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THE   CELTIC   REVIEW 


THE 


CELTIC   EEVIEW 


PUBLISHED    QUARTERLY 


Consulting  Editor  :   PEOFESSOR  MACKINNON 
Acting  Editor  :  MISS  E.  C.  CARMICHAEL 


VOLUME    V 
JULY    1908    TO    APRIL    1909 


EDINBURGH :   NORMAN  MACLEOD,  25  GEORGE  IV.  BRIDGE 

LONDON :  DAVID  NUTT,  57-59  LONG  ACRE,  W.C. 

DUBLIN :  HODGES,  FIGGIS  &  CO.,  LTD.,  104  GRAFTON  ST. 


582308 


Edinburgh :  T.  and  A.  Constable,  Printers  to  His  Majesty 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


The  Origin  of  Druidism,     .  .      Julius    Pokorny,    Ph.D,, 

Vienna,  .  .        1 

Unpublished    Poems.     Alexander 

Macdonald     (Mac      Mhaighstir 

Alastair),  .  .  .    Professor  Macldnnon, 


20,  116,  225,  294 
30 


Through  Western  Windows — 

Some  Celtic  Dreams,      .  .     Lachlan  Maclean  Watt, 

A  Sketch  of  Welsh  Literature — 

To  be  continued,  .  .    Arthur  Hughes, 

Highland  Mythology,         .  .E.G.  Watson, 

The  Clan  Cameron,  .  .    Rev.  A.  Maclean  Sinclair 

Scottish  Gaelic  Dialects — contd.,  .     Rev.  G.  M.  Robertson, 

Oran  Luathadh,     ...... 

The  late  Mr.  Donald  MacKechnie,     Professor    Donald     Mac- 

kinnon, . 


35 

48 
70 
79 
91 

92 
97 


The  Life  of  Adamnan,         .  .     M.  Joynt,  . 

Calum-Cille     Agus    Dobhran     a 

Bhrathair,  .  .  .     From  the  MSS.  of  the  late 

Rev.  Father  Allan  Mac- 
donald, .  .  .     107 

The  First  Celtic  Eucharistic  Hymn,    Rev.  Father  Atkinson,       .     109 

A  Noble  Trait  in  the  Character  of 
Marshal  Macdonald,  Duke  of 
Tarentum,  .  .  .    K.  N.  Macdonald,  M,D.,    .    112 

CuchuUin's  Death,  .  .  .     Don.  A.  Mackenzie,  .     128 


vi  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


PAGE 


Highland  Folk-Song,          .            .     Rev.  M.  N.  Mwrvro,  .     132 

Sea- Poems — continued,      .  •          .     Kenneth  MacLeod,  .  .146 

Topographical  Varia,          .            .W.J,  Watson,        .  148, 337 

Fairy  Tales  (English  and  Gaelic),             .            .            .  .155 

An  Obscure  Point  in  the  Itinerary 
of  St.  Columbanus  on  his  way 
to  Gaul,   ....     Pere  Louis  Oougaud,        .     171 

Reviews  of  Books : 

A  Scots  Earl :  The  Life  and  Times  of  Archibald,  ninth  Earl  of  Argyll 
{reviewed  by  Professor  Mackinnon) ;  Some  Passages  in  the  Early- 
History  of  Classical  Learning  in  Ireland  {reviewed  by  W.  J.  Watson) ; 
The  Old  Highlands  ;  Modern  Gaelic  Bards  ;  The  Making  of  Ireland 
and  its  Undoing,  1200—1600  {reviewed  by  W.  J.  Watson) ;  Laoid- 
hean  agus  Dain  Spioradail ;  Cywyddau  Cymru  {reviewed  by  H.  Idris 
Bell) ;  Songs  of  the  Hebrides  {reviewed  by  M.  N.  M.)  ;  Binneas  nam 
Bard  {reviewed  by  M.  N.  ikf.),  .  .  .  186,  283,  375 

Reply : 

Locality  of  the  Cill-Iosa,      .        .  .  .  .  .  -191 

Re  Proposed  Memorial  to  the  late 

Rev.  Father  Allan  Macdonald,  .  .  .  .192 


Some  Notes  on  a  well-known  Work 
and  its  little-known  Author, 

A  Celtic  Poet, 

Scenes  in  Lewis, 

The  Glaistig  and  the  Black  Lad, 

Tarbh  Mor  na  H-Iorbhaig, 


.  193 

Frances  M.  Oostling,          .  202 

By  Lewis  Children,            .  235 

Do7iald  A.  Mackenzie,       .  253 

From  the  MSS.  of  the  late 
Rev.  Father  Allan  Mac- 
donald, .  .  .259 

AnCuanSiar,         .            .            .     Goinneach  MacLeoid,        .  266 

A  Sequel   to  the  Legend   of  St. 

Brendan,              .            .            .    Dominick  Daly,     .            .  273 


CONTENTS 

•• 
Vll 

PAGE 

Micheal  Breathnach, 

.     Alice  Milligan, 

.     281 

Notes : 

Notes  (chiefly  on  books) ; 

The  Making  of  Ireland  and  its  Undoing, 

. 

287,  381 

Gaelic  Glosses,        .  .  .     Whitley  Stokes,  D.G.L.,      .     291 

Celtic  Relations  of  St.  Oswald  of 
Northumbria,      .  .  .    J.  M.   Mackinlay,  F.S.A. 

Scot,  and  Lond.,  .     304 

Macgregor  Genealogies,      .  .     Rev.  A.  Maclean  Sinclair,     309 

The  New  National  University  in 
Ireland  and  the  Irish  Language. 
An  Craoibhin  Aoibhinn, 

Military  Perthshire, 

A  Modern  Instance  of  Evil-Eye, 

Piobairean  Smearcleit, 


A  Celtist  Honoured, 
The  Barons  of  Bachuil, 


Douglas  Hyde,  LL.D.,        .     319 

William  Mackay  (Inverness),  327 

.     343 

From  the  MSS.  of  the  late 
Rev.  Father  Allan  Mac- 
donald,  .  .  .     346 

Rev.  Donald  MacLean  (Edin- 
burgh),   .  .  .     347 

Alexander  Garmichael,  LL.D., 

356 


THE    CELTIC    REVIEW 

JULY  15,  1908 

THE  OEIGIN  OF  DRUIDISM 

Julius  Pokorny,  Vienna 

ScHRADER  says  in  his  Reallexikon  der  idg,  A  Itertumshunde : 
*  The  Celtic  Druids  are  quite  different  from  the  other  priest- 
hoods of  ancient  Europe.  Where  the  first  beginnings  of  their 
origin  started  from  will  never  be  known.'  I  hope,  however, 
to  succeed  in  throwing  some  light  into  that  obscurity. 

In  seeking  to  determine  the  origin  of  Druidism  people 
came  to  very  strange  ideas.  Some  thought  the  Druids  pupils 
of  Pythagoras,  others  even  took  them  for  Buddhists  ;  one 
thought  the  origin  of  Druidism  was  in  Phoenicia,  others 
thought  it  was  in  Chaldea  or  India.  The  ancients  already 
showed  great  interest  in  that  priesthood,  and  in  the  last  two 
centuries  there  arose  a  great  literature  dealing  with  them, 
but  it  was  of  no  importance  as  it  lost  itself  in  symbolic  and 
occult  trifles.  Notwithstanding,  there  was  no  success  in 
throwing  light  on  the  accounts  of  the  Druids  nor  in  ex- 
plaining the  so-called  contradictions. 

But  when  in  1906  there  appeared  a  book  by  the  well- 
known  French  scholar  D'Arbois  de  Jubainville,  Les  Druides 
et  les  Dieux  'Celtiques  aux  Formes  des  Animaux,  the  scientific 
world  hoped  to  receive  at  last  some  enlightenment  regarding 
that  mysterious  institution.  De  Jubainville's  book,  however, 
is  not  much  more  than  a  compilation  of  the  most  important 
things  we  know  about  the  Druids,  and  he  only  tells  us  what 
we  already  know  from  other  sources. 

VOL.  v.  A 


2  THE  CELTIC  KEVIEW 

In  the  first  chapter  of  his  book  De  Jubainville  speaks  of 
the  Gaulish  priests  : — 

*  They  have  two  kinds  of  priests,  the  Druids  and  the  "  Gutuatri." 
When  Csesar  subdued  independent  Gaul  in  the  first  century  before 
our  era,  the  Druids  had  already  gained  an  important  position,  but 
he  was  told  that  Druidism  originated  in  Britain  and  had  been 
transferred  from  thence  to  Gaul. 

'Before  the  establishment  of  the  Druids  on  the  Continent  the 
Gauls  had  no  other  priests  than  the  "  Gutuatri."  He  derives  their 
name  from  the  Celtic  "  gutu,"  Ir.  guth  (voice),  and  compares  it  with 
our  German  word  "  Gott,"  from  the  Indo-Eur.  "  ghutom "  (what  is 
invoked),  from  the  root  "  ghu."  "  Gutuatri "  would  then  mean,  "  the 
invoking  ones,"  from  the  same  root  as  the  Goth,  "gudja"  (priest). 
They  were  all  priests  of  temples  or  of  holy  groves.  The  "  Gutuatri " 
were  still  extant  during  the  Roman  occupation.  We  have  their  name 
preserved  on  four  inscriptions.' 

De  Jubainville  compares  the  '  Gutuatri '  with  the  Homeric 

*  Upevsy'  with  Chryses  who  bears  the  surname  '  dprjTtjp/  which 
signifies    the    same    thing    as    *  Gutuatros '    and   with    the 

*  Flamines '   of   the    Romans    who,   like    them,   formed    no 
corporation. 

'The  Druids,  however,  formed  a  corporation  and  had  an  Arch- 
Druid  over  them,  not  only  in  Gaul,  but  in  Ireland,  and  probably  also 
in  England.' 

In  this  passage  I  cannot  agree  with  De  Jubainville.  In  the 
Irish  literature  a  chief  of  the  Druids  is  never  mentioned,  and 
from  the  sentence  in  the  Life  of  St.  Patrick  :  Congregata  est 
multitude  nimis  magorum  ad  primum  magum  Recradum 
nomine,'  we  are  not  justified  in  concluding  that  the  Irish 
Druids  had  a  head.  The  passage  can  also  signify,  that 
Recradus  was  at  that  time  the  most  famous  Druid.  It  is 
even  very  possible  that  we  owe  here  to  the  Christian  writer, 
who  wished  to  enhance  the  glory  of  the  holy  man,  a  little 
exaggeration,  for  somewhat  later  we  read  how  St.  Patrick 
killed  this  Druid  by  means  of  a  miracle.  We  have  therefore 
in  the  Arch-Druid  a  special  Gaulish  institution. 

In   the   art  of  prophecy  the  Druids  had  rivals  in  the 


THE  OEIGIN  OF  DEUIDISM  3 

*  Vatis/  who  by  Strabo  are  called  '  ovaTei^'  by  Diodorus 
*/xai/T€c?/  St.  Patrick  did  not  vanquish  the  Druids  till  he 
had  associated  himself  with  the  '  Yatis/  Ir.  fathi,  filid. 

De  Jubainville,  agreeing  with  Thurneysen,  derives  the 
name  of  the  Druids  from  the  root  'dru,'  and  translates  the  name 

*  druis '  by  *  the  most  wise  one/  the  Galatic  '  dru-nemeton ' 
by  *  arch-sanctuary/  and  quotes  as  the  Gaulish  synonym 
'  ver-nemeton/  (Other  derivations  of  the  word  '  druis  '  are 
possible.     Of.  Cymr.  derwydd ;  Gaul,  dervum.) 

The  second  chapter  seems  to  me  to  be  the  most  important 
of  the  whole  book,  and  therefore  I  propose  to  give  it  word 
for  word  in  translation : — 

'  It  seems  that  the  Druids  were  known  to  the  Greeks  since  about 
200  B.C.  when  Sotion  mentions  them.  They  existed  therefore  already 
at  that  time  in  Gaul,  on  the  left  side  of  the  Rhine,  a  country  which 
was  very  much  visited  by  merchants  of  Massilia.  This  happened  not 
long  after  the  Gauls  had  conquered  Britain,  which  had  been  occupied 
first  by  the  Gaels.  And  it  seems,  in  fact,  that  the  conquest  had 
probably  taken  place  between  300  and  200  B.C.  The  Gauls  had  found 
the  Druids  in  Britain  and  transferred  the  institution  to  the  Continent. 
Caesar  says  so  explicitly.  ("  Disciplina  in  Britannia  reperta  atque  inde 
in  Galliam  translata  esse  existimatur,  et  nunc  qui  diligentius  earn 
rem  cognoscere  volunt  plerumque  illo  discendi  causa  proficiscuntur.") 
We  conclude,  therefore,  that  the  Druids  were  originally  a  Gaelic 
institution  peculiar  to  the  Gaels.  The  Gaels  are  a  Celtic  tribe,  whose 
language  still  exists  in  Ireland  and  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland. 
From  this  tribe,  which  had  during  a  long  time  occupied  all  the  British 
Island,  Druidism  had  been  transferred  into  the  large  countries  which 
lay  spread  out  to  the  south  of  the  Channel  between  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  and  the  Rhine ;  but  it  was  unknown  in  Gallia  Cisalpina  and 
in  the  lands  formerly  Celtic,  to  the  east  of  the  Rhine,  also  in  the 
basin  of  the  Danube,  and  in  Asia  Minor,  where  the  dru-nemeton 
(arch-sanctuary)  is  in  no  way  connected  with  the  Druids.' 

So  far  D'Arbois  de  Jubainville.  Before  I  proceed  further 
I  shall  shortly  summarise  what  the  writers  of  the  ancients 
tell  us  about  the  Druids. 

According  to  Caesar  there  were  two  governing  classes  in 
Gaul :  the  warlike  aristocracy  and  the  Druids.      The  latter 


4  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

were  free  from  military  service  and  from  all  exactions,  and 
through  these  privileges  many  of  them  were  drawn  to  their 
profession,  the  more  readily  as  Druidism  was  apparently  not 
founded  upon  birth,  but  merely  upon  the  engagement  and 
training  of  novices.^ 

The  Druids  were  philosophers  and  teachers  of  youth.  They 
gave  not  only  lessons  in  theology  and  mythology  but  also 
spoke  much  about  the  course  of  the  stars,  about  the  nature 
of  all  things,  and  the  magnitude  of  the  universe. 

From  all  the  ethical  doctrines  of  the  Druids  nothing  but 
a  single  sentence  is  preserved  (Diogen.  Laert.,  proem  5) : 
*  To  be  pious  against  the  gods,  not  to  do  injury  to  any  one, 
and  to  practise  bravery/  But  their  first  doctrine  was,  that 
after  death  they  passed  into  another  body.  So  strong  was 
this  belief  among  the  people,  that  bargains  were  even  made 
with  the  promise  to  pay  them  in  the  future  life.  The  novices 
had  to  learn  by  heart  a  large  number  of  verses,  and  some 
spent  twenty  years  in  learning  them.  Almost  nothing  is 
preserved  to  us  from  the  tradition  of  the  Gaulish  Druids,  for 
they  were  not  allowed  to  put  down  their  teaching  in  writing. 
It  was  otherwise  in  Ireland.  The  author  of  the  Yellow 
Book  of  Lecan  tells  us  that  St.  Patrick  burnt  a  hundred  and 
eighty  books  of  the  Druids,  and  that  after  his  example  all 
Christians  did  the  same,  till  all  Druidical  books  were  de- 
stroyed. 

The  Druids  were  also  soothsayers  and  assisted  at  sacrifices. 

Every  year  they  met  in  the  territory  of  the  Carnutes,  and 
many  cases  were  brought  to  them  for  decision.  The  most 
severe  punishment  they  could  inflict  was  exclusion  from  the 
sacrifices.  Those  so  punished  were  cut  ofi*  from  all  human 
society  and  treated  as  outlaws.  At  the  head  of  the  Gaulish 
Druids  stood  an  Arch-Druid,  who  was  elected  by  the  vote  of 
his  fellow-Druids  on  the  death  of  his  predecessor. 

Caesar  seems  to  include  under  the  name  *  Druides '  the 
bards  and  seers  (vatis),  who  were  treated  by  later  writers  as 
separate. 

^  Schrader,  Beallexikon  der  idg.  AUertumskunde,  ii.  p.  643. 


THE  OEIGIN  OF  DEUIDISM  5 

The  similarity  of  the  Druidical  doctrine  to  that  of 
Pythagoras  led  to  many  fables.  That  the  Druids  did  not  live 
like  monks  (a  theory  set  forth  by  Alexander  Bertrand)  is 
already  clear,  as  we  are  told  that  the  Druid  Divitiacus, 
Caesar's  friend,  had  a  wife  and  children,  and  that  the  Irish 
Druids  were  mostly  married. 

Criminals  were  sacrificed  to  the  gods,  but  also  innocent 
persons.  Large  figures  made  of  wickerwork  were  filled  with 
living  men  and  then  burned. 

The  Romans  soon  prohibited  Druidism ;  but  it  continued 
secretly,  and  Mela  tells  us  (45  a.d.)  that  the  noblest  youths 
of  Gaul  followed  their  teachers  into  secret  forests. 

Thirty-five  years  later  Pliny  the  Elder  gives  us  quite 
another  picture  of  the  Druids.  He  shows  them  as  priests  of 
the  oak,  as  physicians  and  magicians,  as  nothing  better  than 
common  charlatans.  They  compose  the  mystic  serpent's  egg 
out  of  snake  venom,  which  assures  the  success  of  every  action. 

How  shall  we  account  for  this  seeming  change?  Did 
suppression  cause  them  to  set  aside  their  noble  teaching  in 
order  to  earn  their  livelihood  in  a  less  worthy  manner?  I 
shall  soon  have  to  show  that  the  Druids  were  already 
magicians  in  the  earlier  times.  But  how  does  it  happen 
that  they  are  occupied  with  mean  sorcery  as  well  as  with  an 
earnest  science  ?  In  the  meantime  we  may  notice  that  the 
most  prudent  men  are  often  the  greatest  charlatans,  because 
they  know  that  the  great  crowd  is  more  easily  led  by  cunning, 
juggling  tricks  than  by  high  wisdom. 

As  to  the  Druidical  belief  in  the  immortality,  and  their 
doctrine  of  the  transmigration  of  souls,  D'Arbois  de  Jubain- 
ville  quotes  many  examples  of  the  belief  of  the  Celts  in  a  life 
in  the  other  world,  but  he  thinks  the  report  of  their  doctrine 
of  rebirth  an  error,  which  had  risen  owing  to  the  Greeks 
having  heard  from  the  Druids  tales  of  transformations  which 
they  misunderstood,  and  so  thought  that  the  Druids  taught 
the  transmigration  of  souls  after  the  doctrine  of  Pythagoras. 

Here  I  venture  to  make  a  conjecture.  Have  we  not  in 
this    doctrine  a  survival   of    the   belief    of   the   pre-Celtic 


6  THE  CELTIC  KEVIEW 

aborigines  ?  It  is  possible  tbat  already  the  men  of  the  Stone 
Age  believed  in  metempsychosis,  as  they  often  buried  their 
dead  in  a  cowering  position.  We  can  detect  the  belief  in 
metempsychosis  chiefly  among  peoples  of  a  low  culture.  The 
next  step  is  the  belief  in  rebirth,  of  which  we  have  also  some 
examples  in  Irish  mythology. 

De  Jubainville  has  shown  that  the  Druids  originally  had 
been  the  priests  of  only  one  Celtic  tribe — that  which  con- 
quered Britain  first.  It  is  very  strange  that  between  brother- 
nations,  whose  customs  and  language  differed  not  very 
widely,  such  a  fundamental  distinction  should  have  existed. 
For  nothing  is  so  characteristic  of  a  people  as  its  religious 
beliefs.  But,  as  we  shall  see,  Druidism  has  many  features 
quite  alien  to  the  character  of  an  Indo-European  religion. 
There  is  but  one  way  to  account  for  such  a  strange  and 
almost  fundamental  difference  as  is  said  to  have  existed 
between  Gaels  and  Gauls  before  the  occupation  of  Gaul  by 
Caesar. 

The  Gauls  certainly  took  Druidism  from  their  brethren  in 
Britain,  but  the  latter  were  not  yet  acquainted  with  that 
institution  when  they  crossed  the  Channel. 

For  the  Druids  were  the  priests  of  the  pre-  Celtic  aborigines 
of  the  British  Islands^  and  it  is  from  them  only  that  the  Celts 
received  them. 

As  the  Gaels,  the  one  great  nation  of  the  Celts,  conquered 
the  British  Isles  about  1000  B.C.,  they  had  already  attained  a 
high  degree  of  culture.  They  brought  with  them  the  know- 
ledge of  bronze  and  burnt  their  dead. '  ^ 

I  suppose  that  they  were  ruled  by  priestly  kings,  whom 
we  find  about  the  same  time  among  the  Greeks,  Latins,  and 
Germans,  who  have,  in  common  with  the  Celts,  other  charac- 
teristics of  Indo-European  origin.  We  have  no  cause  what- 
ever to  assume  that  the  Celts  had  differed  widely  in  customs 
and  religion  in  that  early  time  from  the  neighbouring  Indo- 
European  brother-nations,  which  we  would  have  to  assume 
if  the  institution  of  Druidism  had  existed  among  them  from 

*  Munro,  Prehistoric  Scotland,  p.  480 :  London,  1899. 


THE  OEIGIN  OF  DRUIDISM  7 

the  earliest  times.  Yet  in  historical  times  we  find  among 
the  Irish  Icings  traces  of  the  former  priestship  which  had 
originated  in  the  furthest  past  ages  from  the  divine  adoration 
of  mighty  magicians. 

For  the  Indo-European  peoples  once  believed  what 
savages  of  the  present  time  believe  that  their  divine  ^  ruler 
was  the  centre  of  the  universe,  that  he  could  disturb  the 
course  of  nature  by  merely  moving  his  hand ;  and  therefore 
saved  their  king  from  the  perils  which  surrounded  him, 
even  after  every  common  mortal  had  been  rendered  harm- 
less through  numberless  taboos '  (prohibitions).  The  Indo- 
European  races  had  given  up  these  beliefs,  however,  before 
they  had  left  the  common  native  home. 

We  detect  such  traces  of  the  former  divinity  of  the  kings, 
not  only  in  Homer,  when  he  speaks  {Od.  xix.  109)  of  a 
ruler  who  honours  the  gods  and  reigns  powerfully,  so  that 
the  earth  is  fertile  and  the  wealth  of  the  people  grows — 
because  of  the  virtues  of  the  king — but  also  in  Ireland  and 
Wales. 

The  Celts  believed  that  there  would  be  bad  crops  as  a 
punishment  for  bad  rulers.  In  the  Book  of  Leinster  we  read 
that  under  Cairbre  Cinnchait,  who  won  the  kingdom  of 
Ireland  by  violence  and  killed  mercilessly  the  children  of  the 
nobles,  every  ear  of  corn  bore  only  one  grain,  and  every  oak 
only  one  acorn.  But  when  the  old  dynasty  came  again  to 
the  throne,  Ireland  recovered  its  fertility.  To  every  new 
king  the  Ollamh,  the  head-bard,  sang  some  verses,  wherein 
he  admonished  him  to  reign  well,  or  else  famine  and  disease 
would  spoil  the  land ;  and  in  a  Welsh  poem  of  the  twelfth 
century  it  is  said  :  '  We  shall  have  bad  years  and  [long]  days 
with  false  kings  and  failed  crops '  (The  Black  Book  of  Car- 
marthen). 

We  hear  besides  of  many  taboos  which  the  Irish  kings 
were  obliged  to  observe  even  in  historical  times  in  order  not 
to  ruin  their  land.^ 

^  Cf.  Frazer,  The  Golden  Bough,  i.  pp.  233,  234  :  London,  1900. 
2  Ibid.,  i.  p.  240. 


8  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Thus,  for  example,  the  sun  might  not  rise  on  the  King  of 
Ireland  in  his  bed  at  Tara,  the  old  capital  of  Erin ;  he  was 
forbidden  to  alight  on  Wednesday  at  Magh  Breagh,  to 
traverse  Magh  Cuillinn  after  sunset,  to  incite  his  horse  at 
Fan  Chomair,  to  go  in  a  ship  upon  the  water  the  Monday- 
after  Bealltaine,  and  to  leave  the  track  of  his  army  upon  Ath 
Maighne  the  Tuesday  after  All- Hallows. 

The  King  of  Leinster  might  not  go  round  Tuath  Laighean 
left-hand-wise  on  Wednesday,  nor  sleep  between  the  Dothair 
and  the  Duibhlinn  on  Monday,  nor  ride  a  dirty,  black-heeled 
horse  across  Magh  Maistean. 

The  King  of  Munster  was  prohibited  from  enjoying  the 
feast  of  Loch  Lein  from  one  Monday  to  another;  from 
banqueting  by  night  in  the  beginning  of  harvest  before 
Geim  at  Leitracha ;  from  encamping  for  nine  days  upon 
the  Siuir ;  and  from  holding  a  border  meeting  at  Gabhran. 

The  King  of  Connacht  might  not  conclude  a  treaty 
respecting  his  ancient  palace  of  Cruachan  after  making 
peace  on  All-Hallows  Day,  nor  go  in  a  speckled  garment 
on  a  grey-speckled  steed  to  the  heath  of  Dal  Chais,  nor 
repair  to  an  assembly  of  women  at  Seaghais,  nor  sit  in  autumn 
on  the  sepulchral  mounds  of  the  wife  of  Maine,  nor  contend 
in  running  with  the  rider  of  a  grey,  one-eyed  horse  at  Ath 
Gallta  between  two  posts. 

The  King  of  Ulster  was  forbidden  to  attend  the  horse 
fair  at  Rath  Line  among  the  youths  of  Dal  Araidhe;  to 
listen  to  the  fluttering  of  the  flock  of  birds  of  Linn  Saileach 
after  sunset ;  to  celebrate  the  feast  of  the  bull  of  Daire-mic- 
Daire ;  to  go  into  Magh  Cobha  in  the  month  of  March,  and 
to  drink  of  the  water  of  Bo-Neimhidh  between  two 
darknesses. 

Hence  it  follows,  that  the  kings  of  the  Gaels,  like  those 
of  other  Indo-European  peoples,  originated  in  priests  and  we 
may  conclude,  especially  as  we  find  the  survivals  so  fresh 
and  vivid  in  Ireland,  that  the  kings  of  the  Gaels  when  they 
conquered  the  British  Islands  were  at  the  same  time  their 
priests. 


THE  OKIGIN  OF  DRUIDISM  9 

In  the  British  Islands  the  Gaels  had  found  an  aboriginal 
race  which  had  come  over  from  the  Continent  in  early- 
neolithic  times  when  Ireland  and  England  were  still  con- 
nected with  the  Continent  (?).  These  immigrants  were  of  a 
small  stature,  muscular,  with  dark  hair  and  dark  eyes.  They 
were  religious,  for  they  buried  their  dead;  and  for  the 
nobler  ones  they  erected  great  stone  monuments.  Their 
culture  was  that  of  the  Stone  Age.  Tacitus  thinks  them 
from  their  appearance  Iberians,  and  it  is  at  least  noteworthy 
that  the  skulls  which  have  been  discovered  resemble  strongly 
those  of  the  Basques,  though  it  is  impossible  to  prove  any- 
thing from  that  fact.^ 

Their  race  is  still  preserved  in  the  dark-eyed,  brown-and- 
black-haired  population  in  the  west  of  Ireland,  in  South 
Wales,  in  Scotland,  in  the  Isles  of  Mull  and  Arran,  in 
Argyll  and  Inverness,  and  also  in  Cornwall. 

But  if  we  assume  that  this  race  was  not  wholly  crushed 
out  by  the  invading  Celts  and  that  they  transmitted  their 
magicians  too,  then  their  nationality  must  have  been  very 
strong,  as  indeed  it  was,  for  it  has  left  its  traces  till  to-day 
on  the  British  Isles.  I  shall  not  speak  here  of  the  linguistic 
remains  preserved  in  the  topography  and  in  the  Celtic 
languages,  nor  of  the  numberless  Fetish-stones  that  are  to 
be  met  with  in  the  British  Isles,  where  they  are  worshipped 
even  in  our  times.  I  shall  only  take  a  few  interesting  points 
out  of  the  rich  material. 

The  testimonies  of  Diodorus  and  Strabo  concerning 
cannibalism  among  the  Irish  is  strengthened  by  St.  Hierony- 
mus,  who  says  in  his  writing,  *  Adversus  lovinianum ' :  *  Quid 
loquar  de  ceteris  nation! bus,  cum  ipse  adolescentulus  in  Gallia 
viderim  Scotos,  gentem  Britannicam,  humanis  vesci  carnibus  ? 
Et  cum  per  silvas  porcorum  greges  et  armentorum  pecudum- 
que  reperirent,  pastorum  nates  et  feminarum  et  papillas 
solere  abscindere  et  eas  solas  ciborum  delicias  arbitrari  ? ' 
Nobody  will  contend  that  we  can  ascribe  such  customs  to 
Indo-Europeans.    An  obscure  memory  of  these  times  survives 

1  Cf.  Munro,  Prehist.  Scotland,  pp.  460,  480. 


10  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

still  among  the  Celtic  people,  and  we  find  in  Wales  and 
Scotland  tales  of  giants  and  ghosts  who  ate  their  captives 
and  drank  their  blood.  Also  the  custom  quoted  by  Strabo, 
that  the  old  Irish  devoured  the  corpses  of  their  fathers  we 
can  hardly  ascribe  to  the  Celts.  Even  to-day  we  can  trace 
the  remains  of  this  custom. 

Wood-Martin  tells  us  that  the  custom,  existing  still  in 
Ireland,  of  taking  some  food  in  presence  of  the  dead  body  is 
but  a  form  of  the  old  custom  of  consuming  food  which  had 
been  laid  on  the  corpse  with  the  intention  of  transmitting  to 
those  doing  so  certain  faculties  of  the  departed  one.  I  think 
it  to  be  a  survival  of  the  old,  barbaric  custom  of  consuming 
the  corpse  itself. 

Schrader  has  proved  that  the  idea  of  family  must  have 
been  throughout  an  agnatic  one  in  the  primitive  ages  of  the 
Indo-European  people — the  principle  of  relationship  in  the 
male  line  prevailed  already  in  the  common  past  of  the  Indo- 
Europeans,  Therefore,  if  we  can  detect  traces  of  matriarchy 
in  the  British  Isles  we  must  ascribe  them  to  a  pre-Celtic 
population. 

It  has  been  fully  proved  by  Zimmer  that  even  in  historic 
times  matriarchy  prevailed  among  the  Picts  of  Scotland.  At 
any  rate  the  Picts  possessed  a  large  substratum  of  pre-Celtic 
blood.  I  think  them  to  have  been  a  non- Aryan  race,  soon 
however  Celticised,  first  by  the  Gaels  and  then — but  in  a 
lesser  degree — by  the  Britons. 

In  Wales  we  can  detect  in  the  families  of  the  Mabinogion 
traces  of  matriarchy,  and  many  may  also  be  found  in  Ireland. 
While  among  the  Indo-European  peoples  it  was  the  father 
who  gave  the  first  food  to  his  child  (what  for  India,  the 
Grihya-Sutras  of  Apastamba  and  Hiranyakesin  prove  ^  and 
Speijer  has  proved  in  Yatakarma  (p.  103  fF.)  for  the  other 
Indo-European  peoples),  Solinus  tells  us  that  in  Ireland  it 
was  the  mother  who  gave  to  the  new-born  the  first  food,  on 
the  point  of  her  husband's  sword,  with  the  wish  that  he  might 
die  only  in  battle. 

1  M.  MuUer,  Sacred  Boohs  of  the  East,  xix.  pp.  213,  281. 


THE  OEIGIN  OF  DRUIDISM  11 

A.  Potter  ('Description  of  West-Meath/  1819)  tells  us 
that  all  married  women  are  called  by  their  maiden  names,  a 
custom  still  extant  in  Ulster.  According  to  Wood-Martin, 
women  in  many  English-speaking  districts  retain  their  maiden 
names  and  follow  rather  their  mother's  relations. 

The  couvade,  too,  surely  a  non-Indo-European  custom,  is 
to  be  found  all  over  the  British  Isles.  In  Ulster  it  was 
known  in  very  olden  times,  for  we  read  in  the  Book  of 
Leinster  that  all  men,  with  the  exception  of  Cuchulainn,  lay 
in  their  beds  unable  to  fight  when  Queen  Meave  of  Con- 
nacht  made  a  progress  to  Ulster  with  her  army.  A  preg- 
nant wife  had  cursed  them,  to  suffer  once  a  year  the  throes 
of  women. 

In  England  also  the  couvade  once  existed,  for  in  York- 
shire the  mother  of  a  girl  who  has  borne  an  illegitimate  child 
goes  out  to  seek  the  seducer,  and  the  first  man  she  finds  in 
his  bed  is  held  to  be  the  child's  father.^ 

Already  for  the  Iberians  matriarchy  is  not  only  proved, 
but  also  the  couvade,  which  we  find  also  among  their  de- 
scendants (?),  the  Basques.  That  would  make  it  possible 
that  there  was  some  connection  between  the  aborigines  of 
the  British  Isles  and  the  Iberians.  Moreover  we  find  this 
custom  in  Southern  India,  China,  Borneo,  Kamtchatka, 
Greenland,  and  among  many  tribes  of  North  and  South 
America. 

We  have  seen  now,  that  the  race  of  the  aborigines  of  the 
British  Islands  had  not  been  exterminated  by  the  conquering 
Celts.  It  is  also  certain  that  it  was  not  wholly  suppressed, 
but  that  the  conquerors  intermarried  very  closely  with  their 
subjects.  For  even  in  the  oldest  times  we  find  in  Ireland 
no  miserable  plebs  as  in  other  countries  conquered  by  Indo- 
Europeans.  There  were  no  castes,  only  different  stages 
of  society,  and  a  family  could  easily,  by  acquiring  fortune, 
rise  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  rank. 

There  was  perhaps  rather  an  infiltration  of  the  Celts 
than  a  real  conquest,  but  perhaps  we  shall  not  be  astray  in 

^  The  Academy,  xxv.  p.  112. 


12  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

seeking  the  reason  of  that  fact  in  the  great  beauty  and  un- 
common loveliness  of  the  women  of  the  aborigines.  The 
beauty  of  Celtic  women  is  well  known,  as  also  the  fact  that 
they  mostly  have  dark  hair,  which  indicates  apparently  a 
non- Aryan  origin. 

Among  no  other  people  is  the  *  feminine '  of  such  import- 
ance as  among  the  Celts.  Their  literature  is  given  to  the 
service  of  women.  No  literature  has  so  many  sweet  love- 
stories  as  the  Irish. 

'  The  absence  of  feminine  interest  in  the  earlier  chansons  de  geste 
has  often  been  noted.  The  case  is  different  with  Teutonic  heroic 
literature,  in  which  woman's  role  is  always  great,  sometimes  pre- 
eminently so.  The  love  of  man,  and  immortal,  or,  if  mortal,  semi- 
divine  maid  is  a  "  constant "  of  heroic  tradition.  Teuton  and  Celt 
have  handled  this  theme,  however,  in  a  very  different  spirit.  In  the 
legends  of  the  former  the  man  plays  the  chief  part ;  he  woos,  some- 
times he  forces  the  fairy  maiden  to  become  the  mistress  of  his  hearth. 
As  a  rule,  overmastered  by  the  prowess  and  beauty  of  the  hero,  she 
is  nothing  loth. 

'  It  is  otherwise  with  the  fairy  mistress  of  the  Celtic  hero ;  they 
abide  in  their  own  place,  and  they  allure  or  compel  the  mortal  lover 
to  resort  to  them.  Connla  and  Bran  and  Gisin  must  all  leave  this 
earth  and  sail  across  ocean  or  lake  before  they  can  rejoin  their  lady- 
love; even  Cuchulainn,  mightiest  of  all  heroes,  is  constrained, 
struggle  as  he  may,  to  go  and  dwell  with  the  fairy  queen  Faud, 
who  has  wooed  him.  Throughout,  the  immortal  mistress  retains 
her  superiority;  when  the  mortal  tires  and  returns  to  earth  she 
remains,  ever  wise  and  fair,  ready  to  welcome  and  enchant  a  hero  of 
a  new  generation.  She  chooses  whom  she  will  and  is  no  man's  slave ; 
herself  she  offers  freely,  but  she  abandons  neither  her  liberty  nor  her 
divine  nature.  Even  where  the  love-story  passes  wholly  among 
mortals,  the  woman's  r61e  is  more  accentuated  than  in  the  Teutonic 
sagas.  She  is  no  mere  lay  figure  upon  a  fire-bound  rock,  like 
Brunhild  or  Merglad,  ready,  when  the  destined  hero  appears,  to  fall 
straightway  into  his  arms.  The  Celtic  woman  takes  her  fate  in  her 
own  hand,  and  chooses  herself  the  husband  or  makes  him  accept  her 
conditions.'  ^ 

*  A.  Nutt,   Studies  in  the  Legend  of  the  Holy   Grail,  pp.  231-233 :   London, 

1887. 


THE  OEIGIN  OF  DEUIDISM  13 

In  one  of  the  most  ancient  Gaelic  chronicles  we  read  : — 

'  But  the  fairest  of  the  women  who  came  into  Erin  with  the  sons  of 
Milidh  was  Feale,  the  wife  of  Luaidh,  who  had  lived  alone  in  the 
western  regions  of  Spain,  in  an  inland  valley,  until  she  was  wooed  by 
Luaidh  . . .  and  men  said  concerning  Feale,  that  she  was  too  beautiful 
to  live.' 

But  the  Irish  historians  called  by  the  name  '  Milesians/ 
or  *  Sons  of  Milidh/  the  non- Aryan,  dark-haired  and  dark- 
eyed  Irish  race,  w^hich  on  account  of  their  complexion  they 
thought  to  be  immigrants  from  Spain. 

All  this  makes  it  possible  that  the  aborigines  had 
influenced  the  Gaels  very  strongly,  but  before  we  can 
assume  with  probability  such  a  great  religious  influence  we 
must  try  to  find  out  some  analogy  for  such  a  fact. 

The  aborigines  of  the  British  Isles  stood,  as  we  have  seen, 
on  a  very  low  level  of  culture — they  were  savages.  We  shall 
first  investigate  what  ideas  one  savage  people  receives  from 
another. 

'  Everything  new  is  apt  to  excite  the  awe  and  dread  of  the  savage. 
So  the  unusually  heavy  rains,  which  happened  to  follow  the  English 
survey  of  the  Nicobar  Islands  in  the  winter  of  1886-1887  were  im- 
puted by  the  alarmed  natives  to  the  wrath  of  the  spirits  at  the 
theodolites,  dumpy-levellers,  and  other  strange  instruments  which 
had  been  set  up  in  so  many  of  their  favourite  haunts.'  ^ 

Naturally  the  savage  thinks  foreign  land  to  be  enchanted 
too. 

'  Among  the  Ovambo  of  South-Western  Africa  in  time  of  war  the 
chief  names  a  general  who  leads  the  army  to  battle.  Next  to  the 
general  the  highest  place  in  the  army  is  occupied  by  the  "  omunene 
u  oshikuni,'  that  is,  the  owner  of  the  firewood,  who  carries  a  burning 
brand  before  the  army  on  the  march.  If  the  brand  goes  out,  it  is  an 
evil  omen,  and  the  army  returns.  In  that  case  the  fire  borne  at  the 
head  of  the  army  may  have  been  intended  to  dissipate  the  evil 
influences,  whether  magical  or  spiritual,  with  which  the  air  of  the 
enemy's  country  might  be  conceived  to  teem.'  2 

1  The  Golden  Bough,  i.  p.  347.  2  jjji^^  ^  395^ 


14  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

All  the  more  the  savage  believes  the  inhabitants  of 
another  country  to  be  sorcerers,  especially  if  these  are  of  an 
alien  and  less  civilised  race.  We  not  only  detect  the  same  fear 
among  savages  but  also  among  peoples  of  a  higher  culture. 
In  the  Ongtong  Java  Islands  strangers,  when  they  land  on 
the  islands,  are  first  of  all  received  by  the  sorcerers,  sprinkled 
with  water,  anointed  with  oil,  etc.  Only  after  they  have 
been  *  disenchanted'  can  they  be  introduced  to  the  chiefs 

It  is  also  known  that  the  Hindus  despise  the  non-Aryan 
aborigines  as  unclean,  but  that  they  fear  them  on  the  other 
hand,  as  they  consider  the  Parias  to  be  in  possession  of  secret 
magic  arts  and  to  be  associated  with  the  old  gods  of  the 
country. 

It  is  then  very  probable  that  the  conquering  Gaels  thought 
the  aborigines  were  beings  endowed  with  supernatural  powers, 
who  possessed  great  knowledge  of  the  secrets  of  nature. 

How  many  superstitions  are  connected  with  the  so-called 
fairy-arrows  (the  arrow-heads  of  flint  which  the  pre-Celtic 
aborigines  used  during  the  Stone  Age)  among  the  Celtic  popu- 
lation of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland.  Perhaps  these  supersti- 
tions go  back  to  the  time  when  the  Celts  were  fighting  with 
a  people  who  used  flint-weapons  and  were  then  already  feared 
as  endowed  with  supernatural  powers.  Another  belief  con- 
nected with  iron  may  also  be  quoted. 

Iron  is  said  to  possess  the  power  of  keeping  off*  bad  spirits. 
In  the  north-east  of  Scotland  after  the  death  of  an  inmate 
of  the  house  a  bit  of  iron  is  put  into  all  victuals,  in  order 
that  the  *  death  may  not  enter  them.'  ^  In  many  Welsh 
fairy-tales  a  fairy  abandons  her  lover  in  the  moment  when 
he  touches  her  with  iron.^  On  the  Western  Isles  of  Scotland 
it  is  said  that  every  one  who  enters  a  knoll  where  the  fairies 
are  dancing  must  leave  a  bit  of  iron  on  the  threshold,  for 
only  in  this  way  is  he  able  to  prevent  the  fairies  from  closing 
the  door  and  keeping  him  as  a  prisoner  for  ever. 

1  The  Golden  Bough,  p.  303. 

2  W.  Gregor,  Folklore  of  the  North-East  of  Scotland,  p.  206. 
'  Transactions  of  the  Hon.  Society  of  Cymmrodar,  vi.  p.  2. 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  DRUIDISM  15 

This  fear  of  ghosts  seems  to  be  a  heritage  of  the  aborigines, 
who  did  not  know  metals,  and  may  often  have  yielded  to  the 
better  weapons  of  the  Celts.  The  savage  aborigines  of  a 
country  appear  very  often  in  the  later  popular  superstitions 
as  ghosts,  giants,  or  dwarfs. 

Of  course  the  Celts  felt  especial  reverence  for  the 
medicine-men  of  the  aborigines,  the  Druids,  for  they  observed 
how  these  were  dreaded  by  their  countrymen.  Among  savage 
tribes  the  king  develops  mostly  out  of  the  sorcerer,  who  can, 
as  they  believe,  inflict  misfortune  and  death.  The  Gaels,  full 
of  admiration,  called  these  magicians  *  Druides,*  the  very  wise 
ones. 

The  true  character  of  the  Druids  was  that  of  mighty 
sorcerers,  and  entirely  contradicts  that  of  an  Indo-European 
priest.  In  Ireland,  which  was  least  exposed  to  foreign  in- 
fluence, we  can  most  probably  hope  to  find  Druidism  in  its 
original  form.  They  appear  to  us  there  chiefly  as  magicians 
and  sorcerers.  They  change  the  day  into  night,  wind  and 
wave  obey  their  orders,  they  pour  down  fire  and  blood. 
Such  ideas,  that  man  has  power  over  the  elements,  we 
only  find  among  savage  peoples  who  do  not  possess  the 
idea  of  the  *  supernatural.'  That  the  Druids  were  physi- 
cians is  closely  connected  with  their  profession  as  sorcerers, 
as  is  also  their  prophetic  faculty.  So  strong  is  their  power 
that  even  St.  Patrick  prays  to  God  that  He  may  protect  him 
against  the  incantations  of  the  Druids.  In  the  old  Irish 
literature  the  word  *  drui '  is  always  used  synonymously  with 
*  magus,'  and  in  the  neo- Celtic  languages  the  word  for  Druid 
signifies  '  sorcerer.' 

*  The  Druids  are  sorcerers  and  rain-doctors,  who  pretend  to  call 
down  the  storm  and  the  snow,  and  frighten  the  people  with  the 
fluttering  wisp  and  other  childish  charms.  They  divined  by  the 
observation  of  sneezing  and  omens,  by  their  dreams  after  holding  a 
bull-feast  or  chewing  raw  horseflesh  in  front  of  their  idols,  by  the 
croaking  of  their  ravens  and  chirping  of  tame  wrens,  or  by  the  cere- 
mony of  licking  the  hot  edge  of  bronze  taken  out  of  the  rowan-tree 
faggot.    They  are  like  the  Red  Indian  medicine  men,  or  the  Angekoks 


16  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

of  the  Eskimo,  dressed  up  in  buU's-hide  coats  and  bird  caps  with 
waving  wings.'  ^ 

It  was  probably  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  north  of  the 
Grampians  that  the  aborigines  maintained  their  independence 
the  longest  time,  and  therefore  preserved  best  the  institution  of 
the  Druids  as  sorcerers,  for  we  read  that  all  who  wish  to  learn 
very  exactly  the  wicked  art  of  sorcery  set  out  for  Scotland. 
Also  Pliny  the  Elder  tells  us  that  Britain  was  ill-famed  on 
account  of  its  magic,  and  from  the  report  of  Tacitus  of  the 
destruction  of  the  isle  of  Mona  we  perceive  clearly  that  the 
Druids  were  sorcerers. 

But  how  does  it  happen  that  they  are  painted  by  the 
writers  of  the  antiquity  as  also  philosophers,  as  teachers  of 
pure  ethics  ? 

In  Gaul  Druidism  was  not  founded  upon  birth,  but  upon 
the  engagement  and  training  of  novices.  Also  in  Ireland 
we  find  the  Druids  as  teachers  of  the  youth,  and  of  the 
Druid  Cathbad  it  is  expressly  stated  that  he  taught  his 
pupils  the  Druidic  science  (druidecht).  From  that  we 
assume  as  certain  that  among  the  aborigines  a  transference 
of  the  magic  art  also  took  place  by  initiation  and  instruction. 

Where  the  Gaels  came  into  friendly  terms  with  them 
they  certainly  were  anxious  to  partake  of  that  instruction, 
and  we  find  in  Ireland  no  distinct  Druidic  caste  ;  but  we 
know  of  poets  who  were  Druids,  also  of  some  kings — e.g.  the 
grandfather  of  the  famous  Irish  national  hero  Finn  and  the 
father  of  King  Connor  were  members  of  that  priesthood.  So 
the  Druids  grew  by  time  to  be  a  Gaelic  institution,  and  the 
priestly  power  of  the  king  was  transferred  to  them,  so  that 
they  had  finally  the  highest  rank  after  him ;  there  was  even 
a  rule  that  the  king  should  not  speak  in  the  presence  of  his 
Druid  before  the  latter  had  spoken. 

An  obscure  memory  of  the  time  when  the  Druids  were 
the  magicians  of  a  hostile  race  can  be  detected  in  the  Celtic 
myths  which  tell  us  that  the  magic  power  of  the  Druids  had 
been  so  great  that  they  won  even  the  victory  over  the  gods 

^  Lectures,  O'Carry,  who  gives  also  another  explanation. 


THE  OEIGIN  OF  DKUIDISM  17 

— a  notion  that  on  the  one  side  reminds  us  of  the  *  Schaman/ 
on  the  other  side  can  be  easily  understood  if  we  take  into 
consideration  that  the  Druids  originally,  as  sorcerers  of  the 
aborigines,  were  hostile  not  only  to  the  Celts  but  also  to 
their  gods.  We  have  also  often  a  curious  antagonism  to 
note  between  the  Druids  and  the  Celtic  gods  which  is  easily 
explained  in  such  a  way  (cf  '  Echtra  Condla '). 

No  wonder  that  the  Gaelic  poet-prophets  (for  the  Celts 
had  also  their  own  prophets)  looked  at  the  new  rivals  with 
jealous  eyes — a  jealousy  ending  finally  with  the  abolition  of 
the  Druids  in  Ireland,  for  when  St.  Patrick  introduced  Chris- 
tianity into  Ireland  he  found  in  the  Druids  his  greatest 
enemies  whom  he  could  only  vanquish  by  uniting  himself 
with  the  'filid'  (637,  Battle  of  Moyrath). 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  more  highly  civilised  Celts 
deemed  the  priests  of  the  aborigines  great  sorcerers;  we 
find  among  the  Germans  something  analogous. 

'  The  Finns,  who  occupied  in  the  past  ages  a  great  part  of  the 
Scandinavian  peninsula,  were  deemed  by  the  conquering  Germans 
as  endowed  with  magical  powers,  so  that  the  old  Norse  finngerd 
(literally,  a  Finn's  work)  is  used  for  "  sorcery,"  and  also  in  their  own 
religion  the  priest-sorcerer,  the  "Schaman,"  who  is  the  mediator 
between  men  and  gods,  and  even  by  his  arts  compels  the  latter  to 
serve  him,  occupies  the  foremost  place.'  ^ 

Is  it  too  rash  to  assume  that  the  aborigines  of  the 
British  Isles  had  a  culture  similar  to  that  of  the  Finnic- 
Lappic  tribes  ?  Similar  primitive  conditions  produce  similar 
cultures,  and  J.  F.  Campbell,  a  prominent  connoisseur  of 
Finnic  antiquity,  was  so  struck  by  the  surprising  similarity 
of  many  ancient  Scottish  dwellings  with  those  of  the  Finns 
that  he  did  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  the  aborigines  of  the 
British  Isles  were  a  people  related  to  the  Finns ;  and,  though 
a  primitive  Iberian  population  seems  very  possible,  I  have 
come  to  the  opinion  that  there  may  have  been  also  a  Finnish 
race  on  British  soil. 

When  the  Gaels  sent  their  sons  to  be  initiated  into  the 

^  R.  Much,  Deutsche  StammesJcunde,  p.  31. 
VOL.  V.  B 


18  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

teaching  of  the  Druids,  they  did  not  forget  their  own  Indo- 
European  religion,  and  the  same  thing  took  place  among  the 
Gauls,  who  conquered  Britain  several  hundred  years  later, 
and  adopted  Druidism  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  country 
as  the  Gaels  had  taken  it  from  the  aborigines.  In  such  a 
way  we  can  easily  explain  the  strange  contrast  of  noble  and 
mean  doctrines  which  we  detect  among  the  Druids.  If 
Pliny  the  Elder  painted  the  Druids  only  as  magicians  and 
priests  of  the  oak,  he  therewith  told  to  his  contemporaries 
something  new :  their  noble  doctrines  had  been  well  known 
long  before. 

We  have  also  elsewhere  sufficient  examples  of  a  noble 
religion  tolerating  the  old,  crude  faith.  We  can  observe  till 
to-day,  in  Catholic  countries,  the  feast  of  Adonis ;  and  the 
Church  tolerates  the  old,  pagan  midsummer  and  harvest 
customs,  and  we  may  safely  assume  that  in  the  British  Isles 
the  pre-Celtic  faith  existed  under  the  dominion  of  the  Celts. 

Andrew  Lang  quotes,  in  his  Custom  and  Myth,  an 
example  of  a  similar  toleration  which  is  related  to  us  by 
Gercilasso  de  Vega,  the  son  of  a  Spanish  conqueror  and  an 
Inka  princess  : — 

*  In  the  pre-Inca  period  an  Indian  was  not  accounted  honourable 
unless  he  was  descended  from  a  fountain,  river,  or  lake,  or  from  a 
wild  animal ;  but  there  was  not  an  animal,  how  vile  and  filthy  soever, 
that  they  did  not  worship  as  a  god.  But  when  the  Inca  appeared 
and  sun-worship  became  the  established  religion,  worship  of  the 
animal  was  still  tolerated,  and  the  sun-temples  also  contained  images 
of  the  beasts  which  the  Indians  had  venerated.' 

But  I  think  I  have  found  a  sure  argument  that 
Druidism  took  its  origin  in  the  British  Islands,  and  was  not 
brought  thither  by  the  Celts. 

Pliny  the  Elder  describes  the  Gaulish  Druids  as  priests  of 
the  oak-worship,  wherein  also  the  mistletoe  plays  a  prominent 
part.  The  worship  of  the  oak  can  be  certainly  proved  to  be 
of  Indo-European  origin.  This  is  so  well  known  that  it  is 
unnecessary  to  prove  it  specially.  Max.  Tyrius  says,  more- 
over, that  the  Celts  worshipped  Zeus  under  the  image  of  an 


THE  OKIGIN  OF  DRUIDISM  19 

oak.     In  a  word,  we  find  the  Druids  as  priests  of  an  Indo- 
European  religion. 

But  if  the  Celts  had  had  Druids  who  were  already  priests 
of  the  oak  before  the  occupation  of  the  British  Islands,  they 
certainly  would  have  brought  that  worship  with  them  to 
Ireland.  For  in  ancient  times  Ireland  was  very  rich  in  oak 
woods,  and  we  can  trace  yet  over  thirteen  hundred  place- 
names  which  begin  with  *  doire,  daire*  (oakwood).  Angli- 
cised '  derry,'  not  to  speak  of  the  other  compositions.  The 
name  of  the  oak  occurs  in  many  more  names  of  places  than 
that  of  any  other  tree.^ 

How  strange  must  it  seem  to  us,  then,  that  we  so  seldom 
hear  of  the  oak  in  the  rich,  traditional  literature  of  the  Irish. 
I  know  no  Irish  superstition  connected  with  the  oak,  and  the 
Irish  Druids  are  never  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  oak. 
Their  holy  tree  is  the  yew,  and  they  bear  in  their  hands 
wands  made  of  that  wood.  Also  the  Druidic  fire  is  kindled 
with  the  wood  of  the  yew. 

That  strange  fact,  that  the  oak  plays  no  part  in  the  life 
of  the  Irish  Druid  and  a  very  small  one  in  the  popular  super- 
stition can  be  explained  only  if  we  assume  that  the  Druids 
were  originally  the  priests  of  a  people  who  did  not  know  the 
oak  worship. 

The  Gauls  who  had  remained  in  their  own  country  were 
much  less  influenced  by  the  pre-Celtic  population  of  Britain 
than  the  Gaels,  and  retained,  therefor-e,  besides  the  new 
Druidical  faith,  the  old  customs  of  their  Indo-European 
ancestors. 

We  perceive,  then,  that  the  Druids  must  have  been  once 
the  priests  of  a  people  who  did  not  know  the  worship  of  the 
oak.  But  the  oak- worship  of  the  Celts  is  vouched  for  several 
times,  therefore  the  Druids  cannot  have  been  originally  a 
Celtic  priesthood.  We  know  also  that  Druidism  took  its 
origin  in  the  British  Islands,  and  it  can  only  have  originated 
among  the  people  who  occupied  those  countries  before  the 
Celts.     We  have  seen  that  such  a   people  existed  on  the 

1  Joyce,  Irish  Names  of  Places^  3rd  ed.,  p.  487. 


20  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

British  Islands  and  that  they  were  a  people  powerful  enough 
to  influence  strongly  the  conquering  Celts  ;  we  know  also 
that  it  is  possible,  and  it  has  often  happened,  that  a  people 
of  a  lower  stage  of  culture  has  influenced  the  religious 
beliefs  of  a  more  highly  civilised  one. 

Besides,  Druidism  shows  so  many  non-Indo-European 
features  that  we  must  for  that  reason  alone  seek  the  origin  of 
its  priesthood  among  a  non-Indo-European  people. 

We  can,  therefore,  assert  with  somewhat  of  certainty  that 
Druidism  originated  in  a  people  who  inhabited  the  British 
Islands  before  the  Celts,  and  who  were  probably  related  to 
those  great  races  who  occupied  Western  and  Southern  (or 
Northern  ?)  Europe  long  before  the  first  Indo-European  set 
his  foot  there.  ^ 

UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  BY  ALEXANDER  MAC- 
DONALD  (MAC  MHAIGHSTIR  ALASTAIR) 

Professor  Mackinnon 

II.  Poems  hitherto  unpublished. 

{Continued  from  vol.  iv.  p.  305) 

The  following  poems,  now  printed  for  the  first  time,  are 
all,  with  the  exception  of  the  last,  political  poems  and 
satires.  They  are  of  like  character  with  those  of  the  same 
class  published  by  the  author  in  1751.  Whether  the  poet, 
had  he  himself  printed  them,  would  have  changed  these  in 
anyway,  as  he  changed,  e.g.,  *  The  Ark'  and  ^  Thearlaich 
Mhic  Sheumais,  it  would  be  bootless  to  inquire.  There  is  no 
heading  or  title  to  any  of  them,  but  the  stanzas  are  for  the 
most  part  consecutively  numbered.  The  Satires,  it  will  be 
observed,  are  fierce  denunciations  of  Hanoverians  in  general, 
but  especially  of  the  Campbells  who  devastated  the  forfeited 
lands  of  Moydart  and  the  neighbourhood,  and  of  a  lady  of  the 

*  A  recent  stay  in  Ireland  has  confirmed  my  opinion  as  to  the  pre-Celtic  popula- 
tion. I  found  traces  of  two  distinct  pre-Celtic  races  ;  the  one  with  beautiful  Euro- 
pean features,  probably  Iberian,  the  other  similar  in  appearance  to  the  Samojeds, 
perhaps  cognate  with  the  Finnic-Lappic  races.  Druidism  originated  first,  probably, 
among  the  latter. 


I 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  21 

clan,  the  daughter  of  Black  Duncan  Campbell,  a  well-known 
Notary  of  the  time. 

This  lady  composed,  in  1745,  a  poem  which  has  not  sur- 
vived, but  which,  as  we  gather  from  these  Satires,  called  in 
question  the  legitimacy  of  Prince  Charles  Stuart,  referred 
contemptuously  to  his  followers  as  Prasgan  nan  Garhh- 
chrioch,  and  spoke  disparagingly  of  the  gentle  Lochiel.  The 
composition  naturally  gave  great  offence  to  the  Jacobites,  and 
Macdonald  again  and  again  attacks  the  authoress  in  the  same 
scurrilous  manner  in  which  he  vilified  the  Aigeannach,  whom 
he  links  with  this  lady  in  one  of  his  verses.  Miss  Campbell, 
it  appears,  wrote  to  the  poet,  who  replied  in  filthy  quatrains, 
which  the  editor  of  the  Glasgow  edition  of  1839  got  hold  of 
somehow,  and  printed.  These  verses  are  not  now  in  this  MS. 
if  they  ever  were.  Miss  Campbell  at  this  time  kept  an  inn 
in  Oban,  locally  known  as  Tigh  Clach  a'  Ghedidh,  of  which 
Mr.  Duncan  M* Isaac,  who  remembers  the  quaint  building 
before  it  was  pulled  down  some  fifty  years  ago,  has  supplied 
me  with  interesting  references.  She  afterwards  married  and 
lived  for  a  time  at  Barr  in  Morvern,  and  subsequently  in 
Craignish,  where  she  died,  about  the  age  of  seventy. 

Duncan  Kennedy,  schoolmaster  of  Kilmelford,  but  better 
known  as  a  collector  of  Ossianic  Ballads,  published  in  1786 
a  collection  of  Hymns,  now  a  very  rare  volume,  which  was 
reprinted  about  1834.  Kennedy  gives  six  hymns  by  Bean  a* 
Bharra,  as  he  calls  this  lady,  in  his  collection,  which  show  a 
gift  of  smooth  versification  and  apt  imagery.  According  to 
him,  Macdonald's  unworthy  attack  silenced  the  authoress's 
secular  muse  for  ever ;  otherwise  we  should  have  had  another 
Gaelic  poetess  fit  to  rank  with,  if  not  even  to  excel,  Mary 
Macleod  of  Skye,  or  Mairi  Send,  as  Mairi  NighJn  Alastair 
Ruaidh  was,  Kennedy  says,  frequently  called. 

It  is  perhaps  worthy  of  mention  that  in  connection  with 
this  lady  Macdonald  added  a  word  to  the  Gaelic  vocabulary. 
In  *  The  Ark '  he  speaks  of  her  as  Osdag  mhi-narach  an  Ohain. 
In  the  MS.  version  the  original  epithet  was  headag,  but  the 
word  was  deleted,  and  dsdag  written  on  the  margin.     In  the 


22  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

old  Gaelic  monasteries  the  doorkeeper  or  caretaker  was  called 
dsdair,  a  loan  from  the  Latin  ostiarius.  A  tradition  has  come 
to  us  that  this  functionary  in  Columba's  day  somehow  offended 
the  saint,  who  cursed  him,  and  as  a  consequence  the  Clann- 
an-Osdair  in  lona  were  fated  never  to  exceed  eight  in  number 
at  any  one  time.  The  name  disappeared  in  lona  long  ago. 
In  course  of  time  dsdair  came  to  mean  '  hotel-keeper,'  and  from 
this  word  Macdonald  formed  the  feminine  diminutive  dsdag 
which  he  applied  to  Miss  Campbell.  It  was  evidently  con- 
sidered somewhat  unbecoming  for  the  notary's  daughter  to 
keep  an  inn,  for  while  the  poet  always  harps  upon  the  fact, 
Kennedy  does  not  allude  to  this  episode  in  the  lady's  life. 

Several  words  and  clauses  in  the  MS.,  especially  at  the  ends 
of  lines,  and  in  one  or  two  cases  at  the  beginning  of  lines,  are 
now  illegible,  and  are  of  necessity  omitted.  In  other  cases 
whole  lines,  and  even  whole  quatrains,  are  suppressed  for  quite 
a  different  reason.  It  is  unfortanatelv  the  case  that  this 
truly  great  poet  wrote  and  published  much  that  ought  never 
to  have  been  composed,  much  less  printed.  Vulgar,  even 
coarse,  words  and  figures  of  speech  may  be  tolerated,  but  the 
obscene  must  be  excluded.  In  a  few  instances  where  from  the 
semi-phonetic  orthography  a  word  was  not  quite  clear  to  me, 
a  transliteration  of  the  MS.  is  given. 

As  formerly  stated,  the  MS.  opens  abruptly  on  p.  118  in  the 
middle  of  Agus  ho  Mhorag.  The  opening  quatrains  of  Ho 
TO,  mo  bhohug  an  dram  follow  on  pp.  120-1.  Then  there  is 
a  gap,  pp.  122-30  being  awanting.  Thereafter,  on  p.  131, 
comes  the  concluding  portion  of  a  fine  patriotic  poem  as 
follows : — 

Nach  goirid  bho  'n  a  ghabh  sinn  air 

Eoin  Cop  am  Prestonpans, 

Le  ceithir  mile  coisiche 

'S  na  bha  de  mharc-shluagh  ann; 

Le  ochd  ceud  deug  militia 

De  smior  nan  Gaidheal  m6r, 

Gu'n  mharbh  sinn  is  gu'n  ghlac  sinn  iad 

Le  basgar  ^  chlaidhimh  mh6ir. 

*  Of.  Poems,  p.  38 :  basgar  shionnsair. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  23 

'San  Eaglais  Bhric  gu'n  theich  iad  bhuainn 

Le  maoim  a  bha  ro  mhor ; 

An  infantri  's  na  h-eich  a  bh'  ann 

Le  geilt  nach  biodh  iad  be6  ; 

Ghlac  teasach  gharbh  is  ^anic  iad 

Ro  'r  lannan  a  bha  geur ; 

Thilg  iad  an  airm  's  an  anam  bhuath', 

'S  na  h-airm  dh'  anacladh  iad  fein. 


Och  !  's  iomadh  bl^r  an  airmhinn-sa 
A  ghraisg  ud  a  bhi  fann, 
Na'n  cunntamaid  a  suas  air  n-ais 
An  seana  chleachdadh  bh'  ann  ; 
Gur  h-ann  diubh  la  Bhanocburn, 
An  d'  thug  sinn  deannal  cruaidh ; 
'S  latha  Ghoille-chragaidh  sin 
'N  do  chnag  sinn  iad  d'an  uaigh. 

0  reisimeidean  Thearlaich  sin  ! 

Dluth  tharlamaid  'n  ar  ranc ; 

Gu  claidhmheach,  sgiathach,  caismeachdach, 

'S  ar  brataichean  ri  'r  crann  : 

Ar  crochadh  is  ar  creachannan, 

'S  cur  dhinn  air  bhloc  nan  ceann, 

Thugmaid  mach  ar  n-aichemheil, 

So  an  cleachdadh  riamh  a  bh'ann  ! 

0  fuigheall  arm  tha  maireann  dinn ! 
Dliith-charaicheamaid  suas, 
Le  misnich  mhdir  's  le  barantas, 
Ar  n-earraig  thugmaid  bhuainn  : 
La  run  nach  tionndaidh  sinn  ar  ciil 
Ri  'r  biudhannan  gu  brath. 
0  !  togamaid  le  oighre  chruin, 
So  'n  aon  uair  gu  bheil  da. 

Nach  nar  dhuit  fein  mar  thachair  dhuit, 

O  Albainn  bhochd  tha  truagh  ? 

Gann  \kn  an  duirn  de  Gh^idhealaibh 

Fhagail  ri  h-uchd  buailt' ! 

Nach  sumain  thu  do  chruadal  m6r, 

Shliochd  Sc6ta  sin  nan  lann  ? 

'S  dioghlamaid  air  muinntir  Dh^ors', 

Fuil  phrionnsail  mh6r  nan  Clann ! 


24  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

O  !  'n  adhlaic  sibh  an  di-chuimhne 

'N  seana  chruadal  m6r  a  bha 

An  dualchas  dhuibh  bho'r  sinnsearachd, 

Le  'n  d'f huair  sibh  riamh  na  blair  1 

O  !  togaibh  suae  gu  h-innsgineach 

'Ur  n-inntinnean  gu  h-ard, 

Nach  sinn  air  bheagan  mhiltean  leinn 

A  thug  leinn  f  hin  Harl^  ?  i 

Nach  d'fhairtlich  air  na  Caesaraibh 
Buaidh  gheur-lann  fhaotainn  6irnn  ? 
'S  am  maith  sinn  do  na  beistibh  ud 
Gu  leag  iad  fein  ar  str6n  1 
O  !  eiribh  suas  neo-eislinneach, 
Le  'r  geur-lannaibh  'n  'ur  dorn, 
Sgriosaibh  as  gach  reubalach, 
A  dh'  eireas  le  Righ  Deors' ! 

0  Ghaidhealtachd  !  ma's  cadal  duit, 
Na  fuirich  fad^  ad  shuain  ; 
Guidheam  ort,  na  lagadh  ort, 
'S  do  chliii  'ga  shladadh  bhuait. 
Och  !  mosgail  suas  gu  h-aigeantach, 
Le  fearg  ad  lasair  ruaidh ; 
'S  c6mhdaich  an  aon  bhaiteal  daibh, 
Nach  do  bhogaich  dad  de  d'  chruaidh. 

FiNID. 

There  follows,  immediately  after,  on  p.  134,  the  following 
fragment  of  a  waulking  song,  with  its  swinging  chorus,  a  fit 
companion  to  the  famous  Agus  ho  Mhdrag  : — 

Oganaich  uir  a'  chuil  teudaich  ! 
'S  oil  learn  eudach  a  bhi  dhith  ort. 

Hiig  air  dh  Mhic  Gille-Mhlcheil  I 

0  hiigaibh  hiig-a-ri-hug ! 

Hiig  air  dh  Mhic  Gille-Mhlcheil  I 

Gu'n  chuir  Albainn  cl6  am  beairt  duit, 
'S  'nuair  thig  e  aist'^  cha  bi  an  t-sith  i ! 
Hiigj  etc.,  etc. 

Bidh  e  fighte,  cumta,  luaidhte, 
Ma's  tig  oirnn  buain  na  Feille-Micheil ! 
Hiig,  etc.,  etc. 

^  Usually  Cath  Gaireac^j  '  The  Battle  of  Garioch,'  in  Gaelic  poetry.  ^  MS.  as. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  25 

Gheibh  mise  culaidh  gu  shuathadh, 
Ma  tha  gruagaichean  's  an  rioghachd. 
Hug  J  etc.,  etc. 

Gu'm  bi  do  chlo  ruadh-sa  luaidhte, 
Le  gaorr,  full,  is  f ual  'ga  stiopadh  % 
Hug,  etc.,  etc. 

Here  comes  the  second  gap  in  the  MS.  On  p.  143  the 
text  opens  abruptly  with  the  concluding  part  of  another 
poem,  as  follows  : — 

An  t-aodach  b6idheach,  b6sdail,  dreachmhor 
A  thoirt  bhuainn  air  son  mutan  casaig ; 
'S  bochd  's  is  truagh  a'  chuis  ma  thachras, 
A  bhi  'n  ar  traillibh  aig  fearaibh  Shasuinn. 

Na  na  mhealadh  mise  casag, 

No  mo  ch6ta  gearr  de'n  tartan, 

Mur  h-'eil  mi  toileach  a  dhol  'g  an  sracadh, 

Chartadh  Dhe6rsa  Hanobher  dhachaidh. 

Na  na  mhealadh  mi  mo  leine. 

Gad  's  i  's  blaithe  th'  orm  de  m'  ^ideadh, 

Mur  h-'eil  mi  sanntach  a  dhol  'g  an  speiceadh, 

A  dh'  fh6gradh  Dhedrsa,  's  a  chrunadh  Sheumais. 

Na  na  mhealadh  mi  mo  bhreacan, 
M'uile  mhaoin,  mar  sin  's  mo  phearsa, 
Mur  h-'eil  mi  toileach  an  iobradh  'n  ceart  uair, 
An  aobhar  an  righ  's  a'  cheartais. 

Na  na  mhealadh  mi  mo  ghdirseid, 
'N  daga,  bhiodag,  's  an  claidheamh  m6r-sa, 
Mur  h-'eil  mi  toileach  a  dhol  leo  ch6mhrag, 
A  dh'  fhuadach  Uilleam  gu  grunnd  Hanobher. 

An  t-anam  fein  ge  geur  ri  r^dh  e, 

Na  na  mhealadh  mise  raith  e, 

Mur  h-'eil  mi  toileach  le  riin  chairdean, 

A  dhol  'g  a  sgiachdadh  an  aobhar  Thearlaich. 

Och  mo  dheideag  a  dh'  fhearaibh  saoghalta  ! 
Freasdail  oirnne  is  tog  a'  chaonnag ; 
'S  na  dean  fardal  teachd  le  d'  dhaoine, 
Mu'n  toirear  dhinne  an  t-arm  's  an  t-aodach. 


26  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

'S  ^iridh  sinne  gu  sunndach,  gleusda, 
Muirneach,  luthmhor,  runach,  leumnach, 
Gu  foirmeil  gasda,  gu  tartar  feuma, 
Le  'r  lannaibh  sgaiteach  gu  sracadh  rebels. 

Eiridh  sinne  le  combaigh  le6mhann, 
'N  uair  bhiodh  acras  geur  gu  f  e6il  orr' ; 
Sinn  cho  sgairteil  gu  sgrios  nan  Dedrsach, 
'S  lasair  bhras  nam  fraocb-chnoc  mdinteach. 

Eiridh  sinne  le  fior-run  cosgair, 

An  comhlan  gleusda  nach  euradh  ^  prosdaidh, 

Ri  h-uchd  feuma  na  trein  nacb  closadh, 

Ri  lanna  bheumnadh  gu  deanamh  chorp  dhiubh. 

Eiridh  sinne  le  feum-chrith  feargach, 

Mar  mhiol-choin  shanntach  ar  chonn-taod  sealgair ; 

Sinn  gu  prionnsail,  muirneach,  fearrdha, 

Gu  cuirp  a  ghearradh  is  cinn  a  spealgadh. 

Bidh  sinn  cruaidh  mar  bhalla  praise, 
Nach  dean  ruadh-shluagh  a  chaoidh  ar  sgknradh ; 
'S  anns  gach  ruaig  le'r  bualadh  chl^i'ean 
Bidh  gach  buaidh  le  Clanna  Ghaidheal. 

Och  !  thig  a  ghraidh,  mu'n  cinn  sinn  miota, 
Seal  mu'n  caill  sinn  gu  leir  ar  misneach ; 
Fheadh  's  a  bhitheas  ar  cri'  'n  ar  crioslaich, 
'S  leatsa,  ghaoil,  ar  fios  gun  fhios  sinn. 

FiNID. 

Immediately  follows  on  pp.  145-6  six  unworthy  qua- 
trains addressed  to  the  Oban  poetess,  of  which  the  only 
quotable  one  is  the  second  last : — 

Chladh  thu  t'  fhuil  is  t'  fhe6il  is  t'  igh  riu, 
Le  d'  dhiombais,  a  dhearg  bhana-bheist, 
An  col  tolas  memento  mori, 
Ceann  gun  fhe6il,  gun  eanaraich. 

Then  comes  (pp.  146-8)  this  rousing  appeal : — 

'S  eutrom,  uallach,  mear, 
Eirigh  nan  uile  fhear, 

Eibhinn,  aigeannach,  sunndach; 
'S  gleusda  gach  Gaidheal  glan, 
Eileadh  's  cocM  geal, 

^  MS.  herigh. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  27 

A'  marsal  gun  airsneal  le  'm  Prionnsa  ; 
Le  'n  claidheamh  's  le  'n  sgiathaibh 
Air  am  breacadh  gu  ciatach, 

Le  'n  dagachaibh  iaruinn  's  le  'n  cuinnsear ; 
Mise  chathadh  n'  an  aodainn, 
Eoinn,  falluinn,  is  faobhar, 

Gu  claignean  a  sgaoileadh  is  rumpuill. 

0  !  togaibh  gu  sgairteil  grad ; 
Sguiribh  d'ur  siomh  mar  ghad,^ 

r6graibh  bhuaibh  fadal  is  lunndachd ; 
UUamh  mar  pheileir  dag, 
No  fudar  do  theine  snaip,  « 

T^irnibh  'n  'ur  f  eachdannan  grunndail ; 
'S  air  Uilleam  chinn  clilodaich,^ 
A  ghineadh  le  cocuill, 

Air  dioghaltas  cogail  nach  briichd  sibh  ? 
'S  cuiribh  ar  na  sheasas 
De  reubalaibh  leis-san, 

'Gan  toUadh,  g'  an  leadairt,  's  'g  strumpadh. 

0  !  's  truagh  an  car, 

Bhi  d'  ur  n-eileadh  's  d'  ur  n-ar,^ 

D'  ur  armaibh  'g  'ur  faileadh  's  'g  'ur  riisgadh. 
Ma  mhaitheas  sinn  so, 
Cho  luaithe  ri  roth, 

Nitear  trailleagan  uile  d'  ar  diithaich : 
Gu'n  lomar  mar  ghiadh  sinn 
A  spionar  's  a'  chistinn, 

'S  gu'n  sparrar  oirnn  brigis  mar  mhiitan ; 
Gach  aodach  is  tartan, 
Gu  feannar  sinn  asda, 

'S  gu'n  sparrar  oirnn  casag  gu  biiirt  oirnn. 

0  !  's  mise  gu  mol, 
Sibh  a  mhosgladh  le  toil, 

'S  as  'ur  cadaltachd  shomalta  diisgadh ; 
Gun  fh^rdal  le  for,* 
Sibh  a  dh'  6irigh  le  goil, 

Gu  dion  'ur  seann  sonais  's  'ur  duthchais : 
Sin  eiridh  leibh  Albainn 
Gu  calma  's  gu  h-uile, 

*  Cf.  siomaguad,  *  evasion,  subterfuge.' — Armstrong.  ^  Reading  doubtful. 

3  =land  (?).  *  ='heed,'  'attention'  (Outer  Isles). 


28  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

'S  gheibh  sibh  t^bhachd  air  n-ais  gu  fior-chliiiiteach, 
Anns  gach  sgannail  fior-dhosgach 
A  fhuair  sibh  'n  Cuilodair, 

Bho  choltas  breun-phoca  do  Dhuitseach. 

0  donasan  esan ! 

Cha  d'rinn  e  riamh  seasamh, 

Bho  'n  a  rinn  ceart  dhleasdanas  buidsear 
Ach  maoim  agus  teicheadh, 
Anns  gach  laraich  'g  a  f hreasdal 

'Ga  bhualadh  mar  theasach  's  a  chrun  air : 
Gu'm  bi  e  mar  Chain 
Na  gheilt  anns  gach  aite, 

'S  a  choguis  toirt  pl^igh  agus  sgiurs'  air : 
'S  mar  a  thachair  do  H6rod, 
'S  d'a  dhearbh-bhrathair  Nero, 

Gu  faigh  e  has  eitidh  bhios  bruideil. 

0  !  Chlanna  bha  bras, 
Riamh  nach  robh  tais, 

Am  maith  sibh  do  rascalaibh  btiirt  oirbh  1 
Fhineachan  gasda, 
Cruinnichibh  cas, 

'S  faighmid  air  n-ais  ar  n-ainm  cliuiteach  : 
Cha'n  'eil  am  Breatann  de  chuideachd 
Na  chuireas  ruinn  cluigean, 

Ach  deanadh  a  bhuidrisg  ar  dusgadh, 
Na  tha  Ghaidealaibh  arrant' 
Eadar  Gallaibh  is  Arainn, 

'S  na  tha  Jacobits  Ghallach  's  gach  duthaioh. 

0  !  fagaibh  na  th'  ann, 
Mnathan  is  clann, 

Air  lamhan  an  Dia  dhiiilich ; 
Leanaibh  g'  a  dion 
Standard  an  Righ, 

As  leth  Ghriosda  le  durachd ; 
'S  na  tr6igibh  am  feasd'  i, 
Le  biaif^  de  dheserta^ 

Gus  an  cuir  an  t-Ard-easbuig  a  chrun  air ; 
'S  toillidh  sibh  beannachd 
Dhia,  dhaoin',  agus  aingeal, 

'S  bheir  daoine  mor  cheannach  is  cliu  dhuibh. 
FiNID. 

^  Occasionally  met  with  in  the  older  language,  *a  blessing,'  perhaps  here  'a 
bribe.'    From  the  Latin  (beatus)  beati. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  29 

The  following  two  short  pieces  (pp.   149-50)  are  on  the 

same  theme : — 

Coma  mur  an  tig  thu  idir, 
Mur  an  tig  thu  nis  a  chlisgeadh  ; 
Ar  call  's  ar  sgainnir  nach  fidir, 
Thoir  a  nis  a  nis  an  ionnsuidh. 

Nach  truagh  leat  fein  mar  thachras, 
Na  saoidhean  a  bh'  agad  am  Preston, 
A  bhi  toirt  diubh  an  arm  's  am  breacan, 
Le  prasgan  a'  bhuidseir. 

Ma  tha  comas  duit  ar  fonn, 
Thig  a  nis  's  thoir  dhuinn  cobh'r ; 
Chaoidh  cha  ghabh  sinn  tuilleadh  souidh  ^ 
Bho  ghleadhar  a  fudair. 

Dioghlaidh  sinn  air  cuilean  Dhe6rsa, 
Na  rinneadh  oirnne  de  dh6-bheairt, 
Ma  dh'  fhoghnas  claiginn  a  str6iceadh, 
'S  an  cuid  t6n  a  sgiursadh. 

Ma  dh'  fhoghnas  clai'ean  a  sparradh 
Annta  gu  ruig  an  smior  chailleach ; 
Dh'  aindeoin  buirich  an  cuid  canain, 
Bidh  cuirp  gheala  riiisgte. 

Ni  sinn  fuil  is  gaorr  a  fhdidreadh, 
Ni  sinn  cogadh  le  \kn  dtirachd ; 
'S  gheibh  sinn  tuarasdal  mar's  fiti  sinn, 
Dh'  aindeoin  biird  luchd  tiinnsgail. 

FlNID. 

O  togamaid  6irnn  thar  uisge  's  thar  tuinn ! 
O  falbhmaid  thairis  gu  Tearlach  ! 
Na  miotaichibh  idir  an  ionad  nam  bonn, 
O  seolamaid  f  onn'or  gu  Tearlach  ! 

Mur  tig  thu  gu  tra  's  gu  f6irinn  thu  6irnn, 
Le  neart,  le  st6ras,  's  le  clai'ean, 
Fannaichidh  sinne  le  foirneart  cruaidh  Dhedrsa, 
'S  cha'n  fhearr  do  chlann  ch6ir  na  na  traillean. 

