"Mary Culhaine and the Dead Man" is at the top of my list of spooky tales to tell. A Public Domain version and a link to another version of it can be found by going to my earlier posts under the link of Jeremiah Curtin . Curtin's version of "The Blood-Drawing Ghost' came from his Tales of the Fairies and Ghost World. That book is easiest found via the Internet Archive. This internet resource continues its battle to provide open access to millions of free books, movies, software, music,
websites, and more in their legal fight against the publishing giants in Hachette v. Internet Archive. It and Project Gutenberg deserve our support to keep these online resources available.
Today's story is long and deserves to be better known as it comes from one of Curtin's best-loved collections,
Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland. That link is to the Project Gutenberg version of the book, but if you want a printed copy,
Dover Publications has long made it available.
When I went to Project Gutenberg I found 23 books by Curtin. A dozen were his translations of Polish novels by Henryk Sienkiewicz and an additional two novels by Boleslaw Prus. This surprised me as I was only familiar with his Irish folklore. That initial link I gave to Wikipedia's article about Curtin shows Irish folklore was indeed important in his work (he visited Ireland five times on folklore collecting trips) and his background with Irish parents. What surprised me was he learned 70! languages. This began to explain his life's work including Native Americans such as his collections of tales by the Modocs and the Seneca, but also his Myths and Folk tales of the Russians, Western Slavs, and Magyrs. That and his 70 languages should be enough for several people, but "Wait there's more!" He also was asked by his friend "President Theodore Roosevelt to serve at the peace conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, bringing an end to the Russo-Japanese War."
With such a background the story of "Shaking-Head" is a traditional tale of a king's son out in the world to seek his fortune, but with a most unusual assistant, Shaking-Head. For those of us who love folklore, other familiar elements are part of that journey, adding to its pleasure
SHAKING-HEAD.
THERE was once a king of a province in Erin
who had an only son. The king was very
careful of this son, and sent him to school for
good instruction.
The other three kings of provinces in Erin had
three sons at the same school; and the three sent
word by this one to his father, that if he didn't
put his son to death they would put both father
and son to death themselves.
When the young man came home with this
word to his father and mother, they were grieved
when they heard it. But the king's son said that
he would go out into the world to seek his fortune,
and settle the trouble in that way. So away he
went, taking with him only five pounds in money
for his support.
The young man travelled on till he came to a
grave-yard, where he saw four men fighting over a
coffin. Then he went up to the four, and saw that
two of them were trying to put the coffin down
into a grave, and the other two preventing them
and keeping the coffin above ground. When the
king's son came near the men, he asked: "Why
do you fight in such a place as this, and why do
you keep the coffin above ground?"
Two of the men answered, and said: "The
body of our brother is in this coffin, and these two
men won't let us bury it."
The other two then said: "We have a debt of
five pounds on the dead man, and we won't let his
body be buried till the debt is paid."
The king's son said: "Do you let these men
bury their brother, and I will pay what you ask."
Then the two let the brothers of the dead man
bury him. The king's son paid the five pounds,
and went away empty-handed, and, except the
clothes on his back, he had no more than on
the day he was born. After he had gone on
his way awhile and the grave-yard was out of
sight he turned and saw a sprightly red-haired
man (fear ruadh) hurrying after him. When he
came up, the stranger asked: "Don't you want a
serving man?"
"I do not," answered the king's son, "I have
nothing to support myself with, let alone a serving
man."
"Well, never mind that," said the red-haired
man; "I'll be with you wherever you go, whether
you have anything or not."
"What is your name?" asked the king's son.
"Shaking-head," answered the red man.
When they had gone on a piece of the way together
the king's son stopped and asked: "Where
shall we be to-night?"
"We shall be in a giant's castle where there will
be small welcome for us," said Shaking-head.
When evening came they found themselves in
front of a castle. In they went and saw no one
inside, only a tall old hag. But they were not long
in the place till they heard a loud, rushing noise
outside, and a blow on the castle. The giant came;
and the first words he let out of his mouth were:
"I'm glad to have an Erinach on my supper-table
to eat to-night." Then turning to the two he
said: "What brought you here this evening;
what do you want in my castle?"
