Bran

“ But Bran rattled on in a swift patter of nonsense. "What is this folly, fool? Do you tell fortunes? Tell mine, you rogue."
Bran came up to him in zigzags, like a dog conscious of sin, and grinning and squirming and bowing. Then on a sudden he stopped and shot out his long arm with his long finger pointing straight and shrieked and trembled all over: "Jesu, mercy!" he gasped and cried shrill, "What stands behind you, lord? Look, look! Oh, the black monk behind you and his eyes in his hood," and he put up his hands, making the sign of the evil eye and staggered back and back into the crowd. ”

“ Nenny, nenny, poor Bran is a fool. There is no past nor time to come. Now is all. What hath been is naught and hath no power over what shall come, if what now is is wisely done and well. That is the faith for man. Now is all, Bran, my brother. But you are no man. You have no life. You are a dreamer and a dream. You are a word in the air, you are a thought in the mind, you are a hope in the heart. ”

“ He drew his sword and kissed the cross hilt, and held it up in salute. "You were a King and a knight," he said.
From the dead man's feet rose up Bran. "Yea, child, yea, love him in his death," he said. "He does not die, he does not die!"
"What, old Bran, is there none but his fool to weep for him?"
"Na, na, child. I weep not for him. He is gone to the peace. I weep for Bran, who is alone all his days."
"True man are you. I have a place for you, old Bran. Follow you me. God's death, serve me as you served him and I am well served." ”

“ From the truffles to Bran, from Bran to the truffles, the good folk stared unbelieving. "How, in God's name?" quoth Godric.
"Where the beeches grow, there grow truffles," Bran shrugged.
"But you have no dog, man. Or—" he crossed himself and looked all about. "What aids you?"
Bran laughed. "Nenny, nenny. No dog, nor pig neither. Nay, nor ghost thereof. Bran hath only Bran. But Bran is the good earth's brother."
"You are more than a man."
"Yea, yea, or less, being a fool."
So they made a savoury meal, and when they began to be genial, "What is this Eudo, brother, that you love him so?" ”

“ Bran looked up at him. “And you, brother, do you think you could take her to wife?”
“God have mercy, fool, you are too righteous. Man and maid must have their fun.”
“There is other work for you, brother. You were not born to spoil poor men's maids.”
The Frenchman glowered at him. “The devil burn you and your homilies.”
“Yea, yea.” Bran threw another stone into the water. “And kings are but men and nen are but kings. So God save all.”
The Frenchman laughed. “Now God have mercy, fool, what is this?”
“Why this is thus, brother. You are but King Stephen without a crown.” ”

“ The heart of Farquhar Shaw seemed to stand still for a time, while, dirk in hand, he continued to peer into the dense obscurity. Again came the cries of Bran, but nearer and nearer now; and in an instant more, the noble hound sprang, with a loud whine, to his master's side, and sank at his feet. It was Bran, the fleet, the strong, the faithful and the brave; but in what a condition! Torn, lacerated, covered with blood and frightful wounds—disembowelled and dying; for the poor animal had only strength to loll out his hot tongue in an attempt to lick his master's hand before he expired. ”

“ Bran came down from his horse. "Yea, brother, yea," he grinned and shuffled in the beech mast, "all this is mine and the white chalk under that made my bones. Why are you unkind to me, brother?"
"You are a Frenchman and some French lord's hound."
"A hound, I! Hear him!" he barked grotesquely. "God mend your wits, brother. Do I look a hound?" and he showed off his ungainliness and grimaced and some of them began to grin. "Holy thorn, who are you that you call me French?"
"We be good Saxon folk and we want no Norman dogs to spy on us." ”

“ But the name Brons has at once suggested to most students of the cycle that of Bran. The latter is, as we saw in the last Chapter, the representative of an old Celtic god of the otherworld. He is the owner of the cauldron of renovation. He is also the hero in Welsh tradition of a conversion legend, and is commonly known as Bran the Blessed. Unfortunately the only explanation we have of this epithet occurs in a late triad, to which it is not safe to assign an earlier date than the fourteenth century. ”

