Ballad of Cathain Songtext

von Grant Lee Phillips

Bid goddess rise from mists of memory
Rise the fair Cathain

In battle the equal of every man
And every lover disdained

Her heart was locked in a roundtower's keep

And none that gate could unbar

Till rose a prince in Ulster's east
His name was Conchobar

By day she taught him feats of arms
With sword and mace and bow

By night they kindled passion's fire
That only lovers know

So king and warrior thus were joined
In battles blood and love

The throne belonged to Conchobar
To Cathain the Witch's Glove

Dark rivals rose against the king
To challenge for his throne

All Ulster in the balance hung
Without its champion

A druid he sent to sacrifice
An offering to Cathain

A maiden fair with flaxen hair
Not once but two times slain

Two times slain

Ooh ooh ooh

But Cathain she would ne'r return
To fight the kings own war

Till druid did a virgin bring
To Conamara far

The fair Iona pure and sweet
On the self-same table lain

And by the Corclach's hungry stone
The innocent was slain

Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey

In rage the warrior goddess from
The Western Sea arose

Her bloody gauntlet dealt that day
A thousand fierce deathblows

The kingdom saved her quest complete
She sank beneath the waves

Till Ulster's sons with sacrifice
Bid her return once more