"All the champions and heroes of Erin are going
to take your property from you and destroy yourself;
we have come to warn you, and there is
nobody to save you from them but us," said
Shaking-head.
When the giant heard these words he changed
his treatment entirely. He gave the king's son
and Shaking-head a hearty welcome and a kindly
greeting. When he understood the news they
brought, he washed them with the tears of his
eyes, dried them with kisses, and gave them a
good supper and a soft bed that night.
Next morning the giant was up at an early hour,
and he went to the bedside of each man and told
him to rise and have breakfast. Shaking-head
asked his reward of the giant for telling him of
the champions of Erin and the danger he was in.
"Well," said the giant, "there's a pot of gold
over there under my bed; take as much out of it
as ever you wish, and welcome."
"It isn't gold I want for my service," said Shaking-head;
"you have a gift which suits me better."
"What gift is that?" asked the giant.
"The light black steed in your stable."
"That's a gift I won't give you," said the giant,
"for when any one comes to trouble or attack me,
all I have to do is to throw my leg over that steed,
and away he carries me out of sight of every
enemy."
"Well," said Shaking-head, "if you don't give
me that steed I'll bring all the kingdom of Erin
against you, and you'll be destroyed with all
you have."
The giant stopped a moment, and said: "I believe
you'd do that thing, so you may take the
steed." Then Shaking-head took the steed of the
giant, gave him to the king's son, and away they
went.
At sunset Shaking-head said: "We are near
the castle of another giant, the next brother to the
one who entertained us last night. He hasn't
much welcome for us either; but he will treat us
well when he is threatened."
The second giant was going to eat the king's
son for supper, but when Shaking-head told him
about the forces of Erin he changed his manner
and entertained them well.
Next morning after breakfast, Shaking-head said:
"You must give me a present for my services in
warning you."
"There is a pot of gold under my bed," said the
giant; "take all you want of it."
"I don't want your gold," said Shaking-head,
"but you have a gift which suits me well."
"What is that?" asked the giant.
"The two-handed black sword that never fails a
blow."
"You won't get that gift from me," said the
giant; "and I can't spare it; for if a whole army
were to come against me, as soon as I'd have my
two hands on the hilt of that sword, I'd let no man
near me without sweeping the head off him."
"Well," said Shaking-head, "I have been keeping
back your enemies this long time; but I'll let
them at you now, and I'll raise up more. I'll put
the whole kingdom of Erin against you."
The giant stopped a moment, and said: "I believe
you'd do that if it served you." So he took
the sword off his belt and handed it to his
guest. Shaking-head gave it to the king's
son, who mounted his steed, and they both went
away.
When they had gone some distance from the
giant's castle Shaking-head said to the king's
son, "Where shall we be to-night?—you have
more knowledge than I."
"Indeed then I have not," said the king's son;
"I have no knowledge at all of where we are going;
it is you who have the knowledge."
"Well," said Shaking-head, "we'll be at the
third and youngest giant's castle to-night, and at first
he'll treat us far worse and more harshly, but still
we'll take this night's lodging of him, and a good
gift in the morning."
Soon after sunset they came to the castle
where they met the worst reception and the
harshest they had found on the road. The giant
was going to eat them both for supper; but when
Shaking-head told him of the champions of Erin,
he became as kind as his two brothers, and gave
good entertainment to both.
Next morning after breakfast, Shaking-head
asked for a present in return for his services.
"Do you see the pot of gold in the corner
there under my bed?—take all you want and
welcome," said the giant.
"It's not gold I want," said Shaking-head, "but
the cloak of darkness."
"Oh," said the giant, "you'll not get that cloak
of me, for I want it myself. If any man were to
come against me, all I'd have to do would be to
put that cloak on my shoulders, and no one in the
world could see me, or know where I'd be."
"Well," said Shaking-head, "it's long enough
that I am keeping your enemies away; and if you
don't give me that cloak now I'll raise all the kingdom
of Erin and still more forces to destroy you,
and it's not long you'll last after they come."
The giant thought a moment, and then said: "I
believe you'd do what you say. There's the
black cloak hanging on the wall before you;
take it."