“ Let him be a monk and have done."
But Bran shook his head till the bells jingled. "If that be done we are all undone. I fear no sinner under the sun. When my foe turns saint, it is time to run."
"The devil is sick, the devil a saint would be," the justiciar smiled. "But of this sickness there is no healing, master Bran." ”

“ The god sang to the voyagers and told how he was passing over a flowery plain, for what Bran saw as the sea was to Manannan a plain. The speckled salmon in the sea were calves and lambs, and steeds invisible to Bran were there also. People were sitting playing and drinking wine, and making love without crime. Bran's coracle was not on the waves, but on an immortal wood, yielding fruit and perfume; the folk of that land were immortal and sinless, unlike Adam's descendants, and in it rivers poured forth honey. Finally Manannan bade Bran row to Tír na m-Ban, which he would reach by sunset. ”

“ But oh, Bran, Bran, it is to the King you must speak."
Bran smiled. "Thomas my brother, of two in a quarrel, was there ever a man who would not bid you school the other? Nay, you know him well. You loved him once——"
"And still would love him. He is my King and my true friend he was and out of nothing he made me."
"Sooth, sooth. But you know him. He is a hot man and quick to anger and when his rage is upon him he does wildly. And you—do you know yourself as well, Thomas, my lord?"
"Ay, a hard man am I," Becket smiled. ”

“ He rode on to the gate in the wall and, none hindering him, came to the long low house of red sandstone.
"All journeys end, King Philip," says he to his mule, and swung out of the saddle with a jingle of bells. "Is there ever a man who knows poor Bran?" he called.
"Bran!" a deep voice shouted, and hurrying came a mass of a man, white-bearded, but sturdy for all his bulk and age. "Yea and yea, brother. Here is man and woman and child to make you right welcome." He grasped both hands. "So Bran is come home at the last." ”

“ Bran looked at her with his twisted smile. "Aye, ride you back to him and tell him Queen Eleanor is trapped. He will love you for that, your dear lord."
Still Bran looked at her steadily and he said, "Why, cousin, my Queen of you and me, it is Bran the fool I would rather be."
"Oh, I am curst woman!" she cried. "I must ever strike what I love. You are a true man." ”

“ Bran said, "dream that life is good. There is none in the world but you and me, and you lie among the flowers and there is no need we know, nor time, but I see you, I am beside you, and you—you are happy. Dream on, cousin." ”

“ You see him again in that room among his books, Becket standing before him, grave and austere. Bran at his feet fondling him. "My brother, my brother, there are wounds on you."
"The fox snaps when you break him. It is nothing. Where is my true Queen, Bran?"
"Nay, brother, I know not. The best of all is you are safe. Oh give God thanks and be kind."
"Fool, fool," the King put a hand on the big head. "You would cry heaven in hell. Bid her come, my lord."
"Oh Henry, my brother, speak peace, peace. There is no right in vengeance. You have made children, the woman and you. The past is dead. ”

“ The inhabitants ask him who he is; he tells them, and they reply, 'The voyage of Bran, son of Feval, is among our most ancient stories.' One man swims ashore, and the moment his foot touches earth he becomes a heap of dust. Bran sails away, and the story ends with a phrase which you already know—'The further adventures of Bran are unknown.'"
"How true! how true! the stories of our lives are known up to a certain point, and our further adventures are unknown."
They were glad of a little silence, and Evelyn sat striving to read her own destiny in the legend. ”

“ Illogical! Bran! Bran!' and he went out and whistled in vain for the dog.
'Bran! unhappy phantom, who will not vanish by night or day, lying on my chest even in dreams; and who would not even let me vanish, and solve the problem—though I don't believe there is any—why did you drag me out of the sea there at Ostia? Why did you not let me become a whole shoal of crabs? How did you know, or I either, that they may not be very jolly fellows, and not in the least troubled with philosophic doubts? . . . . But perhaps there were no crabs, but only phantasms of crabs . . . . ”

“ The red brow bent. "What wrong have I wrought, fool?"
Bran dragged himself along the floor to the King's feet. "Who is your child's mother, she is like none other."
"Bran, Bran," the King said, and his hand lay on the big head. "What a man gives that is he given." ”

