A Celtic Tale: The Four Treasures

Tuatha Dé Danann,
The magic folk
From four corners of Terra,
Sailed the mists to fair Eire

Four Sacred Treasures,
Jewels of their isles
Worth unmeasured,
Crossed with them
‘Ore the miles

The Treasure First:

Near the Hill of Tara
Doth lie Fal,
The great Stone of Destiny:
Pillar of the Crowning of High Kings

She shall cry out in joy,
Upon the footsteps of her Lords
As boldly they shall rise,
To mount her as she sings

None, no none,
Shall dare defy Her cry!
Herald of High Kings
The Stone of Destiny
Shall abide

The Treasure Second:

The great Sword of Nauda,
Of the Silver Hand;
First Liege & Lord
Of the Tuatha Dé Danann

None shall escape its fury,
Nor resist its power to entrance
The great Lord shall wield it,
And no foe shall be spared
In its vengeful, shimmered dance

Great King Nuada,
Of The Silver Hand
His mighty Sword of Light
Shall not falter,
Nor come to ruin

For his chosen one,
Great Lugh,
Shall arise,
And shall pursue,
And shall prevail upon the land!

The Treasure Third:

Brionac, the Spear of Lugh,
That which he first did wield
Shall never be defeated,
He who dares hurl it,
Shall prevail upon the field

For ‘ner,
Shall the bearer be defeated,
Nor the battle go against that warrior
Who shall bear in might,
The fiery Spear of Lugh

Flames shall crush the foe,
Beneath the hand of the champion
Who shall dare to raise Brionac,
Enraged, and inflamed

Son of Cian and Ethniu the Fair,
The chosen champion of Nuada
The “Fierce Striker”:

Lugh shall free his people
From the Formian reign;
By fire and by might,
The Fair Folk
Shall ‘ner more,
Bend the knee to cruel disdain,
Nor weep in dark of night

The battle raged!
Until, the sinuous sling of fearless Lugh,
Struck through the darkened eye
Of Balor

Backward his evil eye did glance
Destroying his own hoard

Wicked King Balor, Lugh did slay:
Whose own cruel eye,
With but one gaze back,
Laid waste his foul and bitter host!

Retreating to the coast,
Of Connaught’s, far distant shore:
‘Ner to plague, forevermore

The Fourth Treasure:

The great Cauldron of Dagda
The All-Father,
Righteous God,
Protector
Of the tribe
Of Tuatha Dé Danann

Shining Dagda!
Benefactor of plenty:
None shall thirst,
Nor hunger,
Nor mourn,
Who quench their need
With his great Cauldron

With Oaken Harp,
Shall Dagda bring forth seasons

The Harvest in its wax,
The planting of the Spring
The silent rest of Winter,
The joy of Summer solstice
All of these shall Dagda bring

But woe:
Woe to the foe of his chosen!
For by wrath they shall cease
A blow of his club shall destroy,
Yet, his mercy shall release

Come ye, to the plenty of his Cauldron!
Drink thy fill, and find succor
All-Father, Shining Splendor
Shall not deny the needy
To drink their fill of his great bounty

These be the Four Treasures
Of the Tuatha Dé Danann:

The singing Stone of Destiny
Crowning rock of Ireland’s High Kings

The Sword of Light of the Great Nuada
First Lord and Liege
Whose sword may not be bested, nor resisted

Brionac, the fiery Spear of Lugh
‘Ner defeated, and protector of the bearer

The Great Cauldron of Dagda, All-Father
Destroying want, and suffering
With its great treasures

By these, did the Tuatha Dé Dannan
Prevail against the bondage
Of their Formian oppressors;
By these, the fair land of Eire
Prevailed through her Champions

The mists of fair Ireland
Shall shield these for all time:
Until such hour as the need shall arise,
To defend once more,
Enchanted Emerald shores

 

©2009, Kathleen MacLintock
Art by Isaura Simon

 

Some background: This is the tale of the arrival in ancient Ireland (herein called Eire, pronounced “Erra”), of the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann – a mythological people semi-devine in nature. In a war of good and evil on the side of the light, the Tuatha Dé Danann fought and were liberated from the dark and evil Formians. The fair folk, the Tuatha Dé Danann, brought with them to Ireland threw the mists from whence they came, the First Treasure, the Stone of Destiny. Then arrived the other three Treasures, which greatly aided them in their struggle. This is my telling of the tale, and their champions who liberated them in battle.