The Awakening of Ni­am

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(writen in the style of 12th century sagas)

In the land of Bruig na Bóinde a feast was prepared for three famous heroes and fifty of their companions. Tales were told of good hunting that was to be had in the forests of Bél Beul. So Lughaidh, and Eochaíd, and Balor, ordered their chariots harnessed and went with ten companions to hunt there. With them went Ethal who was a wise and powerful druid.

It happened thus, it was night when the men set up their dwellings and sat at their fires to take their fill. All around the trees were thick, and brambles and thickets and thick, dark mist covered the ground and no sound filled the air. As they sat a golden fly as big as a warriors head, with moonbeam wings and brilliant periwinkle eyes came and sat high in a vine. Lughaidh went and saw that the vine covered a great wall, then, as the dawn brought light to the oaks the fly flew away.

The following night the hunters took their rest in the same place and the fly came again upon the wall. And, Eochaíd called Ethal and spoke thus: ‘Change me into a moth that I might follow the golden fly.’ So Ethal struck Eochaíd with a red rowan branch and, lo, he was a black moth. And he flew onto the wall as dawn showed first light and the golden fly departed. Eochaíd followed and saw it sit upon a couch of red silk with woven silver threads. And the fly transformed into a woman, sleeping. Not a hag either: her face was white like snow and her lips were pink foxgloves. A robe of gold brocade she wore with a silver girth about her. Upon her head rested a golden circlet and carbuncles were woven into her twisted, yellow hair, and Eochaíd looked on the fairest woman he had ever seen.

The black moth returned and thereupon was a warrior. He told his companions what he had seen and the three fell out over who would have her. ‘If there is any justice I shall have her for I am the oldest and the bravest of men’ said Lughaidh. ‘If there is any justice it will be me that has her for I have won many contests ahead of you and I am the strongest. And by the people I swear by it is I that has looked upon her face.’ ‘And I,’ said Balor, who was the youngest. ‘I am the mightiest of the three and my lands roam wide. My castles are rich and many. If there is any justice I will have her.’ The two said together ‘not true that.’ With that, a dispute arose and Ethal intervened. ‘I will judge. Let horses be brought and who wins the race will be best.’

And so the three agreed and Balor, who wore a scarlet tunic held with a silver brooch back and front and was broad-chested, wide-shouldered, strong armed, brave-hearted, sure-footed, black-haired, bright-eyed, rode his white horse with the enamelled bridle first against Lughaidh's black gelding and Eochaíd's copper mare and Ethal judged him the best. With that Lughaidh said ‘I do not accept your judgement.’ ‘On the morrow we will test you further,’ said Ethal, ‘you will perform the wheel feat and who is best will have her.’

After that, as the Eochaíd and Balor slept, Lughaidh went in secret to the wall and began to climb. And the briars wrapped tight about him and thorns cut him deeply and scratched out his eye and would not let him up. And Lughaidh took up his sword and cut himself free. He went defeated back to his dwelling with his eye in his hand. Eochaíd, then went secretly to the wall to climb the vine and the briars clung onto him, and tore his raiment and cut deeply into him and blood spurted from his throat, and Eochaíd took his dagger and cut himself free and went wobble-headed back to his house.

The following morning the warriors woke, and Balor saw the wounds of Lughaidh and Eochaíd. ‘Shame, on you.’ he said ‘You have disgraced your pledge. Now, it is I who shall have her.’ With that Ludhaidh and Eochaíd were filled with rage. ‘You also will be dishonoured,’ Lughaidh said, and he and Eochaíd caught up Balor and threw him into the briars so that he would be marked in the same way, and all that saw them would know that they had broken the oath and were the same.

This time the briars did not hinder his task. The vines twined together and made a way over the wall, and Balor went into the court. He looked upon Níam’s white face as she slept and his heart was filled with love. He took up her hand and kissed it and she woke. She spoke thus: ‘I am Níam, daughter of Fer Rogain, son of Cathub. Who is this that wakes me?’ And Balor answered ‘I am Balor, son of Oistin, son of Lí Ban, and Lord of Áth Áradh.’ Thereupon Niám said.

Now, I am bound to you
Because of you, with your black, beetle brow
Your snow-white skin and your pearly smile.
Because of you I have awakened.
It was foretold on my birth I
would sleep for one and one hundred years
and transform to a golden fly
within the walls, as night falls.
Because of you I am freed

After that, Níam washed Balor’s hands in water and cut his hair. After that she served him good wine from a red gold cup with jewelled birds in the bottom of it, and Balor took her for his wife. With that the castle gates were opened and Balor called his horse to him and rode out with Níam to Áth Áradh.

© D.Lloyd-Thompson  

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