At least once, he has seen a strange sight in the woods. He said, One time, when I was cutting timber over in Inchy, around eight oclock in the morning, I saw a girl picking nuts. Her brown hair hung down over her shoulders, and she had a fresh and pleasant face. She was tall and didnt wear anything on her head, and her dress was simple. When she sensed my presence, she quickly was gone. I followed her and searched for her, but I never saw her again from that day to this, never again.
Others too have seen spirits in the Enchanted Woods. A worker told us about what his friend saw in a part of the woods called Shanwalla. He said, One evening, I said goodbye to Lawrence Mangan in the yard, and he went through the path in Shanwalla. Two hours later, he was back in the yard and asked me to light a candle in the stable. He told me that when he entered Shanwalla, a little creature about as tall as his knee but with a head as big as a mans body appeared and guided him off the path and around. Finally, it led him to the lime-kiln[143], and then it disappeared.
A woman told me about something she and others saw in the river. She said, I came over the stile[144] from the chapel, and others were with me. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind[145] came, and two trees bent and broke, falling into the river. Those who were with me saw many figures, but I only saw one sitting by the bank where the trees fell. The figure was dressed in dark clothes, and it had no head.
A man told me that when he was a boy, he and another boy went to catch a horse in a field. This field is located near the lake, just a little away from the woods. He said to his companion, I bet a button that if I throw a pebble at that bush, it will stay on it. He meant that the bush was so dense[146] that the pebble wouldnt be able to go through it. So, he picked up a pebble, and as soon as it hit the bush, the most beautiful music came out from it. They ran away, and when they had gone about two hundred yards, they looked back and saw a woman dressed in white walking in circles around the bush. First, it appeared as a woman, and then as a man, and it kept going around the bush.
1902MIRACULOUS CREATURES
In the Enchanted Woods, there are small animals like martens, badgers, and foxes. But there are also bigger and stronger creatures that cant be caught with traps[147]. They are magical creatures that bring both hope and fear. Some can fly, while others move through the thickets[148] near the Gates of Death. Someone I know says that his father was once in the woods of Inchy, where the children from Gort[149] used to steal fishing rods[150]. He was sitting by a wall with his dog when he heard something running from Owbawn Weir. He couldnt see anything, but the sound of its feet on the ground was like the sound of the feet of a deer. The dog got scared and scratched at the wall, but the man could only hear the sound of hooves. Another time, the mans father told him that he was in a boat on the lake with a few men from Gort. One of them had a spear[151] for catching eels, and when he put it into the water, it hit something. The man fainted, and they had to carry him out of the boat to land. When he woke up, he said that what he struck was definitely not a fish! A friend of mine thought that these scary creatures, which are often found in lakes, were placed there long ago by clever enchanters[152] to guard the gates of wisdom. He believes that if we sent our spirits into the water, we would become one with the strange and powerful energies, and maybe even conquer[153] the world.
1902.ARISTOTLE OF THE BOOKS
The friend who can make the wood-cutter talk more easily than anyone else recently visited his old wife. She lives in a cottage near the edge of the woods and loves to share old stories, just like her husband. This time, she started talking about Goban and his wisdom. But then she said, Aristotle of the Books was also very wise and had a lot of experience, but didnt the bees outsmart him in the end? He wanted to know how they packed the honeycomb[154], so he spent almost two weeks watching them, but he couldnt see how they did it. Then he made a hive[155] with a glass cover and placed it over the bees. But when he went to look through the glass, the bees had covered it with wax, making it as black as a pot, and he was as blind as before. He said he had never been so fooled before. They had him that time surely!
1902.THE SWINE OF THE GODS
A few years ago, my friend told me about something that happened to him when he was a young man and was training with some rebels from Connaught. There were only a few of them, and they drove up a hill until they reached a quiet spot. They left the car and went further up the hill with their rifles, where they practiced for a while. As they were coming back, they noticed a very thin pig with long legs following them. Someone jokingly said it was a fairies pig, and they all began to run as part of the joke. Surprisingly, the pig started running too, and somehow, this playful chase turned into real fear. When they got to the car, they made the horse gallop as fast as possible, but the pig continued to follow them. At one point, one of them raised his rifle to shoot at the pig, but when he looked through the barrel, he couldnt see anything. Eventually, they turned a corner and arrived at a village. They told the villagers what had happened, and the villagers grabbed pitchforks[156], spades, and other tools to drive the pig away. However, when they reached the corner, they couldnt find anything.
