FINN
called for a great hunt one time on the plains of Magh Chonaill and in the
forest parts of Cairbre of the Nuts. And he himself went up to the top of
Ceiscoran, and his two dogs Bran and Sceolan with him.
And the Fianna
were shouting through the whole country where they were hunting, the way the
deer were roused in their wild places and the badgers in their holes, and foxes
in their wanderings, and birds on the wing.
And Conaran, son of Imidd, of the Tuatha
de Danaan, had the sway in Ceiscoran at that time, and when he heard the
shouting and the cry of the hounds all around, he bade his three daughters that
had a great share of enchantments, to do vengeance on Finn for his hunting.
The three women went then to the opening of
a cave that was in the hills, and there they sat down together, and they put
three strong enchanted hanks of yarn on crooked holly-sticks,
and began to reel them off outside the cave.
They were not long there till Finn and Conan
came towards them, and saw the three ugly old hags at their work, their coarse
hair tossed, their eyes red and bleary, their teeth sharp and crooked, their
arms very long, their nails like the tips of cows’ horns, and the three
spindles in their hands.
Finn and Conan passed through the hanks of
yarn to get a better look at the hags. And no sooner had they done that, than a
deadly trembling came on them and a weakness, and the bold hags took hold of
them and put them in tight bonds.
Two other men of the Fianna came up then,
and the sons of Menhann along with them, and they went through the spindles to
where Finn and Conan were, and their strength went from them in the same way,
and the hags tied them fast and carried them into the cave.
They were not long there till Caoilte
and Lugaidh’s Son came to the place, and along with them the best men of the
sons of Baiscne. The Sons of Morna came as well, and no sooner did they see the
hanks than their strength and their bravery went out of them the same as it went
from the others.
And in the end the whole number of them,
gentle and simple, were put in bonds by the hags, and brought into the cave. And
there began at the mouth of the cave a great outcry of hounds calling for their
masters that had left them there. And there was lying on the hillside a great
heap of deer, and wild pigs, and hares, and badgers, dead and torn, that were
brought as far as that by the hunters that were tied up now in the cave.
Then the three women came in, having swords
in their hands, to the place where they were lying, to make an end of them. But
first they looked out to see was there ever another man of the Fianna to bring
in and to make an end of with the rest.
And they saw coming towards them a very tall
man that was Goll, son of Morna, the Flame of Battle. And when the three hags
saw him they went to meet him, and they fought a hard battle with him. And great
anger came on Goll, and he made great strokes at the witches, and at the last he
raised up his sword, and with one blow he cut the two that were nearest him
through and through.
And then the oldest of the three women wound
her arms about Goll, and he beheading the two others, and he turned to face her
and they wrestled together, till at last Goll gave her a great twist and threw
her on the ground. He tied her fast then with the straps of a shield, and took
his sword to make an end of her. But the hag said: "O champion that was
never worsted, strong man that never went back in battle, I put my body and my
life under the protection of your bravery. And it is better for you," she
said, "to get Finn and the Fianna safe and whole than to have my blood; and
I swear by the gods my people
swear by," she said, "I will give them back to you again."
With that Goll set her free, and they went
together into the hill where the Fianna were lying. And Goll said: "Loose
off the fastenings first from Fergus of the True Lips and from the other learned
men of the Fianna; and after that from Finn, and Oisin,
and the twenty-nine sons of Morna, and from all the rest."
She took off the fastenings then, and the
Fianna made no delay, but rose up and went out and sat down on the side of the
hill. And Fergus of the Sweet Lips looked at Goll, son of Morna, and made great
praises of him, and of all that he had done.