The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne

Part 2 Doire Da Both
(editor's note: As Nagy writes in The Wisdom of the outlaw. Finn and the Fianare in their element when in the natural no-man's realm of the spaces. Here we are introduced to Angus. Note his other worldly powers- he seems in a disticnct dimension from that of most of the characters- perhaps from another layer of the evolution of the tales.)
 

Upon hearing the warning of the hounds Grainne said:

"Take that warning," said Grainne.

"I will not," said Diarmuid, " for we shall not leave this wood until Finn and the Fian of Erin overtake us"; and fear and great dread seized Grainne when she heard that.

As for Finn, I will tell his tidings clearly. He did not abandon the chase until he reached Doire Da Both, and he sent the tribe of Emain to search out the wood, and they saw Diarmuid and a woman by him. They returned back again where were Finn and the Fian of Erin, and Finn asked of them whether Diarmuid or Grainne were in the wood. "Diarmuid is there," they said, " and there is some woman by him; who she is we know not for we know Diarmuid's track, and we know not the track of Grainne."

"Foul fall the friends of Daiarmuid O'Duibne for his sake," said Finn, "and he shall not leave the wood until he give me satisfaction for every thing he has done to me'

"It is a great token of jealousy in thee, O Finn," said Oisin, " to think that Diarmuid would stay upon the plain of Maenmag, seeing that there is there no stronghold but Doire Da Both, and thou too awaiting him,"

"That shall profit thee nothing, O Oisin," said Finn," and well I knew the three shouts that Cailte's servant gave, that it was ye that sent my own hound, that is Bran, with another warning to him: but it shall profit you nothing to have sent him any of those warnings; for he shall not leave Doire Da Both until he give me compensation for everything that he hath done to me, and for every slight that he hath put on me."

"Great foolishness it is for thee, O Finn," said Oscar the son of Oisin, " to suppose that Diarmuid would stay in the midst of this plain, and thou waiting to take his head from him."

"Who else cut the wood thus, and made a close warm enclosure thereof, with seven tight slender-narrow doors to it? And with which of us, O Diarmuid, is the truth, with myself or with Oscar?" said Finn.

"Thou didst never err in thy good judgment, O Finn," said Diarmuid," and I indeed and Grainne are here." Then Finn bade the fian of Erin come round Diarmuid and take him for himself. Thereupon Diarmuid rose up and gave Grainne three kisses in the presence of Finn and of the fian, so that a burning of jealousy and rage seized Finn upon seeing that, and he said that Diarmuid should give his head for those kisses.

As for Angus of the Brug, that is the tutor in learning of Diarmuid O'Duibne, who was a in the Brug upon the Boyne, he saw the extremity in which his foster-son Diarmuid, then was; and he proceeded accompanying the pure-cold wind, and he halted not till he reached Doire Da Both Then he went unknown to Finn or to the fian of Erin to the place wherein were Diarmuid and Grainne, and he greeted Diarmuid and what he said was: " What is this thing that thou hast done, O O'Dubine?"

"This it is," said Diarmuid; " the daughter of the king of Erin has fled secretly with me from her father and from Finn, and it is not of my will that she has come with me.."

"Then let one of you come under either border of my mantle,"

said Angus, " and I will take you out of the place where ye are without the knowledge of Finn or of the fian of Erin."

"Take thou Grainne with the," said Diarmuid, "but as for me, I will never go with the; howbeit, if I be alive presently I will follow thee, and if I do not, do thou send Grainne to her father, and let him treat her well or ill."

After that Angus put Grainne under the border of her mantle, and went his way without knowledge of Finn or of the fian of Erin, and no tale is told of them until they reached Ros Da Soileach which is now called Luimneach.

After Angus and Grainne had departed from Diarmuid he arose as a straight pillar and stood upright, and girded his arms and his armor and his various sharp weapons about him. After that he drew near to one of the seven wattled doors that there were in the enclosure and asked who was at it. "No foe to thee is any man who is at it," said they who were without, " for here are Oisin the son of Finn, and Oscar the son of Oisin, and the chieftains of the Clan Baoiscne together with us; and come out to us, and none will dare to do thee harm, hurt, or damage."

"I will not go to you," said Diarmuid, "until I see at which door Finn himself is." He drew near to another wattled door, and asked who was at it.

"Cailte the son of Crannacar mac Ronain, and the Clan Ronain together with him; and come out to us and we will fight and die for thy sake.."

