Manannán mac Lir

A warrior came to Tara carrying a branch hung with silver bells. He offered it to King Cormac. The sound filled Cormac with such desire that he promised the warrior the three finest gifts in Ireland whenever he asked for them. After a year, the warrior returned and claimed Ailbe, Cormac’s daughter. Cormac kept his promise. The women of Ireland wept and followed Ailbe, so Cormac shook the branch. At once, they fell asleep. A year later, the warrior came for Cairpre, Cormac’s son. The men of Ireland protested, but Cormac shook the branch again, and they slept. After another year, the warrior demanded Eithne, Cormac’s wife. Cormac gave her up, though grief and jealousy filled him.

A mist then fell over Cormac. When it cleared, he found himself in a strange land. He saw horsemen thatching a house, though their work continually vanished. He saw another man lighting a fire, while the fire consumed everything he brought to it. Cormac came to a fortress, where its lord received him. A pig was prepared for a feast, and Cormac was asked to tell what he had seen since the mist appeared.

The queen said that she had seven cows and seven sheep. The cows gave enough milk for everyone in the Land of Promise, while the sheep provided enough wool to clothe the whole kingdom. More of the pig was cooked. Cormac said that the horsemen represented the skilled workers of the world, whose work disappeared with time. The man tending the fire represented noblemen and farmers, who consumed what they found and had to seek more. The lord then revealed that the fortress was his home. He was the warrior who had brought the branch to Tara and requested the three gifts. He was Manannán son of Ler.

During the test, the magical cup was broken and then became whole again. Manannán gave it to Cormac and sent him, Eithne, Ailbe, and Cairpre to bed. When they awoke, they were back in Tara. The Land of Promise had disappeared, and Cormac’s family had been restored to him.