Ged  thug  iad  bhuainn  na  bh'  againn  fo  sgriob, 
De  dh'  airgiod,  de  ni,  is  de  dh'  airneis ; 
Cha  tug  iad  f6s  dinn  ar  misneach  's  ar  cli, 
Gu  bheil  sinn  cho  rioghail  's  a  b'  ^bhaist ! 

1  From  the  old  verb  sdim,  'I  twin'  (?). 


30  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

O  !  deanamaid  ullamh,  a  mhuinntir  an  High, 
Gu'm  buaileamaid  buillean  le  T^arlach ; 
'S  mur  an  tig  esan  gu'n  teid  sinn  a  nunn, 
'S  e  thighinn  gu  sunndach  a  b'  fh^arr  leinn ! 

Mo  mhallachd  air  gealltair  a  chrubas  le  miotachd, 
Le  gn^  de  dhi-misnich  no  fMllinn, 
No  threigeas  a  chreideamh,  a  dhuthaich,  no  Righ, 
'S  nach  taisbean  a  dhilseachd  do  The^rlach  ! 

0  !  fhuair  sibh  bhuam  b^irlinn  is  deanaibh  dhith  feum, 
'S  theirgibh  'n  'ur  n-6ideadh  gu  d^icheil ; 
Tha  Tearlach  a'  tighinn  le  cabhlaeh  garbh,  treun, 
A  bheir  air  na  beistibh  adbhansa  ! 

'S  ged  tha  sibh  gun  airm,  gun  aodach,  gun  spreidh, 
Gu  faigh  sibh  bhuaith'  fhein  gach  aon  se6rsa, 
A  dh'  fheumas  'ur  cuirp  's  'ur  n-anam  gu  feum, 
Gus  an  dean  sibh  a'  bh6ist  ud  fh6gradh ! 

FlNID. 

{To  be  continued.) 


THROUGH  WESTEEN  WINDOWS 

SOME  CELTIC  DREAMS 

Lauchlan  Maclean  Watt 

The  influence  of  landscape  on  the  mind  has  much  to  do  with 
the  complexion  which  the  superstitions  of  a  people  take  upon 
them, — the  histories  and  struggles  of  a  race  fill  up  the  blank, 
and  the  natural  readiness  of  the  soul  to  seek  for  and  accept 
any  explanation  for  events  and  appearances  completes  the 
picture.  But,  foolish  though  many  of  the  old  things  seem  to 
us,  they  would  all  be  found,  I  believe,  to  have  an  actual 
origin  in  some  fact,  obscure,  overgrown,  and  forgotten  now, 
yet  having  once  a  real  moulding  influence  on  human  life  long 
ago  in  the  mists. 

The  Celt  was  especially  sad  over  the  terrible  superstition 
which  made  death  in  childhood,  occurring  before  baptism,  a 
thing  of  fear  even  till  this  day.     The  little  ghosts  were  sup- 


THROUGH  WESTERN  WINDOWS  31 

posed  to  be  homeless  and  nameless,  and  when  the  wind  crept 
moaning  through  the  heath  at  night,  or  the  leaves  came 
scurrying  through  the  dark,  it  was  the  wandering  souls  of 
the  unchristened  seeking  the  old  paths. 

0  list  to  the  moan  of  the  wind  along  the  street,— 
How  it  sighs  by  the  eaves, 
And  whirls  the  leaves 

Like  listeners,  all  surprised ; 
Ah,  no  1  it  is  only  the  homeless  feet 

Of  the  little  ones  unbaptized. 

They  whimper  and  wail  by  the  darkened  door  of  home. 
With  sorrow  blind, 
They  cannot  find 

A  rest  in  all  the  world. 
Like  wind-blown  birds  of  the  driving  foam 
Along  the  darkness  hurled. 

0  list  to  the  cry  of  the  wind  along  the  street ! 
How  the  mothers  wake. 
And  fond  hearts  break, 

With  longings  agonised. 
For  they  hear  the  beat  of  the  homeless  feet, 
Of  their  lost  one's  unbaptized. 

Weeping  like  wearied  pilgrims  all  the  way, 
They  drift  by  the  door, 
And  Love  grows  sore, 

To  rise,  and  open  free, 
And  lo  !  there  is  only  the  night-mist  gray. 
And  the  sorrowing  of  the  sea. 

Many  a  sore  heart  was  darkened  and  broken  by  the  cruel 
thought  of  such  a  final  separation.  Such  a  superstition  was 
like  the  bitterness  of  hell. 

The  Celt,  especially,  was  always  impressed  by  the  unknown 
and  invisible,  and  his  interpretation  of  the  mysterious,  silent, 
and  weird  has  given  much  of  the  glamour  to  the  poetry  of 
England.  What  can  appeal  to  you  so  much  in  an  old  grave- 
yard as  the  quiet  feeling  of  patient  waiting  ?  Silently  you 
sit  among  the  quiet  slabs, — the  stillness  becomes  expect- 
ancy,  and   you  feel   the  Celt  was  not  far  wrong  when  he 


32  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

thought  of  the  last-buried  sitting,  waiting,  and  keeping  vigil 
till  the  next  grave  is  opened  in  the  place.  It  is  only  less 
than  a  century  since,  in  East  Aberdeenshire,  this  was  held 
as  an  article  of  belief.  The  scene  when  two  funerals  were 
approaching  a  graveyard  was  not  at  all  seemly,  each  hurrying 
to  be  in  before  the  other,  so  that  the  soul  of  the  dead  might 
have  rest.  Some  must  have  a  long  watch.  I  think  of  Inis- 
hail  in  Loch  Awe.  What  a  vigil  the  last  one  must  be  having 
there  !  Or  *  cnoc-an-aingeail,'  Loch  Alsh — there  are  not  many 
laid  to  sleep  there,  in  the  shelter  of  the  silent  hills. 

0  sweet 's  the  dark,  till  dawning  fair 

Bid  all  the  stars  grow  pale. 
But  are  you  not  weary  waiting  there, 

0  watcher  of  Inishail  1 

Last  of  the  dead  in  the  grasses  laid, 

What  shades  come  wandering  by, 
Where  the  low,  green  graves  beside  the  waves. 

In  deepening  slumber  lie  ? 

And  while  you  wait,  thro'  the  crumbling  gate 

Comes  Love  with  softened  tread, 
And  looks  in  your  face  with  the  saddening  grace 

Of  glad  days  long  since  dead. 

Around  your  feet  the  fair  and  brave 

Sleep  softly  evermore, 
And  through  your  dreams  the  whispering  wave 

Sings  old  songs  on  the  shore. 

Does  the  dim  place  fill,  as  night  grows  still. 

Do  the  sorrows  of  those  that  sleep 
Awake  to  be  in  the  dark  by  thee. 

And  with  thee  vigil  keep  ] 

What  do  the  sighing  waters  sing, 

As  they  tremble  along  the  strand  1 
What  messages  do  the  soft  winds  bring. 

Blown  from  the  silent  land  ? 

Tired  are  many  by  life's  sad  gate. 

Where  hopes  and  dreams  grow  pale. 
Not  you  alone,  by  low  graves  wait — 

O  watcher  of  Inishail. 


THROUGH  WESTERN  WINDOWS  33 

Then  the  other  old  Celtic  idea  of  the  *  Islands  of  the 
Dead '  is  full  of  the  deepest  pathos  and  poetry.  Away  over 
the  waters,  beyond  the  mist,  out  from  the  bay,  lay  the  islands 
where  the  souls  of  dead  men  passed  when  they  were  done 
with  the  body  here.  The  land  lay  fair  and  still,  and  the 
waters  were  placid  and  restful  as  a  slumber-song — and  none 
of  the  mists  and  the  sorrows  trailed  over  those  souls  liberated, 
dwelling  there.  And  often  the  voices  on  the  low,  dim,  misty 
shore  called  the  boatmen,  and  made  them  ferry  shades  unseen 
across  the  Dead  Man's  Ferry  to  the  Islands  of  the  Blessed, 
out  beyond  earth's  sorrow,  under  the  still  night  skies. 

Hark,  how  the  lapping  waves  are  falling, 

Falling,  falling,  with  never  a  rest, 
And  the  night  is  full  of  voices  calling. 

Calling  over  the  ocean's  breast. 

Nay,  'tis  the  voice  of  the  seabirds  crying. 

Wearily,  drearily,  thro'  the  night. 
And  the  waves  and  the  winds  with  sleepless  sighing, 

Yearn  for  the  glimmer  of  morning's  light. 

Never  a  seabird  moaned  so  sadly. 

Never  a  sea-wind  wailed  so  deep, 
Rise  and  follow  the  dead  folks'  holloa — 

Ferry  them  over  to  Islands  of  Sleep. 

We  rise  and  go  forth  while  the  world  is  sleeping, 

We  push  the  boat  from  the  weary  land ; 
But  I  hear  by  my  side  a  voice  of  weeping. 

And  a  tear  falls  cold  on  my  toiling  hand. 

And  the  winds  are  hushed,  not  a  wave  is  crooning. 
And  there 's  never  a  light  in  the  heaven  o'erhead, 

And  the  waters  with  wonder  are  dimly  swooning, 
As  we  silently  ferry  the  souls  of  the  dead. 

Dim  as  a  dream  they  rise  before  us — 

Islands  of  stillness,  out  in  the  night ; 
And  awe,  like  the  awe  of  the  grave,  steals  o'er  us, 

As  we  draw  to  the  shore  and  the  boat  grows  light. 

But  who  is  it,  passing  me,  bends  above  me. 
And  lays  on  my  brow  a  long,  sorrowing  kiss  1 

Oh,  who  now  is  wailing  that  seems  to  love  me. 

Whose  face  when  dawn  wakens  from  earth  I  '11  miss  1 
VOL.  V.  C 


34-  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

0  thou  far  away,  whom  I  left  on  my  pillow, 

When  the  fire  burned  low,  and  the  dark  was  deep, 

0  heart  of  me,  say,  when  night  lay  on  the  billow, 
Did  I  ferry  you  over  to  Islands  of  Sleep  1 

Life  and  love,  sorrow  and  hope,  and  their  chances,  made 
the  darkness  and  the  mystery  full  of  dreams  like  these.  All 
the  sounds  of  Nature  had  a  meaning  and  a  portent  for  the 
Celt.  When  spring  came,  and  you  heard  the  cuckoo's  call,' it 
was  a  long  journey  that  lay  before  you  in  the  way  you  were 
then  looking  towards. 

Did  the  cuckoo's  call  ring  o'er  us, 

O  brothers  mine,  most  dear — 
Were  we  gazing  all  before  us. 

And  we  did  not  hear] 

For  there 's  you  across  the  ocean, 

And  myself  must  wait  and  weep. 
And  there 's  you  in  quiet  slumber, 

Where  the  grass  grows  deep. 

Sure  there  was  a  white  ship  sailing, 

Out  across  the  sunny  bay ; 
We  could  hear  faint  voices  hailing. 

Where  we  stood  that  day. 

When  the  bird  of  spring  was  crying, 

You  were  looking  to  the  West, 
Where  the  dear  old  dead  were  lying. 

In  the  glens  at  rest. 

And  myself — what  was  I  dreaming. 

That  I  now  am  left  the  last. 
Of  the  three  who  heard  Spring  calling. 

In  the  day  long  past  ? 

This  lay  at  the  root  of  the  matter — reminiscence,  the 
power  of  the  Gael,  for  above  all  men  does  his  glance  lie  over 
his  shoulder.  The  glamour  and  wonder  of  Celtic  poesy  are 
from  dreams  like  these,  till  lonely  places  rise  before  him  in 
crowded  towns,  with  music  of  waters  crooning  on  shores 
remote. 

It 's  back  then,  back — no  matter  where  we  be. 

Till  the  soul  beholds  the  low,  long  shore,  and  hears  the  Western  Sea. 


I 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITERATUEE  "S5 

I  will  plat  a  roof  of  rashes 
For  the  low  place  of  my  sleeping, 
Where  the  wistful  water  plashes, 
Crooning,  croodling,  laughing,  weeping; 
And  the  winds  from  Cruachan  sweeping, 

Join  their  gladness  and  their  wail. 
Till  the  angels'  glory  blinds  me, 
And  the  long  sleep  comes  and  finds  me, 
In  the  tangled  grasses  finds  me, 

By  the  graves  of  Inishail. 

It  is  not  easy  to  get  away  from  these  things,  if  the  music 
of  the  West  be  in  your  blood. 

Far  away  in  the  mountains — far  where  the  fathers  lie, 

Who  shall  blame  us  if  ever  our  hearts  must  roam, 

Hearing  in  towns  the  song  of  the  waves  that  wash  on  the  shores  of  Skye — 

Far  away,  where  the  West  is  waiting  her  children  turning  home  ! 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITERATURE 

Arthur  Hughes 

[Continued  from  vol.  iv.  p.  313) 

The  whole  of  this  poetry,  except  perhaps  a  few  imperfect 
stanzas,  and  words  in  stanzas,  has,  like  the  Laws,  come  down 
to  us  in  the  Welsh  of  a  period  later  than  that  in  which  it 
claims  to  have  been  originally  composed.  It  may  be  that  it 
is  mostly  the  work  of  this  later  period — the  mediaeval — while 
it  is  also  possible  that  in  a  different  form  a  good  deal  of  it, 
and  certainly  some  of  the  basis  of  it,  may  have  come  down 
from  an  early  period,  being  recast  from  time  to  time  in  the 
current  Welsh  by  editors  who  wished  to  try  and  render  it 
intelligible  to  their  own  day.  The  stanzas  mentioned  as  ex- 
ceptions to  this  rule  of  editing  show  that  the  art  of  poetry 
exemplified  in  the  compositions  which  have  survived  to  us 
must  be  far  older  than  the  twelfth  century.  These  obscure 
stanzas  have  been  printed  and  translated  several  times. 
They  are  contained  in  the  luuencus  Codex  at  Cambridge,  and 


36  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

are  in  the  script  of  the  Glosses  of  the  ninth  century,  the 
spelling  being  perhaps  that  in  use  a  little  earlier.  The 
easiest  of  them,  which  must  suffice  here  as  an  example,  runs 
thus  in  the  spelling  of  the  manuscript : — 

*  Ni  canu  ni  guardam  ni  cusam — henoid 

Get  iben  med  nouel 
Mi  am  franc  dam  an  pat  el.' 

(*  I  will  not  sing,  I  will  not  laugh,  I  will  not  sleep  to-night,  though  we 
should  drink  new  mead,  I  and  my  frank  around  our  pan.') 

In  modern  Welsh  spelling  : — 

*  Ni  chanaf,  ni  chwarddaf ,  ni  chysgaf — heno 

Cyd  yfem  fedd  neuell. 
Mi  a'm  ffranc  am  ein  padell.' 

What  it  refers  to  must  be  left  to  conjecture. 

Aneirin. 

The  most  famous  poem  of  our  period  is  the  *  Gododin/ 
attributed  to  Aneirin  Gwawdrydd  or  *  Aneirin  of  the  Flowing 
Song.'  It  is  an  heroic  poem,  which  has  to  do  with  the  battle 
of  Catraeth — a  place  unknown,  but  somewhere  in  the 
southern  half  of  Scotland — and  the  incidents  connected 
therewith,  purposing  to  relate,  apparently,  the  adventures  of 
the  Uotadini^  or  Guotodin,  a  tribe  of  Brythons  or  Welsh 
who  occupied  territory  on  the  East  Coast,  south  of  the  Firth 
of  Forth.  Turner  describes  this  poem  as  so  many  *  poetic 
memoranda  of  a  disastrous  conflict,  penned  by  a  friend  who 
had  witnessed  its  events,  in  all  the  confusion  in  which  they 
had  occurred,'  rather  *than  a  well- conceived  and  artfully- 
arranged  series  of  individual  conflicts  like  the  poems  of 
Homer.'  In  its  original  form,  part  at  least  of  it  probably 
reaches  a  good  way  back,  a  nucleus  possibly  even  to  the 
sixth  century,  to  which  time,  in  common  with  other  poems, 

1  If  'Gododin'  is  derived  from  Uotadini  it  should  be  written  Gododdin  in 
modem  Welsh,  or  Godothin  in  English,  the  th  sounded  as  in  thee.  Both  d  and  dd 
are  written  d  in  mediaeval  Welsh  MSS. ;  the  proper  sound  has  to  be  guessed. 
Hence  arises  confusion. 


I 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITERATURE  37 

it  is  referred  by  tradition.  This  is  rendered  more  likely 
when  we  remember  that  the  sixth  century  was  just  such  a 
time  as  would  favour  an  outburst  of  national  literature — a 
stirring  time  of  war  against  the  encroaching  Saxons,  when 
Welshmen  banded  together  for  defence,  and  first  began  to 
call  themselves  by  the  name  '  Cymry '  or  Compatriots.  In 
any  case,  whatever  the  date  of  composition  of  the  *  Gododin,' 
it  must  have  been  before  the  twelfth  century.  *  Its  language 
retains  ancient  forms  of  words  which,  by  comparison  with 
the  Glosses,  carry  us  back  to  the  ninth  century.  But 
whether  the  poem,  as  a  whole,  is  a  mediaeval  version  of  a 
really  old  composition,  or  partly  old,  partly  altered,  and 
partly  added  to,  is  a  subject  too  debatable,  and  too  full  of 
pitfalls  to  be  pursued  here.  All  that  can  be  said  with  safety 
is  that  the  composition  is  decidedly  older  than  the  manu- 
script, and  that  the  meaning  is  often  uncertain,  not  to  say 
elusive.'  ^  In  fact,  both  the  bard  himself  and  his  subject  are 
extremely  shadowy  ;  but  apparently,  in  addition  to  what  has 
been  mentioned,  he  is  trying  to  tell  us  that  the  Welsh  of  the 
North  lost  the  battle  through  having  the  previous  night 
indulged  too  freely  in  the  '  new  mead '  we  heard  about  just 
now,  and  mourns 

*  The  souls  of  mighty  chiefs  untimely  slain,' 

as  Pope  has  it,  so  that  the  poem  becomes  one  long  elegy. 
Still,  one  wishes  that  Aneirin  of  the  Flowing  Song  had  him- 
self indulged  less  in  that  which  '  maketh  glad  the  heart  of 
man ' ;  he  might  then  have  been  able  to  express  himself 
somewhat  more  clearly.  In  justice,  however,  it  should  be 
said  that  scientific  study  of  the  old  Welsh  poetry — or  indeed 
of  anything  Welsh — is  only  beginning ;  we  have  not  yet  had 
the  chance  of  understanding  it.  *  The  concentrated  force, 
the  vigour,  the  brevity,  and  the  rushing  impetuosity  of  a 
warlike  poem  like  the  "  Gododin  "  can  scarcely  appeal  to  the 
reader  until  the  difficulties  of  the  language  and  the  subject- 
matter  have  been  cleared  up.'  ^     Hitherto  this  has  not  by  any 

1  Dr.  Gwenogvryn  Evans.  *  Professor  Anwyl. 


38  THE  CELTIC  EEYIEW 

means  been  done;  and  some  of  what  has  been  done  tends 
rather  to  darkness  than  to  light — indeed,  perhaps,  there  is 
little  in  literature  about  which  so  much  nonsense  has  been 
talked  as  the  older  Welsh  poetry. 

Texts  and  translations  of  the  *  Gododin '  will  be  found  in 
the  Myvyrian  Archaiology  of  Wales,  and  the  editions  of  the 
Rev.  John  Williams  (ab  Ithel),  Skene's  Four  Ancient  Boohs 
of  Wales,  Stephens's  work  (Cymmrodorion  Society,  1888), 
and  Dr.  Gwenogvryn  Evans's  Autotype  Facsimile  (Oxford, 
1900).  The  *  Gododin '  poems  are  contained  in  the  '  Book  of 
Aneirin,'  a  manuscript  written  about  1250,  now  in  the  Free 
Library  at  Cardiff. 

The  opening  lines  describe  a  warrior  youth  whose  might 
was  in  advance  of  his  years — '  greddf  gwr  oedd  gwas  ' — '  of 
a  man's  disposition  was  the  youth,'  reminding  us  of  Vergil's 

'  pulcher  lulus 
Ante  annos  animumque  gerens  curamque  uirilem.' 

(*  Fair  lulus,  who  had  a  soul  beyond  his  years,  and  the  thoughts  of  a 
man.') 

*  Beneath  the  thigh  of  the  majestic  youth,'  says  our 
poem,  '  were  steeds  fleet  and  thick -maned  ' : — 

*  Ysgwyd  ysgaf n  llydan 
Ar  bedrain  main  fuan, 
Cleddyfawr  glas  glan, 
Ethy  aur  a  phan,' 

(*0n  the  flank  of  the  slender-swift  steed  swung  a  broad,  light  shield. 
With  bright  blue  sword  the  warrior  rode,  with  golden  spur  and  ermine.') 

These  lines  have  been  put  into  English  verse  : — 

*  Of  years  though  brief,  the  youthful  chief 
Was  nerved  and  armed  for  manly  deed ; 
And  for  the  field,  his  broad,  light  shield 
Hung  on  his  swift  and  slender  steed. 
Oh  !  he  was  graceful  to  behold. 
With  bright  blue  sword  and  spurs  of  gold.' 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITERATUEE  39 

Then  comes  the  valour  and  the  glory  of  the  champions, 
while  here  and  there  leaks  out  the  cause  of  defeat : — 

*  Gwjr  a  aeth  Gatraeth  oedd  ffraeth  eu  Uu, 
Glasfedd  eu  hancwyn  a'u  gwenwyn  f u ; 
Trichant  trwy  beiriant  yn  catau, 
A  gwedi  elwch  tawelwch  fu.' 

(*  The  men  who  went  to  Catraeth  were  an  eager  host ;  the  blue  mead  was 
their  feast,  and  also  their  bane.  Three  hundred  with  weapons  went  forth 
to  the  war ;  but  after  joyful  mirth  there  was  silence.') 

Two  are  next  named  as  having  made  too  free  with  the 
mead  horn : — 

'  Bu  tru  o  dynghedfen  angen  gywir 
A  dyngwyd  i  Dudf wlch  a  Chyf wlch  Hir ; 
Cyd  yfen  fedd  gloyw  wrth  leu  babir, 
Cyd  fai  da  ei  flas,  ei  gas  bu  hir.' 

('  Sad  was  the  fate  of  just  necessity 
Decreed  to  Tudfwlch  and  Cyfwlch  the  Tall ; 
Though  they  drank  bright  mead  by  lighted  rushes, 
Though  its  taste  was  good,  its  eyil  stayed  long.') 

And  so  we  hurry  forward  into  the  fight ;  fiery  descriptions, 
now  of  conflicts,  now  of  chieftains  : — 

'  Ehagorai,  tyllai  trwy  fyddinawr, 
Cwyddai  bum  pymwnt  rhag  ei  lafnawr  ; 
Rhufawn  Hir  ef  roddai  aur  i  allawr, 
A  ched  a  choelfain  cain  i  gerddawr.' 

('He  would  rush  forward,  he  would  bore  his  way  through  the  host;  a 
myriad  fell  before  his  blade.  Roman  the  Tall  was  he,  who  gave  gold  to  the 
altar,  and  gifts  and  fair  rewards  to  the  minstrel.') 

Now  and  then  we  have  a  touch  of  pathos  : — 
*Llawer  mam  a'  i  deigr  ar  ei  hamrant.' 
('  Many  a  mother  with  her  tear  upon  her  eyelid.') 

Later  we  are  told  how  the  bard  was  saved  from  prison  by 
a  friend,  Ceneu,  the  son  of  Llywarch — perhaps  Llywarch  H^n, 


40  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Aneirin's  fellow-bard.      '  Gorfoled  Gogledd  g^r  a'  i  gorug/ 
says  he,  *  Let  the  North  give  praise  to  the  man  who  did  it ' : — - 

*  O  nerth  ei  gleddyf  claer  e'm  hamug, 
0  garchar  anwar  daear  e'  m  dug, 
0  gy^e  angeu,  o  angar  dud, 
Ceneu  fab  Llywarch,  ddihafarch  ddrud.* 

('  By  the  strength  of  his  own  bright  sword  he  saved  me, 
From  the  cruel  prison  of  earth  he  brought  me ; 
From  the  place  of  death,  from  a  hostile  horde, 
Ceneu  fab  Llywarch,  undaunted  lord.') 

Cynon  *  of  the  gentle  breast/  too,  was  there,  a  mighty 
warrior  in  his  day  : — 

'  Ef  lladdai  oswydd  ^  llafn  llymaf, 
Mai  brwyn  yd  gwyddynt  rhag  ei  adaf.' 

('He  smote  enemies  with  the  keenest  blade;  like  rushes  they  fell  before 
his  hand.') 

And  him  the  bard  can  hardly  praise  sufficiently  : — 

*  Mab  Clydno  glod  hir,  canaf — i  ti 
O'r  clod  heb  6v  heb  eithaf.' 

('Son  of  Clydno  of  enduring  fame,  I  will  sing  to  thee  praise  without 
limit,  without  bounds.') 

Parts  of  the  '  Gododin '  have  been  paraphrased  by  Thomas 
Gray : — 

*  To  Catraeth's  vale  in  glittering  row 
Twice  two  hundred  warriors  go. 
Flushed  with  mirth  and  hope  they  burn, 
But  none  from  Catraeth's  vale  return 
Save  Aeron  brave  and  Conan  strong 
(Bursting  through  the  bloody  throng), 
And  I,  the  meanest  of  them  all, 
That  live  to  weep  and  sing  their  fall.' 


Llywarch  Hen. 

The  works  of  Llywarch  H^n  are  full  of  pathos.     A  stern 
old  warrior,  he  chafes  against  his  old  age,  and  mourns  his  sons 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITERATUKE  41 

fallen  in  battle  and  the  chieftains  of  the  day,  singing  sadly  of 
winter  and  the  storm,  and  his  own  long  lost  youth.  Of  all 
the  early  Welsh  poets  it  is  to  the  song  of  Llywarch  Hen, 
perhaps,  that  the  modern  reader  feels  he  can  respond  most 
readily.  *  His  chief  power  lies  in  pathetic  lamentation,  and 
his  elegies  have  many  fine  sentiments.'^  *  It  is  not  the 
sentimental  and  lachrymose  melancholy  supposed  by  some  to 
be  a  peculiar  attribute  of  the  Celt  that  we  find  in  these 
poems,  but  the  deep  and  almost  fierce  lament  of  one  to  whom 
fair  weather,  youth,  health,  and  good  fortune  were  every- 
thing.'^ By  many  the  poetry  bearing  his  name  is  regarded 
as  late,  but  the  same  vein  runs  through  the  whole,  and  it  is 
evidently  the  work  of  the  same  person.  It  is  also  significant 
that  so  far  as  we  know  the  forms  of  stanza  employed — 
namely,  the  'Warrior's  Englyn'  or  *  Warrior's  Triplet,' 
appropriate  to  the  song  of  the  warrior  bard — had  become 
obsolete  by  the  twelfth  century.  But  these  poems  could 
not  have  been  composed  in  the  Old  Welsh  Period  as  they 
stand ;  if  composed  in  that  period,  they  have  been  edited, 
and  perhaps  reconstructed,  on  their  way  down  to  us. 

Texts  and  translations  of  the  works  of  Llywarch  H^n  will 
be  found  in  the  Myvyrian  Archaiology,  and  in  Skene's  Four 
Ancient  Books,  the  text  mostly  taken  from  the  *  Bed  Book  of 
Hergest,'  a  manuscript  written  in  the  last  quarter  of  the 
fourteenth  and  the  first  quarter  of  the  fifteenth  century,  now 
at  Oxford.  It  received  its  name  from  having  been  bound  in 
red,  and  from  its  former  home,  Hergest,  in  Herefordshire. 

One  of  the  best  known  of  the  elegies  attributed  to  Llywarch 
Hdn  is  that  after  his  prince,  Cynddylan,  the  seat  of  whose 
power  seems  to  have  been  at  Pen  Gwern,  or  Uriconium, 
which  was  stormed  by  the  West  Saxons  about  584,  and 
Cynddylan  slain. 

*  Stafell  Gynddylan  ys  ty wyll — heno, 

Heb  dan,  heb  wely ; 
Wylaf  wers,  tawaf  wedy. 

1  Thomas  Stephens.  "  Professor  Lewis  Jones. 


42  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

*  Stafell  Gynddylan  ys  tywyll — heno, 

Heb  dan,  heb  gerddau  ; 
Dygystudd  deurudd  dagran. 

'  Stafell  Gynddylan  a'm  gwan — ei  gweled, 

Heb  doed,  heb  d4n  ; 
Marw  fy  nglyw,  byw  fy  hunan. 

*  Stafell  Gynddylan  neud  athwyd — heb  wedd, 

Mae  ym  medd  dy  ysgwyd ; 
Hyd  tra  fu,  ni  bu  doll  glwyd.' 

('  The  Hall  of  Gynddylan  is  dark  to-night,  without  fire,  without  bed  ;  I 
shall  weep  a  while,  I  shall  then  be  silent. 

'  The  Hall  of  Gynddylan  is  dark  to-night,  without  fire,  without  songs ; 
tears  afflict  the  cheeks. 

'  The  Hall  of  Gynddylan  pierces  me  to  see  it,  without  roof,  without  fire ; 
dead  is  my  chief,  myself  alive. 

'The  Hall  of  Gynddylan,  thou  art  become  without  form,  thy  shield  is  in 
the  grave ;  while  he  was,  he  was  no  broken  shelter.') 

Part  of  this  elegy  has  been  put  into  English  verse  by 
Mrs.  Hemans  : — 

'  The  Hall  of  Gynddylan  is  gloomy  to-night ; 
I  weep,  for  the  grave  has  extinguished  its  light ; 
The  beam  of  the  lamp  from  its  summit  is  o'er. 
The  blaze  of  its  hearth  shall  give  welcome  no  more.' 

And  by  Mr.  Ernest  Ehys  :~ 

*  The  Hall  of  Gynddylan 's  dark  to-night. 
The  hearth  is  cold  that  burnt  so  bright, 
My  tears  fall  down  in  the  ashes  white. 

*  Ah,  Hall  of  Gynddylan,  it  pierces  me. 
Where  once  was  thy  hearth's  warm  courtesy, 
To-night  thy  sombre  walls  to  see.' 

Another  well-known  poem  of  Lly warch's  is  his  '  Song  to 
his  Old  Age  and  to  his  Sons  ' : — 

'  Y  mae  henaint  yn  cym^^^edd — a  mi 
O'm  gwallt  i'm  dannedd, 
A'r  cloyn  a  gerynt  y  gwragedd. 

'  Fy  mhedwar  prif  gas  ermoed 
Ymgyferfyddynt  yn  unoed. 
Pas  a  henaint,  haint  a  hoed. 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITERATUEE  43 

'  Wyf  hen,  wyf  unig,  wyf  anelwig — oer, 

Gwedi  gwely  ceinmyg ; 
Wyf  truan,  wyf  tri  dyblyg. 

'  Wyf  tri  dyblyg  hen,  wyf  anwadal — ddrud, 

Wyf  ehud,  wyf  an  war ; 
Y  sawl  a'm  carodd  ni'm  c^r. 

*  Truan  o  dynged  a  dyngwyd — i  Ly warch 
Er  y  nos  y'  i  ganed, — 
Hir  gnif  heb  esgor  lludded.' 

('Old  age  is  making  sport  of  me,  from  my  hair  to  my  teeth,  and  my 
eyes,  which  the  women  loved. 

'  The  four  things  I  have  all  my  life  most  hated  have  met  together  with 
one  accord, — coughing  and  old  age,  sickness  and  sorrow. 

*  I  am  old,  I  am  lonely,  I  am  without  shape,  and  cold,  after  the  sump- 
tuous bed  of  honour ;  I  am  miserable,  I  am  triply  bent. 

'  I  am  a  triply  bent  old  man,  I  am  a  fickle  proud  one,  I  am  foolish,  I  am 
peevish ;  those  that  loved  me  love  me  not. 

*  Miserable  has  been  the  fate  decreed  to  Llywarch,  since  the  night  that 
he  was  born — endless  toil,  with  no  deliverance  from  his  weariness.') 

Some  of  these  verses  have  been  paraphrased  by  Mrs. 
Hemans  : — 

'  Yet,  yet  I  live  on,  though  forsaken  and  weeping ; 
O  grave,  why  refuse  to  the  aged  thy  bed. 
When  valour's  high  heart  on  thy  bosom  is  sleeping. 
When  youth's  glorious  flower  is  gone  down  to  the  dead  1 ' 

And  Englished  thus  by  Mr.  Ernest  Rhys  : — 

'  Old  crutch,  whose  burden  I  am  grown. 
What  of  my  youth  this  long  while  flown, — 
That  marched  with  shouldered  spear,  alone  1 

*  Alas  !  is  not  the  harvest  here. 
When  the  rush  grows  yellow,  the  bracken  sere  1 
What  I  hated  once, — the  fall  of  the  year  ! 

'  This  leaf  the  wind  drives  down  in  the  mould, — 
(Woe,  woe  to  the  leaf,  when  the  wind  grows  cold). 
This  year  it  was  born,  this  year  it  is  old.' 

Quoting  from  this  poem  of  Llywarch's,  Matthew  Arnold 
says,  *  There  is  the  Titanism  of  the  Celt,  his  passionate,  tur- 
bulent, indomitable  reaction  against  the  despotism  of  fact/ 


44  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Though  this  is  perhaps  not  a  saying  which  applies  to  the 
Celt  in  particular,  we  shall  have  cause  to  keep  it  in  mind 
more  than  once  later  on  in  our  sketch. 

Of  all  his  four-and-twenty  sons,  Gwen  was  by  far  the 
father's  favourite.  *  Because  he  was  a  son  of  mine  he  fled 
not,'  *  because  he  was  a  son  of  mine  he  skulked  not,' — 

*  Pedwar  meib  ar  hugain  a'm  bu, 
Eurdorchog  dywysog  llu, 
Oedd  Gwen  goreu  onaddu.' 

(*Four  and  twenty  sons  had  I,  golden  torqued  leader  of  hosts;  of  them 
Gwen  was  the  best.') 

And  again  : — 

*  Gwen  was  the  best  son  of  his  father,'  '  compared  to  Gwen  they  were 
but  striplings.' 

Other  not  unknown  works  of  our  bard  are  the  Elegy  to 
Urien,  Prince  of  Eheged  : — 

*A  fydd  fyth  Urien  arall  V 
'  ('Will  there  ever  be  another  Urien'?') 

and  the  Song  or  Elegy  to  Geraint  the  son  of  Erbin  : — 

*  There  was  a  neighing  host  under  Geraint's  thigh,  long-legged  like  the 
stag,  with  the  noise  of  the  fire  on  the  desolation  of  the  mountain.' 

Taliesin. 

This,  the  last  of  our  *  primary  bards,'  has  so  many  com- 
positions over  his  name  which  are  admittedly  spurious  that  it 
wiU  be  safest  not  to  meddle  too  much  with  him  in  a  brief 
sketch  like  the  present.  Most  of  what  were  formerly  supposed 
to  be  the  works  of  Taliesin  are  now  known  to  be  productions 
of  the  mediaeval  period.  Yet  he,  like  Aneirin  and  Llywarch 
H6n,  seems  to  have  been  a  real  person,  and  if  tradition  is  to 
be  believed,  to  have  been  in  his  day  no  mean  poet — he 
is  called  'Taliesin  Ben  Beirdd,'  or  'Head  of  the  Bards.' 
Whether  this  be  true  or  not  cannot  now  be  determined,  but 
if  it  is,  then  it  is  not  difficult  to  account  for  a  large  number 
of  spurious  compositions  being  attributed  to  one  the  prestige 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITEEATUEE  45 

of  whose  name  was  so  great.  In  most  of  what  is  called 
Taliesin's  work,  however,  there  is  little  of  interest  in  a  literary- 
sense.     Urien  of  Eheged  ^  is  eulogised  : — 

*  Urien  yr  Echwydd, 
Haelaf  dyn  Bedydd.' 

(*  Urien  of  the  West,  the  most  generous  of  the  men  of  Christendom.') 

And  we  are  told  of  his  deeds  against  the  English  : — 

'  Angeu  a  gawsant 
A  mynych  goddiant, 
Heb  gaffel  gwared, 
Rhag  Urien  Rheged.' 

(*  Death  they  received,  and  frequent  vexation,  without  obtaining  deliver- 
ance, before  Urien  of  Rheged.') 

He  was  the  bard's  patron  : — 

*  Urien  a  gyrchaf , 
Iddo  yd  ganaf.' 

(*To  Urien  will  I  go,  to  him  will  I  sing.') 

And  in  one  of  the  several  elegies  we  are  told  that 

*  there  is  a  city  of  God  which  crumbles  not  nor  trembles,  and  blessed  is  the 
soul  that  deserves  it.' 

Taliesin,  also,  is  the  reputed  author  of  the  well-known 
lines  which  '  prophesy  *  the  fate  of  the  Cymry,  *  Their  lord 
they  will  praise,'  etc.,  but  that  is  a  uaticinium post  euentum, 
long  after  Taliesin's  days. 

The  '  Book  of  Taliesin,'  containing  most  of  these  Taliesin 
poems,  is  described  as  a  manuscript  of  the  early  part  of  the 
fourteenth  century,  and  is  now  at  Peniarth. 

Other  Bards. 

To  this  period  are  assigned  some  other  bardic  names, 
among  them  that  of  the  very  shadowy  Myrddin,  known 
outside  of  Wales  as  Merlin.  The  productions  attributed  to 
these  appear  in  the  Myvyrian,  and  Skene,  and  in  the  *  Black 

1  Where  Rheged  was  is  unknown  :  some  say  in  Scotland,  but  it  may  have  been  in 
Wales. 


46  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Book  of  Carmarthen,'  edited  by  Dr.  Gwenogvryn  Evans.  The 
'  Black  Book '  is  a  manuscript  of  poetry  belonging  to  the  middle 
of  the  twelfth  century,  and  is  now  at  Peniarth,  forming,  with 
the  prose  manuscript  of  the  Yenedotian  Version  of  the  Laws, 
the  earliest  of  our  Welsh  manuscripts.  '  No  manuscript 
appears  to  be  extant  in  Welsh  dating  before  the  Norman 
Conquest '  of  England,  *  which  among  its  other  effects  on 
Wales  brought  about  a  great  change  in  Welsh  handwriting 
and  spelling.  The  old  orthography  was  discontinued,  and 
another  introduced  more  in  harmony  with  English  and 
French  ideas ;  it  had  also  the  advantage  of  being  more 
nearly  phonetic  than  the  old  historical  spelling  which  was 
displaced  by  it.' 

Here  and  there  in  the  *  Black  Book ' — some  of  the  contents 
of  which  belong  to  a  time  earlier  than  that  in  which  the 
manuscript  was  written — are  little  bits  of  literary  interest : — 

'  Ym  mryn,  yn  nhyno,  yn  ynysedd — m6r, 

Ymhob  £fordd  ydd  eler, 
Khag  Crist  Gwyn  nid  oes  anialedd.' 

(*  On  hill,  in  vale,  in  the  isles  of  the  sea,  whithersoever  a  man  may  go, 
there  is  no  desert  to  escape  from  Christ  the  Blessed.') 

And  the  wicked  shall  not  go 

'  Man  y  mae  meillion  a  gwlith  ar  dirion, 
Man  y  mae  cerddorion  yn  gy wair  gyson.' 

('  Where  the  clover  grows  and  the  dew  is  on  the  land,  where  the  minstrels 
are  true  and  in  harmony.') 

Close  of  the  Old  Welsh  Period. 

From  what  has  been  said  in  regard  to  the  period  we  are 
now  leaving,  it  will  be  clear  that  though  we  have  no  Welsh 
manuscript  dating  from  the  actual  period  itself,  there  is 
abundant  proof  that  at  the  close  of  the  eleventh  century  the 
Cymry  must  have  possessed  a  literature,  some  at  least  of 
which  was  old  even  then.  In  the  Laws  we  read  of  Legisla- 
tion in  regard  to  bards  and  minstrels ;  in  the  poems  there  is 
continual  mention  of  bards,  minstrels,  and  songs.     The  state 


A  SKETCH  OF  WELSH  LITERATURE  47 

of  society   implied    could    not  be   of  recent  growth;  some 
hundreds  of  years  must  have  been  required  for  its  develop- 
ment, and  for  the  perfecting  of  the  language  into  the  form 
in  which  we  find  it  in  the  literature  of  the  time.     *  The  bard 
had,  in  fact,  become  a  necessary  element  in  Welsh  society, 
and,  as  we  learn  from  the  Laws  of  Howel  Dda,  had  obtained 
an  eminent  social  position/     To  the  Cymry  the  bards  were 
much  what  the  prophets  were  to  the  Israelites,  and  the  poets 
and  rhapsodists  to  the  Greeks :  the  teachers  and  recorders 
of  the  nation.    They  eulogised  their  patrons,  and  sang  elegies 
after  them ;  and  in  their  care  was  the  noble  language  which 
they  perfected  so  beautifully.     There  were  three  grades   of 
bards  :  the  Pencerdd,   or  Chief  bard ;  the  Bardd  Teulu,  or 
Bard  of  the  Troops  ;  and  the  Clerwr.     The  Pencerdd  was  the 
chief  bard  of  a  district,   often  holding  the  lordship  of  that 
district.     He  had  jurisdiction  over  the  clerwyr,  and  held  the 
chair  of  authority,   which  was  contended  for :  in   his   own 
authority  he  was  independent   of  the  prince.     The   Bardd 
Teulu   was   a   court   official :   his   duties   included   those   of 
attending  the  forces  in  battle,   and  exhorting  them  to  the 
fight.     The  Clerwr  was  the  ordinary  bard  who  had  no  status. 
It  was  evidently  of  old,  as  it  still  is  among  the  Cymry, 
the  boast  of  the  bards  that  they  cultivated  their  own  native 
speech  and  national  literature.     The  Welsh  ecclesiastic  often 
wrote  in  Latin  ;    in   that  tongue,   which  later  became  the 
bane   of  Europe,   are  the  histories  of  Gildas  and  *  Nennius,' 
and  of  Asser,  the  Welsh  friend  of  Saxon  Aelfred.     But  the 
Welsh  bard  wrote  in  his  own  tongue,  and  this  gives  the  clue 
to  his  importance  and  influence  among  his  own  people. 

Lastly,  to  the  facts  briefly  summarised  here,  add 
*  intelligent  princes,  a  people  of  subtle  genius,  an  educated 
priesthood,  and  an  intimate  intercourse  with  Ireland,  the 
then  favourite  seat  of  learning,  and  some  preparation  will 
have  been  made  to  appreciate  the  facts  and  intellectual 
phenomena  which '  manifested  themselves  so  strikingly  in  the 
next  period. 

{To  he  continued,) 


48  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY 

E.  C.  Watson 

Celtic  mythology  and  its  mysteries  afford  a  very  wide  field 
for  investigation,  and  a  field  as  yet  almost  untouched ;  but 
surmise  must  play  an  important  part  in  any  account  of  such 
mythology  for  the  fragments  remaining  of  ancient  Celtic 
literature  throw  but  a  feeble  light  on  the  subject.  The 
mythology  of  the  Celt  is  in  its  very  nature  more  abstruse 
than  that  of  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Eomans  for  example. 
The  mysticism  of  the  Celt  has  obscured  the  lineaments  of  his 
ancient  beliefs.  He  has  not  committed  his  creeds  to  writing, 
nor  has  he  carved  the  image  of  his  gods  in  stone  or  wood.^ 
Indeed  one  of  the  articles  of  the  Druid  faith  was  that  nothing 
relating  to  it  should  be  written.  A  misty  veil  hangs  over 
the  deities,  good  and  bad  alike,  and  probably  much  of  what 
is  only  mediaeval  has  been  appropriated  to  mythology,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  is  certain  that  many  features  of 
ancient  and  prehistoric  mythology  appear  in  customs  and 
beliefs  continued  to  the  present  day. 

The  early  Celtic  missionaries,  *  wise  in  their  day  and 
generation,'  did  not  seek  to  eradicate  the  old  beliefs  and 
habits  of  the  people  to  leave  room  for  the  doctrines  of  Chris- 
tianity, but  grafted  the  new  cult  on  to  the  old,  making  the 
transference  of  faith  easier. 

To  this  we  owe  what  remains  to  us  of  the  old  ways  and 
customs,  and  let  the  scoffer  say  what  he  will  of  '  superstitious 
ignorance,'  he  cannot  with  truth  say  that  these  *  superstitions ' 
interfere  in  any  way  with  the  Celt's  Christianity.  For  who 
can  deny  to  the  Celt  strong  religiousness  ?  *  Pagan  or  Chris- 
tian religion,  or  both,  permeate  everything.  The  Celt  is 
synthetic  and  sympathetic,  unable  to  see  and  careless  to 
know  where  the  secular  begins  and  the  religious  ends — an 
admirable  union  of  elements  in  life,  and  for  those  who  have 
lived  it  as  truly  and  intensely  as  the  Celt  races  everywhere 

^  I  do  not  here  speak  of  the  Gaul,  who  did  carve  the  image  of  his  gods  in  stone. 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  49 

have  done,  and  none  more  truly  or  more  intensely  than  our 
own  Scottish  Highlanders.'^ 

Yet  notwithstanding  what  we  owe  to  the  leniency  of  our 
early  missionaries  comparatively  little  remains  to  us  of  the 
ancient  beliefs  and  customs  of  our  fathers.  In  some  cases  we 
have  little  more  than  the  names  of  the  deities  and  we  find 
it  difficult  to  be  certain  of  their  attributes,  as  their  cult  is 
being  gradually  forgotten  and  the  deities  and  their  attributes 
become  confused. 

The  greater  personages  of  Celtic  mythology  have  been 
treated  of  by  Rhys,  d'Arbois  de  Jubainville,  Gaidoz,  and 
others.  I  do  not  propose  to  deal  with  the  deities  written 
of  by  these  learned  gentlemen,  but  shall  confine  myself  to  the 
lesser  divinities  of  the  Highlands,  corresponding  rather  to 
nymphs,  naiads,  fauns,  and  satyrs. 

I  should  say  here  that  most  of  my  information  is  got  from 
my  father.  Some  of  the  material  I  have  used  is  taken  from 
his  Garmina  Gadelica.  I  am  also  much  indebted  to  Mr. 
Kenneth  Macleod,  whose  name  is  familiar  to  readers  of  the 
Celtic  Review, 

Water-spirits  bulk  largely  in  the  minor  mythology  of  the 
Celts.  Of  these  some  are  pleasant  in  appearance,  and  some 
more  or  less  repulsive,  but  often  with  the  power  of  changing 
their  appearance  and  pleasing  the  beholder — generally  for 
evil  purposes.  The  mermaid,  who  is  sometimes  seen  seated 
on  a  rock  combing  her  hair,  is  perhaps  hardly  to  be  classed 
among  the  divinities  of  the  Celts.  The  '  bean-nighe,'  washer 
is  widely  known.  She  is  the  nymph  who  presides  over 
those  about  to  die  and  washes  their  shrouds  on  the  edge  of 
a  lake,  the  banks  of  a  stream,  or  the  stepping-stones  of  a 
ford.  While  washing  the  shroud  the  water-nymph  sings 
the  dirge  and  bewails  the  fate  of  the  doomed.  The 
*  nigheag '  is  so  absorbed  in  her  washing  and  singing  that 
she  is  sometimes  captured.  When  this  occurs  she  will  grant 
her  captor  three  requests.  Hence  when  a  man  is  specially 
successful  in  life  it  is  said  of  him,  '  Mary !  the  man  got  the 

1  Carmina  Gadelica. 
VOL.  V.  D 


50  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

better  of  the  "  nigheag,"  and  she  gave  him  his  three  choice 
desires/ 

On  a  certain  night,  a  handsome  young  man  was  going  to 
visit  his  sweetheart  at  Houghgeary,  near  Uist,  and,  as  was  his 
usual  custom,  he  took  all  the  shortest  cuts.  When  he  was  near- 
ing  the  house,  he  saw  a  lovely  woman  whom  he  did  not  recognise. 
Immediately  he  turned  and  took  a  winding  path  amongst  the 
houses  in  order  to  avoid  her,  but  however  he  might  keep  out 
of  the  way,  she  was  always  before  him.  At  last  he  stopped, 
and  she  came  face  to  face  with  him,  and  said  she,  '  I  know 
very  well  where  you  are  going,  but  it  is  much  better  for  you 
to  turn,  the  day  will  not  come  when  you  will  marry  her. 
Before  a  year  is  out,  you  will  be  drowned,  when  it  is  half-tide 
at  Sgeir  Rois.'  Almost  before  the  words  were  out  of  her 
mouth,  she  shrieked,  and  went  to  the  stream  with  the  shroud. 
The  lad  went  on  his  way  sick  at  heart,  but,  on  thinking  over 
the  matter,  he  said  to  himself  he  need  not  be  at  all  afraid,  as 
the  washer  had  said  that  he  would  be  drowned  at  half-tide,  and 
why  should  he  not  avoid  the  place  at  that  time  1  He  thought 
no  more  about  it.  A  few  weeks  afterwards  the  lad,  with  three 
or  four  others,  went  to  a  wedding,  and  as  a  short  cut  took  to 
the  ford.  A  mist  came  on,  and  one  of  them  was  lost.  It 
need  not  be  said  that  at  that  time  it  was  half-tide  at 
Sgeir  Ilbis,  and  that  the  lost  one  was  he  who  had  seen 
the  washer. 

The  *  caoineag '  is  sometimes  confused  with  the  '  bean- 
nighe.'  The  *  caoineag,'  however,  foretells  the  death  of  and 
weeps  for  those  slain  in  battle,  and  cannot  be  approached  or 
questioned.  She  is  seldom  seen,  but  is  often  heard  in  hill 
and  glen,  or  in  the  corrie,  by  the  lake,  by  the  stream,  and  the 
waterfall.  Her  mourning  causes  much  alarm  to  wayfarers 
and  to  relatives  of  those  at  the  war.  The  sorrowful  cry  of  the 
*  caoineag '  was  much  feared  before  a  foray  or  a  battle.  It  is 
said  that  she  was  heard  for  several  niefhts  before  the  Massacre 
of  Glencoe.  This  roused  the  suspicions  of  the  people,  and 
notwithstanding  the  assurance  of  the  peace  and  friendship  of 
the  soldiery  many  of  the   people  left   the  glen,  and  thus 


I 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  51 

escaped  the  fate  of  those  who  remained.  The  following  is  a 
verse  of  a  song  current  there  : — 

'  Tha  caoineag  bheag  a  bhroin 
A  taomadh  deoir  a  sula, 
A  gul  's  a  caoidh  cor  Clann  Domhuill 
Fath  mo  leoin !  nach  d'eisd  an  cumha/ 

Little  caoineag  of  the  sorrow- 
Is  pouring  the  tears  of  her  eyes, 
Weeping  and  wailing  the  fate  of  Clan  Donald, 
Alas  my  grief !  that  ye  did  not  heed  her  cries. 

When  a  sorrowful  cry  is  heard,  and  the  question  is  asked,  *  Co 
tha  sid '?  Who  is  that  ? '  the  answer  was  often, '  Co  ach  caoin- 
eachag  bheag  a  bhroin,  Who  but  little  caoinag  of  the  sorrow/ 

*  Peallaidh '  is  a  mysterious  being,  with  long,  untidy  hair, 
haunting  streams.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  specially  uncanny, 
nor  to  have  been  of  an  interfering  disposition,  but  very  little 
can  be  learned  about  it.  At  least  one  of  its  favourite  spots 
is  now  called  after  this  mythological  personage — namely, 
Aberfeldy,  which  in  Gaelic  is  Aber  Pheallaidh,  the  confluence 
of  the  Peallaidh.  From  the  ragged,  untidy  appearance  of 
this  spirit  we  get  several  words — as  'peallach,*  *peallag,' 
*  pealltag.' 

Not  unlike  the  'peallaidh'  apparently  is  the  *  uraisg,'  which 
frequents  glens,  corries,  reedy  lakes,  and  sylvan  streams.  He 
is  represented  as  a  monster,  half  man,  half  goat,  with  ab- 
normally long  hair,  long  teeth,  and  long  claws.  He  is  not, 
however,  unfriendly  to  those  who  do  not  annoy  him  beyond 
showing  them  scenes  and  telling  them  of  events  above  and 
upon  and  below  the  world  that  fill  them  with  terror.  Strong 
men  avoided  the  haunts  of  the  '  uraisg '  at  night. 

Many  places  are  called  after  the  '  uraisg.'  In  the  Coolin 
Hills  in  Skye  there  is  a  place  called  '  Coire  nan  Uraisg,'  and 
another  adjoining  it  called  '  Bealach  nan  Uraisg.'  A  glen  in 
Kilninver,  Argyll,  is  called  '  Gleann  Uraisg.'  Many  stories 
are  told  of  the  *  uraisg'  possessing  this  glen — the  appear- 
ance, action,  and  speech  of  the  supernatural  creature  being 
graphically  described. 


52  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

So  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  the  *  each-uisge,' '  tarbh-uisge ' 
and  *  tarbh  baoidhre '  represent  the  same  imaginary  person. 
The  *  each-uisge  '  is  perhaps  the  most  widely  known  and  the 
most  strongly  individualised  of  these  supernatural  beings. 
The  stories  of  him  are  very  numerous  and  circumstantial. 
He  is  pictured  when  in  his  natural  shape  as  a  huge,  black, 
hairy  monster,  apparently  something  like  a  hippopotamus,  at 
other  times  like  a  splendid  horse  in  appearance,  but  able  at 
will  to  change  his  shape  and  become  a  most  handsome  and 
attractive  young  man — generally  for  the  purpose  of  deluding 
an  equally  attractive  young  woman  and  inducing  her  to 
accompany  him  to  his  submarine  abode.  He  resorts  to  this 
trick  especially  in  summer  and  near  the  shielings,  when 
the  women  spend  the  long  days  tending  the  cattle  and 
making  butter  and  cheese  for  winter  use,  away  from  the 
protection  of  the  men  of  their  families.  Stories  of  the  '  each- 
uisge  '  are  very  numerous,  and  there  are  few  districts  in  the 
Highlands  where  several  such  are  not  to  be  had. 

In  Eigg  the  '  each-uisge '  dwells  in  a  small,  deep  loch  near 
the  Scuir.  It  often  appears  in  the  form  of  a  handsome  young 
man,  and  has  more  than  once  succeeded  in  carrying  off  a  young 
woman.  On  one  occasion  he  appeared  as  a  strapping  young 
fellow  with  golden  hair  and  met  'Nighean  Fear  Ghrudh- 
lainn '  near  the  Scuir.  They  sat  down  and  chatted  away  for 
a  while,  but  the  sun  was  hot,  and  by-and-by  the  young  man 
fell  asleep  with  his  head  resting  on  the  girl's  knee.  While 
he  was  asleep  the  girl  had  time  to  notice  that  his  hair  was 
full  of  sand,  and  that  he  had  the  queerest  feet  she  had  ever 
seen.  Then  it  dawned  upon  her  that  she  was  being  tricked, 
and  that  her  companion  was  no  other  than  the  *  each-uisge.* 
She  wished  to  get  away,  but  he  had  her  long,  black  hair  so 
firmly  gripped  in  his  hand  that  she  could  not.  She  sat  in  a 
cold  agony,  unable  to  move,  feeling  that  her  end  was  near, 
and  thinking  of  the  terrible  stories  she  had  heard  of  young 
women  similarly  entrapped  and  carried  oflf,  and  whose  lungs 
and  hearts  were  afterwards  found  floating  on  the  loch,  indi- 
cating all  too  surely  what  their  fate  had  been.     She  did  not 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  53 

faint,  however,  nor  cry  out — Highland  girls  are  made  of 
better  stuff — but  considered  how  she  could  get  away  without 
disturbing  the  slumbers  of  her  now  much  detested  com- 
panion. Suddenly  her  eyes  fell  upon  a  very  sharp  stone, 
and,  gently  reaching  for  it,  she  patiently  cut  her  hair  free 
from  his  grasp,  cautiously  raised  his  head  from  her  knee 
and  escaped. 

On  another  occasion  the  *  each-uisge '  was  more  successful 
— he  carried  off  a  girl,  and  actually  married  her  in  his  '  talla 
fo'n  loch.'  She  lived  with  him  for  a  year  and  a  day  and  then 
managed  to  escape,  leaving  her  baby  behind.  The  *  each- 
uisge  '  found  nursing  *  gey  ill  wark,*  and  composed  a  most 
touching  lullaby  full  of  appeals  to  his  wife  to  come  back  and 
to  the  child  to  stop  its  howls  and  shrieks.  The  lullaby 
begins  *  A  Mhor,  a  Mhor,  till  ri  d'  mhacan.'  It  is  claimed 
by  several  places. 

In  many  districts  of  the  Highlands  the  *  each-uisge  '  is  not 
by  any  means  extinct.  In  many  others  the  account  of  how 
the  last  water-horse  was  killed  may  be  heard. 

In  Ireland  and  the  Isle  of  Man  the  water-horse  is  equally 
well  known,  while  the  Norse  have  also  the  *  Myks '  or 
'  Vatna  Hestr,'  river  sprite  or  water-horse,  which  is  entirely 
similar  to  the  Highland  one.  The  *  Vatna  Hestr '  is  supposed 
to  live  in  either  salt  or  fresh  water. 

The  people  of  Glen  Meay  in  Man  tell  how  the  glen  was 
haunted  by  the  spirit  of  a  man  who  had  met  the  *  CapuU 
(Cabbyl)  Ushtey,'  and,  thinking  it  was  an  ordinary  horse, 
got  upon  its  back,  when  it  ran  off  and  disappeared  into  the 
sea  and  its  rider  was  drowned. 

Campbell  of  Islay  says :  '  I  have  been  told  of  English 
sportsmen  who  went  in  pursuit  of  them,  so  circumstantial 
were  the  accounts  of  those  who  believed  they  had  seen  the 
"  each-uisge."  The  witnesses  are  so  numerous,  and  their  testi- 
mony agrees  so  well,  that  there  must  be  some  old,  deeply- 
rooted  Celtic  belief  which  clothes  every  dark  object  in  the 
dreaded  form  of  the  "  each-uisge."  .  .  .  These  tales  and  beliefs 
have  led  me  to  think  that  the  old  Celts  must  have  had  a 


54  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

destroying  water- god  to  whom  the  horse  was  sacred,  or  who 
had  the  form  of  a  horse/ 

Sea-cows  are  also  known  in  Gaelic  mythology.  They  are 
represented  as  having  red  ears,  one  or  both  of  which  are 
notched,  and  probably  are  a  tradition  of  the  old  Caledonian 
cattle. 

Several  sea-cows  came  ashore  at  Struth,  Obbe,  Harris. 
The  sea-maiden  was  tending  the  cows,  and  singing  as  she 
sent  them  back  to  the  sea  and  away  through  the  sound  of 

Harris : — 

'  Chualas  nuall  an  cuan  Canach, 
Bo  a  Tiriodh,  bo  a  Barraidh, 
Bo  a  lie,  's  bo  a  Arrain, 
'S  a  Cinntire  mhin  a  bbarraich. 

Theid  mi,  theid  mi,  theid  mi  Mhuile, 

Theid  mi  dh'  Eire  nam  fear  fuileach, 

Theid  mi  Mhanain  bheag  nan  culaidh, 

'S  theid  mi  ceum  dh'an  Fhraing  's  cha  chunnart.' 

A  low  is  heard  in  the  sea  of  Canna. 
A  cow  from  Tiree,  a  cow  from  Barra, 
A  cow  from  Islay,  a  cow  from  Arran, 
And  from  Green  Kintyre  of  birches. 

I  will  go,  I  will  go,  I  will  go  to  Mull, 
I  will  go  to  Eirin  of  the  bloody  men, 
I  will  go  to  little  Man  of  the  wherries, 
And  I  will  go  to  France  and  no  mishap. 

'  Loireag '  is  a  water-sprite  who  presides  over  the  warping, 
weaving,  waulking,  and  washing  of  the  web.  If  the  women 
omit  any  of  the  traditional  usages  and  ceremonies  of  these 
occasions  she  resents  their  neglect  in  various  ways.  If  a 
song  is  sung  twice  at  a  waulking  the  '  loireag '  will  come  and 
render  the  web  as  thin  as  before,  and  all  the  work  of  the 
women  of  no  avail.  If  a  woman  sings  out  of  tune  the 
*  loireag '  is  especially  wrathful.  A  libation  of  milk  is  given 
to  this  creature.  If  this  is  not  done  she  sucks  the  goats, 
sheep,  and  cows  of  the  townland,  placing  a  spell  upon  them 
so   that  they  cannot  move.       The   following    story   is   from 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  55 

Benbecula :  *  Benmore  was  always  eerie  because  of  the 
**  loireag  "  dwelling  there.  She  is  a  small  mite  of  womanhood, 
who  does  not  belong  to  this  world  but  to  the  world  beyond. 
She  used  to  drive  the  people  distracted  with  fear  when  I 
first  remember.  But  there  is  now  no  one  in  Benmore  whom 
she  can  frighten  unless  the  big  sheep.  She  is  a  plaintive  little 
thing  but  stubborn  and  cunning.  There  was  once  a  little 
cross  carle  in  Benmore,  and  the  '*  loireag"  was  sucking  his 
cow.  His  daughter  tried  to  drive  her  away,  but  could  not. 
So  she  went  in  and  told  her  father  that  neither  the  "  loireag  " 
nor  the  cow  heeded  her.  The  little  carle  leapt  out  at  the 
door  in  a  red  rage.  He  threw  a  boulder  at  the  "  loireag," 
but  struck  the  cow  and  nearly  killed  her.  He  then  seized 
the  point  of  the  cow's  horn  in  the  name  of  Columba,  and 
immediately  the  cow  leaped  away  from  the  "loireag,"  and  she 
leaped  away  from  the  cow.  The  "loireag"  betook  herself  to 
the  corrie  of  Coradale,  mocking  the  cross-grained  carle,  and 
singing  as  she  went : — 

*  Bhodaich  bhig  a  Bhun  a  Choire, 
Bhodaich  bhig  a  chota  ghioire, 
Bhodaich  bhig  a  Bhun  a  Bhealaich, 
Mealam  dhut  do  lamhach  ! ' 

Little  carle  of  Corrie-foot, 
Little  carle  of  the  short  coat, 
Little  carle  of  the  Foot  of  the  Pass 
Much  I  praise  your  aim. 

One  deity  at  least  we  Celts  have  borrowed  from  the 
Norse.  This  is  Eigir,  who  in  Norse  mythology  is  king  of  the 
sea,  while  in  Celtic  he  is  god  of  tides,  having  to  watch  the 
tidal  currents  and  see  that  ebb  and  flow  occur  at  the  right 
times  and  in  the  proper  way.  He  is  also  king  of  the  dwarfs 
and  of  the  misers.  The  Norse  root  of  the  word  is  ehi  fear, 
dread. 

In  some  places  Eigir  is  appropriated  to  mean  anything 
dwarfish  or  miserly  '  iasg  eigir,'  a  small  fish ;  *  iasgach 
eigir,'  a  poor  fishing  ;  *  tiodhlachd  eigir,'  a  miserly  donation. 
It  is  also  used  in  place  names  as  '  Leac  Eigir,'  '  Loch  Eigir,' 


56  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

'  Sgeir  Eigir.'  Carlyle  in  his  Heroes  and  Hero-Worship  tells 
how  when  the  Ouse  is  in  flood  the  Yorkshire  boatmen  hurry 
for  the  shore  shouting  '  Eager  is  coming,  Eager  is  coming.'  So 
also  do  the  boatmen  on  the  Severn.  The  phenomenon  which 
they  called  '  Eager/  and  represent  as  a  deity  to  be  dreaded 
is  what  is  commonly  known  as  a  'bore/  Probably  the 
*  Eager '  was  known  wherever  the  Norsemen  had  gained  a 
hold — though  its  meaning  is  now  lost  sight  of.  Some  years 
ago  the  German  Emperor  composed  a  'Hymn  to  Eigir' — 
preliminary  to  increasing  his  navy.  A  deity  called  *  Eigir '  is 
also  god  of  the  muses  in  Celtic  mythology,  but  little  is  now 
to  be  learnt  of  him. 

Fairies  are  the  most  widely  known  of  all  mythical 
creatures.  I  do  not  suppose  there  is  a  race  which  does 
not  have  fairies,  and  there  are  few  people  who  could  not  tell 
some  tale  of  them.  Many  surmises  have  been  hazarded  as 
to  the  origin  of  the  idea  of  the  existence  of  the  '  little  people  ' 
— that  which  gains  most  favour  is  that  there  really  lived  in 
these  islands  a  small  race  similar  to  the  Lapps,  and  that  the 
underground  houses  so  common  in  many  parts  of  the  country 
were  their  dwellings,  hence  the  fairy  '  bruth '  or  bower.  The 
following  tale  told  to  my  father  and  Mr.  Campbell  of  Islay 
in  Minglay,  Barra,  accounts  for  their  origin  in  another  way  : — 

*  The  Proud  Angel  fomented  a  rebellion  among  the  angels 
of  heaven  where  he  had  been  a  leading  light.  He  declared 
that  he  would  go  and  found  a  kingdom  of  his  own.  When 
going  out  at  the  door  of  heaven  the  Proud  Angel  brought 
"dealanaich  dheilgnich  agus  beithir  bheumnaich,"  prickly 
lightning  and  biting  lightning,  out  of  the  door-step  with  his 
heels.  Many  angels  followed  him — so  many  that  at  last  the 
Son  called  out,  "  Father !  Father  !  the  city  is  being  emptied!" 
whereupon  the  Father  ordered  that  the  gates  of  heaven  and 
of  hell  should  be  closed.  This  was  instantly  done ;  and 
those  who  were  in  were  in,  and  those  who  were  out  were 
out ;  while  the  hosts  who  had  left  heaven  and  had  not  reached 
hell,  flew  into  the  holes  of  the  earth  "  mar  na  famhlagan,"  like 
the  stormy  petrels. 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  57 

'  These  are  the  fairy  folks — ever  since  doomed  to  live 
under  the  ground,  and  only  permitted  to  emerge  when  and 
where  the  King  permits.  They  are  never  allowed  abroad  on 
Thursday,  that  being  Columba's  day,  nor  on  Friday,  that 
being  the  Son's  day,  nor  on  Saturday,  that  being  Mary's 
day,  nor  on  Sunday,  that  being  the  Lord's  day. 

'  Dia  eadar  mi  's  gach  siodha, 
Gach  mi-run  's  gach  druidheachas, 
An  diugh  an  Daorn  air  muir  's  air  tir, 
M'  earbs  a  Righ  nach  cluinn  iad  mi.* 

God  be  between  me  and  every  fay, 

Every  ill  wish  and  every  druidism, 

To-day  is  Thursday  on  sea  and  land, 

I  trust  in  the  King  that  they  do  not  hear  me. 

'  On  certain  nights  when  their  "  bruthain,"  bowers,  are 
open  and  their  lamps  are  lit,  and  the  song  and  the  dance 
are  moving  merrily,  the  fairies  may  be  heard  singing  light- 
heartedly  : — 

*  Cha  'n  ann  a  shiol  Adhamh  sinn, 

'S  cha  'n  Abram  ar  n-athair, 

Ach  shiol  an  ainghil  uabharaich, 

Chaidh  f  huadach  a  flathas.' 

Not  of  the  seed  of  Adam  are  we. 
And  Abraham  is  not  our  father, 
But  of  the  seed  of  the  Proud  Angel, 
Driven  forth  from  heaven. 

Fairies  and  human  beings  seem  to  have  always  been  on 
intimate  terms. 

On  a  certain  night  a  nurse  was  going  home  late,  and 
when  she  was  going  past  the  fairy  hill  near  the  township,  the 
hillocks  opened  and  she  was  drawn  in.  While  she  was  there 
some  of  the  fairies  carried  away  a  fairy  child,  and  after  a 
short  absence  returned  with  a  human  child  in  its  stead — as 
beautiful  a  child  as  ever  the  eye  of  man  saw. 

'  My  little  treasure  !  my  little  treasure  ! '  said  every  fairy 
woman  in  the  ^  sithean '  when  they  saw  the  chUd,  but  he 
would  not  look  at  any  one  till  at  last  he  saw  the  nurse,  and 


58  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

then  he  lifted  his  little  hands  towards  her  and  laughed  and 
crowed.  *  One  would  think,'  said  one  of  the  fairy  folk,  '  that 
the  child  knew  you/  *  And  indeed,'  said  the  nurse,  *  it  is  no 
wonder  if  he  does.  I  nursed  him  young  for  he  is  my  own 
grandchild — the  only  grandchild  I  have.  You  must  not  keep 
him  here.  You  must  send  him  back  where  you  got  him.' 
'  Well,'  said  those  who  had  brought  him  in,  *  we  travelled 
every  corner  in  hill  and  townland  and  we  did  not  get  one 
child  which  had  not  been  blessed  by  his  mother  before  he 
slept  but  your  own  grandson,  and  as  we  had  no  power  to 
bring  one  who  had  been  blessed  we  brought  him.  But  if  we 
had  known  that  he  was  your  grandson  we  would  not  have 
interfered  with  him,  and  without  more  ado  we  will  return 
him  at  once.'  They  did  this,  and  they  were  not  long  away 
when  they  returned  with  a  beautiful  big  cow,  on  which  they 
meant  to  feast  till  morning.  As  soon  as  she  saw  it  the  woman 
recognised  her  own  brown  Bridein,  the  only  cow  she  had.  But 
she  said  nothing  and  the  cow  was  killed  and  cooked.  When 
it  was  ready  the  nurse  got  the  best  part  of  the  shoulder  and, 
as  was  the  custom,  she  made  a  verse  about  it.  When  she  was 
done  the  fairies  said :  *  One  would  almost  think  that  you  knew 
the  cow  we  killed.'  'It  were  a  wonder  if  I  had  not,'  she 
said.  *  She  was  young  when  I  first  put  a  shackle  upon  her 
and  sent  her  to  grass  in  the  morning  and  to  the  fold  at  night. 
You  have  killed  my  only  cow.'  *  And  was  it  not  very  stupid 
of  you  not  to  tell  us  that  before  we  killed  the  cow  and  we 
would  have  returned  it,'  said  the  fairies.  '  We  searched  six 
townships  and  we  did  not  find  a  cow  without  a  charm  and  a 
blessing,  without  a  shackle  but  your  cow,  and  we  brought  it 
with  us.' 

By  way  of  compensation  the  woman  got  several  lumps  of 
gold,  and  was  sent  away  happy.  During  her  life  her  grand- 
child was  never  again  meddled  with  by  fairies,  but  on  her 
death  he  was  stolen  again. 

There  is  a  proverb — *Na  diult  lamh  sithiche,'  *Do  not 
refuse  the  hand  of  a  fairy ' — the  value  of  which  is  proved  by 
the  following  story  from  Skye.     Two  men  were  once  working 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  59 

near  a  sithean  and  between  the  heat  of  the  day  and  the  hard- 
ness of  the  work  they  were  nearly  dead  with  thirst.  Suddenly 
they  heard  a  sound  of  churning  from  the  hillock.  Said  one  of 
them,  '  I  wish  that  I  could  get  some  of  that  buttermilk  to 
drink.'  No  sooner  said  than  the  sithean  opened  and  out 
came  the  little  woman  of  the  green  kirtle  and  offered  a  drink 
of  buttermilk  to  the  man  who  had  spoken.  But  he  was 
afraid,  and  he  did  not  take  it  from  her  hand.  She  turned  to 
the  other  man  and  offered  the  drink  to  him.  He  took  it 
politely  from  her  hand  and  drank  it.  Turning  again  to  the 
first  man  she  said  :  '  Man  who  asked  a  drink  and  did  not  take 
it,  a  year  from  to-day  you  shall  not  drink  a  drop  of  either 
water  or  buttermilk.'  Then  to  the  second  man  :  *  Man  who 
did  not  ask  a  drink  and  who  took  it,  you  shall  get  from  me 
any  possession  you  choose.'  He  chose  good  seamanship  for 
himself  and  his  seed,  and  no  one  has  ever  heard  of  any  of 
them  being  drowned.  Perhaps  this  was  from  lack  of  oppor- 
tunity, for  Mr.  Macleod,  from  whom  I  got  this  tale,  adds  a 
note — '  I  lodged  with  a  descendant  of  the  lucky  man  and  he 
was  the  most  timid  seaman  I  ever  met.'  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  the  other  man  died  within  a  year. 

'"Sluagh,"  ''hosts,"  the  spirit-world.  The  "hosts"  are 
the  spirits  of  mortals  who  have  died.  There  are  many  curious 
stories  on  this  subject.  According  to  one  informant,  the 
spirits  fly  about  **  n'an  sgrioslaich  mhor,  a  sios  agus  a  suas  air 
uachdar  an  domhain  mar  na  truidean" — in  great  clouds,  up 
and  down  the  face  of  the  world  like  the  starlings,  and  come 
back  to  the  scenes  of  their  earthly  transgressions.  No  soul 
of  them  is  without  the  clouds  of  earth,  dimming  the  bright- 
ness of  the  works  of  God,  nor  can  any  win  heaven  till  satis- 
faction is  made  for  the  sins  of  earth.  In  bad  nights,  the  hosts 
shelter  themselves,  "  fo  sgath  chuiseaga  bheaga  ruadha  agus 
bhua-ghallain  bheaga  bhuidhe  " — behind  little  russet  docken 
stems  and  little  yellow  ragwort  stalks.  They  fight  battles  in 
the  air  as  men  do  on  the  earth.  They  may  be  heard  and  seen 
on  clear  frosty  nights,  advancing  and  retreating,  retreating 
and  advancing,  against  one  another.      After  a  battle  their 


60 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


crimson  blood  may  be  seen  staining  rocks  and  stones.  "  Fuil 
nan  sluagh,"  the  blood  of  the  hosts,  is  the  beautiful  red 
**  crotal "  of  the  rocks  melted  by  the  frost.  These  spirits  used 
to  kill  cats  and  dogs,  sheep  and  cattle,  with  their  unerring 
venomous  darts.  They  commanded  men  to  follow  them,  and 
men  obeyed,  having  no  alternative.' 

*  It  was  these  men  of  earth  who  slew  and  maimed  at  the 
bidding  of  their  spirit-masters,  who  in  return  ill-treated  them 
in  a  most  pitiless  manner.  "  Bhiodh  iad  ga'n  loireadh  agus 
ga*n  loineadh  agus  ga'n  luidreadh  anns  gach  lod,  lud  agus 
Ion,'' — They  would  be  rolling  and  dragging  and  trouncing 
them  in  mud  and  mire  and  pools.  "  There  is  less  faith  now, 
and  people  see  less,  for  seeing  is  of  faith.  God  grant  to  thee 
and  to  me,  my  dear,  the  faith  of  the  great  Son  of  the  lovely 
Mary."  There  are  men  to  whom  the  spirits  are  partial, 
and  who  have  been  carried  off  by  them  more  than  once.  A 
man  in  Benbecula  was  taken  up  several  times.  His  friends 
assured  me  that  night  became  a  terror  to  this  man,  and  that 
ultimately  he  would  on  no  account  cross  the  threshold  after 
dusk.  He  died,  they  said,  from  the  extreme  exhaustion  con- 
sequent on  these  excursions.  When  the  spirits  flew  past  his 
house  the  man  would  wince  as  if  undergoing  a  great  mental 
struggle,  and  fighting  against  forces  unseen  of  those  around 
him.  A  man  in  Lismore  suffered  under  precisely  similar  con- 
ditions. More  than  once  he  disappeared  mysteriously  from 
the  midst  of  his  companions,  and  as  mysteriously  reappeared 
utterly  exhausted  and  prostrate.  He  was  under  vows  not  to 
reveal  what  had  occurred  on  these  aerial  travels.' 

*  The  "  sluagh  "  are  supposed  to  come  from  the  west ;  and 
therefore,  when  a  person  is  dying,  the  door  and  the  windows 
on  the  west  side  of  the  house  are  secured  to  keep  out  the 
malicious  spirits.  In  parts  of  Ross-shire,  the  door  and  windows 
of  a  house  in  which  a  person  is  dying  are  opened,  in  order  that 
the  liberated  soul  may  escape  to  heaven.' 

Another  half  water,  half  land  sprite  is  the  'glastic,' 
*  glaisnig,  glaisric  or  glaislid,'  called  in  Man  '  glashtin.'  It  is  a 
creature  half  woman,  half  goat,  frequenting  lonely  lakes  and 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  61 

rivers.  Harmless  and  loveable  as  a  rule — especially  in  the 
older  stories,  in  a  few  of  the  later  stories  she  is  represented 
as  irritable,  and  once  at  any  rate  to  have  made  an  attempt 
on  a  man's  life. 

The  *  glaistic's '  greatest  feat  was  an  attempt  to  build  a 
bridge  across  the  Sound  of  Mull.  She  gathered  a  huge  creel- 
ful  of  stones  among  the  hills  to  the  North  of  Morven  and 
walked  down  to  the  Sound  with  her  burden.  When  near 
her  destination,  however,  the  creel-rope  snapped,  and  down 
fell  the  stones.  They  are  still  lying  there,  the  heap  being 
known  as  Carn-na-Caillich.  The  glaistic  herself  has  related 
the  incident  in  rhyme  : — 

'  An  aithne  dhuibh  Carn-na-Caillich 
Air  an  leacainn  ghlais  ud  thall  1 
'S  mise  chruinnich  sid  le  cliabh, 
A'  h-uile  spitheag  riamh  a  th'ann. 
Drochaid  a  chuir  air  Caol  Muile, 
'S  bha  i'  furasd'  a  chuir  ann. 
'S  mur  briseadh  an  iris  mhuineil 
Bha  i  nis  gun  teagamh  ann.* 

The  glaistic  was  rather  fond  of  expressing  herself  in 
rhyme.  In  Glenborrodale  where  she  usually  appeared  at 
twilight,  the  old  folk  invariably  greeted  her  with  the  remark  : 
*  An  tus'  tha  sin,  a  ghlaistid  ghlais,  a  chreutair  ? '  to  which  the 
glaistic  as  invariably  replied  : — 

*  Tha  is  bithidh  mi  'n  Innis-na-Feoraig 
Innis  nam  feadag  's  an  goireadh  an  smeorach.'^ 

On  one  occasion  she  came  to  the  Glenborrodale  shore  to 
be  ferried  across  to  the  other  side.  As  she  reached  the  boat 
was  leaving,  and  to  her  demand :  '  A  Mhic-a-Phi,  thoir 
dhomh-s'  an  t-aisig ' :  the  ferryman  replied  that  he  was  in  a 
hurry  and  could  not  possibly  put  back.  At  once  the  glaistic 
began  to  coax  him — ending  up  with  the  flattering  appeal : — 

*  A  Mhic-a-phi  nan  srol  's  nam  bratach 
Cha  'n  fhag  thu  air  a'  chladach  mi.' 

^  Innis-na-Feoraig  is  a  Glenborrodale  place-name. 


62 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


*  Fagaidh  an  trath  so,  a  ghlaistid/  said  the  ferryman,  and 
the  glaistid  swore  an  ugly  oath  ! 

On  another  occasion,  however,  the  glaistic  was  more 
successful  in  getting  the  ferry.  She  was  on  her  way  to 
Lismore  from  Morven,  and  while  crossing  Ardtornish  Bay 
saw  a  man  all  alone  in  a  boat.  She  at  once  joined  him, 
caught  an  oar,  and  shouted  out  to  him  :  *  Hiigan  oirre,  Mhic- 
Ealathaich.* 

*  Hiigan  eil'  oirre,  a  ghalathead,'  shouted  the  boatman  in 
return — and  so  they  rowed  and  shouted  all  the  way  to 
Lismore — a  pull  and  a  shout  from  the  glaistic  :  *  Htigan 
oirre,  Mhic-Ealathaich ' :  and  a  counter  pull  and  shout  from 
the  boatman  :  *  Htigan  eil'  oirre,  a  ghalathid.' 