1902.KIDNAPPERS
Near the town of Sligo, on the southern side of Ben Bulben, there is a small white square on the limestone. No one has ever touched it. It is the entrance to the land of fairies. During the middle of the night, the magical beings come from the door and walk on the land, invisible to all except for a few fairies-doctors who may look out from their homes to see what the fairies are up to. If there is a newborn baby or a newlywed[157] nearby, the fairies-doctors pay extra attention because sometimes the fairies take them into their mountains, and they become part of the land of the fairies.
In the early 19th century, a mysterious apothecary[158] named Dr. Opendon appeared at the western corner of Market Street in Sligo. At the time, a woman named Mrs. Ormsbys husband fell mysteriously ill, and the doctors couldnt figure out what was wrong with him. Desperate, Mrs. Ormsby turned to Dr. Opendon. When she entered his shop, she saw a black cat sitting by the fire. Dr. Opendon, dressed in black like the cat, came in, and his wife followed him, also dressed in black. Mrs. Ormsby gave the doctor a guinea[159] and he gave her a small bottle. Wonderfully, her husband recovered. Dr. Opendon continued to cure many people, but one day, a rich patient died. The doctor, his wife, and the black cat all disappeared overnight. A year later, Mr. Ormsby fell ill again. Mrs. Ormsby thought that the fairies wanted to take her handsome husband, so she visited the fairies-doctor at Cairnsfoot. After hearing her story, the fairies-doctor went behind the back door and started murmuring spells. This time, her husband recovered as well. However, he fell ill again, and Mrs. Ormsby went back to the fairies-doctor at Cairnsfoot. This time, the doctor told her there was no hope, and her husband died. From then on, Mrs. Ormsby believed that she knew where her husband was, and it wasnt in heaven, hell, or purgatory. She believed that a wooden log was left in place of her husband, but it was enchanted to look like his dead body.
Примечания
1
sidhe феи, волшебный народ Ирландии в гэльском фольклоре
2
Knocknarea большой холм к западу от города Слайго в графстве Слайго, Ирландия
3
Clooth-na-bare фея, которая искала смерти в самом глубоком озере в мире, которое она нашла в Слайго;
4
Caolte в написании Йейтса, Кейл мак Ронайн, воин и член племени фианна в фенианском цикле ирландской мифологии.
5
Niamh Ниав, В ирландской мифологии дочь богов моря Мананнана мак Лира и одна из королев Тир-на-Ног, страны вечной молодости.
6
hair is unbound волосы распущены
7
deed дело, поступок, свершение
8
imperfect несовершенный
9
interpret толковать, объяснять, интерпретировать
10
leaky дырявый, протекающий
11
Ballisodare Баллисадэр, деревня в Ирландии в графстве Слайго
12
hedge изгородь
13
to depress огорчать
14
pass away умирать, уходить из жизни
15
heavy drinker часто пьющий, пьяница
16
priest священник
17
leprechauns лепреконы
18
kelpie в шотландском фольклоре опасное водное существо, меняющее облик, которое может появляться на суше в виде лошади.
19
Ben Bulben столовая гора в Ирландии
20
broomstick метла
21
constable констебль, полицейский чин
22
ragweed амброзия
23
sacred священный
24
Mortal смертный
25
Cuchullan Кухулин, герой ирландских мифов.
26
Fand Фанд, кельтская морская богиня, которая, как полагают некоторые ученые, произошла от морского божества Мэнкса (исконных обитателей острова Мэн).
27
hurley Хёрлинг, командный вид спорта кельтского происхождения, относящийся к гэльским играм. В хёрлинг играют деревянными клюшками и мячом.
28
marshy болотистый
29
Tuam Туам, малый город в Ирландии в графстве Голуэй
30
to neglect пренебрегать, забрасывать
31
visionary провидец
32
to recite декламировать, читать
33
guilt-ridden охваченный чувством вины
34
visions видения
35
accurately точно, безошибочно
36
to strive стараться, устремляться, бороться
37
doomed обреченный
38
thorn-tree терновое дерево
39
Leinster Ленстер, провинция на востоке Ирландии, целиком расположенная на территории Республики Ирландии
40
quay причал
41
in Gods name во имя Господа!
42
within an hour в течение часа
43
workhouse работный дом
44
mass месса
45
wrongdoing проступок, злодеяние
46
as is customary как это принято
47
herring сельдь
48
Connaught Коннахт, провинция на западе Ирландии, объединяющая графства Голуэй, Литрим, Майо, Роскоммон и Слайго
49
fulfill obligations выполнять обязательства
50
seek revenge искать мести
51
pay debts выплачивать долги
52
snipe бекас, небольшая птица с очень длинным, прямым и острым клювом.
53
son-in-law зять
54
sloe bushes терновые кусты
55
Raftery Рафтери, ирландский поэт, которого часто называли последним странствующим бардом.
