English version may have been taken from the supposed source through a
French form.

Now, these Breton lays were chiefly on Celtic subjects, and placed their
scenes in the Celtic realms of Great Britain, Little Britain, Ireland, or
Scotland. The bards of Armorica doubtless picked up a good story wherever
they could find it; and the classical story of Orpheus and Eurydice would
appeal strongly to Celts, who have always been famous for harping. But why
should these early Celtic singers have made such changes in the story,
_unless they had a similar story of their own_ which was confused with it?
The parallel story has been adduced by Professor Kittredge[73] from an
Irish epic tale, The Wooing (or Courtship) of Etain. The portions of the
story which concern us here follow.

Eochaid Airemm, king of Ireland, found him a wife in Etain daughter of Etar
in the Bay of Cichmany, and with her Mider of Bri Leith (a fairy chief) was
in love. On a summer's day, as the king sat on the heights of Tara
beholding the plain of Breg, a strange young warrior appeared, gave his
name as Mider, and challenged Eochaid to a game of chess for a wager. Many
were the games they played, and at first Eochaid won, and bade Mider carry
out certain tasks. But at last Eochaid was defeated, and Mider for his
reward asked to be allowed to hold Etain in his arms and kiss her. Eochaid
put him off for a month; at the end of which time he called together the
armies of Ireland, and took Etain into the palace, and shut and locked the
doors, and ringed the house with guards. Yet at the appointed hour Mider
stood in their midst, fairer than ever; and he sang to Etain:--

"_O fair-haired woman, will you come with me into a marvellous land wherein
is music, where heads are covered with primrose hair and bodies are white
as snow? There is no "mine" or "thine" there; white are teeth, and black