Introduction
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| Aengus on Wikimedia |
The son of Buan, Baile, and the daughter of King Lugaid, Aillinn, had known each other since birth and had been close their entire lives. What was true friendship turned into maturing love as they grew from children into young adults. They spent as much time as they could together, although their homes were far apart.
The Master of Love, Aengus, sought to test these youths, as neither had ever known true hardship. He went to the province of Ulster and disguised himself firstly as Buan. The Master found Baile who was picking flowers for his beloved. Aengus told the youth that his love had had an accident and fallen off of one of the cliffs near her home in the province of Leinster. Baile, torn with grief, instantly died of heartbreak.
Next, Aengus disguised himself as a foot soldier of King Lugaid. He told the girl that her lover had been kicked by a horse, and that he had suffered briefly and succumbed to his injuries. Just as Baile had, Aillinn was overcome with sorrow and died of heartbreak.
The peoples of Ulster and Leinster, respectively, dug graves and erected tombstones for the poor youths who had passed much too soon. An apple tree began growing on each of their graves soon after.
Next, Aengus disguised himself as a foot soldier of King Lugaid. He told the girl that her lover had been kicked by a horse, and that he had suffered briefly and succumbed to his injuries. Just as Baile had, Aillinn was overcome with sorrow and died of heartbreak.
The peoples of Ulster and Leinster, respectively, dug graves and erected tombstones for the poor youths who had passed much too soon. An apple tree began growing on each of their graves soon after.
Baile was the first to wake. His head was foggy and he felt like he was in a mystical dream. Something told him, however, that this place was his new reality. Feeling his arms and legs, Baile thought to himself, "I thought that I had died of heartbreak. Without a doubt, this is some evil trick." Looking around, Baile realized that he lay in a damp wood, still holding the flowers that he had intended to take to Aillinn. He suddenly saw several pairs of eyes staring down at him from the trees. They were the eyes of peewits all around him, and their gaze was not affectionate. One of them spoke with the voice of Aengus, “Go and find her. Go and find her.” Cackling at his own game, the Master disguised as the bird flew off.
Aillinn then came to in the middle of a wood. She lay next to a small pond with a layer of mist covering the surface. Assuming that she had taken a fall and not understanding her strange circumstances, she went to wash her face of dirt. She thought to herself, "What could have passed that I am in this strange wood? I remember receiving the horrible news of Baile. How, though, did I so suddenly end up in this place?" Trying to wipe away a layer of the mist to reach the water, her hand struck a curlew swooping down. It grunted as though it weren’t really a bird and then looked directly into Aillinn’s eyes. The Master spoke to the girl as he had her lover. “Go and find him.” As Aillinn was coming to the understanding that mischievous deeds must have taken place, the curlew sunk into the murky water and disappeared.
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| Lapwing (Peewit) on Geograph |
Aillinn then came to in the middle of a wood. She lay next to a small pond with a layer of mist covering the surface. Assuming that she had taken a fall and not understanding her strange circumstances, she went to wash her face of dirt. She thought to herself, "What could have passed that I am in this strange wood? I remember receiving the horrible news of Baile. How, though, did I so suddenly end up in this place?" Trying to wipe away a layer of the mist to reach the water, her hand struck a curlew swooping down. It grunted as though it weren’t really a bird and then looked directly into Aillinn’s eyes. The Master spoke to the girl as he had her lover. “Go and find him.” As Aillinn was coming to the understanding that mischievous deeds must have taken place, the curlew sunk into the murky water and disappeared.
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| Curlew on Wikipedia |