"Cormac and Mary" (A Poem)

Like much of his work, Thomas Crofton Croker tackles Irish mythology in his poem “Cormac and Mary,” telling the story of how Cormac’s eternal devotion to his beloved Mary eventually frees her from fairy entrapment.[1]

 

“She is not dead - she has no grave -

She lives beneath Lo ugh Corrib’s water;

And in the murmur of each wave

Methinks I catch the songs I taught her.”

 

Thus many an evening on the shore

Sat Cormac raving wild and lowly;

Still idly muttering o’er and o’er,

She lives, detain’d by spells unholy.

 

“Death claims her not, too fair for earth,

Her spirit lives - alien of heaven;

Nor will it know: a second birth

When sinful mortals are forgiven!

 

Cold is this rock - the wind comes chill,

And mists the gloomy waters cover;

But oh! her soul is colder still -

To lose her God - to leave her lover!”

 

The lake was in profound repose,

Yet one white wave came gently curling,

And as it reach’d the shore, arose

Dim figures - banners gay unfurling.

 

Onward they move, an airy crowd:

Through each thin form a moonlight ray shone;

While spear and helm, in pageant proud,

Appear in liquid undulation.

 

Bright barbed steeds curvetting tread

Their trackless way with antic capers;

And curtain clouds hang overhead,

Festoon’d by rainbow-colour’d vapours.

 

And when a breath of air would stir

That drapery of Heaven’s own wreathing,

Light wings of prismy gossamer

Just moved and sparkled to the breathing.

 

Nor wanting was the choral song,

Swelling in silv’ry chimes of sweetness;

To sound of which this subtile throng

Advanced in playful grace and fleetness.

 

With music’s strain, all came and went

Upon poor Cormac’s doubting vision;

Now rising in wild merriment,

Now softly fading in derision.

 

“Christ, save her soul,” he boldly cried;

And when that blessed name was spoken,

Fierce yells and fiendish shrieks replied,

And vanished all, - the spell was broken.

 

And now on Corrib’s lonely shore,

Freed by his word from power of faery,

To life, to love, restored once more,

Young Cormac welcomes back his Mary.[2] 

 

Works Referenced

 

Croker, Thomas Crofton. “Cormac and Mary.” Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland. 2nd ed. London: John Murray, 1838. 160-162. 

 

O’Hanlon, John. Legend Lays of Ireland. Dublin: John Mullany, 1870.

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[1] O’Hanlon, xix.

[2] Croker, 160-162.