The Countess Cathleen

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The Countess’ Soul
Two soul merchants came from the Tir fo Thuinn: Land Under Wave during the winter famine. They offered gold in exchange for souls. Gold was the only currency for food and the poor and starving lined up for trade. The Countess Cathleen O’Shea: Grain Protector, determined to stop them, sold her estate for gold bullion. At night the merchants flew into her castle disguised as owls, stole the gold, and poisoned her crops. The next morning the demons asked the Countess for her soul. It was precious and transparent like a diamond. The Countess, seeing no way out, sold her soul for ten thousand pieces of gold and died the next day. As people came to her grave to grieve, an angel appeared and told them the Countess had offered her soul to give them eternal life. She was in heaven and the demons had lost the sale. (10, 16)