Shaking-head took the cloak, and the two went
away together, the king's son riding on the light
black steed, and having the double-handed sword
at his back. When out of sight of the giant,
Shaking-head put on the cloak, and wasn't to be
seen, and no other man could have been seen in
his place. Then the king's son looked around,
and began to call and search for his man,—he
was lonely without him and grieved not to see
him. Shaking-head, glad to see the affection of
the king's son, took off the cloak and was at his
side again.
"Where are we going now?" asked the king's son.
"We are going on a long journey to (Ri Chuil
an Or) King Behind the Gold, to ask his daughter
of him."
The two travelled on, till they came to the castle
of King Behind the Gold. Then Shaking-head
said: "Go in you, and ask his daughter of the
king, and I'll stay here outside with the cloak on
me." So he went in and spoke to the king, and
the answer he got was this:—
"I am willing to give you my daughter, but you
won't get her unless you do what she will ask of
you. And I must tell you now that three hundred
kings' sons, lacking one, have come to ask for my
daughter, and in the garden behind my castle are
three hundred iron spikes, and every spike of
them but one is covered with the head of a king's
son who couldn't do what my daughter wanted of
him, and I'm greatly in dread that your own head
will be put on the one spike that is left uncovered."
"Well," said the king's son, "I'll do my best
to keep my head where it is at present."
"Stay here in my castle," said the king, "and
you'll have good entertainment till we know can
you do what will be asked of you."
At night when the king's son was going to bed,
the princess gave him a thimble, and said: "Have
this for me in the morning."
He put the thimble on his finger; and she
thought it could be easily taken away, if he would
sleep. So she came to him in the night, with a
drink, and said: "I give you this in hopes I'll
gain more drink by you." He swallowed the
liquor, and the princess went away with the empty
cup. Then the king's son put the thimble in his
mouth between his cheek and his teeth for safe
keeping, and was soon asleep.
When the princess came to her own chamber,
she struck her maid with a slat an draoichta (a
rod of enchantment) and turned her into a rat;
then she made such music of fifes and trumpets to
sound throughout the castle, that every soul in it
fell asleep. That minute, she sent the rat to where
the king's son was sleeping, and the rat put her
tail into the nostrils of the young man, tickled his
nose so that he sneezed and blew the thimble out
of his mouth. The rat caught it and ran away to
the princess, who struck her with the rod of enchantment
and turned her into a maid again.
Then the princess and the maid set out for
the eastern world, taking the thimble with them.
Shaking-head, who was watching with his cloak on,
unseen by all, had seen everything, and now
followed at their heels. In the eastern world, at
the sea-side was a rock. The princess tapped it
with her finger, and the rock opened; there was
a great house inside, and in the house a giant.
The princess greeted him and gave him the thimble,
saying: "You're to keep this so no man
can get it."
"Oh," said the giant, taking the thimble and
throwing it aside, "you need have no fear; no man
can find me in this place."
Shaking-head caught the thimble from the
ground and put it in his pocket. When she had
finished conversation with the giant, the princess
kissed him, and hurried away. Shaking-head followed
her step for step, till they came at break
of day to the castle of King Behind the Gold.
Shaking-head went to the king's son and asked:
"Was anything given you to keep last night?"
"Yes, before I came to this chamber the
princess gave me her thimble, and told me to
have it for her in the morning."
"Have you it now?" asked Shaking-head.
"It is not in my mouth where I put it last night,
it is not in the bed; I'm afraid my head is lost,"
said the king's son.
"Well, look at this," said Shaking-head, taking
the thimble out of his pocket and giving it to him.
"The whole kingdom is moving to-day to see your
death. All the people have heard that you are
here asking for the princess, and they think your
head'll be put on the last spike in the garden,
with the heads of the other kings' sons. Rise up
now, mount your light black steed, ride to the
summer-house of the princess and her father, and
give her the thimble."
The king's son did as Shaking-head told him.
When he gave up the thimble, the king said, "You
have won one third of my daughter." But the
princess was bitterly angry and vexed to the
heart, that any man on earth should know that
she had dealings with the giant; she cared more
for that than anything else.
When the second day had passed, and the king's
son was going to bed, the princess gave him a
comb to keep, and said: "If you don't have this
for me in the morning, your head will be put on
the spike that's left in my father's garden."