56
amber янтарь, янтарные
57
grudge жалеть
58
Lough Greine Лох-Грэйни, озеро в графстве Клэр, Ирландия.
59
weaver ткач
60
Derrybrien Деррибрин, деревня в Ирландии, находится в графстве Голуэй
61
Ardrahan Ардрахан, деревня в Ирландии, находится в графстве Голуэй.
62
Kinvara Кинвара, портовая деревня на юго-западе графства Голуэй, Ирландия.
63
wit остроумие
64
Coole Кул, деревня в Ирландии, находится в графстве Уэстмит.
65
hovel сарай, амбар
66
to keep a vigil нести вахту, сторожить
67
forceful nature волевой характер
68
tax collector сборщик налогов
69
grew tired почувствовал усталость
70
shortcut кратчайший путь
71
to plow вспахивать, пахать
72
make a fuss поднимать шум
73
sorrowful печальный, грустный, жалобный
74
treasure сокровище
75
last descendant последний потомок
76
angry flush гневный румянец
77
to intervene вмешиваться
78
oaths клятвы
79
to chuckle посмеиваться, хихикать
80
Queenstown Ков, город в Ирландии, находится в графстве Корк. С 1849 по 1922 годы назывался Куинстауном в честь Королевы Виктории.
81
Innis Rath Инис-Рат, остров, расположенный в Лох-Эрн, в графстве Фермана, Северная Ирландия.
82
sorcerers колдуны
83
bats летучие мыши
84
flour-mill мукомольная фабрика
85
dagger кинжал
86
to resist сопротивляться
87
to regain восстанавливать, вновь обретать
88
monks robe монашеская ряса
89
to emanate исходить
90
Mayo Ме2йо, графство на западе Ирландии. Входит в состав провинции Коннахт на территории Республики Ирландии.
91
on horseback верхом на лошади
92
Irish Times «Айриш таймс», ирландская ежедневная широкоформатная газета, издается с 29 марта 1859 года.
93
chapel bell колокол часовни
94
cloven feet копытца
95
theologians теологи
96
hanged herself повесилась
97
Fallen Angels падшие ангелы
98
wagon повозка
99
knocked her down сбили ее с ног
100
split feet раздвоенные ступни
101
hooves копыта
102
Hell ад
103
archway арка, свод
104
furnace печь
105
gleeman менестрель
106
coarse frieze coat грубое шерстяное пальто
107
scalloped edge зубчатый край
108
corduroy вельветовый
109
jester шут
110
news bearer разносчик новостей
111
to interrupt прерывать, обрывать
112
reflection размышление
113
sinful грешный
114
to repent каяться
115
solitary penance уединенное покаяние
116
sacrament причастие
117
solemnity торжественность, серьезность
118
to take a dip искупаться, окунуться
119
bulrush камыш
120
bundle of straw пучок соломы
121
to show off хвастаться
122
cobbler сапожник
123
orange-woman женщина, торгующая апельсинами
124
yeomen Йомены, в феодальной Англии свободные мелкие землевладельцы, которые самостоятельно занимались обработкой земли.
125
bigot фанатик, ханжа
126
jade кляча
127
vagabond бродяга, бродяжничество было официально запрещено законом
128
pretender притворщик, самозванец
129
wager ставка
130
trickster обманщик
131
striking resemblance поразительное сходство
132
as stiff as the corpse такой же окоченевший, как труп
133
Regina, Regina Pigmeorum, veni Приди, королева, королева пигмеев (лат.)
134
unseen невидимый
135
snake scales змеиная чешуя
136
completely captivated полностью очарован
137
seer провидец, провидица
138
to offend обижать, оскорблять, задевать
139
Gates of Horn and Ivory Врата из рога и слоновой кости, литературный образ, используемый для отличия истинных снов от ложных. Фраза возникла в греческом языке, в котором слово «рог» похоже на слово «исполнять», а слово «слоновая кость» похоже на слово «обманывать».
140
stunning поразительный
141
hazel stick ореховая палочка
142
quills иглы
143
lime-kiln печь для обжига извести
144
stile ограда
145
gust of wind порыв ветра
146
dense плотный
147
traps ловушки
148
thickets заросли
149
Gort Горт, посёлок в Ирландии, находится в графстве Голуэй
150
fishing rods удочки
151
spear копье
152
enchanters чародеи
153
to conquer завоевывать, покорять
154
honeycomb соты
155
hive улей
156
pitchforks вилы
157
newlywed молодожен, новобрачный
158
apothecary аптекарь
159
guinea гинея, английская, затем британская золотая монета.