A  pretty  feature  in  the  glaistic's  character  was  her  love 
for  children.  While  the  township  women  milked  their  cattle 
in  the  Buaile,  the  glaistic  would  play  hide-and-seek  with 
the  children.  *  A  ghlaistic  duibh  cha  bheir  thu  oirnn,'  said 
the  little  ones,  as  they  hid  behind  stones  and  bushes,  and 
then  the  glaistic  would  pretend  to  be  angry  and  would 
shower  twigs  and  daisies  on  the  imps. 

In  many  of  the  stories  the  glaistic  is  associated  with  the 
famous  pirates,  Gilleasluig  Maclain  Ghiorr  and  his  brother 
Hanald.  She  invariably  found  her  way  to  their  haunts  after 
a  successful  raid  and  claimed  a  share  of  the  spoil.  When 
asked  how  she  had  discovered  their  whereabouts  her  reply 
usually  was  :  '  Bha  mi  air  Sgiirr  Eige ' — a  phrase  which  is 
often  used  now  as  a  proverb  in  the  Western  Isles.  Once 
indeed,  the  pirate  brothers  flattered  themselves  they  had  got 
beyond  the  reach  even  of  the  glaistic.  This  was  when  they 
invaded  Barra  to  make  good  their  threat  against  the  Macneill 
chief:  '  Ge  fad  a  mach  Barraidh  ruigear  e.'  The  glaistic, 
however,  was  as  adventurous  as  themselves,  and  no  sooner 
had  Mic  Iain  Ghiorr  encamped  for  the  night  with  all  their 
booty  around  them  than  the  glaistic  suddenly  appeared  on 
the  scene  and  congratulated  them  on  the  success  of  their  raid. 
Evidently  the  lady  was  hungry  after  the  flight  across  the 
Minch,  for  she  began  at  once  to  nibble  away  at  a  carcass 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  63 

which  was  being  broiled  on  the  camp  fire.  This  so  annoyed 
Baothull  Mac  Iain  Ghiorr  that  he  struck  her  across  the 
knuckles  with  his  wand,  whereupon  the  glaistic  appealed  to 
Gilleasluig :  '  A  'Laisbig  (tradition  has  given  the  lady  a 
childish  lisp)  nach  caisg  thu  RaothuU/  The  end  of  it  all, 
however,  was  that  the  glaistic  got  her  usual  share  of  the 
booty. 

The  people  of  each  district  are  usually  able  to  give  the 
reason  why  the  glaistic  came  to  forsake  that  particular  dis- 
trict. She  had  to  leave  Glenborrodale,  it  seems,  because  of 
her  own  love  of  mischief  There  was  a  worthy  blacksmith  in 
the  place  whom  she  delighted  to  tease  and  bother  on  every 
possible  occasion.  At  last  she  took  to  hammering  away  at 
his  anvil  during  the  night,  and  thus  time  after  time  disturbed 
the  rest  of  the  whole  township.  One  night,  however,  the 
smith  managed  to  enter  the  smithy  unawares,  and  so  caught 
the  culprit.  She  had  her  'isean'  along  with  her  (the  only 
case  in  which  I  have  heard  the  *isean'  mentioned,  says  Mr. 
Macleod),  and  the  smith,  seizing  the  little  imp,  thrust  its 
right  hand  into  the  fire  and  threatened  something  worse  still 
unless  the  glaistic  swore  to  stop  all  her  mad  pranks.  This 
she  promised,  and  then  she  and  her  *isean'  disappeared  for 
good  from  Glenborrodale,  the  *isean,'  while  disappearing, 
crying  out  lustily  :  *  A  mhathair,  's  e  Logaid  a  th'ann,  's  e 
Logaid  a  th'ann.' 

The  glaistic  forsook  the  township  of  Ach-na-Creige  in 
Mull  owing  to  a  herdboy's  trick.  In  the  township  cattle-fold 
there  was  a  big  stone  with  a  round  hole  in  it,  and  into  this 
hole  the  milkmaid  poured  the  glaistic's  portion  of  the  milk 
each  evening.  In  return  for  this  the  glaistic  looked  after  the 
cattle  through  the  night — '  a'  buachailleachd  na  buaile.'  One 
evening  the  herdboy  poured  boiling  milk  into  the  hole,  with 
the  result  that  the  glaistic  got  her  tongue  burnt.  So  bitterly 
did  she  resent  this  trick  that  she  has  never  since  been  seen  at 
Ach-na-Criege.^ 

A  cup  of  tea  is   said  to  have  chased  the  glaistic  from 

^  The  glaistic  is  called  Caristiona  in  Mull. 


64 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


Morven.  One  day  she  called  at  some  house  near  Eignig  and 
the  goodwife,  anxious  to  be  as  hospitable  as  possible,  offered 
her  a  cup  of  tea.  The  glaistic  considered  the  act  a  deadly 
insult,  and  at  once  decided  to  leave  for  ever  the  tea-country. 

The  more  recent  stories  about  the  glaistic  are  rather 
unpleasant.  She  no  longer  plays  with  the  children  or  sings 
rhymes— she  has  degenerated  into  a  kind  of  female  ruffian. 
Probably  it  would  be  nearer  the  truth  to  say  that  the  change 
has  been  in  the  Highlands  rather  than  in  the  glaistic. 

The  *  gruagach '  was  a  supernatural  female  who  presided 
over  cattle,  and  took  a  kindly  interest  in  all  that  pertained 
to  them.  In  return  she  was  offered  a  libation  of  milk  when 
the  women  milked  the  cows  in  the  evening.  If  the  oblation 
were  neglected,  the  cattle,  notwithstanding  all  precautions, 
were  found  broken  loose  and  in  the  corn,  and  if  still  omitted, 
the  best  cow  in  the  fold  was  found  dead  in  the  morning. 
The  offering  was  poured  on  *  clach  na  gruagaich,'  the  *  grua- 
gach' stone.  There  is  hardly  a  district  in  the  Highlands 
which  does  not  possess  '  leac  a  gruagaich ' — a  '  gruagich '  stone, 
a  flagstone — whereon  the  milk  libation  was  poured.  All  these 
oblation  stones  are  erratic  ice  blocks.  Some  of  them  have  a 
slight  cavity  into  which  the  milk  was  poured,  others  have 
none,  the  libation  being  simply  poured  on  the  stone.  In 
making  the  oblation  the  woman  intoned  a  rune. 

*  There  is  probably  no  district  in  the  Highlands  where  the 
"  gruagach  "  could  not  be  fully  described.  A  woman  living  in 
the  remote  island  of  Heisgeir  described  her  so  graphically  and 
picturesquely  that  her  interested  listener  could  almost  see 
moving  about  in  the  silvery  light  of  the  kindly  moon  the 
"  gruagach "  with  her  tall  conical  hat,  her  rich  golden  hair 
falling  about  her  like  a  mantle  of  shimmering  gold,  while 
with  a  slight  swish  of  her  wand  she  gracefully  turned  on  her 
heel  to  admonish  an  unseen  cow.  At  intervals  he  seemed  to 
hear  her  mellow  voice  in  snatches  of  eerie  song  as  she  moved 
about  among  the  grassy  ruins  of  the  old  nunnery — all  silent 
now  of  the  holy  orisons  of  gentle  sisters.' 

'Connal'  is  represented  as   the   Celtic   Cupid   and   the 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  65 

guardian  deity  of  childhood.  His  protection  is  ever  near  the 
little  ones,  howsoever  they  may  be  in  danger.  As  illustrat- 
ing this,  it  is  told  in  Skye  that  a  child  had  got  lost  in  the 
mist  and  was  benighted  on  the  wild  moor  when  a  storm  came 
on.  But  the  good  Connal  took  the  child  by  the  hand  and 
led  him  to  safety.  A  poem  composed  to  this  protecting 
spirit  is  known  in  Skye,  but  I  regret  I  have  not  yet  got  the 
words. 

'  Cairbre '  is  the  name  of  the  deity  who  carried  the  souls  of 
those  slain  in  battle  to  *flathanas.'  Gaelic  usage  seems  to 
have  closely  resembled  that  of  other  countries  in  this,  as  it 
was  customary  to  place  a  wax  candle,  a  gold  coin,  a  small 
hammer,  and  a  pair  of  scales  in  the  grave  with  the  body. 
The  candle  was  to  light  the  pilgrim  across  the  dark  river  of 
death,  the  coin  to  pay  the  services  of  the  ferryman,  the 
hammer  to  knock  at  the  door  of  heaven,  and  the  scales  to 
weigh  the  soul,  which  last  was  done  by  St.  Michael,  while 
the  chief  of  the  nether  regions  endeavoured  to  weigh  down 
his  side  of  the  balance. 

'  Cailleach '  is  a  supernatural  or  malign  influence  dwelling 
in  dark  caves,  woods  and  corries. 

*  Cailleach  uisg,'  water- woman,  water-carlin  ;  akin  to  the 
*bean  nigh,'  'uraisg,'  'peallaidh.'  According  to  some  people, 
'  cailleach '  as  a  period  of  time  is  the  first  week  of  April,  and 
is  represented  as  a  wild  hag  with  a  venomous  temper,  hurry- 
ing about  with  a  magic  wand  in  her  withered  hand  switching 
the  grass  and  keeping  down  vegetation,  to  the  detriment  of 
man  and  beast.  When,  however,  the  grass,  upborne  by  the 
warm  sun,  the  gentle  dew  and  the  fragrant  rain,  overcomes 
the  '  cailleach,*  she  flies  into  a  terrible  temper,  and  throwing 
away  her  wand  into  the  root  of  a  whin  bush,  she  disappears 
in  a  whirling  cloud  of  angry  passion  till  the  beginning  of 
April  comes  in  again,  saying,  as  she  goes  : — 

'  Dh'  fhag  e  mhan  mi,  dh'  fhag  e  'n  ard  mi 
Dh'  fhag  e  eadar  mo  dha  lamh  mi, 
Dh'  fhag  e  bial  mi,  dh'  fhag  e  cul  mi, 
Dh'  fha  e  eadar  mo  dha  shul  mi. 
VOL.  V.  E 


66 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


Dh'  fhag  e  shios  mi,  dh'  fhag  e  shuas  mi, 
Dh'  fhag  e  eadar  mo  dha  chluas  mi, 
Dh'  fhag  e  thall  mi,  dh'  fhag  e  bhos  mi, 
Dh'  fhag  e  eadar  mo  dha  chos  mi. 

Thilg  mi  'n  slacan  druidh  donai, 
Am  bun  preis  crin  cruaidh  conuis. 
Far  nach  fas  fionn  no  foinnidh, 
Ach  fracan  froinnidh  feurach.' 

It  escaped  me  below,  it  escaped  me  above. 
It  escaped  me  between  my  two  hands, 
It  escaped  me  before,  it  escaped  me  behind, 
It  escaped  me  between  my  two  eyes. 

It  escaped  me  down,  it  escaped  me  up, 
It  escaped  me  between  my  two  ears, 
It  escaped  me  thither,  it  escaped  me  hither, 
It  escaped  me  between  my  two  feet. 

I  threw  my  druidic  evil  wand. 
Into  the  base  of  a  withered  hard  whin  bush, 
Where  shall  not  grow  '  fionn '  nor  '  fionnidh/ 
But  fragments  of  grassy  'froinnidh.' 


IS 


Faoilleach,  Faoilteach,  Foiltheachd,  wolf- month, 
the  last  month  of  winter,  from  *faol,'  wolf  During  this 
proverbially  hard  period  the  wolf,  driven  from  wood  and 
mountain,  approached  dwellings.  There  are  many  sayings 
about   this  pressing  period  of  the  year  : — 


*  Mi  Faoillich, 
Naoi  la  Gearrain, 
Seachdain  Feadaig, 
Seachdain  Caillich, 
Tri  la  Sguabaig, 
Suas  an  t-earrach  ! 


Month  of '  Faoilleach,' 
Nine  days  of  '  Gearran,' 
A  week  of  '  Feadag,' 
A  week  of  '  Cailleach,' 
Three  days  of  '  Sguabag,' 
Up  with  the  Spring  ! 


[sharp,  ravenous,  tearing  wind, 
[galloping  wind,  like  a  garron. 
[sharp,  piping  wind, 
[a  few  semi-calm  days, 
[the     soughing     blast    which 
ushers  in  the  spring. 


These  lines  personify  the  weather  under  the  names  of  animals 
and  other  figures.    Here  we  see  myths  in  the  making. 

'  Tri  la  luchar  's  an  Fhaoilleach, 
Tri  la  Faoilleach  's  an  luchar.' 

Three  days  of  Dog-days  in  Wolf-month, 
Three  days  of  Wolf-month  in  Dog-days. 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  67 

*  Thubhairt  an  Gearran  ris  an  Fhaoilleach, 
•'  C'ait,  a  ghaoil,  an  gamhuinn  bochd  1 " 
"  Fhir  a  chuir  mi  chon  an  t-saoghail, 
Chuir  mi  mhaodal  air  an  stochd." 
*'  Och  mo  leireadh,"  ors  an  Ceitein. 
"  'S  truagh  an  eirig  a  thig  ort, 
Na  'n  d'  f  huair  mise  bogadh  chluas  dheth, 
Chuir  mi  suas  e  ris  a  chnoc.'" 

The  'Gearran'  said  to  the  'Faoilleach,' 

*  Where,  love,  is  the  lean  stirk  ? ' 

*  Thou  who  didst  send  me  into  the  world, 
I  placed  his  paunch  upon  the  stake.' 

*  O !  my  grief,'  said  the  '  Ceitein,' 

*  Great  the  ransom  upon  thee, 
Had  I  at  all  got  hold  of  his  ears, 

I  would  have  sent  him  up  the  hill.' 

The  '  Gobag,'  voracious  one,  began  the  day  before  the 
*  Faoilleach,'  and  is  on  this  account  called  the  mother  of  the 
'  Faoilleach '  :— 

*  Gobag,  Gobag,  mathair  Faoillich  f  uair, 
A  mharbh  a  chaor  agus  a  chaol-uan, 
A  mharbh  a  ghobhar  ghlas  ri  dha, 
Agus  an  gamhuinn  breac  ri  aon  trath.' 

*  Gobag ! '  Gobag !  mother  of  the  Wolf-month  cold, 
That  didst  kill  the  sheep  and  the  lean  lamb. 
That  didst  kill  the  grey  goat  in  two  watches, 
And  the  speckled  stirk  in  one. 

There  were  further  several  beings  of  whom  little  or 
nothing  is  preserved  except  their  names,  such  as  '  Ceasg,'  who 
was  a  creature  of  great  beauty,  half  woman,  half  grilse,  a 
sort  of  fresh  water  mermaid,  with  long  flossy  hair. 

'  Stic '  was  a  fairy  imp  somewhat  resembling  the  Puck  of 
Shakspeare. 

'  Fuath '  frequently  occurs  in  the  tales,  and  seems  to  have 
been  rather  a  terrorising  being. 

The  *  gobhar  bacach,'  lame  goat,  was  also  rather  ill-omened. 
It  travelled  the  country,  and  lay  down  on  the  best  land 
Several  places  are  pointed  out  as  having  been  lain  upon  by 
the  '  gobhar  bacach,'  and  it  is  still  held  to  be  a  sign  that  a 
particular  croft  or  farm  is  a  good  one. 


68 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


*  Beithir '  was  a  venomous  and  destructive  creature,  who 
lived  in  dark  caves  and  corries  in  the  mountains.  '  Beithir ' 
is  the  lightning  and  also  serpent,  and  probably  the  mytho- 
logical legends  have  risen  from  the  destructive  characters  of 
the  element  and  the  beast. 

*Tacharan'  was  a  water  kelpie  of  very  diminutive  size 
even  for  a  sprite.  Several  places  are  called  after  him,  and 
many  tales  are  told. 

The  *  cu  sith,'  fairy  dog,  had  apparently  the  evil  eye,  but 
more  information  I  have  not  been  able  to  get. 

'  Frid,  fride,'  gnome,  pigmy,  elf,  rock  elfin.  The  people 
apply'  the  term  *  fride,'  and  its  derivatives  '  fridean,'  *  fri- 
deag,'  '  fridich,'  to  creatures  which  they  allege  dwell  in  the 
internal  rocks  and  in  the  innermost  parts  of  the  earth.  They 
say  that  these  gnomes  eat  and  drink  like  men,  and  that  it  is 
not  right  to  deprive  them  of  the  crumbs  that  fall  to  the 
ground.  When  crumbs  of  food  or  drops  of  milk  fall  on  the 
floor,  the  old  people  deprecate  removing  them,  saying,  '  gabh 
ealla  ris,  is  ioma  bial  feumach  tha  feitheamh  air  ' — '  let  it  be, 
many  are  the  needy  mouths  awaiting  it.'  '  Macmhuirich 
Mor '  of  Staoligearry  was  losing  his  cattle  through  *  dosgaidh,' 
mischance.  As  he  sat  on  a  rock  musing  over  his  losses  he 
heard  a  gnome  mother  singing  to  her  child : — 

'  Uist  a  lurain,  uist  a  luaidh, 
Uist  a  chuilean  nan  cas  luath, 
'D  uair  a  shuidhichear  clar  Mhicmhuirich, 
Gheobh  mo  luran  iodh  is  uachdar.' 

Hush,  thou  dearie,  hush,  thou  pet, 
Hush,  thou  darling  of  the  rapid  feet, 
When  Macvuirich's  board  is  set, 
My  darling  will  get  corn  and  cream. 

*  Macmhuirich  Mor '  went  home,  and  though  he  never  went 
into  his  kitchen  before,  he  went  in  that  day.  His  baking 
woman  was  making  bread,  and  bits  of  dough  and  grains  of 
meal  were  falling  from  her  in  the  process.  She  took  no 
notice  of  these  till  a  piece  fell  from  the  bannock  on  her  palm, 
and   then   she    stooped    down   and   lifted   it.      Macvuirich 


HIGHLAND  MYTHOLOGY  69 

noticed  her,  and  he  went  over  and  gave  her  a  tap  on  the 
back  of  the  hand  with  the  switch  he  had,  saying,  '  Gabh  ealla 
ris,  a  mhuirneag,  is  ioma  bial  feumach  tha  feitheamh  air  * — 
*  Leave  it  alone,  maiden,  many  a  needful  mouth  is  waiting 
for  it.  And  as  long  as  thou  shalt  stand  in  my  house  never 
again  remove  the  fragments  of  food  from  the  floor,  they  are 
the  rightful  dues  of  "  fridich  nan  creag,"  the  gnomes  of  the 
rocks/  And  as  long  as  Macvuirich  lived  he  went  daily  to 
the  knoll  with  an  ofiering  of  crumbs  of  bread  and  drops  of 
milk  to  the  gnomes.  Never  again  did  '  Macmhuirich  Mor ' 
lose  his  kine  or  his  sheep  or  his  horses.  *We  must  re- 
member the  smallest  of  God's  creatures  if  we  are  to  thrive  in 
this  world  below  and  to  live  in  the  world  beyond,'  and  the 
aged  narrator  had  acted  on  her  belief  throughout  her  long 
life,  though  she  had  never  once  seen  nor  heard  the  recipients 
of  her  bounty.' 

Glen  Liadail  in  South  Uist  was  much  inhabited  by 
gnomes  who,  while  friendly  to  the  people  of  the  glen, 
resented  the  intrusion  of  strangers.  It  was  necessary  for  a 
wayfarer  to  sing  a  propitiatory  song  before  entering  the 
glen.  On  one  occasion  the  young  wife  of  a  crofter  in  the  ad- 
joining glen  was  left  alone  with  her  child  when  she  felt  the 
house  becoming  oppressively  full  of  people.  She  knew  that 
these  were  the  *  fridich '  who  go  about  in  clouds  like  midges, 
but  invisible  to  mortal  eyes.  The  woman  was  sore  afraid, 
but  retaining  her  presence  of  mind,  she  sang  an  extempore 
song  in  which  she  highly  praised  the  gnomes.  They,  being 
intensely  sensitive  to  flattery,  did  no  harm  to  the  lonely 
woman  nor  to  the  helpless  child,  but  before  the  song  was 
ended,  had  left  the  house  as  silently  as  they  had  come. 

Such  is  some  of  the  minor  mythology  of  the  Highlands. 
Many  stories  might  be  added,  and  instances  of  customs  and 
ceremonies  might  be  adduced,  showing  belief  in,  and,  if  not 
always  worship,  at  least  reverence  for  the  supernatural 
creatures  with  which  the  Celts  peopled  every  corner  of  the 
land.     These  creatures  were  characteristic  of  the  country  and 


70 


THE  CELTIC  KEVIEW 


of  its  people,  and  they  took,  as  will  be  seen  even  from  this 
brief  account,  a  large  part  in  the  life  of  the  Highland  people, 
whose  minds  are  the  poorer  by  the  loss  of  their  ancient  tales 
and  customs.  Where  the  older  people  still  retain  some  faith 
in  the  beings  of  whom  their  fathers  have  told  them,  they  are 
for  the  most  part  careful  to  keep  such  to  themselves,  and  so 
avoid  laying  themselves  open  to  the  scofl&ng  of  the  younger 
generation  and  of  incomers. 


THE  CLAN  CAMERON 

Rev.  a.  Maclean  Sinclair 

The  ancestors  of  Sir  Ewen    Cameron  of  Lochiel  and  their 
approximate  dates  of  birth  were  as  follows  : — 


John,  . 
Allan,  . 
John  Dubh, 
Donald, 
Ewen, . 
Allan,  . 
Donald  Dubh, 
Ewen, . 
Donald  Dubh, 
Allan,  . 


1600.  Millony, 

1565.  Paul,    . 

1535.  Patrick, 

1500.  Martin, 

1470.  Paul,    . 

1440.  Millony, 

1410.  Gillaroth, 

1380.  Martin  Og, 

1350.  Gillacamsroin, 

1315.  Martin  Mor, 


1285. 
1255. 
1225. 
1190. 
1160. 
1125. 
1095. 
1065. 
1035. 
1000. 


In  dealing  with  a  long  list  of  names  it  is  necessary,  as  a 
general  rule,  to  allow  thirty-two  years  for  a  generation. 
Skene  has  Gillaganiorgan  in  place  of  Gillacamsroin.  As 
Gillaganiorgan  is  a  meaningless  and  unknown  name,  it  is 
clearly  a  misreading.  It  is  certain  that  there  was  a  Gilla- 
camsroin, and  it  is  altogether  probable  that  he  was  either 
the  son  and  successor  of  Martin  Mor  or  the  eldest  son  of 
Gillaroth.  As  it  was  extremely  difficult  to  read  the  MS. 
in  which  Skene  found  the  pedigree  of  the  Camerons  and  Mac- 
gillouies  msr  could  easily  be  mistaken  for  nior.  By  counting 
ni  as  m  we  find  the  same  number  of  letters  in  Gillaganiorgan 
as  in  Gillacamsroin.  In  his  first  version  of  the  genealogy 
Skene  omits  all  the  names  between  Paul  and  Mor.     In  the 


THE  CLAN  CAMERON  71 

second  version  he  gives  Gilla ,  son  of  Martin  Mor.     It  is 

in  the  third  version  that  we  find  Gillaganiorgan,  and  it  is 
given  with  a  note  of  interrogation  after  it.  It  is  evident 
then  that  the  part  of  the  name  after  Gilla  was  to  a  large 
extent  illegible. 

Gillacamsron  means  the  young  man  with  the  crooked  nose. 
It  is  possible  that  his  real  name  was  Ewen.  He  was  a  brave 
warrior,  and  in  course  of  time  came  to  be  known  among 
friends  and  foes  as  Gillacamsroin.  His  descendants  were 
proud  of  him  and  long  after  he  had  left  the  world  gladly- 
adopted  the  name  by  which  he  was  popularly  known  as  their 
surname.  Gillony  and  Millony  are  the  same  name,  and  mean 
servants  of  the  storm  or  of  the  raging  sea. 

The  Macmartins 

The  Macmartins  derived  their  name  from  Martin  Mor, 
and  were  an  older  branch  of  his  descendants  than  the 
Camerons.  They  lived  east  of  the  Lochy  and  occupied  the 
lands  of  Letterfinlay,  Invergloy,  Dochanassie,  Stronaba, 
Miccomer,  and  others.  Of  their  history  prior  to  the  year 
1400  we  know  nothing. 

In  1492  Alexander  of  Lochalsh,  Celestine  son  of  Ewen, 
and  Martin  son  of  Duncan,  appear  as  witnesses  to  a  charter 
granted  by  John,  Lord  of  the  Isles.  Martin  son  of  Duncan, 
was  undoubtedly  either  the  chief  of  the  Macmartins  or  the 
son  and  heir  of  their  chief. 

Duncan  Macmartin  was  born  probably  about  1425.  Martin, 
his  son,  had  at  least  two  children,  Duncan  and  a  daughter, 
who  became  the  wife  of  Donald  Dubh  Maclean  of  Treshnish, 
Domhnall  Dubh  s!  Chaisteil.  Duncan  son  of  Martin  was  in 
possession  of  Letterfinlay  and  the  other  Macmartin  lands  in 
1513.  He  had  two  sons,  Duncan  and  Donald,  Duncan  was 
chief  of  the  Macmartins  from  1598  to  1636.  Duncan  Og,  his 
son  and  successor,  appears  on  record  in  1642.  Duncan  Og 
had  two  sons,  Martin  Mor  and  John  Roy.  Martin  Mor  placed 
himself,  in  1663,  under  the  protection  of  Angus  of  Glengarry, 
Lord  MacDonell  and  Aros.     He  had  four  children,  Duncan, 


'n 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


Martin  Og,  Mary,  and  another  daughter  Mary  was  married 
to  Gillespick  MacDonald  of  Keppoch.  The  other  daughter 
was  married  to  John  Mor  Macsorlie  of  Glen  Nevis.  Duncan, 
son  and  successor  of  Martin,  fought  at  Mulroy  in  support  of 
Coll  of  Keppoch  in  1688,  and  fought  at  Killiecrankie  in  1689. 
He  died  without  issue,  and  was  succeeded  by  George,  son  of 
Martin  Og,  son  of  Martin  Mor.  George  died  about  1736,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son.  Captain  Cosmo  Gordon  Cameron, 
who  died  without  issue.  Captain  Cosmo  was  succeeded  by 
a  distant  relative,  George  Macmartin  Cameron.  It  was 
generally  believed  that  the  lawful  heir  was  not  George  but 
John  Cameron  in  Glenroy.  George  died  in  1829,  leaving 
three  sons,  all  of  whom  died  without  issue.  The  estate  of 
Letterfinlay  was  sold  in  1851  to  a  man  named  Baillie.  As 
the  Macmartins  have  made  Camerons  of  themselves  they 
have  ceased  to  exist  as  a  distinct  clan,  and  can  have  no  chief 
except  Lochiel.  But  they  can  have  a  chieftain,  and  should 
have  one. 

The  Camerons 

Some  of  the  descendants  of  Martin  Mor  crossed  the  Lochy 
at  an  early  period  and  settled  in  Glenlui  and  Locharkaig. 
In  course  of  time  they  became  more  numerous  than  their 
brethren  east  of  the  Lochy.  The  date  of  their  migration  we 
do  not  know.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  it  began  about 
1150.  The  new  settlers  became  divided  into  two  branches, 
the  Camerons  proper  and  the  Macgillonies.  The  former  were 
descended  from  the  eldest  son  of  Gillaroth,  and  the  latter 
from  Millony,  a  younger  son.  Some  of  the  Macgillonies 
settled  at  Invermallie  and  others  at  Strone. 

Although  the  Camerons  were  in  possession  of  Glenlui  and 
Locharkaig,  they  had  no  title  to  these  lands  either  from 
the  King  or  the  Lord  of  the  Isles.  According  to  the  Clan 
Chattan  historians  and  others,  William  Macintosh,  chief  of 
the  Macintoshes,  obtained  a  charter  of  Glenlui  and  Lochar- 
kaig from  John,  first  Lord  of  the  Isles,  in  the  year  1366. 
The  story  about  the  charter  may  or  may  not  be  true.  It  is 
certain,  however,  that  the  Macintoshes  held  in   1366  that 


THE  CLAN  CAMEEON  73 

they  had  a  legal  claim  to  the  lands  occupied  by  the  Camerons, 
and  it  is  also  certain  that  in  that  year  or  shortly  afterwards 
they  began  to  enforce  their  claim  by  the  sword.  They  never 
succeeded,  however,  in  expelling  the  Camerons  from  the  lands 
held  by  them. 

The  Macgillonies 

Allan,  son  of  Millony,  was  known  as  Ailein  MacMhaolon- 
fhaidh,  which  in  course  of  time  came  to  be  pronounced  Ailein 
MacOlonai.  The  name  as  thus  pronounced  would  become  in 
English  Allan  MacOlony.  By  the  blundering  of  some  scribe 
Allan  MacOlony  was  converted  to  Allan  MacOchtry,  a  name 
which  never  existed  among  the  Macgillonies  or  any  other 
Highland  clan. 

About  1380  the  Camerons  and  the  Macgillonies,  and 
probably  the  Macmartins  also,  made  a  raid  into  Badenoch, 
and  carried  off  all  the  cattle,  sheep,  and  horses  they  could 
find.  On  their  way  home  they  were  attacked  at  Invernahavon 
by  the  Macintoshes,  Davidsons,  and  Clan  Vuirich.  The 
battle  which  took  place  was  long  and  bloody,  and  both  sides 
lost  heavily.  The  plunderers  had  to  leave  their  booty  at 
Invernahavon,  but  their  assailants  were  not  in  a  position  to 
pursue  and  conquer  them.  The  Macgillonies  were  led  by 
their  chief,  Donald  Dubh  MacAllan.  Ewen,  son  and  successor 
of  Donald  Dubh,  may  have  witnessed  the  furious  combat  on  the 
North  Inch  of  Perth  in  1396.  He  was  in  all  probability  the 
commander  of  the  Camerons  at  the  Battle  of  Harlaw  in  1411. 
According  to  the  Ardgour  MS.,  he  was  known  as  Eoghann 
nan  Creach  or  Ewen  of  the  Forays.  He  married  a  daughter 
of  Allan  MacEanald,  second  of  Moydart,  and  by  her  had 
Donald  Dubh,  his  successor,  and  a  daughter  who  was  married 
about  1435  to  Donald  Maclean,  first  of  Ardgour,  and  had  by 
him  Ewen,  second  of  Ardgour. 

As  the  wife  of  Donald  of  Ardgour  was  one  of  my  re- 
mote grandmothers,  I  can  claim  descent  from  such  expert 
plunderers  as  the  Macleans  of  Ardgour,  the  Camerons  of 
Lochiel,  and  the  Clanranald  of  Moydart.  Yes,  they  were 
plunderers  in  the  days  when  plundering  was  fashionable,  but 


74  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

they  were  not  sly,  whining,  degraded  grafters.  If  they  took 
what  did  not  belong  to  them,  they  took  it  openly  and  risked 
their  lives  to  get  it. 

Donald  Dubh  MacEwen  supported  King  James  in  his 
attack  upon  Alexander  of  the  Isles  in  1429,  and  fought 
against  Donald  Balloch  at  Innerlochy  in  1431.  He  was^ 
married,  and  had  two  sons,  Allan  and  Ewen.  It  has  been 
stated  over  and  over  that  he  commanded  the  Camerons  at 
the  battle  of  Harlaw.  For  this  statement  there  is  no 
authority  except  the  semi -fictitious  history  of  Hugh 
MacDonald  of  Sleat.  It  is  not  true ;  at  any  rate  it  is  not  in 
agreement  with  known  facts. 

Alexander,  third  Lord  of  the  Isles,  married  Elizabeth 
Seton,  by  whom  he  had  John,  his  successor.  He  had  a 
natural  son,  named  Celestine,  or  Gillespick,  by  a  daughter 
of  Macphee  of  Glenpean.  He  had  also  a  natural  son,  named 
Hugh,  by  a  daughter  of  Patrick,  son  of  Rory,  son  of  the 
Green  Abbot.  In  1463  Celestine  received  from  his  brother 
John  a  charter  of  the  lands  of  Lochalsh,  Lochcarron  and 
Lochbroom.  Celestine  married  Fingula,  daughter  of  Lachlan 
Bronnach  Maclean  of  Duart,  and  had  by  her  Alexander, 
Fingula,  and  Margaret.  Fingula  was  married  in  1467  to 
Alexander  Sutherland  of  Dunbeath,  Margaret  was  married 
about  1472  to  Ewen,  second  son  of  Donald  Dubh,  and  by  her 
had  Celestine,  who  appears  as  a  witness  in  1492. 

Allan,  son  and  successor  of  Donald  Dubh,  married  Mariot, 
daughter  of  Angus  Macdonald,  second  of  Keppoch,  and  had 
two  sons;  Ewen,  his  heir,  and  John,  ancestor  of  the 
Camerons  of  Culchennie  and  Callart.  He  became  a  vassal  of 
Celestine  of  Lochalsh  in  1472.  Celestine  granted  him  a 
charter  of  the  lands  of  Kishorn  in  Loch  Carron,  and  also 
appointed  him  constable  of  the  Castle  of  Strome.  Im- 
mediately after  becoming  a  vassal  of  Celestine,  he  slew  John 
of  Coll,  who  was  living  at  Corpach,  seized  his  charters  and 
burnt  them.  He  was  killed  a  few  years  afterwards  in  a 
fight  with  the  Macdonalds  of  Keppoch  and  the  Mackintoshes. 
He  was  known  as  Ailein  nan  Creach,  or  Allan  of  the  Forays. 


THE  CLAN  CAMEKON  75 

He  is  described  in  the  charter  of  1472  as  Captain  of  the  Clan 
Cameron. 

Ewen,  son  and  successor  of  Allan,  received  from  Alexander 
of  Lochalsh  in  1492  a  charter  of  Lochiel  and  other  lands  in 
Lochaber.  He  fought  at  Blar  Leine  in  1544  in  support  of 
John  Muideartach,  or  at  any  rate  sent  his  followers  to  fight 
there.  He  married  Marjory,  daughter  of  Lachlan  Mackintosh 
— Lachainn  Baideanach — by  his  wife,  Catherine,  daughter  of 
Duncan  Grant  of  Freuchie,  and  had  three  sons,  Donald,  his 
heir,  Ewen  of  Erracht,  and  John  of  Kinlochiel.  He  was 
executed  at  Elgin  in  1547.  Donald,  his  eldest  son,  hand- 
fasted  in  1520  with  Agnes,  daughter  of  James  Grant  of 
Freuchie,  grandson  of  Duncan  of  Freuchie,  and  came  under 
obligation  to  marry  her  in  the  church  as  soon  as  a  dispensa- 
tion could  be  obtained  from  Home.  Donald  had  three  sons 
by  his  wife,  Ewen  Beag,  Donald  Dubh,  and  John  Dubh  of 
Drimnadaille.  He  died  before  his  father.  Ewen  Beag,  his 
eldest  son,  was  born  about  1522,  and  had,  about  1542,  by  a 
daughter  of  Macdougald  of  Dunolly,  a  natural  son  named 
Donald.  He  succeeded  his  grandfather  as  captain  of  the 
Clan  Cameron  in  1547.  He  was  slain,  probably  at  Inch- 
connel,  about  1553.  Donald,  his  natural  son,  was  a  dis- 
tinguished warrior,  and  is  known  to  the  traditional  history 
of  the  Highlands  as  Taillear  Dubh  na  Tuaighe,  or  the  Black 
Tailor  of  the  Battle-axe.  In  fact  the  man  or  boy  who  has 
never  heard  of  Taillear  Dubh  na  Tuaighe  knows  very  little 
about  the  history  of  the  Highlands,  and  nothing  at  all  about 
the  history  of  the  Camerons.  Donald  Dubh  succeeded  his 
brother  Ewen  Beag.  He  married  about  1555  Una,  daughter 
of  Hector  Mor  Maclean  of  Duart,  but  had  no  issue  by  her. 
He  obtained  in  1564  a  charter  of  Letterfinlay  and  other 
lands.  He  was  murdered  by  ambitious  relations  about  1565. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  nephew,  Allan,  son  of  John  Dubh 
of  Drunnadaille. 

Allan,  son  of  John  Dubh,  was  born  about  1565,  and  was 
taken  away  for  safety,  shortly  after  his  birth,  either  to 
Kilmun  or  to  Duart,  or,  probably,  first  to  Kilmun,  and  after- 


76 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


wards  to  Duart.  He  returned  to  Lochaber  about  1582,  but 
found  it  necessary  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  two  to  remove 
to  Appin.  He  lived  there  with  John  Stewart,  Laird  of 
Appin,  who  had  married,  as  his  second  wife,  Catherine, 
daughter  of  Hector  Mor  of  Duart.  Whilst  in  Appin  he 
married  a  daughter  of  John  Stewart  by  his  first  wife.  It 
is  not  known  who  his  mother  was.  He  fought  under  the 
Earl  of  Huntly  at  the  battle  of  Glenlivet  in  1594,  and  had 
the  pleasure  of  attacking  and  routing  the  Mackintoshes. 
He  assisted  the  Macleans  of  Duart  in  avenging  the  death 
of  Lachlan  Mor  at  the  battle  of  Benvigory  in  1598.  He 
slew,  in  1613,  twenty  of  his  principal  followers  for  having 
consented  to  become  immediate  vassals  of  the  Earl  of  Huntly 
in  lands  which  had  formerly  belonged  to  him.  He  had  by 
his  wife  John,  Donald,  Jean,  Catherine,  and  other  daughters. 
John,  his  eldest  son,  married  in  1626  Margaret,  daughter 
of  Robert  Campbell  of  Glenfalloch,  and  had  two  sons  by 
her,  Ewen  and  Allan.  Donald,  second  son  of  Allan  of 
Lochiel,  was  the  progenitor  of  the  Camerons  of  Glendessary. 
Jean,  eldest  daughter  of  Allan,  was  married  to  Ailean  Dearg, 
eldest  son  of  Donald  Macdonald  of  Glengarry,  and  had  by 
him  Angus,  who  was  created  Lord  Macdonell  and  Aros  in 
1660.  Catherine  was  married  to  Allan  Maclean  of  Ardgour, 
and  had  fourteen  children.  Allan  of  Lochiel  died  about 
1647,  and  was  succeeded  as  chief  of  the  Camerons  by  his 
grandson,  Ewen,  Eoghann  Dubh. 

Ewen,  the  famous  Sir  Ewen  Cameron  of  Lochiel,  was  one 
of  the  greatest  men  that  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  have 
ever  produced.  He  could  fight  like  a  Cameron  and  plan  like 
a  Campbell.  He  was  born  in  February  1629.  He  was 
married  three  times.  By  his  first  wife,  Mary,  daughter  of 
Sir  Donald  Macdonald  of  Sleat,  he  had  no  issue.  By  his 
second  wife,  Isabel,  daughter  of  Sir  Lachlan  Maclean  of 
Duart,  he  had  three  sons,  John,  Donald,  and  Allan.  By  his 
third  wife,  Jean,  daughter  of  Colonel  David  Barclay  of  Urie, 
he  had  one  son,  Ludovick.  He  died  in  February  1719.  He 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  John. 


THE  CLAN  CAMERON  77 

The  MacSomarlies  of  Glen-Nevis 

According  to  some  writers  the  MacSomarlies  were  a 
branch  of  the  Maclntyres.  This  view  is  clearly  erroneous. 
It  is  possible  that  the  Maclntyres  were  a  branch  of  the 
MacSomarlies,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  MacSomarlies  were 
not  a  branch  of  the  Maclntyres.  According  to  other  writers 
the  MacSomarlies  were  MacDonalds.  For  this  supposition 
there  is  not  a  particle  of  foundation.  The  MacSomarlies 
were  a  distinct  clan,  just  as  much  as  the  MacDonalds  were. 
Somarlie  or  Sorlie  is  an  anglicised  form  of  the  Gaelic  name 
Somhairle,  or  Somerled,  but  surely  we  are  not  to  assume 
that  all  the  Somerleds  in  the  Highlands  came  from  Somerled, 
thane  of  Argyll.  The  MacDonalds  are  a  good  clan,  but  they 
are  numerous  enough  already  without  handing  over  the 
MacSomarlies  to  them. 

The  pedigree  of  Donald,  chief  of  the  MacSomarlies,  is 
given  as  follows  in  the  Collectanea  de  Rehus  Alhayiicis, 
p.  56  :  Donald,  son  of  Gillespie,  son  of  Angus,  son  of  Donald, 
son  of  SorHe,  son  of  Ferchar,  son  of  Dunslave.  That  this  is 
the  pedigree  of  the  MacSomarlies  of  Glen-Nevis  may  be 
regarded  as  an  unquestionable  fact.  There  were  no  other 
MacSomarlies  or  MacSorlies  in  the  Highlands  who  possessed 
lands  of  their  own  and  constituted  a  distinct  clan. 

The  name  Somerled  means  summer  sailor — probably  a 
sailor  who  used  to  plunder  a  little  in  fine  weather.  The 
Gaelic  form  of  the  name  is  Somhairle,  which  pronounced  in 
English  becomes  either  Somarlie  or  Sorlie.  Somhairle  is  still 
a  common  name  in  Gaelic,  but  when  rendered  into  English, 
or  rather  into  Hebrew,  what  we  hear  is  not  Somerled  but 
Samuel,  a  totally  different  name. 

Somarlie,  or  Sorlie,  son  of  Ferchar,  son  of  Dunslave,  was 
the  progenitor  of  the  MacSomarlies,  or  MacSorlies,  of  Glen- 
Nevis.  He  was  known  as  Somhairle  Ruadh,  or  red-haired 
Somerled,  and  must  have  been  born  about  the  year  1225. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Donald,  who  was  succeeded  by 
his   son  Angus,   who  was   succeeded   by   his  son  Gillespie. 


78 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


Donald,  son  of  Gillespie,  was  born  about  1345,  and  was  chief 
of  the  Clan  Somarlie  about  1385. 

Somerled,  son  of  Donald,  had  two  sons,  John  and  Duncan. 
Somerled,  son  of  John,  was  born  at  least  as  early  as  1435. 
In  1456  John,  fourth  Lord  of  the  Isles,  gave  him  a  charter  of 
the  lands  of  Glen-Nevis,  with  the  office  of  toiseachdair  of  all 
the  Lochaber  lands  which  belonged  to  the  Lord  of  the 
Isles,  except  those  held  by  his  foster  child,  Lachlan  Maclean 
of  Duart. 

Somerled  had  two  sons,  John  and  Alexander.  John, 
known  as  Iain  Dileas  or  faithful  John,  succeeded  his  father 
as  chief  of  the  Clan  Somarlie.  He  died  without  issue,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  nephew,  Donald  son  of  Alexander. 
Donald  was  oppressed  by  Lochiel,  who  wanted  to  bring  the 
MacSomarlies  into  thorough  subjection  to  himself  Con- 
sequently, in  September  1552,  Donald  resigned  the  lands  of 
Glen-Nevis  into  the  Queen's  hands  as  superior.  The  lands 
were  then  given  to  the  Earl  of  Huntly,  who  granted  to 
Donald  a  new  charter  of  them.  The  Earl  of  Huntly  now 
stood  as  a  protector  to  Donald  against  Lochiel. 

Alexander,  son  and  successor  of  Donald,  had  two  sons, 
Alexander  and  Allan.  Alexander,  son  and  successor  of  Alex- 
ander, appears  on  record  in  1598.  He  was  slain  by  Allan  of 
Lochiel  in  1613.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  first  cousin, 
Alexander,  son  of  Allan.  This  Alexander  had  two  sons, 
John  Mor  and  Donald  Dubh.  John  Mor  was  chief  of  the 
Clan  Somarlie  in  1660.  *  Allan  Cameron,'  son  of  John  Mor, 
received  a  charter  of  the  lands  of  Glen-Nevis  in  1712.  As 
Allan  had  ceased  to  be  a  MacSorlie,  and  had  made  a  Cameron 
of  himself,  he  was  not  a  chief ;  he  was  only  a  chieftain  under 
Lochiel. 

Alexander,  son  of  John,  son  of  Allan,  was  laird  of  Glen- 
Nevis  in  1745.  John,  son  of  Ewen,  son  of  Alexander,  sold 
the  estate  of  Glen-Nevis  in  1851. 

When  the  Macgillonies  became  captains  of  the  Clan 
Cameron,  they  ceased  to  call  themselves  Macgillonies  and 
adopted  Cameron  as  their  surname.     As  they  were  Camerons 


SCOTTISH  GAELIC  DIALECTS  79 

by  blood,  and  as  those  who  had  for  some  time  been  calling 
themselves  Camerons  were  not  Macgillonies,  it  would  have 
been  extremely  unwise  for  them  to  try  to  force  their  own 
name  on  the  whole  clan. 

It  is  stated  in  several  works  that  the  Macgillonies  of 
Strone  fought  against  the  Camerons  at  Corpach,  when  John 
Og  of  Coll  was  slain.  There  is  no  ground  for  this  assertion. 
The  Macleans  had  been  in  possession  of  Corpach  for  several 
years.  The  Camerons  made  an  unexpected  attack  upon 
them  and  put  them  to  the  sword.  There  may  have  been 
some  fighting,  but  there  was  no  battle.  Some  of  the 
Macgillonies  of  Strone — possibly  persons  who  had  been  living 
with  John  Og  of  Coll — took  charge  of  his  son,  John  Abrach, 
a  boy  about  two  years  of  age,  and  went  with  him  to  Coll. 
They  acted  kindly  to  John  Abrach  and  his  mother — a 
daughter  of  Ewen  Maclean  of  Kingerloch — but  we  are  not 
to  assume  that  they  had  been  fighting  against  the  Mac- 
gillonies or  Camerons  of  Lochiel. 

SCOTTISH  GAELIC  DIALECTS 

Eev.  C.  M.  Robertson 

{Continued  from  vol.  iv.  p.  280) 

Assimilation 

Where  a  liquid  is  assimilated  to  a  following  liquid  or 
other  consonant,  the  preceding  vowel  if  short,  as  will  be 
exemplified  in  some  of  the  instances  to  be  quoted,  often 
becomes  long  in  pronunciation.  Thus  millse  (or  milse) 
sweeter,  where  i  is  short  and  II  long,  may  be  heard  as  mise 
in  West  Ross.  The  vowel  in  such  cases  is  not  infrequently 
marked  long  in  writing,  and  certainly  where  the  assimilated 
liquid  is  left  out  in  the  spelling  the  marking  of  this  compensa- 
tory lengthening  of  the  vowel  may  be  justified ;  but  when 
the  silenced  liquid  is  retained  in  the  spelling  it  would  seem 
better  to  leave  the  vowel  without  the  long  mark.  Thus,  to 
mark  i  long  would  be  justifiable  if  we  were  writing  mise 


80  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

(cf.  s6ise  sub)y  but  would  not  be  correct  if  we  retained  the 
liquid,  milse  or  millse.  So  also  in  such  a  case  as  mislean, 
mentioned  under  Metathesis  for  milsean,  i  is  justifiable  in 
the  former,  but  would  not  be  correct  in  the  latter. 

I 

Slender  I  or  II  often  disappears  before  s,  as  in  milse  and 
milsead,  sweeter,  in  West  Ross  mise  and  misead.  So  in  Skye 
boillsgeadh,  gleaming,  and  soillse,  brightness  ;  and  in  Suther- 
land soillse  and  the  place-name  Goillspidh,  Golspie.  Deill- 
seag  and  deiseag,  a  slap,  find  a  place  in  most  of  the 
dictionaries.  Mac  Alpine  gives  the  latter,  and  also  has  a  verb 
d&,  to  slap.  Soisich  is  more  familiar  to  him,  or  at  least  is 
used  in  a  greater  variety  of  ways  than  soillsich,  enlighten, 
while  his  sbise,  a  bolis  or  ball  of  fire  in  the  heavens,  un- 
explained by  Dr.  MacBain,  is  obviously  for  soillse.  His 
aisinn,  a  dream,  may  have  come,  not  direct  from  aisling,  but 
through  a  form  ailsing,  which  occurs,  as  we  shall  see,  in 
Kintyre,  and  so  with  ^iseach  and  eisleach,  a  crupper,  given 
by  him  as  Jura  and  mainland  forms. 

In  abhsadh,  slackening  of  a  sail,  and  abhsporag,  stomach 
of  a  cow,  both  northern  forms  apparently,  written  also 
respectively  allsadh  and  allsporag,  hh  represents  the  sound 
of  u,  and  the  explanation  of  the  forms  seems  to  be  first 
diphthongisation  of  a  into  au  before  II,  and  then  assimilation 
of  II  to  the  following  s.  Aibhsich,  exaggerate,  from  aibheis, 
boasting,  aibheis,  sea,  abyss,  the  deep  (?),  appears  also  as 
aillsich ;  but  the  latter  form  seems  to  be  due  to  the  influ- 
ence of  aillse,  a  fairy,  diminutive  creature,  pigmy,  confused 
with  aibhse,  spectre,  sprite,  apparition,  diminutive  being. 
With  MacAlpine  aibheis  has  the  meaning  of  a  place  full  of 
fairies.  Comparison  may  be  made  with  taillse,  a  spectre  or 
apparition,  the  pronunciation  in  some  parts  of  the  Highlands 
of  aillse  according  to  Armstrong ;  it  is  the  current  equi- 
valent in  Perthshire  of  taibhse,  a  ghost,  and  it  is  to  be 
accounted  for,  doubtless,  by  confusion  between  taibhse  and 
aillse. 


SCOTTISH  GAELIC  DIALECTS 


1 


n 


In  most  dialects,  if  not  in  all,  n  or  nn  is  assimilated  in 
annlan,  condiment ;  coinnle  and  coinnlean,  gen.  and  plur.  of 
coinneal,  candle ;  coinnlear,  candlestick ;  connlach,  straw ; 
crannlach,  a  teal ;  cuinnlean,  nostril ;  eunlaith,  birds ;  inn- 
leachd,  device ;  Fionnlagh,  Finlay ;  in  annrath,  distress ; 
canran,  wrangling ;  cunnradh,  bargain ;  ganradh,  gander ; 
ganraich,  noise  ;  ionraic,  upright ;  onrachd,  solitude  ;  sonraich, 
appoint ;  Eanruig,  Henry ;  in  bainnse,  gen.  of  banais, 
wedding  ;  coinnseas,  conscience  ;  innse,  gen.  of  innis,  island ; 
innseadh,  telling ;  oinnseach,  foolish  woman ;  sinnsear,  an- 
cestor ;  uinnsean,  ash-wood.  Puisean  (from  English  '  poison,' 
so  Arran,  Kintyre,  and  Perth — puision,  Armstrong) — has  ui 
nasalised  in  many  dialects,  as  North  Argyll  and  West  Ross, 
and  consequently,  on  the  analogy  of  words  like  uinnseann,  is 
usually  written  puinsean.  Innis,  tell,  though  a  vowel  stands 
between  nn  and  5,  is  usually  pronounced  is  (^  nasal),  as  is  also 
innis,  island,  often  when  forming  the  first  part  of  a  place- 
Ministear,  a  minister,  may  be  heard  in  some  districts, 


name. 


e.^.,  Arran  and  Perth,  without  n,  'mi'istear.'  'Coinean,' 
rabbit,  is  often  coi'an,  and  ionann,  like,  ^i'ann.'  Domhnall, 
Donald,  is  perhaps  everywhere  *  Do'all'  or  *D5ir  (o  nasal), 
and  Raonall,  Ronald,  'Raoll/  or  in  Skye  'Rail.'  Coainneal, 
candle,  is  caoi'al  (ao  short)  in  North  Argyll,  cai'ill  (a^  nasal) 
in  West  Ross,  and  cai'il  (ai  as  ei  and  nasal)  in  Sutherland. 
Anart,  linen,  is  a'ard  in  Perth  and  Strathspey ;  and  arad 
(first  a  nasal  in  both)  in  Sutherland ;  in  Arran,  North  Argyll, 
Skye  and  West  Ross  n  is  kept. 

Mh  is  sometimes  written  for  nn^  e.g.  by  Mac  Alpine  in 
comhlach  for  connlach  or  conlach  (which  he  calls  '  Irish  pro- 
nunciation of  comhlach '),  coimhseas  for  coinnseas,  comhsaich 
for  connsaich,  contend,  and  comhspaid  for  connspaid,  a 
quarrel.  In  Northern  Gaelic  where  a  and  o  become  au  and 
0X1  before  long  nn,  mh,  which  often  has  the  sound  of  u  after 
a  or  0,  is  liable  to  be  written  for  nn  where  the  letter  has 
been  assimilated  in  pronunciation.  The  West  Ross  word 
'crannlach,'  a  tulchan  calf,  for  example,  so  far  as  the  pro- 

VOL.  V.  F 


82  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

nunciation,  which  is  *craulach'  (au  nasal),  shows,  might 
equally  well  be  written  cramhlach,  or  even  cnamhlach.  Thus 
are  to  be  explained  such  alternative  spellings  as  famhsgal 
and  fannsgal,  hurry,  confusion  ;  gamhlas  and  gannlas,  also 
ganndas,  and  in  Sutherland  gamhaldas,  malice.  Seamhas 
and  seanns,  good  luck,  with  corresponding  adjective  seamh- 
sail  and  seannsail,  lucky,  are  derived  by  Dr.  MacBain  from 
English  *  chance,'  and,  mh  being  sounded  v  by  MacAlpine, 
furnish  a  parallel  to  damhsa  and  dannsa,  dance  {Celt.  Rev., 
iv.  172).  Tamhasg,  blockhead,  and  tannas,  tannasg  (tanas 
and  tannas  in  MacPherson's  Ossian),  an  apparition,  ghost,  if 
those  usual  renderings  are  considered,  would  seem  to  be 
different  words,  and  are  so  regarded  by  MacBain;  yet  the 
Highland  Society's  Dictionary  gives  ghost  as  one  of  the 
meanings  of  tamhasg ;  and  MacAlpine  translates  it  spectre, 
apparition,  ghost,  knows  no  other  meaning,  and  refers  to  it 
for  the  explanation  of  tannas. 

Annlan,  condiment,  is  ainnleann  in  Arran  ('  ailleann '),  and 
in  Kin  tyre  '  eileann.'  MacAlpine  gives  ^  ainnlean '  and  under 
lion  ainleann.  In  Perthshire  it  is  alan ;  in  Strathspey, 
Skye,  and  West  Ross,  aulan ;  in  North  Argyll,  eulann.  In 
the  south  of  Sutherland  aultan  and  in  the  north  iiltan  are 
heard,  the  vowel  sound  or  sounds  of  the  first  syllable  being 
nasal  in  all  cases. 

Grknnda,  ugly,  pronounced  so,  only  with  e  for  a  in  North 
Argyll,  in  Arran,  Kintyre  and  Islay  gr^nna,  is  grada  in 
Perth,  Strathspey,  Skye,  West  Ross  and  Sutherland.  Dear- 
gannt,  a  flea,  so  Arran  and  Perth,  in  Kintyre,  Islay  and 
North  Argyll  deargann,  is  deargad  in  West  Ross  and  Suther- 
land. N  is  assimilated  to  t  in  West  Ross  in  a  few  cases  like 
duinte,  closed,  sg^inte,  burst,  slainte,  health,  and  nn  in 
Sutherland  in  cainnt,  speech,  inntinn,  mind,  muinntir,  people. 


Assimilation  of  r  to  Z  is  prevalent  in  Strathspey  in  such 
words  as  atharla,  heifer ;  Beurla,  English ;  comhairle, 
counsel ;    earlachadh,    preparation   of    food ;    meirle,    theft ; 


SCOTTISH  GAELIC  DIALECTS  83 

6irleach,  inch ;  Tearlach,  Charles.  It  is  found  in  part  of 
West  Ross  and  in  Lewis  in  Beurla ;  d5rlach,  handful ;  and 
the  surname  MacPharlain,  MacFarlane ;  in  West  Ross  in 
addition  in  atharla  and  garlach,  peevish  creature,  and  in 
Lewis  in  fairtlich,  baffle,  'faillich,'  and  in  North  Sutherland 
in  Beurla.  Urlar,  floor,  which  is  so  pronounced  in  East 
Perthshire,  is  in  MacAlpine's  opinion  properly  unnlar,  and 
is  tillar  in  Arran,  Glenlyon,  Strathspey,  and,  with  u  nasal,  in 
West  Ross,  and  iiillar  in  North  Sutherland. 

Atharnach,  '  red  land,'  that  is  land  cleared  of  a  crop  of 
potatoes  or  turnips,  is  athainneach  in  Badenoch.  The  word 
is  popularly  thought  to  be  from  e6rna,  barley — ath-eorna-ach 
— which  is  usually  sown  in  ^  red  land,'  and  is  written  also 
aithearnach  and  aitheornach. 

Assimilation  Externally 

A  final  71  or  m  in  proclitics  also .  is  assimilated  to  or  dis- 
appears before  certain  initial  consonants,  especially  in  the 
northern  dialect.  The  proclitics  in  question  include  the 
article  an,  nan,  the  relative  an,  the  plural  possessive  pronoun 
an,  the  preposition  an,  the  interrogative  an,  and  the  con- 
junctions an  and  na'n  if;  gun'n,  that;  mu'n,  before.  For 
example,  an  la,  the  day,  is  a'  la,  and  nan  laogh,  of  the  calves 
is  na'  laogh.  So  na  tighean  aig  o!  robh  e,  for  na  tighean  aig 
an  robh  e,  the  houses  at  which  he  was ;  na  h-eoin  agus  a'  nid 
the  birds  and  their  nests,  for  na  h-eoin  agus  an  nid ;  chaidh 
a'  losgadh,  they  were  burnt,  for  chaidh  an  losgadh  ;  chaill  iad 
a'  saothair,  they  lost  their  labour,  for  an  saothair,  and  so  on. 
This  loss  or  absence  of  n  is  seen  before  words  beginning  with 
Z,  Uy  r,  or  5,  and  sometimes  also  before  initial  d  or  U  Before 
6,y,  and  m,  also  this  n,  which  appears  as  m  where  it  has  not 
been  lost,  is  often  w^anting  in  the  north,  as  a'  baile  for  am 
baile,  the  town ;  chaidh  a'  bristeadh  for  chaidh  am  bristeadh, 
they  were  broken ;  a  fraoch  for  am  fraoch,  the  heather ;  ann 
a'  fksach  for  ann  am  f ^sach,  in  a  wilderness,  a'  mac  for  am 
mac,  the  son  ;  tha  iad  le  a'  maighstir  (for  am  maighstir), 
they  are  with  their  master. 


84  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Such  assimilation  is  of  course  of  old  standing  in  the 
language.  The  Book  of  Deer  has,  for  example,  igginn  for  in 
cinn,  at  the  head  of,  and  naglerec  for  nan  clerec  of  the 
clerics. 

Before  the  verbal  particle  'do'  n  is  sometimes  lost.  For 
example,  in  West  Ross,  An  do  chuir  thu  e?  Did  you  sow 
it  ?  is  'Do  chuir  thu  e  ?  so  'Do  dhtiin  thu  e  ?  Did  you  close 
it  ?  Do  ghabh  thu  e  1  Did  you  take  it  ?  Also  in  Thubhairt 
e  gu'n  do  chuir  thu  e,  he  said  that  you  had  sowed  it,  gu'n  do 
is  sounded  gu'do,  and  so  on.  A  more  frequent  occurrence  in 
the  North  and  a  distinctive  feature  of  the  northern  dialect  is 
the  loss  of  d  in  all  those  positions.  Munro  in  his  Gaelic 
Grammar  says  in  a  footnote  (p.  207) :  'In  speaking,  an  do, 
whether  interrogative  or  relative,  is  commonly  contracted  into 
na ;  as  'Na  shil  e  ?  for  an  do  shil  e  ?  Has  it  begun  to  rain  ? 
Seall  na  ghoil  e,  for  seall  an  do  ghoil  e  (see  if  it  has  boiled), 
etc.  In  writing  so  violent  an  elision  is  hardly  admissible. 
In  verse,  however,  where  the  poet  is  obliged  at  times  to 
reduce  the  two  particles  into  one  syllable,  Ihe  contraction  is 
allowable ;  more  especially  as  the  other  form  of  it  ('ndo)  is  so 
difficult  of  pronunciation,  v.  Ossian,  Comala,  11.  38,  82,  83). 
The  lines  from  Comala,  with  their  renderings  in  the  version 
by  Peter  M'Naughton,  Grandtully,  are  : — 

'  Na  choidil  righ  Mh6rbheinn  an  treun  ? ' 
('Has  the  brave  King  of  Morbheinn  slept?') 

'  'Na  thuit  MacChumhail  fein  'san  t-sliabh  1 

'Na  thuit,  a  thriath  a's  duibhe  sgeul  1 ' 
('  Has  Cumhal's  son  fallen  on  the  hill  ? 

Has  he  fallen,  thou  chief  of  sad  tale  ? ') 

In  those  instances  na  is  for  the  interrogative  particle  an 
and  do.  The  phrase  '  Na  thuit  ? '  Did  [he]  fall,  is  of  constant 
occurrence  in  MacPherson's  Ossian,  e.g.  Fingal,  i.  11.  203,  263, 
265.  Instances  of  na  for  an  do  abound  in  the  works  of  Mary 
MacPherson,  the  Skye  bardess ;  and  some  have  been  quoted 
in  the  paper  on  Skye  Gaelic  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of 
these  articles.     For  example  : — 


SCOTTISH  GAELIC  DIALECTS  85 

*  'S  ann  chuir  thu  onair  air  do  dhuthaich 

H  uile  taobh  na  thriall  thu.' 
('You  have  done   credit  to   your  land   everywhere  you  have 
gone.')    P.  72  of  Songs. 

*  B'e  chiad  ni  air  na  chrom  e 
Bhi  plucadh  sios  nam  bantrach.' 

('The  first  thing  that  he  began  {lit.  bent)  to  was  to  oppress  the 
widows.')    P.  121. 

'  'San  d6igh  na  chleachdadh  sibh '  for  anns  an  d6igh  (anns)  an 
do  chleachdadh  sibh.' 
('  In  the  way  in  which  you  were  accustomed.')    P.  223. 

'  Far  na  dh'  ^raicheadh  na  Gaisgich.' 
('Where  were  reared  the  heroes.')    Pp.  246,  260. 

*Far  na  sheinn  mi,'  ('where  I  sang'),  p.  166;  *Gus  na  thionndadh  mi,' 
('until  I  turned').     P.  168. 

Where  do  is  preceded  by  conjunctions  with  final  n  only  n 
remains :  Gu n  chreach  iad  sinn  for  Gun  do  chreach  iad 
sinn,  that  they  plundered  us,  p.  34.  Gu'n  [Gu'n  do]  ghabh 
mi,  that  I  took,  p.  217. 

'  'S  gu'n  dhearbh  thu  bhuaidh  m'an  dhealaich  sibh.' 

— gu'n  for  gu'n  do,  and  m'an  for  mu'n  do — And  that  thou 
provedest  victorious  ere  you  parted,  p.  287.  Nan  [Na'n  do] 
chum  thu,  if  you  had  kept,  p.  253. 

So  in  the  Hymns  of  Donald  Matheson,  Kildonan,  Suther- 
land, we  meet  with  Far  na  [Far  an  do]  thog  thu,  where  you 
have  built.  Bis  na  [ris  an  do]  chleachd  thu,  to  whom  you 
were  wont.     Gu'n  [Gu'n  do]  dhibir,  that  [it]  has  forsaken. 


Aspiration 

The  prepositions  do,  to,  and  de,  of,  in  positions  in  which 
they  have  not  been  worn  down  to  a  mere  vowel  'a'  are 
aspirated  initially  in  the  Northern,  but  not  in  the  Southern 
dialect.     Mary  MacPherson  has  : — 

'  Is  ionnsaichibh  dha'n  oigridh  i,' 

('  And  teach  it  [Gaelic]  to  the  children.')     P.  38. 


86  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

And  again : — 

*  'S  iomadh  car  a  chaidh  dhe'n  t-saoghal.' 

('  Many  a  change  the  world  has  seen.')     P.  54. 

In  Matheson's  Hymns  the  aspirated  and  the  unaspirated 
forms  are  met  with  sometimes  within  a  single  stanza. 
"Where  the  prepositions  are  reduced  to  *  a/  North  and  South 
do  not  differ ;  as  Chaidh  e  a  Lunainn,  or  even  Chaidh  e 
Lunainn,  he  went  to — do — London ;  Am  beagan  a  fhuair  thu 
a  ghHocas,  the  httle  jou  have  got  of — de — wisdom. 

Variations  in  sound  of  certain  aspirated  consonants  in 
different  forms  of  the  same  word  occur  in  Northern  Gaelic. 
In  Skye  mh  sounds  v  in  cnkimh,  bone,  and  u  or  w  m  the 
plural  cnh,mhan ;  hh  i^  v  in  the  imperatives  eubh,  call ;  gabh, 
take  ;  falbh,  go  ;  leubh,  read ;  s^bh,  saw  ;  but  is  silent  in  the 
subjunctive  eubhadh,  the  Future  Indicatives  gabhaidh,  falb- 
haidh,  and  the  infinitives  leubhadh,  s^bhadh,  and  dh  is  sounded 
in  biadh,  feed,  but  is  silent  in  biadhadh,  feeding. 

In  West  Hoss  mh  is  v  in  sgiamh,  squeal,  and  u  or  w  in 
sgiamhail,  squealing  -,  hh  i^  v  in  sgribbh,  write,  skbh,  a  saw, 
leubh,  eubh,  but  u  {w)  in  sgriobhadh,  writing,  in  the  verb 
'  sabhaig,'  saw,  and  is  silent  in  leubhadh,  reading,  eubhachd, 
calling ;  and  dh  is  sounded  dh  in  luadh,  full,  but  h  in  luad- 
hadh,  fulling. 

Conversely  in  other  cases  the  consonant  has  the  more 
degraded  pronunciation  where  it  is  final.  In  Easter  Ross  gh 
in  truagh,  wretched,  has  the  sound  of  u,  but  in  truaghan,  a 
wretch,  it  has  that  of  v.  So  in  Sutherland  hh  is  u  in  eubh, 
but  V  in  eubhachd,  and  mh  which  is  u  in  cnaimh  and  is  silent 
in  laimh,  hand,  is  sounded  v  in  the  plurals  cnamhan  and 
Ikmhan. 

Eclipsis 

Traces  of  eclipsis  are  found  more  or  less  in  most  dialects. 
As  a  prominent  feature  it  is  met  with  in  Skye  and  Lewis,  and 
also,  it  is  said,  in  the  west  of  Sutherlandshire.  Tir  nam 
beann,  nan  gleann,  's  nan  gaisgeach,  land  of  the  bens,  the 
glens,  and  the  heroes,  usually  pronounced  Tir  nam  beann 
nang  gleann  's  nang  gaisgeach,  is  in  Skye,  and  presumably  in 


SCOTTISH  GAELIC  DIALECTS 


87 


Lewis,  Tir  nam  'eann,  nang  leann  's  nang  'aisgeach.  iVof 
the  article,  etc.,  is  changed  in  sound  to  ng  before  ^,  and  also 
before  c  in  Scottish  Gaelic  generally.  Thus  an  guth,  the 
voice,  is  pronounced  'ang  guth,'  and  an  cii,  the  dog,  'ang 
ch.,'  *  Whether  you  go  or  not  ? '  is  in  Lewis  Gaelic  '  Eadar 
gu'n  'eid  no  nach  teid  thu  1 '  Teid,  go,  is  itself  eclipsed  after 
an,  gu'n,  cha'n,  nach,  etc.,  in  Scottish  Gaelic  generally  i.e.  it 
is  pronounced  '  deid '  not  *  t^id.'  In  Skye  the  following  cases 
of  eclipsis  have  been  observed  : — 

6  after  the  article,  e.g.  am  baile,  the  town,  '  am  'aile,'  nam 
baile  of  the  towns  *  nam  aile.'  So  am  bard,  the  poet,  nam 
bard,  of  the  poets,  etc. 

d  after  the  article,  as  an  duine,  the  man,  '  an  'nine ' ;  after 
the  preposition  '  an '  in  the  phrase  an  deaghaidh,  after,  and 
after  the  numeral  aon,  one. 

g  after  the  article,  as  an  geamhradh,  the  winter,  'an 
'eamhradh.' 

The  change  does  not  take  place  regularly  and  is  not 
carried  out  consistently.  An  exceptional  instance  is  the  name 
Ben  Jianabhaig  not  far  from  Portree,  written  Beinn  Diona- 
bhaig  in  Mary  MacPherson's  Songs  (p.  23),  and  heard  locally 
as  Beinn  ianabhaig.  The  neighbouring  township  is  called  in 
Gaelic  Camus  Jianabhaig,  written  Camstinvag  by  Martin,  but 
D  may  have  been  changed  to  J  after  final  s  of  Camus. 

In  Badenoch  such  a  pronunciation  may  sometimes  be 
heard  as  Am  bosgail  e  ?  for  Am  fosgail  e  ?  Will  it  open  ? 

The  change  of  initial  &  to  m  sometimes  in  words  and  in 
place-names  is  explained  by  eclipsis.  For  example  bealaidh, 
broom,  a  word  thought  to  have  come  to  us  from  the  Pictish 
language,  is  mealaich  with  Mac  Alpine,  and  mealaidh  in  Skye  ; 
binid,  rennet,  is  minid  in  North  Argyll,  and  Moness,  a  place- 
name  near  Aberfeldy,  was  of  old  Buness. 


Metathesis 

*  Metathesis,'  Mr.  Quiggin  says,  *  is  a  frequent  phenomenon 
in  Gaelic  dialects,  as  will  be  patent  to  any  one  turning  over 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

the  leaves  of  Dinneen's  Dictionary'  Among  the  examples  he 
gives  from  Donegal  are  clupaide,  wrinkle  in  cloth,  etc. ; 
Middle  Irish  culpait ;  craorac,  light  red,  for  caor-dhearg; 
tligean,  vomiting,  for  teilgean,  from  teilgim,  throw,  Scottish 
Gaelic  tilg  ;  ruball,  tail,  for  earball ;  Cnochar  for  Conchar, 
Connor,  Middle  Irish  Conchobar.  According  to  Dinneen 
comhluadar,  conversation,  is  cluadar  in  Derry  and  cruadal  in 
East  Ulster  and  Omagh.  Many  of  the  examples  are  common 
to  Scottish  Gaelic  also,  as  ^isteacht,  listening.  Old  Irish 
eitsecht,  our  eisdeachd ;  altughadh,  grace  at  meat,  Old  Irish 
attlugud,  our  altachhadh ;  fuasclaim,  release,  our  fuasgail, 
Early  Irish  fuaslaicim ;  realt,  star.  Early  Irish  retla,  our 
reul  and  reult ;  coisreacadh,  consecration,  Scottish  cois- 
rigeadh.  Book  of  Deer  consecrad.  Old  Irish  coisecrad,  from 
Latin  consecratio.  The  Middle  Irish  comairce,  protection, 
appears  in  Modern  Irish  as  coimirce,  comraighe,  and  coimrighe, 
and  in  Scottish  Gaelic  as  comraich,  with  coimric,  coimirc,  etc., 
in  dictionaries.  The  comparative  of  fagus,  near,  Irish  fogus, 
is  with  us  faisge  for  faigse,  in  Irish  foigse  and  foisce.  The 
Old  Irish  forail  is  fulair  in  Modern  Irish  and  fuilear  in  Scottish 
Gaelic  except  in  West  Ross  and  Sutherland ;  Cha'n  fhuilear 
dhomh,  I  had  better,  it  is  time  for  me,  etc.,  is  in  West  Ross 
sometimes  and  in  Sutherland  usually  Cha'n  fhuireal. 

Latin  axilla,  Irish  ascall,  oscaill,  ocsal,  Middle  Irish  ochsal, 
usually  achlais  in  Scottish  Gaelic,  is  asgaill  in  Arran  and 
aslaic  in  Perthshire,  while  asgall,  asgailt,  and  asgnaill  are  given 
in  dictionaries  and  aslaich  in  the  margin  of  Proverbs  xix.  24. 
Sasunn,  England,  for  old  Sagsunn,  is  in  Arran  Sasgunn, 
though  the  adjective  is  there  Sasunnach.  Feile,  kilt,  in 
North  Argyll  eile,  is  eibhle  {hh  sounded  v)  in  Arran ;  Shaw 
gives  ebhladh,  and  the  Highland  Society's  Dictionary  has 
eibhleadh  from  Gillies.  Eibhleag,  live  coal,  is  eilbheag,  and 
earball,  tail,  generally  urball,  but  sometimes  ulabar,  all  in 
Arran.  Diordaoin,  Thursday,  is  Di-daoirn  in  Arran,  Islay, 
and  Jura.  Aonghas,  Angus,  is  Naoghas  in  Arran,  Kintyre, 
Islay,  and  Skye,  and  seangan,  an  ant,  is  sneaghan  in  Arran, 
Kintyre  (pronounced  '  sneagan '  in  those  two  districts),  Islay, 


SCOTTISH  GAELIC  DIALECTS 


89 


Perth,  and  West  Ross,  snioghan  in  Badenoch,  and  snioghag 
in  Sutherland. 

Barail,  opinion,  is  balair  in  Perth,  Badenoch,  and  Strath- 
spey, and  is  written  ballir  in  the  Book  of  the  Dean  of  Lismore. 
Coinneal,  candle,  is  coilinn  in  Perth  and  coillinn  in  Badenoch  ; 
fairtlich,  baffle,  is  faltraich  in  Badenoch  and  Strathspey,  and 
earball,  tail,  is  ealabar  in  the  Laggan  division  of  Badenoch. 

Slender  Is  or  Us  sometimes  becomes  si.  Foillsich,  reveal, 
from  foUus,  may  be  heard  as  foislich ;  and  soillsich,  brighten, 
from  solus,  as  soislich,  e.g.  in  North  Argyll,  West  Ross,  and 
Lewis.  Mislean,  sweet  meadow  grass,  a  form  used  by 
Duncan  Ban  Macintyre,  is  for  milsean,  from  mills,  sweet,  and 
soislean,  phosphorescence,  in  West  Ross,  is  for  soillsean. 
Drisleach  for  drilseach,  glittering,  occurs  in  dictionaries. 
MacAlpine  has  disle  and  dillse  as  comparative  of  dileas, 
faithful,  etc.,  and  Armstrong's  duisleag  for  duileasg,  dulse, 
may  be  noted. 

Sometimes  the  reverse  takes  place.  In  Kintyre  ailsing 
for  aisling,  vision,  and  cuilse  for  cuisle,  pulse,  may  be  heard. 
In  Perth  and  Strathspey,  where  the  forms  foillsich,  soillsich, 
dillse  are  retained,  there  seems  to  be  a  preference  for  Is  or  Us. 
Isle,  lower,  comparative  of  iosal,  is  there  illse,  and  so  with 
the  related  forms  islean,  inferiors,  *  illsean,'  and  islich,  to 
lower,  Mllsich.'  Similarly  uaisle,  nobler,  nobility,  from 
uasal,  noble,  is  uaillse,  a  form  occurring  also  in  Badenoch,  and 
so  *  uaillsean,'  gentry ;  *  daoine  uaillse,'  gentlemen.  Arm- 
strong gives  illse,  illsich,  uaillse  and  uaillsean  ;  and  MacAlpine 
writes  uaisle,  but  pronounces  uaillse. 

In  all  these  forms  except  the  two  from  Kintyre  I  or  U 
when  standing  before  s  is  long,  but  when  s  precedes  I  the 
vowel,  if  short,  is  lengthened.  (Drilseach  is  properly  drill- 
seach  with  long  U.)  In  isle,  for  example,  i  is  long  while  in 
illse  it  is  short,  and  U  is  long.  So  with  foislich  (oi  lengthened), 
etc.  In  uaisle,  uaillse,  etc.,  the  vowel — diphthong — is  already 
long  and  does  not  change,  but  U  is  long  in  the  latter  form. 

In  Northern  Gaelic,  or  at  all  events  in  several  of  the 
northern  dialects,  m  often  changes  places  with  a  following  I  or 


90  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

r.     Imleag,  navel,  is  *  ilimeag/  and  imlich,  to  lick  *  ilimich '  in 
Badenoch,    Strathspey,    North    Argyll,    West    Ross,    North 
Sutherland  and  Lewis ;  and  imrich,  removal,  is  irimich  in  all 
except  Lewis.     lomraidh  or  imridh,  must,  is  irimidh  in  Bade- 
noch and  firimidh  in  North  Argyll  and  North  Sutherland. 
Lomradh,   a  fleece,  fleecing,  is  luramadh  in  Badenoch  and 
loramadh  in   Sutherland.     lomradh,  report,  is   uramadh  in 
North  Argyll,  and  ioramadh  in  West  Ross  and  Lewis,  while 
iomradh  or  iomramh,  rowing,  also  uramadh  in  North  Argyll, 
is  ioramag  in  West  Ross  and  ioramadh  in  North  Sutherland. 
The    word   iorram,  a   boat-song,  rowing-song,  explained   by 
MacBain  as  air-ram,  '  at-oar,'  seems  rather  to  be  a  metathesis 
of  the  imperative  '  iomair '  of  the  latter  verb  used  as  a  noun, 
lomair  is  heard  as  ioraim  in  West  Ross.     In  West  Ross  and 
North  Sutherland  iomlaid,  exchange,  is  iolamaid,  and  iomrall, 
error,   is   ioramall   in   West   Ross   and   Lewis.     Lomnochd, 
naked,   in   West   Ross    and    South   Sutherland   luramachd, 
and   in   both   North   and  South   Sutherland   and  in   Lewis 
loramachd,  shows   dissimilation   combined   with  metathesis. 
Seamrag,  clover,  is   siormag,  *  siuramag,'  in   North   Argyll, 
and  both  searamag  and  silimeag  in  West  Ross.     Areas  for 
acras,  hunger,  and  arcach  for  acrach,  hungry,  occur  in  Strath- 
spey and  in  West  Ross.    The  English  word  '  cork '  has  become 
crocas,  and  deisciobul  is  *  deisbigil,'  both  in  West  Ross.     The 
English  cumber  borrowed  into  Gaelic  as  cumraich,  cuimrig 
and  coimrig,  occurs  in  the  south  of  Sutherland  as  cumraig 
and  cuirmaig,  and  in  the  north  as  coirmig.     According  to  the 
new  dictionary  by  MacDonald,  fuaidne,  peg  of  a  warping- 
frame,  is  in  Uist  fuaidhne,  and  is  also  written  fuaithne,  and 
has  plurals  fuaintean   and   fuaircean.     The   Sutherlandshire 
word  iolaman,  a  covering  of  skin  for  the  mouth  of  a  milk- 
pail,  is  probably  to  be  explained  as  iomallan,  a  remainder  or 
piece  of  a  skin  used  for  the  purpose.     The  word  is  used  by 
Rob  Donn.     Dudlachd,  duldachd,  dudlach  so  North  Argyll, 
dubhlachd  so  West  Ross,  Diilach  so  Glenlyon,  all  mean  the 
depth  or  darkest  part  of  the  wintre,  '  dark  December.' 


OEAN  LUATHADH 


91 


ORAN  LUATHADH 
(Waulking  Song) 

Hill-in  liill-6  horo-eile 
Hill-in  liill-6  hill-in  ra  bli6 
Hill-in  hill-6  horo-^ile. 


Dhirich  mi  mach  a  bheinn  ghruamaich 
Thearnaich  mi  lag  an  f  hraoich  uaine. 

Shuidh  mi  air  a  chnoc  bu  bhuaidhche 
Shil  mi  na  deoir  chruinne  chruaidhe. 

Chir  mi  mo  cheann,  dh'  f  hag  mi  ghruaig  ann, 
Thuit  i  air  mo  ghluin  na  dualaibh. 

Suil  dh'  an  d'thug  mi  thar  mo  ghuaillinn 
Chunna  mi  tighinn  na  h-uaislean. 

Coltas  Dhomhnuill  bhain  is  Euaraidh 
Is  Somhairle  buidhe  a'  chuil  dualaich. 

Ged  a  bha,  cha  robh  mo  luaidhs'  ann 
Cha  robh,  a  ghaoil,  b'f  hada  nam  thu. 

'S  aithne  dhomh  f  hin  na  chuir  nam  thu 
Meud  mo  ghaoil  is  lughad  m'  f  huath  ort. 

'S  gun  mo  chrodh  laoigh  bhi  air  buaile 
'S  gun  mo  ghearrain  6g'  air  chruadhlach. 

'S  gun  mo  bhraithrean  6g  mun  cuairt  domh 
'S  iad  air  chiil  nan  tonnan  f  huaraidh. 

