Long and even more ago, there was a time when mortals and the Gentry of magic lived often and well with each other. Mortals were neither jealous nor fearful yet of the Gentry, for they still remembered that magic is simply another aspect of the world itself.

Now there had been a mighty battle between the Gentry and the mortal Milesians over who should be having the beautiful land of Erin. At the end the Milesians were given the land above the ground, while the Gentry moved inside the hills and mounds, fashioning from them places of great wonder and love.

During those days there was a prince among the Gentry who was being called Midhir the Proud. Midhir lived in Slieve Callary, a hill outside what is now Dublin. He had a beautiful wife named Fuamnach, but his eye and ear one day fell upon a beautiful maid who after being called Etain. Midhir was falling into a great love for her and made Etain his wife. For at that time love could grow on its own and envelop more than just one person.

But not, sadly, always. For in time Fuamnach grew jealous of Etain. Not just because they shared the same husband, but because the entire country was after being in love with Etain, both the mortals and the Gentry…until the phrase 'as fair as Etain' or the phrase 'as sweet as Etain' became the accepted was of giving the highest praise.

So deep night of sadness, Fuamnach snuck away from Slieve Callary to the place of dark druids, engaging their help to rid herself of her rival. By their magic arts they changed Etain into a butterfly, and then raised a tempest that blew far and away from the palace. Etain was buffeted up and down the length of Ireland for seven long years.

Now, it was on the River Boyne, a slip of a ways north of Dublin, that Angus of the Birds, the Irish god of Love, had his palace. Four bright birds there were that hovered for ever around his head, and these were after being called his kisses. When they sang, love was immediately born in the hearts of all those who could hear.

It was happening that a chance nip of wind blew Etain in through one of the windows of the palace of Angus. In that the Gentry can never be hidden from one another, Angus at once recognised the fair Etain in the wind-tossed butterfly. Though he could not release Etain from all the spells that Fuamnach and her druids had lay upon her, he could remove the spell from dusk till dawn, so that during that time she regained her shape as a beautiful maiden. For protection and from love, Angus was keeping her in his palace always. Within the palace grounds he had built a sunny house, bedecked with flowers, sweet-smelling and honey-laden, for the day-time when she was a butterfly. And he was after putting walls of invisibility so that nobody could be seeing her.

After some happy years with Angus, Etain was to know misfortune yet again. For Fuamnach discovered where she was. Once more Etain was caught up in a terrible tempest that blew her around Erin as before, and she was in great misery. So terrible was this storm in its dark anger that it proved Fuamnach's undoing, for no person of magic can stand that much negative energy and remain whole.

And all this time Midhir, with a great sorrow around him and before, searched for his love Etain without success.

Finally there came a day when Etain was blown in through the windows of the palace of the King of Leinster, who was holding a feast. Etain fluttered up on to the roof-beam over that royal throng, hoping at last to rest for a few moments. But a draught from the fire caught her and she fell down into a goblet of wine that the Queen was drinking. The Queen drank her down with the wine and at the end of nine months she was born as a king's daughter and apparently as a mortal child. She was named Etain, and in course of time she grew up to be as beautiful as she had ever been.

And at this time the High King of all mortal Ireland was without a wife and the nobles were often after

urging him to take one. 'For if you do not do so, we would fear to bring our wives to the Royal Assembly at Tara,' they told him.

One fine day, shortly after the nobles petition, the High King was out hunting, and came across Etain with her maidens where they were sunning themselves in the sweet spring meadows. The High King wooed her and made her his wife, and they were very happy until the Great Assembly at Tara.

On the first day of the Assembly Etain was out on the green watching the races and the games when she saw a rider on a pure milk-white steed coming toward her. As he drew near she noted the royal purple cloak blowing behind him the warm breeze. He was tall as a slim oak, and the hair on his head was golden as the irises blooming in the May-time streams. No one of her companions cold see him or hear the invitation in sweet timbre that he gave her to come back with him to the land of the Gentry in the land of the every Young.

Of course this rider with golden hair and the flowing purple cloak was Midhir the Proud himself, who after many years of ceaseless searching had at last found his Etain who had been spirited away from him. But now, alas, Etain did not remember him or their love, and would not dream of leaving for anywhere without her husband's consent, which Midhir feared with sadness that he would never obtain.

Now it came about that shortly the High King was at his window one day when he saw a rider coming toward the palace. His horse was the white of pure milk and across him he wore a billowing purple cloak. The mysterious rider drew up and called after the King to come and have a game of chess with him. The King consented, for his vanity about his gamemanship was even greater than his love for Etain. Midhir the Proud, for it was he, took out a gold-wrought chess-board with jewelled pieces, and they began to play. The High King won the first game, and the second, and Midhir paid the King's stake and asked for a third game.

They were playing for two days and a night and finally Midhir was the one winning.

"What is your stake?" asked the High King.

"My stake is that I obtain one kiss from Etain." Said Midhir.

The High King was being silent upon hearing this; then he spoke at last and said: "One month from now you may come back, and what you ask shall be granted."

Now since their first meeting on the Plain of the Assembly, Etain had begun to dream of her former life among the Gentry. Little after little she began to recall all she had forgotten, her love for Midhir returned and she began to pine not only for her first and true husband but also for life among her own people, the Gentry. Midhir also was pining after Etain, and he hovered unseen around the High King's palace until the month was up and he could claim his stake.

At last the appointed day cane, and the High King, now after fearing more than a kiss was afoot, decided not to go against his word. He mustered all his armed hosts, and placed them around his palace, and the city of Tara was like a forest of steel within their blue spears.

Inside the palace the High King and his nobles and chosen warriors sat at the feast with Etain herself passing the wine when suddenly in the midst of this assebly appeared Midhir, more glorious and handsome than all together could have been, excepting Etain.

Holding his spear in his left hand, with his right hand he encircled Etain, and then lightly and gently they wafted up in the air and out through a top window.

The alarm was raised throughout the palace and each warrior put his hand to his weapon, but when the King and his nobles rushed out the door all they could see were two white swans circling in the clear starry sky toward the west.