The King Of Lochlin's Three Daughters
Encyclopedia
"The King of Lochlin's Three Daughters" is a Scottish fairy tale
collected by John Francis Campbell
in his Popular Tales of the West Highlands
, listing his informant as Neill Gillies, a fisherman near Inverary.
carried off the king's three daughters. The sheanachy said that the only way to get them was through a ship that could travel over sea and land. A widow's oldest son asked her to bake him a bannock and roast a cock, because he would go to cut wood to build that ship. She offered him a small bannock with her blessing or a large one without it; he took the large one and refused to share some with a uruisg. When he reached the trees, everyone he cut down would attach itself to its roots again. His middle brother did the same, and ended the same, but the youngest son
took the smaller and gave some to the uruisg. The uruisg told him to go home but come back in a year and a day. When he did, the boat was floating there, with a crew and gentlemen who were to marry the king's daughters.
They met a man drinking a river, and the youngest son brought him onboard, and the same with a man eating stots in a park, intending to eat them all, and a man who could hear the grass grow. The listener listened, and said that this was the place where the giants kept the king's daughters. They descended on a creel. The first giant said they should have not have the king's daughter until they had set a man who could drink as much as he could; the drinker went up against him, and before he was full, the giant burst. The second giant said they should have not have the king's daughter until they had set a man who could eat as much as he could; the stot-eater went up against him, and before he was full, the giant burst. The third giant said they should have not have the king's daughter until the youngest son agreed to be his slave for a year and a day. He agreed and sent the servants and the daughters back. The gentlemen took them to the king and claimed
to have rescued them.
At the end of the service, the giant gave him an eagle to fly out, and meat to feed it, but the meat was not enough, and the eagle turned back. The giant demanded another year and a day. After that, he gave him the eagle and more meat, but it was still not enough. After a third
year and day, the giant sent him off with still more meat; it was not quite enough, but the son cut off some meat from his thigh, and the eagle finished the flight and gave him a whistle to summon it.
The son went to work for a smith as a gillie
. The princesses demanded that he make for them crowns like they had when they were the giants' prisoners; the smith did not know what such crowns were, but the son had the eagle fetch the exact crowns. The princesses were astounded, and the king wanted to know where he learned to make such crowns. The smith confessed that his gillie had made them, and the king sent for the gillie. His gillies threw him roughly into the carriage; the son blew the whistle and had the eagle take him off and fill the carriage with stones, so that the king was nearly crushed by their fall, and those gillies were hanged. Another set came, were as rude, and delivered a coach full of dirt. The king's confidential servant went, told the son that the king sent for him and he should wash, and then put him in the carriage. He blew the whistle to have the eagle fetch him gold and silver clothing from the giant's castle. There, he told the king the true story. The gentlemen who sought to marry the king's daughters were hanged, and the son married the oldest daughter.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by John Francis Campbell
John Francis Campbell
John Francis Campbell , Celtic scholar, educated at Eton and Edinburgh, was afterwards Secretary to the Lighthouse Commission...
in his Popular Tales of the West Highlands
Popular Tales of the West Highlands
Popular Tales of the West Highlands is a four-volume collection of fairy tales, collected and published by John Francis Campbell, and often translated from Gaelic as well. Alexander Carmichael was one of the main contributors...
, listing his informant as Neill Gillies, a fisherman near Inverary.
Synopsis
Three giantsGiant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
carried off the king's three daughters. The sheanachy said that the only way to get them was through a ship that could travel over sea and land. A widow's oldest son asked her to bake him a bannock and roast a cock, because he would go to cut wood to build that ship. She offered him a small bannock with her blessing or a large one without it; he took the large one and refused to share some with a uruisg. When he reached the trees, everyone he cut down would attach itself to its roots again. His middle brother did the same, and ended the same, but the youngest son
Youngest son
The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters....
took the smaller and gave some to the uruisg. The uruisg told him to go home but come back in a year and a day. When he did, the boat was floating there, with a crew and gentlemen who were to marry the king's daughters.
