The Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's Son
Encyclopedia
The 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. Andrew Lang
included it in The Orange Fairy Book as Ian, the Soldier's Son.
daughters, but a mysterious beast carried them off. A soldier's three sons were going to play a game at Christmas, and the youngest son
, Iain, insisted that they do it on the knight's lawn, because it was the smoothest, but this, as his brothers had warned, offended the knight because it reminded him of his daughters. Iain said he should give them a ship, and they would find his daughters. The knight agreed.
The brothers set out. They found a place where men were preparing for the wedding of the three daughters to three giants
. There was a creel
, which could lift them to where the daughters were. Each brother tried in turn; the older two were belabored by a raven and turned back; Iain, facing the same raven, called them to hoist him the more quickly. At the top, the raven asked him for tobacco, and when Iain refused him, told him to go to a giant's house, where he would find the oldest daughter. He went. The oldest daughter told him that rattling a chain would bring the giant, but only Iain the soldier's son could fight him. Iain rattled the chain and wrestled with the giant; he wished the raven were with him, and it helped him win the fight and gave him a knife to cut off its head.
The raven then told him to not let the daughter put him off, but to go on. Then it asked him for tobacco, and Iain offered him half; the raven told him that he had much to do yet, and should not offer that much. It then sent him to anoint himself and bathe before he slept, so he would be whole on the morning. He did this, and went on to rescue the second, and the youngest daughter. Then he took the three daughters and the giants' gold and silver and went back. The raven warned him to go first and have the daughters lowered after, but he lowered the daughters first, keeping only the youngest's cap, and the creel did not come back for him.
The raven told him to spend the night at the giant's house. In the morning, it took him to the stables where the door was opening and shutting; there was a steed for him in it, if he got through the door. Iain asked the raven to go first; it did, and lost only a feather. Iain tried and was killed. The raven revived him and told him to walk and not wonder at anything he saw, or touch anything. He came to three dead men, and pulled out the spears; the men sat up, and made him come to the cave of the black fisherman. There a hag
turned them to stone; Iain defeated her, but was sent to fetch living water, to bring back the men. The raven sent him with the steed, which went over land and sea. There, as the raven told him, he put the horse in the stable himself and drank nothing but whey and water; but though the horse warned him against sleeping, he was enchanted by music and slept. The horse broke in and woke him. They barely escaped. With the water he revived the men.
The raven told him to leave the cap with him and sent him off on the steed to interrupt the wedding, because his brothers
were to marry the two older, and the foreman of the men preparing for the wedding, the youngest. He rode off, and when he arrived, the horse asked him to cut off its head. He refused. The horse explained that she was a young maiden, and the raven a young man who had courted her, but the giants changed
them. He cut off her head.
At the castle, he heard that the youngest princess demanded a cap such as her sisters had. Iain wished for the raven, who brought him the cap, and Iain cut off his head, turning him into a young man. They went to the dead horse, where there was a young woman, and they went off together. Iain gave the cap to the smith. The youngest princess demanded where he had gotten it, and the smith told her. The youngest princess married Iain, and the false bridegrooms were driven off.
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 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 Donald MacNiven, a lame carrier, in Bowmore, Islay; the story was written down by Hector MacLean on 5 July, 1859. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Orange Fairy Book as Ian, the Soldier's Son.
Synopsis
The knight of Grianaig had threeRule 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...
daughters, but a mysterious beast carried them off. A soldier's three sons were going to play a game at Christmas, and 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....
, Iain, insisted that they do it on the knight's lawn, because it was the smoothest, but this, as his brothers had warned, offended the knight because it reminded him of his daughters. Iain said he should give them a ship, and they would find his daughters. The knight agreed.
The brothers set out. They found a place where men were preparing for the wedding of the three daughters to three giants
Giant (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,...
. There was a creel
Creel
Creel can refer to:*Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico*Creel , a type of basket used in fly fishing*Creel-Terrazas Family, a notable family in the Mexican state of Chihuahua-Surname:* Gavin Creel , American actor and singer...