'S  m'  athair  a  bhi  marbh  fo'n  f  huar-lic 
'S  mo  mhathair  bhi  na  laidhe  suas  ris. 

0  mile  mollachd  air  na  chuir  uam  thu 
'S  a  chuir  thu  an  luib  te  f  huadaich  ! 

Chaidil  thu  raoir  air  a  cluasaig 

'S  gun  d'  f  hag  sid  mo  chadal-s'  luaineach. 

Ach  ged  is  ise  's  motha  buaile 
Gur  a  mise  's  pailte  dh'  uaisle. 


92  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Cruinnichidh  mo  bhraithrean  mun  cuairt  domh 
Luchd  na  leadan  's  nan  cul  dualach. 

'Dhireadh  a  mach  ris  na  fuar-bheann 
Dol  a  shealg  na  h-earba  ruadha. 

Leagta  damh  dubh  is  damh  ruadh  leo 
Leagta  'n  eilid  is  an  ruadh-chearc. 


THE  LATE  MR.  DONALD  MACKECHNIE 

Our  readers  have  heard  with  much  concern  of  the  death  of 
one  of  our  most  esteemed  contributors,  as  well  as  a  foremost 
Gaelic  author,  which  took  place  at  Edinburgh  on  the  18th  of 
May  last.  Mr.  MacKechnie  was  born  on  the  25th  of  Decem- 
ber 1836,  in  Glengarisdale,  an  almost  inaccessible  spot  on  the 
shore  of  Corry  vreckan,  in  the  north  end  of  the  island  of  Jura. 
There  were  only  two  families  living  in  the  lonely  glen,  and 
there  was  of  course  no  school.  But  his  maternal  grandfather 
lived  some  miles  away  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  small  side 
school,  and  thither  the  boy  was  sent  betimes,  and  was  taught 
to  read  and  write.  While  a  growing  lad  he  had  an  active 
country  life,  ever  on  the  hill  or  on  the  sea,  shooting  and  fish- 
ing— an  experience  which  had  no  small  share  in  moulding  his 
character.  He  found  his  way  to  Glasgow  at  an  early  age, 
where  he  managed  to  improve  his  education  by  attending 
evening  classes,  and  by  private  reading.  Thereafter  he 
migrated  to  Edinburgh,  where,  with  one  or  two  short  inter- 
missions, he  made  his  home.  After  some  experience  in  various 
offices  he  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account.  He  was 
fairly  successful,  but  his  health,  for  many  years  precarious, 
broke  down.  He  retired  from  business  and  lived  on  a  modest 
competency  a  quiet  life  in  the  city  until  the  end  came. 

It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  pushing  Highland  lads 
brought  up  in  out-of-the-way  localities,  by  their  own  exer- 
tions, backed,  not  infrequently,  by  great  self-denial  on  the 
part  of  their  parents,  to  overcome  the  defective  education  of 


THE  LATE  ME.  DONALD  MACKECHNIE       93 

their  boyhood,  and  make  their  way  in  the  world.  All  of  us 
can  count  up  scores  who  went  through  much  the  same  ex- 
perience as  Mr.  MacKechnie  in  this  respect.  The  more 
common  outlet  for  lads  of  '  parts '  has  been  among  us  to  aim 
at  one  or  other  of  the  learned  professions,  the  ministry  being 
hitherto  the  favourite.  Mr.  MacKechnie  does  not  seem  to 
have  had  any  ambition  or  '  call '  in  that  direction.  Had  the 
choice  been  left  to  him  he  would  probably  have  selected 
literature  as  his  vocation.  But  meanwhile  he  must  live ;  and 
poet  though  he  was  he  was  possessed  of  robust  common  sense. 
So,  as  he  would  say  himself,  he  pulled  the  nearest  oar, 
with  the  firm  resolve,  however,  that  when  opportunity  offered, 
he  would  exchange  it  for  his  favourite  one. 

His  first  experience  in  authorship  was,  as  was  natural,  in 
Gaelic  song.  There  are  pieces  still  floating  about  which  he 
composed  while  a  young  lad  in  Jura  which  many  of  his 
friends  consider  well  worthy  of  being  printed,  but  he  himself 
was  of  a  different  opinion.  In  1875-6  he  contributed  short 
poems  to  the  Gael,  a  periodical  flourishing  at  the  time,  under 
a  favourite  designation  of  his.  Am  Bard  Luideagach.  The 
distinctive  note  of  intellectual  culture,  as  well  as  of  imagina- 
tion, struck  in  these  compositions,  combined  with  their 
vigorous  and  terse  expression,  attracted  attention ;  and 
henceforward  thoughtful  Gaelic  readers  eagerly  read  every 
scrap  which  appeared  over  the  whimsical  signature.  Mean- 
while the  poet's  mental  growth  and  development  proceeded. 
He  made  himself  well  acquainted  with  the  best  authors  in 
modern  Gaelic  literature.  But  neither  his  intellect  nor  his 
imagination  could  be  satisfied  with  the  scanty  fare  which 
Gaelic  literature,  good  of  its  kind,  provided.  The  poet  read 
and  made  himself  master  of  the  great  English  authors  in 
prose  and  verse.  He  knew,  as  few  Gaelic  poets  do,  Shake- 
speare, Wordsworth,  Tennyson,  and  Browning,  while  among 
his  favourite  prose  authors  were  Carlyle,  Huxley,  and 
Spencer.  In  later  years  he  was  much  attracted  by  the 
Persian  poet,  Omar  Khayydm,  and  rendered  many  of  that 
author's  pieces  into  Gaelic  verse.    Mr.  MacKechnie,  though  not 


94  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

what  one  would  call  an  omnivorous  reader,  was  all  along  an 
ardent  student.  His  intellectual  force  and  literary  judgment 
led  him  to  the  best  authors.  These  and  these  alone  he 
studied,  and  their  influence  is  manifest  in  his  writings.  No 
one  can  read  *  The  Brook,'  '  The  Voice  of  the  Sea,'  *  The 
Dialogue  between  the  Bard  and  the  Shepherds,'  which  is  an 
eloquent  and  characteristic  commentary  on  the  text,  '  What 
mean  ye  by  these  stones  ? '  without  tracing  an  echo  of  Words- 
worth, for  example,  almost  in  every  quatrain.  *  And  what  for 
no  ? '  If  we  can  assimilate  and  make  our  very  own  the  spirit 
and  best  thoughts  of  the  highest  minds,  the  more  we  read 
and  reproduce  of  them  the  better  for  all  concerned.  So 
worked  Dugald  Buchanan  and  Donald  MacKechnie,  and  all 
Gaelic  readers  have  benefited  thereby.  The  only  regret  is 
that  both  authors  wrote  so  little. 

A  word  must  be  said  about  the  author's  prose  writings. 
In  melody  and  rhythm  several  Gaelic  poets,  dead  and  living, 
reached  to  higher  perfection  than  can  justly  be  claimed  for 
MacKechnie's  verse.  I  do  not  know  that  any  Gaelic  writer, 
of  modern  times  at  any  rate,  excels  him  in  prose.  I  have 
said  elsewhere  that  there  were  only  three  men  known  to  me 
who  could  as  stylists  be  fitly  compared  with  him — the  two 
Macleods,  for  to  judge  from  the  few  specimens  which  Dr. 
John  Macleod  of  Morvern  was  prevailed  upon  to  write,  he 
may  justly  be  named  along  with  his  elder  but  hardly  more 
gifted  brother,  and  Lachlan  Maclean  of  Coll,  a  very  dififerent 
man,  but  with  a  gift  of  diction  and  idiom  all  his  own.  It 
will  be  admitted  that  the  dialogues  in  which  Caraid  nan 
Gaidheal  gives  expression  to  the  ideas  of  the  Highland 
crofters  and  fishermen  of  his  day  are  inimitable,  and  worthy 
of  even  Dickens,  while  the  ecclesiastical  flavour  which  sur- 
rounds them  detracts  little,  if  anything,  from  their  value. 
Mr.  MacKechnie's  monologues  are  in  their  ideas  and  setting 
as  difierent  from  these  as  can  well  be  imagined.  Here  the 
highly  trained  intellect  of  a  very  capable  man  gives  his  own 
views  of  men  and  things,  with  a  probing  and  questioning 
almost  Socratic  in  its  patience  and  persistence,  and  with  a 


THE  LATE  MR.  DONALD  MACKECHNIE       95 

terseness  and  crispness  of  phrase  more  akin  to  French  than 
to  Gaelic  prose,  but  with  the  result  that  the  monologue  is 
read  to  the  very  end  by  the  thoughtful  student  with  equal  if 
not  even  greater  interest  than  the  dialogue.  The  achieve- 
ment is  the  more  remarkable  when  one  remembers  that 
MacKechnie  wrote  these  papers  frequently  on  a  sickbed ;  that 
he  left  the  Highlands  at  a  very  early  age  ;  and  that  during 
his  whole  life  his  visits  to  his  native  district  were  compara- 
tively rare,  while  his  connection  with  Highland  life  in  the 
city  was  intermittent.  And  yet  his  command  of  Gaelic 
diction  and  idiom  was  as  correct  and  easy  as  though  he  had 
never  left  Jura.  A  mild-mannered,  high-spirited  gentleman, 
he  possessed  the  gift  of  forcible  and  apt  expression  in  an 
unusual  degree.  It  was  probably  inherited.  He  used  to 
say  that  he  never  met  a  man  whose  conversation  in  GaeHc 
equalled  his  father  s  in  directness  and  point.  And  as  long  as 
he  lived  he  wrote  regularly  to  his  mother  regarding  a  word 
or  an  idiom  upon  which  he  felt  any  doubt.  The  Gaelic- 
speaking  people  are  eminently  conservative  in  many  of  their 
ways.  Still  we  have  made  some  progress,  forward,  back- 
ward, or  crab-like,  since  the  Macleods  and  Maclean  wrote 
Gaelic,  seventy  to  eighty  years  ago.  Maclean  and  Mac- 
Kechnie were  both  men  of  humour,  each  in  his  way ;  and 
perhaps  as  good  an  example  as  any  by  which  to  compare 
them  is  to  be  found  in  the  prefaces  to  their  respective  books. 
As  is  well  known,  Maclean  printed  in  1837  a  volume  entitled 
Adam  and  Eve,  the  object  being  to  prove  that  Gaelic,  not 
Hebrew,  was  the  language  of  our  first  parents.  In  order  to 
fit  him  to  write  such  a  work  Maclean  did  honestly  acquire 
some  knowledge  of  Hebrew.  Still  he  seems  to  have  felt  that 
the  reader  on  seeing  such  a  display  of  Celtic  and  Semitic 
philology  might  suspect  that  the  author  received  some  assist- 
ance from  friendly  Hebraists.  So  he  concluded  his  preface 
with  the  following  sentence  :  *  Aon  f hacal,  agus  's  e  so  e,  — 
Gabh  lethsgeul  mearachdan  a'  chl5  bhruthaidh,  tha  iad  lion- 
mhor;  Gabh  lethsgeul  laigse  an  ughdair,  tha  imor;  agus  O !  cuir 
air  an  athair  cheart  i,  oir  cha  robh  lamh  riamh  no  corrag  mu'n 


96  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

obair  a  leanas  ach  an  lh,mh  so.'  When  Mr.  MacKechnie,  four 
years  ago,  published  the  Fear-cidil  he  was  deeply  anxious  as 
to  the  success  of  the  book  (who  would  not  be?),  but  he 
affected  an  air  of  indifference  which  deceived  no  one,  but  which 
sat  well  upon  him,  a  sturdy  independence  being  a  prominent 
feature  of  his  character,  and  addressed  the  reader  thus  : 
'  Tha  mise  cur  a  mach  an  leabhair  so,  cha'n  ann  a  chionn  gu 
bheil  moran  iarraidh  aig  an  t-saoghal  air,  ach  a  chionn  gur  e 
mo  thoil  fhein  sin  a  dheanamh  .  .  .  Mo  bhean,  aig  nach  'eil 
facal  Gaidhlig,  an  deigh  dhi  aon  de  na  duilleagan  a  sgrtidadh 
gu  poncail  's  an  ceann  cearr  rithe,  thuirt  i  nach  deanadh  e 
feum ;  gu'm  b'  fhearr  dhomh  mo  phiob  a  lasadh  le  m'  leabhar 
na  daoine  bhi  gaircachdaich  mhagaidh  orm.  Thuirt  mi  rithe 
na'm  paigheadh  iad  air  son  mo  leabhair,  gu  robh  mi  coma  co 
dhiii  ghaireadh  no  chaoineadh  iad.  '  Ma  tha/  arsa  mise, 
*  duin'  ann  as  lugha  mo  chiataich  dheth  na  gach  duin'  eile,  's 
e  am  fear  nach  urrainn  gaire  cridheil  a  dheanamh  ;  agus,  'na 
dheighsan,  am  fear,  ma's  fhior  e  fhein,  nach  teid  aig'  air 
breug  innseadh.  Fhaic  thu,  thig  an  da  ni  sin,  an  gaire  's  a' 
bhreug,  cho  nadurra  do  dhuine  ri  tarruing  analach,  's  ciod  a 
th'  ann  da  ach  a  bhi  breabadh  an  aghaidh  nan  dealg,  's  a' 
buaireadh  an  fhreasdail,  a  bhi  cur  an  aghaidh  naduir.'  It  is 
satisfactory  to  know  that  the  book  has  been  sold  out,  and 
that  there  is  a  prospect  of  a  new  and  much  enlarged  edition 
being  issued  shortly. 

Readers  of  Gaelic  scattered  over  the  world  will  miss  for 
many  a  day  the  delightful  productions  of  this  capable  man, 
while  his  many  personal  friends,  together  with  the  inhabitants 
of '  Diiira  chreagach  chiar '  deeply  sympathise  with  his  sorrow- 
ing widow  and  family  in  the  loss  of  a  man  of  great  talent, 
high  character,  gentle  manner,  and  kind  heart. 

Don.  MACKINNON. 


THE    CELTIC    REVIEW 

OCTOBEE  15,  1908 
THE  LIFE  OF  ADAMNAN 

(Translated  from  the  Betha  Adamndin,  printed  in  Anecdota  from  Irish  MSS., 
No.  II.,  from  MS.  No.  4190-4200,  fol.  29-33,  Biblioth^ue  Eoyale,  Brussels.) 

M.  JOYNT 

Cap.  1.  Accinge  sicut  vir  lumbos  tuos. — The  Holy  Spirit,  the 
Spirit  which  excels  all  other  spirits,  the  Spirit  which  hath 
illumined  the  Church  of  the  two-fold  Covenant  ^  with  the  grace 
of  wisdom  and  prophecy,  that  Spirit  it  is  which  hath  inspired 
these  words  through  a  man  of  the  grace  of  God,  even  Job  the 
afflicted,  saying  :  Accinge,  etc. ;  that  is,  it  was  to  praise  that 
holy  man  that  God  spake  to  the  devil :  Numquid  considerasti 
servum  meum  Job,  etc. 

Many  holy  and  righteous  men,  both  of  the  Old  and  the 
New  Covenant,  have  fulfilled  this  teaching ;  to  wit,  they  have 
subdued  and  restrained  their  flesh  and  have  shown  many 
examples  in  well-doing  to  peoples  and  to  churches ;  even  as 
it  was  fulfilled  by  the  ray,  the  flame,  the  precious  stone,  the 
shining  lamp,  whose  festival  and  commemoration  fall  at  this 
time  and  season,  namely  Sanctus  Adamnanus,  the  holy  arch- 
presbyter  Adamnan. 

Cap.  2.  It  is,  then,  at  this  time  that  we  are  told  how 
Adamnan  was  addressed  by  the  devil,  who  came  to  him  in 
human  form  ^  to  assail  him,  because  the  men  of  Munster  had 

^  Lit.  '  the  two-fold  Church.'  2  ^^^  <  countenance.' 

VOL.  V.  G 


98  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

forcibly  constrained  him  to  go  to  Adamnan ;  and  so  he  came 
with  many  questions.  One  of  the  questions  was  whether  the 
devil  had  sinned  in  [his  original  angelic]  form  or  in  [his 
fallen]  deformity,  and  whether  Adam  had  transgressed  wit- 
tingly or  through  ignorance.  *  'Tis  [a]  daring  [question]/  said 
Adamnan.  'Marvel  not/  quoth  the  warrior.  *He  who 
addresses  thee  is  one  that  knoweth ;  for  I  was  present  when 
it  befell.'^  Adamnan  gazes  at  him  wrathfully  and  straight- 
way makes  the  sign  of  the  cross  in  his  face.  Thereupon  the 
man  of  tribulations  departed  from  his  sight,  leaving  his  stench 
behind  in  the  assembly ;  so  that  the  whole  multitude  (con- 
gregation ?)  recognised  that  it  was  the  devil  in  the  shape  of 
man  who  had  gone  [forth]  to  deceive  the  multitudes.  And 
the  name  of  God  was  magnified  through  his  expulsion  by 
Adamnan. 

Cap.  3.  Another  time  Adamnan  was  in  the  royal  assembly 
of  Conall  and  Coirbre  at  Assaroe  levying  his  tribute.  There 
comes  the  heir  to  the  crown  of  MacAnmirech,  to  wit,  Flann- 
abra  son  of  Cummascach,  [bringing]  with  him  in  custody  a 
female  prisoner,  who  had  killed  another  woman,  that  he 
might  know  Adamnan's  will  concerning  her ;  and  he  said  to 
the  cleric  :  *  Deliver  a  righteous  judgment  on  this  woman 
who  hath  killed  the  other  woman.'  Dixit  Adamnan — and  a 
flush  of  wrath  (?)  came  over  him — '  What  else  seemeth  right 
to  thee  save  to  put  her  to  death  ? '  *  Who  shall  put  her  to 
death  ? '  said  the  warrior.  '  One  whom  no  mother  hath  borne,' 
said  Adamnan.  '  Such  a  one  am  I,'  said  the  warrior,  '  for  I 
was  not  born  at  all,  but  was  taken  forth  through  my  mother's 
side  after  her  death.'  *  I  know  not  that  counter-rule  (?),'  said 
Adamnan.  *  Nevertheless,  God  hath  delivered  the  woman ; 
and  thou  shalt  not  go  without  punishment,  for  thou  thyself 
shalt  die  speedily,  and  no  descendant  of  thine  shall  hold 
kingship,  nor  shall  any  man  of  thy  race  ever  have  a  band 
of  soldiers  outnumbering  five.'  Then  Adamnan  took  the 
kingship  from  the  children  of  Dungal  mac  [Elodach  for 
the  race  of  Loegaire  son  of  Fergus  son  of]  Ailell  king  of 

1  roba-sa  hi  fiad-naissi  in  cuta.     cuta=chota,  gen.  of  cuit  ? 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADAMNAN 


99 


the   Hy  Echach,  after   they  had   sworn   by^   the   hand   of 
Adamnan. 

Cap.  4.  Moreover,  Adamnan  took  the  kingship  from 
Irgalach,  grandson  of  Conaing  and  his  children,  because  he 
had  slain  Niall  mac  Cernaig  in  defiance  of  Adamnan. 

A  decree  went  forth  from  Finnachta,  son  of  Dunchad, 
king  of  Tara,  that  the  land  of  Columbcille  should  have  [but] 
equal  immunity  [from  burdens]  with  the  land  of  Patrick  and 
Findia  and  Ciard-n,  to  wit,  that  it  [too]  should  come  under 
bondage.  That  thing  was  told  to  Adamnan,  and  it  seemed 
not  right  in  his  eyes ;  for  the  men  of  Erin  had  granted  to 
Columbcille,  because  of  the  excellence  of  his  race  above  all 
other  saints  in  Erin,  that  his  land  should  be  free  from  burdens. 
Said  Adamnan  :  *  Short  shall  be  the  life  of  the  king  by  whom 
this  proclamation  hath  been  made ;  he  shall  be  slain  by  his 
own  kindred,  and  there  shall  be  no  ruler  of  his  race  till  Doom, 
nor  shall  any  man  bearing  his  name  be  in  the  kingship  of 
Tara.'     And  even  so  it  came  to  pass. 

Cap.  5.  Conall  Oirgnech,  son  of  Congal,  king  of  the  race 
of  Maine,  said  that  he  would  not  accept  the  law  of  Adamnan. 
Said  his  brother  Connla :  '  Were  I  the  king,  I  would  accept 
the  law.'  Then  Conall  derided  his  brother's  feebleness  of 
spirit.  Said  Adamnan  :  '  Short  shall  be  the  life  of  Conall, 
and  a  dog's  death  shall  carry  him  off;  and  there  shall  be  no 
ruler  of  his  race  over  Tethba  till  Doom.  And  Connla  son  of 
Congal  shall  be  ruler,  and  by  his  descendants  shall  the  king- 
ship be  held,  unless  they  withstand  my  successor.'  And  so 
it  came  to  pass. 

Moreover,  Adamnan  took  the  kingship  from  Cathusach,  son 
of  Eochu,  king  of  Dalriada,  and  from  his  children  for  ever.  And 
he  took  the  kingship  over  the  Hy  Fidgenti  from  Flaithbe  of  the 
race  of  the  sons  of  Ere  and  from  his  children  for  ever,  and 
gave  it  to  the  race  of  Laippe  of  the  Hy  Echach  of  Munster, 
because  he  had  slain  Dungal  son  of  Fergus. 

Cap.  6.  Another  time  Adamnan  went  to  the  province  of 
Leinster  to  contest  the  possession  of  Leix  of  Telach  Bregmon 

^  Lit.  'beneath.' 


100  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

against  the  community  of  Glendalough.  Cellach  son  of 
Gerthide  it  was  who  was  king  of  Leinster  at  the  time,  and 
Dubgal  ^  was  abbot  of  Glendalough.  Adamnan  went  to  them 
upon  the  hill.  No  one  rose  before  him  ;  for  the  erenagh  had 
said  that  it  behoved  him  not  to  rise  before  Adamnan,  for  that 
he  was  a  bishop  and  Adamnan  [only]  a  priest.  But  Murchad 
son  of  Bran  rose  before  him  :  a  lord  of  that  district  he.  Then 
Adamnan  said  unto  them  :  *  Not  humble  have  ye  been  towards 
me,  in  that  ye  rose  not  before  us.  .  .  .  The  bishop,  first  of 
all,  who  rose  not  in  act  of  humility,  he  shall  rise  to  commit  a 
shameful  sin,  and  shall  persist  in  that  sin  to  the  day  of  his 
death ;  and  he  shall  die  in  the  arms  of  a  harlot  and  that 
neither  afield  nor  at  home  ;  he  shall  be  a  denizen  of  hell ;  nor 
shall  it  be  long  ere  this  befall  him.  The  king,  again,  out  of 
his  kingship  shall  he  rise  before  the  man  who  hath  risen 
before  me,  namely,  Murchad  son  of  Bran.'  And  he  told 
Murchad  to  rise  [and  come]  with  him,  for  that  he  would  be 
slain  if  he  tarried  on  the  hill.  The  men  of  Leinster  went  to 
Murchad  and  made  him  king ;  and  Cellach  went  in  exile  to 
Congal,  son  of  Fergus,  king  of  Tara.  [Then]  Congal  accom- 
panied Cellach  against  the  men  of  Leinster,  with  the  hosts 
of  the  Hy  Neill,  until  he  reached  Farnagh.  Adamnan  went 
into  the  provinces  of  Connacht  till  he  met  them  at  that  hill. 
Adamnan  said  to  Congal  that  Cellach  should  not  be  made 
king  in  defiance  of  the  command  of  God  and  of  Adamnan 
himself  Congal  said  that  the  affairs  of  the  churches  would 
be  settled  according  to  the  will  of  Adamnan,  but  that  to  him- 
self belonged  the  disposition  of  king  and  people.  However, 
Adamnan  declared  that  Cellach  should  not  be  king ;  and  that 
there  should  not  be  a  ruler  of  his  race  over  Leinster  for  ever, 
and  that  each  man  of  his  offspring  should  be  worse  than  those 
that  went  before.  He  said,  moreover,  to  Congal,  son  of 
Fergus  :  '  Thou  shalt  not  be  king  from  this  day  forth ;  and 
thou  shalt  not  reach  thy  own  land  alive ;  a  sudden  death 
shall  carry  thee  off,  and  there  shall  never  be  ruler  sprung 
from  thee.'     And  all  came  to  pass  as  Adamnan  said. 

1  Dubhguail  MS. 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADAMNAN  101 

Cap.  7.  Once  when  Adamnan  was  going  round  (past  ?)  a 
graveyard  in  Tory  [Island],  the  saint  gazed  at  the  graveyard 
and  blessed  it,  and  said :  '  The  body  of  a  woman  with  child 
is  in  the  graveyard,  and  it  is  an  offence  to  the  saints  that  she 
should  be  there.  Yonder  is  her  grave,  open  it  and  take  [the 
body]  to  the  sea-shore.  '  There  are,'  said  Adamnan, '  four  men 
in  that  graveyard ;  and  if  they  should  pray  to  God  to  turn 
the  sea  that  is  between  Tory  and  the  mainland  into  dry  land, 
or  to  uplift  the  sky  from  the  earth  if  it  should  fall  on  it,  it 
would  be  done  at  their  request.'^ 

Cap.  8.  The  Saxons  of  the  north  went  to  Erin  and  laid 
waste  Magh  Bregh  as  far  as  Bealach  Diiin,  and  carried  off 
great  spoil  of  captives,  men  and  women.  The  men  of  Erin 
besought  Adamnan  to  go  to  the  Saxons  to  ask  for  their  spoils. 
Adamnan  went  to  ask  for  the  spoils ;  and  he  came  upon  a 
stretch  of  sea-coast,^  long  (wide  ?)  was  its  beach  and  swift  its 
tide.  Such  is  its  swiftness,  that  the  best  horse  in  Saxonland 
beneath  a  good  rider,  with  its  back  to  the  waves,  when  the 
tide  is  coming  in,  will  scarce  bear  its  rider  to  land  [even] 
swimming,  for  the  extent  of  the  beach  and  the  swiftness  of 
the  tide.  The  Saxons  would  not  suffer  Adamnan  to  land 
on  the  shore.  '  Draw  your  coracles  upon  the  shore,'  said 
Adamnan  to  his  followers,  '  for  both  the  sea  and  the  land  are 
subject  to  the  will  of  God  and  nought  can  be  done  against 
God.'  The  clerics  did  as  they  were  told  them.  Adamnan 
with  his  crozier  drew  a  circle  round  the  coracles,  and  God 
made  the  strand  firm  beneath  the  coracles,  and  made  a  high 
wall  of  the  sea  around  them,  so  that  it  was  on  an  island  they 
were ;  and  the  sea  went  past  the  island  to  its  bounds  and  no 
harm  befell  them.  When  the  Saxons  saw  that  great  miracle, 
trembling  laid  hold  of  them  for  fear  of  Adamnan,  and  they 
granted  him  his  full  will.  And  the  will  of  Adamnan  was 
that  the  entire  spoil  should  be  given  to  him  and  that  the 
Saxons  should  never  make  another  raid  on  Ireland.  And 
Adamnan  brought  back  the  entire  spoil. 

1  The  translation  given  of  this  sentence  is  conjectural :  the  text  here  is  probably 
corrupt.  ^  MS.  tracht  rompa  :  leg.  t.  romra  ? 


102  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Cap.  9.  Another  time  it  happened  that  Adamnan  was  on 
a  Sunday  in  the  northern  part  of  Magh  Bregh,  to  wit,  in 
Hy  mic  Uais.  There  it  was  that  a  hundred  cooked  sheep 
were  given  to  him,  and  amongst  them  a  hound  which  had 
been  cooked  [Hkewise].  Through  the  grace  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  Adamnan  discerned  the  hound  among  the  sheep, 
and  he  said  to  the  victuallers,  '  Which  of  you  hath  given 
us  the  hound  among  the  sheep  ? '  Each  of  them  swore 
severally  that  it  was  not  he.  Then  said  Adamnan  to  the 
hound :  *  In  the  name  of  the  Lord,  arise  quickly  and  make 
known  to  us  thy  master.'  The  hound  rose  at  once  at  the 
word  of  Adamnan  and  sprang  on  his  master  and  bore  him 
to  the  ground.  Adamnan  asked  the  man :  '  How  many  of 
you  have  had  a  hand  in  this  deed  ? '  '  Four  men  of  the 
Hy  Cuirb,'  said  the  man.  Then  spake  Adamnan,  cursing 
them  : — 

'  A  curse  upon  ^  them  and  around  them,  who  are  .  .  . 
Out  of  Uachtar  Aird  I  pronounce  it  on  the  Hy  Cuirb.' 

And  he  said  that  their  posterity  should  never  outnumber 
four  men. 

Cap.  10.  It  happened  on  a  time  that  the  body  of  Bruide 
mac  Bili,  king  of  the  Picts,  was  brought  to  lona.  A  sore 
grief  was  his  death  to  Adamnan ;  and  he  said  that  the  body 
of  Bruide  should  be  brought  to  his  house  that  night.  And 
he  kept  watch  by  the  body  in  the  house  till  morning.  On 
the  morrow  morning  when  the  body  began  to  move  and  to 
open  its  eyes,  then  it  was  that  a  certain  austere  devotee  came 
to  the  door  of  the  house  and  said  :  '  If  there  is  likelihood  of 
Adamnan's  raising  the  dead,  I  declare  that  no  cleric  who 
shall  come  in  his  place  shall  be  made  abbot  unless  he  [too] 
raise  the  dead.'  'There  is  some  justice  in  that,'  said 
Adamnan.  '  If  it  be  more  fitting,  let  us  bestow  a  blessing 
on  the  body  and  on  ^  the  soul  of  Bruide.'  [Then]  Bruide  once 
more  sent  forth  his  spirit  to  heaven,  with  the   blessing  of 

^  Lit  '  into.'  2  jr^i^^  <  ii^to.' 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADAMNAN  103 

Adamnan  and  of  the  community  of  lona.     Then  it  was  that 
Adamnan  said  : — 

'  Many  wonders  worketh  the  King  who  was  born  of  Mary  : 
Life  [He  giveth]  to  Scuaban  in  Mulle,  death  to  Bruide  mac  Bili. 
'Tis  strange — after  he  hath  been  in  the  kingship  of  the  people — 
A  hollow  withered  oak-stump  round  the  son  of  the  king  of 
Ail-Cluaithi.' 

Cap.  11.  Another  time  Adamnan  was  in  lona  fasting  for 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  his  house  with  closed  doors, 
without  coming  to  the  monastery.  A  few  saintly  (perfect) 
[monks]  went  to  the  house  to  see  how  the  cleric  fared.  They 
looked  through  the  key-hole  and  saw  a  most  beautiful  little 
boy  on  Adamnan's  lap.  Moreover  Adamnan  was  fondling  the 
child ;  so  that  they  were  sure  that  it  was  Jesus  who  had 
come  in  the  form  of  a  babe  to  cheer  Adamnan. 

Cap.  12.  Another  time  when  Adamnan  was  in  lona  a 
corpse  was  brought  to  the  island.  The  bell  is  rung.^  All  go 
to  meet  it  save  Adamnan.  When  they  reached  the  sea,  the 
corpse  rose  from  its  coracle  of  hide  and  said  to  them  :  '  Ye 
should  have  sought  a  master  of  learning  to  converse  with  me 
rather  than  come  to  fetch  me  to  my  burial.  [Thereupon] 
it  propounded  many  strange  (difficult,  mysterious)  questions 
to  them,  which  were  brought  to  Adamnan,  and  he  solved 
them  all.  '  Ask  of  Adamnan,'  said  the  corpse,  '  (for  well  doth 
he  solve  questions)  the  word  which  is  in  the  baptismal  service, 
what  is  meant  thereby,  namely  :  urget  te  MelthieV  They 
tell  that  to  Adamnan.  Dixit  Adamnan:  *  From  hell  that 
question  was  propounded  to  Columbcille,  and  no  wonder  that 
Amelthiel  should  be  the  name  of  the  rank  [of  the  heavenly 
hierarchy]  from  which  the  devil  fell  by  transgression.  Open 
the  grave  ^  (?)  of  Columbcille,'  said  Adamnan.  It  was  done 
even  so,  and  Adamnan  pronounced  a  blessing  in  the  direction 
of  the  corpse.  Then  was  heard  the  outcry  and  clamour  of 
Satan  as  he  departed  from  the  corpse  to  hell. 

Cap.  13.  Among  the  special  gifts  of  Adamnan  were 
preaching  and  instructing.      In  the  last  year  of  his  life  he 

^  Lit. '  struck.'  ^  Oslaiccedh  in  erdain  (text) :  leg.  oslaiccidh  ? 


104 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


used  to  preach  that  about  the  festival  of  John  tribulation 
would  come  upon  the  men  of  Erin  and  Alba.  A  stranger 
was  wont  to  visit  Colman  of  Cruachan  Aigle  (Croaghpatrick), 
to  wit,  an  anchorite  who  was  in  Connacht,  and  this  man  used 
to  tell  Colman  of  many  wonders :  and  he  told  him  what 
Adamnan  was  prophesying  [namely],  tribulation  to  the  men 
of  Erin  and  Alba  about  the  festival  of  John.  '  Verily  '  (?)  ^ 
quoth  Colman.  *  It  will  prove  true,'  said  the  man.  *  This  is 
the  tribulation,  that  Adamnan  shall  go  to  heaven  on  the 
festival  of  John.  It  is  a  great  happening,  and  a  great  sorrow 
it  is  in  the  west  of  the  world.  And  send  thou  word  to  him,' 
said  the  man.  Colman  sent  that  message  to  Adamnan.  *  'Tis 
likely  that  will  be  true,'  saith  Adamnan,  '  that  I  should  go  to 
our  [heavenly]  home  in  the  name  of  God  and  of  Columbcille.' 
Et  postea  cecinit : — 

'  If  death  should  come  to  me  in  Hy, 
'Twill  be  a  deliverance  ^  (?)  of  mercy, 
I  know  not  beneath  blue  heaven 
A  spot  ^  which  were  better  for  (my) 

last  hour.' 


Cap.  14.  a  righteous  man  indeed  was  this  man,  with 
purity  of  nature  like  a  patriarch;  a  true  pilgrim  like 
Abraham;  meek  and  forgiving  of  heart,  like  Moses;  a 
praiseworthy  psalmist  hke  David ;  a  treasury  of  knowledge 
like  Solomon ;  a  chosen  vessel  for  proclaiming  the  truth  like 
the  Apostle  Paul ;  a  man  full  of  the  grace  and  favour  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  like  the  youth  John ;  a  lovely  garden,  admirable 
with  plants  (?) ;  a  vine-branch  with  fruitfulness ;  a  shining 
fire  with  flames  to  give  warmth  and  heat  to  the  sons  of  life 
in  kindling  and  zeal  of  charity;  a  lion  in  strength  and 
power;  a  dove  in  meekness  and  simplicity;  a  serpent  in 
cunning  and  prudence  towards  good  ;  meek,  lowly  and  gentle 
towards  the  sons  of  life ;  very  austere  and  harsh  towards  the 
sons  of  death ;  a  slave  in  toil  and  service  for  Christ ;  a  king 
in  dignity  and  power  for  binding  and  loosening,  for  delivering 


1  Tc^text.  ('sUence'?) 


Lit.  'taking.' 


3  Fottan,  '  sod '  ? 


« 


THE  LIFE  OF  ADAMNAN  105 

and  imprisoning,  for  slaying  and  giving  life.  When  the  hour 
of  his  death  drew  nigh,  the  holy  Adamnan  sent  forth  his 
spirit  heavenwards  to  the  Lord  whom  he  served.  But  his 
body  is  still  with  us  in  this  present  world,  with  honour  and 
reverence,  and  (working)  miracles  every  day.  Great  as  his 
glory  may  be  now,  it  shall  be  greater  on  the  last  (?)  day, 
when  he  shall  shine  like  the  sun,  and  shall  put  forth  as 
fruit  (?)  his  preaching  and  his  fair  deeds,  his  pilgrimage,  his 
chastity  and  his  humility  to  the  Lord  of  the  elements.  In 
the  unity  of  the  nine  orders  of  heavens  who  have  done  no 
sin;  in  the  unity  of  (the)  saints  and  holy  virgins  of  this 
world,  of  patriarchs  and  prophets,  of  apostles  and  disciples 
of  Jesus ;  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead  and  humanity  of  the 
Son  of  God ;  in  the  unity  which  is  higher  than  all  unity  else, 
the  Unity  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit ; 
I  claim  (?  desire,  entreat)  the  mercy  of  God  through  the 
intercession  of  Adamnan,  that  I  may  reach  that  unity  in 
scecula  soeculorum.     Amen. 


NOTES  ON  BETHA  ADAMNAIN 

Cap.  3 

Conail. — Tyrconnell,  Co.  Donegal. 
Coirpre. — Barony  of  Carbury,  Co.  Sligo. 
JEss  Euaidh. — Assaroe,  on  R.  Erne. 

Cap.  4 

lorgalach  ua  Gonaing. — According  to  the  Annals  of  Ulster,  lorgalach  Ua  Conaing 
was  killed  by  the  Britons  (iugulatus  est  a  Britonibus)  on  Inis  mac  Nessan  (Ireland's 
Eye)  in  702.  He  had  in  the  previous  year  killed  Niall  mac  Cernaig,  who  (accord- 
ing to  MacFirbisig)  was  under  the  protection  of  Adamnan. 

Finnachta  mac  Dunchadha. — Finnachta  Fledach  (the  Festive)  mac  Dunchadha, 
grandson  of  Aed  SUine,  was  King  at  Tara  from  675  to  695,  in  which  year  he  was 
killed  by  two  kinsmen,  great-grandsons  of  Aed  Sldine.  According  to  Mac  Firbisig, 
Finnachta  had  befriended  Adamnan  when  the  latter  was  a  schoolboy,  and  when 
Finnachta  became  Ardri,  Adamnan  was  his  anmchara  (confessor).  The  cause  assigned 
by  MacFirbisig  for  the  rupture  between  Finnachta  and  Adamnan  was  the  remission 
of  the  Boroimhe  Laighean  or  Leinster  tribute,  which  Finnachta  granted  on  the 
intercession  of  St.  Moling,  a  step  of  which  Adamnan  disapproved ;  Finnachta,  how- 
ever, did  penance,  and  was  pardoned  by  Adamnan.  Neither  the  Annals  of  Ulster 
nor  Mac   F.  mention  the  cause  of  the  ^dispute  in  the  text — namely,  Finnachta's 


106 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


proposal  to  levy  dues  on  the  Church  lands  belonging  to  the  brotherhood  of  Columb- 
cille,  which  had  hitherto  been  free,  exemption  having  been  granted  to  Columbcille 
on  account  of  his  royal  descent.  As  Adamnan  himself  claimed  kinship  with  Columb- 
cille, his  pride  of  race,  as  well  the  interests  of  his  order,  was  probably  concerned  in 
the  issue. 

Cap.  5 

Conall  Oircniuch. — C.  Oircnech  was  King  of  Coirpre  (Carbury,  Co.  Sligo),  and 
according  to  A.V.  fell  in  the  Battle  of  Bodbgnu  (Slieve  Banun,  Co.  Roscommon)  in  . 
680.     Why  Tethba  should  be  mentioned  in  connection  with  him  is  not  apparent. 

Ui  Fidgenti. — A  sept  occupying  the  Barony  of  Coshma,  Co.  Limerick. 

Ui  Eachach  M. — Iveagh  or  Ivahagh,  Co.  Cork. 

Cap.  6 

Laighsi  T.  B. — Laighis  or  Leix  in  Queen's  County ;  Bregmon  is  a  hill  {telach, 
tulach)  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Cellach. — Called  also  C.  Derg  (Cdin  Adam.,  §  18)  and  C.  Cualann  (A.V.),  King 
of  Leinster  ;  one  of  the  subscribers  to  Adamnan's  law  ;  his  death  is  given  under  715, 
A.V. 

Dubgal. — According  to  A.V.  Dubgal  (not  Dubguail),  Abbot  of  Glendalough, 
died  (periit)  in  712.  He  was  a  bishop  as  well  as  abbot,  hence  his  assumption  of 
superiority  towards  Adamnan. 

Aircinnech. — An  erenagh  was  a  manager  of  Church  lands  and  property,  and 
might  be  a  layman  ;  see  Fis  Adamn.,  cap.  25.  Dubgal  seems  to  have  combined  the 
worldly  and  the  ecclesiastical  function. 

Murchad  mac  Brain. — Mentioned  in  A.V.  as  raiding  Cashel  (715)  and  Magh 
Breg  (721),  and  as  one  of  the  victors  in  the  Battle  of  Almuin  (722) ;  his  death  is 
given  under  726,  where  he  is  called  King  of  Leinster, 

Gongal  mac  Fergusa. — Congal  Cinninghair  (so  called  from  Ceannonaghair,  at  the 
head  of  Mulroy  Lough,  Co.  Donegal)  was  King  of  Ireland  from  704,  and  died, 
according  to  A.V.,  in  710, '  subita  morte,  .i.  do  bidg '  (i.e.  of  a  fit).  According  to  Keat- 
ing, '  This  Congall  was  a  cruel  persecutor  of  the  Irish  Church,  and  burned  the  regular 
and  secular  clergy  at  Kildare  without  mercy  or  distinction.  But  the  divine 
vengeance  pursued  him  and  punished  him  with  a  sudden  and  unlamented  death.' 

Cap.  7 
Toraig. — Tory  Island  off  Co.  Donegal. 

Cap.  8 


In  695,  according  to  A.V.,  the  Saxons  laid  waste  Magh  Breg.  In  687,  according  to 
the  same  authority,  '  Adamnan  brought  back  sixty  captives  to  Ireland.'  The  descrip- 
tion in  the  text  points  to  the  Solway  Firth  as  the  scene  of  Adamnan's  encounter  with 
the  Saxons. 

Belach  Duin. — Castlekieran,  barony  of  Upper  Kells,  Co.  Meath. 

Cap.  9 

Uaib  mic  TJais. — A  sept  of  Meath,  whose  name  survives  in  the  barony  of  Moy- 
goish,  Co.  Westmeath. 


CALUM-CILLE  AGUS  DOBHEAN  A  BHRATHAIR  107 

Cap.  10 

Bruide  m.  Bili. — Bruide  mac  Bile  was  King  of  Fortrenn  or  Pictland  in  Scot- 
land ;  his  death  is  given  by  A.V.  under  693. 

Ala  Cluaithi.— Ail  Cluaide,  'Rock  of  the  Clyde,'  old  name  of  Dumbarton  in 
Scotland. 

Cap.  13 
For  prophecies  relating  to  the  Festival  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  s6e  O'Curry,  MS. 
Materials,  pp.  384,  402,  406,  423. 

Cruachan  Aigle. — Croagh  Patrick,  Co.  Mayo. 

CALUM-CILLE  AGUS  DOBHRAN  A  BHRATHAIR 

From  the  MSS  of  the  late  Father  Allan  Macdonald 

Thoisich  Calum-cille  air  togal  na  h-I.  Chruinnich  e  moran 
sluagh.  Ach  na  thogadh  e  air  an  latha  leagte  air  an  oidhche 
e.  Bhuail  e  sin  air  daoine  a  chur  a  dh'fhaire  na  h-I.  H-uile 
maduinn  bhitheadh  iad  sin  marbh  aig  bonn  na  h-I.  Cha  do 
lean  e  fad  air  daoine  a  chur  ann,  ach  bho'n  a  bha  e  fhein  na 
dhuine  naomh  chaidh  e  agus  dhThan  e  'g  fhaire  na  h-I  fiach 
am  faiceadh  e  no  am  faigheadh  e  ciod  e  a  bha  tighinn  cearr 
oirre.  Bha  e  a  coimhead  h-uige  agus  bhuaithe — agus  bha  iad 
ag  radh  gur  ann  air  sgurr  na  creige  faisge  air  a  mhuir  a  bha 
i — cha'n  fhaca  mise  i.  Chunnaic  e  biast  a  tighinn  bharr  a 
chladaich  's  an  dala  leth  dhi  na  h-iasg  agus  an  leth  eile  an 
coltas  boireannaich.  Bha  i  sean  le  slignich.  'Nuair  a  chrath  i 
i-fein  chuir  i  crith  air  an  I  's  air  an  talamh.  Leig  i  glig  dhith 
fhein  mar  gu'm  biodh  pigeachan  ^  'g  an  crathadh.  Chaidh  Cal- 
um-cille sios  na  coinneamh  agus  bhruidhinn  e  rithe  agus  dh' 
f  haighneachd  e  dhith  am  b'f  hiosrach  i  gu  de  bha  marbhadh  na 
daoine  bha  esan  a  cur  a  dh'fhaire  na  h-I  as  an  oidhche. 
Thuirt  i  ris  gu'm  b'fhiosrach.  *  Ciod  a  bha'g  eiridh  dhaibh  ? ' 
ars'  e.  Thuirt  ise  nach  robh  sian  ach  an  t-eagal  a  bha  iad 
a  gabhail  roimpe,  nuair  a  bha  i  tighinn  gu  tir  gu  robh  an 
cridhe  leum  as  a  chochull  aca.  *An  f hiosrach  dhuit/  ars'  e,  'ciod 
e  a  tha  leagail  na  h-I  a  tha  mise  togail  ? '  'Is  fhiosrach,'  ars 
ise.  '  Bithidh  an  I  a  tuitim  mar  sin  gu  brath,  a  Chaluim-chille 
naoimh.  Cha  mhise  a  tha  ga  leigeil  ach  na  dheighidh  sin 
thathar  ga  leagadh.'     '  An  aithne  dhuit  a  nise  an  aon  doigh 

1  Earthenware  jars. 


108  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

air  an  cuir  mi  air  aghaidh  an  I  ? '  '  'S  aithne/  ars'  ise.  '  A 
Chaluim-chille  naoimhe,  am  maireach  cuiridh  tusa  ceisd  air  na 
bheil  a  dhaoine  's  an  obair  agad  fiach  co  fear  a  dheonaicheas  e 
fhein  a  thiodhlacadh  beo  fo'n  talamh,  agus  bithidh  anam 
sabhailte  ma  dheonaicheas  e  sin  a  dheanamh,  agus  cha'n 
fhaic  iad  mise  so  gu  brath  na  dheigh.  Theid  an  I  air  aghart 
gun  umhail  sam  bith'.  An  la-r-na  mhaireach  chuir  e  ceisd  air 
an  t-sluagh  mhor  an  robh  a  h-aon  sam  bith  dhiubh  a  dheo- 
naicheadh  a  thiodhlacadh  beo  air  chumhnanta  gu'm  biodh  anam 
sabhailte  ann  am  flathanas.  Cha  robh  gin  sam  bith  deonach 
gabhail  dha  'n  t-sloc  ged  a  bha  e  air  innis  gu'm  bitheadh  anam 
sabhailte  le  ordadh  Dhia.  (Dh'innis  ise  dha  cuideachd  gu  m 
feumadh  sheachd  fhaid  dhoimhneachd  a  bhi  's  an  t-sloc). 
Bha  Dobhran  bochd  a  bhrathair  ann  an  iomall  an  t-sluaigh. 
Thain'  e  nail  agus  sheas  e  air  culaibh  Chaluim-chille  a  bhrathair 
agus  thuirt  e  gun  robh  esan  uile  dheonach  a  bhi  air  a 
thiodhlacadh  uile  bheo  fo'n  talamh  air  chumhnanta  gu'n 
gabhadh  an  I  togail  do  Chaluim-chille  a  bhrathair  naomh, 
agus  e  toirt  creideas  do  Chaluim-chille  gu'm  biodh  anam 
sabhailte  le  ordadh  Dhia. 

Arsa  Calum-cille,  *  ged  nach'eil  brathair  agam  ach  Dobhran 
bochd  tha  mi  toilichte  gur  e  a  dheonaich  a  dhol  dha'n  t-sloc' 
Agus  nach  motha  na  sin  a  chite  a  bhiast  a  tighinn  thun  a 
chladaich  gu  brath. 

Rinneadh  an  sloe  seachd  airdead  duine.  Nuair  a 
chunnaic  Dobhran  an  t-sloc  thionndaidh  e  ri  Calum-cille/s 
dh'iarr  e  mar  fhabhar  ceann  a  chuir  air  an  t-sloc  agus  esan 
fhagail  na  sheasamh  cho  fada  's  a  thogradh  Dia  fhagail  beo. 

Fhuair  e  iarrtas,  a  chuir  sios  beo  dha'n  t-sloc. 
Dh'fhagadh  an  so  e. 

Thainig  Calum-cille  is  thoisich  e  air  an  I 's  bha  e  fichead 
la  ag  obair  's  bha  an  I  a  dol  air  aghaidh  uamhasach.  Bha  e 
toilichte  an  ghnothach  a  bhi  dol  leis. 

Ann  an  ceann  an  f  hichead  latha  'nuair  a  bha  h-uile  ni  air 
thuairim  a  bhi  dol  air  aghart  gu  math,  thuirt  e  gu'm  bu  choir 
sealltain  de  chrioch  a  chaidh  air  Dobhran  bochd,  agus  an 
sloe  fhosgladh. 


THE  FIEST  CELTIC  EUCHAKISTIC  HYMN     109 

Bha  Dobhran  a  coiseachd  air  urlar  an  t-sluic.  'Nuair  a 
chunnaic  Dobhran  gu'n  do  dh'fhosgladh  an  t-sloc  's  a 
mhuthaich  e  'n  saoghal  gu  leir  mu  choinneamh  thug  e  cruinn 
leum  as  gu  bial  an  t-sluic  s'  chuir  e  dha  bhois  air  bial  an  t-sluic 
gu  h-ard.  Chroch  e  e-fhein  ris  an  t-sloc.  Bha  lianadh  mhor 
reidh  suas  'o  'n  I  agus  moran  luachrach  oirre.  Na  chunnaic 
Dobhran  dhe'n  luachar  dh'fhas  e  ruadh  agus  tha  am  barr 
beag  ruadh  sin  air  an  luachar  riamh. 

Dh'eubh  Calum-cille  's  e  thall — *  Uir,  uir,  air  suil  Dhobhran 
mu'n  faic  e'n  corr  dhe'n  t- saoghal  's  dhe  'n  pheacadh.'  Chuir 
iad  an  uir  air  agus  thill  iad  a  dh'ionnsaidh  an  cuid  obrach. 
'S  cha  deachaidh  car  an  aghaidh  Calum-cille  tuilleadh  gus  an 
d'fhuair  e  crioch  air  an  I. 


THE  FIRST  CELTIC  EUCHARISTIC  HYMN 

Circa  A.D.  470. 

Translated  from  the  Original  Latin  by  Rev.  Father  Atkinson,  S.J., 
Wimbledon  College. 

With  Introductory  Note  by  Rev.  Father  Power,  S.  J.,  Edinburgh. 

In  The  Celtic  Review,  January  1906,  Father  Atkinson  gave  a 
full  translation  of  St.  Sechnall's  hymn  in  praise  of  St.  Patrick, 
'  Master  of  the  Scoti,'  and  kinsman  and  contemporary  of  the 
poet.  Far  more  popular  than  this  long-winded,  alphabetic 
poem,  the  chief  interest  of  which  lies  in  the  explicit  statement 
of  the  teaching  and  practice  of  the  Apostle  of  Ireland,  is 
the  Eucharistic  hymn  by  the  same  author,  first  printed  in 
the  original  Gallo-Scotish  (not  Scottish)  Latin  by  Muratori 
from  the  Antiphonary  of  Bangor,  fol.  102,  and  reprinted  by 
Canon  Warren  in  the  second  volume  of  his  splendid  edition 
of  that  document.  The  highly-coloured  story  of  the  genesis 
of  this  hymn  is  given  in  the  Lebar  Breac  or  Speckled  Book ; 
but  as  to  its  antiquity  and  authorship  I  think  no  reasonable 
doubt  can  be  entertained.  The  internal  evidence  points 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  author  of  the  *  Praise  of  St.  Patrick ' 


110  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

and  the  'Hymn  of  the  Communicating  Priests'  is  one  and 
the  same. 

With  reference  to  this  latter  title,  '  Quando  communicant 
Sacerdotes/  it  may  be  noted  that  nowhere  in  early  Christian 
Scotia  (Ireland-Scotland)  did  the  priests  celebrate  daily. 
They  partook  of  the  Corp  Crist  (the  rendering  of  Corpus 
Christi  in  the  Booh  of  Armagh  and  the  Tripartite  Life) 
much  more  frequently  than  they  stood  at  the  altar  for  the 
Sacrabaic  (sacrificium)  proper. 

The  doctrinal  elements  in  the  following  hymn  are  clearly 
the  same  as  those  embodied  in  the  long  poem  which  I  have 
referred  to,  and  which  cannot  be  dated  later  than  a.d.  452. 
The  doctrine  taught  by  the  early  Scotish  preachers  is  again 
identical  with  that  of  the  earliest  versions  extant  of  the 
Gallic  Liturgy  as  printed  by  Mabillon.  This  liturgy  was 
undoubtedly  followed  by  SS.  Patrick  and  Columba. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  turn  the  rude  verses 
of  Sechnall  into  modern  English.  Bishop  Bickersteth  of 
Exeter,  in  1880,  makes  short  work  of  the  Eucharistic  teaching 
of  the  poet  by  his  first  line — 

Come,  take  by  faith  the  Body  of  our  Lord.^ 

A  much  more  faithful  translation  was  written  by  Dr.  Neale, 
and  set  to  music  by  Mr.  A.  H.  Brown.  It  appears  in  Hymns 
Ancient  and  Modern  (London,  1904),  and  is  numbered  269. 
It  is  too  bad  of  the  compilers  to  be  satisfied  with  the  scanty 
note  that  this  production  of  the  first  Scoto-Latin  poet  is 
*from  the  Latin.'  A  somewhat  difi'erent  and  less  satis- 
factory translation  by  Dr.  Neale  was  given  by  him  to  the 
sisterhood  known  as  the  community  of  St.  Margaret,  East 
Grinstead.  It  was  privately  printed  at  Cambridge  by  these 
Anglican  nuns,  who  own  the  famous  hymnologist  as  their 
founder.  In  all  translations  prior  to  Father  Atkinson's  there 
can  be  discerned,  even  in  the  midst  of  smooth-flowing  lines, 
an  uneasy  shuffling  to  evade  the  full  force  of  SechnalFs  con- 
fession of  faith  in  the  Ileal  Presence  in  the  Sacrament  of  the 

^  Hymnal  Companion,  No.  383. 


THE  FIEST  CELTIC  EUCHARISTIC  HYMN       111 

Eucharist.     The  short  metre  here  used  admirably  reflects  the 
curt  and  jerky  style  of  the  original  text. 

Christian,  come  eat,  for  His 

Flesh  is  your  food, 
Think  of  that  ransoming 

Drinking  His  Blood. 

Christ's  Blood  and  Body  were 

Offered  for  you ; 
Banqueting,  let  us  praise 

God,  as  is  due. 

Under  this  Sacrament 

Flesh  and  Blood  hide, 
Mighty  to  rescue  though 

Hell  open  wide. 

Jesus,  the  Son  of  God, 

Purpling  the  tree. 
Brings  us  deliverance, 
Sets  the  world  free. 

Christ  hath  each  one  of  us 

Saved  and  released, 
He  is  our  Sacrifice, 

He  is  our  Priest. 

Victims  of  olden  time — 

So  the  law  willed — 
Shadowed  God's  mysteries, 

Now  are  fulfilled. 

All  have  His  gracious  gift, 

Soul's  light  and  health. 
He  hath  His  holy  ones 

Dowered  with  wealth. 

Come  ye  with  faith  in  Him, 

Come  with  pure  mind ; 
Safety  and  endless  life 

Here  shall  ye  find. 

He  doth  His  holy  ones 

Govern  and  tend. 
Granting  to  faithful  hearts 

Life  without  end. 


112  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

He  to  man's  hunger  gives 
Bread  from  on  high, 

Here  are  for  all  athirst 
Wells  never  dry. 


Alpha  and  Omega, 

Jesus,  the  Lord, 
Lo  !  He  comes  who  shall  come 

Doom  to  award. 


A    NOBLE    TRAIT    IN    THE    CHARACTER    OF 
MARSHAL  MACDONALD,  DUKE  OF  TARENTUM 

K.  N.  Macdonald,  M.D. 

The  following  unpublished  letter,  copied  from  the  original  of 
one  written  by  John  M'Eachin,  Greenock,  one  of  the  Hough- 
beag  family,  to  his  sister  Isabel  in  South  Uist  in  1825, 
illustrates  the  noble  character  of  the  Marshal  towards  his 
poorer  relations,  and  his  love  of  his  kindred. 

The  letter  was  preserved  by  the  late  Alexander  Cameron, 
at  one  time  Procurator-Fiscal  at  Lochmaddy,  North  Uist,  and 
afterwards  at  Portree,  Isle  of  Skye,  better  known  as  the 
author  of  The  History  and  Traditions  of  the  Isle  of  Skye.'  It 
was  found  among  his  papers  by  his  daughter.  Miss  C.  R. 
Cameron,  Portree,  who  lent  it  to  Mr.  Ronald  MacDonald,  of 
the  National  Bank,  who  in  turn  lent  it  to  the  writer  of  these 
notes.  The  history  of  these  MacEachins  of  Howbeg,  or 
Houghbeag,  and  Glenuig  shows  that  they  were  MacDonalds, 
and  descended  from  Ranald,  son  of  Hector  v.  of  Kilmaleu,  and 
probably  a  first  cousin  of  the  Marshal's.  The  present  writer's 
father  was  also  of  the  MacEachin  MacDonalds,  whose  pro- 
genitor was  Hector,  the  second  son  of  Roderick  ITI.  of  Clan- 
ranald — on  record  as  of  Kilmaleu — a  large  estate  bestowed 
upon  him  by  John,  Lord  of  the  Isles.  He  also  claimed  rela- 
tionship with  the  Marshal,  and  called  on  him  at  Armadale, 


MAESHAL  MACDONALD,  DUKE  OF  TAEENTUM  113 

on  board  the  revenue  cruiser,  which  was  placed  at  his  disposal 
by  the  British  Government  in  1825,  and  had  a  long  conversa- 
tion with  him,  in  which  he  gave  him  some  advice  about 
matrimony. 

In  the  Recollections  of  Marshal  MacDonald,  Duke  of 
Tarentum,  edited  by  Camille  Eousset,  a  member  of  the 
French  Academy,  there  is  a  long  note  by  our  veteran  folk- 
lorist  Mr.  Alexander  Carmichael,  which  corroborates  in  a 
singular  manner  John  MacEachin's  estimate  of  his  character. 
On  his  arrival  in  South  Uist,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Eanald 
MacDonald,  W.S.,  Edinburgh  (with  whom  the  present  writer 
was  intimately  acquainted,  having  been  frequently  entertained 
in  his  house  in  1854-55 — a  fine,  genial,  clever,  and  witty 
gentleman),  he  walked  from  the  ford  at  lochdar  to  Hough- 
beag,  a  distance  of  ten  miles.  '  On  coming  in  sight  of  the 
river  he  exclaimed,  *'  That  is  the  river  Hough.  I  know 
it  from  my  father's  description ;  many  a  salmon  has  he 
caught  there."  He  sent  for  all  his  relations  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. When  his  blind  old  uncle  was  brought  to  him, 
he  embraced  him  affectionately,  saying,  "  You  dear  old  man, 
how  like  you  are  to  my  own  father ! "  He  addressed  his 
relations  in  French  and  broken  Gaelic,  they  answering  him 
in  Gaelic,  for  few  of  them  could  speak  English.  He  dis- 
tributed sums  of  money  varying  in  value  among  them, 
giving  to  some  £20,  and  to  others  larger  amounts,  or  fixed 
annuities.  He  took  earth  from  the  floor  of  the  house 
where  his  father  was  born,  and  potatoes  from  the  garden, 
and  these  he  placed  in  a  bag  and  carried  home  with  him  to 
France.  He  planted  the  potatoes  in  his  garden,  and  gave 
orders  that  the  earth  should  be  placed  in  his  coffin  after 
his  death.' 

The  British  people  are  changing,  and  the  Highlanders  are 
changing  too.  Fifty,  and  one  hundred  years  ago,  there  were 
a  great  many  of  what  one  would  term  a  good  sort  of  honest, 
religious,  and  straightforward  people  in  this  country.  Now 
there  are,  alas !  but  few  indeed,  and  none  at  all  like  Marshal 
MacDonald. 

VOL.  V.  H 


114  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Copy  Letter  from  John  M'Eachin  to  Isabel  M*Eachm, 
South  Uist. 

Greenock,  20th  July  1825. 

Dear  Sister, — I  intended  to  have  met  Marshal  Mac- 
Donald  in  Uist  when  he  was  there.  But  the  machinery  of  the 
steam-Boat  in  which  I  took  my  passage  geting  deranged  and 
after  losing  two  days  could  proceed  no  farther  than  Tober- 
mory. On  Monday  the  4th  I  returned  to  Lismore  knowing 
that  he  was  to  visit  the  Bishop.  I  arived  there  about  nine 
o'clock  at  night.  But  to  my  great  astonishment  and  dis- 
apointment  he  left  that  place  about  three  hours  before  my 
arival  for  the  north  of  Ireland  not  having  stoped  above  two 
or  three  hours. 

The  next  morning  early  I  returned  to  Oban  accompanied 
by  the  Bishop  and  his  niece  when  I  was  fortunate  enough  to 
find  a  steam-boat  ready  for  Greenock  in  which  I  returned 
home. 

On  Monday  the  11th  I  received  a  letter  from  Count 
Coursen  in  the  Marshal's  name  desiring  me  to  meet  him  in 
the  Star  Inn  of  Glasgow,  on  that  day,  where  I  proceeded 
immediately  accompanied  by  my  five  daughters,  my  three 
sons  in  law  and  one  granddaughter,  a  child  of  five  years  of 
age  (those  of  them  who  lived  in  Glasgow  happening  to  be  in 
Greenock  at  the  time),  and  after  making  a  little  necessary 
arangements  in  dresses,  etc.,  in  my  daughter  Margaret's 
house,  we  all  walked  to  the  Inn,  taking  my  wife  who 
happened  to  be  then  in  Margaret's  house  along  with  us. 
After  sending  a  card  to  the  Marshal  announcing  our  arival, 
the  Count  immediately  made  his  appearance  in  the  room 
where  we  were  and  cordially  saluted  us  all  by  a  hearty  shake 
of  the  hand,  etc.,  then  ushered  us  into  where  the  Duke  was 
sitting  along  with  Hector  MacDonald  Buchanan  and  his 
brother  Staffa.  The  Duke  received  us  in  the  most  friendly 
polite  and  handsomest  manner  possible. 

Being  the  Marshal's  dinner  hour  we  were  placed  round 
him  the  same  as  a  family  round  their  father.     He  placed  my 


MARSHAL  MACDONALD,  DUKE  OF  TARENTUM  115 

wife  on  his  right  hand,  myself  on  his  left,  and  my  daughters 
down  from  their  mother  according  to  their  ages  ;  the  men 
were  on  the  opposite  side  of  table,  along  with  MacDonald 
Buchanan  StafFa,  etc.  After  taking  a  hearty  dinner  and 
some  wine  after  it,  the  Marshal  took  the  Count  and  me  into 
an  ajacent  room,  where  we  remained  for  half  an  hour,  asking 
me  many  questions  and  aranging  some  maters  which  is  to  take 
place  at  a  future  period.  After  we  returned  to  the  dining 
room  tea  was  upon  the  table,  and  my  daughter  Marion  doing 
the  duty  at  the  head  and  Margaret  the  foot.  After  tea  we 
stopped  till  half  past  10  o'clock  (the  Marshal's  usual  time  to 
go  to  bed),  after  promising  to  return  to  Breakfast  next 
morning  at  ten.  At  Breakfast  we  were  placed  the  same  as 
the  preceding  evening,  and  after  taking  a  Breakfast  which 
might  well  be  termed  a  Highland  one,  he  remained  with  us 
alone  (the  Count  and  Staffa  having  gone  out  upon  some 
business),  conversing  in  the  best  way  we  could  with  his  bad 
English,  and  taking  a  snuff  round  occationally  out  of  his 
fine  massy  gold  box,  till  about  1  o'clock  when  the  Count 
and  Staffa  returned,  and  the  cariage  drawn  up  to  the  door. 
At  parting  he  took  leave  of  us  all  in  the  kindest  and  tenderest 
manner  immaginable,  with  a  promise  of  returning  our  visit  to 
us  in  Greenock  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years. 

The  Count  is  a  compleat  Gentleman.  At  parting  he 
kissed  the  cheeks  of  my  wife  and  each  of  the  daughters,  as 
for  the  little  Gumming  the  Duke  kissed  her  frequently,  and 
at  departing  gave  her  a  £5  stg.  to  purchas  toys,  and  one  of 
the  silver  medals  which  were  distributed  at  the  Coronation 
of  the  King  of  France.  He  drove  off  from  the  Hotel  where 
there  was  a  great  multitude  waiting  to  have  a  sight  of 
him. 

The  Duke  is  to  place  a  sum  of  money  in  the  hands  of 
Bishop  MacDonald  for  John,  he  proposed  that  he  should  go 
to  America,  but  I  advised  that  it  would  be  better  that  he 
should  rather  begin  something  in  the  country  for  himself,  and 
to  draw  the  money  from  the  Bishop  as  he  required,  to  which 
he  agreed.     However  he  may  chuse  for  himself  with  the  advice 


116  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

of  his  friends.  Offer  my  compliments  to  my  brother  and  his 
family,  and  I  am,  Dear  Sister,  yours  etc., 

(Signed)         John  MacEachin. 

P.S. — I  have  a  letter  from  son  from  Quebec,  dated  15th 
of  June  last,  when  he  was  in  good  health  as  also  his  wife  and 
child.  The  Duke  is  to  provide  a  better  situation  for  him, 
although  his  present  one  is  not  bad,  £110  stg.  p.  annum. 

J.  Mc  E. 

Fav'd.  by  Mr.  MacLelan. 

UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  BY  ALEXANDER  MAC- 
DONALD  (MAC  MHAIGHSTIB  ALASTAIR) 

Professor  Mackinnon 

III.  Poems  hitherto  unpublished. 

{Continued  from  vol.  v.,  p.  30) 

In  the  following  long  composition  (pp.  151-55),  the  Camp- 
bells, and  especially  Captain  Duncan  and  the  poetess,  are 
severely  handled : — 

Na  h-abair,  na  h-abair, 

Na  h-abair  na's  in6 ; 

Gabh  mo  chomhairle,  stad  ort, 

'S  tuilleadh  spagluinn  na  r6p ; 

Chaidh  tu  moran  is  fada 

Ann  an  saltrachdainn  oirnn, 

Gun  respect  thoirt  do  phearsainnean 

Beaga  no  m6r : 

Tha  thu  nis  air  do  phabadh, 

An  eangaich  glacta  o  d'  dhe6in  ; 

Cha  toir  eanglann  no  casbhardacbd  ^ 

Aist'  thu  ri  d'  bhe6  : 

Gu  meal  thu  chrabhata 

Thoill  ascaoin  do  bhedil, 

'S  e  aoir  a'  Phrionnsa  's  a  ghaisgeach, 

Ni  do  thachdadh  le  c6rd. 

^  Is  this  the  Englyn  of  Welsh,  with  which  Sir  John  Rhys  would  identify  the 
Retorics  of  old  Gaelic  editors,  and  the  runs  of  modern  reciters  ?  In  old  Gaelic  cass- 
bairdne  was  a  certain  class  of  metre.  In  modern  Scottish  Gaelic  casbhardachd  is 
usually  restricted  to  '  satire,'  '  invective.' 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  117 

Och  !  mo  naire  mar  thachair 

Do'n  mhnaoi  leacanda  ch6ir, 

Bean  is  inighin  a'  phersoin  ^ 

Bhi  do'n  pheacadh  'na  rod ; 

Dh'  earbadh  duin'  a  mnaoi  chneasda 

'S  foghlum  aice  na's  le6ir, 

Nach  biodh  mi-mhodh  le'  blasda, 

Ach  ciiiin  staideil  'na  sedil : 

Ach  cha'n  amhuil  mar  thachair, 

Caoin  air  ascaoin  tha  'c6t ; 

Gur  h-i  'n  canibal  ceart  i 

Gu  beul-chagnadh  nam  be6 ; 

Dh'  ith  i  'm  Prionns'  agus  action 

Eadar  chraiceann  is  fheoil ; 

Ach  ma  dhil'eas  i  'brecfasty 

Thuit  is  lag  air  mo  dhdigh. 

'S  iomadh  g^ir'  agus  gaimed,^ 

A  bha  'n  campa  nam  biast, 

'Nan  cro  'g  eisdeachd  ri  d'  champar, 

A'  cur  angir  air  Dia ; 

Thug  am  poison  bha  gnathach 

Do'n  aobhar-sa  riamh, 

Gu'n  do  shluig  iad  do  racadal 

Tl^th  mar  mhil  shliabh  : 

An  rud  as  biadh  do  dh'aon  ph^rti 

Gu'm  b^saich  e  ciad  ; 

Gur  h-e  leasaich  an  gradh  air, 

'S  a  rinn  ^raid  an  rian, 

Gur  h-i  b'  ughdar  do'n  sgral  ud 

Te  dh'^l  nam  bial  fiar, 

D'  am  bu  nadur  mar  fhagail 

Bhi  'na  bla(th)-shlait  do'n  ria'ch.^ 

Tha  'n  f  hirinn  ri  h-aireamh, 
Bho'n  's  i  dh'  aich'eas  a'  bhreug, 
Cha'n  'eil  fineach  *  's  an  ncLsion 
Chaill  'ur  n^ir'  ach  sibh  fein ; 
Dhruid  miar  de  gach  parti 
Ei'r  n-aobhar  gun  ch^ir, 
Chaidh  an  onoir  an  aird  orr' 
Os  cionn  gr^nnein  de  spreidh. 

1  The  reading  is  clear.     Is  inighin  for  nighean  or  aon-ghin  1     And  what  is  the 
point  or  force  of  person  ?  ^  Qf  g^j^jf^  '  ^  gibe,'  O'Reilly.  ^  MS.  indistinct. 

^  The  common  form  is^ne,  pi.  jineacAan.     But  the  author  frequently  UBQSJineach 
as  the  singular  form. 


118  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Cum  nach  d'  rinn  sibh  mar  Ghranndaich 
A  ghl^idh  an  c^irdeas  's  an  cliii  1 
Gun  sibh  a  thumadh  'ur  spainne 
An  aona  ch^l  diubh  bho  thus : 
Mar  sin  shaoilteadh  nach  n^mhaid 
Sibh  a  dh'  aobhar  a'  Phrionns', 
Gun  chair'-iomchair  aig  c^ch  oirbh, 
Bho  nach  d'  ^ilich  sibh  riu. 

Ach  bha  galar  an  daoilchri 
Kiamh  an  dlighe  d'ur  p6r, 
'S  bhiodh  am  bas  air  a  dheireadh, 
Mu'm  biodh  deireas  air  6r ; 
Dh'  fhidir  sibhse  gu  sgoinneil, 
Gu'n  robh  'n  ceirean-s'  aig  De6rs', 
'S  nach  robh  againn'  ach  gainne 
De  gach  goireas  fo'r  sg6d  : 
Neach  as  fearr  ni  'ur  ceannach, 
Ni  sibh  a  leanailt  mar  Eigh ; 
Sibh  na  siuddserich  ^  theanna, 
'N  am  ceannairc  no  stri ; 
Na  reubalaich  cheangailt' 
A  fhuair  Mamon  'n  a  lion  : 
Bheir  an  saoghal-sa  'n  air'  oirbh ; 
Thall  is  maireann  'ur  pian. 

Fiobh  !  fiobh  !  gur  a  briiideil, 
Bho  dhaoine  cuirteil,  's  iad  m6r, 
Onoir,  creideamh  is  consiens 
Thoirt  air  ionmhas  ^  do  Dhe6rs'; 
Cha'n  'eil  creideas  's  an  iomlaid, 
Ach  fior  aimhleas  ^  is  g6  j 
Tairbh'  dhiombuan  's  cha'n  fhiach  i, 
Bhi  cur  cul  ris  a'  chdir. 
Ach  nach  creid  sibhse  bhuamsa 
Firinn  chruaidh  gun  dad  breig', 
Dh'  aindeoin  dilseachd  'ur  gluasaid, 
Sinne  sguabadh  d'  ar  spreidh, 
An  donas  fineach  's  an  uair-sa 
A  thuairgneas  am  feur, 
As  lugh'  air  meas  no  air  cruadal 
Na  'ur  ruadh-chroisean  breun. 


I  have  not  met  the  word  elsewhere. 

MS.  uintos.  3  MS.  uimilos. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS 

Mur  bhith  curam  nam  b6can, 
Lion'or  mh6r  bha's  'ur  cionn 
Chaidh  a'  chabhraich  gu  st6l  oirbh, 
'S  bhiodh  an  drdbh  bun  os  cionn ; 
'S  e  'ur  milsean  geal  s61ais 
Aoir  gh6rach  a'  Phrionns', 
Bu  cho  beag  oirbh  an  ce61  sin, 
'S  sfigh  cdrcaich  a  crump' ; 
Cha  bhiodh  'ur  campa  cho  6rdail, 
No  cho  stdlda  'na  phlum  : 
Gu'm  biodh  goichd  air  'ur  sgornan 
'G  amharc  se61t'  os  'ur  cionn 
Nam  bealach  's  nam  m^r-bheann, 
Ard  is  comhnard  gach  fuinn ; 
Smior  na  geilte  'g  'ur  sgr6badh, 
Koimh  shl6gh  sin  a'  Phrionns'. 

'S  iomadh  de6raidh  dall,  bacach, 

Bodhar,  pailseach  fo  'leoin, 

S  e  dh'  eudach  air  plaideig, 

'S  a  dheirc  aige  'na  c6ir ; 

Gun  mhaoin  shaoghaltach  aige, 

Bhiadh,  a  bheairteas,  no  dh'  6r, 

Ach  na  chruinnich  am  baigear 

'Na  aparsaig  bhr6in, — 

A  dh'  fheann  sibhse  bho  chraiceann, 

'S  thug  sibh  aiste  chuid  loin ; 

E  sgreadail  m'ur  casaibh 

'G  a  acain  'na  ghle6  ;  ^ 

Bha  na  truaghain  'n  an  airce, 

'S  an  cridhe  plapraich  fo'n  c6t, 

lad  ri  fannaghal  le  laigse, 

'S  gun  she61  ac'  air  bhi  be6. 

Chaoidh  na  cuiribh  am  fiachaibh 
Gu'n  do  striochd  sinn  duibh  fein, 
'S  ann  a  fhuair  sinn  ar  ciopadh 
Le  h-arm  tri-fill teach  treun  ; 
Cothrom  talmhainn  is  siona. 
Air  sliabh  iosal,  cruaidh,  reidh ; 
Eich  is  canain  gu  lion'or, 
Ei  dian-sgrios  ar  trend ; 
Sluagh  foghluimte,  reachd'or, 
Bha  riamh  cleachdta  ri  blair, 


MS.  ina  ghb. 


120  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Gu  teine  thoirt  seachad, 

'S  gu  casgairt  nan  ^r : 

Na  'm  bu  sibhs',  a  shluaigh  bhrachdaich, 

A  thachradh  'n  ar  n-^it', 

Cha  bhiodh  plundruinn  no  marstachd 

Cur  oirnn  cachdain  an  dr^st. 

Bha  brath  aig  gach  se6rsa 

Chuir  e61as  oirbh  riamh, 

Gu'm  b'  annsa  leibh  st6ras 

Na  c6mhrag  air  sliabh ; 

Smior  a'  chnMmh  a  bhrist  foirneart, 

Arm  m6r  nan  ruadb-bhiast, 

Cha  d'  earb  ruibhs'  ach  a  thogail, 

Bho'n  a  thogair  sibh  triall. 

0  !  nach  sibh  rinn  an  tapadh 

'S  a'  ghaisge  bha  garg, 

Dol  le  miltean  a  chreachadh 

Dhaoine  shnas,  's  iad  gun  arm ; 

Thugaibh  taing  do  neart  Shasuinn, 

Rinn  'ur  lasan  a  shearg, 

Nach  robh  ruadh-chroisean  claiginn, 

Sileadh  asda  's  iad  dearg. 

'S  i  do  theanga  shliom  shleamhainn 
Chuir  do  bhreamas  ort  suas, 
Rinn  an  drisean  do  sparradh, 
Le  d'  rabhan  Ian  fuachd  ; 
'Nad  chaise-bhuird  gearrar  ^ 
'S  gach  fearann  mu'n  cuairt, 
A  bhana-bhard  rinn  an  ealaidh, 
'S  garbh  alia  's  Taobh-tuath. 
'S  iomadh  baintighearna  bharrail 
Eadar  Gallaibh  is  Cluaidh, 
Manainn,  D6bher,  is  Berbhic, 
'S  Eirinn  thallad  ri  luaidh, 
A  ghibhteadh  6r  agus  earras, 
'S  taing  a  bharrachd  mar  luach, 
Chionn  gu  faigheadh  iad  sealladh 
Air  an  fhear  ud  fad'  bhuath'. 

'S  beag  a  bhuineadh  nighean  t'athar 
A  bhi  labhairt  le  tair, 
Air  Prionns'  Tearlach  na  flatha, 
Bha  do  gha'ail  ro  ard, 

^  The  reading  is  fairly  clear. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  121 

Bhiodh  do  chairdean  a'  spraigheadh 
Le  h-aighir,  hurrhh  ! 
'N  uair  a  chluinnt'  thu  ri  gabhail 
T'  aoir  bhadhail  f  os  n-^ird. 
Cha'n  'eil  fineach  am  chuimhne, 
Saor  bho  Ghuibhnichibh  f^in, 
Dh'  eisdeadh  t'ealain  Ian  puinnsinn 
Bho  chontrachd  do  bheil, 
Nach  troideadh  riut  grunndail, 
Mu  d'  thunnsgail  garbh,  breun, 
Mar  ri  achmhusan  sgiursach, 
Fhaotainn  diibailt'  bho  d'  chleir. 

Caiptin  Dunchadh  ^  an  trustar, 
Am  fi6r-ghlutaire  m6r, 
Thug  e  urram  na  musaich' 
Air  gach  muic  bha  's  an  dr6bh ; 
Cha'n  'eil  aon  se6rsa  sgudail 
Nach  luidrich  le  shr6in, 
Gus  an  ckrnadh  'na  bhuideal 
Sath  aon  tuirc  bha  's  an  Edrp'. 


An  saoil  thu  fein  nach  do  dh'aomadh 

Le  daoraich  do  chiall, 

'Nuair  a  theann  thu  ri  aoireadh 

'N  fhior-laoich  sin  Loch-iall  1 

Curaidh  gasda  nach  aomadh 

Ann  an  caonnaig,  an  triath ; 

'S  le  cruadal  do  laochrachd 

Gu'n  sraonadh  tu  ciad  : 

Do  reisimeid  ghasda 

'N  ^m  sracadh  nam  bian  ; 

Mar  shaighdean  luath  sgaiteach, 

Bhiodh  do  ghasraidh  dol  sios ; 

Cnamh-smiiise  'ga  spealtadh 

Le  'r  bras-bhuillibh  dian  ; 

Gur  neo-ghiuigeach  do  ghaisgich, 

Gun  taise  'n  an  gniomh. 


Contrast  with  this  the  eulogy  on  Captain  Duncan  {FoemSj  pp.  137-9). 


122  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

larr  do  ghiuigirean  mine 

Mu  Loch-fiona-sa  shuas, 

'S  mu  thaobh  sin  Loch-obha, 

Bog  odhar  ^  a'  chuain ; 

Ma  tha  ^  iad  teom  air  a'  mhaghar, 

'S  iasg  a  dhra'adh  d  cuan, 

'S  gun  chruaidh  ann  ri  taghadh, 

Mur  am  fadhairt  thu  sluagh. 

Cum  'ur  fearg  nach  do  las, 

Ma  (tha)  srad  innte  chruas, 

'Nuair  a  phill  sinn  a  Sasunn, 

Do  Ghlascho  ri'r  cluais  1 

Cum  nach  d'thug  sibh  cath  sgairteil, 

Do'n  *  phrasgan '  bhochd  thruagh  1 

'S  ann  a  mhaom  sibh  mar  chearcan, 

A'  t^rsainn  as  bho'n  Fhear  ruadh.^ 

FiNID. 

