The Washer of the Ford: Legendary moralities and barbaric tales

e had made glory to God in Hy, that was theretofore called Ioua and there

sea-green initials and earth-brown branching letters, had made Colum weary. He had

alked long with an ancient graybeard out of a remote isle in the north, the wild Isle o

had sent him to learn of Colum what was this god-teaching he had brought out of Eiré: and for himself he had come, with his age upon him, to

d before the wisdom. Colum knew in his heart that the Druid saw mysteries. In the first hour they talked of

t: "and now, O Ardan the

"Truly, He is thy God and my God." Colum was silent. Then he said: "Thee and thine, O Ardan, from Maolmòr the Pictish king to the least of thy slaves, shall ha

ed of Man. Ardan spake, and Colu

r that," he said,

d Ardan. Then the smile went out of Colum's

, a crow, a hor

brethren," he s

swered quiet

about the beasts of the ear

om hath it that these are the souls of me

God created all things in love. Therefore are we at one, O Ardan, though we sai

," sai

d him and said a saying. Oran of the Songs sang a hymn of beauty. Ard

nd monks

we are havin

ce is a g

lad with t

ship o

ye call

ay not,

ry Be

one fait

or the li

is wiser th

e knowe

a better th

ove, Song, H

a surer thi

w, Pain, Wea

ce is a g

e glad o

t men of

Rune and

rned a tru

learne

the morrow

of the

is on you, t

n only

you the b

arked with

the Birds

tell you

e you will

the B

say after that, thou

through the dark; but before dawn he slept upon the fern that strewed hi

ay and wan

hou, O Spir

y Sleep,

s it p

is p

ouldest

ain were closed. I could not give yo

ve

hol

s that were heavy with weariness and fasting and long prayer. He could no

l of his cell he saw a bird. He leaned his elbow upon th

unn) is a missal: literally a mass-book, or ch

g upon thee,

of Colum, and he thought the sunlight that was streaming from the east was melted in

Holy

upon th

e nest w

in th

Holy

as pale

beheld

ron, mo

Holy

, O wee br

ke: and lo

e Livin

Holy

the mock

y, Holy

against

Holy

brow was

Holy

reast wa

Holy

Bird shal

id Mary

on C

Holy

rown bi

breast

aw Chri

Holy

ruddy

all thy

birds

Grief, m

m rose. Awe was

s out on the green sward. The yellow sunshine was warm u

ye birds!

rmorant and the skua from the weedy rock, and the plover and the kestrel from the machar: the corbie and the raven from the moor, and the snipe and the bittern and the heron: the cuckoo and cushat from the woodland; the crane from the s

" cried

en the Eagle, the Kestrel, the Corbi

e Mass," said

e blessed the birds. When the last ch

" said Colum, "and sin

reafter the Redbreast san

! In the Name of the Father,

a loud voice repeated-"Sìth (shee)! An ainm

they are called in Hy, is Sìth-Sìth-Sìth-an-ainm-