GREEK AND GAEL GO VOYAGING

GRACE L. MCCANN

In the preface to the "True History" Lucian has told why he invented that chronicle of most improbable adventures. It is to serve as a relaxation from more serious studies, to entertain, and at the same time to afford a little food for thought. Some fifteen centuries later a similar kind of tale appeared in France and England as a distinct branch of the literature of romance -"les voyages imaginaires," the French have named it. Two of the cleverest and most famous authors of "voyages," the Englishman, Jonathan Swift, and the Frenchman, Cyrano de Bergerac, are generally believed to be, to some extent, indebted to Lucian.

In De Bergerac's "Des Estats et Empires de la Lune," the debt to the "True History" can be traced with some certainty. The single striking fact that in the works of both writers the inhabitants of the moon are described as obtaining nourishment from the savor of cooking food is sufficient to establish the Frenchman's acquaintance with the "True History." There is also the similarity that both tales were written primarily to entertain and that the satire is incidental.

Whether Swift owed even the bare idea of the form of "Gulliver's Travels" to the Greek tale is doubtful, though he certainly must have been acquainted with it. In one of his letters there is a statement which proves that "Gulliver's Travels" was originally intended to be no more than a caricature of the exaggerations of

travelers, the purpose which Lucian carried out in the "True History." But Swift's work, when it finally was published, had been so greatly altered that the voyage element had become merely the slightest of skeletons upon which were built bitter satires upon mankind and human institutions.

A few of the "voyages imaginaires" may have been suggested directly by the "True History," but the connection is usually too obscure to be traced. In most cases there is probably no connection; apparent similarities either are accidental or arise from the fact that the authors of this type of tale had little scruple in borrowing ideas, and even entire episodes, from the work of writers who had preceded them, and who may have made use of Lucian's tale as did De Bergerac. The most that can be said is that a certain kinship in form— they all employ some modification of the voyage formplaces them in the same classification as the "True History."

In Ireland a system of tales very like these "voyages imaginaires" in subject matter had been taking form during the early part of the Christian era. These Gaelic romances are of a later date than Lucian's; "The Voyage of Maeldun," which can be most fairly compared with the "True History," did not appear in its present form earlier than the eighth century. It is quite possible that Aed Finn, the author, or perhaps merely the editor, of the Gaelic tale, was acquainted with Lucian's work, for it is known that Irish scholars of that period were well instructed in the classic authors. The two tales contain few striking similarities, however, that might tend to confirm such a theory. It must be remembered, too, that miraculous voyages over the sea to the "Land of the Living" are of frequent occurrence in the early Gaelic myths. "The Voyage of Maeldun” is too characteristically Celtic in its incidents to leave much doubt of its development from this independent source.

Several good translations into English of the "True History" have made it fairly well known. The following is a brief outline of the story: A young Greek, eager for novelty, enlists in his venture fifty of his countrymen as adventurous as himself and sets out to sail across the western ocean. A violent gale drives their vessel before it for eighty days, but they weather it safely and at length arrive at an island, where they discover among other marvels a river of wine and a vineyard in which grows a plant, half woman and half vine. The river contains fish which are of the color and flavor of wine and which are so intoxicating that it is necessary to mix them with fish from water to temper their strength and to avoid their unpleasant effects. The Greeks find the kisses of the woman-vines intoxicating and two of the men who venture to embrace them take root beside them and become vines.

Scarcely have they sailed out of sight of land when they are caught up into the air by a whirlwind. Eventually they reach the Moon just in time to participate in a battle between the inhabitants of the Moon and those of the Sun. Lucian exercises his powers of invention to the fullest in describing the curious customs of the Selenites, which are certainly some of the most extraordinary imaginable. After leaving the Moon the adventurers again sail toward Earth. On the way down. they stop for the night at Lamptown, the home city of all the lamps of the world. Lucian recognizes his own house lamp there and from him learns how things are at home.

Their rejoicings at finding themselves once more upon the ocean are hardly over when a still greater mischance overtakes them. A huge whale swallows them, ship and all. Within the monster they find an inhabited continent of considerable size and on it they live until the creature's death and their own escape a year later.

They sail on and touch at several strange islands. The strangest of all is of cheese surrounded by a sea of milk. A little farther on they see men with cork feet walking upon the sea. Their next stopping place is the Isle of the Blest, where they make the acquaintance of many of the heroes of antiquity. Sailing past the Isles of the Damned, they stop for a short time at the Island of Dreams, and then at Calypso's island home, where the leader delivers a letter from Odysseus. The nymph entertains them most hospitably for a night and the next morning they set sail again.

Several times pirates attack the wanderers but on each occasion are beaten off. A forest of floating trees bars their way until they hoist up their ship and sail over the tree tops. When they come to a great cleft in the sea, they despair of continuing their voyage, but fortunately they discover a slender bridge of water by which they are able to sail across to the other side. In the island of the ass-legged women, the entire band is threatened by enchantment and death. Luckily, the leader discovers the evil intentions of their hostesses and by prompt action avoids the danger. Finally they reach the continent on the other side of the ocean. Here Lucian ends his tale, either because his power of invention is exhausted or because he realizes the art of leaving his readers unsatisfied.

"The Voyage of Maeldun" may be outlined in greater detail. There are altogether thirty-four marvels encountered by Maeldun. Many are no more than islands on which dwell strange creatures, though several are in themselves complete stories which reveal to good advantage the Celtic sense of beauty, romance, and mystery.

"The Voyage of Maeldun" begins with an account of Maeldun's birth and rearing. It goes on to relate how Maeldun, when he reaches manhood, desires to hunt down his father's slayer. He seeks advice from a Druid

and is directed to set out in a coracle with exactly seventeen companions. Unfortunately, Maeldun has barely pushed off from shore when his three foster brothers appear and entreat him not to leave them behind. It is only when they cast themselves into the sea that Maeldun consents to take them on board, but the punishment for this disobedience to the Druid's counsels comes swiftly. When they are within sight of the murderer's island stronghold their little vessel is driven out to sea by an adverse wind. Then begin their long wanderings, which are to continue till the transgression has been fully expiated and the foster brothers have been disposed of one by one. The body of the story describes what they see in their wanderings.

After sailing by many islands on which they see strange beasts and monsters, they land on the "island of the little cat." Here is a tall white tower with great white houses upon the rampart around it. They enter the largest of the houses and find there no one but a little cat at play. The walls are hung with jewelry and fine garments and the tables are loaded with food and drink. The adventurers eat and drink their fill while the cat continues her play without noticing them. But when one of the foster brothers tries to carry off a necklace, the cat "leaps through him like a fiery arrow and consumes him." Maeldun soothes the little cat and replaces the necklace, and then they sail away.

Soon after they sight an island on which are grazing two flocks, one of black sheep, the other of white. The flocks are separated by a wall, and when their shepherd lifts the sheep across they become black or white according to the side on which they are put. By way of experiment Maeldun throws a white staff on the side with the black sheep. It changes to black immediately and the Gaels decide it is unsafe to land.

On the next island, which is very large, they kill and eat a small pig taken from the herd of huge swine that