, which could lift them to where the daughters were. Each brother tried in turn; the older two were belabored by a raven and turned back; Iain, facing the same raven, called them to hoist him the more quickly. At the top, the raven asked him for tobacco, and when Iain refused him, told him to go to a giant's house, where he would find the oldest daughter. He went. The oldest daughter told him that rattling a chain would bring the giant, but only Iain the soldier's son could fight him. Iain rattled the chain and wrestled with the giant; he wished the raven were with him, and it helped him win the fight and gave him a knife to cut off its head.
The raven then told him to not let the daughter put him off, but to go on. Then it asked him for tobacco, and Iain offered him half; the raven told him that he had much to do yet, and should not offer that much. It then sent him to anoint himself and bathe before he slept, so he would be whole on the morning. He did this, and went on to rescue the second, and the youngest daughter. Then he took the three daughters and the giants' gold and silver and went back. The raven warned him to go first and have the daughters lowered after, but he lowered the daughters first, keeping only the youngest's cap, and the creel did not come back for him.
The raven told him to spend the night at the giant's house. In the morning, it took him to the stables where the door was opening and shutting; there was a steed for him in it, if he got through the door. Iain asked the raven to go first; it did, and lost only a feather. Iain tried and was killed. The raven revived him and told him to walk and not wonder at anything he saw, or touch anything. He came to three dead men, and pulled out the spears; the men sat up, and made him come to the cave of the black fisherman. There a hag
Hag
A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel. Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or...
turned them to stone; Iain defeated her, but was sent to fetch living water, to bring back the men. The raven sent him with the steed, which went over land and sea. There, as the raven told him, he put the horse in the stable himself and drank nothing but whey and water; but though the horse warned him against sleeping, he was enchanted by music and slept. The horse broke in and woke him. They barely escaped. With the water he revived the men.
The raven told him to leave the cap with him and sent him off on the steed to interrupt the wedding, because his brothers
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...
were to marry the two older, and the foreman of the men preparing for the wedding, the youngest. He rode off, and when he arrived, the horse asked him to cut off its head. He refused. The horse explained that she was a young maiden, and the raven a young man who had courted her, but the giants changed
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
them. He cut off her head.
At the castle, he heard that the youngest princess demanded a cap such as her sisters had. Iain wished for the raven, who brought him the cap, and Iain cut off his head, turning him into a young man. They went to the dead horse, where there was a young woman, and they went off together. Iain gave the cap to the smith. The youngest princess demanded where he had gotten it, and the smith told her. The youngest princess married Iain, and the false bridegrooms were driven off.
See also
- The King Of Lochlin's Three DaughtersThe King Of Lochlin's Three Daughters"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.-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:...
- Soria Moria CastleSoria Moria CastleSoria Moria Castle is a Norwegian fairy tale made famous by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their classic Norske Folkeeventyr...
- The Three Princesses of WhitelandThe Three Princesses of WhitelandThe Three Princesses of Whiteland is a Norwegian fairy tale, collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. Andrew Lang collected it in The Red Fairy Book....
- The Water of LifeThe Water of Life (German fairy tale)The Water of Life is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 97.It is Aarne-Thompson type 551.John Francis Campbell noted it as a parallel of the Scottish fairy tale, The Brown Bear of the Green Glen.-Synopsis:...
- The King of England and his Three SonsThe King of England and his Three SonsThe King of England and his Three Sons is a Gypsy fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in More English Fairy Tales. He listed as his source Francis Hindes Groome's In Gypsy Tents, where the informant was John Roberts, a Welsh gypsy....
- Prâslea the Brave and the Golden ApplesPrâslea the Brave and the Golden ApplesPrâslea the Brave and the Golden Apples is a Romanian fairy tale collected by Petre Ispirescu in Legende sau basmele românilor.-Synopsis:...