DASG Blog

Duain agus Laoidhean na Fèinne (Pàirt 4)

Welcome back! The name of this isn’t entirely true; we will not have a look at songs of the folklore of the Fingalians but we will look at songs that are connected, or half-connected anyway, with songs of the Fingalians.

1. Bruadar Dheirdre
2. Am Bròn Binn

 
1. “Bruadar Dheirdre” is connected to “The Ulster Cycle” instead of Fingalian Folklore, but some of the same people appear in the story “Deirdre and the Children of Uisneach”. After Deirdre fled from King Conchobar with Naoise, her love instead of King Conchobar, and his two brothers, Ardán and Ainlé, to Glen Etive to live there. They recieved an invitation to return, without knowing that the King has given them an invitation with deceit - and with the intention to kill the three children of Uisneach - and to marry Deirdre. Deidre had a dream about this while they where sailing back to Ireland and Deirdre was unhappy about this but Naoise wouldn't listen to her advice:
Deirdre: “Chunnacas na trì, na trì
Calman geala geala leis na trì na trì
Balgama meala meala nam beul.
Ò Naoise, chloinn Mhic Uisnich,
Sorchair dubhar mo sgeòil!”
-
Naoise: “Chan eil ann ach bruaillean pràmh
Is lionn-dubh mnà, ’Dheirdre mo ghaoil.”
 
[Deirdre: “The Three were seen, were seen
White, white doves with the three, the three
Mouthful of honey, honey in their mouths.
O Naoise, children of Uisneach,
Enlighten the gloom of my story.”
-
Naoise: “It’s not but a disturbing slumber
And a woman’s melancholy, Deirdre my love.”]
 
2. This story is in any way connected to heritage of the Gaels but it is connected to folklore and stories of Arthur and his knights. In the lay “Am Bròn Binn” it is said that there was a King, King Arthur or the King of Scotland, and he saw in his dream the most beautiful woman he ever saw and he wanted her for his wife. Sìor Falaich (or Sir Bhalbha), one of his knights, left on the behalf of a king in order to get her. He travelled for seven weeks and three months and a tower was found on the edge of the ocean where the princess was. I won’t tell you the entire story but if it is that you would like to read the story you can read more of it here by “The Carmicheal Watson Project.”:
“Chunnaic Rìgh Breatann na shuain
A’ bhean a b’ àillidh  snuadh fo ’n ghrèin,
B’ fheàrr leis na bh’aige dh’òr
An òg-bhean a bhith aige fhèin.
-
Ach b’ fheàrr leis tuitean an sin,
an còmhrag fir mar bha e fèin,
na dhol a dh’iarraidh na mnà
gun fhios cò ’n t-àite fon ghrèin.
-
Labhair Sior Bhalbha gu fìor:
“Thèid mi fhìn ga h-iarraidh dhuit,
Mo fhìn mo ghille is mo chù,
Nar triùir ga sireadh gun dàil.”
[“The King of Britain saw in a dream
The most beautiful woman under the sun
He wanted more than all his gold
To have the young woman for himself.
-
Yet he would rather fall right there,
In combat with a man his equal,
Than go in search of his woman
Who knows where under the sun.
 
‘Then spoke true Sir Gawain:
I’ll go and find her for you:
Myself, my page-boy and my dog:
The three of us will seek her straight away.’”]
 
I am finished now with the lays of the Fingalians (and more) this year. I know that there will be more that I did not record in this blog but let us know on facebook, twitter and our own website!