Another  long  poem  on  the  same  theme  follows  (pp.  156- 

160). 

O !  gu'n  tigeadh  .  .  . 

Ar  cabhlach  garbh  daoineach, 

Le  Frangaichibh  cuthaich, 

Le  gleadhar  na  gaothadh ; 

Gu  falbhadh  ar  mulad, 

'S  bhiodh  curaids'  'n  ar  n-aodann, 

'S  bhiodh  armailt  Dhiuc  Uilleam 

'N  an  cuileagaibh  taobh-dhearg. 

A  Mhuiseagan  ^  binne 
Nam  fil-fhaclan  bdidheach, 
'S  trie  a  rinn  sibh  mo  thadhall, 
Chur  laghaid  air  6ran ; 
Bho'n  a  leig  sibh  ar  run  rium, 
Sin  is  durachd  ar  n-e61ais, 
Na  treigibh  a  nis  mi, 
'S  mi  trie  ann  am  ehl6said. 

Ach  c6  rinn  an  ealain-s'. 
Thug  sgeith  air  mo  chluasaibh  1 
Cha'n  fhaod  gu'n  do  shruth  i 
O  shruthan  glan  fuarain ; 
Bho'n  bhreun-16n  a  bhrtichd  i, 
Le  sgurdan  de  thuaileas  ; 

1  MS.  oughar.  2  ;^g  ^^^  3  Prince  Charles.  *  The  Muses. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  123 

Cha  robh  'n  a  ceud  ughdar 
Aon  driuchd  de  dh'  uaisle. 

Am  baisteach  ^  bochd  miomhail, 
'S  mi-shiobhalta  gluasad, 
Ge  fath  g^ir'  anns  an  tir  ud, 
I  dhiobhairt  a  spruillich ; 
'S  iad  na  pileachan  mi-ruin, 
So-dhil'eadh  le  ludas, 
Thug  sgeith  air  an  striopaich, 
A  h-inntinn  a  rusgadh. 

'S  ged  a  ruisg  thu  mar  chranna-mhadadh 
Sgaiteach  do  dheud  ruinn, 
Dheanamh  dichill  g'ar  gearradh, 
'S  nach  b'  urr'  thu  ar  reubadh  ; 
Cha'n  'eil  ann  am  edlas 
Te  she6rsa  fo'n  ghrein-sa, 
Dheanadh  tiunnail  an  6rain-s', 
Ach  am  p6r  tha  thu  fein  diubh. 

'BTenn-mhonster  de  dh'ealain, 
Gun  mhiosar,  gun  6rdan, 
Eanghlais  shearbh,  shalach, 
De  bharrasglaich  c6mhraidh ; 
'S  beag  a  bhuineadh  do  chaillich, 
Nighean  Chailein  ri  Se6naid,2 
Dol  a  chaineadh  a'  Phrionnsa, 
Cha  d'  ionnsaich  i  e61as. 

An  cimGhe-sa.  phasadh^ 
A  ch6arrach  gun  eiribinn,^ 
'S  ann  a  bheist  ^  thu  na  cairtean, 
Le  d'  bhras-iomairt  chealgaich ; 
Na  bhuannaichd  thu  chliu  leis, 
Cuir  ad  phuidse  gu  staillichdeil, 
'S  mur  'eil  ortsa  seun  dubailt', 
Gu'n  ciiitaichear  t'  earra-ghloir. 

Aig  a  thainead  's  tha  'm  p6r  ud, 
An  drast  ann  ad  dhuthaich, 
Gu  bheil  mios  ort  an  Latharn', 
Gur  tu  rogha  nan  iighdar ; 

^  The  reading  is  quite  clear. 

2  Who  is  this  cailleach  ?    The  poetess's  father  was  Duncan,  a  notary. 
^  Cf.  O.G.  airmitiu ;  H.  S.  D.  airmidinn,  'honour,'  'reverence.' 
*  The  phrase  occurs  more  than  once.     Beist  as  verb  is  not  in  the  dictionaries.     It 
means  '  make  a  beast  of,'  '  corrupt,'  '  pollute.' 


124 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Ma  tha  iad  le  soileas 
Sior-mholadh  do  bhurdain, 
An  ddthaich  eile  cha  b'  fhiach  e 
Thogail  cian  thar  an  urlair. 

A  bhana-mhinistear  ascaoin 

A  fhuair  bias  air  an  t-searbhaig, 

'S  i  mhiosguin  an  texta 

'N  do  shocraich  do  shearmoid ; 

'S  e  'n  deamhan  a  las  thu, 

Chuir  gart  ort  fior-fheargach, 

Le  t'  aoir  dol  a  cbagnadh 

Threun-gbaisgeach  nan  Garbh-cbrioch. 

A  bhan-r6gaire  Dhe6rsach, 
Le  h-6rdan  bbios  sgiiirsta, 
'S  ann  a  thoill  thu  bbi  r6iste 
Air  rois-bhior  am  f uirneis ; 
Tha  togradh  do  sg6rnain 
Gu  d'  ghoigeach  bhi  ruchdan, 
Dol  a  dheanamh  an  drain, 
Le  h-6rdainean  ludais. 

'S  n^r  do  bhean  eaglaiseach 
Beadachd  is  tunnsgail, 
Le  spiorad  na  beag-nair', 
Labhairt  sgeigeil  air  prionnsa  ; 
Do  chreideamh  cha  teagaisg 
Dhuit  cead  thoirt  do  d'  sgiiirsa, 
Droch  cainnt  chur  an  eagar, 
Le  t'  f heigil  ^  a  mhuchar. 

Dh'  aindeoin  dichill  do  chinnidh, 

Anns  an  iomairt-sa  'n  dr^sta, 

Torradh  suas  an  cuid  cillean, 

Le  gionaich'  na  sasdachd  ; 

Gu'n  crunar  Eigh  Seumas, 

Le  ^irigh  nan  Spainneach 

'S  nam  Frangach  dearg-chreuchdach, 

'S  comhnadh  gleusda  nan  Gaidheal. 

'S  ged  a  bhiodh  tu  cho  caise, 
'S  clobha  daite  ann  ad  earball, 
Bidh  an  gnothach-sa  paiste, 
Le  ascall  nan  Earraghaidheal ; 


Not  in  our  dictionaries.     Cf,  feighil,  Dineen. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  125 

Bidh  moran  de  t'aitim, 
Air  an  spadadh  le  fearra-ghniomh, 
'S  cuid  eile  dhiubh  'n  glasaibh, 
'S  cuibhreach  rag  air  an  sealbhan. 

Chaidh  na  mucan  gu  rochdail, 
'S  a  sochdan  air  rusgadh, 
Ri  riirach  nan  soithche, 
'S  nam  pocanan  pluicte  ; 
Ach  's  e  Cumberland  plocach, 
Le  'ochd  mhile  dubailte, 
Rinn  an  conquest  cho  socair, 
'S  nach  stopt'  air  am  burach. 

'S  mur  bhith  Diuc  Uilleam, 
An  Cille-chuimein  'na  churraig,i 
A  bhi  cho  dioghlt'  air  fuileachd, 
Bhiodh  cullaich  'ga  sgiursadh  ] 
Gu  rachmaid  gu  h-uUamh, 
Air  chullainn  ^  m'ur  tiirlach, 
'S  bhiodh  dearg-chroisean  fuileach, 
Le  'r  buillean  'g  'ur  crunadh. 

Cha  tearmachadh  ceart  oirnn 
*  Prasgan  nan  Garbh-chrioch,' 
Ach  cruithneachd  nan  gaisgeach, 
Chur  ceartas  am  f  earra-ghniomh ; 
Fior  eitinn  nan  curaidh, 
'N  km.  curaidse  dhearbhadh ; 
Luchd  bhualadh  nam  buillean, 
An  cumasg  nan  dearg-chneadh. 

Tha  thusa  gle  bh6sdail 
As  do  she6rsa  gu  cruadal, 
Daoine  staideile  c6ire, 
Ach  fior  Dheorsaich  gu  buannachd  ; 
Ach  's  cinnteach  mar  's  be6  sinn, 
Tha  sinn  de6nach  's  an  uair  so, 
Sinn  a  tharruinn  an  6rdugh 
Gus  na  str6nan  as  cruaidhe. 

Ged  a  thuirt  thu  le  blas-bheum 
Ruinn  'Prasgan  nan  Garbh-chrioch,' 
Chum  sinn  cogadh  ri  Sasunn, 
Re  tachdain,  's  ri  h-Albainn. 

1  A  formation  from  the  verb  ctw,  '  chastise,'  '  torture '  1    Nach  mise  th'  air  mo 
chii/radh.  ^  For  collainn. 


126  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Cum  ruinn  nach  do  chas  sibh, 
Aig  Glascho  le  'r  armaibh  1 
Chuir  sinn  eagal  'ur  cac  oirbh, 
'S  th^rr  sibh  as  mar  an  earba. 

Ach  'nuair  choinnich  Diuc  Uilleam. 
Le  'r  tri  uiread  de  shluagh  sinn, 
Le  ciad  anacothrom  cumaisg, 
Gu'n  d'iomain  e  ruaig  oirnn ; 
Ach  's  fada  mu'n  cumadh 
lad  buillean  aon  uair  ruinn, 
Ach  uiread  is  uiread 
Dhol  a  bhuilleachas  chruaidh  ruinn. 

Taisbean  domhsa  milisia^ 

An  ceart  uair  's  an  Edrpa, 

Nach  rachmaid  'n  an  dosan, 

Ann  an  cosgar  na  cdrach  ; 

'S  ged  thogadh  tu  fathasd, 

Fir  Latharn'  is  Ch6mhaill, 

B'  asa  cat  chur  an  triubhas, 

Na'n  cur  an  uidheam  'n  ar  c6mhdhail. 

Na  biodh  b6sd  oirbh  mu'n  thog  sibh 
De  spreidh  anns  an  duthaich ; 
Mur  bhitheadh  an  armailte 
Mh6r  bh'  air  'ur  culaibh, 
Cha  deanainn  fad'  iarraidh 
Air  cuig  ciad  bheireadh  cuis  dhiobh,— 
Luchd  dhioghluim  nan  ceirtlean, 
'S  im  brachain  'n  am  puidse. 

Luchd  thogail  nam  binid, 
'S  'g  an  dinneadh  'n  am  p6ca, 
'Gr  am  bruich  air  na  h-eibhlibh. 
Mar  ghreiteachadh  fe6il  (orr') ; 
Na  Hottentots  bhreuna, 
Bu  deisinneach  c6mhroinn. 
An  cuinneag  an  deircich, 
'S  an  creutair  'gan  sgr6badh. 

Bha  iomhaigh  na  gealtachd 
Air  a  cailceadh  'n  'ur  gnuisibh, 
Fior-chlamhain  na  h-ealtainn, 
Gu  cearcan  a  phluchadh  ; 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  127 

Na'n  deanta  'ur  n-ath-bhaisteadh, 
B'ainm  ceart  duibh  na  giudain, 
Bu  lion'or  mu'r  brataich 
Fior-ghealtairean  fiiidseach. 

Paigheadh  diibailte  steach  oirbh, 

Bheirear  dhachaidh  'n  'ur  foirgneadh, 

As  na  min-chriochaibh  feachd-bhog  sin, 

Peacach  nan  Earraghaidheal ; 

Le  riadh  thig  na  creachan 

Le  gaisgich  nan  Garbh-cbrioch, 

'S  bidh  claidheamh  is  lasair 

Mu'r  n-aitreabh  bhios  gailbheach. 

Cha  leomhainn  ach  caoirich 
Thug  a'  chaoireachd-sa  bhuainne, 
Na  lugachan  plamach, 
'S  crois  sgabhain  mu  spuacaibh 
Bu  bhuige  na  slaman, 
Toirt  lannan  d  truaill  iad, 
Fior-f  he6dar  ri  tharruinn 
Nach  gearradh  am  buachar. 

Chreach  na  ceallairean  6traich 
Sn^th  is  cl6imh  gacha  tiirlaich, 
C^is,  im,  agus  uibhean 
Deanamh  gruithim  'n  am  puidse ; 
Cha  d'fhag  iad  balg  abhrais, 
No  ball  ann  gun  spuilleadh, 
Buaidh-laraich  cha  choltach 
Bhi  fochair  nam  briiidean. 

'S  c6mhdach  mallachd  bhan  bochda, 
Dedir  is  osnaich  nam  bantrach, 
An  deis  an  rusgadh  's  an  dochunn, 
Gu'm  bu  lochdach  'ur  n-ainneart ; 
Thig  plAigh  agus  gort  oirbh 
'S  claidheamh  prosnachd  o'r  naimhdibh  ; 
Lannar  as  sibh  mar  choirce 
Eadar  stoc  agus  mheanglan. 

Gur  geur  tha  'ur  coguis 
A'  cogadh  ri  'r  reusan, 
Gur  h-e  Seumas  gun  teagamh 
Righ  Bhreatuinn  is  Eireann ; 


128  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Thug  an  saoghal  a  dh'aindeoin 
Corp  is  anam  nam  beistean ; 
Gu'n  do  ghradhaich  iad  Mamon, 
'S  mar  sin  daingean  's  an  eucoir. 
FiNID. 


CUOHULLIN'S  DEATH 
By  Don.  A.  Mackenzie 

Now  when  the  last  hour  of  his  life  drew  nigh, 
Cuchullin  woke  from  dreams  forewarning  death  ; 
And  cold  and  awesome  came  the  night-bird's  cry — 
An  evil  omen,  the  magician  saith — 
A  low  gust  panted  like  a  man's  last  breath, 
As  morning  crept  into  the  chamber  black ; 
Then  all  his  weapons  clashed  and  tumbled  from  the  rack. 

For  the  last  time  his  evil  foemen  came ; 
The  sons  of  Calatin  by  Lugaid  led. 
The  land  lay  smouldering  with  smoke  and  flame ; 
The  duns  were  fallen  and  the  fords  ran  red ; 
And  widows  fled,  lamenting  for  their  dead. 
To  fair  Emania  on  that  fateful  day. 
Where  all  forworn  with  fighting  great  Cuchullin  lay. 

Levarchan,  whom  he  loved,  a  maid  most  fair, 
Kose-lipp'd,  with  yellow  hair  and  sea-grey  eyes, 
The  evil  tidings  to  Cuchullin  bare. 
And,  trembling  in  her  beauty,  bade  him  rise ; 
Niamh,  brave  Conal's  queen,  the  old,  the  wise. 
Urged  him  with  clamour  of  the  land's  alarms. 
And,  stirr'd  with  vengeful  might,  the  hero  sprang  to  arms. 

His  purple  mantle  o'er  his  shoulders  wide 
In  haste  he  flung,  and  tow'ring  o'er  them  stood 
All  scarr'd  and  terrible  in  battle  pride — 
His  brooch,  that  clasp'd  his  mantle  and  his  hood. 
Then  fell  his  foot  to  pierce,  and  his  red  blood 
Follow'd,  like  fate,  behind  him  as  he  stepp'd : 
Levarchan  shriek'd  and  Niamh  moaned  his  doom  and  wept. 


OUCHULLIN'S  DEATH  129 

Thus  sallying  forth  he  called  his  charioteer, 
And  bade  him  yoke  the  war-steeds  of  his  choice — 
The  Grey  of  Macha,  shuddering  in  fear, 
Had  scented  death,  and  pranced  with  fearsome  noise  ; 
But  when  it  heard  Cuchullin's  chiding  voice. 
Meekly  it  sought  the  chariot  to  be  bound, 
And  wept  big  tears  of  blood  before  him  on  the  ground. 

Then  to  his  chariot  leapt  the  lord  of  war, 
*  0  leave  me  not ! '  Levarchan  cried  in  woe ; 
Thrice  fifty  queens,  who  gather'd  from  afar, 
Moan'd  with  one  voice,  *  Ah,  would'st  thou  from  us  go  ? 
They  smote  their  hands,  and  fast  their  tears  did  flow — 
Cuchullin's  chariot  thunder'd  o'er  the  plain : 
Full  well  he  knew  that  he  would  ne'er  return  again. 

How  vehement  and  how  beautiful  they  swept — 
The  Grey  of  Macha  and  the  Black  most  bold ; 
And  keen-eyed  Laegh,  the  watchful  and  adept. 
Nor  turn'd,  nor  spake,  as  on  the  chariot  roll'd. 
The  steeds  he  urged  with  his  red  goad  of  gold ; 
Stooping  he  drave,  with  wing'd  cloak  and  bright  spheres, 
Slender  and  tall  and  red — the  King  of  Charioteers  ! 

Cuchullin  stood  impatient  for  the  fray ; 
His  golden-hilted  bronze  sword  on  his  thigh ; 
A  sharp  and  venomous  dart  beside  him  lay ; 
He  clasp'd  his  ashen  spear,  broad-tipp'd  and  high. 
As  flames  the  sun  upon  the  western  sky. 
His  round  shield  from  afar  was  flashing  bright, 
Figured  with  radiant  gold  and  rimm'd  with  silver  white. 

Stern-lipp'd  he  stood :  his  great  broad  head  thrown  back, 
The  white  pearls  sprayed  upon  his  thick,  dark  hair ; 
Deep-set,  his  eyes,  beneath  his  eyebrows  black. 
Were  swift  and  grey,  and  fix'd  with  fearless  stare ; 
Eed-edg'd  his  white  hood  flamed ;  his  tunic  rare 
Of  purple  gleam'd  with  gold ;  his  cloak  behind 
His  shoulders  shone  with  silver,  floating  in  the  wind. 

Betimes  three  crones  him  meet  upon  the  way. 
Half-blind  and  evil-eyed,  with  matted  hair — 
Workers  of  spells  and  witcheries  are  they — 
The  brood  of  Calatin — beware  !  beware  ! 
They  proffer  of  their  fulsome  food  a  share, 
And,  '  Stay  with  us  a  while,'  a  false  crone  cries  : 
'Unseemly  is  the  strong  who  would  the  weak  despise.' 
VOL.  V.  I 


130  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

He  fain  would  pass,  but  leapt  upon  the  ground, 
The  proud,  the  fearless  !  for  sweet  honour's  sake — 
With  spells  and  poisons  had  they  cook'd  a  hound, 
Of  which  he  was  forbidden  to  partake. 
But  his  name-charm  the  brave  CuchuUin  brake. 
And  their  foul  food  he  in  his  left  hand  took — 
Eftsoons  his  former  strength  that  arm  and  side  forsook. 

For,  O  CuchuUin  !  could'st  thou  ere  forget, 
When  fast  by  Culann's  fort  on  yon  black  night, 
Thou  fought'st  and  slew  the  ban-dog  dark  as  jet, 
Which  scared  the  thief,  and  put  the  foe  to  flight ! 
A  tender  youth  thou  wert  of  warrior  might. 
And  all  the  land  did  with  thy  fame  resound. 
As  Cathbad,  the  magician,  named  thee,  'Culann's  hound.' 

Loud  o'er  Mid  Luachair  road  the  chariot  roU'd, 
Kound  Sliab  Fuad  desolate  and  grand  ; 
Till  Ere  with  hate  the  hero  did  behold, 
Hast'ning  to  sweep  the  foeman  from  the  land ; 
His  sword  flash'd  red  and  radiant  in  his  hand, 
In  sunny  splendour  was  his  shield  upraised ; 
And  hovering  o'er  his  head  the  light  of  heroes  blazed. 

*  He  comes  !  he  comes  ! '  cried  Ere  as  he  drew  near. 

*  Await  him.  Men  of  Erin,  and  be  strong  ! ' 

Their  faces  blanch'd,  their  bodies  shook  with  fear — 

*  Now  link  they  shields  and  close  together  throng, 
And  shout  the  war-cry  loud  and  fierce  and  long.' 
Then  Ere,  with  cunning  of  his  evil  heart, 

Set  heroes  forth  in  pairs  to  feign  to  fight  apart : 

As  furious  tempests,  that  in  deep  woods  roar, 
Assault  the  giant  trees  and  lay  them  low ; 
As  billows  toss  the  seaweed  on  the  shore ; 
As  sweeping  sickles  do  the  ripe  fields  mow  — 
CuchuUin,  rolling  fiercely  on  the  foe, 
Broke  through  the  linked  ranks  upon  the  plain. 
To  drench  the  field  with  blood  and  round  him  heap  the  slain. 

And  when  he  reach'd  a  warrior-pair  that  stood 
In  feigned  strife  upon  a  knoll  of  green, 
Their  weapons  clashing  but  unstained  with  blood, 
A  satirist  him  besought  to  intervene, 
Whereat  he  slew  them  as  he  drave  between — 
'  Thy  spear  to  me,'  the  satirist  cried  the  while ; 
The  hero  answering,  '  Nay,'  he  cried,  '  I  '11  thee  revile.' 


CUCHULLIN'S  DEATH  131 

'Reviled  for  churlishness  I  ne'er  have  been,' 
CuchuUin  call'd,  up-rising  in  his  pride, 
And  cast  his  ashen  spear  bronze-tipp'd  and  keen 
And  slew  the  satirist  and  nine  beside ; 
Then  his  fresh  onslaught  made  the  host  divide 
And  flee  beyond  him  clamouring  with  fear. 
The  while  the  stealthy  Lugaid  seized  Cuchullin's  spear. 

'  O  sons  of  Calatin,'  did  Lugaid  call, 

*  What  falleth  by  the  weapon  I  hold  here  1 ' 

Together  they  acclaim'd,  '  A  King  will  fall, 

For  so  foretold,'  they  said,  'the  aged  seer.' 

Then  at  the  chariot  he  flung  the  spear. 

And  Laegh  was  stricken  unto  death  and  fell  .  .  . 
Cuchullin  drew  the  spear  and  bade  a  last  farewell. 

'  The  victor  I,  and  eke  the  charioteer ! ' 
He  cried,  and  drave  the  war-steeds  fierce  and  fast. 
Another  pair  he  slew,  '  To  me  thy  spear,' 
Again  a  satirist  call'd.     The  spear  was  cast, 
And  through  the  satirist  and  nine  men  pass'd : 
But  Lugaid  grasps  it,  and  again  doth  call, — 
'  What  falleth  by  this  spear  ? '    They  shout,  '  A  King  will  fall.' 

'  Then  fall,'  cried  Lugaid,  as  he  flung  the  spear — 
The  Grey  of  Macha  sank  in  death's  fierce  throes, 
Snapping  the  yoke,  the  while  the  Black  ran  clear : 
Cuchullin  groan'd,  and  dash'd  upon  his  foes ; 
Another  pair  he  slew  with  rapid  blows, 
And  eke  the  satirist  and  nine  men  near : 
Then  once  more  Lugaid  sprang  to  seize  the  charmed  spear. 

'  What  falleth  by  this  weapon  ? '  he  doth  call. 

'  A  King  will  fall,'  they  answer  him  again  .  .  . 

'  But  twice  before  ye  said,  "  A  King  will  fall "  '  .  .  . 
They  cried,  '  The  King  of  Steeds  hath  fled  the  plain, 
And,  lo  !  the  King  of  Charioteers  is  slain  ! '  .  .  . 
For  the  last  time  he  drave  the  spear  full  well. 
And  smote  the  great  Cuchullin — and  Cuchullin  fell. 

The  Black  steed  snapp'd  the  yoke,  and  left  alone 

The  King  of  Heroes  dying  on  the  plain  : 
'  I  fain  would  drink,'  they  heard  Cuchullin  groan, 
'  From  out  yon  loch '  ...  He  thirsted  in  fierce  pain. 
'  We  give  thee  leave,  but  thou  must  come  again,' 

His  foemen  said ;  then  low  made  answer  he, 
'  If  I  will  not  return,  I  '11  bid  you  come  to  me.' 


132  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

His  wound  he  bound,  and  to  the  loch  did  hie, 
And  drank  his  drink,  and  wash'd,  and  made  no  moan. 
Then  came  the  brave  Cuchullin  forth  to  die, 
Sublimely  fearless,  strengthless  and  alone  .  .  . 
He  wended  to  the  standing  pillar-stone. 
Clutching  his  sword  and  leaning  on  his  spear, 
And  to  his  foemen  called,  *  Come  ye,  and  meet  me  here.' 

A  vision  swept  upon  his  fading  brain — 
A  passing  vision  glorious  and  sweet, 
That  hour  of  youth  return'd  to  him  again 
When  he  took  arms  with  fearless  heart  a-beat, 
As  Cathbad,  the  magician,  did  repeat, 
*  Who  taketh  arms  upon  this  day  of  grief, 
His  name  shall  live  forever  and  his  life  be  brief.' 

Fronting  his  foes  he  stood  with  fearless  eye. 
His  body  to  the  pillar-stone  he  bound. 
Nor  sitting  nor  down-lying  would  he  die  .  .  . 
He  would  die  standing  ...  so  they  gather'd  round 
In  silent  wonder  on  the  blood-drench'd  ground, 
And  watch'd  the  hero  who  with  Death  could  strive ; 
But  no  man  durst  approach  .  .  .He  seem'd  to  be  alive  .  .  . 

HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG  ^ 

Eev.  M.  N.  MuNRO 

In  this  paper  I  wish  to  offer  some  remarks  on  Gaelic  music, 
in  its  relation  to  Art  Music,  and  with  regard  to  its  past 
history  and  present  condition.  Considerable  progress  has 
been  made  in  recent  years  in  reviving  interest  in  Gaelic  Folk- 
Song,  and  I  shall  refer  to  workers  and  gleaners  in  the  rich 
field  of  Gaelic  music  who  have  helped  to  preserve  and  per- 
petuate among  the  Highland  people,  in  earlier  and  more 
modern  times,  their  national  heritage  of  musical  treasures. 

The  folk-songs  of  the  North  must  have  reached  a  pretty 
high  stage  of  artistic  development  many  centuries  ago.  In 
our  oldest  collection  we  find  tunes  that  have  remained  among 
the  people  with  little  change  to  the  present  day.  If  variants 
or  different  versions  do  occur,  they  are  frequently  not  im- 

^  Delivered  in  part  at  the  Pan-Celtic  Congress,  Edinburgh,  1907. 


HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG  133 

provements  but  changes  for  the  worse  on  the  early  form  of 
the  air,  caused  by  the  defective  ear  or  imperfect  musical 
memory  of  the  transmitter.  In  Gaelic  music,  on  the  whole, 
one  seldom  finds  anything  musically  crude  or  uncouth.  This 
cannot  be  said  of  the  folk-song  of  all  European  countries. 
Grieg  remarks  on  the  uncouth  character  of  many  of  the 
native  tunes  of  Norway.  Refinement  and  tender  beauty 
characterise  most  of  the  songs  of  the  Highlands. 

There  are  some  who  profess  not  to  care  much  for  folk-song 
of  any  kind.  They  have  developed  a  taste  for  the  modern 
ballad  or  classical  song,  and  one  finds  it  diflScult  to  interest 
them  in  the  simple  songs  of  the  people.  They  '  have  only 
time  for  the  best,'  they  say.  In  argument  with  such  people 
the  question  naturally  arises,  '  In  what  relation  does  folk- 
song stand  to  the  best  modern  art-song — the  undeniably  fine 
compositions  of  composers  of  world-wide  fame  1 '  There  are 
some  who  say  that  the  best  and  truest  type  of  song  is  the 
direct  and  artless  expression  of  the  people,  and  it  is  claimed 
that  the  genuine  naive  character  of  a  folk-song  appeals  more 
powerfully  to  the  feelings  than  does  any  vocal  composition 
fashioned  by  art.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  some  who 
despise  the  songs  of  the  people  as  trifles  of  little  value.  The 
truth  lies  somewhere  between  these  two  extreme  positions. 

No  doubt  the  modern  song  composer  has  great  advantages. 
He  has  behind  him  all  the  infinite  resources  of  modern  music, 
harmony,  orchestration,  and  modulation,  as  well  as  melody. 
The  folk-song  chiefly  depends  for  its  effect  on  melody  pure 
and  simple,  and  the  direct  power  of  noble  words.  In  no  class 
of  song  is  distinct  enunciation  of  the  words  so  needful  as  in 
the  folk-song  or  ballad.  But  in  the  modern  song  the  accom- 
paniment is  almost  as  important  as  the  song  itself.  The 
harmonies  and  air  are  so  closely  wedded  together  that  one  is 
not  complete  without  the  other.  Every  note  is  a  part  of  the 
whole,  and  harmony  does  undoubtedly  give  an  immense 
reinforcement  to  the  power  of  melody.  The  composer  can 
thus  express  every  variety  of  modern  feeling  :  the  yearnings 
and  regrets  of  the  mind,  the  sense  of  the  infinite  mystery 


134  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

of  life,  its  pain  and  sadness,  its  joy,  even  to  blank  pessimism — 
all  intellectual  and  emotional  experiences  are  suggested  by  such 
masters  of  song-craft  as  Schumann,  Wagner,  and  Schubert. 
They  can  express  thoughts  that  defy  the  poet's  art  to  body 
forth  in  words.  Some  cultivated  minds  find  modern  music  as 
an  interpreter  of  the  unutterable  yearnings  of  the  human 
soul  superior  even  to  poetry.  To  hear  noble  music  well 
rendered  is  to  them  a  treat  of  the  highest  order.  Did  not 
Carlyle  say  of  music :  *  It  leads  us  to  the  verge  of  the 
Infinite,  and  bids  us  for  moments  gaze  into  it.' 

But,  while  we  cannot  have  too  high  an  opinion  of  the  great 
composers,  it  does  not  follow  that  the  folk-songs  have  not 
a  very  high  place  of  their  own.  Look  into  Schubert's  songs 
and  you  will  find  that  much  of  his  music  was  inspired  by 
the  folk-songs  of  his  own  people.  His  weird  and  wonderful 
songs,  so  full  of  melody,  seem  to  have  a  special  affinity  for 
the  Celtic  nature.  Haweis  speaks  of  them  as  *  sad  eyes 
looking  out  into  the  sunset  over  some  waste  of  measure- 
less waters.'  But  the  point  to  note  about  Schubert  is  that 
his  music  had  its  roots  in  the  past  of  his  own  race.  Of 
course,  he  composed  a  great  many  original  pieces,  yet  much 
of  his  material  was  Hungarian  or  Austrian  folk-song.  As  a 
consummate  artist  he  refined  this  material  and  worked  it 
into  better  technical  form,  with  the  result  of  full  develop- 
ment, increased  charm,  and  subtlety  of  efiect,  at  one  and  the 
same  time  retaining  the  national  flavour  and  yet  making  the 
music  a  delight  to  musicians  of  every  nation  in  the  world. 
So  it  may  justly  be  said  that  *  the  artist's  feeling  is  in  no  wise 
different  in  its  nature  to  that  of  the  people,  only  it  goes 
deeper,  and  he  is  more  enlightened  as  to  its  nature  and  its 
origin.'  To  sum  up  in  the  words  of  Beissmann  :  *  The  art 
song  may  be  viewed  as  an  ennobled  and  perfected  people's 
song.' 

What  I  have  said  of  Schubert  and  the  source  of  his 
musical  inspiration  is  equally  true  of  Weber  and  Grieg  and 
Dvorak.  These  great  musicians  were  too  wise  to  think 
the  songs  of  their  own  country  unworthy  of  their  notice. 


HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG 


135 


The  great  masters  of  music  have  the  very  highest  opinion 
of  the  songs  of  the  people,  and  pay  them  the  compliment  of 
imitating  their  sweet  and  simple  style.  They  have  frequently 
developed  these  airs  as  themes  with  variations  into  the  highest 
and  most  difficult  forms  of  orchestral  music,  the  sonata  and 
the  symphony. 

In  the  case  of  Grieg,  whose  recent  death  all  musicians 
deplore,  and  whose  work  in  idealising  the  Scandinavian 
music  is  so  notable,  it  is  remarkable  that  for  a  time  he  was 
quite  insensible  to  the  charm  of  national  folk-song.  His 
earnest  study  of  the  great  German  masters  had  blinded 
him  to  the  value  of  the  songs  of  the  common  people. 
Fortunately  he  emerged  from  this  stage  through  the  influence 
of  Nordraak.  *  The  scales  fell  from  my  eyes,'  he  confesses, 
*  and  so  I  first  learned  to  appreciate  the  popular  melodies  of 
the  North,  and  to  be  conscious  of  my  own  nature.'  This  was 
great  gain  not  only  to  music  but  to  Grieg  himself  Constant 
imitation  of  the  great  composers  was  paralysing  his  own 
originality.  Now,  under  the  influence  of  folk-song,  he  came 
nearer  to  nature,  and  found  the  true  stimulus  and  outlet  for 
his  great  original  talent. 

From  these  facts  we  Celts  may  learn  a  lesson  of  respect 
for  our  own  folk-song.  If  we  put  together  the  closely 
related  Irish  and  Highland  folk-song,  there  is  no  nation 
in  Europe  with  a  richer  musical  heritage  than  the  race 
of  the  Gael.  In  a  real  sense  it  is  classical  music.  By 
virtue  of  intrinsic  merit  it  has  stood  the  test  of  time  for 
many  hundreds  of  years,  written  not  on  paper  but  on  the 
very  hearts  of  the  dear  old  people  of  the  glens  and  the 
islands.  Our  Highland  folk-song  will  be  remembered  when 
the  mushroom  crop  of  modern  fourth-rate  music  that  suits 
the  west-end  drawing-room  taste  for  sickly  sentimentality, 
or  the  fifth-rate  songs  that  suit  the  rank  imbecility  of  music 
hall  and  pantomime,  will  be  utterly  forgotten.  It  is  the 
folk-songs  of  the  cities  I  am  referring  to,  not  the  noble 
works  of  the  great  masters,  but  the  songs  that  arise  among 
a  race  of  bounders  and  degenerates,  who  are  tired  of  the 


186  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

simple  virtues  of  homely  rural  life,  and  who  find  a  strange 
pleasure  in  coarse  comic  ditties  crammed  full  of  vulgarity, 
and  often  spiced  with  indecency. 

Let  Highlanders  cherish  their  own  music ;  it  is  well  worthy 
of  their  intelligent  enthusiasm.  If  any  Highlander  claims  to 
be  musical,  and  yet  neglects  the  songs  of  the  North,  then  I 
should  say  that  his  musical  education  has  been  neglected,  or 
is  in  a  state  of  arrested  development. 

The  folk-songs  of  the  Highlands  should  make  a  strong 
appeal  to  the  native  Gael  from  their  richness  in  association 
with  the  memories  of  youth,  alike  in  words  and  music.  It 
has  been  said  that  the  whole  voice  of  a  people's  past  speaks 
through  their  songs,  and  that  is  a  great  element  in  their 
power.  Besides,  and  most  important  of  all,  there  is  their 
intrinsic  musical  and  poetic  merit.  One  of  our  accomplished 
Highland  singers,  who  has  sung  Gaelic  round  the  world, 
informs  me  that  the  simple  Gaelic  song  has  never  failed  to 
make  its  appeal  to  the  most  cosmopolitan  of  audiences.  At 
the  same  concert  the  Gaelic  song  often  followed  the  classical, 
and  there  was  never  the  smallest  sense  of  incongruity.  It 
should  be  pointed  out  that  one  of  the  great  merits  of 
Highland  folk-song  is  the  generally  high  poetic  value  of  the 
words.  Many  modern  English  songs  have  words  of  the  most 
trivial  character,  while  the  music  may  be  quite  good.  At 
the  risk  of  digression,  let  me  say  that  Gaelic  poetry  is  full  of 
music  in  itself,  is  remarkably  rich  in  assonance,  and  possesses 
an  astonishing  variety  of  original  and  beautiful  metrical  forms. 
Professor  Geddes  remarked,  in  his  brilliant  address  at  the 
Pan-Celtic  Congress,  on  the  marvellous  qualities  of  Welsh 
poetry  in  this  respect,  and  said  there  was  nothing  in  English 
like  it  except  some  indications  in  Swinburne's  poetry.  With- 
out much  exaggeration  the  same  might  be  said  of  Gaelic 
verses. 

It  is  an  impressive  fact  that  this  high  creative  talent 
existed  in  the  past  in  the  Highlands,  and  is  indeed  by  no 
means  yet  extinct. 

Professor  Geddes  refers  in  an  article  to  the  *  paralysis  of 


HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG  137 

modern  culture  '  in  its  tendency  to  acquire  and  memorise,  and 
its  comparative  failure  in  original  and  creative  work.  He 
contrasts  this  with  the  distinct  creative  impulse  existing  in 
the  Celtic  countries  among  many  humble  and  poor  people 
who  owe  little  to  modern  education,  and  he  pours  scorn  on 
the  mere  *  accomplishments '  of  our  conventionalised  middle - 
class  or  upper-class  life. 

The  wealth  of  Gaelic  poetry  and  music  affords  ample 
evidence  of  the  creative  power  inherent  in  the  Celt.  Is  it 
not  after  all  a  higher  thing  to  originate  even  one  first-rate 
poem  than  to  spend  years  in  mere  *  acquisition  and  memoris- 
ing '  until  one  becomes  a  mere  dungeon  of  learning,  without 
ever  having  developed  creative  faculty  1  True  education 
should  stimulate  originality,  not  crush  it.  The  late  Mr. 
William  Sharp,  who  was  keenly  interested  in  Gaelic  literature, 
was  once  asked  how  many  poets  did  he  think  there  were  in 
the  English-speaking  world.  He  said,  '  There  may  be  as  many 
as  a  hundred.'  Then  he  added,  '  That  is  just  about  as  many 
for  English  as  I  should  say  there  are  for  Gaelic  now  between 
Cape  Wrath  and  Cantire.'  When  that  was  the  opinion  of 
one  of  the  foremost  literary  critics  of  our  time,  it  is  surpris- 
ing that  Highlanders  generally  do  not  show  a  little  more 
enthusiasm  for  the  Gaelic  language  and  literature. 

While  in  the  Highlands  and  in  Ireland  the  folk-music  has 
not  yet  developed  into  art  music,  the  day  may  not  be  very 
far  distant  when  this  may  take  place. 

The  old  Celtic  creative  talent  must  be  lying  latent  some- 
where. Already  in  Wales  there  are  signs  of  the  advent  of 
native  composers  whose  work  is  said  to  be  full  of  promise. 
We  note  with  much  pleasure  the  effort  being  made  by  Mr. 
Roddie  of  the  Northern  College  of  Music,  Inverness,  to  raise 
a  fund  to  enable  Highland  music  students  to  study  abroad, 
and  we  trust  his  scheme  may  receive  hearty  support. 

While  we  long  for  the  advent  of  some  composer  of 
genius  who  can  do  for  Celtic  music  what  Grieg  did  for 
Norwegian,  meantime  very  much  has  to  be  done  by  our- 
selves   in   collecting    every   scrap   of  the    old    music,    and 


138  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

properly  editing  and  publishing  the  large  amount  already- 
rescued. 

The  old  people  are  fast  going  to  their  graves,  and  unless 
collectors  are  active  much  material  of  value  may  be  lost  for 
ever.     There  is  an  urgent  need  for  trained  workers. 

Ireland  I  think  has  been  more  fortunate  than  the  Scottish 
Highlands  in  having  competent  men  like  Bunting  and  Petrie 
at  work  long  ago  among  the  people.  The  noble  Petrie  Collec- 
tion is  a  monument  to  that  gentleman's  untiring  industry  and 
skill,  and  also  to  the  wonderful  musical  talent  of  the  Irish 
people. 

Lowland  Scottish  song  has  a  large  literature  all  to  itself, 
but  while  the  characteristics  of  Lowland  and  Highland  songs 
are  very  similar,  yet  the  Highland  field  has  not  been  so 
thoroughly  explored.  Burns's  brilliant  outburst  of  song 
helped  to  make  Lowland  Scottish  music  fashionable  and 
widely  known.  He  also  helped  to  preserve  many  tunes  o£ 
Gaelic  origin  by  w^edding  them  to  immortal  verse.  Yet  in 
the  North  people  of  education  and  position  seemed  for  long  to 
take  little  or  no  interest  in  the  songs  of  the  people.  The 
barrier  of  language  would  no  doubt  partly  account  for  this 
neglect.  In  the  house  of  the  laird  the  spinet  would  jingle  to 
Italian  music  learnt  in  London  by  the  ladies.  Some  attention 
was  paid  to  pipe  music  undoubtedly,  in  a  martial  age ;  but 
the  music  of  the  harp,  and  vocal  music  generally,  seem  to 
have  been  neglected.  Probably  the  gipsies  and  the  packmen 
knew  more  Gaelic  songs  than  those  who  by  their  position 
ought  to  have  valued  and  preserved  them. 

Patrick  MacDonald  says  that  Highland  tales  and  music 
were  a  subject  of  mockery  among  the  Lowland  wits  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  We  know  that  repressive  laws  were 
passed  against  the  wandering  bards  or  'Cliar  Sheanchain.' 

There  were  scholars  who  hunted  the  Highlands  for  old 
poetry,  Ossianic  or  otherwise,  but  probably  they  were  not 
able,  even  if  they  wished,  to  take  down  the  music  ;  and  what 
was  a  commonplace,  an  everyday  thing,  like  the  music  of  the 
people,  was  little  prized  by  those  who  might  have  recorded 


HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG 


139 


them  if  thej  chose.  Then  at  last,  within  comparatively 
recent  years,  when  the  day  of  the  people's  song  seemed  to  be 
nearly  over,  the  antiquary  and  the  musician  began  to  bestir 
themselves.  When  the  artist  dies  people  struggle  to  get 
possession  of  copies  of  his  paintings ;  when  the  cruisie  went 
out  of  use  everybody  wanted  to  have  one ;  just  so  the  folk- 
songs suddenly  began  to  be  valued  when  the  folk  had  almost 
forgotten  them  and  were  fast  becoming  Anglicised.  So  now 
at  long  last  we  find  that  the  old  songs  are  studied  with 
respectful  and  tender  care.    Better  late  than  never  ! 

It  was  so  also  with  regard  to  the  ballads  of  England  and 
Scotland.  Dibdin  says  that  '  it  was  not  until  the  ballad  died 
that  Percy  and  Scott  undertook  the  office  of  embalmers.  The 
too  long  delayed  activities  of  collectors  have  become  almost 
an  evidence  of  the  passing  of  the  popular  song.'  Let  us  hope 
that  the  passing  of  Gaelic  song  may  never  become  an  actuality. 
The  growing  success  of  the  Mod  in  Scotland,  and  of  the 
Oirereachtas  and  Feis  Ceol  in  Ireland,  makes  such  a  con- 
tingency appear  exceedingly  remote. 

The  earliest  collection  of  Scottish  Gaelic  music  was  made 
by  a  clergyman,  Mr.  Patrick  MacDonald  of  Kilmore,  near 
Oban,  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago.  He  was  born 
in  1729  and  died  in  1824,  ninety-five  years  old.  This  after 
all  is  not  so  very  long  ago.  Had  there  been  a  large  collection 
made  in  1500  or  1600,  how  very  valuable  it  would  have  been. 
His  book  only  contains  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  tunes, 
without  any  words  at  all.  Compare  this  with  Petrie's  Col- 
lection, which  contains  seventeen  hundred  tunes.  Still 
MacDonald  deserves  great  credit  for  his  work,  which  was 
carried  out  under  much  difficulty,  as  means  of  locomotion 
were  very  primitive  in  his  day.  It  is  now  a  rare  and  valuable 
work.  I  do  not  think  any  of  the  Glasgow  public  libraries 
has  a  copy,  which  is  rather  a  slur  on  Celtic  Glasgow.  Any 
one  curious  to  see  this  book  may  have  a  look  at  it  in 
the  Edinburgh  Public  Library  (Ref  Dept.).  It  contains 
specially  interesting  tunes  which  used  to  be  sung  to  the  old 
Ossianic  ballads. 


140  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Captain  Eraser  of  Knockie  in  1815  published  a  collection, 
also  tunes  without  words,  two  hundred  and  thirty-two  in 
number,  with  interesting  notes  on  each.  It  is  also  valuable, 
but  is  somewhat  disfigured  by  the  false  musical  taste  of  his 
period,  in  that  he  indulges  to  excess  in  ornamentation  and 
embellishment.  The  old  folk-tunes  when  unadorned  are  then 
adorned  the  most. 

Alhyn's  Anthology  followed.  Sir  Walter  Scott  wrote 
words  for  Gaelic  airs  in  this  book  when  he  was  plain  Mr.  W. 
Scott.  Comments  on  the  later  books,  of  which  there  are  a 
good  many  of  varying  merit,  are  unnecessary  here. 

One  of  the  most  instructive  books  we  have  on  Lowland 
Scottish  and  Gaelic  music  is  Colin  Brown's  Thistle.  It  is  out 
of  print,  and  a  new  edition  is  much  to  be  desired. 

Brown  was  a  musical  expert  in  all  the  technique  and 
science  of  acoustics,  and  made  original  research  in  several 
lines.  He  was  a  well-known  figure  in  the  Glasgow  musical 
world,  and  was  of  Highland  descent.  He  had  a  passion  for 
the  songs  of  the  Highland  people.  A  lady  who  knew  him 
well  as  an  elder  in  Dr.  Bonar's  church  remarked  to  me  at  the 
Glasgow  Mod  :  *  How  Colin  Brown  would  have  rejoiced  had 
he  lived  to  see  this  day  ! '  He  was  the  first  to  make  fairly 
intelligible  the  relationships  of  the  folk-tunes  of  the  various 
parts  of  Britain  to  one  another,  and  to  show  clearly  their 
great  musical  merits  by  scientific  analysis  of  the  melodies. 
He  strikingly  remarks  that  '  not  a  flaw  in  form  or  tune  can 
be  found  in  the  construction  of  most  of  these  old  tunes,  by 
humble,  uncultivated  men,  thus  showing  that  what  is  truly 
natural  must  also  be  scientifically  true.  It  is  remarkable  how 
quickly  and  surely  the  ear  of  the  untaught  musician  recognises 
the  mental  effect  of  tones,  and  how  the  scientific  laws  of 
melody  gradually  develop.' 

Is  not  this  true  of  our  folk-tales  in  a  different  sense. 
When  we  read  these  prose  stories  collected  from  uneducated 
men,  we  find  to  our  surprise  all  the  laws  of  the  best  prose 
composition  faultlessly  kept  by  men  who  knew  nothing  of 
these  laws.      The  same  is  true  of  our  poetry.      What  did 


HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG  141 

Duncan  Ban  know  of  the  laws  of  Gaelic  grammar  ? — a  man 
who  could  not  write ;  and  yet  his  grammar  is  faultless. 

So  also  with  regard  to  music.  Our  tunes  were  not  com- 
posed with  rule  and  pencil  according  to  the  technical  laws  of 
musical  grammar.  They  were  the  products  of  natural  genius, 
and  they  often  excel  the  laborious  products  of  analytic  and 
imitative  art.  They  knew  nothing  of  the  laws  of  composition, 
and  yet  they  observe  them  all  instinctively.  If  we  could 
ask  them  how  they  got  their  tunes  they  would  probably  say 
that  they  just  *  came  to  them.' 

Colin  Brown  says  :  *  The  laws  and  principles  of  musical 
construction  are  exemplified  in  the  very  earliest  forms  of 
these  melodies  with  mathematical  precision.  The  devices  of 
contrast,  imitation,  and  reply  are  beautifully  exemplified  in 
every  one  of  our  folk-songs.'  The  authors  of  our  old 
songs,  whoever  they  were,  deserve  a  tribute  of  praise  and 
respect. 

Since  the  time  of  Colin  Brown,  a  great  deal  of  progress 
has  been  made  in  various  departments.  Mr.  Henry  Whyte 
of  Glasgow  has  been  indefatigable.  He  has  a  special  know- 
ledge of  the  historical  and  romantic  lore  associated  with 
Gaelic  songs.  Mr.  M.  MacFarlane  of  Paisley  is  another  lead- 
ing worker  in  this  department.  Like  Mr.  Whyte  he  has  the 
bardic  gift,  and  has  written  many  good  songs  for  the  old  airs. 
He  is  now  preparing  a  large  collection  of  songs  and  music 
entitled  Bardic  Melody,  which  will  be  awaited  with  much 
interest.  We  are  all  familiar  with  Dr.  K.  N.  MacDonald's 
excellent  Gesto  Collection. 

Until  the  early  'seventies  choral  song  was  almost  unknown 
in  Gaelic  music.  All  the  singing  was  in  unison  in  the  old 
days.  Joyce,  however,  states  that  the  old  Irish  Harpers  had 
a  system  of  harmony  when  they  played  on  the  harp,  some- 
thing like  our  alto  part.  Whether  this  was  applied  to  the 
voice  I  cannot  say.  However,  there  was  very  little  four-part 
singing  in  Gaelic  until  the  St.  Columba  Gaelic  Choir  led  the 
way  about  1875.  Their  annual  Gaelic  concerts  gave  a  con- 
siderable impetus  to  Gaelic  choral  singing.     This  has  been 


142  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

greatly  developed  in  recent  years  by  the  M6d,  and  by  the 
choirs  which  the  annual  competitions  have  called  into  exist- 
ence in  most  of  the  Highland  centres. 

Harmonising  folk-tunes  for  choral  purposes  is  rather 
difficult,  though  the  melodies  seem  so  simple.  It  is  necessary 
to  give  them  such  natural  harmonies  as  will  be  in  accordance 
with  their  tonality  and  character,  and  to  avoid  modern  har- 
monic colouring,  or  whatever  would  injure  the  character  of 
the  tune.  Some  think  that  the  old  tunes  are  better  without 
any  harmony.  Leading  authorities  in  England  recommend 
the  use  of  folk-songs  in  school  sung  in  unison.  The  flavour 
of  the  old  song  is  more  perfectly  retained  when  sung  in  the 
old  style ;  and,  though  the  element  of  harmony  is  very 
charming,  it  sometimes  obscures  the  simple,  unadorned 
beauty  of  the  folk-song. 

Mr.  Fuller  Maitland,  musical  critic  of  the  Times,  said 
lately  to  the  Folk- Song  Society  :  *  Why  put  in  harmonies  at 
all?  It  would  be  better  to  leave  the  tune  in  a  state  of 
pristine  innocence,  but  our  ears  were  accustomed  to  the 
harmony  as  our  eyes  were  used  to  seeing  people  with  their 
clothes  on.  The  unspoiled  rustic  could  enjoy  much  that  was 
outside  the  enjoyment  of  the  class  that  must  have  rich  har- 
monies.' 

Another  authority  compares  melody  without  harmony  to 
a  line  engraving,  and  melody  with  harmony  to  a  picture  in 
oil  or  water-colour.  The  moderns,  any  way,  lay  stress  on 
colour,  or  chromatic  effects  in  harmony,  and  are  not  so  strong 
in  melody  as  the  ancients.  However  doctors  may  disagree  on 
the  abstract  question,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  choral 
singing  has  greatly  helped  to  popularise  Gaelic  music,  and 
was  a  move  in  the  right  direction.  Gaelic  is  a  fine  vocalic 
language,  well  adapted  to  give  the  massive  effects  of  choral 
singing,  and  equally  good  for  the  soloist. 

A  musical  gentleman  remarked  on  this,  saying  that  on 
paper  the  language  seemed  all  consonants,  but  in  singing 
there  seemed  to  be  no  consonants  at  all !  It  is  a  language 
eminently  adapted  for  musical  purposes,  and  in  the  opinion 


HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG  143 

of  an  English-speaking  musician  comes  next  to  the  Italian, 
for  vocalic  qualities,  among  the  languages  of  Europe. 

The  system  of  accents  in  any  language  has  a  great  in- 
fluence on  its  poetry  and  music,  for  it  determines  the  rhythm. 
It  is  a  curious  fact  that  in  Gaelic  the  accent  or  beat  is  always 
on  the  first  syllable  of  a  word.  For  this  reason  there  are 
few  poems  or  songs  in  Gaelic  ending  on  the  strong  accent, 
while  the  reverse  is  true  of  English.  If  you  are  writing 
Gaelic  verses,  and  wish  to  end  on  a  strong  accent  (or  long 
syllable)  you  must  take  a  monosyllable,  which  is  not  always 
easy.  The  usual  rule  in  Gaelic  is  that  the  line  should  end  in 
a  strong  accent  followed  by  a  secondary  or  weak  accent. 
This  is  the  reason  why  the  rather  silly  '  O '  and  '  Sir '  is  intro- 
duced into  English  translations — -just  to  add  an  extra  short 
syllable  to  the  line  to  fit  the  Gaelic  tune.  In  Irish  music  and 
poetry  this  ending  is  not  nearly  so  common  as  in  Scottish 
Gaelic,  because  the  law  of  Irish  accents  is  different.  In  one 
Irish  song-book  (Mr.  Graves'),  out  of  118  songs  only  18  have 
the  soft  ending.  Now,  in  Coiser  Chiuil,  out  of  100  songs 
63  have  the  soft  ending  and  37  the  strong  ending.  Out  of 
the  same  collection  of  popular  songs  58  are  in  the  mode  of  the 
first  of  the  scale  (Doh  mode),  18  in  the  Lah  mode,  14  in  the 
Ray  mode,  and  10  in  the  mode  of  Soh.  There  are  Gaelic  and 
Scottish  songs  in  all  the  possible  modes,  even  in  the  Te  and 
Fah  mode.  I  am  rather  surprised  to  find  so  many  on  the 
Doh  mode,  and  so  few  on  the  Lah  mode.  Yet  it  is  worth 
noting  that  in  the  Doh  mode  airs  the  note  Lah  often  gets 
prominence  and  accent. 

None  of  the  seventh  mode,  or  Lah  tunes,  contains  the  '  se ' 
or  the  '  bah '  of  the  modern  minor  scale,  though  these  are 
sometimes  introduced  in  the  harmonies,  as  also  the  '  ta '  and 
'  fe '  that  mark  passing  modulation  to  the  first  flat  or  sharp 
related  key. 

Mrs.  Kennedy-Fraser  has  got  a  large  number  of  songs  in 
Eriskay  lately  taken  down  by  means  of  the  phonograph,  and 
she  says  none  of  them  are  in  either  the  major  or  minor  modern 
modes.     She  has  also  hit  upon  a  most  interesting  discovery 


144  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

with  regard  to  the  scale  used  by  the  Eriskay  singers.  Its 
intervals  do  not  exactly  correspond  to  the  modern  diatonic 
scale.  I  have  long  suspected  this  to  be  the  case,  especially 
when  taking  down  airs  from  traditional  singers  who  had  no 
theoretical  knowledge  of  music.  Certain  intervals  did  not 
fit  in  exactly  to  the  piano  scale.  One  might  say  that  this 
was  owing  to  the  defective  ear  of  the  singers,  or  perhaps  to 
the  modern  tempered  scale,  but  I  rather  think  we  must  go 
deeper  into  the  past  history  of  music  for  the  reason.  At 
any  rate,  the  phonograph  records  should  throw  some  light 
on  the  subject.^ 

Irish  fiddlers,  I  am  told  by  Dr.  Henebry,  play  their  tunes 
with  two  notes  diff'ering  by  a  quarter  tone  or  so  from  the 
modern  diatonic  scale. ^  This  gives  a  curious  pastoral  effect 
to  their  music  that  cannot  be  imitated  except  by  playing  in 
their  scale.  Instruments  like  the  harp  or  zither  could  be 
tuned  to  this  old  scale,  but  I  am  afraid  ears  trained  to  the 
modern  intervals  could  never  learn  the  old  style  accurately. 

The  question  of  the  old  modes  is  being  frequently  discussed 
at  present  at  meetings  of  musicians.  Mr.  Fuller  Maitland 
said  lately,  at  the  London  Folk-Song  Society,  that  the  so- 
called  ecclesiastical  or  Gregorian  modes  (ending  on  any  of  the 
notes  of  the  scale)  were  undoubtedly  in  active  operation  up 
to  1650  in  all  music.  He  held  that  when  a  song  conforming 
to  the  cadence  rules  of  the  old  modes  was  found  amongst 
village  singers,  it  was  clear  to  him  that  it  had  descended 
from  a  time  before  1650.  This,  however,  was  not  agreed  to 
by  all.  Folk-songs  were  not  all  of  ancient  date,  and  some 
new  ones  were  even  now  being  composed  in  the  old  modes. 
Mr.  Sharp  said  that  they  were  always  being  composed,  and 
perpetually  changing.  '  They  were  always  in  a  fluid  state, 
always  dynamic,  never  static'  This  is  certainly  true  of 
Highland  Folk- Song. 

^  Mrs.  Kennedy-Fraser  will  shortly  publish  these  songs  in  book  form.  They 
should  prove  to  be  not  the  least  valuable  of  our  collections. 

2  Thus  in  Key  G,  the  Irish  FJf,  is  only  a  quarter  tone  sharp  on  F.  The  Irish  C  is 
quarter  tone  flat  on  the  ordinary  C.  D  E  G  and  A  are  constant.  The  Irish  F 
is  a  perfect  fifth  below  the  Irish  C. 


HIGHLAND  FOLK-SONG  145 

It  appears,  then,  that  the  origin  and  development  of  our 
music  is  full  of  fascinating  and  unsolved  problems.  Had  the 
old  pre- Reformation  music  of  the  Celtic  Church  any  influ- 
ence on  our  folk-song  ?  Did  the  monks  of  lona  sing  in  the 
old  ecclesiastical  modes  of  Italy  ?  Or  had  we  an  earlier 
music  of  our  own  ?  Mr.  Carmichael  has  collected  old  hymns 
that  may  have  come  down  from  the  Celtic  Church.  If  the 
words  survive  for  centuries,  is  it  not  all  the  more  likely  that 
the  music  would  survive. 

There  was  undoubtedly  much  intercourse  between  Ireland 
and  Western  Scotland  two  or  three  hundred  years  ago.  Irish 
harpers  often  travelled  through  Scotland.  Mulrony  was 
called  the  chief  harper  of  Ireland  and  Scotland.  This  was 
carried  on  till  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Ireland 
was  for  long  a  school  for  Scottish  harpers,  and  also  for  the 
Welsh.  Murdo  McDonald,  harper  to  McLean  of  Coll,  studied 
in  Ireland,  and  was  with  McLean  of  Coll  in  1734.  He  was 
called  '  Murchadh  Clarsair.'  Irish  and  Scottish  music  are 
closely  akin,  and  are,  in  Joyce's  words,  '  really  an  emanation 
from  the  heart  of  one  Celtic  people,  and  form  together  a  body 
of  national  melody  superior  to  that  of  any  other  nation  in  the 
world.' 

The  old  harper  was  a  bard,  a  musical  composer,  a  player 
and  singer  all  in  one  person.  Music  was  their  profession, 
and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  they  should  have  com- 
posed beautiful  tunes.  The  ancient  Irish  were  passionately 
fond  of  music,  and  valued  good  musicians.  The  old  Irish 
book,  Saltair  nan  Rann,  says  Adam  and  Eve  had  a  very  hard 
lot  after  their  expulsion  from  Eden,  for  they  were  without 
food,  proper  fire,  house,  music,  or  raiment !  Evidently  music 
was  one  of  the  necessities  of  life  to  the  old  Irish  scribe. 

The  ancient  Highlanders  were  quite  as  musically  in- 
clined as  the  Irish.  Patrick  M'Donald  says  that  the  people 
in  his  time  loved  their  poetry  and  music  the  more  that  it  was 
despised  by  some  degenerate  men  of  rank.  There  were  songs 
for  the  women  (Luinneagan)  for  all  occupations,  such  as 
milking,  watching  folds,  waulking,  turning  the  quern,  hay- 
VOL.  V  K 


146  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

making,  and  cutting  down  corn.  There  were  lorraim  for 
the  men,  rowing  songs,  though  the  women  sang  them  also. 
In  harvest,  he  says,  you  could  hear  them  on  every  side 
singing  their  woodnotes  wild.  They  were  as  musical  as  the 
Arcadian  shepherds. 

He  remarks  that  even  then,  in  1784,  'through  intercourse 
with  the  Lowlands  the  custom  of  singing  these  songs  regu- 
larly was  declining.'  We  cannot  therefore  overstate  the 
value  of  the  work  done  at  the  present  day  to  rescue  our  best 
folk-songs  from  oblivion  where  that  danger  is  impending. 
We  must  try  and  perpetuate  them  and  render  them  accessible, 
and  bring  them  again  into  common  use  and  currency.  We 
should  try  to  collect  every  folk-tune,  be  it  good  or  not  so 
good,  into  one  treasury,  noting  them  down  exactly  as  they 
are  sung.  After  that  will  come  the  stage  of  editing  and 
selection,  and  it  may  be  the  working  up  of  our  music  into 
classical  forms  by  the  musician  of  commanding  genius  for 
whom  we  are  waiting.  Though,  indeed,  many  of  us  may 
think  that  no  treatment  can  enhance  the  charm  these  tunes 
already  possess  for  us,  the  charm  of  simple  and  direct,  but 
deep  and  tender,  human  feeling.  The  very  spirit  of  the 
Celtic  race  speaks  in  its  music  alike  in  the  passionate 
yearning  of  the  love- song  and  in  the  wild,  martial  spirit  of 
the  war  pibroch. 

Let  us  cherish  our  native  music  as  a  valuable  possession 
not  only  for  ourselves,  but  for  the  enrichment  of  the  trea- 
sures of  European  Folk-Song. 


SEA-POEMS 

{Continued  from  vol.  iv.  p.  351) 
Kenneth  Macleod 

VIII 
AN  LAOIDH-AINNE 

[The  writer  learned  this  version  of  the  Clan  Ranald  Dawn- 
Prayer   from   old   Vincent    MacEachin,    Eigg,   a    native   of 


SEA-POEMS  147 

Arisaig.  Stray  lines  were  afterwards  got  from  other  old  folk. 
The  prayer  is  said  to  have  been  chanted  by  the  MacDonalds 
while  crossing  from  Uist  to  Moidart.  For  translation,  see 
Review,  vol.  iii.  p.  250.] 

Oigh  chubhr  na  mara, 
Thu  Ian  de  na  grasan 
'S  an  Eigh  mor-gheal  maille  riut, 
Beannaicht  thu,  beannaicht  thu, 
Beannaicht  thu  a  measg  nam  ban — 
T'anail-sa  stiuradh  m'ataich, 
Buailidh  e  an  laimrig  gheal. 
Griosam,  0  griosam,  do  Mhacan  ciuin 
D'an  tug  thu  gliin  is  cioch, 
E  bhi  mar  ruinn, 
E  bhi  ri  faire, 
E  bhi  'gar  caithris, 
E  sgaoileadh  tharainn  a  chochaill  bheannaicht 

0  ra-soluis  gu  ra-soluis, 
0  shoills'  6r-bhuidh  an  anamuich 
Gu  soills'  6g-ghil  na  camhanaich, 
'S  r6  na  h-oidhche  dubhara  d6bhaidh 
E  bhi  'g  ar  cdmhnadh, 
E  bhi  'g  ar  se61adh, 
E  bhi  'g  ar  ste6rnadh, 
Le  h-iul  agus  gl6ir  nan  naoi  gatha  gr^ine, 
Tro  mhuir,  tro  chaol,  tro  chumhlait, 
Gus  an  ruig  sinn  Muideart 
'S  deagh  Mhac'ic  Ailein, 
O  gus  an  ruig  sinn  Muideart 
'S  deagh  Mhac  'ic  Ailein. 

IX 

UENAIGH-MHARA  SHIL-LEOID 

[This  heathenish  prayer  was  learned  by  the  writer  from 
Janet  MacLeod,  of  the  Dunvegan  Clann  o!  Chomhairliche. 
Longer  versions  have  been  taken  down,  but  the  forceful 
terseness  of  the  shorter  one  is  preferable.  For  translation, 
see  Review,  vol.  iii.  p.  251.] 

A  Thi  ta  cdmhnuidh  's  na  h-^rdaibh  shuas, 

Cobhair  oirnne  's  an  doimhne  shios, 
Freasdail  duinn  soirbheas-latha  mar  thaghadh  tu  fein, 


148  THE  CELTIC  EEYIEW 

Freasdail  duinn  soirbheas-oidhche  mar  thaghamaid  fein, 
Falach-neoil  oirnne  's  gealach  air  each, 
Sinn  fein  air  fuaradh  's  iadsan  'nan  tkmh. ; 
0  eum  air  t'iallaibh  lasragan  is  gioragan— 
'S  a'  chuid  eile  eadar  sinn  fein  's  na  biodagan  ! 
'S  bheir  sinn  gl6ir  do'n  Trianaid  's  do  Chliaman  ^ 
'S  do  'n  chl^ireach  mh6r  2  a  tha'n  K6dal. 


TOPOGEAPHICAL  VAEIA 

W.  J.  Watson 

The  following  notes  deal  with  some  of  the  more  uncommon 
and  puzzling  elements  in  our  topography.  The  two  last  are 
new.  Points  in  the  others  have  already  been  incidentally 
discussed  either  by  Dr.  Alexander  MacBain  ^  or  myself. 

fo 

The  preposition  fo,  under,  is  found  in  its  strictly  local 
sense  in  foithir,  under-land,  flat  land  lying  under  a  steep 
eminence.  Hence  Foyers  (with  English  plural)  and  several 
other  places  of  the  same  name  in  Stratherrick,  e.g.  am 
Foithir  beag,  Foithir  Mhic  Cloain.  On  the  v/est  coast  of 
Boss-shire  it  seems  to  hecome  faithir,  and  is  applied  to  the 
long -continued  terraces  formed  by  the  old  raised  beach. 
Probably  there  is  here  a  transference  from  the  flat  ground 
below  the  terrace  to  the  terrace  itself.  With  regard  to 
Foyers,  MacBain  says,  *  older  Foyer,  for  old  Gaelic  ''fothir" 
good  land,  evidently  '* low-lying  land."' 

With  a  diminutive  force  fo  appears  in  Phoineas  or 
Foynes  for  fo-innis,  '  little  haugh,'  or  sometimes,  possibly, 
low  haugh,  as  in  a  case  near  Abriachan,  on  the  west  side 
of  Loch  Ness,  where  the  haugh  lies  below  the  steep  hillside. 
There  is  no  doubt  of  its  diminutive  force  in  the  common 

1  St.  Clement  is  the  patron  saint  of  the  Clan  Macleod  ;  the  old  church  at  Rodel, 
Harris,  was  dedicated  to  him. 

2  The  priest  of  Rodel  was  always  called  An  cleireach  Mor,  'the  great  cleric,' 
probably  because  of  the  importance  of  St.  Clement's  Church. 

^  Tramactions  of  the  Gaelic  Society  of  Inverness,  vol.  xxv. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  VARIA  149 

Fowlis  (Ross-shire,  Aberdeen,  Perth,  Forfar,  Stirling),  in 
Gaelic  Folais,  or  better  Foghlais,  substream  (fo  +  glas),  a 
derivation  confirmed  by  the  old  spelling  Foglais  in  the 
Charters  of  Inchaffray.  The  old  district  name  Fothreve 
(Fife  and  Fothreve)  has  been  explained  with  probability  by, 
I  think,  Dr.  Kuno  Meyer,  as  fo  +  treh,  sub-dwelling  (cf 
treahhar,  houses).  The  puzzling  name  Fyrish,  the  name  of  a 
farm  and  adjacent  hill  in  Ferindonald,  Ross-shire,  in  Gaelic 
Foighris  or  Faoighris,  may  be  for  fo-iris,  under-roost.  There 
is  in  the  face  of  Fyrish  Hill  {Cnoc  Foighris)  a  remarkable 
projection  or  spur  of  considerable  size,  surrounded  by  a 
deep  gully.  So  sandy  is  its  surface  that  it  long  defied  the 
attempts  made  to  plant  it,  but  it  now  grows  timber.  It  is 
called  in  Gaelic  Gnocan  Dheilgnigh,  the  prickly  hillock,  no 
doubt  from  the  briars  and  whins  which  grew  there  of  old. 
This  sort  of  projection  is  often  called  '  spardan/  roost ;  but 
in  Glenartney  Forest  the  term  iris  is  used,  and  it  is  possible 
that  in  the  name  Fyrish  we  have  this  element. 

Idch 

The  old  adjective  Idch  is  glossed  duh,  black,  in  Cormac's 
Glossary,  and  is  equated  by  Dr.  Whitley  Stokes  with  Welsh 
Uivg,  livid,  scurvy.  Adamnan  in  his  Life  of  Columba  (ii.  38) 
mentions  a  river  in  Lochaber  *  qui  Latine  dici  potest  Nigra 
Dea,*  or  the  Black  Goddess,  and  in  the  headings  of  chapters 
to  Book  I.  occurs  the  name  Stagnum  Lochdae,  lake  of  the 
Black  Goddess,  situated  somewhere  about  the  '  dorsal  ridge  ' 
of  Alba.  MacBain  identifies  these  with  the  river  Lochy  (Inver- 
lochy)  and  Loch  Lochy  (G.  Ldchaidh).  The  Irish  Annals 
record  under  the  year  728  a  battle  fought  between  the 
armies  of  Nectan  and  Angus,  king  of  the  Picts  :  bellum 
monith  carno  iuxta  stagnum  Loogdae ;  but  the  location  is 
uncertain.     The  phonetics  of  Loogdae  look  Welsh. 

The  furthest  north  instance  so  far  noticed  is  Inchlochel 
{Innis-ldicheil),  in  Ross-shire.  In  Inverness-shire,  besides 
Inverlochy,  is  Lochletter  (G.  Lochleitir),  dark  hillside,  and 
MacBain  notes  the  river   Lochy,   '  which   acts   for   a  short 


150  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

distance  as  the  boundary  of  Abernethy  parish  and  Inverness 
county,  and  which  joins  the  Avon  at  Inverlochy  near  Kirk- 
michael.'  Near  Dores  is  Camas-ldchaidh,  Lochy  Bay,  and 
above  the  Streens  on  Findhorn  is  Poll-ldchaig,  Pool  of  the 
dark  spot.  In  Perthshire  there  is  Glen  Lochay  with  its 
river  Lochay  (G.  Lochaidh) ;  also  the  river  Lochy  from  Loch 
Bee,  joining  the  Orchy,  while  near  Comrie  is  Drum-15chlainn, 
ridge  of  the  dark  flat.  In  Perthshire  we  have  also  Inver- 
lochlarig  {Libhir-ldchlairig),  the  Inver  of  the  black  pass. 
Glenlochy  at  Glenshee  is  in  Gaelic  Gleann-lochsaidh,  and 
therefore  requires  a  different  explanation.  The  Lochty 
Water  in  Fife  may  or  may  not  be  connected ;  the  quantity  of 
the  vowel  cannot  now  be  ascertained.  Lastly,  in  Aberdeen- 
shire, may  be  noted  the  parish  of  Leochel,  the  old  spellings  of 
which  (Loychel,  c.  1200)  make  the  pronunciation  fairly  certain. 

ialo-s 

This  is  a  common  element  in  Gaulish  names  and  is  equated 
with  Welsh  ial,  a  clear  or  open  space.  It  still  survives  in 
many  French  names  of  places,  e.g.  Verneuil,  Verno-ialos, 
Alder-space,  Alder-glade,  where  verno-  is  Gaelic  fearna. 
Though  we  cannot  produce  a  Fearnail  in  Scotland,  we  can 
exactly  parallel  the  French  Mareuil,  Maroeuil,  Mareil  and 
other  such,  all  from  the  Gaulish  Maro-ialos,  great-clearing, 
which  with  us  is  Morel,  G.  Moirl  in  Strathdearn,  and  Moral  in 
Bal-moral  and  elsewhere.  Similarly  Leochel  and  Inch-lochel, 
noted  above,  mean  'dark-clearing.'  Muthil,  G.  Maothail, 
is  soft  space,  and  near  it  there  is  Dargill,  representing  G. 
Deargail,  red  spot,  a  name  which  recurs  in  Ireland  as  Dargle. 
So  far  these  are  the  only  instances  that  I  have  noted  as 
certain,  but  it  may  be  suspected  that  Duthil,  G.  Daoghal, 
contains  the  same  element,  as  also  Culduthel  near  Inverness, 
in  Gaelic  Cuil-daoghail.     The  first  part  is  difficult. 

coll,  call,  calltuinn 

The  hazel,  as  might  be  expected,  plays  a  prominent  part 
in  our  topography,  appearing,  however,  much  oftener  in  the 


TOPOGEAPHICAL  VARIA 


151 


short  form  coll  or  call  than  in  the  longer  (derived)  form 
calltuinn.  Perhaps  the  best  known  name  involving  the 
latter  is  Barcaldine,  G.  Barr-calltuinn  in  Argyle.  Instances 
of  its  use  in  Sutherland,  Ross,  or  Inverness  would  be  exceed- 
ingly difficult  to  produce ;  in  all  these  counties  call  and  coll 
are  the  forms  regularly  found.  In  common  speech,  on  the 
other  hand,  calltuinn  is  universal ;  the  others  have  grown  quite 
obsolete,  and  are  not  recognised  by  all  dictionaries.  This, 
together  with  their  resemblance  to  coille,  wood,  has  caused 
coll  and  call  to  be  practically  ignored  by  many  writers.  In 
names  where  it  is  possible  to  verify  the  Gaelic  forms  there  is 
no  difficulty  in  distinguishing  the  sound  of  coillj  genitive  of 
call,  with  its  long  II,  from  coille,  where  the  II  is  short ;  but 
when  this  is  not  so,  and  we  have  only  the  forms  as  taken 
over  into  Scots,  II  regularly  becomes  w,  whence  much  con- 
fusion has  resulted.  The  most  instructive  example  is  Kilcoy 
in  Ross-shire,  in  1294  Culcolly,  1479  Culcowy,  later  Kilcoy, 
G.  Cuil-challaigh,  a  derivative  of  call,  meaning  *  Nook  of  the 
Hazel  Wood.'^  Here  the  process  is  plainly  seen  in  operation, 
and  the  old  record  spelling  can  be  checked  by  the  present- 
day  Gaelic  form.  The  same  element  is  seen  in  Bealach 
Collaigh,  Wy  vis.  Cowie  is  rather  a  common  name ;  old 
spellings,  when  they  are  available,  show  Colly,  Collie,  or 
such,  and  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  all  the  Cowie's  were  Hazel- 
woods.  Similarly  our  northern  Tolly,  Tollie,  G.  Tollaigh 
(from  toll,  hole)  becomes  in  Scots  Towie  (derived  wrongly 
from  tulach,  a  hill,  with  reversion  of  meaning). 

Coll  becomes  in  Scots  cow,  whence  Duncow,  Hazel  Fort, 
in  Dumfriesshire,  just  as  poll  becomes  pow,  applied  to 
sluggish  streams.  Coille,  wood,  may  also  become  cow  on 
occasion,  as  in  Cowcaddens,  the  old  spellings  of  which,  Kow- 
cawdennis,  Kowcaldenis,  point  to  a  derivation  from  Coille- 
challtuinn.  Hazel  wood. 

The  treatment  of  calltuinn  is  seen  from  a  Perthshire 
example.  Near  Comrie  is  the  pretty  little  spot  of  Cowden, 
in  old  spellings  Coldon,  the  present-day  Gaelic  of  which  is 

1  Place-Names  of  Boss  and  Cromarty ,  p.  143. 


152  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

aChalltuinn,  the  Hazel  Wood.  This  settles  the  meaning  of 
the  various  Cowdens,  including  Cowdenbeath,  with  its  differ- 
entia implying  that  this  particular  Cowden  belongs  to  the 
parish  of  Beath.  The  same  element  is  most  probably  seen  in 
the  famed  Cowdenknowes  in  Berwickshire,  old  spellings  of 
which  are  Couldenknowes,  1610;  Coldingknowes,  1827.^ 
The  hybrid  form  in  this  case  presents  no  more  difficulty 
than  such  a  term  as  '  the  Moor  of  Rannoch,'  and  the  name  is 
doubly  interesting  as  occurring  in  Berwickshire.  Of  course, 
Coldingham,  Bede's  Urbs  Coludi,  is  no  relation. 

Ihert  and  Offerance 

Ibert  occurs  as  a  place-name  once  in  Perthshire  and  twice 
in  Stirlingshire.  A  Retour  of  1640  records  '  gleba  vocata  the 
Ibert  ecclesiae  de  Monzie '  (the  glebe  called  the  Ibert  belong- 
ing to  the  church  of  Monzie),  and  another  of  1648  has  'the 
glebe  and  kirkland  of  the  viccar  of  Monzievaird  beside  the 
water  of  Turret,  with  teynd  sheaves  of  the  said  glebe  called 
Ibur.'  The  Ibert  still  survives  upon  the  map,  not,  however, 
beside  the  water  of  Turret,  but  beside  the  Shaggie  Burn,  a 
little  way  to  the  north  of  Monzie  Parish  Church.  In  Stir- 
lingshire, Thomas  Buchannane  was  served  heir  in  1621  to  his 
father  John  Buchannane  of  Ibert  in  Hhe  church  lands  of 
Ibert  in  the  parish  of  Drymmen,'  and  the  name  still  appears 
close  to  the  church  of  Drymen.  The  other  Stirlingshire 
Ibert  was  apparently  close  to  the  church  of  Balfron,  and 
appears  on  record  in  1666  as  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Glen- 
cairn.  The  fact  of  the  connection  of  these  names  with 
Gaelic  iohart,  an  offering,  is  more  obvious  than  the  exact 
manner  of  it,  and  there  has  arisen  not  unnaturally  the  usual 
'Druidical'  theorising — these,  it  is  imagined,  were  places 
where  sacrifice  was  offered.  The  exact  significance  and 
point  of  the  name  will,  however,  be  apparent  from  certain 
phrases  in  the  Book  of  Deer.  There  we  have,  for  instance, 
*  dorat  inedhdirt  doib  iiacloic  intiprat  gonice  chloic  pette 
meic  garndit,'  '  he  gave  in  offering  to  them  from  the  Stone  of 

^  Place-Names  of  Scotland,  J.  B.  Johnston. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  VARIA  153 

the  Well  to  the  Stone  of  the  Farm  of  Garnat's  son.'  Again, 
*Domnall  mac  meic  dubbacin  robdith  nahule  edbarta  ro- 
drostan,  Domnall,  son  of  Mac  Dubbacin,  dedicated  (lit. 
drowned)  all  the  offerings  to  Drostan.'  There  are  two 
other  instances  of  similar  phraseology.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  iohart  was  a  regular  old  Gaelic  term  for  an  offering 
made  to  the  Church.  The  place  itself  was  the  iohart,  and  so 
we  have  an  interesting  addition  to  the  Scottish  names  of 
places  derived  from  the  Celtic  Church.  It  will  be  noted  that 
two  of  the  three  Ibert's  above  mentioned  are  definitely 
stated  to  be  Church  lands,  while  the  third  was  near  a 
church. 

lobart  means  '  an  offering ' ;  the  church  collection  is  still 
called  *  the  offeral '  in  the  Highlands,  and  we  shall  now 
proceed  to  show  that  the  curious  place-names  Offerance, 
Offeris  are  exact  parallels  of  the  Ibert's.  The  places  of  this 
name,  like  the  Ibert's,  are  confined  to  Perth  and  Stirling.  They 
are  confined,  in  fact,  to  the  Menteith  neighbourhood,  which 
was  dominated  by  Inchmahome.  Near  the  Lake  of  Menteith 
occur  such  names  as  Arnclerich,  Arnvicar,  Arnprior,  and 
there  on  the  fringe  of  Flanders  Moss  {A'  Mhdine  Fhlanrasach), 
north  of  the  Kirk  of  Buchlyvie  occurs  the  name  Offerance,  in 
its  various  divisions  of  Offerance  of  Gartur,  Over  Easter 
Offerance  and  Nether  Easter  Offerance,  while  at  the  west 
end  of  the  Moss  is  Offerance,  north  of  the  Peel  of  Gartfarren. 
Offerance  of  Leckie  formed  part  of  Scheirgartane  (Ret.  1609 
etc.),  presumably  meaning  West  Gartan.  It  appears  on  the 
map  as  Offers  in  Perthshire,  in  an  angle  of  the  Forth,  on  the 
south  edge  of  Blair  Drummond  Moss,  and  north  of  the  Kirk 
of  Gargunnock.  The  Old  Statistical  Account  of  the  Parish 
of  Callander,  by  the  Rev.  James  Robertson,  contains  an 
interesting  note  on  the  etymologies  of  the  parish  names, 
among  which  is  mentioned  Offerans,  lying,  if  we  may  judge 
from  the  order  followed  in  the  list,  between  Duncraggan  and 
Lanrick  at  the  west  end  of  Loch  Vennachar.  'In  Gaelic,' 
says  Mr.  Robertson,  it  is  '  Oir-roinn,  the  side  of  the  point. 
This  name  is  generally  given  to  places  at  the  side  of  a  river, 


154  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

whether  it  either  runs  into  a  lake  or  falls  into  another  river/ 
This  description  applies  well  to  the  land  in  question,  and  as 
in  a  Retour  of  1596  there  appears  ^lie  ofFeres  de  Lanark'  in 
the  lordship  of  Stragartnay  we  may  conclude  that  this  is  the 
place  in  question.  But  either  the  name  covered  more  ground 
than  this,  or  there  was  another  place  of  the  same  name 
similarly  situated  at  the  west  end  of  Loch  Achray,  for  the 
name  of  the  meadow  at  the  bridge  there  on  the  road  to  Aber- 
foyle  was  given  me  last  August^  as  an  t-Oirrinn,  and  the  rock 
westwards  of  it  (part  of  the  Trossachs)  as  Creag  an  Oirrinn} 

If  the  minister's  derivation  is  bad,  his  Gaelic  is  honest. 
Oirrinn  is  manifestly  the  Gaelic  form  of  Offeran,  Latin 
offerendum,  whence  E.  Ir.  oifrend,  Gaelic  aifrionn,  the  offering 
of  the  Mass,  pronounced  often  aoirinn  (ao  short).  The 
question  arises  whether  oirinn  is  merely  a  dialectic  variation 
of  aifrionUy  retaining  the  original  initial  vowel,  or  whether  it 
is  not  an  independent  loan  of  local  origin  from  the  same 
source.  The  difference  in  gender  (aifrionn,  fem.,  oirinn,  mas.) 
does  not  count,  the  word  having  been  originally  neuter.  In 
any  case  the  Gaelic  form  of  Offerance  goes  to  show  that  the 
name  is  to  be  regarded  as  parallel  to  Ibert,  and  not  a  mere 
translation  of  it. 

