Fionn, Bran and the grey dog
Fionn MacCumhail was about to leave for Scandinavia along with the Big
Lad. There was a fool there. He gave Fionn advice.
‘Take Bran’s golden chain with you,’ he said. ‘That won’t break your
contract because you won’t have a dog, a friend or a weapon.’
Fionn put Bran’s golden chain in his pocket. He reached the palace of
the King of Scandinavia. But it wasn’t a welcome he received. The King
and his nobles were considering the best way to kill Fionn. ‘We’ll put
him to death in the worst way,’ said the King. ‘We’ll take him to the
Big Glen. The Grey Dog will eat him.’
They took Fionn to the Big Glen. They heard the howling of the Grey Dog
and left. Fionn was on his own. The dog was wild. There were flames
coming from its nostrils.
Fionn shook Bran’s chain. Suddenly, the wild dog stood in front of him
like a domestic dog, wagging its tail. It licked Fionn. Fionn put the
golden chain around its neck.
There was a house at the bottom of the glen. There was an old woman at
the front door. She ran into the house. ‘I’ve seen an amazing thing,’
she said to the old man. ‘A handsome man has the Grey Dog on a lead.’
‘There’s only one man who’d do that – Fionn MacCumhail with Bran’s
golden chain,’ said the old man. He weclomed Fionn.
The couple invited Fionn to stay with them for a year and a day. At the
end of that time, the old woman was outside. She saw a host on the
great strand of Lochlann (Scandinavia). She ran to the house. ‘There is
a host on the strand,’ she said, ‘with a red-haired man at their head.’
‘That’s the Fingalians, with Osgar at their head,’ said Fionn. He went to
the strand. He had the Grey Dog with him. Everybody welcomed Fionn. And
Bran and the Grey Dog welcomed each other warmly. The Grey Dog was Sgeolan,
Bran’s brother, who was thrown into the sea when Fionn was fleeing from the
giant. They were puppies at the time. And that’s my story. Cheerio.
Fionn, Bran agus an cù glas
Bha Fionn MacCumhail an impis falbh a Lochlann cuide ris a’ Ghille Mhòr.
Bha amadan ann. Thug e comhairle do Fhionn.
‘Thoir leibh an t-slabhraidh òir aig Bran,’ thuirt e. ‘Cha bhris sin ur
cùmhnant oir cha bhi cù no caraid no ball-airm agaibh.’
Chuir Fionn slabhraidh òir Bhrain na phòcaid. Ràinig e lùchairt Rìgh
Lochlainn. Ach chan e fàilte a fhuair e. Bha an Rìgh agus uaislean a’
beachdachadh air an dòigh as fheàrr airson Fionn a mharbhadh. ‘Cuiridh sinn
gu bàs e anns an dòigh as miosa,’ thuirt an Rìgh. ‘Bheir sinn dhan Gleann
Mhòr e. Ithidh an Cù Glas e.’
Thug iad Fionn don Gleann Mhòr. Chuala iad donnal a’ Choin Ghlais agus
dh’fhalbh iad. Bha Fionn leis fhèin. Bha an cù fiadhaich. Bha lasairean a’
tighinn às a chuinneanan.
Chrath Fionn slabhraidh Bhrain. Gu h-obann, sheas am madadh air a bheulaibh
mar chù-taighe, a’ crathadh earball. Dh’imlich e Fionn. Chuir Fionn an
t-slabhraidh òir timcheall amhaich.
Bha taigh aig bonn a’ ghlinne. Bha cailleach aig an doras mhòr. Ruith i
a-steach don taigh. ‘Tha mi air rud iongantach fhaicinn,’ thuirt i ris a’
bhodach. ‘Tha an Cù Glas air taod aig fear eireachdail.’
‘Chan eil ann ach aon duine a dhèanadh sin – Fionn MacCumhail, agus
slabhraidh òir Bhrain aige,’ ars am bodach. Chuir e fàilte air Fionn.
Thug an cupall cuireadh do dh’Fhionn fuireach aca airson latha is bliadhna.
Aig deireadh na h-ùine sin, bha a’ chailleach a-muigh. Chunnaic i sluagh
air tràigh mhòr Lochlainn. Ruith i don taigh. ‘Tha sluagh air an tràigh,’
thuirt i, ‘le fear ruadh aig an ceann.’
‘ʼS e sin an Fhèinn, agus Osgar aig an ceann,’ arsa Fionn. Chaidh e don
tràigh. Bha an Cù Glas na chois. Chuir a h-uile duine fàilte air Fionn.
Agus chuir Bran agus an Cù Glas fàilte mhòr air a chèile. B’ e an Cù Glas
Sgeolan, bràthair Bhrain, a chaidh a thilgeil don mhuir nuair a bha Fionn
a’ teicheadh bhon fhamhair. Bha iad nan cuileanan aig an àm. Agus ’s e sin
mo sgeul. Mar sin leibh.
