was then) Finn's household hounds were counted.

Now his hounds were many in number, as the poet said:-

"An enumerating of branches on the tree was that of Finn's full-grown hounds

with his sleek melodious pack of youngsters:

three hundred of the first there were, and puppy hounds two hundred."

"Many men they must have been that owned those," said Patrick

"True for you indeed," answered Caeilte, " for the tale that used to be in Finn's house was this :-

"They that dwelt in the house of Finn were three times fifty

of joyous leaders of the Fianna; three hundred confidential servitors as well,

and two hundred fosterlings that were worthy of their chiefs."

"but when the hounds were told a great shortcoming was discovered in them:

Bran, Sceolag and Adnuall were missing, and it was told to Finn

'Have all three of the battalions of the Fianna searched out,' he said;

yet though the search was made the hounds were not found.

"To Finn then was brought an elongated basin of pale gold;

he washed his kingly face, put his thumb under his knowledge-tooth,

truth was revealed to him, and he said: 'the king of the Britons' son

has deprived you of your hounds; pick ye therefore nine men to go in quest of them!'

They were chosen, their names being these: Dermot son of Donn, of the Erna of Munster in the south:

Goll mac Morna-" "Was Goll a chiefs son, or a simple warrior's ?" Patrick enquired

"a chief's" answered Caeilte

"There was Cael crodha the hundred-slayer, grandson of Nemhnann:

a champion that Finn had, and endowed with a deadly property

(which property attaching to him was that his arm never delivered a cast

that missed the mark, and that never was his hand bloodied on a man

but the same would before a nine day's term were out be dead);

there was Finn's son Ossian: he that, if only a man had a head to eat with

and legs to go upon (and carry off his largesse), never refused any."

"Caeilte," said Patrick "that is a great character." 

"And though it be so it is a true one," Caeilte answered and said:

"In the matter of gold, of silver, or concerning meat, Ossian never denied any man;

nor, though another's generosity were such as might fit a chief, did Ossian ever seek ought of him."

"there was Ossian's son Oscar: the chief's son that in all Ireland

was best for spear-throwing and for vigorous activity; 

also Ferdoman son of Bodhb Derg son of the Dagda;

Finn's son Raighne Wide-eye, his son Cainche the crimson-red;

Glas son of Encherd Bera, mac Lughach and myself.

Now, saintly Patrick, we the aforesaid within ourselves felt confident

that from Taprobane in the east to the garden of the Hesperides in the world's

westernmost part were no four hundred warriors but, on the battlefield and hand-to-hand,

we were a match for them: we had not a head without a helmet,

nor shoulder without whitened shield, nor right fist that grasped not two great and lengthy spears.

On this expedition we went our ways then, and until we reached Lodan mac Lir's mountain,

where we had been no long time before we heard dialogue of men that hunted in the field.

"As regards Beine Brit's son Arthur: he just then, with his people sat on his hunting-mound.

Them we charge in a lively fashion, kill Arthur's people all;

but round about him Oscar knits both his arms, gives him quarter, and we bring off our three hounds.

Here Goll mac Morna chancing to look around him saw an iron grey horse,

flecked with spots, and wearing a bridle fitted with wrought ornaments of gold.

At another glance that he threw to his left he discerned a bay horse (one not easy to lay hold of)

and having a reticulated bridle of twice refined silver fitted with a golden bit.

This second horse also Goll seized and put into the hand of Ossian, who passed him on to Dermot.

After successful execution and due celebration of our slaughter we came away,

bringing with us the heads of those thrice nine, our hounds and horses too,

with Arthur himself a prisoner, and so back to where Finn was: at Ben-Edar.

We reached his tent, and Caeilte said: 'we have brought Arthur'

This latter entered into bonds with Finn, and thereafter, up to the day in which he died,

was Finn's follower.

The two horses we gave to Finn: horse and mare, of whose seed 

were all the horses of the Fianna, who hitherto had not used any such.

The mare bred eight times: at every birth eight foals, which were made over

to the various detachments and notables of the Fianna, and these in the sequel had chariots made."