It  has  been  already  noted  that  the  church  collection  is  in 
the  Highlands  still  called  '  the  offeral.'  It  may  be  added  that 
in  E.  Ross  (once  a  stronghold  of  the  Celtic  Church)  the  past 
generation  were  in  the  habit  of  applying  the  term  iohart 
colloquially  to  any  unkempt  '  ill-guided '  creature,  whether 
beast  or  body.  Was  this  a  sinister  reminiscence  of  the 
usual  condition  of  animals  presented  to  the  Church  ?  If  so, 
then  we  may  regard  the  honna-sia  of  the  offeral  as  the 
legitimate  successor  of  the  starveling  iobart !  *  Cha  do  chuir 
mi-fhein  ann  riamh  ach  am  bonna-sia '  said  an  elder  of  my 
acquaintance.' 

1  In  course  of  an  investigation  of  the  names  of  Perthshire,  in  which  I  was  helped 
by  the  Carnegie  Trustees,  whose  liberality  I  desire  gratefully  to  acknowledge. 

2  My  informant  was  Parian  Macfarlan,  who   possesses   a  unique  knowledge  of 
the  names  and  traditions  of  the  country  between  Callander  and  Loch  Lomondside. 


FAIRY  TALES  155 


FAIRY  TALES 

In  a  village  in  the  Island  of  Bernera,  Lewis,  there  is  a 
small  hillock  called  Sithean,  in  connection  with  which  the 
following  storj  is  told. 

A  man  in  the  village  whose  house  was  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  hillock  used  to  be  much  annoyed  by  the  Fairies. 
The  story  says  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of  borrowing 
pots  and  cooking-pans  from  his  wife — sometimes  returning 
them,  sometimes  not.  The  man  came  home  one  day  from 
fishing,  and  being  hungry  asked  for  some  food.  His  wife 
told  him  she  could  not  get  any  food  prepared  for  him  as  the 
Fairies  had  taken  away  the  pot  from  her  in  the  morning. 

The  goodman  desired  her  to  go  to  one  of  her  mortal 
neighbours  and  borrow  a  pot  until  her  own  should  be 
returned.  On  the  way  to  her  neighbour's  house,  as  she 
passed  the  hillock  she  saw  the  door  of  the  Fairies'  habitation 
wide  open,  and  directly  opposite  it  her  own  pot. 

She  entered  and  beheld  a  number  of  people  inside,  and 
prominent  among  them  an  old  man  wearing  a  green  cap. 
There  was  also  a  large  dog  with  a  yellow  collar  leashed  in 
a  corner  of  the  dwelling.  No  sooner  did  she  remove  the 
pot  than  the  old  man  ordered  the  dog  to  be  set  after  her  in 
the  following  words  : — 

*  Bhean  bhalbh  ud  's  a  bhean  bhalbh 
Thainig  a  tir  na  marbh 
Thug  i  'n  coire  leatha  na  crubh — 
Fuasgail  an  Guth  's  leig  an  Garg.' 


The  translation  is  literally  :- 


That  dumb  woman  and  the  dumb  woman 
Who  came  from  the  land  of  the  dead 
Took  the  kettle  with  her  in  her  talons — 
Unloose  the  Voice  and  let  free  the  Fierce.' 


(Voice  and  Fierce  apply  to  the  dog.) 


156  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

The  woman  took  to  her  heels,  and  did  not  part  with  the 
pot  although  the  dog  was  in  full  cry  after  her.  As  she  was 
entering  the  door  of  her  own  house,  the  dog  overtook  her 
and  caught  her  by  the  heel.  The  woman  pulled  hard  and 
the  dog  held  fast.  At  last  the  woman  got  free  and  entered 
the  house,  but — minus  a  heel. 

The  return  of  the  article  borrowed  depended  on  the 
following  lines  being  recited  by  the  lender  on  handing  over 
the  article  to  the  borrower  : — 

*  Dleasaidh  gobha  gual 
Gu  iarunn  fuar  a  bhleith, 
Dleasaidh  coire  cnaimh 
'S  a  cur  slan  gu  teach ' ; 

signifying : — 

'  A  blacksmith  is  entitled  to  coal 
To  grind  the  cold  iron ; 
A  kettle  is  entitled  to  a  bone 
And  to  be  sent  home  safely.' 

The  wife  had  neglected  to  recite  these  lines  when  she 
lent  the  pot — which  was  the  reason  it  was  not  returned. 
If  the  lines  were  recited,  not  only  was  the  pot  returned,  but 
with  it  a  bone  of  beef,  mutton,  or  venison,  with  a  good  deal 
of  meat  on  it. 

A  man  from  Harris  was  deer  -  hunting  in  Bealach  a' 
Sgail.  (The  Glen  of  the  Echo,  the  pass  between  the  hills  Li 
fo  thuath  and  Li  fo  dheas— North  Lea  and  South  Lea 
in  North  Uist.  Here  Gilleaspa  Dubh  was  murdered  by  his 
nephew.) 

In  the  hollow  of  the  glen  he  came  upon  a  man  in  the 
act  of  skinning  a  deer.  The  man,  who  was  a  stranger, 
appeared  to  be  much  disconcerted  at  being  thus  caught, 
and  expressed  a  hope  that  he  fell  into  good  hands.  The 
Harris  man  assured  him  that  he  need  fear  nothing  on  his 
account. 

The  stranger  took  courage  on  being  thus  assured  and 
entered  upon  a  conversation  with  the  man.    Not  seeing  a 


FAIRY  TALES  157 

dog  with  the  Harris  man,  the  stranger  asked  if  he  had  any 
at  home,  to  which  the  man  replied  in  the  negative.  The 
stranger  wondered  at  a  huntsman  being  without  a  dog  and 
offered  him  his  own — a  large  grizzled  hound  that  crouched 
beside  him,  adding  : — 

'  'Soilleir  full  air  cu  ban, 
'Soilleir  cu  dubh  air  liana, 
'S  nam  bithinn  ris  an  f  hiadhach, 
B'e  'n  cu  riabhach  mo  roghann '; 
which  means : — 

'  Visible  is  blood  on  a  white  dog, 
Visible  is  a  black  dog  on  a  meadow. 
And  if  I  were  deer-hunting 
The  grizzled  dog  would  be  my  choice.' 

The  stranger  pointed  to  the  dog,  and  the  Harris  man  stooped 
down  to  take  hold  of  the  dog's  leash.  On  turning  round 
to  thank  the  donor,  neither  he  nor  the  carcass  could  be 
seen.  It  was  not  till  the  sudden  disappearance  of  the 
stranger  that  the  man  apprehended  that  he  was  a  fairy. 
The  Harris  man  kept  the  dog  for  a  long  time,  until  one  day 
as  he  was  passing  the  identical  hollow  in  which  he  met 
the  Fairy  he  heard  a  shrill  whistling — the  dog  cocked  his 
ears  and  made  off,  and  his  late  owner  never  saw  him  again. 

The  Fairies  are  said  to  be  as  fond  of  deer's  milk  as  of 
venison. 

On  a  hill  called  Beinn  Bhreac  there  was  frequently  seen 
a  noted  Fairy  milking  the  deer.  She  was  one  day  observed 
by  two  hunters  going  round  the  deer,  and  after  gathering 
them  into  a  gorge  in  the  side  of  the  hill  she  commenced 
milking  them  one  by  one,  singing  a  kind  of  lullaby  the 
while,  till  she  came  to  one  which  was  so  restive  as  not 
to  suffer  her  to  come  near  but  ran  off  up  the  hill,  she 
following  with  almost  equal  speed.  Seeing  that  she  was 
loosing  ground,  she  suddenly  stopped  and  exclaimed  : — 

'  Saighead  Fhionnlaidh  ort  a  bhradaig 
Ge  b'  oil  le  d'  ladhran  bheir  i  stad  ort 
Luaidhe  Mhic  Iain  Chaoil  'na  d'  chraicionn 
'S  buarach  na  Baoibhe  mu  t'  adharcan.' 


158  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

*  Finlay's  arrow  in  thee,  thou  thief, 
In  spite  of  thy  hoofs  it  will  make  thee  stop ; 
Mac  Iain  Chaoil's  lead  in  thy  carcass 
And  the  Fairy's  Buarach  on  thy  horns  (legs).' 

Finlay  was  the  chief  of  the  Fairies,  as  is  evident  from  their 
being  called  *  Sluagh  Fhionnlaidh/  or  Finlay's  People.  My 
informant  could  not  tell  who  *  Mac  Iain  Chaoil '  was.  The 
English  of  the  name  is  Son  of  Slender  John.  The  Fairy 
herself  was  the  Fury.  Buarach  is  a  kind  of  shackle  made 
of  hair  or  hemp  used  to  tie  round  the  hind  legs  of  cows  to 
keep  them  from  kicking  while  they  are  being  milked.  It 
is  universally  used  in  the  Outer  Hebrides  to  the  present 
day. 

No  sooner  had  the  Bean-shith  or  Fairy  woman  pro- 
nounced these  words  than  the  deer  stopped  and  suffered 
herself  to  be  milked.  The  Pibroch  of  Cronan  Cailleach  na 
Beinne  Brie  is  said  to  have  been  composed  upon  this  Fairy, 
the  air  being  in  imitation  of  the  tones  and  modulations  of 
her  voice  in  her  lullaby  when  milking  the  deer. 

In  an  island  in  Loch  Boag  there  is  a  conical  hillock 
said  to  have  been  the  favourite  resort  of  Fairies.  The  people 
of  the  island  began  building  a  turf  fence  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  the  cattle  from  coming  in  on  the  arable  land.  The 
line  of  the  fence  passing  near  the  base  of  the  hillock,  they  cut 
a  quantity  of  turf  off  the  side  of  the  knoll. 

On  the  day  following  that  on  which  the  sods  were  cut  a 
young  lad — an  amateur  bagpipe -player — was  employed  in 
boring  a  piece  of  wood  in  order  to  make  a  chanter  of  it,  when 
a  strange  woman  came  to  him,  and  saluting  him,  told  him 
that  she  would  put  him  in  the  way  of  getting  a  much  better 
cb'^nter  than  he  could  ever  make,  provided  he  would  place  the 
soc  <  which  were  cut  in  yonder  hill  yesterday  in  their  original 
places. 

He  had  scarcely  come  back  from  replacing  the  sods  when 
the  strange  woman  made  her  appearance,  and  after  expressing 
her  approbation  of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  executed  the 


FAIRY  TALES  159 

work,  she  told  him  to  get  Maide  nan  Cuaran — a  stick  stuck  in 
the  wall  on  which  brogues  were  hung — and  work  it  down 
to  the  shape  of  a  chanter,  and  bore  it,  and  after  he  had 
finished  to  put  in  the  mouthpiece  a  reed  which  she 
handed  him. 

He  finished  the  chanter  to  the  best  of  his  abihty  and 
inserted  the  Fairy's  reed. 

The  music  played  on  the  bagpipes  with  that  chanter 
excelled  all  other  pipe  music.  The  chanter  was  kept  for 
many  generations  by  the  descendants  of  the  lad  in  Uig  till 
they  emigrated  to  America,  when  they  took  the  chanter  with 
them. 

Fairies  are  said  to  have  had  a  strong  predilection  for 
babes. 

In  the  island  of  Lewis  the  utmost  watchfulness  was 
observed  not  many  years  since  in  guarding  the  babe  till 
after  baptism.  In  the  event  of  the  person  watching  having 
occasion  to  leave  the  room  in  which  the  child  was,  it  was  the 
custom  to  lay  the  tongs  in  the  doorway,  or,  more  generally, 
across  the  cradle. 

The  tongs,  placed  in  either  of  those  places,  was  considered 
a  sufficient  guard  until  the  individual's  return. 

The  consequences  of  neglect  in  observing  these  customs  are 
exemplified  in  the  following  stories. 

The  Fairies  never  abducted  a  child  without  leaving  one  in 
its  stead — so  much  to  their  credit.  But  the  substitute  thus 
left  was  extremely  meagre  and  emaciated,  having  a  cadaverous 
appearance,  and  the  tone  of  its  voice  more  like  that  of  an  old 
person  than  that  of  a  child.  The  belief  regarding  the  substi- 
tute was  that  it  was  a  worn-out,  decrepit  fairy,  whom  age  or 
disease  had  rendered  an  unfit  member  of  the  Fairy  community, 
metamorphosed  into  a  baby. 

In  Pabbay,  an  island  in  Loch  Roag,  a  child  of  a  few  days 
old  was  kidnapped  by  the  Fairies  in  consequence  of  the 
carelessness  of  the  woman  to  whom  it  was  intrusted. 

The  parents  did  not  suspect  that  it  was  not  their  own 


160  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

child  they  were  rearing,  as  the  Fairies  had  left  one  in  its 
stead,  till  an  old  woman  from  Valtos,  the  village  opposite 
the  island,  came  across  to  visit  her  daughter,  and  happening 
to  be  in  the  house,  made  some  remarks  on  the  child's  appear- 
ance. After  examining  the  parents  and  handling  the  baby, 
the  woman  assured  them  that  they  fostered  a  Fairy  instead 
of  their  own  child.  In  order  to  get  their  own  child  restored 
to  them,  she  recommended  the  father  to  put  a  pot  of  water 
on  the  fire,  and  then  conceal  himself  till  the  water  boiled 
in  a  place  where  he  could  see  the  child  and  hear  it  should  it 
speak. 

The  man  did  so,  and  no  sooner  did  the  water  begin  to  boil 
than  the  child  of  but  a  few  months  old  began  to  speak. 

'  Fhearchair,  thoir  dheth  an  coire.     Tha'n  coire  goil.' 
('  Farquhar,  take  off  the  kettle.     The  kettle  is  boiling.') 

This  was  uttered  in  the  hollow  and  tremulous  tones  of  an 
old  woman. 

The  man  was  terrified  at  such  an  extraordinary  occurrence 
and  went  directly  to  his  adviser,  who  was  in  her  daughter's 
house,  and  related  the  circumstance,  and  sought  her  further 
advice.  She  told  him  to  leave  the  Fairy  child  at  midnight 
on  the  side  of  a  hillock  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  not  to 
trouble  himself  about  it  till  morning  at  dawn,  when  he  should 
go  to  the  same  place  and  bring  back  his  own  child,  which,  she 
said,  the  Fairies  would  bring  there  shortly  after  the  other  had 
been  left. 

The  man  went  to  the  hillock  in  the  morning  and  carried 
home  the  child  found  there.  The  child  throve  and  grew  up 
to  womanhood,  and  died  at  a  good  old  age. 

My  informant  knew  the  woman,  a  nephew  of  whom  was 
recently  living  in  the  parish  of  Uig. 

In  the  village  of  Erista,  Uig,  now  depopulated,  there 
was  a  man  whose  child  was  carried  away  by  the  Fairies, 
but  as  usual  they  left  one  in  its  place.  But  the  substitute 
was  sick  and  unhealthy,  and  continued  so,  notwithstanding 


FAIRY  TALES,  ETC.  161 

the  tender  care  taken  of  it.  The  old  woman  referred  to  in 
the  story  preceding  came  that  way,  and  having  heard  of  the 
sick  child,  came  to  the  house.  She  told  the  goodwife  that 
the  child  she  nourished  was  not  her  own,  but  a  worn-out 
Fairy,  and  that  in  order  to  recover  her  own  child  she  must 
cast  the  false  one  away.  To  remove  any  doubts  that  might 
be  in  the  goodwife's  mind,  the  woman  advised  her  to  knead 
a  bannock  of  meal  and  to  bake  it  against  the  fire,  supported 
on  nine  wooden  pegs  or  pins — the  lower  ends  of  which  should 
be  fixed  in  the  hearth,  and  the  others  stuck  in  the  edge  of 
the  bannock,  and  this  done,  to  hide  herself  where  she  could 
see  and  hear  the  child,  and  if  the  child  exhibited  any  extra- 
ordinary symptoms  she  might  be  sure  it  was  a  Fairy. 

The  mother  did  so,  and  was  not  long  in  concealment  when 
she  saw  the  child  raise  its  head  in  the  cradle,  and  after  look- 
ing round,  exclaim,  *'S  fada  beo  mi,  ach  cha  'n  fhaca  mi  a  leithid 
do  chul-leac  ri  bonnach.'  (I  have  lived  long,  but  I  never  saw 
such  a  back  stone  (support)  to  a  bannock.)  To  hear  a  child 
of  its  age  speak,  and  that  in  such  old -mannish  accents,  was 
enough  to  convince  the  mother.  She  consulted  the  old 
woman  further,  when  she  was  told  to  throw  the  child  into  the 
river,  and  that  her  own  child  would  soon  be  restored  to  her. 
She  did  so,  and  the  *  infant  *  commenced  crying  mightily  for 
help — imploring  mercy,  but  the  goodwife  was  inexorable. 

In  the  morning  she  found  her  own  child  sleeping  quietly 
in  the  cradle,  which  but  the  day  before  had  been  occupied  by 
an  old  Fairy. 

In  the  island  of  Pabbay,  Harris,  an  old  woman  and  her 
daughter  were  cutting  corn  in  the  field.  The  daughter  had 
a  young  son,  and  there  being  none  with  whom  the  child  could 
be  left  at  home,  she  brought  it  out  with  her  to  the  field,  and 
placed  it  on  the  soft  grass  at  the  side  of  the  corn  rig.  It  had 
not  been  there  long  till  it  commenced  to  cry  and  whine.  The 
mother  was  going  over  to  it  when  the  grandmother  stopped 
her,  saying  that  it  was  not  her  own  child — that  she  had  seen 
the  Fairies  take  it  away,  and  that  they  had  left  an  old  man 

VOL.  V.  L 


162  THE  CELTIC  EEYIEW 

Fairy  in  its  stead.  The  child  continued  crying,  the  mother 
and  grandmother  taking  no  notice. 

At  length  the  old  woman  (who  possessed  the  faculty  of 
second  sight)  saw  the  Fairies  returning  with  the  abducted 
child,  and  after  removing  the  old  man,  placed  it  in  its  original 
position.  The  old  man  ceased  crying  as  soon  as  his  own 
people  took  him  away,  and  the  child  sat  quite  still. 

The  mother  wondered  that  the  child  ceased  crying  so 
suddenly  and  that  without  any  inducement,  when  the  grand- 
mother told  her  it  was  the  old  man  who  cried  all  the  time, 
and  that  the  crying  ceased  only  when  the  other  Fairies  took 
him  away. 

In  order  that  they  should  not  attempt  to  steal  the  child 
a  second  time,  the  old  woman  made  her  daughter  tie  an  iron 
button  which  she  had  round  the  child's  neck.  The  old  woman 
was  a  native  of  St.  Kilda. 

At  Avonsuidh,  Harris,  there  lived,  not  very  long  ago, 
a  man  of  the  name  of  John  Macleod.  He  had  a  goodly 
family  of  children  at  the  date  of  the  story,  all  stout  and 
healthy,  with  the  exception  of  the  youngest,  a  boy  of  twelve 
months  old. 

The  child  was  thriving  well  for  the  first  four  months  when 
he  was  observed  to  have  undergone  a  sudden  change. 

Instead  of  his  usual  liveliness  he  became  dull  and  lethar- 
gic, and  his  plump  body,  and  smooth,  soft  skin  got  flabby 
and  shrivelled,  and  notwithstanding  all  the  means  used  the 
child  did  not  thrive. 

It  happened  that  an  old  woman  from  Lewis  was  on  a 
begging  tour  in  Harris  at  the  time,  and  among  other  houses 
she  called  at  Macleod's.  She  was  not  long  in  the  house  till 
she  made  inquiries  about  the  child,  as  to  its  age  and  so  on. 
Finally  she  told  the  mother  that  the  child  was  not  her  own, 
but  a  Fairy  substitute,  and  that  in  order  to  recover  her  own 
child,  she  must  place  the  false  one  below  high-water  mark  on 
St.  Bride's  night  (1st  February,  old  style),  and  though  it 
should  cry,  not  to  remove  it  till  the  crying  ceased. 


FAIEY  TALES,  ETC.  163 

St.  Bride's  night  arrived,  and  the  goodwife  treated  the 
child  as  she  had  been  directed.  The  infant  cried  lustily  for 
some  time  without  the  woman  taking  any  notice.  At  last  the 
crying  ceased,  and  she  took  the  child  she  found. 

The  child  grew  to  be  a  man,  and  emigrated  to  Australia 
some  years  ago. 

The  above  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  stories  related  in 
reference  to  the  abduction  of  children  by  the  Fairies.  Fairies 
are  not  yet  extinct,  and  they  still  carry  away  young  children, 
though  not  to  such  an  extent  as  in  the  days  of  old,  partly 
owing  to  the  circumstance  that  the  ceremony  of  baptism  is 
administered  when  children  are  very  young. 

There  lives  in  the  village  of  Mangusta,  Uig,  an  impotent 
person,  believed  by  certain  old  women  to  be  a  Fairy.  He  is 
upwards  of  thirty  years  of  age  and  as  powerless  as  an  infant  a 
few  days  old.  He  is  quite  incapable  of  changing  the  position 
in  which  he  is  placed  in  bed — cannot  extend  his  hand  to  his 
mouth — he  cannot  even  masticate  his  food.  He  is  a  mere 
skeleton,  his  legs  and  arms  are  as  thin  as  a  walking-stick  but 
as  long  as  those  of  an  ordinary  man.  The  man  looks  much 
older  than  he  really  is.  His  forehead  recedes  very  much. 
He  has  no  beard,  but  a  few  long  white  hairs  on  his  chin,  and 
is  deaf  but  not  dumb.  During  the  first  few  months  of  his 
childhood  he  was  as  plump  and  healthy  as  any  child  in  the 
place — the  change  was  sudden — hence  the  superstitious  belief 
about  him. 

Fairies  are  said  to  be  very  fond  of  music. 

A  man  in  the  parish  of  Uig  told  me  that  he  heard  their 
music  one  day  he  was  out  on  the  moors. 

The  musical  sounds  seemed  to  come  from  under  the  ground 
on  which  he  stood. 

A  notion  was  prevalent  among  the  people  of  Lewis, 
and  of  the  Highlands  and  Islands  generally,  that  it  was 
imprudent  to  wish — or  rather  to  express  a  wish — for  anything 
at  any  time  of  the  night  without  simultaneously  invoking  the 
protection  of  the  Deity. 


164  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

If  the  invocation  were  forgotten  or  neglected  they  believed 
that  their  wish  would  be  granted  in  some  terrible  manner. 
Probably  this  superstitious  belief  originated  in  the  following 
and  kindred  stories. 

Three  men  were  hunting  in  the  hills  of  Kintail.  Having 
had  but  little  success,  and  being  reluctant  to  return  home 
empty-handed,  they  agreed  to  pass  the  night  in  one  of  the 
shielings  or  huts,  of  which  there  were  many  on  the  moors. 
('  Shielings,'  says  my  informant,  *  much  larger  than  those  to  be 
met  with  in  Lewis.')  Having  lit  a  fire  in  the  shieling  they 
cooked  some  venison,  of  which  they  made  a  repast.  After 
their  meal  they  pulled  some  dry  grass  and  moss  and  spread  it 
on  the  floor  to  serve  as  a  bed.  Two  of  them  sat  on  one  side 
of  the  fire  and  the  third  at  the  other  side  began  playing  the 
trump  (Jew's-harp).  One  of  the  two  began  to  talk  of  their 
unsuccessful  day's  toil,  but  added  that  they  would  not  grumble 
at  their  ill  success  were  they  now  with  their  sweethearts. 
His  comrade  agreed  with  him  heartily,  and  at  the  same  time 
expressed  a  wish  that  their  three  sweethearts  should  be  with 
them  in  the  shieling. 

Immediately  three  tall,  handsome  young  women  made  their 
appearance,  two  of  whom  crossed  over  to  the  two  men,  the 
third  remained  with  the  musician.  The  fire  was  *  dimly  burn- 
ing,' and  the  man  could  not  see  how  things  were  going  with 
his  comrades  and  their  two  strange  visitors,  but  he  noticed  to 
his  consternation  a  stream  of  blood  flowing  towards  the  fire 
from  the  place  where  they  were,  and  looking  at  the  same  time 
at  the  woman  who  sat  by  him  he  observed  that  her  feet  were 
not  like  human  feet  but  like  the  hoofs  of  a  deer. 

His  fears  were  terribly  aroused,  and  he  wished  heartily  to 
make  his  escape.  He  made  an  excuse  to  the  woman  that  he 
must  go  out  for  some  water  to  drink,  but  she  ofiered  to  go 
herself  He  declined  and  rose  to  go  out.  He  no  sooner 
made  a  movement  to  the  door  than  the  woman  got  up,  and 
endeavoured  to  lay  hold  of  him  before  he  reached  the  door, 
but  he  escaped  and  ran  with  all  possible  speed  towards  the 
nearest  human  dwelling. 


FAIEY  TALES,  ETC.  165 

The  woman  pursued  him  with  a  speed  equal  to  his  own. 
At  length  he  reached  a  glen  which  was  inhabited,  and  there 
the  woman  gave  up  the  chase,  and  exclaimed  several  times  : 
*  Dhith  sibhs'  ur  cuthaich  fein  ach  dh'fhag  mo  chuthaich 
fein  mise.'  You  ate  your  own  victims  (?),  but  my  victim  (?) 
escaped  from  me. 

On  the  day  following  the  people  of  the  glen  went  to  the 
shieling,  where  they  found  the  mangled  remains  of  the  two 
men,  their  throats  cut,  their  chests  laid  open,  and  their 
hearts  torn  away.  I  asked  my  informant  who  these  women 
were.  He  wondered  at  my  ignorance,  and  replied  that  they 
were  *  Baobhan  Sith '  (Fairy  Furies).  He  often  related 
similar  stories. 

In  Borve,  Harris,  or,  according  to  some,  in  Mealista  Uig, 
there  was  a  poor  widow  who  had  a  large  family  of  young 
boys.  She  was  one  night  busily  engaged  teasing  some  wool, 
of  which  she  intended  to  make  some  stuff  for  clothing  her 
boys.  As  she  was  laying  by  her  work  for  the  night  she 
exclaimed  with  a  sigh,  '  When  shall  this  wool  be  spun  ?  I 
wish — goodness  be  between  me  and  harm — that  this  were 
the  night.'  She  had  no  sooner  ceased  her  speaking  than  a 
strange  woman  presented  herself,  followed  by  a  host  of 
others,  and  demanded  work.  The  poor  woman  was  be- 
wildered, and  did  not  know  what  to  do  or  say  until  the 
principal  visitor  reminded  her  of  the  wish  she  had  expressed 
a  short  time  before. 

She  immediately  gave  the  wool,  and  the  leader  of  the 
party  ordered  that  they  should  commence  work,  saying, 
'Siudaibh  mhnathan  ciribh  siudaibh  mhnathan  cardaibh 
siudaibh  mhnathan  sniomhaibh.'  Each  of  the  train  com- 
menced work  busily.  Cards  and  spinning-wheels  were  soon 
in  requisition  and  as  soon  procured — where  from  nobody 
knew — and  the  wool  was  spun  and  ready  for  the  loom  in 
less  than  no  time.  No  sooner  was  the  loom  required  than 
it  was  provided,  and  the  stuff  was  woven  in  less  time  still. 
In  fine   the  cloth    was   waulked    and   ready  for  immediate 


166  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

use.     Having  accomplished  what  the  woman  wished  for  they 
demanded  more  work. 

The  woman  could  think  of  none  to  give  them,  but  fearing 
some  mischief  she  made  an  excuse  to  go  out  for  some  work, 
and  she  went  direct  to  her  nearest  neighbour's  and  consulted 
him  as  to  how  to  get  rid  of  the  Fairies,  telling  him  the  circum- 
stances. He  told  her  to  take  a  vessel  containing  dirty  water 
to  the  door,  at  the  same  time  pretending  that  she  was  getting 
work  for  them.  When  she  got  to  the  door  she  was  to  cry 
out  in  a  loud  voice,  '  Than  Dun  ri  theine,'  and  no  sooner  would 
they  hear  this  than  they  would  make  a  speedy  retreat. 
When  the  foremost  of  them  would  pass  her  in  the  door- 
way the  man  recommended  that  the  vessel  containing  the 
dirty  water  should  be  thrown  across  her  back  {i.e.  the 
Fairy's  back),  and  that  they  would  never  return  to  demand 
more  work.  The  woman  did  so  and  the  Fairies  never 
returned. 

This  is  how  the  last  each-uisge  that  was  in  Lewis 
came  to  his  end  :  A  man  lived  in  Erista,  in  the  parish  of 
Uig,  who  was  the  tenant  tacksman  not  only  of  that  and 
the  neighbouring  village  but  of  the  extensive  tract  of  land 
between  Loch  Eoag  and  Loch  Langabhat.  In  the  summer 
season  he  used  to  send  his  cattle  to  graze  on  the  moor  with 
two  females  to  look  after  them.  The  women  lived  in  a 
shieling  in  Glen  Langabhat — where  the  ruins  of  the  shieling 
are  still  to  be  seen. 

The  women  were  frequently  visited  by  the  each-uisge  in 
human  form,  but  as  he  conducted  himself  in  no  way  dis- 
agreeably they  did  not  feel  any  repugnance  to  his  visits.  In 
the  course  of  time,  however,  he  seems  to  have  undergone  a 
change  of  disposition,  inasmuch  as  his  conduct  towards 
them  became  highly  offensive.  He  not  only  insulted  and 
ill-treated  themselves,  but  committed  great  depredations 
among  their  master's  cattle — killing  some  of  them  on  the 
spot  and  carrying  some  of  them  away.  But,  says  my 
informant,  he  always  had  the  form  of  a  quadruped  when  he 


FAIRY  TALES,  ETC. 


167 


killed  them  on  the  spot,  but  of  a  man  when  taking  them 
away  and  visiting  the  women.  His  indignities  towards  the 
women  and  his  depredations  amongst  the  cattle  increased  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  women  left  the  field  to  himself,  and 
made  their  way  to  Erista,  where  they  told  their  master  how 
matters  stood.  Their  master,  not  believing  their  reports,  and 
deriding  their  cowardice,  sent  two  '  sgallag's  '  to  the  moors  to 
see  what  was  the  real  state  of  matters.  When  the  '  sgallag's ' 
came  in  sight  of  Glen  Shanndaig  they  saw  the  each-uisge  in 
the  act  of  taking  one  of  the  cattle  away.  This  satisfied 
them,  and  they  returned  and  told  their  master  what  they  had 
seen.  The  owner  of  the  cattle  saw  that  he  must  get  the 
each-uisge  killed  or  else  his  cattle  would  be  all  lost  to  him. 
There  was  a  man  in  Eashadir  on  the  shores  of  Loch  Roag 
who  was  a  famous  archer  and  who  had  killed  some  time 
before  two  each-uisge's,  one  in  Skye  and  another  in  the 
parish  of  Lochs  (Lewis).  To  him,  then,  the  owner  of  the 
cattle  went  and  offered  him  a  great  reward  if  he  could  kill 
the  each-uisge. 

The  archer,  whose  name  was  Macleod,  agreed  to  go  at 
once.  He  accordingly  took  his  bow  and  arrows  and  started 
for  the  glen,  accompanied  by  his  son,  who  did  not  know 
where  they  were  bound  for  till  they  were  half-way  on  their 
journey. 

When  the  son  heard  the  object  of  the  journey  he  would 
not  by  any  means  go,  but  wished  to  return  home  and  let 
his  father  go  alone.  The  father  would  not  permit  this,  but 
bound  his  son  with  cords  and  left  him  there. 

Macleod  proceeded  alone  on  his  way,  and  when  he  came 
in  sight  of  the  glen  he  saw  the  each-uisge  coming  up  from 
the  loch  and  making  for  him.  He  held  himself  in  readiness, 
and  when  the  beast  was  within  range  he  let  fly  the  arrow, 
which  stuck  in  the  creature's  side,  but  did  not  in  the  least 
impede  his  progress.  As  he  came  still  nearer,  the  man  let  go 
a  second  arrow,  which  caused  the  each-uisge  to  stagger,  but 
still  he  came  on  with  his  mouth  wide  open  and  his  eyes 
glaring.     The  man  saw  he  was  in  danger  and  took  out  the 


168 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


Baobhag,  the  Fury  of  the  Quiver,  and  placing  it  waited  till 
the  creature  was  near,  when  he  fired  it  so  that  it  went  in  at 
its  mouth  and  through  its  heart.  The  beast  fell  dead,  and 
Macleod  cut  off  its  tail  as  a  pledge  that  he  had  killed  the 
each-uisge,  and  picking  up  the  Baobhag  returned  to  the 
tacksman,  who  rewarded  him  generously. 

Now  I  shall  give  a  few  tales  in  Gaelic,  as  they  were  told 
to  me.     They  are  always  much  better  in  Gaelic  : — 

Bha  duine  meat  ann  am  Bearnaraidh,  fear  Lachlainn . 

Bha  e  fas  mor  ach  cha  robh  dad  a  dh^  fheum  ann.  Ach  's  e 
bh'ann  sitheach.  Chunnaic  fear  sithichean  agus  labhair  e 
riu  ann  an  iomadh  cainnt,  ach  cha  do  fhreagair  iad  e.  Ach 
mu  dheireadh  labhair  e  riu  anns  a  Ghaidhlig  !    Dh'  fhiosraich 

e  dhiubh  an  ann  aca  a  bha  Lachlainn .     Thubhairt  iad 

gur  ann  agus  a  s teach  a  thug  iad  e  do'n  chnoc  ! 


Bha  duine  araidh  a  toirt  dhachaidh  mbineach  's  an  anmoich 
mar  a  bha  iomadh  duine  coir  roimhe.  'Nuair  a  bha  a  chliabh 
Ian  thuirt  e,  *  Is  truagh  nach  robh  duine  agam  a  thogadh 
an  cliabh  orm.'  Cha  luaith  a  thubhairt  e  so  na  fhuair  e  mar 
a  mhianaich  e.  Thuirt  fear  a  chleibh,  '  co  so  a  thog  an 
cliabh  orm  ? '  '  Thog,'  ars'  an  sithich,  '  fear  a  bhitheas 
toileach  air  do  chuideachadh  anns  gach  cruaidh  chas  anns  an 
tachair  dhuit  a  bhi.^  *  Is  maith  an  naidheachd  sin,'  ars'  fear 
a  chleibh.  *  Tha  tigh  agam  ri  dheanamh  agus  b'fheairrde  mi 
cuideachadh.'  Thainig  na  sithichean  agus  thog  iad  an  tigh 
agus  cha  robh  iad  fein  fada  ris.  Ach  ma  bha  an  duine  riamh 
ann  an  cruaidh  chas  air  son  obair  a  bhi  aige  bha  e  nis  da 
rireamh  ann  an  cruaidh  chas  air  son  nach  robh  obair  aige  a 
chumadh  riutha,  oir  dh'  fheumadh  e  so  a  dheanadh.  Na  eigin 
anns  a  chuis  so  chaidh  e  a  dh'  ionnsaidh  sean  duine  bha  's  an 
aite  fiach  ciod  bu  choir  dha  dheanamh. 

Thuirt  e  ris,  '  larr  orra  ceanglachain  a  chuir  air  an  tigh 
ach  ceangail  fiodhaig  a  chuir  air  gach  ceann  de'n  tigh.'  Na  'n 
deanadh  iad  so  cha  b'  urrainn  iad  fein  buaidh  sam  bith  a  bhi 


FAIEY  TALES,  ETC.  169 

aca  air  an  tigh.  Dhiult  iad  so  a  dheanamh  agus  thuirt  iad 
ris  mur  an  robh  an  tuillidh  obair  aige  dhaibh  gii  'n  deanadh 
iad  sud  agus  so  air.  Thuirt  an  sean  duine  ris  an  sin  iarraidh 
orra  sugan  ceann-ordaig  a  dheanamh  de  'n  ghainmhich  air 
son  trodh  do  n  tigh.  Dh'  fhiach  iad  ri  so  a  dheanamh  ach 
cha  b'urrainn  iad.  Bha  'n  traigh  's  a  mhaduinn  mar  gu'm 
bitheadh  e  air  a  chladhach  'o  ghrunnd.  'Nuair  a  chaidh  so 
an  uachdair  orra  dh'fhag  iad  an  duine  agus  an  uair  a  dh'fhag 
iad  e  thuirt  iad,  *  Soraidh  leat  fhein  ach  mallachd  aig  beul 
d'  ionnsuiche.' 

Bha  fear  a  dol  seachad  air  cnoc  le  buideal  air  a  mhuin. 
Chunnaic  e  dorus  a  bhrugh-sith  fosgailte  agus  na  sithichean 
a  dannsadh  a  stigh.  Chaidh  e  steach  agus  thoisich  e  air 
dannsadh  agus  am  buideal  air  a  mhuin.  Aig  ceann  bliadhna 
chaidh  coimhearsnach  an  rathad.  Chunnaic  e  am  brugh 
fosgailte  agus  fear  a  bhuideil  a  dannsadh  agus  a  bhuideal  air 
a  mhuin. 

Chaidh  e  steach  agus  thuirt  e  ri  charaid,  *Thig  dhuit 
sgur  de  dhannsadh,  a  dhinne.'  Thuirt  e  nach  robh  cho  fad 
sin  'o  n  thoisich  e.  Cha  do  shaoil  e  bhliadhna  a  dannsadh 
anns  a  bhrugh  ach  mar  greis  de  latha. 

Bha  a  phiob  gu  trie  agus  gu  minic  air  a  chluinntinn  anns  a 
bhrugh-shith.  Is  e  na  briathran  so  a  leanas  pairt  de  phort- 
sith  a  bha  uair  agus  uair  air  a  chluinntinn  : — 

*  Am  faic  thu  nic  Dhuinn  leis  a  chrodh  laoigh  ? 
Am  faic  thu  nic  Dhuinn  leis  a  chrodh  laoigh  1 
Am  faic  thu  nic  Dhuinn  leis  a  chrodh  laoigh  1 ' 

Air  do  dhuine  na  aonar  a  bhi  dlu  do'n  bhrughaich-sith  so, 
chuala  e  g  a  eigheach  air  ainm  mar  so :  *  Dhomhuill  dhuinn 
's  a  Dhomhuill  dhuinn,  rainig  thu  fada  gu  leor.' 

Bhiodh  na  sithichean  gu  trie  agus  gu  minic  a  toirt  clann 
bheaga  leo  agus  a  fagail  fear  dhiubh  fein  na  aite.  B  abhaist 
a  radh  ri  neach  air  nach  bitheadh  coltas  slainte,  '  Tha  thu 


170 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


anns  na  cnuic',  no,  'Is  tu  tha  anns  na  cnuic'  Aig  bean 
araidh  bha  sitheach  an  ait'  a  leanabh  fhein.  Cha  robh  ire  no 
piseach  a  tighinn  air  agus  cha  robh  rkn  a  dol  as  a  cheann. 
Thubhairt  i  ris  latha  de  laithibh,  * 'S  mi  tha  seachd  sgith 
dhiot.'  *  Ma  tha,'  ars'  esan  agus  e  freagairt,'  n'an  deanadh 
tu  run  maith  ormsa  bheirinn  faochadh  dhuit  agus  dheanainn 
greis  dhannsadh  dhuit.'  Thuirt  i  ris  gu'n  deanadh  i  sin. 
Sud  e  air  an  lair  na  bhodach  beag  sgiobalt  a  dannsadh ! 
Nuair  a  bha  e  sgith  thainig  e  air  ais  d'a  h-uchd  mar  a  bha  e 
roimhe.  Dh'innis  i  d'  a  fear  mar  a  thachair.  Chomhairlich 
e  dhith  teine  mor  a  chuir  air  a  maireach  agus  iarraidh  air 
dannsadh  a  dheanamh  mar  a  rinn  e  an  de.  Agus  'nuair  a 
bhitheadh  e  ri  dannsadh  a  thilgeadh  am  muUach  an  teine. 
Rinn  i  mar  a  dh'  iarr  e  oirre. — Sud  e  mach  an  dorus  anns  an 
ranail,  agus  cha  luaithe  dh'  fhalbh  e  na  thainig  a  leanabh 
fein. 

Air  do  dhuine  araidh  a  bhi  sgith  le  obair  na  h-earraich  mar 
a  bha  iomadh  duine  coir  roimhe  thubhairt  e  'san  anmoich 
'nuair  a  bha  e  sgur  de  dh'obair  an  latha — '  'S  truagh  nach 
robh  luchd  cuideachd  agam ! '  Cha  luath 
thainig  luchd  cuideachd  gu  leor.  Bha  'n 
ullamh  's  a  mhaduinn.  Dh'  fhuirich  aon 
cumadh  tuarasdail  a  dheanamh  ris.  B'e 
dh'iarr  e  sguab  air  son  na  h-uile  fear  a  bha  'g  obair.  Air  a  so 
chord  iad.  Bha  naodh  cruachan  arbhair  aige  's  an  fhoghair. 
Thainig  iad  air  tbir  an  tuarasdail.  Thug  gach  fear  leis  sguab 
gus  an  tug  iad  leo  na  h-uile  sguab  a  dh'  fhas  dha.  Nuair  a 
chunnaic  e  gu  'n  robh  iad  a  toirt  leo  na  h-uile  sguab  shuidh 
e  air  sguab,  ach  bha  aon  sitheach  gun  sguab.  Nuair  a 
chunnaic  e  so  thilg  e  an  sguab  sin  as  a  dheigh.  Tha  na 
sithichean  cho  lionmhor  's  gu'm  bheil  e  na  fhacal  againn — 
'  Cho  lionmhor  ri  muinntir  Fhionnlaidh,'  's  e  '  muinntir 
Fhionnlaidh '  a  their  sinn  ris  na  sithichean. 


na 


thuirt  e  so 

treabhadh   aige 

diubh   air   son 

tuarasdal  a 


an 


Bha  sithichean  Chnoc  Mhor  Arnail  agus  teaghlach  a  bha  's 
a  choimhearsnachd  n'an  nabaidhean  maith— cho  maith  's  gu  n 
robh  iad  a  deasachadh  am  bith  's  an  aon  choire.     'S  ann  do 


ITINERAEY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS 


171 


mhuinntir  tir  -  nam-fear-beo  a  bhuineadh  an  coire,  agus 
bhitheadh  na  sithicbean  a  tighinn  air  a  tboir  cbo  trie  'sa 
bhiodh  feum  ac*  air  agus  ga  chuir  a  rithist  air  ais.  Ach  mar 
a  chuala  sinn  roimbe  db'  fbeumadb  muinntir  an  tigb  radb 
mar  so  ri  muinntir  a  bbrugb  na  b-uile  uair  a  bbeireadb  iad 
leo  an  coire — '  Dleasaidb  gobba  gual  gu  iarrunn  fuar  a  bbleith, 
Dleasaidb  coire  cnaimb  's  a  cur  slan  gu  teacb.' 


AN  OBSCURE  POINT  IN  THE  ITINERARY  OF 
ST.  COLUMBANUS  ON  HIS  WAY  TO  GAUL 

From  tbe  Frencb  of  Pere  Louis  Gougaud 

Jonas,  wbo  was  at  first  a  monk  of  Bobbio,  and  lived  a  long  time 
in  Gaul  in  tbe  midst  of  tbe  disciples  of  St.  Columbanus,  wrote 
bis  Vita  Columbani  abhatis  discipulorumque  eius  less  tban 
tbirty  years  after  tbe  deatb  of  tbe  saint  (615).^  We  know 
tbat  Bruno  Kruscb  bas  publisbed,  in  tbe  Monumenta  Ger- 
maniae  historica,'^  a  critical  edition  of  tbis  important  work 
wbicb  bas  been  warmly  received  by  all  students  of  tbe  bagio- 
grapbaJ  texts  of  tbe  Merovingian  period.^  A  simple  note  in 
tbis  scbolarly  edition,  a  note  intended  to  elucidate  a  passage 
in  Cbap.  iv.  of  Book  i.,  dealing  witb  tbe  journey  of  St.  Col- 
umbanus from  Ireland  to  Gaul,  bas  specially  struck  our 
attention,  and  is  responsible  for  tbe  present  inquiry. 

Tbis  is  bow  Jonas  relates  tbe  circumstances  of  tbe  journey 
in  question.  Leaving,  about  590,  bis  monastery  of  Bangor, 
in  Ulster,  Columbanus  crosses  tbe  sea  witb  twelve  com- 
panions and  reacbes  tbe  sbores  of  Britain  {Ad  Britannicos 
jperveniunt  sinus),     Tbere  tbe  monks  remain  for  some  time, 

1  The  second  book  of  the  Vita  was  written  about  642  ;  cf.  Monumenta  Germa- 
niae  historica  ;  ScriptoresrerumMerovingicarum^  vol.  iv.  (1902),  Br.  Krusch's  preface 
to  the  Vita  Columbani,  p.  36. 

2  Edit,  cit.,  pp.  1-156. 

^  Cf.  Analecta  Bollandiana  (A.  Poncelet),  vol.  xxii.  (1903),  p.  103  sq.  ;  Revue  des 
Questions  historiques  (E.  Vacandard),  vol.  Ixxvii.  (1904),  pp.  586  sq. ;  Revue  d'Histoire 
ecclesiastique  (L.  Van  der  Essen),  vol.  v.  838  sq.  etc. 


172 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


unable  to  decide  upon  a  destination  for  the  continuation 
of  their  journey.  At  last  they  determine  to  go  to  Gaul 
[Placet  tandem  arva  Gallica  planta  terere).  If  they  find  in 
this  country  a  favourable  soil  for  the  seed  of  salvation,  they 
will  sow  it  there ;  if  not,  it  will  be  carried  to  the  neighbour- 
ing nations.  Having  formed  these  resolutions,  the  mission- 
aries leave  the  shores  of  Britain  and  make  for  Gaul  {A 
Britannicis  ergo  sinibus  progressi,  ad  Gallias  tendunt)} 

In  such  terms  Jonas  tells  of  the  beginning  of  St.  Col- 
umbanus's  wanderings.  Now,  the  interpretation  of  this  text 
presents  a  great  diflSculty.  Do  the  words  '  Britannici  sinus ' 
mean  the  coasts  of  Great  Britain,  or  do  they  mean  those  of 
Armorican  Britain  ?  That  is  the  question  which  Bruno  Krusch 
has  summarily  determined  in  the  note  to  which  we  have  just 
alluded. 

According  to  him  it  is  Armorican  Britain,  ^Britannia 
Gallica '  that  is  meant  here.  Walahfrid  Strabo  and  all  the 
writers  after  him,  who  have  maintained  that,  on  his  way  to 
Gaul,  St.  Columbanus  had  passed  through  Great  Britain 
were  mistaken.^  We  do  not,  however,  believe,  for  our  part, 
that  Bruno  Krusch's  solution  is  convincing.  Without  claiming 
to  attain,  in  such  matters,  to  absolute  certainty,  we  think 
that  the  probabilities  are  greatly  on  the  side  of  the  opinion 
that  the  eminent  critic  feels  he  must  set  aside. 

It  must  be  recognised  at  the  outset  that  the  text  is  really 
ambiguous.  To  read  it  in  detachment,  without  comparing  it 
with  any  other  passage  in  the  Vita  Columhani,  without  taking 
into  account  the  data  supplied  by  other  sources,  would  be,  it 
seems,  to  make  it  impossible  to  pronounce  for  one  view  or  the 
other.     Arthur  de  la  Borderie^  and  M.  J.  Loth*  have  shown 

^  Jonas,  Vita  Columbani,  i.  4,  5  ;  Krusch  edit.  p.  71.  We  reproduce  these  texts 
on  p.  179. 

2  This  note  is  thus  worded  :  '  Britannica  Gallia  intelligitur  neque  magna,  de  qua 
post  Walahfridum  etiam  recentiones  nonnulli  cogitaverunt ;  cf.  infra,  c.  21  :  ut  Ligeris 
scafa  reciperetur  Britannicoque  sinu  redderetur.'  (Op.  cit.  p.  71,  n.  1).  Krusch  has 
reproduced  this  note  identically  in  his  new  edition  of  the  Lives  of  Jonas  (Script,  rer. 
germ,  in  usum  scholarum,  1905,  p.  160,  n.  2). 

2  A.  de  la  Borderie,  Histoire  de  Bretagne,  1896,  Bk.  i.  p.  247  sq. 

*  J.  Loth,  L' emigration  bretonne  en  ArmoriqiLe,  1883,  p.  153.  Cf.  A.  Longnon, 
Geographie  de  la  Gaule  au  Vie  sikle^  1878,  p.  169  sq. 


ITINERARY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS 


173 


that  the  emigration  of  the  insular  Britons  to  Armorica,  begun 
in  the  second  half  of  the  fifth  century,  was  continued  in  the 
following  centuries  and  produced  rather  quickly  the  change 
in  the  country's  name.  That  portion  of  the  tractus  armori- 
canus,  which  was  occupied  by  the  emigrants  is  already 
referred  to, — perhaps  in  the  letters  of  Sidonius  Apollinarius,^ 
certainly  in  Venantius  Fortunatus,^  and  Gregory  of  Tours, ^ 
under  the  names  of  Britannia,  Britanniae ;  and  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  country  are  called  Britanni  or  Britones.  It 
will  be  seen  that  St.  Columbanus,  writing  from  Nantes, 
in  610,  to  the  monks  of  Luxeuil,  tells  them  that  he  is 
in  vicinia  Britonum}  A  priori,  therefore,  there  is  nothing 
to  prevent  us  from  believing  that  the  words  '  Britannicos 
sinus,  Britannicis  sinibus'  in  chapters  iv.  and  v.  of  the 
Vita,  published,  as  we  know,  about  642,  may  mean  Gallic 
Britain. 

These  words  being  as  applicable  to  Little  Britain  as  to 
Great  Britain,  it  is  advisable  to  try  to  find,  outside  of  Jonas's 
work,  information  to  enable  us  to  clear  up  this  obscure 
question  in  the  itinerary  of  St.  Columbanus. 

We  find  in  chapter  vi.  of  the  Ghronicon  Centulense 
or  Hariulfs  Chronicle  of  the  Abbey  of  St.  Eiquier,  first  pub- 
lished in  the  year  1088,^  a  reference  to  our  saint's  arrival  in 
Gaul.     The  author  tells  us  how  Riquier,  young,  and  as  yet 


1  Sidonius  ApoUinarius,  Epistolae,  i.  7  ;  Leutjohann  edit.  M.  G.  H.,  Auct. 
Antiq.,  Bk.  viii.  p.  11.  The  letters  of  Sidonius  ApoUinarius  were  published  between 
473  and  484  (A.  Molinier,  Les  Sources  de  VHistoire  de  France,  1902,  vol.  i. 
p.  45). 

2  Venantius  Fortunatus,  Carmina,  iii.  viii. ;  Leo  edit.  M.  G.  H.,  Auct.  Antiq., 
Bk.  IV.  p.  59 ;  Vita  S.  Paterni,  x.  ;  Krusch  edit.  Auct.  Antiq.,  iv.  p.  36  ;  Vita 
Beati  Maurilii,  xvi.,  Krusch  edit,  ihid.,  p.  9. 

3  Gregory  of  Tours,  Historia  Francorum,  iv.  4,  20 ;  v.  16,  27,  etc.  ;  Krusch 
edit.  M.  G.  H.,  Script,  rer.  Merov.,  Bk  i.  pp.  143,  157,  etc.  The  four  first  books  of 
the  Hist.  Franc,  were  written  about  576,  the  fifth  and  the  sixth  between  587  and 
591  (Molinier,  work  mentioned,  p.  57). 

*  Columbanus,  Ep.  iv.  Gunlach  edit.  M.  G.  H.,  Epistolae  Merovingici  et  Karolini 
aevi,  Bk.  i.  p.  169. 

5  Hariulf,  Chronique  de  VAbbaye  de  Saint-Biquier  (5th  century — 1104)  F.  Lot's 
edit.,  1894  (a  collection  of  texts  for  use  in  the  study  and  teaching  of  history) 
pp.  xvii,  xviiL 


174 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


finding  satisfaction  in  the  moral  standards  of  the  age,  having 
welcomed  under  his  roof  two  poor  Irish  missionaries  whom  the 
inhabitants  of  Ponthieu  wanted  to  drive  away,  was  suddenly- 
converted  by  his  guests.  Now,  these  two  proteges  of  the 
future  superior  of  Centule,  who  were  named  Chaidoc  and 
Frichor,  were,  according  to  Hariulf,  travelling  companions  of 
St.  Columbanus. 

Then,  setting  down  a  local  tradition,  the  writer  adds  : 
*  It  is  said  that  they  landed  here  with  him.'  {Fertur  vero 
quod  cum  ipso  illi  quoque  maria  hue  properando  trans- 
mearunt)}  It  is  clear  to  demonstration  that  this  band  of 
monks,  landing  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  locality  where 
later  the  monastery  of  Centule  was  to  rise,^  could  have  come 
by  sea  only  from  the  Island  of  Britain.^  It  is  important, 
however,  to  realise  that  the  chronicler  is  here  merely  record- 
ing a  current  tradition  of  the  country.  What  is  the  value 
of  this  tradition  relating  to  events  five  hundred  years  old  ? 
This  we  are  unable  to  settle  with  certainty.  Yet  let  us  observe 
that  by  general  consent,  Hariulf  is  credited  with  a  literary 
honesty  very  unusual  in  his  time.  He  tells  us  himself  that 
he  has  rejected  a  considerable  number  of  statements  which 
were  known  to  him  only  through  popular  tradition.  Besides, 
when  the  events  which  he  relates  do  not  seem  to  him  beyond 


1  Hariulf,  Chronique,  i.  6  ;  Lot  edit.  p.  15-16.  The  name  of  Frichor  is  found  only 
in  Bk.  II.  chap.  ii. 

2  St.  Riquier  ;  department  of  La  Somme,  district  of  Abbeville,  canton  of  Ailly-le- 
Haut-Clocher. 

2  The  oldest  life  of  St.  Riquier,  discovered  in  1903  by  A.  Poncelet,  states  (Oop, 
2) :  Fithori  ex  Hihernia  et  Chaidocus  ex  Iscotorum  patria  veniebant  Siccambriam 
(that  is  to  say,  to  the  country  of  the  Franks).  On  this  document,  see  A.  Poncelet, 
Analeda  Bollandiana,  Bk.  xxii.,  1903,  p.  173  sq.\  Bk.  xxiii.,  1904,  p.  106  sq.; 
Bruno  Krusch,  Neues  Archiv,  Bk.  xxix.,  1903,  pp.  13-48.  The  present  work  does 
not  claim  to  settle  St.  Columbanus's  place  of  landing  in  Gaul.  In  this  connection, 
let  us  mention,  as  a  matter  of  curiosity,  Remondini's  hypothesis,  set  forth  by 
Margaret  Stokes  in  Six  Months  in  the  Apennines,  1892,  p.  167  sq.  From  a  very 
imperfect  inscription  deciphered  from  a  fragment  of  the  original  tomb  of 
St.  Columbanus,  at  Bobbio,  the  Italian  archaeologist  thinks  we  may  infer  that 
the  saint  landed  in  Friesland  :  '  Nothing  is  more  probable  than  that  he  had  to  cross 
Frisia.'  Remondini's  conjecture,  which,  after  all,  rests  solely  on  the  following 
remnants  of  the  inscription  :  legatio  resp  .  .  .  is  .  pe  .  .  .  ne  reqem  frix  .  .  .  , 
is,  we  submit,  more  ingenious  than  convincing. 


ITINERARY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS  175 

all  suspicion,  he  warns  the  reader  of  the  fact/     Sometimes, 
too,  he  corrects  the  inaccuracies  which  he  meets  with  in  the 
sources  of  his  narrative.     That  is  not  to  say  that  he  has 
corrected  them  all,  for  the   Vita  Columhani,  which  he  had 
before  him,^  specially  led  him  astray  in  the  matter  of  the 
king,  with  whom  St.  Columbanus  got  into  relationship  on 
arriving  in  Gaul.^     But  what  is  there  astonishing  in  a  writer 
of  the  eleventh  century  not  being  struck  with  an  anachron- 
ism  which   did    not   offend   much   earlier   writers,   such   as 
Wettin  and  Walahfrid  Strabo.     Moreover,  whatever  may  be 
the  value  of  the  tradition  according  to  which  Chaidocus  and 
Frichor  accompanied    St.   Columbanus   on   his   passage,    the 
fact  of  its  insertion  in  the  Chronicle  of  St.  Riquier,  combined 
with  the  certainty  of  Hariulf  s  acquaintance  with  the  fourth 
and  fifth  chapters  of  the  Life  of  St.  Columbanus,  points  to 
a   conclusion   which   is,   we   believe,   not   altogether  devoid 
of  interest.     Indeed,  if  the  chronicler  had  read  the  text  of 
Jonas  after  the  manner  of  Krusch,  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible for  him  to  accept  the  tradition  of  Centule.     As  he 
has  not  rejected  this  tradition,  he  must  therefore  have  taken 
our    interpretation   of    the   text.      Therefore,   from   all   the 
preceding  considerations   there   emerges  at   least   one   fact, 
namely  that  in  the  eleventh  century  it  was  believed,  on  the 
authority  of  Jonas,  that  St.  Columbanus,  on  his  way  from 
Ireland,    had    passed    through   Great    Britain.      The    mere 
perusal  of  the  works  of  those  historians  and  critics  of  later 
centuries  who  have   written   the  biography  of  the  founder 
of  Luxeuil,  proves  that  these  authors  held  the  same  opinion. 
Lastly,  the  clear-sighted  author  of  the  most  recent  life  of 
St.  Columbanus,  M.  TAbbe  E.  Martin,  while  readily  deferring 
on   more   than   one   point   to   the   information   supplied   by 
Krusch,  does  not  hesitate  on  this  question  to  differ  from 
him.     Indeed,  this  is  how  he  expresses  himself  at  the  close 

1  Hariulf,  i.  17  ;  Lot,  p.  29. 

2  Hariulf,  i.  4,  5  ;  Lot,  p.  12  sq. 

^  Hariulf,  i.  2  and  3.  A  manuscript  of  the  Vita  Columhani  is  mentioned  in  the 
list  of  books  published  by  Gervin  i.  (1045-1075)  at  the  Abbey  of  St.  Riquier  (Lot, 
p.  xxi). 


176 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


of  his  introductory  chapter  :  *  They  [Columbanus  and  his 
disciples]  crossed  the  Irish  Sea ;  in  front  of  them  were  out- 
lined the  Coasts  of  Britain ;  they  landed  there  like  many  of 
their  predecessors  in  days  gone  by.  But  the  great  island 
was  inhabited  by  people  of  their  own  race ;  it  was  groan- 
ing under  the  yoke  of  the  Angles  and  the  Saxons,  those 
accursed  invaders.  It  was  not  there  that  solitude  and  peace 
were  to  be  found.  They  rested  there  some  time ;  then  they 
resumed  their  adventurous  journey  and  thus  arrived  in 
Gaul.' 

According  to  Bruno  Krusch  it  is  a  passage  in  Walahfrid 
Strabo*s  Vita  Galli  that  has  led  all  later  writers  astray 
on  the  itinerary  of  Saint  Columbanus.  The  passage  in 
question  is  in  itself  very  clear  and  does  not  leave  a  shadow 
of  doubt  as  to  the  author's  meaning.  Here  it  is  :  ^  Ascen- 
denies  igitur  navem,  venerunt  Britanniam  et  inde  ad  Gallias 
transfretarunt'  For  what  reason  does  Bruno  Krusch  reject 
a  text  so  clear  ?  He  does  not  tell  us  in  as  many  words  in 
the  brief  note  which  he  devotes  to  it ;  ^  but  the  reason  can 
easily  be  guessed.  It  is  because  he  believes  the  purport  of 
it  irreconcilable  with  that  of  chapters  iv.  and  v.  of  the  Vita 
Columbani.  The  latter  document  being  the  older,  it  is  on  it 
that  reliance  must  be  placed.  Our  view  is  quite  the  opposite. 
We  are  of  opinion  that,  so  far  from  contradicting  one  another, 
the  two  texts  elucidate  one  another.  Jonas  had  written,  we 
know,  vaguely  *  a  Britannicis  ergo  sinihus  progressi,  ad  Gallias 
tendunt'  Walahfrid,  who,  like  Hariulf,  was  acquainted 
with  the  work  of  Jonas,  and  was,  moreover,  favourably 
situated  for  acquainting  himself  personally  with  the  facts 
regarding  the  doings  of  the  master  of  St.  Gall,  wrote  in  a 
manner  that  dispels  all  doubt :  *  venerunt  Britanniam  et  inde 
ad  Gallias  transfretaruntJ  We  see,  and  we  shall  see  still 
better  presently,  that  there  is  no  contradiction  between  the 
two  authors ;   only  the  one  expresses  himself  less  vaguely 

^  This  note,  appended  to  the  Vita  Columbani  already  quoted  says  :  *  Hanc  trans- 
fretationem  haudquaquam  recte  statuit  Walahfridus,  Britanniam  accipiens  non 
Gallicam  sed  magnam.' 


ITINEEARY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS  177 

than  the  other.  It  is  not  for  us  to  blame  him  for  that.  The 
final  result  of  all  that  is  that  in  the  ninth,  as  in  the  eleventh 
century,  at  Reichenau,  at  St.  Gall  as  at  St.  Riquier,  it  was 
believed  that  St.  Columbanus  and  his  disciples  had  passed 
through  insular  Britain. 

St.  Columbanus  is  justly  regarded  as  the  initiator  of  the 
great  migration  movement  of  the  Scotti  to  the  Continent, 
which  lasted  down  to  the  decline  of  the  Carlovingian  period. 
The  cause  and  the  aim  of  these  numerous  migrations  have 
varied  according  to  the  period.  In  the  time  of  Charlemagne 
and  of  his  successors,  it  was  due  to  the  intellectual  revival  in 
the  East  brought  about  by  such  men  as  Clement,  Virgil  of 
Salzburg,  Dungal,  and  Sedulius  Scottus. 

Altogether  different  were  the  objects  of  St.  Columbanus 
when  he  left  Bangor.  The  austere  recluse  whom  he  had 
consulted  in  his  youth  as  to  his  vocation  had  directed  him  to 
spend  himself,  outside  of  his  native  land,  in  the  service  of 
Christ.  This  advice,  given  in  the  form  of  an  oracle,  seems  to 
have  made  the  deepest  impression  on  him.^  From  that  time 
the  word  of  the  Lord  to  Abraham :  Egredere  de  terra  tua 
became,  so  to  speak,  his  motto  and  that  of  all  the  wandering 
Scots,  his  imitators.^  He  leaves  in  succession  the  paternal 
roof,  his  province,  and  finally,  soon  afterwards,  his  monastery 
and  the  land  of  Erin,  resolved  to  give  himself  to  perpetual 
exile  and  to  the  labours  of  apostleship.^  Now,  what  country 
more  favourable  to  a  first  fulfilment  of  this  vow  than  the 
Island  of  Britain  ?  St.  Columba  of  lona,  who  maintained  a 
correspondence  with  St.  Comgall,  the  abbot  of  Bangor,*  had, 

1  .  .  .  et  nisi  fragilis  sexus  obstasset,  mare  transacto,  potioris  peregrinationes  .  .  . 
Perge,  inquit,  o  iuvenis,  perge,  evade  ruinam,  per  quam  multos  comperis  corruisse, 
declina  viam,  quae  inferi  ducit  ad  valvas  1  ( Vita  Golumhani,  i.  3  :  Krusch,  p.  68-69). 

2  Jonas,  V.G.  i.  3  ;  Krusch,  p.  70.  Lives  of  the  Saints  from  the  Booh  of  Lismore 
{Anecdota  Oxoniensia)  ed.  Whitley  Stokes,  1890.  Nos.  586,  2740  and  4484; 
BoUandistes,  Acta  Sand.  Oct.  ix.,  p.  656.  {Vita  S.  Donati  epis.  Fesulani) ;  Vita 
Altonis  Gap.  2,  M.  G.  H.  Scriptoi-es,  xv.  2,  p.  843  ;  Mabillon,  Act.  Sanct.  0.  S.  B. 
1685,  p.  493  ;   Vita  S.  Gadroce,  cap.  15). 

3  V.  a,  1,  5,  6 ;  Krusch,  pp.  71,  72  ;  Columban,  Ep.,  iv.,  ed.  Gundlach,  M.  G.  H., 
Epist,  t.  i. 

*  Act.  Sanct.  t.  ii.  de  mai,  p.  581 ;  Adanman,  Vita  Sancti  Golumhce,  iii.  13.     Cf. 

VOL.  v.  M 


178 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


in  565,  made  his  way  into  the  country  of  the  Picts  of  Alba  to 
revive  the  Gospel,  formerly  preached  to  the  inhabitants  by 
St.  Ninian,  but  long  ago  blotted  from  their  memory.^  At 
the  moment  when  Columbanus  was  leaving  Bangor,  Columba 
was  carrying  on  his  mission  in  the  North.  The  east  and  the 
south  of  the  Island  had  fallen  under  the  Anglo-Saxon  sway. 
The  British  Church — which  St.  Germain  of  Auxerre  and 
St.  Loup  of  Troy  had  saved,  in  the  preceding  century,  from 
the  ravages  of  Pelagianism — driven  back  by  the  pagan  invaders 
into  the  mountains  of  Cambria,  was  sinking  into  a  condition 
of  danger  of  which  Gildas  the  Wise,  that  Celtic  Salvien,  has 
left  us  an  extremely  sad  picture  in  his  De  Excidio  BritannicB, 
As  for  the  Angles  and  Saxons,  they  were  still  waiting  for 
their  first  apostles.  Not  till  597  was  Augustine  to  set  foot 
on  English  soil.  Therefore,  from  north  to  south  of  the  island, 
what  a  vast  field  open  to  the  active  zeal  of  the  thirteen 
monks  of  Bangor !  Let  us  note,  moreover,  that  their  monas- 
tery was  already  maintaining  communication  with  the 
neighbouring  island,  and  that  some  of  their  brotherhood  had 
already  been  sent  there  by  the  Abbot  Comgall.  The  latter, 
under  whose  direction  St.  Columbanus  had  matured  his 
plans  for  his  expatriation,  had  himself  at  one  time,  immedi- 
ately after  his  ordination  as  priest,  thought  seriously  of 
travelling  in  Britain.  Several  priests  and  the  bishop  by  whom 
he  had  been  consecrated  must  have  intervened  to  keep  him 
in  Ireland.^ 

If  we  take  into  account  all  these  circumstances,  is  it  not 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  St.  Columbanus  and  his  com- 
panions had  determined  to  carry  on  their  first  campaign  in 
Great  Britain  rather  than  in  the  Armorican  peninsula,  which 


Otto  Seebass,  Ueher  Columba  von  Luxeuils  Klosterregel  und  Busshuch^  1883, 
p.  23. 

^  Bede,  Eccles.  Hist,  iii.  4.  Of.  Zimmer  Celtic  Church  in  Britain  and  Ireland. 
Trans.  A.  Meyer,  1902,  p.  73. 

2  BoUandistes,  Acta  Sanct,  t.  ii  de  mai  ;  Vita  Comgalti,  cap.  12,  p.  583.  See  the 
esteemed  work  of  Professor  Kuno  Meyer,  Early  Relations  between  Gael  and  Brython 
in  the  Trans,  of  the  Hon.  Soc.  of  Cymmrodorion  :  sess.  1895-96,  passim,  and  especially 
pp.  60-66. 


ITINEEARY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS  179 

at  that  time  was  still  being  filled  with  Christian  emigrants 
who  certainly  had  no  lack  of  devoted  pastors  ?  ^ 

Let  us  come  now  to  the  examination  of  the  texts  them- 
selves of  the  Vita  Columhani.  The  conclusions  which  we 
shall  be  justified  in  drawing  from  them,  so  far  from  prejudic- 
ing, will  simply  corroborate  and  complete,  the  results  already 
obtained.  We  have  already,  at  the  outset,  submitted  to  the 
reader  the  salient  points  of  the  text  at  issue.  We  must  at 
this  point  reproduce  it  in  extenso  :  Chap.  iv.  .  .  .  Carinamque 
ingressi  [Columbanus  et  duodecim  comites],  dubias  per 
freta  ingrediuntur  vias  mitemque  salum,  prosperantibus 
zepherorum  flabris,  pernici  cursu  ad  Brittanicos  perveniunt 
sinus.  Paulisper  ibidem  morantes,  vires  resumunt  ancipitique 
animo  anxia  cordis  consilia  trutinantur.  Placet  tandem  arva 
Gallica  planta  terere  et  mores  hominum  ferventi  aestu 
sciscitare,  et,  si  salus  ibi  serenda  sit,  quantisper  commorari ; 
si  obduratas  caligine  arrogantiae  mentes  repperiant,  ad 
vicinas  nationes  pertransire.  Chap.  v.  A  Brittanicis  ergo 
sinibus  progressi,  ad  Gallias  tendunt.^  The  meaning  which 
we  propose  for  this  text  is  as  follows  :  St.  Columbanus  and 
his  twelve  companions  cross  the  Irish  Sea  and  land  on  the 
shores  of  Great  Britain.  They  stay  for  some  time  in  the 
country,  devoting  themselves,  presumably,  to  a  first  apostolic 
effort.  But,  whether  because  their  endeavours  did  not  meet 
with  success  or  from  some  other  cause, — perhaps  the  desire 
to  get  farther  away  from  Ireland, — the  missionaries,  after 
considerable  hesitation,  decided  to  make  their  way  to  Gaul. 
They  take  ship  therefore  on  the  south  coast  of  the  island  and 
cross  the  Channel,  which  at  that  time  was  called  the  British 
Ocean  [Oceanus  Britannicus']. 

It  is  impossible,  in  our  opinion,  to  take  any  other  view  of 
the  meaning  of  this  passage  in  the  Life  of  St.  Columbanus. 
On   Krusch's   interpretation   what   is   the    meaning   of  the 

1  The  chief  emigrations  of  missionaries  from  Great  Britain  arrived  in  Armorica  in 
the  first  years  of  the  sixth  century.  Paul  Aur^lien,  Tutwal,  Leonor,  Magloire,  Briene, 
are  contemporaries  of  Childebert  (J.  Loth,  L'emigration  Bretonne  en  Amorique^  1883, 
p.  159).     Cf.  A  de  la  Borderie,  Histoire  de  Bretagne,  1896,  pp.  335-469. 

2  Ed.  Krusch,  p.  71. 


180  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

following  clause  where  it  occurs  in  the  text :  *  Placet  tandem 
arva  Gallica  planta  terere ' ;  when  Columbanus  is  already 
regarded  as  having  reached  Armorica  and  as  having  even 
resided  there  for  some  time  ?  Is  Armorica  not  already  Gaul  ? 
What  are  we  to  think,  moreover,  in  the  same  line  of  reason- 
ing, of  the  repeated  use  of  the  words  Britannici  sinus  in 
Chapters  iv.  and  v.,  meaning  in  both  cases  the  coasts  of 
Armorica  ?  In  our  theory,  on  the  contrary,  the  double  use 
of  these  words  is  easily  explained.  In  the  first  case  {ad 
Britannicos  perveniunt  sinus)  is  meant  the  Irish  sea  littoral 
where  Columbanus  lands  on  the  island  of  Britain ;  in  the 
second  (A  Britannicis  .  .  .  sinibus  progressi),^  it  is  a  question 
of  the  south  coast  of  Britain  where  he  embarks  for  Gaul. 
Between  these  two  voyages  comes  the  short  stay  in  the 
island  (Paulisper  ibi  morantes,  vires  resumunt  .  .  .  ). 

But,  if  our  anxiety  to  push  our  argument  seems  to  put 
undue  strain  on  the  language  of  Jonas,  let  us  be  content  to 
take  the  text  as  a  whole  and  enquire  whether  the  final 
impression  left  by  it  is  not  that  the  author  wanted  to  speak 
of  a  sea  from  Great  Britain  to  Gaul  rather  than  a  mere  land 
journey  made  from  the  shores  of  Armorica  towards  the 
interior  of  Gaul  ? 

To  combat  this  interpretation  Krusch  quotes  another 
passage  of  the  Vita,  taken  from  chapter  xxi.  of  the  First 
Book,  where  again  mention  is  made  of  a  '  Britannicus  sinus.' 
In  this  place  the  biographer  tells  how  Columbanus,  con- 
demned to  banishment  by  Brunehaut  and  Thierry  ii.,  was 
taken  down  the  Loire  from  Nevers  to  Nantes  to  be  shipped 
at  that  port  for  Ireland  :  '  Deinde  ad  Nivernensem  oppidum 
venit,  custodibus  antecedentibus  ac  subsequent  ibus,  ut 
Ligeris  scafa  reciperetur  Britannicoque  sinu  (}ege :  sinui) 
redderetur.' 

The  word  redderetur  may  serve  us  as  a  useful  guide.  If 
Columbanus  was  restored  to  the  '  Britannicus  sinus,'  if  he  was 
taken  back  there,  then  this  place  must  have  been  already 

^  With  regard  to  the  two  different  meanings  given  here  and  elsewhere  to  the  word 
sinus,  see  Forcellini  and  Freund,  sub  verbo. 


ITINEEARY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS 


181 


included  in  his  itinerary  at  the  time  of  his  voyage  from 
Ireland  to  Gaul.  It  is  important,  therefore,  to  investigate 
which  place  Jonas  exactly  intended  these  words  to  mean. 
It  is  not  possible  to  give  them  the  same  meaning  as  the 

*  Britannici  sinus '  of  chapters  iv.  and  v.,  where  we  have 
translated  'sinus'  in  the  plural  by  the  word  'shores'  (rivage). 
Here  we  have  the  singular.  Then  where  was  Columbanus 
taken  to  ?  To  Nantes.  Now,  neither  the  town  of  Nantes 
nor  the  mouth  of  the  Loire,  nor  the  coast  for  a  considerable 
distance  northwards,  formed  part  of  Armorican  Britain  in 
the  time  of  Columbanus  and  his  biographer.  The  town  of 
Vannes,  situated  some  65  miles  north-west  of  Nantes,  even 
then  belonged  to  the  Franks. 

Accordingly  we  are  strongly  inclined  to  believe  that  the 

*  Britannicus  sinus '  of  chapter  xxi.  is  not  to  be  identified 
either  with  the  place  where  Columbanus  must  have  taken 
ship  to  go  into  exile  or  with  the  shores  oversea  where  he  was 
to  be  landed,  but  with  the  Mare  Britannicum  which  had 
already,  twenty  years  before,  brought  him  to  Gaul,  and  to 
which  he  was  once  more  being  committed.  In  addition  to 
the  fact  that  the  boundaries  of  the  seas  of  any  particular 
ocean  are  always  difficult  to  define  accurately,  the  scarcity  of 
maps  in  ancient  times  made  them  still  more  elastic.  Besides, 
notions  on  the  geography  of  Western  Europe  were  of  the 
vaguest.  That  the  Italian,  Jonas,  should  have  imagined 
that  his  hero  must  have  encountered  again,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Loire,  the  same  sea  which  he  had  crossed  in  590  on  his 
voyage  from  Great  Britain,  is  nothing  surprising.  In  point  of 
fact,  an  examination  of  various  texts  anterior  to  Jonas  estab- 
lishes the  fact  that  the  limits  of  the  sea  referred  to  under 
the  name  of  Oceanus  Britannicus  or  of  Mare  Britannicum 
were  much  less  confined  than  the  present  limits  of  the 
Channel.  Northwards  they  extended  to  the  mouths  of  the 
Rhine  and  southwards  at  least  to  below  the  estuary  of 
the  Loire.  Pomponius  Mela  places  in  the  Mare  Britannicum 
the  island  of  Sena  which  was  situated  more  than  twenty-five 
miles  south  of  Ushant,  off  Cape  Race.     In  the  Vita  Sancti 


182 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


Albinif  written  by  Venantius  Fortunatus  before  569,  we  see 
that  the  district  of  Vannes  ( Venetica  regio)  is  washed  by  the 
British  Ocean  (Oceano  Britannico  confinis).  The  author  of 
the  Vita  Eligii,  which  dates  from  the  first  half  of  the  eighth 
century,  writes  in  chapter  i.  of  the  First  Book :  '  Igitur 
Eligius  Lemovicae  Galliarum  urbis,  quae  ab  Oceano  Britan- 
nico fere  ducentorum  milium  spatio  seiungitur  .  .  .  oriundus 
fuit,'  This  passage  is,  moreover,  merely  borrowed  from  the 
Vita  Sancti  Hilarii,  written  by  Venantius  Fortunatus 
between  565  and  573,  where  we  find  :  '  Igitur  beatus  Hilarius 
Pictavorum  urbis  episcopus  regionis  Aquitaniae  oriundus, 
quae  ab  Oceano  Britannico  fere  milia  nonaginta  seiungitur.' 
According  to  these  hagiographers,  then,  Poitiers  was  situated 
about  90  miles,  and  Limoges  200  miles,  from  the  British 
Ocean.  The  distance  between  the  latter  town  and  the  sea 
is  apparently  meant  to  be  taken  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Loire,  for  the  distance  between  Limoges  and  the  nearest 
point  of  the  coast  (that  is,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Charente) 
would  be  found  to  be  barely  130  miles.  At  what  point 
exactly  did  the  Ocean  cease  to  be  called  the  *  British  Sea '  ? 
So  vague  is  our  knowledge  that  this  question  cannot  be 
answered  with  certainty.  But  we  may  at  least  conclude 
from  the  preceding  texts  that  the  southern  boundaries  of 
the  Mare  Britannicum^  according  to  the  geographical  notions 
of  the  time,  extended  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  Loire ;  and 
that  consequently  a  sea  identical  with  it  in  name  washed  the 
northern  shores  and  the  southern  shores  of  the  peninsula  of 
Britanny  exactly  as  the  Channel  surrounds  and  washes  the 
Cotentin.  Hadrian  de  Valois,  as  early  as  the  seventeenth 
century,  reached  these  conclusions,  founding  entirely  on  the 
text  of  Pomponius  Mela  and — what  is,  for  us,  specially  note- 
worthy— on  the  passage  from  Jonas  of  Bobbio  the  meaning  of 
which  we  have  been  endeavouring  to  find.^  The  other  texts 
which  we  have  adduced  can  only  confirm  these  conclusions. 

^  *Ex  quibus  apparet  oceanum  Brittanicum,  vel  mare  Brittanicum,  quodJIonas 
sinum  Brittanicum  nuncupat,  prope  ad  os  Ligeris  usque  pertinuisse'  (Adrien  de 
Valois,  Notitia  Galliarum  ordine  litterarum  digesta,  1675,  p.  218). 