"I will not go to you," said Diarmuid, "for I will not cause Finn to be angry with you for well doing to myself." He drew near to another wattled door, and asked who was at it.

" Here are Conan the son of Finn of Liathluacra, and the Clan Morna together with him; and we are enemies to Finn and thou art far dearer to us than he, and for that reason come out to us, and none will dare meddle with thee."

"Surely I will not go," said Diarmuid, "for Finn had rather the death of every man of you should come to pass, than that I should be let out." He drew near to another wattled door, and asked who was there.

"A friend and a dear comrade of thine is here, that is , Finn the son of Cuadan mac Murchada, the royal a chief of the fian of Munster, and the Munster fian together with him; and we are of one land and one country with thee, O Diarmuid, and we will give our bodies and our lives for thee and for thy sake."

"I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "for I will not cause Finn to be displeased with you for well doing to myself." He drew near to another wattled door and asked who was at it.

"It is Finn the son of Glor, the royal chief of the fian of Ulster, and the Ulster fian along with him; and come out to us, and none will dare cut or wound thee."

"I will not go out to you," said Diarmuid, "for thou art a friend to me, and thy father; and I would not that he should bear the enmity of Finn for my sake." He drew near to another wattled door, and asked who was at it.

"No friend to thee is any that is here," said they, " for here are Aed Beg of Emain, and Aed Fada of Emain, and Caol Croda of Emain, and Goineacch of Emain, and Gothan Gilmeurach of Emain, and Aife the daughter of Gothan Gilmeurach of Emain, and Cuadan Lorrgaire of Emain; and we bear thee no love, and if thou wouldst come out to us we would wound thee till thou shouldst be like a stone, without respite."

"Evil the company that is there," Said Diarmuid, "O ye of the lie, and of the tracking, and of the one brogue; and it is not the fear of your hand that is upon me, but from enmity to you I will not go out to you." He drew near to another wattled door, and asked who was at it.

"Here are Finn mac Cumaill, the son of Art, the son of Trenmor O' Baoiscne, and four hundred hirelings with him; and we bear thee no love, and if thou shouldst come out to us we would cleave thy bones asunder."

"I pledge my word," said Diarmuid, "That the door at which thou art, O Finn, is the very door by which I will pass of all the doors."

Having heard that, Finn charged his battalions on pain of death and instant destruction not to let Diarmuid pass with them without their knowledge. Diarmuid having heard hat arose with an airy, high, exceeding light bound, by the shafts of his javelins and by the staves of his spears, and went a great way out beyond Finn and beyond his people without their knowledge or perception. He looked back upon them and proclaimed to them that he had passed them, and slung his shield upon the broad arched expanse of his back, and so went straight westward; and he was not long in going out of the sight of Finn and of the fian. Then when he saw that they followed him not, he turned back where he had seen Angus and Grainne departing out of the wood, and he followed them by their track, holding a straight course, until he reached Ros Da Soileach.

He found Angus and Grainne there in a warm well-lighted hut, and a great wide-flaming fire kindled before them, with half a wild boar upon spits. Diarmuid greeted them, and the very life of Grainne all but fled out through her mouth with joy at meeting Diarmuid. Diarmuid told them his tidings from the beginning to end; and they ate their meal that night, and Diarmuid and Grainne went to sleep together until the day came with its full light on the morrow. Angus arose early, and what he said to Diarmuid was;

"I will now depart, O O'Dubine, and this counsel I leave thee; not to go into a tree having but one trunk in flying before Finn; and not to go into a cave of the earth to which there shall be but the one door; and not to go on to an island of the sea with but one channel between it and the land. And in whatever place thou shalt cook thy meal, there eat it not; and in whatever place thou shalt eat, there sleep not; and in whatever place thou shalt sleep, there rise not on the morrow."

He took leave and farewell of them and went his way after that.
To go on to the next part!  To Part 3!

Sources:

O' Grady,Standish,Hahyes,ed., trans.,Transactions of the Ossianic Society,(Dublin),III (1855/57),40-211.

Ni Sh`eaghda,Nessa,Ed., trans.,,T`oruigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghr`ainne ,Irish Texts Society. XLVIII) (Dublin,1967).

Best, Richard I. Bibliography of Irish Philology,I 102-103 (Dublin 1913).

Cross, Tom Peete, and Clark Harris Slover Ancient Irish Tales, Barnes and Noble, Inc.,1969