The king's son took the comb with him,
wrapped it in a handkerchief, and tied it to his
head.
In the night the princess came with a draught
which she gave him, and soon he was asleep.
Going back to her own chamber, she struck the
maid with her rod of enchantment, and made a
great yellow cat of her. Then she caused such music
of fifes and trumpets to sound throughout the
castle that every soul was in a deep sleep before
the music was over, and that moment she sent the
cat to the chamber of the king's son. The cat
worked the handkerchief off his head, took out
the comb and ran with it to the princess, who
turned her into a maid again.
The two set out for the eastern world straightway;
but as they did, Shaking-head followed them
in his cloak of darkness, till they came to the
house of the giant in the great rock at the end of
the road, at the sea. The princess gave the giant
the comb, and said: "The thimble that I gave
you to keep last night was taken from you, for the
king's son in Erin brought it back to me this morning,
and has done one third of the work of winning
me, and I didn't expect you'd serve me in this
way."
When the giant heard this, he was raging, and
threw the comb into the sea behind him. Then
with Druidic spells he raised thunder and lightning
and wind. The sea was roaring with storm
and rain; but the comb had not touched the water
when Shaking-head caught it.
When her talk was over the princess gave the
giant a kiss, and home she went with the maid;
but Shaking-head followed them step by step.
In the morning Shaking-head went to the king's
son, roused him, and asked: "What was your
task last night?"
"The princess gave me a comb to have for her
this morning," answered the king's son.
"Where is it now?" asked Shaking-head.
"Here on my head," said the king's son, putting
up his hand to get it; but the comb was
gone. "I'm done for now," said the king's son;
"my head will be on the last spike to-day unless
I have the comb for the princess."
"Here it is for you," said Shaking-head, taking
the comb out of his pocket. "And now," said
he, "the whole kingdom is coming to this castle
to-day to see your head put on the last spike in
the garden of King Behind the Gold, for all men
think the same will happen to you that has happened
to every king's son before you. Go up on
your steed and ride to the summer-house where
the king and his daughter are sitting, and give her
the comb."
The king's son did as Shaking-head bade him.
When he saw the comb the king said, "Now you
have my daughter two-thirds won." But her face
went from the princess entirely, she was so vexed
that any man should know of her dealings with
the giant.
The third night when he was going to bed the
princess said to the king's son, "If you will not
have at my father's castle to-morrow morning the
head I will kiss to-night, you'll die to-morrow, and
your own head will be put on the last spike in my
father's garden." Later in the night she came to
the bedside of the king's son with a draught, which
he drank, and before she was back in her chamber,
he slept. Then she made such music all over the
castle that not a soul was awake when the music
had ceased. That moment she hurried away with
her maid to the eastern world; but Shaking-head
followed her in his cloak of darkness. This time
he carried with him the two-handed sword that
never failed a blow.
When she came to the rock in the eastern world
and entered the house of the giant, the princess
said, "You let my two gifts go with the son of the
king in Erin, and he'll have me won to-morrow if
he'll have your head at my father's castle in the
morning."
"Never fear," said the giant, "there is nothing in
the world to take the head off me but the double-handed
sword of darkness that never fails a blow,
and that sword belongs to my brother in the
western world."
The princess gave the giant a kiss at parting;
and as she hurried away with her maid the giant
turned to look at her. His head was covered
with an iron cap; but as he looked he laid bare
a thin strip of his neck. Shaking-head was
there near him, and said in his mind: "Your
brother's sword has never been so close to your
neck before;" and with one blow he swept the
head off him. Then began the greatest struggle
that Shaking-head ever had, to keep the head
from the body of the giant. The head fought
to put itself on again, and never stopped till
the body was dead; then it fell to the ground.
Shaking-head seized, but couldn't stir the head,—couldn't
move it from its place. Then he
searched all around it and found a (bar an suan)
pin of slumber near the ear. When he took the
pin away he had no trouble in carrying the head;
and he made no delay but came to the castle at
daybreak, and threw the head to a herd of pigs
that belonged to the king. Then he went to the
king's son, and asked:
"What happened to you last night?"
"The princess came to me, and said that if I
wouldn't bring to her father's castle this morning
the head she was to kiss last night, my own head
would be on the last spike to-day."