They met a man drinking a river, and the youngest son brought him onboard, and the same with a man eating stots in a park, intending to eat them all, and a man who could hear the grass grow. The listener listened, and said that this was the place where the giants kept the king's daughters. They descended on a creel. The first giant said they should have not have the king's daughter until they had set a man who could drink as much as he could; the drinker went up against him, and before he was full, the giant burst. The second giant said they should have not have the king's daughter until they had set a man who could eat as much as he could; the stot-eater went up against him, and before he was full, the giant burst. The third giant said they should have not have the king's daughter until the youngest son agreed to be his slave for a year and a day. He agreed and sent the servants and the daughters back. The gentlemen took them to the king and claimed
False hero
The false hero is a stock character in fairy tales, and sometimes also in ballads. The character appears near the end of a story in order to claim to be the hero or heroine and is, therefore, always of the same sex as the hero or heroine. The false hero presents some claim to the position. By...
to have rescued them.
At the end of the service, the giant gave him an eagle to fly out, and meat to feed it, but the meat was not enough, and the eagle turned back. The giant demanded another year and a day. After that, he gave him the eagle and more meat, but it was still not enough. After a third
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
year and day, the giant sent him off with still more meat; it was not quite enough, but the son cut off some meat from his thigh, and the eagle finished the flight and gave him a whistle to summon it.
The son went to work for a smith as a gillie
Gillie
Ghillie or gillie is a Scots term that refers to a man or a boy who acts as an attendant on a fishing, fly fishing, hunting, or deer stalking expedition, primarily in the Highlands or on a river such as the River Spey...
. The princesses demanded that he make for them crowns like they had when they were the giants' prisoners; the smith did not know what such crowns were, but the son had the eagle fetch the exact crowns. The princesses were astounded, and the king wanted to know where he learned to make such crowns. The smith confessed that his gillie had made them, and the king sent for the gillie. His gillies threw him roughly into the carriage; the son blew the whistle and had the eagle take him off and fill the carriage with stones, so that the king was nearly crushed by their fall, and those gillies were hanged. Another set came, were as rude, and delivered a coach full of dirt. The king's confidential servant went, told the son that the king sent for him and he should wash, and then put him in the carriage. He blew the whistle to have the eagle fetch him gold and silver clothing from the giant's castle. There, he told the king the true story. The gentlemen who sought to marry the king's daughters were hanged, and the son married the oldest daughter.
See also
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- The Girl and the Dead ManThe Girl and the Dead ManThe Girl and the Dead Man is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as Ann Darroch, in Islay.-Synopsis:...
- The Adventures of Covan the Brown-hairedThe Adventures of Covan the Brown-hairedThe Adventures of Covan the Brown-haired is a Celtic fairy tale translated by Dr. Macleod Clarke. Andrew Lang included it in The Orange Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...
- Jack and His Golden Snuff-BoxJack and His Golden Snuff-BoxJack and His Golden Snuff-Box is a Gypsy fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in English Fairy Tales. He listed as his source Francis Hindes Groome's In Gypsy Tents....
- Jack and his ComradesJack and his ComradesJack and his Comrades is an Irish fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs, listing as his source Patrick Kennedy's Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts.In the Aarne-Thompson categorisation system, it is "type 130", i.e. "outcast animals find a new home"....
- The Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's SonThe Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's SonThe Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's Son is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as Donald MacNiven, a lame carrier, in Bowmore, Islay; the story was written down by Hector MacLean on 5 July, 1859...
- How the Hermit helped to win the King's DaughterHow the Hermit helped to win the King's DaughterHow the Hermit helped to win the King's Daughter is an Italian fairy tale, collected by Laura Gonzenbach in Sicilianische Märchen. Andrew Lang included it in The Pink Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...
- The Fool of the World and the Flying ShipThe Fool of the World and the Flying ShipThe Flying Ship or The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is a Russian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book and Arthur Ransome in Old Peter's Russian Tales....
- Long, Broad and SharpsightLong, Broad and SharpsightLong, Broad and Sharpsight or Long, Broad, and Quickeye is a Bohemian fairy tale, collected by Louis Léger in Contes Populaires Slaves.Andrew Lang included it in The Grey Fairy Book.A. H...
- The GriffinThe Griffin (fairy tale)The Griffin is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm's Fairy Tales.It is Aarne-Thompson type 610, Fruit to Cure the Princess; and type 461, Three Hairs from the Devil...
- The Blue MountainsThe Blue Mountains (fairy tale)The Blue Mountains is a fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book, but provided no bibliographical information.-Synopsis:...
- The Story of BensurdatuThe Story of BensurdatuThe Story of Bensurdatu is an Italian fairy tale collected by Laura Gonzenbach in Sicilianische Märchen. Andrew Lang included it in The Grey Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...
- The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of LifeThe Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of LifeThe Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki.-Synopsis:...