literature

The Tale of Ethniu

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Long ago, in Old Ireland, before the days of the saints, there was a king. He was a wicked King, and his name was Balor.
Now Balor was a nasty, cruel man. He had an evil eye, with which he could look a man down and strike him dead.
Many have called it "a poisonous, vengeful eye", so heavy that it took four men to lift his eyelid.
Now Balor was the king of the Giants called the Fomorii.
But Balor was so dark-hearted and wicked, that one day a prophecy was made.
It said that Balor would have a grandson who would strike him down and hold a better rule than had ever been seen in the Isle as the High King of Ireland.
But Balor was greedy. He did not want this prophecy to come true, and so he did his most wicked thing yet. He locked away his only daughter- the beautiful, golden-haired Ethniu.
In her tower he gave her twelve handmaidens, but never let her out, that she may never know of the existence of men.
Now in the land of Gobibo the blacksmith there was a cow. She was a beautiful, milky-white cow, who produced the most fertile and delicious milk in all the land.
Now Balor, with his greedy heart, coveted this cow. He wanted the cow so much that he devised a trick.
Using his dark magic, he glamoured himself up a disguise. Appearing as a red-haired little boy, he went up to Cian, the keeper of the cow.
"Oh, good sir," he said, "I was out feedin' ta geeses when I say I musta' one of your finest sheep runnin' helter-skelter out o' yer Gate."
Looking over, Cian saw one of his sheep down by the creek, and fooled began to worry. "Hold my cow!!" he exclaimed as he ran with his rod and staff down to correct the animal.
Just as Cian returned with the sheep he remembered something. "That was my fine cow!" But looking around,  he realized he had been tricked by Balor in the guise of the little boy.
"Fooled, fooled fooled! I've been tricked by that awful Balor!!" He stormed. "I'll get my revenge. He'll get what's coming to him!"
And then Cian got an idea. An awful idea.
YOUNG CIAN GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA.
Cian went to the top of the Standing Stones and called out with all his might. Before long, the Sidhe-maiden Biróg came along.
Cian told Biróg his plan to get back the cow. And so they went across the hills, all the way to poor Ethniu's tower.
And the lady Biróg whisked her hand around three times, flayed out her palm, and with a WOOSH!, Cian was transported to the top of the tower.
He entered into Ethniu's tower, and by sundown the two had fallen in love. (Blech.)
Before long the handmaidens found that Ethniu was pregnant. Balor was furious, more furious than a King of the Fomorii had been before or since!!
Ethniu gave birth to three baby boys. But king Balor sent out one of his messengers to drown the babies.
With a splash, one baby hit the water.
And then the second.
Both children drowned.
But luckily, one child was saved- for Biróg had seen the child falling.
And his name was Lugh- one of the greatest High Kings of Ireland.
Some Irish mythology for you all!~ Man, I need to get more active.
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