ITINERAEY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS 


183 


.n  the  '  sinus  Britannicus '  in  question  we  must,  then,  recog- 

lise  merely  the  poetic  name  of  the  sea  known  to  the  ancient 

geographers  as  the  Ma7^e  Britannicum  or  the  Oceanus  Bri- 

mnicus,^  the  sea  crossed  by  Columbanus  in  690,  and   to 

[which  he  was  said  to  be  restored  in  610.     Read  in  this  sense, 

the  text  of  Jonas  could  not,  we  see,  be  of  any  help  to  Bruno 

JKrusch  for  the  support  of  his  argument  as  to  the  journey  of 

[the  saint  through  Continental  Britain. 

The  final  argument  that  we  have  to  produce  in  favour  of 
our  opinion  is  drawn  from  the  nationality  of  a  number  of 
Columbanus's  companions  in  exile.  When  the  abbot  of 
Luxeuil  received  orders  to  quit  the  territories  of  King 
Thierry,  all  the  monks  wanted  to  accompany  him,  but  the 
monarch's  agents  allowed  only  the  brothers  of  Irish  origin  or 
those  who  had  followed  St.  Columbanus  from  Britain  to  Gaul, 
to  accompany  their  Father  Superior :  '  Nequaquam  hinc  se 
sequi  aliis  permissuros,  nisi  eos  quos  sui  ortus  terra  dederat, 
vel  qui  e  Britannica  arva  ipsum  secuti  fuerant ;  ceteros  qui 
Gallico  orti  solo,  preceptis  esse  regiis  inibi  remansuros.'  It 
will  be  seen  at  once  how  important  to  our  argument  is  that 
simple  expression  '  secuti  fuerant'  That  is  the  very  key  to 
the  problem.  Since  these  Britons  followed  Columbanus, 
their  country  of  origin  must  have  been  on  his  route.  The 
whole  question  is  reduced  to  determining  with  which  of  the 
two  Britains  must  be  identified  the  *  Britannica  arva '  of  the 
text  which  we  have  just  reproduced.  Bruno  Krusch  has  not 
given  his  own  personal  opinion  on  this  point ;  ^  but,  if  we 
consult  the  toponomastic  table  of  Volume  iv.  of  the  Scriptores 
rerum  Merovingicarum,  drawn  up  by  Mr.  W.  Levison,  we 

1  We  read  in  Bk.  ii  chap,  xxxiv.  of  Adamnan's  Vita  S.  Columhce,  '  Sancto  Ger- 
mano  episcopo,  de  Sinu  Gallico,  causa  humanse  salutis,  ad  Britanniam  naviganti ' ; 
Fowler,  in  his  edition  of  the  Vita,  and  Wentworth  Huyshe,  consider  this  sinus 
Gallicus  to  be,  not  a  particular  Gulf  of  Gaul,  but  the  'British  Channel' 

2  Yet  he  seems  to  have  made  an  acknowledgment  which  is  favourable  to  us  in  his 
preface  to  the  Vies  de  S.  Gall,  edited  by  him  in  the  same  vol.  as  the  Vita  Columbani, 
p.  229  :  '  Cum  e  Britannicis  arvis  magistrum  [Gallus]  secutus  esset,  ipsum  sine  dubio 
in  exilium  comitari  a  custodibus  regiis  a.  610  permissus  est.'  We  know  that  St.  Gall 
was  Irish,  consequently  the  words  '  Britannica  arva '  designate,  from  the  pen  of  Krusch, 
the  British  Isles. 


184 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


find  the  words  ^ Britannica  arva'  classed  among  the  terms 
relating  to  Armorican  Britain.  This  is  in  complete  agreement 
with  Krusch's  theory  of  the  journey  of  St.  Columbanus ;  but 
is  it  equally  in  agreement  with  the  facts  ?  That  seems  to  us 
controvertible.  In  our  opinion,  those  Britons  allowed  to 
share  the  fate  of  the  exile  of  610  are  islanders  who  had 
crossed  from  Great  Britain  to  Gaul  with  the  monks  of 
Bangor  in  590.  Again,  Jonas  supplies  us  with  the  first  proof 
of  this  statement.  If  the  monks  with  whom  we  are  con- 
cerned had  been  Armoricans  by  birth,  it  is  clear  that  they 
would  not  have  been  allowed  to  follow  their  abbot;  they 
would  have  been  detained  at  Luxeuil,  as  natives  of  Gallic 
soil,  since  the  above  text  lays  it  down  that  all  those  who 
were  Gallico  orti  solo  were  obliged  to  remain  in  their  own 
monastery.  Politically  independent,  over  the  greater  part  of 
its  area,  of  the  Merovingian  rule,  the  Armorican  peninsula 
formed,  nevertheless,  physically  a  portion  of  Gallic  soil.  The 
study  of  the  words  of  Jonas  does  not  allow  us  to  suppose 
that  he  intended,  in  this  particular  case,  to  exclude  this 
portion  of  the  territory  of  Gaul.-^ 

Nor  is  there  anything  in  the  sentence  already  quoted  from 
the  letter  of  St.  Columbanus  to  the  monks  of  Luxeuil,  to 
warrant  the  belief  that  the  Britons  of  the  party,  at  the  time 
of  their  journey  to  Nantes,  were  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
their  native  country.  Yet  we  may  suppose  that  such  a  com- 
bination of  circumstances  would  have  been  remarked  by 
Columbanus.  Besides,  they  all  take  ship  with  the  exile. 
Once  driven  ashore  by  the  providential  storm  which  prevents 
their  sailing,  are  they  to  carry  away  their  master  into  Breton 
territory,  and  there  provide  him  with  a  temporary  refuge  ? 
By  no  means.  We  conjecture  that  is  was  about  this  time 
that  one  of  the  monks,  Potentianus,  separated  from  the  party 
to  found  the  first  Columbanian  monastery  in  the  West ;  but  it 
was  at  Coutances,  outside  of  Brittany,  that  he  established  it.^ 

^  Cf.  V.  C,  I.  6,  ed.  Krusch,  p.  72.  The  French  kings  claimed  to  exercise  a  cer- 
tain suzerainty  over  the  peninsula.  (A.  Long u on,  Geogravhie  de  la  Oaule  au  VP 
siecle,  p.  170  sq.) 

*  Jonas,  V.  0.,  i.  21  ;  Kru?ch,  p.  94. 


ITINEEARY  OF  ST.  COLUMBANUS  185 

Thus  everything  calls  upon  us  to  concede  that  those 
disciples  who  joined  Columbanus  in  the  course  of  his  early 
travels  and  followed  him  into  exile  were  insular  Britons. 

Therefore,  if  we  are  not  mistaken  as  to  the  cogency  of 
our  arguments,  the  conclusions  to  which  they  have  led  us 
may  be  summarised  as  follows  : — 

I.  The  firm  belief  of  the  ancients,  from  Walahfrid  Strabo 
(ninth  century)  to  Hariulf  (eleventh  century),  and  that  of  the 
moderns  down  to  the  most  recent  of  them,  is  that  St. 
Columbanus,  on  his  way  to  Gaul,  passed  through  Great 
Britain  and  not  through  Continental  Britain. 

II.  The  religious  needs  of  the  island  towards  the  end  of 
the  sixth  century,  the  relations  maintained  with  it  by  the 
Irish,  and  especially  by  the  monks  of  Bangor,  the  resolves  of 
St.  Columbanus  at  his  departure  from  Ireland,  all  incline  us 
to  surmise  that  he  first  of  all  steered  for  that  country. 

III.  Finally,  although  Chapters  iv.  and  v.  of  the  first 
Book  of  the  Vita  Columbani,  containing  the  story  of  the 
voyage,  are  somewhat  difficult  of  exegesis,  a  careful  examina- 
tion of  them  and  a  comparison  with  other  passages  of  the 
Vita  on  the  one  hand,  and  with  certain  details  in  a  letter  of 
St.  Columbanus  on  the  other,  oblige  us  to  recognise  that  in 
the  text  of  Jonas  of  Bobbio,  almost  a  contemporary,  it  is 
really  Great  Britain  that  is  meant  and  not,  as  Krusch  has 
believed,  Armorican  Britain,  a  country  entirely  unconnected 
with  the  itinerary  we  have  been  discussing. 

It  was  the  desire  to  study  the  cult  of  the  great  Irishman 
in  this  latter  country  that  led  us  to  clear  up  first  of  all  this 
secondary  point  in  a  life  of  which  others — and  Bruno  Krusch 
with  conspicuous  ability — have  so  well  succeeded  in  settling 
the  main  outlines  and  in  estimating  the  influence. 


Note. — Owing  to  the  serious  illness  of  Mr.  Arthur  Hughes,  the  articles 
on  Welsh  Literature  are  meantime  suspended. 


186  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


BOOK  REVIEWS 

A  Scots  Earl:  The  Life  and  Times  of  Archibald^  ninth  Earl  of  Argyll.  By 
John  Willcock,  B.D.,  F.R.  Hist.  Soc.  Edinburgh  :  Andrew  Elliot. 
10s.  net. 

In  an  earlier  volume  ^  the  author  wrote  of  the  life  and  times  of  Archibald, 
eighth  Earl  and  first  (and  only)  Marquess  of  Argyll.  The  present  volume 
is  a  sequel  to  the  former.  The  two  give  us  a  clear  and  well-written  account 
of  the  leading  events  in  the  history  of  Scotland  from  the  time  when  the 
quarrel  between  Charles  i.  and  his  subjects  came  to  a  head  down  to  the 
year  1685.  The  period  of  Scottish  history  covered  by  the  life  of  the 
Marquess  of  Argyll  may  appropriately  be  linked  with  a  biography  of  that 
nobleman.  No  other  person  of  his  time  so  largely  shaped  the  course  of 
events  or  wielded  such  power  as  he  did.  Mr.  Willcock  calls  him  the 
'Great'  Marquess.  Among  the  Scottish  statesmen  of  his  day,  the  grim 
Archibald  was  the  ablest,  the  greatest  if  you  will.  In  that  narrow  sense  he 
is  entitled  to  the  proud  epithet.  In  any  other  it  would  be  difficult  to  make 
the  title  good.  The  Marquess  was  a  complex  personality.  But  even  by 
taking  the  most  favourable  view  of  his  character  and  of  many  of  his  acts, 
one  meets  with  many  things  which  one  does  not  usually  associate  with 
greatness, — rather  the  opposite.  At  the  same  time  the  position  and  ability 
of  the  father  entitle  him  to  rank  as  the  foremost  Scottish  statesman  of  his 
day.     No  such  claim  can  be  made  on  behalf  of  the  son. 

The  ninth  Earl  of  Argyll  was  a  cultured  nobleman  of  many  excellent 
qualities  and  elevating  tastes.  He  was  a  devoted  husband,  an  affectionate 
father.  He  possessed  to  the  full  the  high  personal  courage  of  his  race,  a 
feature  which  in  the  father,  alone  in  his  historic  family,  was  conspicuously 
lacking.  In  his  leisure  hours  he  took  delight  in  beautifying  the  grounds  of 
Inveraray  Castle.  But  throughout  his  chequered  life  one  finds  no  evidence 
of  outstanding  ability  or  force  of  character.  His  career  was  indeed  shaped 
rather  by  the  dizzy  eminence  to  which  his  father  had  raised  the  fortunes  of 
the  great  house  of  which  he  was  the  head,  and  to  the  critical  times  in  which 
he  lived  than  by  any  capacity  or  will-power  of  his  own.  His  father,  apparently 
after  some  misgivings,  finally  submitted  to  Cromwell's  government,  while 
the  son  continued  a  firm  royalist,  actively  engaged  in  the  various  movements 
for  restoring  the  exiled  king.  But  though  bred  a  soldier  he  did  not  shine 
conspicuously  as  an  officer.  He  frequently  showed  faults  of  temper  which 
savoured  as  much  of  vanity  as  of  pride.  On  refusing  to  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  existing  government,  he  was  imprisoned  and  kept  in  con- 
finement until  the  Restoration.  When  his  father  was  put  to  death  in  1661, 
the  title  and  extensive  estates  of  the  family  were  forfeited.     The  son  was 

1  The  Great  Marquess,  etc.  etc.  Oliphant,  Anderson  and  Ferrier  :  Edinburgh  and 
London. 


BOOK  REVIEWS  187 

naturally  indignant  that  his  own  unswerving  loyalty  did  not  suffice  to  avert 
so  sweeping  a  sentence.  He  became  foolishly  involved  in  certain  intrigues, 
upon  which,  when  discovered,  his  enemies  managed  to  construct  a  charge  of 
*leasing-making,'  under  which  he  was  tried  and  sentenced  to  death  in  1662. 
The  sentence  was  not,  however,  carried  into  effect ;  instead  thereof,  the  title 
of  earl  was  restored  to  him  soon  afterwards,  together  with  a  considerable 
part  of  the  family  estates,  a  portion  of  these  being  reserved  to  pay  his 
father's  debts.  The  creditors,  however,  were  not  paid  in  full,  and  again  and 
again  they  pressed  their  claims.  The  Earl  repudiated  personal  responsibility, 
and  Mr.  Willcock  considers  his  attitude  not  unreasonable.  But  his  father 
the  Marquess  had  been  creditor  as  well  as  debtor.  Among  the  Highland 
proprietors  whom  he  in  one  way  or  other  got  into  his  debt  was  the  chief  of 
Duart.  The  Earl  asked  and  obtained  a  decree  of  Court  against  Maclean, 
and  proceeded,  with  the  aid  of  Government  troops,  to  enforce  it.  The 
Macleans  and  their  friends  resisted.  Two  expeditions  were  made  to  Mull, 
and  eventually  the  Duart  estates  were  taken  possession  of  in  payment  of 
this  debt.  One  would  expect  that  the  first  use  to  be  made  of  these  lands 
would  be  to  meet  the  Marquess's  unsatisfied  creditors.  But  Mr.  Willcock, 
while  indignant  at  the  attitude  of  the  barbarous  Macleans  and  their  abettors, 
does  not  say  that  anything  of  the  sort  was  ever  done. 

In  the  public  life  of  Scotland,  and  especially  in  connection  with  the  ecclesi- 
astical questions  which  agitated  the  country  during  the  reign  of  Charles  ii.,  the 
Earl  took  no  prominent  part.  His  father,  the  Marquess,  was  the  leader  of  the 
Covenanters.  The  Earl,  on  the  other  hand,  always  supported  the  Government 
in  its  brutal  treatment  of  these  zealous  men.  It  is  indeed  doubtful  whether 
he  was  a  Presbyterian  or  an  Episcopalian.  He  placed  indulged  ministers  in 
Argyllshire  and  attended  their  services  there  and  elsewhere.  The  zeal 
which  the  Argyllshire  clergy  showed  during  the  Marquess's  lifetime  in 
translating  the  Scriptures  into  Gaelic,  and  in  printing  a  metrical  translation 
of  the  Psalms,  flagged  from  the  Eestoration  to  the  Revolution,  and  for  this 
the  son's  ecclesiastical  attitude  was,  in  part  at  least,  accountable.  But, 
Presbyterian  or  Episcopalian,  the  Earl  was  a  sturdy  Protestant.  Accord- 
ingly towards  the  end  of  Charles's  reign,  he  came  to  be  looked  upon  with 
disfavour  by  the  Duke  of  York,  the  king's  successor-designate  and  a 
Catholic.  In  the  discussion  of  the  Test  Act  in  the  Scottish  Parliament  the 
Earl  expressed  his  views  with  great  freedom,  and  when  his  turn  came  to 
subscribe  that  anomalous  statute  he  did  so,  but  with  a  reservation.  This  gave 
the  Duke  his  opportunity,  and  was  the  means  of  the  Earl's  undoing.  With 
consent  of  the  king  he  was  a  second  time  charged  with  treason  and  leasing- 
making,  and  was  condemned  by  a  court  now  as  amenable  to  the  Duke  of 
York  as  it  formerly  was  to  himself  against  Maclean  of  Duart.  Greatly 
fearing  that  the  King  would  sanction  a  sentence  of  death,  and  that  on  this 
occasion  it  would,  through  the  enmity  of  York,  be  executed,  he  decided  if 
possible  to  break  ward.  Through  the  courage  and  devotion  of  Lady  Sophia 
Lindsay,  his  step-daughter,  he  managed  to  escape  from  Edinburgh  Castle, 


188  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

where  he  was  confined,  and  by  the  aid  of  zealous  Protestant  sympathisers  he 
found  his  way  after  many  adventures  to  London. 

The  Earl  remained  for  a  while  in  comparative  obscurity  in  London.  His 
being  in  the  city  was  indeed  not  unknown  to  the  Government,  but  the  fact 
was  ignored.  He  sent  a  petition  to  the  king,  but  no  notice  was  taken  of  it. 
The  apparent  indifference,  and  even  contempt,  which  such  treatment  indi- 
cated must  have  been  galling  to  the  proud  and  sensitive  Earl;  and  soon  we 
find  him  involved  in  various  intrigues  of  a  seditious  character.  A  descent 
upon  Scotland  under  his  leadership,  ostensibly  in  the  interests  of  the 
Protestant  faith,  was  much  discussed  by  him  and  his  fellow-conspirators. 
The  project  fell  through,  partly  through  want  of  money,  but  also  in  part 
through  want  of  confidence  in  the  Earl.  Soon  afterwards  the  Eye  House 
Plot,  in  which  he  was  involved,  became  known,  and  he  could  no  longer 
remain  in  London.  The  Earl  made  good  his  escape  to  Holland,  and  lived  in 
that  country  for  two  and  a  half  years  upon  an  estate  which  his  previsive 
father  had  acquired  for  such  a  contingency  as  had  now  emerged.  The  fatuous 
scheme  of  a  descent  upon  Scotland  was  taken  up  and  now  discussed  with  the 
many  discontented  Scotsmen  in  exile  in  Holland  at  the  time.  Charles  ii.  was 
dead,  and  his  brother  was  by  no  means  a  popular  successor.  It  was  found 
that  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  was  ready  to  make  a  similar  attempt  upon 
England.  Thus  the  ill-fated  expedition  under  the  command  of  the  Earl  of 
Argyll  was  made.  Mr.  Willcock  describes  in  great  detail  and  in  vivid 
language  this  raid,  as  mad  as  it  was  foolish,  from  the  day  the  conspirators 
left  Holland  (April  28,  1685)  until  the  day  when  the  Earl  was  captured  in 
the  disguise  of  a  peasant  near  Renfrew  (June  18th). 

The  new  king  had  few  friends  and  many  enemies,  and  magnanimity 
found  little  room  in  his  nature.  But  it  is  safe  to  say  that  if  the  authorities 
of  the  day  had  brought  Argyll  to  Edinburgh  in  the  peasant's  clothes  in 
which  they  found  him,  and  then  suffered  him  to  depart  whither  he  would, 
the  course  of  history  would  not  be  one  whit  altered.  The  inevitable 
Revolution  would  have  come  in  due  course.  But  the  reputation  of  our 
Scots  Earl  would  have  suffered  irretrievably.  As  it  was,  the  Government 
decreed  that  the  unjust  sentence  of  death  pronounced  upon  him  four  years 
previously  should  now  take  effect.  Forthwith  his  countrymen  forgot  the 
Earl's  crimes  and  follies,  and  remembered  only  his  sufferings  and  his 
wrongs.  And  the  finer  traits  of  the  man  himself,  for  long  obscured,  now 
shone  forth, — his  fervent  piety,  his  calm  courage,  his  sweet  resignation  and 
tender  affection.  It  is  for  this  beautiful  ending  of  a  troubled  life  that  to 
this  day  Scotsmen  cherish  the  memory  of  the  ninth  Earl  of  Argyll. 

Mr.  Willcock  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  the  ability,  and  especially  upon 
the  conspicuous  fairness,  with  which  he  describes  and  discusses  the  ecclesi- 
astical controversies  of  these  distracted  times.  In  avowed  sympathy  with 
the  Covenanters,  as  almost  all  Scotsmen  are,  he  is  by  no  means  blind  to  their 
many  faults,  nor  does  he  fail  to  recognise  occasional  glimpses  of  reasonable- 
ness in  their  persecutors.  Don.  MacKinnon. 


BOOK  EEVIEWS  189 

S(ynie  Passages  in  the  Early  History  of  Classical  Learning  in  Ireland.  By  the 
Eight  Honourable  Mr.  Justice  Madden,  M.A.,  Hon.  LL.D.,  Vice- 
Chancellor  of  the  University  of  Dublin.  Dublin  :  Hodges,  Figgis, 
&  Co.,  Limited.    1908.     25.  66^.  net. 

This  suggestive  little  book  of  101  pp.  gives  the  text  (revised,  with  notes 
and  an  appendix)  of  an  address  delivered  at  the  inaugural  meeting  of  the 
Trinity  College  Classical  Society,  in  November  1907.  Nothing  could  be 
more  appropriate  to  the  occasion.  The  address  begins  with  a  short  sketch 
of  the  condition  of  classical  learning  in  the  early  monastic  schools  which, 
instituted  in  Ireland  soon  after  the  time  of  St.  Patrick,  attracted  students 
from  England  and  the  Continent  to  such  an  extent  that  Ireland  might  fitly 
be  styled  the  University  of  Western  Europe.  That  Irish  scholars  also 
migrated  in  large  numbers  to  the  Continent,  and  exercised  much  influence 
there,  is  well  known.  But  Mr.  Justice  Madden's  address  deals  especially 
with  classical  learning  in  Ireland  at  a  much  later  time,  that  of  Elizabeth. 
At  the  beginning  of  her  reign  he  finds  in  Ireland  a  dual  order  of  things. 
'  Within  the  Pale,  and  in  the  principal  cities  outside  its  boundary,  there 
were  grammar-schools  founded  on  the  English  model,  some  of  them  evi- 
dently of  a  high  order,  from  which  students  proceeded  to  the  English 
Universities.  In  Celtic  Ireland  there  were  schools  of  a  different  kind, 
endowed  and  protected  by  the  chieftains,  in  which  students  were  educated, 
not  only  in  the  native  law  and  medicine,  and  in  the  bardic  literature,  but 
in  the  Latin  classics ;  and,  as  the  result  of  this  training,  we  find  an  acquaint- 
ance with  Latin,  as  a  written  and  as  a  spoken  language,  which  careful 
university  training  might  have  developed  into  exact  scholarship.  The  study 
of  Greek,  for  which  the  ancient  Scotic  schools  had  been  famous,  had 
probably  died  out,  as  in  the  rest  of  Western  Europe.'  That  this  was  so, 
the  author  has  no  difficulty  in  proving  from  contemporary  evidence.  He  is 
further  of  opinion — and  this  is  a  point  which  would  perhaps  require  further 
elaboration — that  these  native  schools  with  their  quite  peculiar  organisation, 
aims,  and  results,  were  the  lineal  descendants  of  the  old  monastic  culture. 
The  students  worked  largely  in  the  open  air,  and  they  apparently  rejoiced  in 
a  blessed  absence  of  pressure,  characteristics  which  survived  in  the  *  hedge 
schools '  of  more  recent  times.  In  this  way,  among  those  '  meer  Irish,'  whom 
it  was  the  lordly  English  fashion  to  regard  as  utter  savages,  Latin  was 
generally  spoken  '  like  a  vulgar  tongue '  in  peasant's  hut  and  chieftain's  castle. 

The  lecturer  proceeds  to  deal  with  the  efibrts  made  by  Sir  Henry 
Sidney,  the  Lord-Deputy,  and  others  to  systematise  and  improve  education 
in  Ireland  by  the  foundation  of  twelve  free  grammar-schools  in  the  principal 
towns  all  over  the  country,  and  the  establishment  of  an  Irish  University. 
These  wise  and  liberal  projects  failed,  chiefly,  in  Mr.  Justice  Madden's 
opinion,  owing  to  the  niggardliness  of  Elizabeth's  government  in  matters 
relating  to  Ireland.  This  was  in  1565,  but  Trinity  College  was  founded  in 
1591. 


190  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

The  lecture,  while  not  meant  to  be  exhaustive,  is  a  valuable  and  stimu- 
lating contribution  to  the  inner  history  of  Irish  life  in  a  period  where 
hitherto  military  operations  and  political  movements  have  mainly  attracted 
attention.  It  may  be  read  alongside  of  Mrs.  Green's  remarkable  book 
The  Making  of  Ireland  and  its  Undoing.  W.  J.  W. 

The  Old  Highlands.     Glasgow  :  Sinclair.     Price  6s.  net. 

This  is  the  third  volume  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Gaelic  Society  of  Glasgow. 
It  is  a  handsome  volume,  well  got  up  and  attractive  in  appearance,  and 
quite  abreast  of  the  newest  standards  of  paper,  printing,  and  binding.  The 
literary  contents  deserve  a  good  setting,  for  the  book  contains  much  matter 
of  value  and  interest  in  papers  read  to  the  Gaelic  Society  during  the  past 
twelve  years.  As  there  are  only  twelve  articles  in  the  volume,  we  can  see 
that  these  form  a  very  small  part  of  the  '  transactions '  of  the  Society,  and 
in  a  prefatory  note  the  Hon.  Secretary  tells  us  that  many  of  the  other 
papers  read  during  these  years  have  already  appeared  in  magazine  or  book 
form. 

The  first  paper  here  is  one  by  Dr.  Kuno  Meyer,  given  during  his  tenure 
of  the  Celtic  Lectureship  in  the  University  of  Glasgow.  He  writes  on 
Ancient  Gaelic  Poetry,  and  shows  his  usual  wide  range  of  knowledge  of  the 
things  pertaining  not  only  to  the  literature  and  language  but  also  to  the 
history  of  the  Gael.  The  article  deals  more  with  the  Irish  Poetry  than  with 
Scottish  Gaelic,  but  that  is  no  disadvantage,  as  it  gives  information  new  to 
many  Scottish  Gaels.  Besides,  we  of  Scotland  cannot  deny  that  the  older 
literature  is  Irish. 

An  equally  able  lecture  by  Professor  Mackinnon  on  the  Hymns  of  the 
Gael  gives  us  the  religious  side  of  the  poetry,  and  the  two  articles  give  us  a 
fairly  full  general  idea  of  the  character  of  the  early  poems  of  our  ancestors. 

Two  Gaelic  articles,  one  on  Proverbs,  by  J.  R.  Macgille-na-brataich,  and 
the  other  by  Mr.  William  Mackenzie,  recounting  racy  anecdotes,  witticisms, 
and  such,  of  the  modern  Highlander,  will  be  popular  with  Gaelic  readers. 

Papers  which,  taken  together,  give  us  an  idea  of  the  life  of  the  olden 
Highlander,  are  one  on  '  Life  in  the  Highlands  in  the  Olden  Times,'  by  Mr. 
William  Mackay,  and  'The  Clan  System  as  a  Legal  Entity,'  by  Mr.  Hugh 
Macleod.  Both  these  papers  involved  original  documentary  research.  Mr. 
David  Mackeggie's  paper  on  '  Social  Progress '  may  be  said  to  continue  the 
picture.  But  indeed  all  the  papers  in  the  volume  are  of  interest,  and  many 
of  them  of  permanent  interest,  and  to  show  this  it  is  perhaps  only  necessary 
to  say  that  besides  those  mentioned  the  authors  are  Dr.  W.  A.  Craigie, 
Professor  Magnus  Maclean,  Mr.  Lachlan  Macbean,  Mr.  Malcolm  Macfarlane, 
and  Mr.  Henry  Whyte. 

Dr.  Neil  Munro  writes  an  introduction  of  a  critical  nature — critical  not 
of  the  contents  of  this  volume  but  of  the  way  in  which  similar  societies 
publish  their  *  Transactions.'      The  criticisms  might  be  answered,  but  we 


BOOK  EEVIEWS  191 

forbear,  and  heartily  congratulate  the  Gaelic  Society  of  Glasgow  on  the 
handsome  legacy  of  £750  which  enabled  it  to  publish  its  third  volume  in  its 
twenty-first  year. 

Modern  Gaelic  Bards.     M.  C.  Macleod.     Stirling :  Mackay.     5s. 

This  is  a  collection  of  over  one  hundred  poems  or  songs  by  ten  of  our 
best- known  modern  Gaelic  poets.  The  work  is  opportune,  for  it  is  many 
years  since  the  last  collection  of  poems  by  various  authors  was  published, 
and  many  Gaelic  poets  have  come  and  gone  whose  works  deserve  such 
recognition. 

In  the  present  volume  the  airs  of  songs  are  frequently  given,  and  each 
author  is  prefaced  by  a  short  biographical  notice  and  a  portrait,  and  both 
add  very  considerably  to  the  interest  of  the  book. 

The  traditional  singer  sitting  by  the  peat  fire  or  on  the  hillside,  or  it 
may  be  in  the  fishing-boat,  prefaces  the  song  by  introducing  the  author — if 
he  or  she  be  known — telling  any  outstanding  features  of  the  life  and  family, 
and  giving  some  idea  of  the  character  of  the  poet.  From  his  own  know- 
ledge or  from  tradition  he  tells  the  cause  or  circumstances  of  the  composi- 
tion of  the  poem,  and  this  forms  the  immediate  introduction  to  it. 

Mr.  Macleod  has  gone  so  far  on  these  lines,  and  we  commend  the  further 
example  to  his  consideration. 

We  have  no  adverse  criticism  to  offer  on  this  volume.  We  think  that 
the  compiler  has  done  his  work  very  satisfactorily,  and  though  his  selection 
might  not  be  every  one's  choice,  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  poems  being 
representative  of  the  best  work  of  the  various  authors. 

We  are  glad  to  note  that  Mr.  Macleod  is  to  deal  in  a  similar  way  with 
minor  Gaelic  bards.  This  is  particularly  desirable,  for  many  men  and  women 
have  written  one  poem  or  a  few  poems  which  are  well  worth  preserving  in  this 
way,  though  they  may  not  have  written  sufficient  to  form  even  a  small 
volume.  As  a  matter  of  fact  most  districts  of  the  Highlands  have  their  local 
versifier  who  is  often  a  real  poet.  Such  pieces  as  are  worthy  of  print  the 
Gaelic  reading  public — an  increasing  one  we  believe — would  be  glad  to  have, 
and  in  these  days  when  prizes  are  needed  for  local  mbid  as  well  as  for  schools, 
Gaelic  books  of  suitable  price  should  meet  with  considerable  encouragement. 
For  our  own  part  we  believe  in  encouraging  modern  authors,  not  forgetting 
compilers  and  publishers,  on  these  occasions,  as  well  as  the  *  mighty  dead.' 
The  book  is  well  printed  and  nicely  bound. 

REPLY 

With  regard  to  Mr.  Mackinlay's  query  as  to  the  locality  of  the  Cill-Iosa 
mentioned  by  Kev.  J.  B.  Johnston,  Mr.  Johnston  himself  has  forgotten  his 
authority,  but  we  may  refer  Mr.  Mackinlay  to  Sir  Herbert  Maxwell's 
Studies  in  the  Topography  of  Galloway,  p.  38 :  '  The  name  of  the  Saviour 
Himself  seems  to  be  preserved  in  Clachaneasy  (Clachan  losa)  and  Kirkchrist.' 


I 


192  THE  CELTIC  KEVIEW 

(Cuimhneachan  air  Maighstir  Ailean) 
BE  PROPOSED  MEMORIAL 

TO  THE   LATE 

REVEREND  ALLAN  MACDONALD,  of  Eriskay,  South  Uist, 
Dean  of  the  Isles 

A  DESIRE  to  have  erected  in  some  suitable  form  a  Memorial  to  this  High- 
land Priest,  Patriot,  and  Celtic  Scholar  has  been  expressed  by  people  of  all 
classes  and  creeds.  To  those  who  knew  Father  Allan  remarks  here  are  un- 
necessary. Those  less  fortunate  may  be  referred  to  notices  which  have 
appeared  in  the  Celtic  Review  and  elsewhere.  Ever  kindly  in  thought  and 
deed,  and  modest  and  retiring  to  a  degree,  he  won  the  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact.  The  pains  he  took  to  gather  and  preserve  much 
of  the  fast-flitting  folk-lore  and  song  of  Gaeldom,  and  the  readiness  with 
which  he  freely  gave  of  the  fruits  of  his  labour  in  that  field  to  others,  have 
laid  Celtic  scholars  everywhere  under  an  indebtedness  to  him.  The  Com- 
mittee appointed  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  erection  of  an  appro- 
priate memento  hope  that  they  will  receive  sufficient  funds  to  enable  them 
to  have  one  erected,  worthy  of  the  object,  in  the  isle  of  Eriskay,  of  which 
he  lovingly  wrote  :— 

'  Ged  a  gheibhinnse  mo  thaghadh,  Lorn  o  dhuilleag,  lom  o  mhuran, 

B'  e  mo  rogh'  dhe  'n  Eorpa,  Lom  o  churachd  e6rna  ; 

Aite  tuinidh  'n  cois  na  tuinne  Air  a  luimead  gur  a  lurach 

'N  Eilein  grinn  na  h-Oige.  Learn  a  h-uile  fod  deth.' 

Subscriptions  are  requested  to  be  kindly  sent  to  the  Honorary  Treasurer 
to  the  Memorial  Fund : — John  Eraser,  Esq.,  Banker,  Lochboisdale,  by 
Oban ;  to  any  member  of  the  Committee ;  or  to  me ;  and  they  will  be 
duly  acknowledged.  Archd.  A.  Chisholm 

{Procurator  Fiscal) y 
LoCHMADDY.  Honorary  Secretary  to  the  Memorial  Committee. 

COMMITTEE 

Alexander  Carmichael,  Esq.,  F.S.A.  (Scot.),  Edinburgh;  J.  Coghlan,  Esq., 
Headmaster,  Eriskay  Public  School;  The  Rev.  David  Duncan,  Minister  of  South 
Uist ;  Donald  Ferguson,  Esq.,  J. P.,  South  Lochboisdale  ;  John  Eraser,  Esq.,  Banker, 
Lochijoisdale  ;  John  Macdonald,  Esq.,  J. P.,  Factor  for  South  Uist  and  Barra  Estates, 
Askernish,  Lochboisdale ;  The  Rev.  Alexander  Macdougall,  Dalibrog,  South  Uist ; 
Simon  Mackenzie,  Esq.,  Lochboisdale  and  Castlebay ;  William  Mackenzie,  Esq., 
Edinburgh  ;  The  Rev.  William  Mackenzie,  Craigston,  Barra ;  The  Very  Rev.  Alex- 
ander, Canon  Mackintosh,  Fort- William;  The  Rev.  John  Macleod,  Minister  of 
Lochranza  ;  J.  Rea,  Esq. ,  Headmaster,  Garrynamonie  School ;  The  Right  Rev.  George 
J.  Smith,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Argyll  and  the  Isles,  Bishop's  House,  Oban;  Henry 
Whyte,  Esq.,  'Fionn,'  Glasgow ;  Thomas  Wilson,  Esq.,  Obbe,  Harris. 

We  very  sincerely  commend  this  memorial  to  the  readers  of  the  Celtic 
Review.  Some  of  these  knew  '  Father  Allan '  as  he  was  called,  and  as  he 
will  always  be  affectionately  remembered  by  those  who  did  know  him. 
These,  and  even  those  who  did  not  have  the  great  privilege  of  knowing  this 
most  noble  of  men,  will,  we  trust,  take  the  opportunity  thus  given  of  help- 
ing to  make  this  a  fitting  memorial  of  the  life  it  is  to  commemorate,  remem- 
bering that  '  a  great  cairn  may  be  made  with  small  stones.' 

His  friend,  Mr.  W.  B.  Blaikie,  bought  Father  Allan's  MSS.  for  the 
Celtic  Review,  wishing  that  the  money  should  be  used  in  taking  a  much- 
needed  holiday.  But  his  church  was  nearer  to  his  heart  than  his  own 
needs,  and  to  that  the  money  was  applied  and  the  holiday  was  never  taken. 
Extracts  from  the  MSS.  will  appear  from  time  to  time  as  in  this  number. — Ed. 


THE    CELTIC    EEYIEW 

JANUARY  15,  1909 

SOME  NOTES  ON  A  WELL-KNOWN  WOEK  AND 
ITS  LITTLE-KNOWN  AUTHOR 

Although  in  these  days  of  hurry  and  unrest,  books  of  all 
kinds  are  issued  daily  by  the  hundred  tons,  in  a  manner  that 
would  astonish  the  patriarch  who  made  the  well-known 
remark  about  the  making  of  many  books  proving  a  weariness 
to  the  flesh,  it  is  quite  true  even  now,  when  there  are  so 
many  labour-saving  devices  of  all  kinds,  that  there  is  more 
than  one  weariness  connected  with  the  making  of  books  from 
the  time  the  author  first  puts  his  pen  to  paper  to  that  when 
a  member  of  the  public  purchases  his  or  her  copy  in  a  retail 
bookseller's  shop. 

Very  few  indeed  of  that  public  in  their  headlong  race  for 
very  existence  ever  stop  to  think  what  an  immense  amount 
of  labour  and  care  is  required  before  even  the  ordinary  daily 
halfpenny  or  penny  newspaper,  which  is  a  marvel  of  correct 
typography,  can  be  produced,  for  how  seldom  does  one  find 
a  misprint  or  a  wrongly  spelled  word  in  one  of  them  ? 

Of  course  this  vigilance  must  be  increased  tenfold  when 
publishing  any  educational  work,  such,  for  example,  as  a 
dictionary,  and  the  difficulties  are  infinitely  increased  when 
that  dictionary  is  one  relating  to  a  language  whose  spelling  is 
not  absolutely  settled  in  many  words. 

As  a  considerable  portion  of  a  new  Gaelic  dictionary  has 
now  been  before  the  public  for  some  years,  owing  to  its  appear- 
ance in  parts  during  its  progress  through  the  press,  we  think 

VOL.  V.  N 


194  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

our  readers  may  be  interested  to  hear  some  of  the  peculiar 
circumstances  attending  its  first  evolution  and  a  few  of  the 
difiiculties  encountered  by  its  author  when  attempting  to 
print  a  book  of  such  magnitude  single  handed,  with  practically 
no  knowledge  of  printing  beforehand,  and  how  he  overcame 
them  entirely  by  the  exercise  of  patience  and  with  the  help, 
when  in  difficulties,  of  a  book  on  printing. 

The  author  of  this  voluminous  work  being  originally 
intended  for  the  engineering  profession,  he  attended  various 
classes  held  at  King's  College,  London,  where  different 
branches  of  mechanics  were  taught.  Firstly,  in  the  evenings 
while  still  attending  school  there  during  the  day-time,  then 
after  leaving  school  during  the  whole  day,  and  finally,  when 
the  original  project  of  his  following  the  career  of  an  engineer 
was  finally  abandoned,  and  he  took  an  appointment  as  a 
clerk  in  the  office  of  Cox  &  Co.,  army  agents.  Charing  Cross, 
in  which  various  members  of  his  family  have  a  total  service 
of  considerably  over  one  hundred  years,  he  still  continued  in 
his  leisure  hours  to  work  away  diligently  at  the  forge,  the 
lathe,  and  in  the  foundry,  not  knowing  what  might  turn  up 
in  the  future. 

Having  now  obtained  a  certain  employment  for  the 
future,  he  decided,  instead  of  occupying  all  his  spare  time 
with  mechanics,  to  devote  some  to  volunteering  and  various 
other  pursuits.  Having  already  served  some  months  in  the 
Queen's  Westminster  R.Y.,  he  joined  the  famous  London 
Scottish  KV.  on  St.  Andrew's  Day,  1881.  Taking  a  keen 
interest  in  Gaelic,  pipe  music,  the  crofter  question,  etc.,  at 
that  time,  he  hoped  to  become  better  informed  on  each  of 
them  through  a  few  years'  contact  with  the  members  of  that 
corps.  Finding  after  five  years'  service  that  he  had  not  made 
the  expected  progress,  especially  in  Gaelic,  owing  chiefly  to 
the  lack  of  Gaelic  speakers  to  be  found  among  them,  he  then 
joined  the  1st  Argyle  E.V.  as  a  piper,  doing  his  drills,  class- 
firing,  etc.,  during  his  vacations,  now  extended  to  a  month 
each  year.  By  this  means  he  was  brought  into  the  necessary 
society  for  acquiring  a  good  colloquial  knowledge  of  Gaelic, 


A  WELL-KNOWN  WORK  AND  ITS  AUTHOR    195 

but  a  month  a  year  did  not  give  sufficient  opportunity  to 
make  such  rapid  progress  as  he  desired. 

Finding  the  life  of  a  clerk  a  dull  and  unattractive  one, 
with  the  addition  of  being  unhealthy  in  such  a  foggy  centre 
as  the  Metropolis,  our  author  decided  on  the  expiry  of  his 
tenth  year  of  service,  having  now  a  small  competency,  to 
leave  it,  and  threw  up  his  appointment.  Putting  to  advan- 
tage the  instruction  received  many  years  before,  he  took  up 
various  mechanical  occupations  in  the  land  of  the  Gael, 
hoping  by  this  means  to  reach  at  last  the  goal  he  had  set 
himself,  viz.  the  ability  to  speak  Gaelic  with  a  fluency  that 
he  now  found  to  be  quite  unattainable  by  a  stranger  in  any 
other  way  than  by  living  continuously  for  several  months 
among  the  people  as  one  of  themselves.  It  is  well  known 
how  very  difficult  it  is  to  get  native  Gaelic  speakers  to  engage 
in  a  Gaelic  conversation  in  the  presence  of  any  one  they 
suppose  to  know  English  better  than  Gaelic. 

Being  now  fairly  proficient  on  the  national  instrument  too, 
he  was  always  in  great  demand  for  weddings,  ceilidhs,  etc., 
especially  when  sojourning  in  the  Western  Isles,  and  he 
gladly  made  the  most  of  this  increased  opportunity  of  be- 
coming better  acquainted  with  Gaelic  idioms  and  pronuncia- 
tion, the  effect  of  which  is  felt  to  the  present  time,  for  he 
says  many  things  occur  in  conversation  that  he  feels  better 
able  to  express  in  Gaelic  than  in  English. 

Almost  from  the  outset,  it  was  found  that  the  absence  of 
a  really  reliable,  concise,  and  up-to-date  Gaelic  dictionary  was 
a  most  serious  hindrance  to  an  intelligent  study  of  modern 
Gaelic,  as  so  many  songs,  poems,  etc.,  abound  with  the  pro- 
vincialisms current  where  their  authors  lived,  and  these  w^ere 
rarely  to  be  found  in  any  dictionary,  in  many  cases  the 
difficulty  to  a  beginner  of  finding  them  being  no  doubt  due  to 
their  provincial  spelling. 

The  author  of  Faclair  Gaidhlig  then  determined  to  try 
and  compile  as  complete  a  lexicon  as  he  could  on  his  own 
account.  The  first  step  was  to  get  a  copy  of  all  the  diction- 
aries hitherto  published  and  see  which  was  the  most  useful 


196 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


both  for  a  beginner  and  a  fairly  advanced  student,  so  that  he 
might  use  this  as  a  foundation  for  the  new  work.  After 
careful  consideration  he  decided  that  MacLeod  and  Dewar's 
best  fulfilled  these  requirements.  He  then  began  to  go 
through  the  Gaelic-English  part  of  each  of  the  other  dic- 
tionaries, and  afterwards  the  English-Gaelic  part  where  one 
existed,  because  it  was  found  the  two  parts  did  not  corre- 
spond with  one  another  in  any  of  the  dictionaries  which  had 
both.  The  plan  followed  was,  when  comparing  another  dic- 
tionary with  that  used  as  a  basis,  to  write  down  on  slips 
every  Gaelic  word  or  meaning  of  such  met  with,  and  not  to 
be  found  in  the  latter,  with  a  reference  mark  showing  where 
the  addition  had  been  found.  This  plan  was  followed 
steadily  on  to  the  end  of  the  last  dictionary  published. 
This  part  of  the  work,  including  searching  of  all  modern 
Scottish-Gaelic  books  for  words  not  in  any  dictionary,  took 
about  twelve  years  to  accomplish,  counting  ten  hours  daily, 
and  when  all  the  slips,  amounting  to  many  thousands,  were 
finished,  the  next  step  was  to  sort  them  into  alphabetical 
order — no  mean  job.  (Reader !  you  write  out,  say,  the  prin- 
cipal words  only  in  a  page  of  Chambers  s  or  any  other 
dictionary  on  slips,  then  mix  them  well  and  sort  into  alpha- 
betical order.  We  do  not  think  you  will  try  a  second  page 
to  see  if  two  will  take  twice  as  long  to  do  as  one  !)  The 
slips  being  now  all  in  order,  and  tied  in  packets,  so  many  for 
each  letter,  the  work  of  writing  out  the  complete  MS.  com- 
menced in  earnest,  the  plan  followed  being  to  copy  out  the 
Gaelic-English  part  of  Macleod  and  Dewar  until  a  slip  was 
met  with  which  contained  a  word  or  meaning  given  by 
another  dictionary  but  not  this  one.  This  word  was  then 
inserted,  and  the  MS.  proceeded  to  the  next  omission. 
Sometimes  five  or  six  slips  would  follow  each  other,  and  at 
others  ten  or  twelve  words  would  be  copied  from  the  dic- 
tionary without  any  words  having  been  found  omitted. 

It  was  during  the  writing  of  this  MS.  that  various 
acquaintances  of  the  author,  who  were  also  interested  in 
Gaelic  studies,  when  they  saw  the  work  done,  and  realised 


A  WELL-KNOWN  WOEK  AND  ITS  AUTHOE    197 

its  utility  to  learners,  urged  him  so  persistently  to  have  it 
published  that  he  at  last  consented. 

The  difficulty  now  was  to  get  the  MS.  efficiently  revised, 
because,  although  the  contents  of  all  the  dictionaries  were 
now  arranged  in  one  alphabetical  vocabulary,  there  were 
sure  to  be  many  varieties  of  spelling  certain  words,  of  which 
the  best  would  have  to  be  selected  and  used  throughout  the 
work,  while  it  was  inevitable  that  many  small  errors  in 
grammar,  idiom,  etc.,  would  occur  owing  to  the  work  being 
all  done  by  one  who  was  not  a  native  Gaelic  speaker  and  only 
an  indifferent  scholar  when  he  commenced  to  compile  the 
dictionary.  Having  obtained  promises  to  revise  the  proofs 
from  several  good  Gaelic  scholars,  mostly  connected  with 
widely  different  districts,  and  all  of  whom  eagerly  welcomed 
the  idea  of  an  up-to-date  Gaelic  dictionary  containing  the 
first  published  lists  of  every  available  technical  term  besides 
provincialisms,  the  author  decided  to  issue  about  ten  sheets  of 
proofs  to  each  of  these  revisers  at  the  same  time,  and  then  com- 
bine all  their  notes  on  one  final  proof  before  altering  the  type. 

It  would  have  been  impossible  to  send  out  the  MS., 
weighing  about  a  hundredweight  or  more,  by  this  time 
written  on  both  sides  of  the  paper,  interlined,  and  inter- 
leaved, and  in  some  places  even  crossed  in  red  ink  as  well,  to 
all  the  readers  in  turn.  In  any  case  had  they  time  and  patience 
enough  to  read  it  through,  there  was  no  room  for  them  to 
add  their  notes  or  additional  words.  An  instalment  of  ten 
printed  pages  of  such  matter  would  be  enough  for  the  most 
zealous  Gaelic  scholar  to  refuse. 

The  author  says  he  has  received  the  most  valuable  aid 
from  all  the  readers  mentioned  in  the  preface  to  the  Faclair, 
and  all  their  suggestions  have  been  carried  out  whenever 
practicable.  His  wife,  also,  assisted  in  giving  meanings  of 
phrases,  etc.,  that  none  but  a  native  speaker  would  under- 
stand, and  in  folding,  preparing  parts  for  post,  etc.,  as  well  as 
proof-reading  when  time  permitted. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  the  principal  words  could 
not  have  been  printed  in  heavier  type  than  the  remainder,  as 


198 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


is  done  in  most  English  dictionaries,  but  that  was  found  to  be 
impossible  owing  to  type  of  that  description  of  the  necessary 
size  being  unobtainable  with  accented  letters.  It  was  also 
very  desirable  that  type  of  several  sizes  larger  should  have  been 
employed,  the  present  '  nonpareil '  being  very  trying  to  the 
eyes  in  setting,  distributing,  proof-reading,  etc.,  when  there 
is  so  much  of  it ;  but  had  a  larger  type  been  used  we  should 
have  had  a  whole  shelf-full  of  books  like  Blackie's  Encyclo- 
pcedia,  instead  of  the  present  two  volumes. 

A  system  having  now  been  arrived  at  by  which  the  proofs 
could  be  satisfactorily  revised,  the  next  point  was  to  find  a 
printer  who  would  undertake  the  work  at  such  a  price  as  the 
author  was  able  to  pay.  Such,  however,  was  not  to  be  found, 
unless  a  very  much  larger  number  of  subscribers  were  found 
than  were  ever  likely  to  require  the  work.  This  was  the 
first  obstacle  met  with,  which,  it  seemed,  mere  patience  would 
never  overcome. 

Having  had  a  very  limited  experience  of  printing  in  the 
issue  of  a  little  Gaelic  Pocket-Book  for  1901,  at  a  profit  of  a 
few  shillings,  on  a  rough  wooden  printing-press  made  by 
himself — the  issue  for  1900  had  been  printed  at  a  loss  of 
several  pounds — he  decided  to  get  some  second-hand  materials, 
and,  if  possible,  a  second-hand  iron  press — new  ones  were  far 
beyond  his  ability  to  pay  for. 

Having  purchased  and  studied  for  some  weeks  a  book  for 
which  he  has  the  highest  praise.  Practical  Printing,  he  set 
up  a  specimen  page  and  order  form  to  send  out  to  some 
hundreds  of  possible  subscribers.  He  learned  the  art  of 
practical  printing  entirely  from  this  book  and  from  practice, 
having  had  no  assistance  whatever  from  any  professional 
printer  before  commencing  the  dictionary. 

For  the  first  six  months  no  one  seemed  to  want  the  new 
dictionary  except  the  author's  most  intimate  friends,  the  few 
who  took  the  trouble  to  answer  the  circular  appearing  quite 
satisfied  with  the  dictionaries  they  already  had,  which  proved 
they  were  not  thorough  in  their  Gaelic  studies. 

The  Press  from  the  commencement  gave  the  work  the 


A  WELL-KNOWN  WOEK  AND  ITS  AUTHOR    199 

most  unqualified  praise,  continually  urging  their  tardy  readers 
to  hasten  and  subscribe,  to  give  encouragement  to  the  com- 
piler, etc.,  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  to  his  knowledge 
no  unfavourable  review  of  the  Faclair  has  ever  appeared. 

As  it  seemed  hopeless  to  find  any  printer  willing  to  take 
up  the  work,  the  author  thought,  in  what  he  considers  an  un- 
guarded moment,  he  might  get  more  second-hand  materials, 
and  begin  to  print  the  work  single-handed  until  such  time 
as  a  suitable  printer  could  be  found.  We  are  very  glad  he 
did  so,  otherwise  the  work  would  no  doubt  be  still  packed 
away  gathering  dust  in  some  forgotten  corner. 

It  seemed  like  moving  a  mountain  with  a  wheelbarrow. 
Having  obtained  the  necessary  type  to  keep  ten  or  twelve 
pages  standing  at  once,  the  next  thing  was  to  get  them 
stereotyped  when  the  type  was  corrected.  Here  was  a  new 
difficulty  never  thought  about  before.  No  one  within  reason- 
able distance  seemed  very  anxious  to  do  any  stereotyping, 
and  it  was  out  of  the  question  to  send  over  a  hundredweight 
of  type  to  London  and  back  for  the  purpose  once  a  month. 
At  last  a  newspaper  at  Maidstone  undertook  to  do  it.  Even 
when  the  stereotypers  were  found  half-way  between  Lyminge 
and  London,  the  cost  of  train  between  the  printing-office  and 
Maidstone  soon  became  a  serious  item,  besides  entailing  a 
journey  of  over  a  mile  and  a  half  with  a  wheelbarrow 
containing  150  lb.  of  type  up  and  down  some  of  the 
steepest  hills  in  Kent,  finishing  up  at  the  office,  which 
was  600  feet  above  the  sea,  no  carriers  being  available  there 
when  wanted.  The  expense  of  carriage  in  connection  with 
these  stereotyping  outings  soon  became  so  serious  that  when 
Part  6  was  completed,  and  a  new  office  had  been  obtained 
with  more  room,  our  author  decided  to  buy  a  stereo  foundry 
and  cast  the  plates  himself,  however  difficult  it  might  prove 
to  be.  The  obstacles  in  making  good  plates  were  at  last 
overcome,  the  last  difficulty  arising  through  using  bought  flong, 
i.e.  the  material  for  making  the  papier-mache  moulds  from 
the  type,  disappearing  as  soon  as  he  made  the  flongs  himself. 

During  all  this  time  the  illustrations  had  to  be  drawn. 


200  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

blocks  made,  and  names  of  firms  obtained  who  could  or  would 
do  the  blocks.  All  these  and  many  other  matters  to  a  novice 
were  not  easily  surmounted.  Not  being  able  to  find  any  one 
who  would  undertake  to  draw  the  illustrations,  the  author 
found  it  necessary  to  start  in  that  line  too,  if  the  dictionary 
was  to  be  an  illustrated  one  at  all.  He  then  plodded  on  till  . 
he  finished  the  sketches  for  all  the  blocks  used  in  the  dic- 
tionary, with  the  exception  of  those  pertaining  to  some 
native  implements,  etc.,  for  which  copy  could  not  be  found  in 
Kent  or  London,  and  which  were  kindly  contributed  by  a 
hearty  supporter,  Mr.  Malcolm  MacDonald,  the  well-known 
Stornoway  artist. 

By  a  serious  decrease  in  the  author's  income  owing  to 
unfortunate  investments  the  labour  of  the  whole  affair  was 
made  much  more  arduous  as  time  went  on,  and  the  number 
of  subscribers  did  not  increase  in  proportion  to  the  expense 
of  materials  required.  This  obliged  him  to  realise  part  of  his 
capital  from  time  to  time  to  keep  the  dictionary  going. 
Over  one-third  of  the  whole  had  been  invested  in  a  house 
and  land  which  is  much  larger  than  he  now  requires  or  can 
afford.  Expenses  increased  both  in  the  family  and  in  the 
business,  as  he  now  regarded  the  work  of  the  Faclair. 

It  thus  became  absolutely  necessary  to  take  immediate 
steps  to  fill  the  treasury.  The  Gaelic  Pocket-books,  already 
mentioned,  increased  in  circulation  but  not  in  expense  of 
production,  so  that  line  was  pushed  as  much  as  possible  as 
long  as  a  good  yearly  increase  continued.  Then  a  sub- 
scriber to  the  Faclair  luckily  suggested  to  the  editor  the 
advisability  of  his  publishing  some  Gaelic  Christmas  and 
New  Year  cards  without  a  word  of  English  on  them.  The 
suggester,  like  most  who  bought  them,  did  not  know  that 
all  this  work,  in  addition  to  the  dictionary,  was  done  by  one 
pair  of  hands,  but  thought  that  there  were  several  engaged 
in  type-setting,  machinery,  etc.  These  Christmas  cards, 
which,  from  their  sale,  appeared  to  fill  a  felt  want,  were  then 
boomed  to  the  utmost  as  long  as  a  reasonable  demand  lasted, 
with  very  helpful  results.      As  both  the  Pocket-book  and 


A  WELL-KNOWN  WOEK  AND  ITS  AUTHOE     201 

cards  only  supplied  the  money  required  during  about  three 
or  four  months  of  the  year,  it  was  soon  decided  to  add  book- 
selling to  them,  and  that  also  gave  some  assistance. 

For  the  additional  labour  entailed  by  these  new  ventures, 
our  author  received  no  additional  help  from  outside  at  all, 
although  his  family  assisted  him  to  the  best  of  their  power. 
During  the  Christmas  card  rushes,  he  and  his  wife  worked 
till  11.30  and  past  midnight  every  night  for  many  weeks,  and 
even  young  children  of  four  and  five  years  of  age  diligently 
helped  to  fold,  pack,  etc. 

After  four  seasons  of  this  very  arduous  task,  the  author 
began  to  feel  very  wearied  every  evening  when  the  time 
came  to  light  up,  and  owing  to  the  immense  correspon- 
dence necessary  to  the  different  kinds  of  work  he  had  taken 
in  hand — over  6550  letters  and  postcards  being  written  in 
one  of  these  years — he  found  it  quite  impossible  to  continue 
them  all  any  longer  without  sacrificing  his  health  altogether, 
so  he  was  compelled  to  discontinue  some. 

During  three  years  a  large  amount  of  jobbing  printing 
was  done,  the  profits  derived  from  this  paying  the  cost  of 
most  of  the  materials  used  for  the  early  parts  of  the  Faclair, 
For  two  out  of  these  years  he  devoted  sixteen  hours  daily  to 
the  work  without  even  the  relaxation  of  Bank  Holidays. 

The  Christmas  card  branch  was  the  first  part  of  the  busi- 
ness to  be  given  up.  These  were  last  published  during  the 
winter  of  1906-7,  and  now  we  hear  he  is  compelled  to  re- 
linquish the  Gaelic  Pocket-books  also,  which  he  has  compiled 
continuously  for  nine  years  and  printed  for  eight,  so  that  all 
available  time  may  be  given  to  pushing  forward  the  Faclair 
as  speedily  as  possible.  Otherwise,  he  tells  us,  he  is  afraid 
he  would  not  be  able  to  complete  it  at  all.  There  thus  now 
only  remain  the  profits  of  the  small  bookselling  business, 
chiefly  Gaelic,  and  any  jobbing  printing  that  may  come 
along  to  meet  the  continued  drain  caused  by  the  expense  of 
materials  required  for  the  Faclair,  over  and  above  the  amount 
of  subscriptions  received  for  parts  sold.  The  Gaelic  pictorial 
postcards  he  introduced  some  years  ago,  the  only  ones  pub- 


202  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

lished,  sold  furiously  at  first ;  but  the  Gael  is  going  back  to 
his  fancy  of  cheap  coloured  English  comic  cards  again  now. 

The  author  was  asked  when  he  thought  the  dictionary 
would  be  finished  if  he  continued  single-handed.  Although 
nearly  one-third  of  the  type  still  remains  to  be  set  up, 
he  says  he  hopes  he  is  within  sight  of  the  goal  at  last, 
although  he  is  at  times  nearly  collapsing  with  the  strain  on 
eyes  and  head.  When  completed,  the  Faclair  will  run  into 
about  900  pages,  demy  8vo. 

The  greatest  difficulty  he  has  encountered  since  commenc- 
ing this  arduous  undertaking  is  to  obtain  sufficient  subscribers 
to  keep  the  ball  rolling,  and  we  regret  to  hear  that  the 
deficiency  due  to  this  is  now  compelling  him  to  offer  for  sale 
his  library  of  Gaelic  books  which  he  has  been  collecting  for 
about  thirty  years.  This  should  not  be  necessary,  and  is  not 
creditable  to  the  many  persons  now  professing  an  interest  in 
Gaelic  study,  nor  to  the  many  Highland  societies  among 
whose  *  objects'  the  *  promotion  of  the  Gaelic  language' 
occupies  a  foremost  place.  The  *  Kent '  Dictionary,  as  it  is 
often  called,  deserves,  and  we  trust  will  forthwith  get,  the 
hearty  support  of  all  such  persons  and  societies.  Six  or 
seven  pence  a  number  is  surely  within  the  means  of  all  such. 

QUOD   ERAT   INVENIENDUM. 


A  CELTIC  POET 

Frances  M.  Gostling 

Across  the  grey  waters  of  the  English  Channel,  guarded  by 
rocks  and  shoals,  lies  the  twilight  land  of  Armorica,  or,  as 
it  is  usually  called,  Brittany,  birthplace  and  home  of  one  of 
the  great  modern  Celtic  writers,  Anatole  le  Braz.  No  doubt 
many  travellers  have,  like  the  present  writer,  discovered  the 
works  of  this  author  on  the  bookstall  of  some  Breton  station, 
and  learned  to  love  them  as  they  transformed  what  would 
have  been  a  monotonous  railway  journey  into  a  romantic  pil- 
grimage.    Yet  it  is  also  certain  that  his  writings  are  not 


A  CELTIC  POET  203 

known  as  they  should  be  in  our  very  insular  island,  and  there- 
fore for  our  own  sakes,  as  well  as  for  his,  it  seems  but  fitting 
that  some  one  should  attempt  to  introduce  this  author  to  the 
British  public. 

Among  the  mountains  of  Are,  very  far  from  any  town,  is 
the  village  of  Saint  Servais,  where,  in  1859,  Anatole  le  Braz 
was  born.  No  surroundings  could  have  accorded  better  with 
the  future  mapped  out  by  fate  for  this  Breton  poet.  The 
tiny  village  lies  slumbering  in  the  lap  of  the  grey,  mysteri- 
ous, mountain  region,  dreaming  of  superstitions  and  traditions 
long  since  forgotten  in  more  accessible  communes.  Poor 
little  village  I  mere  handful  of  cottages,  clustering  round  an 
ancient,  moss-grown  chapel!  How  many  such  do  we  not 
come  across  during  a  summer  tour  through  Brittany. 

It  is  but  a  week  or  two  since  the  writer  of  this  article 
visited  Saint  Servais  in  company  with  Anatole  le  Braz,  and 
heard  the  story  of  his  childhood  in  the  shade  of  the  ancient 
chapel  where  once  he  worshipped. 

It  was  in  the  schoolhouse  adjoining  the  graveyard  that  the 
boy's  first  years  were  passed,  for  his  father  was  schoolmaster, 
with  a  very  small  income  and  a  very  large  family. 

Of  the  chapel  itself  we  hear  in  the  introduction  to  Au 
Pays  des  Pardons,  where  the  author  tells  of  the  yearly 
struggle  for  the  little  wooden  statue  of  Saint  Servais,  the 
possession  of  which  was  supposed  to  insure  a  good  harvest. 
Indeed  the  whole  district  teems  with  legends  which  early 
exercised  an  influence  on  the  imaginative  mind  of  the  young 
Celt.  There  were  the  Death  Legends,  such  as  that  ex- 
traordinary story  of  Glaoud-ar-Skanv  recorded  in  the 
Legend  de  la  Mort,  Glaoud-ar-Skanv  the  drunkard  who  w^as 
carried  off  to  hell  by  the  devil,  Old  Polic,  and  delivered 
by  his  mother,  who  gave  her  only  cow  to  Notre  Dame  of 
Loquetou  to  ransom  him. 

And  there  is  the  history  of  the  three  tipsy  young  men  of 
Duault,  who  barred  the  road  with  a  dead  tree,  and  were 
fetched  from  their  beds  by  Ankou  or  Death,  because  his  cart 
could  not  pass  the  barrier. 


204  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

It  was  among  stories  such  as  these  that  the  boy  was 
born  and  bred.  In  civiHsed  England,  such  legends  seem 
absurd  and  incredible,  but  in  central  Brittany,  sitting  round 
the  fire  on  a  stormy  night,  with  the  wind  howling  in  the 
chimney,  their  improbability  is  not  so  obvious. 

*  Is  your  house  haunted  ? '  I  asked  a  farmer  the  other  day, 
as  I  sat  over  a  glass  of  cider  with  him  and  his  wife. 

*  No,'  he  answered. 

'Except,'  corrected  his  wife,  'by  Monsieur  Kouge.' 

'  Oh  yes,'  assented  the  man,  *  of  course  there 's  Monsieur 
Rouge.' 

And  it  appeared  that  Monsieur  Rouge  was  a  phantom 
who  had  a  rather  distracting  habit  of  rolling  cannon  balls  up 
and  down  the  room  overhead.  .  . 

Saint  Servais  is  one  of  the  pilgrimage  shrines  that  all 
Bretons  must  visit  at  least  once  during  life.  If  they  fail  to  do 
so  they  will  have  to  accomplish  the  journey  after  death.  In 
that  case  you  take  your  coffin  on  your  shoulder,  and  only 
proceed  each  day  as  far  as  the  length  of  that  coffin.  In  the 
wall  of  the  chapel,  close  to  the  door  of  the  le  Braz's  home,  was 
the  hole  in  the  wall  down  which  the  dead  men,  having  at 
length  finished  their  involuntary  pilgrimages,  passed  to  their 
graves.  Seated  there  at  night,  we  are  told,  one  could  hear 
the  dead  rustling  and  stirring  in  their  coffins. 

In  this  home  the  boy  grew  up,  surrounded  by  the  strange, 
mystical  peasant  life  which  clung  round  the  old  shrine.  His 
father  was  himself  a  storehouse  of  legend,  and  so  were  the 
pilgrims  and  beggars  who  came  thither  from  all  parts  of  the 
C6tes-du-Nord.  Such  early  impressions  are  ineffaceable ;  and 
from  that  time  to  this  the  mind  of  Anatole  le  Braz  has  been 
steeped  in  the  traditions  of  his  race. 

When  he  was  about  ten  years  old,  the  boy  lost  his 
mother,  and  soon  after  his  father  sent  him  to  school  at  Saint- 
Brieuc,  from  whence  in  a  few  years  he  proceeded  to  Paris, 
where  he  studied  at  the  university.  There  was  no  money  to 
pay  for  his  college  course,  and  he  had  to  teach  to  provide  for 
himself.     Happily  he  found  a  useful  pupil,  a  wealthy  young 


A  CELTIC  POET  205 

lad  who  needed  amusing  as  well  as  coaching,  and  it  was  with 
him  that  Monsieur  le  Braz  went  to  Algeria,  and  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  life  of  the  desert,  of  which  he  has  spoken 
in  La  Terre  du  Passe. 

On  his  return  to  Paris  he  continued  teaching,  and  was  so 
successful,  that  after  passing  all  examinations,  he  found  he 
had  saved  a  considerable  sum  of  money. 

But,  like  Chateaubriand,  Souvestre,  Renan,  and  all  other 
Bretons  of  whom  I  have  ever  heard,  he  was  homesick  for  his 
native  land.  In  the  Chansons  de  la  Bretagne,  there  are 
many  songs  that  tell  of  his  exile,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  ready 
to  do  so,  he  returned  to  Brittany,  settling  at  Quimper,  where 
for  many  years  he  taught  and  lectured,  still  working  at  folk- 
lore in  conjunction  with  the  Celtic  scholar  Francois  Marie 
Luzel. 

At  length,  in  the  year  1900,  on  the  death  of  Arthur  le 
Moine  de  la  Borderie,  Anatole  le  Braz  was  appointed 
Professor  of  Celtic  Literature  at  the  University  of  Bennes, 
where  he  now  lectures  and  carries  on  his  literary  work. 

But  during  the  long  summer  months  he  still  lives  as  far 
as  possible  the  peasant  life  of  his  childhood,  idealised,  modi- 
fied, enriched,  it  is  true,  but  as  simple,  as  homely,  as  pastoral, 
as  that  of  the  little  schoolhouse  at  Saint  Servais. 

I  usually  pass  a  few  weeks  every  summer  at  this  cottage 
home  of  M.  le  Braz,  and  I  think  my  readers  will  better 
appreciate  the  work  of  the  great  artist  if  they  also  know  it. 

In  one  of  the  sections  of  Fdques  d'Islande,  the  author  has 
thus  described  his  home  : — 

'  We  had  been  fishing  in  the  ofiing,  and  were  returning 
with  the  rising  tide.  It  was  a  calm  August  evening,  the  dis- 
tance clothed  in  soft  radiance,  that  hung  in  the  air  like  gold 
dust.  Overhead,  the  deep  sky  stretched  above  the  waters  in 
an  immense  vault.  Leaning  a  little  over  on  her  right  side, 
the  Saint  Yves  sailed  smoothly  along,  drawing  behind  her  a 
slender  wake,  tinted  purple  by  the  setting  sun,  and  casting 
before  her  on  the  scarce  ruffled  surface  of  the  sea  the  grace- 
ful silhouette  of  her  softly  swelling  foresails. 


206  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

*  Under  a  light  breeze  we  glided  thus  easily  along,  thread- 
ing our  way  among  the  islands  that  strew  the  English 
Channel  off  the  coast  of  Tregor. 

*  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  views  I  know.  On  all 
sides  rose  gigantic  rocky  profiles,  colossal,  enigmatic  faces. 
The  Castle  Rock,  covered  with  its  fleece  of  sea-weed,  crouched 
like  a  green  bronze  sphinx,  guarding  the  entrance  to  the  bay, 
while  opposite,  the  isle  of  Saint  Gildas  lay  sleeping,  stretched 
lazily  out  beneath  the  shadow  of  its  pine  woods,  a  Breton 
Salamis  !  Further  away,  towards  the  north,  were  the  innu- 
merable reefs  that  lie  off  the  coast  of  Plougrescant,  looking 
like  the  heads  of  sheep  swimming  one  after  another  through 
the  water.  And  in  the  transparent,  amber-tinted  air, 
flocks  of  seamews  were  whirling,  a  living  cloud.  Before  us 
the  ridge  of  the  coast,  the  seaboard  of  Penvenan  rose  sharp 
against  the  paling  sky.  Everything  was  bathed  in  a 
delicious  calm.  Even  the  swell  rolled  landward  in  great, 
slow,  peaceful  waves,  so  that  the  motion  of  the  boat  was 
scarcely  perceptible,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  rocks  that 
flew  past  like  a  procession  of  silent  shadows  hurrying  out  to 
sea,  we  might  have  fancied  ourselves  motionless,  anchored 
there  in  the  midst  of  a  fairy  enchantment.' 

This  is  the  scene  upon  which  one  gazes  from  the  window 
of  the  study  at  Port  Blanc,  the  scene  facing  which  Anatole 
le  Braz  has  written  Pdques  dJIslande,  Le  Sang  de  la  Sir^ne, 
and  Le  Gardien  du  Feu. 

The  house  is  a  series  of  three  little  cottages,  each  forming, 
on  the  ground  floor,  a  single  room,  and  whether  one  is 
sitting  at  the  supper-table,  with  its  pretty  red  and  white- 
checked  cloth,  its  great  tureen  of  steaming  soup,  its  circle  of 
merry,  lamp-lit  faces,  or  reading  in  the  quiet  study  with  book- 
lined  walls,  and  vast  cavernous  hearth,  one  is  always  in  pre- 
sence of  the  sea.  Not  the  sea  of  our  Saxon  shores,  but  the 
wild  *  Ar  Mor '  that  greeted  and  inspired  the  earliest  of  our 
Celtic  ancestors  after  their  long  journey  toward  the  land  of 
the  setting  sun. 

In  the  morning  the  world  is  sapphire,  pink,  and  emerald, 


A  CELTIC  POET  207 

the  vivid  tints  of  rock  and  sea  softened  with  pearly  mist,  like 
one  of  the  shells  one  finds  on  the  beach ;  later  it  clears  and 
warms  into  golden  brown  and  blue  ;  and  at  evening  purple 
shadows  creep  over  the  scene,  flooding  it  with  all  manner 
of  opalescent  colours,  till  they  also  pass  giving  place  to  a 
growing  radiance,  and  soon  the  whole  bay  is  full  of  glancing 
moonlight. 

The  first  original  work  of  le  Braz  of  which  we  have 
a  record  is  a  poem,  a  story  in  verse,  called  Tryphina 
Keranglaz,  which  will  be  dealt  with  at  some  length,  for  it  is 
extremely  interesting  as  a  type  of  Celtic  literature.  It  was 
written  while  Anatole  le  Braz  was  living  at  Quimper,  and  is 
a  story  of  revolt  and  reconciliation,  revolt  against  destiny, 
and  reconciliation  brought  about  by  death. 

This  reconciliation  through  death  seems  a  very  distinct 
note  in  most  of  the  writings  of  this  author,  and  is  worthy  of 
consideration,  as  coming  from  one  whose  forefathers  acknow- 
ledged Death  as  their  common  ancestor.  The  story,  if  story 
it  may  be  called,  has  for  its  hero  a  young  student,  Yvo 
Congard,  the  eldest  son  of  a  well-to-do  widow,  Anna  Renee, 
who,  like  almost  all  Breton  mothers,  wishes  her  son  to  become 
a  priest.  With  this  intention  he  is  sent  to  study  at  the 
seminary,  returning  each  summer  vacation  to  live  the 
ordinary  life  of  the  farm,  reaping,  haymaking,  tending  the 
cows  and  horses. 

0  beloved  summer  season, 

Golden  evening  dusky  fair, 

Subtle,  fragrant  breath  of  flowers 

Mingling  with  my  very  prayer. 

While  within  my  cell  I  'm  watching, 
June's  sweet  song  comes  back  to  me 
Like  a  bird's  wing,  softly  fanning 
All  my  soul  to  ecstasy. 

As  the  autumn  evenings  draw  in,  that  notable  housewife,  his 
mother,  of  whom  we  are  told  : — 

The  widow  managed  the  farm,  the  farm  with  its  fields  and  flocks  .  .  . 

used  to  gather  the  girls  of  the  neighbourhood  around  the  fire 


208  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

to  spin ;  and  with  them  came  the  motherless  daughter  of  the 
farmer  of  Keranglaz,  Tryphina.  The  scene  is  thus  de- 
scribed : — 

Before  the  yellow  glow 
The  spinners  gather  round, 
While  at  the  pleasant  sound 
The  shepherd's  head  bends  low. 

It  is  at  one  of  these  evening  gatherings  that  the  young 
man's  revolt  against  his  mother's  plans  first  breaks  forth. 

'  My  eyes  are  full  of  tears. 
Speak  to  the  wheels,  and  say 
I  cannot  read  or  pray, 
So  sweet  their  sound  appears  ' 

And  his  mother  replies  : — 

'  O  maidens,  hush  your  song, 
And  turn  the  wheels  more  slowly, 
While  silently  along 
Above  the  spinning  throng 
Hover  my  son's  thoughts  holy.' 

But  again  he  breaks  forth : — 

'  What  is  this  fragrance  sweet 

Filling  the  summer  air  ? 

Is  it  some  perfume  rare. 

Or  sweet  breath  of  my  sweet  ?' 

'  Is  the  door  fast  within  *?  .  .  . 

asks  the  mother,  and  the  girls  answer  : — 

'  The  door  is  bolted  fast. 
Nothing  hath  surely  past 
Since  we  sat  down  to  spin.' 

But  as  the  Spirit  of  the  Hearth  observes  : — 

*  Who  can  tell  through  what  crannies 
Sweet  perfumes  may  dart, 
Even  so  the  beloved 
Steals  into  the  heart.' 


A  CELTIC  POET  209 

And  now  indeed  comes  the  full  storm  of  revolt : — 

'  Away  my  books,  away  ! 
I  cannot  pray,  mother  ! 
I  love  my  love  more  true 
Than  heaven  or  you,  mother  ! ' 

For  it  is  Tryphina  he  loves,  Tryphina  and  all  that  she 
signifies  to  him  of  home,  and  sweet,  domestic  peace. 

He  tells  us  so  in  a  little  song  of  exquisite  beauty,  which 
yet  has  a  suggestion  of  the  priest  about  the  form  of  the 
verse. 

'  Oremus  !  Oremus  !  .  .  Tryphine 
In  her  cupboard  bed  lies  sleeping. 

While  her  golden  ringlets  twine. 
And  the  long,  soft  waves  are  creeping 

O'er  the  pearl  of  her  bosom  fine. 

Oh,  would  that  I  knelt  beside  her. 
To  pray  that  no  ill  betide  her  ! ' 

'  "  Be  a  priest  of  the  Church,  my  son," 
Sighs  the  mother,  while  I,  alas. 

Have  no  thought  in  life  save  one. 
By  the  window  of  Keranglaz 

To  sing  my  love  alone. 

For  my  heart  hath  no  other  pleasure 
Than  to  sing  of  Tryphine  my  treasure.' 

But  Tryphina,  with  whom  '  in  the  spring  he  tossed  the 
hay  .  .  .'  Tryphina  is  driven  from  Anna  Congard's  house, 
and  Yvo  returns  to  college  determined  to  marry  her. 

But  the  mother  is  as  inexorable  as  fate.  Indeed  through- 
out the  poem  she  is  fate  to  the  two  young  people. 

Her  lover  having  departed,  Tryphina  pines  for  a  time, 
and  then  goes  secretly  to  the  magic  pool  to  inquire  whether 
she  or  the  mother  is  to  have  her  way. 

O'er  the  pool  of  Keranglaz  when  night  clouds  the  sky 
A  breath  of  the  future  comes  whispering  by. 
As  the  wind  stirs  the  rushes  to  murmuring  sleep. 
The  purpose  of  God  may  be  read  in  the  deep. 
VOL.  v.  O 


210  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Her  pin  she  drew  from  out  her  shawl, 
Then  sighing  forth  an  ancient  charm, 
Over  the  water  stretched  an  arm, 
And  from  her  fingers  let  it  fall. 

From  the  Breton  high  heavens  the  stars  bend  and  pale 
White  meadow  mists  watching  have  lifted  their  vail, 
All  nature  seems  pausing  in  wondering  dismay 
To  know  what  the  pool  of  Ker^nglaz  will  say. 

The  mystic  water  gives  reply 

Love  shall  not  play  a  conquering  part. 

For  like  a  dagger  in  the  heart 

So  sinks  the  pin  of  destiny. 

Of  the  pathetic  little  letter  she  sends  her  lover,  and  of  her 
death,  I  need  not  speak,  save  to  say  how  very  beautiful  and 
tender  this  part  of  the  poem  is,  and  how  singularly  it  fore- 
shadows both  in  style  and  feeling  the  later  works  that  were 
to  flow  from  the  pen  of  this  gifted  writer.  The  funeral  with 
the  song  of  the  beggar  women,  and  the  description  of  the 
wake,  so  well  epitomises  the  attitude  of  the  Celtic  mind 
toward  death  that  it  will  be  better  to  quote  it  : — 

Weep  not  thou  for  whom  all  weep. 

Life  is  sweeter  where  thou  art, 

Sorrow  here  fills  every  heart, 
Happiest  those  who  soonest  sleep, 
Weep  not  thou  for  whom  all  weep. 

Gather'd  in  thine  early  hour, 

Never  will  the  wintry  wind 
Fade  thy  beauty  like  a  flower. 
Whirl  thee  as  a  wither'd  flower. 

Scatter  thee  with  breath  unkind. 

Every  purpose  pure  and  good. 

Now  the  chains  of  earth  are  riven, 

All  thy  little  sins  forgiven. 
In  unblemished  maidenhood 

On  thy  white  wings  soar  to  heaven. 

And  all  the  time  the  mother  like  a  veritable  fate  sits 
spinning  by  her  fireside,  spinning  the  alb  which  her  son 
is  to  wear  when  he  says  his  first  Mass.     Even  when  all  seems 


A  CELTIC  POET  211 

lost,  when  Yvo  is  most  bitterly  bewailing  his  dead  love,  Anna 
Congard  calmly  continues  her  preparations. 

*  A  priest,  O  my  Lord,  or  death  ! '  she  has  prayed,  kneel- 
ing before  her  crucifix.  Such  implacable  determination  is 
sure  to  attain  its  end;  Yvo  has  not  died,  therefore  as  she  sits 
at  her  wheel  she  spins  with  confidence,  knowing  that  her  wish 
will  be  accomplished.  Her  son  may  rebel — he  has  rebelled  ; 
but  her  will,  fortified  as  it  is  by  a  fanatical  faith,  is  irresistible, 
and  all  his  objections  will  give  way  before  it. 

*  Nothing  can  resist  the  will  of  man,'  says  an  old 
French  writer,  '  when  he  knows  what  is  true  and  wills  what 
is  good.' 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  mother  honestly  believes  she 
is  acting  for  the  good  of  her  son,  and  her  will  triumphs,  but 
not  until  the  dead  girl  returns  and  joins  her  voice  to  that  of 
the  mother. 

A  wind  of  emotion  rose,  and  pierced  to  my  very  soul, 

For  some  one  was  walking  alone  through  the  secret  chambers  of  thought, 

Some  one  with  sweet,  white  face,  and  gliding,  timorous  feet, 

Holding  a  branch  of  gorse  a-flower  though  it  was  dead. 

And  it  was  She  who  came,  fanning  my  soul  with  her  wing, 
Fanning  her  soul  with  her  wing,  till  I  heard  a  plaintive  song, 
A  whispering,  distant  song,  that  seemed  to  breathe  from  her  lips, 
The  Music  of  Far  Away,  and  this  is  the  song  she  sang: — 

Remember,  love,  hearts  of  the  dead 
Return  to  thee  from  out  the  tomb, 
In  gold  of  the  genesta  bloom. 
In  blood  that  dyes  the  roses  red. 