“ And when he was gone at last, Bran stole in. "And Lord Pharaoh would not let the people go," said he softly.
"Oh, wise man!" says she, looking at him with bent brows.
"I heard a priest that talked with a priest in the bishop's company and this said he: Nubere per vim vult, he means to marry her by force."
"Death of God, would he so!" And she laughed. "Yes, the man is a man."
Bran looked at her long. "Yea, yea, and the woman is a woman," he said. "And God have mercy, the fool is but a fool. Fare you well, cousin." ”

“ Bran looked up at him wistfully: "Is it peace, lord?"
"I am weary of strife, brother. I would be at peace with all men but those who war upon God."
"How shall a man know them who they are?"
Becket drew back. "You make cunning questions, master Bran."
"I am answered," Bran said sadly. "Na, na, Bran lays no traps. Bran would live at peace and be kind. Oh brother, my brother, what help for this torn realm in strife?" ”

“ Then Bran juggled with knives, and the poor folk forgot themselves and began to shout and stamp, and then he began to act a little play by himself, being by turns an old woman and a monk, and the old woman's pig and her lazy husband, and picking out folks in the crowd for each to talk to. ”

“ My lord made his bow, and then the King nodded Bran away and was forward to please him.
In the chimney corner Bran sat by himself and talked to himself. "Yea, yea, a kind heart are you, Henry my son, but in the head you are naught and for a King, God help you. Fie, how he fawns on the old robber! Your father never feared the face of man, child, nay, not when he was landless and friendless. And you who have the power that he made for you, you cringe. There is base blood in you though his son you be. God have mercy, boy. What is de Clare that you should seek his favour? ”

“ He wished to verify [141] the overnight experiences in the light of refreshed intelligence. On approaching the kennel he saw at once that it had been no dream. There, in fact, was the creature of his discovery playing with Bran the greyhound, circling sedately about him, weaving her arms, pointing her toes, arching her graceful neck, stooping to him, as if inviting him to sport, darting away—"like a fairy," says Beckwith, "at her magic, dancing in a ring." Bran, he observed, made no effort to catch her, but crouched rather than sat, as if ready to spring. ”

“ By——"
"Nay, brother, by the eyes," says Bran and looked into his.
"God's body, tell my fortune, then. I do not fear." He stopped his horse.
"Have your will," Bran said. "Come down to earth and eat bread with me. We are all one life then," and he slid off his pony and opening his scrip set bread and meat and salt upon the grass. The Frenchman laughed at him but sat down and held out his hand. "Eat, brother," says Bran, grave as a priest.
"Nay, faith, he is quite mad, sir," says the girl. "He will see death in your face as like as not." ”

“ II., p. 457, from MS. Hengwrt, 566, of the beginning of the fourteenth century, and probably at least fifty years older, mentions the "blessed head of Bran." [3] On the whole, in spite of the silence of older sources, I look upon the epithet and the legend which it presupposes as old, and I see in a confusion between Bran, Lord of the Cauldron, and Bran the Blessed, the first step of the transformation of the Peredur sage into the Quest of the Holy Grail. In the first capacity Bran corresponds to the Lord of the Castle of Talismans. ”

“ A boy begins to need a father's influence, and Bran has always had a hunger for men and their ways ... but, oh! mind him well, Garrett Westenra ... mind him well ... give him back to me as sweet and whole in soul and body as I lend him to you--" Her voice broke. She could bear no more. Swiftly she rose, and with a little gesture full of despair and abnegation and farewell, left him. ”

“ She threw her torches from afar upon the roof of the dun; but Bran as before hurled them into the stream.
Now the old woman circled around in the air looking for her sons. Fin was getting very weak from pain and loss of blood, for Cat-head was biting at his breast all the time.
Bran called out: "Rouse yourself, oh, Fin; use all your power or we are lost! If the old hag gets a drop from the vial upon the bodies of her sons, they will come to life, and then we're done for." ”

“ And Sir Walter, having talked of all Europe, praised the high woods of Surrey. "This land that I hold is best tome," and he quoted Latin verse.
"Happy man, you," quoth the King. "And blither land I know none in my realm who know it well. What says wise Bran, who knows more than I know?"
"All land is good to a landless man," said Bran with his mouth in a pasty. ”