Rìgh Eilifacs agus mac an iasgair.
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1970.193.B1
Original Tape ID
Summary
The King of Eilifacs and the fisherman's son.
An elderly fisherman and his wife had no children. Fish became scarce. One day the fisherman saw an old man by his boat. He offered the fisherman plenty of fish in exchange for his firstborn son when he reached fifteen, and the fisherman accepted this offer. He was told to give his wife the first fish he caught, which she had to eat, along with its liver. This was done and the fishing greatly improved.
The man's wife became pregnant and had a son. When the boy was approaching fifteen, his parents began crying every day. They told him of the bargain, which they believed to be a pact with the Devil. The boy left home when his school days ended.
He met a man on the road who told him of three hermits who might help him. Each hermit was brought food by doves. They each searched their books for a way to free him, but they found nothing. The boy promised to return.
The last hermit sent him to the King of Eilifacs. He had a bed in Hell. His dog led the boy to the next world where he met the Son of God, who asked the Devil to release the boy. The Devil refused at first but eventually relented.
The boy returned to the King of Eilifacs, who said he would die that night. He asked the boy to burn his body. Ravens and doves would come. Depending on which reached first, his ashes were to be scattered or buried. The doves reached him first and so the boy buried the ashes of the King of Eilifacs.
He returned to the eldest hermit and told his story. The hermit dropped dead. When the doves came with food, they said the King of Eilifacs was in Heaven and the hermit was in Hell in his place. The boy went to the next hermit, who said the older man's downfall was caused by envy. The boy visited the final hermit and then went home. His parents were blind and deaf, but as he spoke to them their sight and hearing returned.
Language
Gaelic
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good