Celtic Myths by Flame Tree Studio

Author:Flame Tree Studio
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Flame Tree Publishing
Published: 2018-12-05T16:15:18+00:00

Legends of Giants

Giants are commonly-appearing creatures in Celtic tales. They are usually a force to be reckoned with, standing as monstrously large obstacles between the heroes and their goals or the women they love. Influences from other cultures can clearly be seen, for example the episode in ‘Conall Yellowclaw’ featuring a one-eyed giant which resembles the story of Polyphemus from the Greek epic The Odyssey.

Of course, not all giants are malevolent, for example the Celtic hero Finn mac Cumaill is often portrayed as a giant and the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland is attributed to his making. The following stories however tend to focus on the more hostile kind. Though the giant first encountered in the story ‘The Lad with the Goat-skin’ is not the main antagonist, he plays an integral part in the tale by giving Tom his special club.

Conall Yellowclaw

Conall Yellowclaw was a sturdy tenant in Erin: he had three sons. There was at that time a king over every fifth of Erin. It fell out for the children of the king that was near Conall, that they themselves and the children of Conall came to blows. The children of Conall got the upper hand, and they killed the king’s big son. The king sent a message for Conall, and he said to him—”Oh, Conall! what made your sons go to spring on my sons till my big son was killed by your children? but I see that though I follow you revengefully, I shall not be much better for it, and I will now set a thing before you, and if you will do it, I will not follow you with revenge. If you and your sons will get me the brown horse of the king of Lochlann, you shall get the souls of your sons.”

“Why,” said Conall, “should not I do the pleasure of the king, though there should be no souls of my sons in dread at all. Hard is the matter you require of me, but I will lose my own life, and the life of my sons, or else I will do the pleasure of the king.”

After these words Conall left the king, and he went home: when he got home he was under much trouble and perplexity. When he went to lie down he told his wife the thing the king had set before him. His wife took much sorrow that he was obliged to part from herself, while she knew not if she should see him more.

“Oh, Conall,” said she, “why didst not thou let the king do his own pleasure to thy sons, rather than be going now, while I know not if ever I shall see thee more?”

When he rose on the morrow, he set himself and his three sons in order, and they took their journey towards Lochlann, and they made no stop but tore through ocean till they reached it. When they reached Lochlann they did not know what they should do. Said the old man to his sons, “Stop ye, and we will seek out the house of the king’s miller.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.