"Come out with me now to the pigs," said
Shaking-head.
The two went out, and Shaking-head said: "Go
in among the pigs, and take the head with you to
the king; and a strange head it is to put before a
king."
So the king's son went on his steed to the summer-house,
and gave the head to the king and his
daughter, and turning to the princess, said:
"This is the head you kissed last night, and it's
not a nice looking head either."
"You have my daughter won now entirely," said
the king, "and she is yours. And do you take that
head to the great dark hole that is out there on
one side of my castle grounds, and throw it down."
The king's son mounted his steed, and rode off
with the head till he came to the hole going deep
into the earth. When he let down the head it
went to the bottom with such a roaring and such
a noise that every mare and cow and every beast
in the whole kingdom cast its young, such was the
terror that was caused by the noise of the head in
going to the bottom of the hole.
When the head was put away the king's son
went back to the castle, and married the daughter
of King Behind the Gold. The wedding lasted
nine days and nights, and the last night was better
than the first.
When the wedding was over Shaking-head went
to the king, and said: "You have provided no fortune
for your daughter, and it is but right that you
should remember her."
"I have plenty of gold and silver to give her,"
said the king.
"It isn't gold and silver that your son-in-law
wants, but men to stand against his enemies, when
they come on him."
"I have more treasures than men," said King
Behind the Gold; "but I won't see my daughter
conquered for want of an army."
They were satisfied with the king's word, and
next day took the road to Erin, and kept on their
way till they came opposite the grave-yard. Then
Shaking-head said to the king's son: "You are
no good, you have never told me a story since the
first day I saw you."
"I have but one story to tell you, except what
happened since we met."
"Well, tell me what happened before we met."
"I was passing this place before I saw you," said
the king's son, "and four men were fighting over a
coffin. I spoke to them, and two of them said they
were burying the body of their brother which was
in the coffin, and the others said the dead man
owed them five pounds, and they wouldn't let the
coffin into the ground until they got the money.
I paid five pounds and the body was buried."
"It was my body was in the coffin," said Shaking-head,
"and I came back into this world to do
you a good turn; and now I am going, and you'll
never see me again unless trouble is on you."
Shaking-head disappeared, and the king's son
went home. He wasn't with his father long till
the other three kings' sons heard he had come
back to Erin with the daughter of King Behind
the Gold. They sent word, saying: "We'll take
the head off you now, and put an end to your
father and yourself."
The king's son went out to walk alone, and as
he was lamenting the fate he had brought on his
father, who should come along to meet him but
Shaking-head.
"What trouble is on you now?" asked he.
"Oh, three kings' sons are coming with their
fleets and armies to destroy my father and myself,
and what can we do with our one fleet and one
army?"
"Well," said Shaking-head, "I'll settle that
for you without delay." Then he sent a message
straight to King Behind the Gold, who gave a fleet
and an army, and they came to Erin so quickly
that they were at the castle before the forces of
the three kings' sons. And when the three came
the battle began on sea and land at both sides of
the castle.
The three fleets of the three kings' sons were
sunk, their armies destroyed, and the three heads
taken off themselves. When the battle was over
and the country safe the king resigned the castle
and power to his son, and the son of a king in a
province became king over all the land of Erin.
******
Shades of the Dancing Princesses and more! While I doubt that prince would have kept his own head and succeeded on his own, this Irish version has some interesting variations on the theme, including that body in the coffin.
*****************
Today's story has been so long and I've so often closed with a standard introduction and list of online storytelling resources, that I'll merely add that introduction and leave it to you to find the rest at my other "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" posts.
This
is part of a series of postings of stories under the category,
"Keeping the Public in Public Domain." The idea
behind Public Domain was to preserve our cultural heritage after the
authors and their immediate heirs were compensated. I feel
strongly current copyright law delays this intent on works of the
20th century. My
own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public
Domain I decided to share stories from them. I hope you enjoy
discovering new stories.
At
the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates
projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an
audience. Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing
of Public Domain stories will not occur that week. This is a return to
my regular posting of a research project here. (Don't worry, this
isn't dry research, my research is always geared towards future
storytelling to an audience.) Response has convinced me that "Keeping
the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my other
postings as often as I can manage it.