劇団　バリリー座　Ballylee Theatre Society

The Fort of Aengus / Doon Aengusa　Ussay Nakajima　
Staged in March, May, August and December 2010 by Ballylee Theatre Society.

　 

 Like the lament of Aengus the tides are hauling
 High and low against the Cliffs of Moher

 A melody still I hear sung about the  love lost
 I still hear his crying over the promise broken

 Oh forgive me lass of the sea
 Come back to me lassie of the ocean

 Far away in Ireland, the west end of Europe, even at the very west end, there is a famous scene called Cliffs of Moher. It is a dramatic view... so spectacular high and so threatening to look down.
 You can see Arran Islands from there. Three stone tables in the sea, they belong geographically to Cliffs of Moher and The Burren.
 There remains The Fort of Aengus, a magnificent pre-historic stone ruin, in Inishmore the biggest of Arran Islands. It is at the very edge of the cliff. Triple thick stone walls surround it in half-circle shape but they abruptly end up at the edge. It is strangely impressive. People naturally feel that there must have been the other half of the circle long time ago... of course with the land below it.

 Legend tells us that, once upon a time, there used to be another large dry land next to Connoght.
 It was called Hi-Brazil...

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 It was Aengus the wind god who dominated this realm at that time.
 It was a beautiful country... fertile and highly civilized.
 He used to blow around, all over his land just as his heart wanted.

 There was no one who did not know how lewd he was.
 There was no woman he shall leave in peace, ladies of goddes, lasses of fairies, or daughters of humans, whoever.
 His face was so cute, and he whispered so sweet that no one could ever refuse him.

 One day when he was in bad temper, Aengus was blowing blindly around upon the sea.
 So the sea got rough, dirty and dark, clouds swirling dense over the sky.

 Then the waves accidentally got apart to reveal a beautiful lass who had been hidden deep beneath the sea.
 She was Una the daughter of Entropos the sea god.

 The moment Aengus saw her, he just forgot all.
 Day after day he blew and blew around over the sea hoping to catch a glimpse of her again, but in vain.
 Then he landed down on the shore and called out to the sea god.
 
 Entropos the sea god, who had naturally disliked him, kept silence at first and wouldn't answer.
 But Aengus was so persistent and did not stop calling that Entropos finally appeared and asked.

 What are you calling for?
 I want you to give me your daughter, Una, He answered.
 I swear to myself and to my name, never ever to give my daughter to such a bastard like you.
 Said Entropos, then he left and disappeared.

 Aengus wouldn't give up. He stood again on the shore and kept calling until Entropos re-appeared in anger and disgust.

 What are you calling for?
 I want you to give me your daughter, Una, He answered.
 I swear to myself and to my soul, never ever to give my daughter to such a shameless like you.
 Said Entropos, then he left and disappeared.

 These events occurred seven times in succession.
 Then at last Entropos got too exhausted to refuse anymore and said,
 All right, I'll give her if you promise to quit flirting at all and to love only her forever.
 But I'll tell you, a slightest lack of your royalty will bring her back to us and then you'll never see her any more, ever again.
 All right, I'll promise, said Aengus.
 That was how Una the daughter of sea god got married to Aengus the wind god.

 Una wished to be near to her sea all the time that Aengus built a splendid castle for her by the sea and surrounded it with triple stone walls.
 This was the famous Fort of Aengus.

 For a while, Aengus was crazy about her, so devoted and faithful.
 But after all, it did not last long. Soon he got bored and came to wander around over his realm as before.
 Then maids in their beauty caught his eye again, yet he managed to remember the promise he made and forced himself look away.

 But then Mannoa the daughter of the earth rose from among the bush and smiled at him like a flower as she combed her dark hair.
 Aengus lost himself to swoop down like an eagle and held her bare shoulder.

 That moment the sea god's anger burned up. The earth was all shaken in a fury and fallen apart.
 Then Hi-Brazil, Aengus' realm of beauty and fertility, with its people, animals and spirits all together, split out from the land and sank deep into the blue sea.
 This was how Una the daughter of sea god went back to her family.

 Since his land was torn away, the other side of the cleft remained stood, known as Cliffs of Moher, to today. 
 Three tiny pieces barely escaped the sea god's angry hand, left in the ocean as Arran Islands.

 The disaster made Aengus come to himself, and he rushed to home all out of breath.
 He kicked the edge of Cliffs of Moher off to the sea and hopped The Arran one by one like stepping stones, finally to find his fabulous fort all destroyed and all empty.

 He stood there, crying out his wife's name again and again. Kept crying out until his throat got all sore.
 But in vain this time, never came any answer back from the sea no more, ever again.

 This is the story how Cliffs of Moher and Arran Island appeared and why The Fort of Aengus remains as it is today.
 When you walk along the lonesome cliffs on a windy day, you will still hear out the lament of Aengus in the roaring of the wind,
 ...Forgive me... Forgive me... Come back!...