A  blood-red  rose  is  clambering  free 
Over  a  grey,  old  garden  wall ; 
Gather  one  crimson  rosebud  small. 
And  as  you  do  so  think  of  me. 

Breathe  often  of  that  fragrance  rare, 
Above  all  in  thine  hours  of  grief. 
The  very  scent  will  bring  relief, 
It  is  my  rose  heart  that  you  wear. 


212  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

And  now,  beloved  one,  arise, 
The  world  lies  weeping  at  thy  feet ; 
Many  the  souls  gentle  and  sweet 
Thou  shalt  lead  on  to  Paradise. 

It  is  his  love  herself  come  back  from  the  tomb  who  finally 
brings  about  reconciliation  with  the  destiny  he  has  spurned. 
The  story  is  a  simple  one,  such  as  has  been  told  over  and  over 
again,  and  were  there  nothing  but  the  story  there  would  be 
little  in  Tryphina  Keranglaz  to  attract  our  attention,  save 
the  beautiful  language  in  which  it  is  told.  But  there  is 
much  more.  Yvo,  the  mother,  Tryphina  herself,  even  the 
beggar  women,  and  the  laughing,  careless  girls,  each  represent 
some  element  in  this  Celtic  study  of  destiny.  It  is  as  though 
the  author  had  written  a  treatise  on  the  subject  of  love  versus 
fate,  in  some  picture  language,  using  as  his  hieroglyphics  the 
figures  of  the  peasants  concerned  in  this  little  episode.  For 
besides  its  obvious  meaning,  the  story  has  a  profound  signifi- 
cance, and  every  character  and  incident  is  symbolical  of  a 
deep,  underlying  truth. 

Tryphina  Keranglaz  was  shortly  followed  by  La  Chanson 
de  la  Bretagne,  a  volume  of  verses  which  spread  the  fan^e  of 
the  author  all  over  France,  and  was  crowned  by  the  Academy. 
I  give  one  poem  as  specially  illustrative  of  the  peculiarly 
Celtic  imagination  of  the  author  : — 


THE  WIND  THAT  BLOWS 

The  Stormy  Wind  is  at  my  door, 
I  hear  his  mournful  voice  implore  : — 
'  Oh,  let  me  in  in  God's  great  name  ! 
I  see  the  shining  of  your  flame  ! 
It  was  to  warm  myself  I  came.' 

'  Open  the  door  !  Annik,'  said  I, 
'  And  bid  the  Storm  Wind  hither  fly  ! ' 
So  the  poor  Wind  had  his  desire. 
And  with  a  gentle  sigh  came  nigh'r 
To  settle  down  beside  my  fire. 


A  CELTIC  POET  213 

Then  up  into  the  chimney  wide, 
The  flames  went  leaping  in  their  pride. 
*  Welcome  ! '  cried  they,  '  welcome  to  thee. 
Welcome,  poor  wand'rer  of  the  sea  ! ' 
For  flames  in  winter  speak,  you  see ! 

Seated  before  my  warm  hearthstone, 
Answered  the  wind  in  gentle  tone  .  .  . 
'  O  fiery  tongues,  all  men  adore. 
Lick  ye  the  hands  and  feet  once  more 
Of  the  poor  wand'rer  of  the  shore  ! ' 

And  at  the  good  flame's  living  kiss 
The  Wind  turned  warm  with  sudden  bliss, 
Yes,  warm  once  more  the  poor  Wind  grew. 
The  wand'ring  Wind  that  flew  and  flew, 
And  was  so  thin  the  flame  shone  through ! 

He  told  me  all  his  history, 
Bemoaned  his  bitter  purgat'ry  ! 
Father  nor  mother  had  he  known, 
Nor  whence  his  naked  feet  were  blown, 
Nor  why  to  my  door  he  had  flown. 

A  soul  indeed  hath  the  Storm  Wind, 
A  deep-voiced  soul  of  many  a  kind. 
Through  boundless  space  it  murmurs  long. 
Of  the  green  corn  it  is  the  song, 
Yet  is  the  roar  of  ocean  strong. 

The  Wind  it  is  who  sows  the  grain, 
Hollows  the  deep  wave  of  the  main. 
He  sings  and  shouts  with  all  his  might, 
Deaf  is  he,  and  bereft  of  sight, 
Bringer  of  day  and  endless  night. 

Then  came  a  book  of  stories,  studies  of  Breton  life,  Vieilles 
Histoires  du  Pays  Breton,  in  which  there  are  some  very 
dramatic  incidents,  notably  *La  Charlezenn,'  '  Histoire  Pas- 
cale,' '  Noel  de  Chouans,'  '  Le  Batard  du  Koi,'  from  which  it 
is  impossible  to  quote,  but  which  were  cited  by  the  late 
Fiona  Macleod  as  some  of  the  finest  writing  in  the  French 
language. 


214  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

This  little  volume  was  followed  in  1902  hy  La  Legende  de 
la  Mort.  It  would  be  interesting  to  speak  at  length  of  this 
truly  remarkable  book  which,  as  a  well-known  Oxford  pro- 
fessor said  to  me,  is  the  work  by  which  Anatole  le  Braz  is 
known  to  the  world  of  letters.  The  labour  expended  upon  it 
was  enormous,  for  every  detail  and  legend  was  collected  first- 
hand ;  and  after  the  collection  was  made,  the  mass  of  material 
had  to  be  sorted,  verified,  and  carefully  arranged  before  the 
Master  Architect  could  employ  it  to  raise  once  more  the 
fabric  of  the  ancient  forgotten  cult  which  for  two  thousand 
years  had  been  overgrown  by  the  forms  of  Christianity. 

Pdques  d'lslande  succeeded  La  Legende  de  la  Mort,  a  set 
of  five  beautiful  studies  largely  concerned  with  the  close 
connection  which  exists  in  the  Celtic  mind  between  this  life 
and  that  which  follows. 

Then  in  quick  succession  appeared  Le  Sang  de  la  Sirene, 
La  Terre  du  Passe,  a  collection  of  impressions,  Au  Pays  des 
Pardons,  which  has  lately  made  a  very  successful  appearance 
in  English,  passing  through  several  large  editions,  Le  Theatre 
Celtique,  another  of  those  extraordinary  books  which,  like  La 
Legende  de  la  Mort,  shows  how  absolutely  this  author  has  the 
problem  of  the  Celtic  race  ;  and,  lastly,  a  work  to  which  it  seems 
to  me  the  others  have  but  paved  the  way,  Le  Gardien  du  Feu. 

Strictly  speaking,  Le  Gardien  du  Eeu,  so  far  the  only 
complete  novel  from  the  pen  of  this  writer,  is  not  the  latest  of 
his  publications.  It  followed  Pdques  d'Islande,  and  preceded 
Le  Sang  de  la  Sirene,  La  Terre  du  Passe,  and  Le  Theatre 
Celtique.  But  as  a  work  of  imagination  it  is  undoubtedly,  up 
to  the  present  time,  the  climax  of  Anatole  le  Braz  s  writings. 
It  is  difficult  to  say  when  the  idea  of  this  extraordinary  book 
first  occurred  to  him.  His  works  are  often  planned  for  years 
before  he  finds  an  opportunity  for  writing  them,  and  surely, 
in  date  of  conception,  all  his  other  works  preceded  this.  To 
write  such  a  book  he  must  have  probed  the  very  soul  of  the 
two  races  of  which  it  treats.  It  is  much  more  than  a  novel ; 
it  is  a  marvellous  allegorical  presentment  of  the  irreconcilable 
natures  of  the  Celtic  races  of  Leon  and  Tregor. 


A  CELTIC  POET 


215 


Directly  one  begins  to  study  attentively  the  inhabitants  of 
Brittany,  one  is  struck  by  a  strange  diversity  of  race,  which 
distinguishes  them,  not  only  from  the  people  of  the  rest  of 
France,  but  even  from  one  another.  E,enan  speaks  of  this  in 
his  Poetry  of  the  Celtic  Races, 

'  Every  one  who  travels  through  the  Armorican  peninsula, 
experiences  a  change  of  the  most  abrupt  description,  as  soon  as 
he  leaves  behind  that  district  which  most  closely  borders  upon 
France,  where  the  cheerful  but  commonplace  type  of  face  of 
Normandy  and  Maine  is  continually  in  evidence,  and  passes 
into  the  true  Brittany,  that  part  which  merits  its  name  by 
language  and  race.  A  cold  wind  arises  full  of  a  vague  sadness, 
carrying  the  soul  to  other  thoughts ;  the  tree-tops  are  bare 
and  twisted ;  the  heath  with  its  monotony  of  tint  stretches 
away  into  the  distance  ;  at  every  step  the  granite  protrudes 
from  a  soil  too  scanty  to  cover  it ;  a  sea  that  is  almost  always 
sombre  girdles  the  horizon  with  continual  moaning.  The 
same  contrast  is  manifest  in  the  people :  to  Norman  vulgarity, 
to  a  plump  and  prosperous  population,  happy  to  live,  full  of  its 
own  interests,  egotistical,  as  are  all  those  who  make  a  habit  of 
enjoyment,  succeeds  a  timid  and  reserved  race,  living  altogether 
within  itself,  heavy  in  appearance,  but  capable  of  profound 
feeling,  and  of  an  adorable  delicacy  in  its  religious  instincts. 
...  It  seems  like  entering  upon  the  subterranean  strata  of 
another  world,  and  in  some  measure  one  experiences  the 
emotions  given  us  by  Dante,  when  he  leads  us  from  one  circle 
of  his  Inferno  to  another.  .  .  .' 

But  that  is  not  all.  Renan  refers  to  Dante,  and  we  may 
perhaps  be  permitted  to  carry  on  the  simile. 

In  this  strange,  romantic  Inferno,  this  mystical  twilight 
realm  of  poetry  and  legend,  this  backwater  of  civilisation, 
there  are  several  great  divisions,  Cornouailles,  Vannes, 
Domnone,  Leon.  They  are  the  circles  in  which  dwell  the 
races  which  people  Brittany ;  and  in  passing  from  one  to 
another  of  these,  the  contrast  is  scarcely  less  marked  than 
that  which  strikes  the  traveller  when  first  he  sets  foot  in 
the  peninsula  itself.      Brittany,  the  true  Armorica,  is  the 


216 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


country  lying  west  of  a  line  drawn  from  Saint  Brieuc  to 
Vannes.  In  this  small  area  are  planted  tribes  as  distinct  in 
character,  speech,  and  customs  as  though  they  were  separated 
by  the  English  Channel  instead  of  the  small  streams  that 
actually  divide  them. 

These  races  have  preserved  many  marked  characteristics 
from  the  time  when,  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  their 
ancestors  emigrated  from  Great  Britain  to  Armorica.  They 
were  separate  tribes  here,  and  when  they  fled  oversea  at  the 
coming  of  the  Saxons,  they  settled  in  isolated  communities 
which,  much  as  they  have  grown  in  size  and  population, 
have  remained  distinct  from  one  another.  They  constitute 
the  Circles  of  Kenan's  Inferno.  Like  Dante,  the  traveller 
may  pass  from  one  to  another  and  survey  them  all,  but  the 
inhabitants  rarely  do  so.  Where  it  is  their  fate  to  be  born, 
there  as  a  rule  they  live,  wed,  die,  and  are  buried,  and  if  by 
chance  a  man  should  stray  out  of  his  own  sphere,  he  is 
rebelling  against  his  destiny,  and  will  surely  suffer  in 
consequence.^ 

Goulven  Denes,  the  gardien  du  feu,  or  lighthouse-keeper, 
is  a  true  typical  Leonard,  a  son  of  that  austere  race  with 
whom  '  religion  is  the  supreme  need  and  consideration.' 

For  example  the  hero  tells  us  : — 

'  My  childhood  was  serious  and  rather  gloomy.  There  are 
no  songs  in  L^on,  no  dances,  none  of  those  diversions  which 
lighten  life.  All  I  remember  of  the  past  is  a  sound  of 
prayers,  and  of  bells  ringing  for  service.  A  Leon  family 
considers  itself  disgraced  for  ever  if  it  cannot  count  a 
priest  among  its   members.     I   myself  was  brought  up  for 


^  While  travelling  in  the  Southern  Morbihan  last  autumn  I  came  across  one  of 
these  exiles.  He  was  a  man  of  Lannion  who  had  strayed  south  and  married  a 
Morbihan  woman.  He  told  me  the  most  extraordinary  stories  of  his  wife  and  her 
relations,  all  of  which  he  evidently  believed.  The  whole  place,  according  to  him, 
was  haunted ;  the  inhabitants  were  leagued  together  in  all  sorts  of  evil  designs 
against  him ;  everything  was  diflFerent  to  what  it  was  round  Lannion  ;  even  the 
language  he  could  only  speak  imperfectly.  I  have  not  heard  of  the  man  since,  but 
I  am  certain  that  when  I  go  that  way  again  I  shall  find  that  he  is  out  of  his  mind,  or 
the  centre  of  some  tragedy. 


A  CELTIC  POET  217 

the  priesthood,  and  when  I  was  twelve  years  old  entered  the 
seminary  at  Saint  Pol  de  Leon.' 

And  again  : — 

*I  had  never  been  much  of  a  talker.  As  a  child  I 
remember  that  I  would  often  remain  whole  days  without 
uttering  a  word,  except  to  repeat  my  prayers  morning  and 
evening.  Speaking  was  always  painful  to  me,  for  the  sound 
of  my  own  voice  gave  me  an  uneasy  feeling.  At  college  it 
was  just  the  same,  no  one  could  get  a  word  out  of  me, 
which  I  think  was  partly  the  reason  that  my  professors  found 
me  so  foolish.' 

Thus  far  for  the  Leonard's  opinion  of  himself  Now  hear 
what  the  Tregorroise  heroine,  Ad^le,  says  concerning  him  : — 

'  You  dance  like  a  bear  at  a  fair,'  said  she  spitefully. 
*  Well,  so  much  the  worse  for  you  !  You  will  have  to  do  as 
the  old  men  do  :  sit  and  look  on  at  the  others.' 

And  further  : — 

'  It  is  easy  to  see  that  you  were  brought  up  for  the 
priesthood  in  a  land  where  young  girls  think  they  will  go  to 
hell  if  they  sing  anything  beyond  the  Mass.  You  speak  even 
of  love  as  though  you  were  preaching.  I  believe  at  bottom 
you  are  not  quite  sure  that  marriage  is  not  a  sin.  Now 
come,  tell  me  honestly,  you  look  on  me  as  almost  a  creature 
of  perdition,  don't  you  ? ' 

Then  again : — 

*  Why  do  you  look  at  me  with  your  mournful  eyes  ? '  said 
she.  *You  have  the  same  sad  look  as  the  black  sheep  of 
your  country  when  they  are  being  led  away  to  the  butchers.' 

As  for  the  Tregorroise,  Goulven  says  : — 

*  The  rays  from  her  eyes  benumbed  my  spirit,  making  me 
giddy  as  with  long  gazing  at  the  sparkling  of  sunlight  on 
the  sea.  I  ceased  to  belong  to  myself;  I  was  her  thing.  At 
our  marriage  Mass  I  was  able  to  judge  of  the  extent  to 
which  she  possessed  me.  It  was  in  vain  I  attempted  to 
pray,  I  no  longer  knew  how ;  I  was  like  one  of  those 
drunkards  who  begin  their  songs  over  and  over  again  at  the 


218  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

same  line,  and  after  thirty  attempts  are  no  nearer  the  end 
than  they  were  at  the  beginning.  .  .   . 

'  You  girls  of  Treguier/  said  I  to  her  one  day,  '  must  have 
had  fairies  for  grandmothers,  they  have  left  you  their  magic 
secrets.  The  women  of  my  country  only  know  how  to  pray 
and  spin  wool.  You  and  your  fellows  are  weavers  of  lovely 
dreams.  You  must  find  me  very  stupid  compared  with  the 
young  men  who  wanted  to  marry  you  before  you  became 
mine.  For  indeed  I  am  the  son  of  a  heavy,  lumbering  people, 
who  live  shut  up  in  a  narrow  circle.  Yet  you  would  be 
wrong  to  despise  me,  for  we  Leonards  have  our  good  qualities. 
If  we  are  not  light  of  spirit,  we  are  constant  under  every  trial. 
When  once  we  have  given  ourselves  we  cannot  take  ourselves 
back  again,  for  we  love  with  a  love  that  is  strong  as  death.' 

I  could  multiply  examples,  but  I  think  that  the  extracts 
I  have  given  will  suffice  to  explain  the  opposite  natures  of 
the  two  races.  To  attempt  to  unite  two  such  dispositions 
in  marriage  necessitates  a  revolt  against  all  the  principles 
underlying  the  temperament  of  each.  How  can  the  stern 
religious  purity  of  the  Leonard  brook  the  gay,  light  pleasure- 
loving  nature  of  the  Tregorroise  ?  For,  having  failed  to  enter 
the  Church,  Goulven  takes  to  the  sea,  and  during  a  short 
stay  at  the  port  of  Treguier  sees  Adele  Lezurec,  and  falls 
violently  in  love  with  her. 

'  I  watched  her  in  an  ecstasy,  as  I  stood  still  and  speech- 
less in  the  middle  of  the  room.  But  within  me  the  old 
savage  blood  that  still  courses  in  the  veins  of  the  men  of 
Leon,  and  which  I  inherit  from  my  ancestors,  began  boiling 
furiously.  This  woman,  of  whose  very  existence  the  evening 
before  I  was  ignorant,  I  now  wanted  to  seize,  to  clasp  in  my 
arms,  to  carry  away  as  my  prey  ..." 

For  it  is  not  with  his  soul  that  Goulven  loves  her ;  it  is 
rather  passion,  infatuation,  bewitchment,  than  love  such  as  a 
Leonard  should  feel  for  his  wife. 

*  You  will  recognise  the  girl  worthy  of  being  wed,'  says  a 
well-known  Leon  proverb,  '  by  the  fact  that  she  only  inspires 
you  with  pure,  chaste  thoughts.' 


A  CELTIC  POET 


219 


Fate,  or  as  he  would  have  called  it,  the  tradition  of  his 
race,  had  decreed  that  he  should  become  a  priest,  or  if  not  a 
priest,  that  he  should  at  least  marry  a  woman  of  his  own  race 
and  cult,  sharing  his  feelings,  actuated  by  the  same  motives, 
striving  after  the  same  ideals. 

*  You  are  taking  a  wife  from  outside  your  own  race/  says 
Goulven's  mother,  'may  you  never  have  cause  to  repent.' 

But  Goulven  Denes  marries  this  stranger  woman,  and 
thereby  rebels  against  all  his  most  sacred  traditions.  These 
traditions  were  no  doubt  narrow  and  arbitrary,  but  they  were 
so  ancient  and  so  universally  observed,  that  they  had  grown 
into  a  kind  of  fetish,  the  rebellion  against  which  was  almost 
sure  to  bring  suffering  on  the  transgressor. 

Besides,  Goulven  Denes  was  not  the  kind  of  man  to  do 
things  by  halves.  Fidelity  to  his  Church,  fidelity  to  his 
parents  (a  still  older  cult),  fidelity  to  his  own  deep,  natural 
instincts,  all  are  abandoned,  even  forgotten.  It  is  the  old 
universal  revolt  of  matter  against  spirit,  body  against  soul, 
outward  attractions  and  temptation  against  inward  persuasion, 
the  world  against  God. 

For  a  time  indeed,  all  seems  to  go  smoothly  between 
them. 

'  It  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  of  our  happiness  in 
these  charming  nests,'  says  the  hero.  '  We  lived  there,  Adele 
and  I,  side  by  side,  never  apart.  Even  the  nights  when  I 
was  on  duty  she  would  pass  with  me  in  the  lantern.  .  .  .' 

For  two  or  three  years  they  live  so,  he  forgetful  of  every- 
thing save  his  adoration,  his  infatuation,  his  enchantment, 
forgetful  of  his  prayers,  his  home,  even  his  mother.  'I  had 
become  so  indifferent  even  to  my  own  mother,'  he  says,  *  that 
her  absence  caused  me  no  sorrow.' 

But  fate  has  not  forgotten  him.  From  the  very  first 
one  can  feel  her  fingers  hovering  over  him,  preparing  to 
grasp  him  in  an  inexorable  clutch,  and  it  is  out  of  his  very 
passion  that  his  sorrow  comes. 

He  is  appointed  to  the  chief  post  at  the  lighthouse, 
Gorlebella,  that  rises  from  a  tiny  rock  in  the  midst  of  the  sea 


220  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

between  the  Pointe  du  Raz  and  the  gloomy  lie  de  Sein.  It 
is  the  most  desolate  district  of  all  Brittany,  the  wildest  and 
most  forbidding.  The  ancients  called  it  the  end  of  the 
world,  and  with  its  vast,  towering,  granite  cliffs,  and  murder- 
ous currents,  with  its  legends  of  lost  souls,  its  Bay  of  the 
Dead,  its  tempests  and  solitude,  it  is  indeed  a  place  of  horror 
and  desolation.  You  will  still  find  fishermen  living  at  the 
Pointe  who  say  that  they  are  called  from  their  beds  at  night 
to  ferry  souls  over  the  water  to  the  mysterious  lie  de  Sein ; 
and  all  the  world  may  stand  and  wonder  at  the  Hell  of  Plou- 
goif,  where  the  souls  of  wicked  Druids  wail  and  shriek  amid 
the  waves  and  darkness. 

The  duties  of  the  lighthouse-keeper  of  Gorlebella  necessi- 
tate that  he  should  remain  a  month  at  a  time  on  duty,  after 
which  he  passes  two  weeks  on  shore  with  his  wife  and 
family. 

It  was  an  unhoped-for  advancement  for  Goulven,  yet  as 
he  says : — 

*  It  caused  me  more  pain  than  pleasure.  Farewell  to  the 
perfect  life,  the  work  and  rest  in  common,  the  dear  t6te-a- 
tdte  evenings  spent  in  the  lantern.  For  the  future  I  should 
be  but  a  casual  guest  beneath  the  roof  of  my  wife.  For  a 
fortnight  of  her  company  there  would  be  a  month  of  separa- 
tion. For  two-thirds  of  the  year  I  should  be  away  from  her, 
the  prisoner  of  the  ocean,  my  spirit  perpetually  haunted  by 
Adele's  image.' 

He  is  on  the  point  of  refusing  the  advancement,  but  to 
his  surprise  finds  that  Ad^le  wishes  to  go.  She  is  her 
father's  child ;  the  restless  temperament  of  the  sailor,  and 
his  longing  for  adventure,  dwell  in  her  blood ;  and  they  go. 
The  result  is  inevitable.  She  finds  the  solitude  unbearable, 
as  indeed  does  he.  But  while  he  consoles  himself  with  a 
furore  of  work,  she  tries  to  tempt  him  to  break  the  rules  of 
his  position  by  having  her  with  him  at  the  lighthouse. 
Against  this,  however,  he  is  firm,  and  I  take  that  as  the  first 
faint  promise  of  his  strange  reconciliation  with  fate,  for  it  is 
then  that  his  original   nature   begins  once  more  to  assert 


A  CELTIC  POET  221 

itself,  his  stern  Leonard  nature,  which  seemed  almost  to  have 
disappeared  beneath  the  sunshine  of  the  gay  years  that  have 
passed  since  his  marriage,  but  which  now  crops  up  again  in 
adversity.  Not  even  for  the  wife  whom  he  so  passionately 
adores  can  he  betray  his  trust.  Before,  it  was  not  so ;  all 
went,  even  duty.  But  now,  like  the  Prodigal,  recalled  to 
himself  by  sorrow,  the  instincts  of  his  race  once  more  awake, 
and  he  triumphs  over  temptation. 

But  he  suffers ;  ah,  how  he  suffers  1     Even  his  returns  to 
Ad^le  bring  him  no  relief 

'  I  had  no  sooner  recovered  her,'  says  he,  '  than  the 
thought  that  I  must  leave  her  again  passed  over  my  joy  like 
the  shadow  of  a  hailstorm  across  a  field  of  ripe  corn.' 

And  this  distress  of  mind,  instead  of  bringing  the  pair 
nearer  together,  so  accentuates  the  race  peculiarities  of  the 
Leonard  that  Ad^le  loses  whatever  little  affection  she  had 
for  him,  and  begins  to  fear  him. 

*  It  is  as  I  have  been  told,'  says  she,  '  there  is  no  middle 
course  with  you  Leonards.  Sometimes  you  are  meek  as 
sheep,  and  sometimes  savage  as  brutes.' 

I  need  not  follow  the  story  through  all  its  details.  There 
is  a  vain  attempt  to  move  to  a  more  congenial  station,  a 
journey  to  Quimper.  .  .  .  Then  comes  a  visit  of  Adele  to  her 
native  town  Treguier,  from  whence  she  writes  asking  her 
husband  to  use  his  influence  to  get  a  certain  young  man  of 
her  own  country  appointed  as  assistant  at  the  lighthouse. 

From  that  time  events  hurry  on  to  the  catastrophe. 
Every  one,  even  Goulven  himself,  is  fascinated  with  Adele  s 
friend  and  countryman.  He  has  the  same  charm  of  manner 
that  makes  the  young  wife  so  captivating.  The  home  is  more 
cheerful  after  his  arrival,  and  Ad^le  seems  brighter  and 
happier. 

Then  comes  the  strange  episode  of  the  magic  Sou,  with  its 
presage  of  death  to  one  whom  Goulven  loves,  and  his  idea 
that  the  warning  may  apply  to  his  mother  whom  he  has  not 
seen  or  written  to  for  five  years.  This  is  his  first  real  return 
to  himself 


222  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

*  I  have  sinned  towards  her ;  I  shall  hear  of  her  death 
before  I  am  able  to  tell  her  of  my  repentance/  he  cries. 

For  it  is  not  simply  his  mother  towards  whom  his  soul 
turns  at  the  thought,  but  all  that  his  mother  typifies,  his 
home,  his  race,  his  religion,  even  his  destiny. 

But  at  the  thought  that  it  may  be  Adele's  death  which  is 
coming  he  wavers.  *  Anything,  Lord  God,  but  not  she  !  In 
the  name  of  the  Five  Wounds  of  Christ,  not  she  ! ' 

It  is  while  he  is  in  this  mood  of  half- awakened  memories 
of  home,  yet  still  bewitched  by  thoughts  of  Adele's  beauty, 
that  he  hears  through  a  neighbour  of  his  wife's  unfaithfulness, 
of  her  liaison  with  her  young  countryman  Louarn.  Goulven 
learns  that  for  a  whole  year  she  has  been  living  in  sin,  de- 
ceiving him  by  her  very  caresses. 

In  a  moment  comes  the  revulsion,  the  enchantment  that 
has  held  him  for  five  years  is  over,  his  rebellion  against  the 
stern  tradition  of  Leon  is  at  an  end.  But  the  hatred  that 
fills  his  soul  as  soon  as  he  is  convinced  that  the  charge  is  true 
is  not  the  simple  hatred  of  a  jealous  husband  who  has  been 
deceived  and  betrayed.  What  is  here  described  is  something 
more  than  human  passion,  something  vaster,  more  sava^ge 
and  awful.  It  is  the  outbreak  of  an  elemental  force  which 
terrifies  even  in  the  reading,  for  it  is  the  retribution  of  the 
whole  Leon  race  avenging  itself  for  the  outrage  offered  to  its 
son. 

From  that  moment  Goulven  becomes  the  savage  priest  of 
some  forgotten  cult,  relentless  and  calm,  offering  the  two 
sinners  and  himself  as  an  expiatory  sacrifice  to  that  offended 
deity,  his  racial  tradition.  His  hatred  and  loathing  of  the 
guilty  pair  are  aroused  not  so  much  by  the  injury  done  to 
himself  as  by  the  affront  to  all  that  he  holds  sacred  and  pure. 
This  is  shown  in  many  places.  There  is  his  disgust  at  Adele's 
touch.  *  I  scarcely  waited  to  be  outside  the  door  before 
wiping  off  her  unclean  kiss  with  the  back  of  my  hand.'  And 
again  :  *  I  wanted  to  purify  my  lungs  with  the  fresh  night 
air.'  He  cannot  make  up  his  mind  to  defile  his  mother's 
house  with  this  sin  and  trouble. 


A  CELTIC  POET  223 

What  follows  is  not  murder  and  suicide :  it  is  inexorable 
justice,  and  self-devotion.  There  are  few  things  in  modern 
literature  so  awful  and  majestic  as  the  climax  of  this  tragedy. 
Having  made  up  his  mind,  or  rather  having  realised  the 
absolute  necessity  for  the  expiation,  there  comes  to  him  *  a 
kind  of  heroic  exaltation,  the  pride  of  a  man  who,  not  only  is 
no  longer  the  plaything  of  circumstance,  but  on  the  contrary 
holds  events  in  his  own  power.' 

His  temporary  infatuation  having  come  to  a  end  with  all 
its  unreal  softness,  his  wild,  savage  instinct  returns  and 
prompts  the  particular  ritual  of  the  '  sacrifice.' 

The  strict  performance  of  his  duty  as  lighthouse-keeper  is 
his  highest  ideal  of  conduct,  the  one  thing  to  which  he  has 
kept  perfectly  faithful.  To  him  the  lighthouse  seems  a  god- 
dess of  purity,  and  stern,  uncompromising  righteousness,  a 
divinity  whom  he  has  never  ceased  to  serve  even  when  most 
sorely  tempted  by  his  syren  wife. 

*  Greetings  to  thee  I  '  he  cries  in  a  burst  of  wild  enthusiasm, 
*  Greetings  to  thee,  O  night  Emerald  of  the  Sea  !  Incorruptible 
Guardian  of  the  Sacred  Flame,  living  image  of  Vesta  !  Thou 
knowest  that  I  have  served  thee  faithfully.  Among  all  the 
men  who  follow  thy  cult,  not  one  has  given  thee  stronger 
proofs  of  constancy  and  fidelity.' 

Feeling  thus,  it  is  but  natural  that  he  should  employ  the 
very  lighthouse  itself  whom  he  worships  with  such  passionate 
fervour  as  the  instrument  of  his  vengeance.  It  calls  to  mind 
that  huge  figure  of  Zeus,  in  whose  hands  were  placed  the 
infants  devoted  for  sacrifice,  the  hands  that  sloped  down- 
ward and  let  the  children  fall  into  a  pit  of  fire  that  lay 
ready  at  the  feet  of  the  image.  The  lighthouse  became  the 
emblem  of  his  ideal,  and  the  table  of  sacrifice,  the  god,  and 
the  altar. 

With  the  long,  horrible  scene  which  follows  :  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  room  that  is  to  be  the  death-chamber  and  tomb  of 
the  woman  and  her  lover ;  the  fortnight's  waiting  after  he 
has  locked  them  in  together ;  the  cries  for  help ;  and  the 
gradual  realisation  that  the  deed  is  accomplished,  with  all 


224  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

this  we  need  not  concern  ourselves,  save  to  point  out  how 
entirely  all  is  in  harmony  with  the  peculiar  attitude  of  mind 
of  the  Leonard. 

His  resolution  never  wavers,  but  lest  it  should,  he  takes 
the  precaution  of  throwing  the  key  of  the  room  in  which  he 
has  locked  them  to  starve  together  from  the  top  of  the 
lighthouse,  whence  he  afterwards  throws  himself. 

Yet  even  in  death  he  is  faithful  to  his  duty. 

'  I  have  filled  the  lamp  with  oil,  and  given  her  a  new 
wick,'  he  writes.  '  She  is  a  faithful  and  steady  watcher ;  I 
feel  certain  that  she  will  burn  till  she  is  extinguished  by 
whoever  takes  my  place.  For  the  rest,  all  my  affairs  are  in 
perfect  order.  .  .  .  ' 

I  have  only  been  able  to  give  a  very  brief  and  imperfect 
analysis  of  this  book.  A  modern  French  critic  writing  of  it 
a  short  time  ago  compared  it  to  a  play  of  iEschylus,  and 
indeed,  in  power  and  depth  of  significance  it  takes  us  back 
to  the  works  of  the  great  Greek  dramatists. 

It  is  natural  that  this  should  be  so.  Anatole  le  Braz  is  a 
passionate  admirer  of  Greek  literature,  besides  being  a  learned 
Celt  and  a  poet.  His  works,  especially  the  works  we  have 
been  considering,  have  those  particular  characteristics  which 
mark  them  as  classic. 

His  stories  are  Breton,  but  the  story  is  the  mere  husk,  and 
the  kernel,  the  underlying  meaning,  the  emotion,  the  signi- 
fication, the  atmosphere,  all  these  are  as  universal,  as 
eternal  as  in  the  works  of  Shakespeare  or  JEschylus.  Such 
writing  does  not  become  old-fashioned  or  out  of  date,  like 
other  novels  that  '  have  their  day,  and  cease  to  be.*  It 
lives  on  because  its  beauty  is  of  that  eternal  kind  that  is 
founded  upon  absolute,  unerring  truthfulness.  And  when 
Brittany  has  ceased  to  exist  save  as  an  ordinary  province  of 
France,  overrun  and  desecrated  by  the  crowds  of  tourists  who 
are  already  spoiling  her  shy  charms,  these  books  of  Anatole 
le  Braz  will  live  as  gems  in  that  splendid  crown  of  Celtic 
literature  which  is  as  much  the  pride  of  the  modern  civilised 
world  as  Greek  literature  was  of  the  ancient. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  225 

UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  BY  ALEXANDER  MAC- 
DONALD  (MAC  MHAIGHSTIR  ALASTAIR) 

Professor  Mackinnon 

IV.  Poems  hitherto  unpublished. 

(Continued  from  vol.  v.  p.  116) 

Here  follows  (pp.  160-4)  the  poem  already  printed,  'A 
Thearlaich  mhic  Sheumais '  {v.  supra,  vol.  iv.  p.  295).  Then 
comes  (pp.  164-7)  the  following,  the  Bard  again  attacking 
the  Hanoverian  poetess  of  Oban  : — 

'S  ball  beag  mWiaghailteach,  lag,  laidir, 

An  teanga  ghnath  'na  c6mliradh  ; 

Ged  thog  Dia  p^irc  phalisads  di, 

Dh'  fhior-chruaidh  chnkimh  's  de  flie6il  uimp' ; 

Leum  i  'n  garadh  a  rinn  nadur, 

Bha  cho  ard  's  bu  chdir  dha ; 

'S  chaidh  i  'n  fh^sach  le  cead  Sbatain, 

'S  dh'  ith  i  'n  s^(th)  gun  6rdan. 

'S  ann  uime  th^  mi,  gur  a  laidir 

Buaireadh  b^  na  fe6Ia, 

Dh'  aona  bhan-Gh^idheal  riamh  a  thMnig, 

D'  am  bu  phhrent  N6tair  : 

Biodh  a  beachd  cho  ard  ri  ban-righ'n, 

'S  biodh  a  t^mh  's  an  Oban, — 

A  sp4in  a  sh^thadh  anns  a'  chal  ud, 

A  dhiult  each  dad  61  deth. 

Ghabh  thu  leasan  bho  d'  sheana-mhathair, 

A  bhan-daoi'ear  dh6lach, 

Bointe  dh'  aona  chraoibh  sheunta  gh^raidh 

'S  dbhlan  ch^ich  a  sh6radh ; 

'S  ged  bha  'n  nathair  an  robh  S^tan 

Gu  gniomh  baird  'g  ad  sprdideadh, 

B'  ainneamh  ann  am  Breatunn  Adhamh 

Dh'  itheadh  pairt  de  d'  ch6-roinn. 

Na'n  tairgteadh  dhuitse  a  bhid  bhanndachd, 
Chionn  am  Prionnsa  chaineadh, 
Mar  gheall  Lucifer  le  lubaibh, 
Dh'  Eo  cuirt  a  b'^irde ; 
VOL.  V.  .  P 


226  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Bu  sgaoileadh  lethsgeil  a'  chilis  sin, 
Ge  bu  ditimb  is  nMr'  e ; 
Ach  gun  duais  ach  lom  an  du-bhrac,^ 
Pac  bhrtiid  Bbockrna ! 

Thairg  thu  do  sheirbhis  do'n  deamhan, 

Gun  dad  cumha  iarraidh, 

Gun  airgiod  inndrig,  a  nasgaidh 

Liost  thu  steach  gu  biastail : 

Na'n  geallte'  dhuit  bhi  uil-f hiosrach, 

'S  Ian  de  ghibhtean  diadhaidh, — 

Rinn  thu  tuilleadh  na  rinn  ise, 

Thilg  thu  .  .  .  fo'n  diabhul. 

Le  fallsanachd  mhilis  arsaidh 

'N  aingil  ^luinn  uaibhrich, 

Gu  meas  itheadh  rinn  e  claradh, 

Nach  biodh  bas  an  duais  di ; 

Eolas  matha  's  uilc  gu  fasadh 

'N  a  glan  nadur  buadhach ; 

'S  gu'n  togadh  feartan  a'  chroinn  ghr^'oir, 

Ise  's  Adhamh  suas  leis. 

Cha  deachaidh  Mamon  ann  a  dhresibh, 

Gu  cur  brat  air  duaichneachd ; 

'N  a  sheann  riochdaibh  f  ein  's  'na  chleachdadh 

Chaidh  e  steach  gu  d'  thuairgneadh  : 

Ach  rinn  Eo  rud  beag  cothaich, 

Mu'n  do  ghabh  i  buaireadh, 

Ged  chuir  uime  bhruid  bu  cheutaich', 

Bha  measg  bheist  's  an  uair  sin. 

Bha'm  buaireadh  a  bhuair  ise  laidir, 
Agus  Adhamh  bhuaithe, 
A  fear  a  chuideachadh  a  faillinn, 
'S  na  chuir  nMur  cruaidh-chuis ; 
Am  fallsanach  briathrach  dana, 
Sgoilear  ard  's  a'  chluaineachd, 
Deasbud  air  a  h-aodann  n^rach, 
Gus  na  th^rr  e  buaidh  oirr'. 

Cha'n  ann  lethsgeulach  ata  mi 
Air  a  ch^raid  thruaigh-sa, 
Striochdadh  do  rhetoric  Sh^tain 
Choisinn  b^s  is  uaigh  dhuinn  : 

*  The  sweepings  of  the  dirty  broken  wool  (brae)  of  Muckairn. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  227 

Ach  b'e  do  dhuais  an  d^is  do  bheisteadh,^ 
'Nuair  rinn  Mmon  truai(lleadh), 
Paidhir  ch4rd  is  cuinneag  dheasgainn, 
Thug  Stroneasgair  bhuainne.^ 

Nach  sumain  thu  do  chiall  's  do  n^ire 

Dh'  ionnsuidh  Icir  do  choinnseas  % 

'S  na  toir  breitheamhnas  leth-ph^ir teach, 

'S  tilg  fo  d'  sh^il  do  phuinnsean  : 

Bheir  do  choguis  sentens  irk  ort, 

Goirt  mar  sh^thadh  cuinnseir ; 

Mar  theaiiachair  gobhann  'g  ad  fh^sgadh, 

Chionn  gu'n  ch^in  thu  'm  Prionnsa. 

Nach  eil  n^ire  mh6r  ort  f ein, 

'S  do  choguis  geur  'g  ad  sgr6badh, 

Na  's  fheudar  dhuit  itheadh  bhreugaibh, 

Nach  cn^mh  tr^'as  do  sgr6bain  1 

Fileachan  cho  laidir  eifeachd, — 

Slugadh  treun-each  cbids^  iad  j 

An  donas  diog  a  bhios  's  a'  bh^ist, 

Mu'm  beir  l^igh  air  fdirinn. 

Nach  truagh  a  chinn  sibh  'n  'ur  t^rr  nimhe, 

Seach  gach  fin'  tha  'n  Albainn  ? 

Bh^ist  3  sibh  na  cairtean  gu  gionach, 

Le'r  cam-iomairt  chealgaich  : 

'Nuair  nach  faod  sibh  bho'n  bh^s  pilleadh 

Chum  'ur  cillean  airgid, 

Bidh  'ur  daoil  a  stigh  'g  'ur  criomadh 

Mar  gheur-bhioradh  thairgnean. 

6u  d^  ge  gradhach  leat  do  chairdean, 

Agus  pd,rii  Dheorsa  ? 

B'  iomchuidh'  dhuit  bhi  baindidh  faoilidh, 

'S  f^dheam  chur  fo  t'  6ran  ; 

'S  ged  a  th^rradh  tu  gun  thalant 

De  shearbh  bh^rdachd  e6lais, 

Cha  bu  ghlic  dhuit  prionnsa  chaineadh, 

No  teachd  graineil  6irnne. 

1  V.  supra,  vol.  v.  p.  123,  n.  4. 

2  Paradise  Lost  went  even  cheaper,  relatively,  but  the  contempt  conveyed 
here  is  unmistakeable.  A  pair  of  wool-cards  and  a  yeast-stoup,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
fact  that  the  articles  were  plundered  Jacobite  property,  were  but  a  sorry  return  for 
the  services  of  the  Hanoverian  poetess. 

^  V.  supra,  vol.  v.  p.  123,  n.  4. 


228  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Nach  d'rugadh  Prionnsa  Wales  le  (mh)athair 

An  deicheamh  1^  de'n  6r-mhios  ? 

S  tha  e  'n  ainm  Righ  Breatuinn  fathasd, 

Saor  bho  fhlaitheachd  Dhe6rsa : 

Chaoidh  cha  leig  e  dheth  a  chathair, 

A  chrtin  no  chlaidheamh  m6rachd, 

Gus  an  sgathar  cheann  d'a  amhaich, 

'S  ni  sin  fathast  d6ruinn. 

Nach  bu  chliutach  e  Righ  Seumas, 

'S  Diuc  Mhodena  ^  posda, 

An  Righ  sin  Bhreatuinn  agus  Eireann, 

Leis  an  eucoir  f  hdgradh  'i 

Gur  cho  geal  a  bhreith  's  a  bheusan, 

'S  com  na  grein'  mu  nona ; 

Ach  's  nighean  thusa  'n  f hear  d'an  ^ighte', 

Donnchadh  gU  dhubh  N6tair. 

A  mhac  Righ  Seumas  ri  deagh  Chlement, 

'N  robh  na  beusan  gl6irmhor, 

Thainig  le  ceart  6rdan  cleire, 

Bho'n  righ  threun  sin  P61and ; 

Gach  fuil  as  priseala  na  cheile, 

An  Criosdachd  fein  na  h-E6rpa, 

Thug  iad  coinneamh  ghlan  neo-bheudach, 

An  corp  an  t-Serlus  6ig-sa. 

'S  fhad  0  ghabh  sibh  ceannach  ludais, 

Chum  am  Prionnsa  fhaotainn, 

A'  cliathadh  mara,  choill,  is  aonach, — 

Gu'm  bu  chlaon  an  taom  sid ; 

G16ir  do'n  Fhreasdal  dhiadhaidh  theasraig 

Esan  air  na  beistibh, 

Dh'  aindeoin  burach  nam  muc  treasgach, 

Nach  'eil  seasg  's  an  treuson. 

Ach  's  truagh  a  nis  an  duais  a  th'  agaibh, 

'N  d^is  'ur  laigse  rusgadh ; 

Ach  na  fhuair  sibh  phlundruinn  mhaslaich, 

Bheir  pl^igh,  creach,  is  sgiurs'  oirbh  : 

Dh'  aithn'eadh  nach  bu  mhaith  gu  feachd  sibh, 

Gu  bl^r  bras  a  dhdsgadh  ; 

Failear  sibh  gun  airm,  gun  bhreacain, 

'S  bheir  lagh  Shasuinn  ctiis  dhiobh. 

^  James  vii.'s  queen  was  Mary  of  Modena. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  229 

Tighinn  chiiramach  Phrionns'  Tearlach, 

Ciallach,  Mrrlann,  c6maid,^ 

Gu  robh  urra  mli6r  gun  fhaillinn, 

Teachd  gun  d^il  gu'r  c6rsa  : 

'S  iomadh  facal  seadhail  t^bh'chdach  : 

An  cruaidh  f  Misdinn  Th6mais, 

Bho'n  f  hidrichte'  nach  cuspair  ^raidh 

Do  bhana-bhard  tigh-6sd'  e. 

Ithidh  tiine  's  aimsir  f  hada 

Caisteil  chlach  is  m6r-chroinn ; 

Theirig  Cuimeanaich  's  Dughlasaich, 

'S  Csesair  bhras  na  E6imhe ; 

Thuit  sinn  gu  leir,  gach  fineach  bhras, 

Sliochd  Ghaidheil  ghlais  is  Sc6ta, 

'S  tionndaidh  roth  nan  Guibhneach  beachdaidh, 

'S  cha  chum  beairteas  be6  iad.^ 

FINID 


The  same  subject  is  continued  in  even  less  worthy  strain 
in  the  following  composition  (pp.  147-9)  which  is  only 
quotable  in  part : — 

Gu  d^  thug  dhuit,  a  bhracaid  shalach, 
Amaid  nam  ban  thu, 
T6iseachadh  ri  'r  caineadh-ne, 
'S  nach  fearr  thu  f ein  na  'n  cii  1 
Traill  nan  traill  gach  trustair  thu, 
Fior-sgudal  amar  mhuin ; 
Gun  mhodh,  gun  eolas  oileanach, 
A'  teachd  air  righ  no  prionns'. 

Cha  'n  urrainn  thu  'g  am  ph^igheadh 
'S  an  ainbheach  a  bhios  ort, 


^  The  word  is  unknown  to  me. 

^  The  idea,  so  eloquently  expressed  here,  is  old,  and  the  poet  may  have  come  upon 
it  elsewhere.  Here  is  an  Ulster  version  so  similar  that  it  suggests  borrowing ;  but 
who  the  borrower  was  it  might  be  diflGicult  to  show  : — 

'  Do  threasgair  an  t-eag  's  do  sheid  an  ghaoth  mar  smal 
Alasdruin,  Caesar,  's  a  meid  do  bhi  'n  a  n-dail ; 
T6,  an  Teamhair  'n  a  fear,  agus  f^ach  an  Traoi  mar  ta. 
Is  na  Sasanaigh  f^in  gur  bh-fheidir  go  bh-fuighidis  bds.' 


230  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

'S  a'n  sean-f  hacal  ag  r^itinn, 
Bian  mh^rtain  sgell  (i)  ri  chorp : 
Sin  'nuair  bhios  mi  pkighte 


Cha  robh  bean  an  Albainn 
A  bheireadh  dhasan  beum, 
A  dheanadh  a  ph  ears'  onarach 
A  ch^ineadh  ach  a'  bheist. 
Abair  nach  bu  toigh  leo  e, 
No  ghnothuch  dhol  gu  f eum ; 
Chuireadh  modh  is  eolas, 
Srian  ri  gl6ir  am  beil. 

'S  e  gn^'s  nan  galla  gasraidh 
Bhi  sgaiteach  air  an  d6id ; 
Cuid  eile  de  chonaibh  ann 
Bhi  comhartaich  gun  f  heum ; 
An  t^in  a  thig  an  bhuailidh 
'S  i  'n  te  shuaraeh  's  ^irde  geum ; 
'S  gach  uisge  mar  as  taine, 
'S  e  shruth  as  ^irde  leum. 

Bha  Cormaig  maith  gu  taidhidearachd 

Roghainn  nam  ban  6g ; 

An  te  bhiodh  bras  mi-narach, 

Cha  bu  ni  leis  dol  g'a  c6ir ; 

'S  an  te  bhiodh  gleadhrach  sgaiteach  dhiubh, 

Is  iolach  ard  'na  ceann, 

Gu'm  b'fhearr  leis  a  chrochadh 

'S  ann  de  'n  t-seorsa  ghlaganach  ud, 

Racaid  a'  bheoil  chaim, 

'Nuair  th6isich  i  ri  fineachas 

Le  innisgean  a  teang' ; 

Ach  bheir  mi  paigheadh  ullamh  dhuit, 

Bheir  urram  air  gach  cainnt, 

A  thainig  o'n  chraos  Latharnach, 

Braoisg  labharra  bheil  mheang. 

'S  iomadh  aite  robh  do  lionsgaradh, 

'S  do  dhilsean  air  do  chiil, 

Ged  rinn  earrann  mh6r  do  dhiobradh  dhiubh, 

'N  aghaidh  f  irinn  agus  cliii ; 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS 

Cha  ghleadhar  galla  (s)hadhaich, 
No  cairn  gun  radharc  sul', 
D'am  bu  dhleasdanach  bhi  eulach, 
Gu  de  do  ch6ir-s'  air  crtin. 

Thu  fein  's  a'  bheist  an  Aigeannach, 

An  aon  nasg  caigneam  teann. 

'S  restim  suas  'n  'ur  blaide  sin  (?) 

Cluig  ghlaganach  'ur  teang' : 

Da  phollaig-chuil  nam  marbh  chuileag 


231 


Ach  gabhaidh  mise  cead  diot, 

Car  treis  gu  m'ioghnadh  fein  ; 

'S  na  creid  gu  bheil  mi  ullamh  dhiot 

Gun  tuilleadh  chur  ad  dh6igh ; 

Ma  chluinn  mi  gne  de  d'chomhartaich, 

No  mhothartaich  do  bh^il, 

Cuiridh  mise  glomhar 

'S  a'  chraos  dhomhain  th'  aig  a'  bheist. 

FINID. 


Here  the  *Ark'  comes  in  the  MS.  (pp.  169-74),  already 
prmted  (v.  supra,  vol.  iv.  p.  297),  after  which  are  the 
following  scathing  verses  (pp.  174-7)  on  the  Campbells  and 
their  depredations  in  the  forfeited  estates  of  Clanranald  : — 

Bha  S(eumas)  C(aimbeul)  ^  's  an  km. 

An  robh  an  trioblaid  ann, 

Gun  teachd  a  ch6ir  a  naimhdean, 

Gus  an  d'  fhuair  e  bristeadh  orr; 

Leag  e  sin  gu  plunndruinn, 

Air  spuinneadh  nan  cisteachan, 

O  !  '&  mairg  nach  deanadh  bun  rud  ^ 

Mur  diogh'l  a  shliochd-san  air. 


1  The  S.  C.  of  the  MS.  might  stand  for  Seoras  CaimbeuL  But  M'Donald  as  a  rule 
writes  Deorsa  not  Seoras  for  George.  Which  James  is  here  meant  I  know  not. 
There  were  many  of  the  name.  The  houses  of  Craignish,  Asknish,  Auchinbreck,  and 
Aberuhill,  among  others,  had  each  a  James  among  them  at  this  time. 

*  biinnradhf  '  confusion,'  '  tumult,'  '  row.' 


232  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Bha  luchd  nan  croisean  dearga 

Gl^  stoirmeil  car  tiota  bhig ; 

Bu  mhaith  gu  spuinneadh  bhalg  iad, 

'S  an  t-armadh  a  hitidh  (?)  leo; 

lornachan  an  t-snatha 

'Gan  caradh  'n  an  crioslaichibh  j 

Bhiodh  deasgainnean  a'  chaise 

Fo'n  cairean  's  a'  bhriosgartaich. 

Bha  binntean  Ghlinne-Mhiiideart 
'N  an  cruban  'n  'ur  sgiorplaichibh ; 
Gach  d^irceach  bha  's  an  duthaich, — 
Gu'n  spuinneadh  na  criplichean ; 
Na  doill  a  bha  gun  sdilean, — 
Gu'n  sgrud  sibh  an  ciotachan ; 
O  ]  's  cailleachagan  gach  duthcha, 
Ri  tiiirse  mu'n  cisteagan. 

Tilgeam  plochd  no  dh^  oirbh, 
Tha  taireil  mar  sgibideig, 
Bho'n  a  fhuaradh  faillinn 
'N'ur  c^ileachd  gun  mhiosrachadh ; 
Gu'm  bu  choir  'ur  fagail 
Mar  gheard  air  probhision, 
'S  cuig  ciad  slig'  is  spaineag 
Dh'  61  l^gain  d  ciotachaibh. 

Gun  phiobaire  no  siunnsar 

Bu  ghrunndail  port-a'-mhiodair  bhuaibh  ; 

Cha  bhiodh  a  chuairt  ach  cearbach, 

Mar  bh^rr  thogt'  a  miosraichibh  : 

Bhiodh  Dughall  anus  a'  chiilaist, 

Gun  duil  ri  gne  iochda  bhuaibh  ; 

Ri  creatraich  air  a  ghluinibh 

Gun  (f  h)uirleach  ^  gun  spiocaid  ann. 

Gu'n  robh  cogadh  s6nruicht' 

De  ch6mhrag  mu  bhinid  ann, 

Eadar  Seasar  ComhuUach 

'S  an  r6is-bhior  de  bhior  a  bh'innte ; 

Tharr  e  bhean  air  sprdicean 

An  ddchas  a  spioladh  bhuaith' ; 

1  Fiiirleach  was  in  some  of  the  Southern  Isles,  perhaps  also  elsewhere,  the  name 
given  to  the  skin-covering  fastened  on  a  milk-dish  when  being  carried.  In  any  other 
meaning  the  word  is  unknown  to  me. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS 

Thuit  esan  anns  an  6traich, 

'S  bha  tli6n  's  an  dun-innearach. 

'S  neonach  sid  mar  fh^gail 
Gun  chal  arain  ( 1)  misneachail, 
Nach  fearr  dhuit  fear  am  blar  dhiubh 
Na  clarsair,  's  e  ciotagach  ; 
'S  ged  a  fhuair  iad  fath  oirnn 
Gu  t^rrsuinn  ar  creiche  bhuainn 
Le  riadh  gu'm  bi  sid  paighte, 
'Cur  lagain  'na  sgiodar  asta. 

'Nuair  a  thig  Prionns'  Tearlach, 
D'  am  b'  abhaist  bhi  piseachail, 
Le  Frangaichibh  treun  laidir, 
Gu  brath  nach  meataicheadh ; 
'S  iomadh  fear  tha  'n  drasta 
Gle  str^iceil  f  ior-neo-chiontach, 
Ris  an  dealaich  pairt  diubh, — 
Gu'n  4irmhinn  dhiubh  ficheadan. 

0  !  cha  b'iad  luchd  a  chlaideadh, 
'S  a  chragradh  na  miosraichean, 
A  bh'  againn'  ach  fior  Ghaidheil, — 
Na  sar  dhaoine  sgiobalta ; 
Cabhain  ghlas  nan  spardan, 
Bhiodh  c^bain  air  ghiob  aca ; 
An  aparsaig  na  graisge, 
Bhiodh  spail  agus  iteachain. 

'S  iomadh  bodach  tarra-ghlas 
Gun  nair'  air  bheag  misniche, — 
Bu  mhaith  gu  rurach  charn  iad, 
'S  gach  ait  anns  am  b'f  hiosrach  iad, 
Am  faighte  balgain  shnatha, 
Is  caise  gu  mhion-sgapadh ; 
Bu  mhaith  gu  ruathar  chard  iad, 
'S  gu  tarcadh  nam  measganan. 

Bha  boladh  agus  faileadh, 
Cho  laidir  's  cho  biorach  aca, 
Ri  miol-chu  beinne  fasaich, 
Gu  lan-damh  a  shireachd  as ; 
Cha  bhiodh  pris  na  spaine 
An  aite  fo'n  ghrinneal-sa, 
Nach  biodh  am  p6c'  a'  phrabair. 
Is  c^il  de  na  binidean. 


233 


234 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Ged  a  dheanadh  Hili  ^ 

'Ur  f^sgadh  chur  bliochd  asaibh, 

An  deamhan  drdb  gu  brkth, 

A  th^irngte'  dheagh  shiltich  bhuaibh  ; 

A'  mhathair-ghuir  ged  spairnicht' 

Le  cr^dh  as  'ur  niosgaidibh  ; 

Cha  bhiodh  ann  ach  f^ilinn, 

'S  bog  l^ib  na  droch  mhisniche. 

A  bhruthaisdich'  a'  bhr6is 

From  Lorn  tha  droch  mhiotailteach, 

Gu  de  do  chuid-sa  chdmhrag, 

Do  n6s  a  bhi  biotailteach  ? 

Bu  trie  leat  an  dels  n6na 

Bhi  'g  61  do  chrump  liteannach ; 

Dol  rist  gu  d'  shabhal  e6rna, 

Le  d'  ch6ta  's  le  d'  mhiotagan. 

Tha  'n  goile-san  oho  cra'iteach 
Ki  crain  mhuic  nan  sitigean ; 
Cha  robh  sid  ach  nadarra, 
'S  gur  pairt  d'a  fior-shliochd  a  bh'  ann 
'Nuair  bhiodh  iad  Ian  de  gharbhan 
Bhiodh  dairearach  'n  am  brigisean, 
0  !  's  g^bhaidh  nach  do  sg4in  iad, 
'S  nach  gn^thach  leo  miosaran. 

'S  goileachan  chon  fior-ghiar 
So-dhil'eadh  na  binidean ; 
Ach  's  goirisneach  ri  innseadh, 
Mar  mhill  iad  na  sineachan, 
Ri  doichleadh  nan  gabhar  grisionn, 
Bha  shios  ann  am  Miongaraidh ; 
'S  e  sid  a  chuir  an  ighnean 
Bhi  sgriobadh  nam  minneanan. 

E6sail  iad  an  Siiina 

Sp6ld  tir  gun  dad  butair  air, 

Le  eanaraich  dhonn  a'  chruisgein, 

Fior-uilleadh  nan  cudaigean ; 

Chaisg  iad  an  toil  bhriiideil 

O  !  's  iad  a  bhios  gu  mdirneach, 
'S  a'  chiiirt  a  th'aig  Lusifer. 


1  A  well-known  physician  of  the  Middle  Ages,  frequently  cited  in  the  Gaelic 
Medical  MSS.     He  died  about  995. 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS 

Mo  ghr^dh-sa  Tearlach  Stiubhard 
Mac  uiseil  Eigh  Breatuinn ; 
Cha  b'  ionann  's  mac  na  siursaich, 
Ri  buidsear  a  sgreataich  sinn  : 
Gu'm  b'annsa  learn  'nam  phuidse, 
Do  chuinneadh  beag  leth-chrunach, 
Na  leth-ghini  le  dhurachd 
Bho'n  bhruid  tha  neo-dhleasannach. 

Gu  faca  mi  cuig  r^isimeid 

Threun'  aig  a'  ghille-sa, 

Nach  do  cham  am  beul 

De  na  dh'  eug  no  na  chinnich  dhiubh ; 

Na  Gaidheala  reubalach, 

Breuna  gach  cinneadh  dhiubh, 

Nach  cuireadh  iad  's  na  speuraibh, 

Le  eutromas  gioragach. 

FiNID. 


235 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS 
AIR  AN  AlRIGH 


[These  essays,  written  by  Lewis  school-children,  show  how  the 
scenery,  the  occupations,  the  tales  and  customs  of  their  own  district 
may  be  used  in  schools  as  subjects  for  composition,  and  in  this  way 
the  children  may  be  encouraged  to  take  a  higher  view  of  and  a 
keener  interest  in  their  surroundings,  their  homeland,  their  language, 
and  their  race.  They  are  also  in  this  way  trained  to  habits  of 
observation  and  reflection,  to  reality  of  treatment,  and  to  individuality. 
Essays  in  Gaelic  are  very  specially  to  be  commended,  and  the  one 
included  in  this  collection,  if  not  before  the  others,  is  certainly  not 
behind  any  of  them.  It  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  group,  and  one 
regrets  it  is  the  only  one  in  Gaelic. 

These  simple  little  essays  will  be  found  to  contain  a  good  deal  of 
interest  for  those  who  do  not  know  the  life  and  surroundings  of 
Highland  children,  while  to  those  who  do  they  will  recall  pleasantly 
their  own  childhood.  Their  publication  here  will,  it  is  hoped,  give 
the  young  writers  and  other  Highland  children  a  further  interest  and 
pride  in  their  country  and  all  that  belongs  to  it. — Ed.] 

The  morning  sun  was  shining  brightly  as  we  stepped  out  into 


236  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

the  open  air.  Every  summer  the  crofters  send  out  their 
cows  to  the  moor  with  one  of  their  daughters  to  look  after 
them.  All  day  the  girls  sit  on  the  heather  singing  Gaelic 
songs,  many  of  them  melancholy  and  plaintive,  as  most 
Gaelic  songs  are ;  but  all  the  while  they  are  busy  with  their 
knitting-needles.  They  cook  their  food  and  sleep  at  night  in 
low,  turf  huts.  We  wanted  to  see  one  of  these  sheilings,  so 
we  went  off  to  the  moor  with  one  of  the  girls.  When  we 
got  there  we  were  offered  a  bowl  of  cream  mixed  with 
crowdie,  which  they  always  give  to  any  one  who  comes  to 
visit  them. 

The  sun  had  now  become  so  hot  that  we  could  not  make 
the  least  exertion,  so  we  lay  down  on  the  heather,  my  com- 
panions to  read.  As  for  me,  it  was  so  hot  that  I  found  it 
pleasanter  to  lie  dreaming  on  my  purple  couch.  The  sky 
above  was  a  clear  blue,  flecked  here  and  there  with  delicate, 
feathery  clouds.  In  front  was  a  large  hill,  its  scarred  and 
seared  side,  even  on  that  glorious  day,  showing  barren,  its 
top  wreathed  in  a  light  mist.  A  little  to  the  left  the  sea 
sparkled  and  shimmered  in  the  glorious  sunshine,  and  away 
out  on  the  horizon  could  be  seen,  dim  and  shadowy,  two  of 
the  Flannan  Isles.  There  were  no  sounds  except  those  of 
nature.  A  bee  came  booming  past  us,  and  a  sea-gull  in  its 
flight  startled  the  echoes  with  its  shrill,  mournful  cry.  The 
stillness  was  oppressive,  and  these  sounds  only  helped  to 
make  it  more  so.  There  was  solitude  everywhere,  not  a 
house,  not  a  creature  in  sight,  everywhere  the  long  stretches 
of  purple  heather.  At  last  we  turned  our  faces  homeward, 
but  very  reluctantly.  Crossing  the  sand-hills  near  the  shore 
on  the  way  back,  we  found  them  full  of  rabbits.  They  were 
sitting  about  washing  their  innocent  faces,  but  at  first  sight 
of  us  they  scurried  back  to  their  holes. 

By  the  time  we  returned  the  sun  was  low  in  the  west,  and 
the  red  and  gold  of  a  fine  sunset  that  betokened  a  good  day 
on  the  morrow  were  reflected  in  the  water.  We  were  sur- 
prised to  hear  the  sad  haa  of  many  sheep  and  lambs,  and  were 
told  that  they  were  *  lambing  the  sheep,'  that  is,  weaning  the 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS 


237 


lambs,  the  most  affecting  part  of  the  shepherd's  work.  The 
flocks  are  driven  into  ^fank  or  fold  from  all  the  moors  and 
hills.  Then  the  separation  takes  place,  the  ewes  being  re- 
turned to  the  moors  and  the  lambs  sent  to  richer  pasture. 
An  hour  or  two  after  we  went  to  bed. 

At  midnight  I  wakened  suddenly.  It  was  a  glorious 
night.  The  sky  was  covered  with  a  network  of  stars.  Sud- 
denly I  heard  a  low,  mournful  cry,  which  gradually  grew 
louder  and  then  died  away.  It  was  the  lambs.  Sometimes 
a  ewe  breaks  into  the  flock  and  runs  to  comfort  her  young. 
All  through  the  night  I  could  hear  at  intervals  the  mournful 
cry  of  the  motherless.  It  was  a  comfort  to  be  told  in  the 
morning  that  after  a  time  they  get  used  to  the  separation. 

D.  M. 


II 

Tha  e  'na  chleachdadh  o'  chionn  fhada  air  feadh  Leodhais 
gu  l^ir  a  bhi  teicheadh  leis  an  spreidh  gu  aite  taghta  air  a' 
mhbinteach  agus  a  fuireach  an  sin  ag  ionaltradh  na  sprMdh  re 
mios  no  s^  seachdainnean  de  n  t-samhradh. 

'S  ann  air  cnoc  beag  ri  taobh  lochain  mu  thri  mile  seachad 
air  Loch-Airigh-na-Lic,  tha  cuid  de  kirighean  a'  bhaile  againn 
fhein,  agus  gu  dearbh  'se  kite  boidheach  a  th'ann  aig  an  km 
so  de'n  bhliadhna. 

Tha'm  bothan  ris  an  can  sinn  an  kirigh  air  a  thogail  de 
chip  glasaich  agus  de  chlachan  (ma  bhios  iad  r  am  faotainn), 
agus  mullach  air  a  chur  air  de  sgrathan. 

Tha  da  dhorus  air  an  airigh  ach  cha  bhi  fosgailt  ach  am 
fear  a  bhios  air  cul  na  gaoithe. 

Tha  a  chaileach — an  t-aite  laidhe — air  a  deanamh  de  fheur 
's  de  luachar  air  an  sgaoileadh  air  sgrathan ;  agus  tha  aite  anns 
a'bhalla  airson  a  bhi  cumail  na  biota  agus  soithichean  eile. 

Bhithinn  ag  eirigh  a  h-uile  maduinn  mu  she  uairean 
airson  an  crodh  a  ghluasad  o'n  airigh  gus  am  biodh  tid  a'm 
bleodhan.  Cha  do  dhearc  mi  air  sealladh  a  riamh  a  b'killidh 
na  bha  romham  an  uair  sin  agus  an  dealt  fhathast  air  gach 
febrnan. 


238  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Bha'n  cnoc  air  a'  chbmhdach  gu  trom  le  fraoch  dorch 
purpur :  bha  glasach  r^idh  ri  cois  an  locha  agns  ditheanan 
de  gach  seorsa  am  measg  an  fheoir,  agus  uisgeachan  an  locha 
a'  dealradh  mar  ghloinne  anns  a'  ghr^in  shamhraidh — iad  sin 
uile  a'  cuideachadh  le  killeachd  an  aite. 

Cha  robh  mi  fad  air  m'adhart  'nuair  a  chuir  guth  na  circe- 
fraoich  no  na  naoisg  i^ilt  orm,  's  iad  ag  eirigh  romham  o  an 
neadan  anns  an  fhraoch.  Cha  robh  feannag  ghorm  air  an 
tiginn  nach  biodh  coineanaich  gheal-earbalach  a'  ruith  rom- 
ham agus  'g  am  folach  fein  am  measg  an  fhraoich. 

Chaidh  agam  gu  trie  air  an  leantainn  gu  'n  tuill,  agus  uair 
no  dh^  air  dhomh  mo  ghairdean  a  chur  a  steach  fhuair  mi 
nead  le  leth-dusan  de  fheadhainn  bheaga  a  bha  dubh,  gun 
an  suilean  fhosgladh. 

A  tighinn  dhachaidh  gu  na  h-airih  'se  'n  comhnuidh  an 
rathad  a  tha  ri  cois  an  locha  bha  mi  gabhail.  Bha  am  feur 
ann  an  so  gu  fada  reidh  agus  ditheanan  fiadhaich  de  gach 
seorsa  a'  fas  'na  mheasg  agus  mar  so  bha  e  anabarrach  breagha, 
cuairticht'  mar  a  bha  e  le  fraoch  tr5m  dearg.  Air  sealltainn 
dhomh  am  mach  air  an  loch  chunnaic  mi  faoileagan  agus 
tunnagan  fiadhaich  agus  learg  no  dhk.  agus  thoisich  mi  ri 
smaoineachadh  c'^ite  am  biodh  na  neadan  aca.  Bha  gob 
caol  a'dol  am  mach  fada  do'n  uisge  agus  smuainich  mi  gur 
math  dh'fhaoidt'  gu'm  faighinn  neadan  ann. 

Air  dhomh  a  righinn  thoisich  mi  ri  sealltainn  am  measg 
an  fheoir  agus  chaidh  agam  mu  dheireadh  beagan  uibhean 
tunnaig  agus  dhk  no  tri  uibhean  faoileig  fhaighinn.  Cha  d' 
fhuair  mi  aon  ubh  leirg  agus  fhuair  mi  mach  gu'n  robh  iad  a 
neadachadh  ann  an  eilean  beag  am  meadhon  an  locha. 

Bha  mi  mar  an  ceudna  a'  gabhail  tlachd  mhor  ann  a  bhi 
'g  iasgach  bhreac  le  slat  's  le  lion  oir  bha  iad  gle  phailt  anns 
an  loch  ged  nach  robh  iad  ro  mhor. 

Cha  do  chaith  mi  mios  a  riamh  na  bu  thoilicht'  no  a'mhios 
so  air  an  kirigh.  Cha  robh  taobh  a  sheallainn  nach  robh  rud- 
eigin  a  thogadh  smuaintean  krd  anam. 

Bha  uaigneas  agus  aonranachd  an  aite,  bha  f^ileadh  cubh- 
raidh  a  bha  'tighinn  o'n  f  hraoch,  agus  a  bhi  faicinn  na  laoigh 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS 


239 


5ga  ga'n  cluiche  fhein,  gu  l^ir  a'  dusgadh  smuaintean  diom- 
hair  agus  aoibhneach  anam.  T.  M. 


OUT  WITH  THE  HERRING  FLEET 

One  fine  afternoon  towards  the  close  of  the  summer  fishing 
I  found  myself  looking  back  at  the  swiftly  receding  wharves 
of  Stornoway  Harbour  from  the  stern  of  the  fishing- boat 
Mermaid.  I  had  been  asked  by  the  skipper  to  come  out 
with  them  for  a  night,  and  had  accepted  his  invitation.  We 
were  soon  bowling  along  under  a  stiff  breeze  from  the  south- 
west. At  the  wheel  was  seated  the  skipper,  and  I  was 
sitting  near  him  listening  to  his  talk  about  their  success  so 
far  and  their  further  prospects.  Some  of  the  crew  were 
lounging  about  in  the  bow ;  others  were  down  below.  So 
far  it  seems  a  lazy  business  ;  but  wait !  By  eight  o'clock  we 
are  in  sight  of  the  Butt,  and  a  short  time  afterwards  the 
boat's  head  is  brought  up  into  the  wind  and  the  sail  lowered 
smartly.  The  skipper  holds  the  wheel,  two  men  begin  to 
haul  the  spring-rope  out  of  the  hold  and  to  attach  the  net  to 
it.  Two  more  tie  on  the  buoys  and  heave  them  over,  and 
the  remaining  two  see  that  the  nets  themselves  are  all  clear. 
The  nets  being  '  shot '  the  swing  of  the  rope  is  brought  in 
over  the  stern,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  capstan  the  mast  is 
lowered  into  its  crutch.  Two  hours  have  passed  away  at  this 
work.  The  lantern  is  lighted  and  hung  up,  and  the  crew 
tumble  below  to  snatch  a  few  hours  of  sleep  before  daybreak, 
leaving  one  man  to  act  as  look-out. 

I  decide  to  stay  on  deck,  and,  warmly  muffled  up,  I  sit  in 
the  bow  of  the  boat  and  look  around  me.  Above,  the 
summer  moon  floats  serenely  in  a  cloudless  sky.  All  around 
can  be  seen  the  twinkle  of  innumerable  lights  showing  where 
the  rest  of  the  fleet  have  '  shot.'  Yet  even  with  these,  it  is 
very  lonely  out  here  on  the  heaving  bosom  of  the  mighty 
ocean.  An  indefinable  sensation  of  fear  takes  possession  of 
me.  I  long  for  some  one  to  talk  to.  I  walk  aft  and  strike 
up  a  conversation  with  the  silent  watcher.     He  begins  to 


240  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

talk  of  past  great  hauls,  and  of  the  great  gales  they  have 
fought.  He  talks  and  I  listen.  By  and  by  the  talk  drifts 
round  to  superstition.  It  is  a  fine,  eerie  situation  for  such  a 
subject — the  deep  stillness  of  the  summer  night  coupled  with 
the  soft,  dreamy  murmur  of  the  sea.  He  talks  of  the  deeds 
of  the  fairies,  and  of  the  ghosts  and  visions  people  have  seen. 
He  himself  has  never  seen  them,  but  he  has  heard  these 
stories  told  in  the  long  winter  evenings  around  the  blazing 
fire.  The  conversation  drops,  and  I  sit  silent.  *  No  wonder,' 
think  I,  '  sailors  and  fishermen  are  superstitious.  How  could 
they  be  otherwise  than  imaginative  in  these  surroundings  ? ' 

My  teeth  begin  to  chatter,  even  though  I  am  loaded  with 
wraps.  My  companion  advises  me  to  go  below.  I  do  so, 
and  leave  him  to  his  lonely  vigil. 

After  many  attempts  I  manage  to  climb  into  the  spare 
bunk,  but  not  to  sleep.  Around  me  the  timbers  of  the  boat 
are  creaking  and  groaning.  I  lie  awake  thinking  of  all  I 
have  heard  and  seen.  I  begin  to  think  of  the  danger  of 
those  '  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships  and  do  business  in  the 
great  waters.'     At  last,  however,  I  fall  asleep. 

I  seem  to  have  slept  for  hardly  ten  minutes,  when  I  hear 
the  voice  of  the  man  on  deck  rouse  up  the  others.  They 
get  up  yawning  and  rubbing  their  eyes.  Shivering  in  the 
damp,  grey  air  of  the  dawn,  I  go  on  deck.  A  thin,  misty 
glimmer  is  over  the  sea.  To  the  south  the  land  lies  wreathed 
in  mist.  But  on  board,  all  is  bustle  and  activity.  The  men 
turn  to  with  a  will.  The  spring-rope  is  attached  to  the 
capstan  and  hauled  steadily  on  board.  Some  detach  the 
buoys,  some  the  nets  themselves,  shaking  the  silvery  mass  of 
herring  into  the  hold.  In  about  an  hour  this  wearisome  work 
is  over.  With  the  ever-useful  capstan  the  mast  is  hoisted, 
and  the  sail,  still  with  the  aid  of  the  capstan,  is  hauled  up. 
The  cook — generally  the  youngest  of  the  crew — goes  below 
to  prepare  breakfast,  and  the  boat,  with  all  the  sail  she  can 
carry,  makes  for  the  harbour.  On  all  sides  are  boats  making 
for  the  same  goal,  pleased,  or  otherwise,  with  their  catch  as 
the  case  may  be.     By  nine  o'clock  we  reach  the  harbour,  and 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS  241 

I  step  on  to  firm  land  once  more,  heartily  thanking  my  friends 
for  such  a  novel  experience.  R.  M. 


FROM  THE  CLIFFS 

*  There  is  a  rapture  in  the  lonely  shore, 
There  is  society  where  none  intrudes 
By  the  deep  sea,  and  music  in  its  roar.' 

I  have  found  it  so,  sitting  alone  away  there  on  the  black 
Barvas  cliffs.  Often  have  I  gone  to  them  and  wormed  myself 
out  to  the  point  of  a  long,  low  promontory.  It  is  a  hard  task 
to  keep  from  being  blown  over ;  your  hair  lies  flat  back,  and 
you  have  to  turn  your  face  from  the  wind  when  you  breathe. 
Once  settled,  you  give  a  gasp  of  awesome  wonder.  Before 
you  is  stretched  the  Atlantic,  and  you  see  the  '  league-long ' 
rollers  come  sweeping  in.  Look  at  one.  Far  out  in  the 
expanse  of  blue  you  see  a  seemingly  small  ripple.  It  glides 
slowly  in.  Gradually,  but  surely,  it  grows.  Larger  and 
higher  it  becomes  as  it  nears  us.  It  rushes  on,  gaining 
volume  and  velocity  with  every  heave.  It  shows  its  teeth 
with  an  angry  growl  at  a  rock  in  its  way,  and  roaring 
defiance  comes  thundering  on,  its  white  crest  growing  larger, 
and  its  hovering  halo  of  spray  rising  higher,  till  with  a 
mighty  roar  it  hurls  itself  against  the  black,  frowning 
barrier  of  rock,  and  sends  the  foam  flying  high  above  the 
cliff  tops,  to  settle  in  the  muran  (bent-grass). 

Below  you,  the  round  gneiss  boulders  are  rumbling  in 
the  seething  backwash;  and  the  broken  water  is  rushing 
between  the  rocks,  clamouring  petulantly  to  overtake  the 
parent  wave.  The  din  is  terrifying.  Even  the  seagulls 
above  are  screaming  out  their  discordant  cries ;  and  the 
scarts  and  puffins  appear  to  think  it  is  their  duty  to  add 
their  hoarse  croaks  to  the  tumult.  Behind,  the  wind  is 
whistling  in  the  muran ;  and  not  far  off  a  tiny  rabbit, 
looking  like  a  ball  of  fur,  is  haunched  up  under  the  shelter  of 
a  ridge — hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  the  sand  on  which 
it  sits.      Now  and  then,  as  the  wind  pauses,  the  wail  of  the 

VOL.  V.  Q 


242  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

curlew  floats  faintly  down.  It  is  a  sign  of  the  approach  of 
evening — of  the  twilight,  when  the  birds  and  beasts  go  to 
rest — but  the  sea  roars  on  untired.  A.  L.  R. 


A  REITEACH 

There  is  an  old  Highland  custom  which  is  now,  I  am 
afraid,  almost  confined  to  the  island  of  Lewis.  This  is  the 
reiteach  or  betrothal  ceremony.  After  a  couple  have 
'  contracted '  they  are  almost  looked  upon  as  married,  and 
it  is  a  most  unusual  occurrence  for  the  engagement  to  be 
broken. 

About  a  month  or  three  weeks  before  the  wedding  the 
relatives  of  the  prospective  bride  and  the  bridegroom  are 
one  day  invited  to  come  that  night  to  the  house  of  the 
bride's  father.  The  usual  preparations  for  a  feast  are 
made,  and  the  guests  arrive  to  find  that  the  kitchen  has 
undergone  a  great  change.  The  black,  sooty  walls  have  been 
papered  with  clean  newspapers ;  the  dresser,  lit  up  by  the 
glow  of  the  huge  peat  fire,  is  shining  brilliantly,  and  every 
stool  and  bench  has  been  scrubbed  vigorously.  In  the  '  room ' 
a  table  is  spread  with  the  best  things  the  village  shop 
can  supply.  The  future  bride  and  bridegroom  sit  at  one  of 
the  tables,  the  bridesmaid  by  her  side,  and  the  groomsman 
by  his.  An  old  man,  a  relative  (usually  an  uncle)  of  the 
bridegroom,  then  stands  up  and  solemnly  declares  that  none 
there  shall  eat  or  drink  until  they  know  why  they  have  been 
brought  together.  Whereupon  a  relation  of  the  bride's 
stands  up  and  announces  the  engagement. 

Immediately  the  couple  stand  up  and  shake  hands  amidst 
the  cheers  and  congratulations  of  all,  and  toasts  are  drunk. 
After  the  supper,  dancing  and  other  usual  amusements  are 
carried  on  till  morning. 

Some  years  ago  this  ceremony  was  much  more  elaborate, 
but  of  late  years  it  has  been  shorn  of  some  of  its  characteristic 
features.  Soon  the  rHteach,  like  many  another  delightful 
Highland  custom,  will  be  a  thing  of  the  past.  J.  M. 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS  243 


OIDHCHE  NA  CALAINN 


No  other  ceremony  in  the  Highlands  affords  more 
pleasure  to  the  young  than  the  celebration  of  the  Eve  of 
the  Bannock.  The  15  th  of  January,  the  date  on  which  it  is 
usually  held,  is  looked  forward  to  by  every  boy  with  great 
eagerness.  Long  before  New  Year's  Day  a  party  of  about 
ten  boys  is  formed  and  a  chief  is  appointed.     This  one  carries 

*  the  bank '  into  which  every  penny,  from  whatever  source 
obtained,  is  put.  Often  so  many  pennies  are  collected  that 
the  village  shopkeepers  find  *  the  bank '  a  convenient  means 
of  getting  their  money  changed. 

The  week  preceding  the  Eve  is  a  busy  one  for  this 
enthusiastic  party.  A  sheep's  skin  is  procured  and  is 
strengthened  by  a  coating  of  hard  leather  from  old  sea-boots. 
A  list  is  drawn  up  of  all  the  articles  that  are  to  be  bought 
and  their  prices,  and  a  barn  is  engaged  in  which  to  hold  the 
ceremony.  The  celebration  begins  about  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  when  the  party  proceeds  to  call  at  every  house  for 
the  ceremonial  bannock,  prepared  for  the  purpose,  and  which 
every  house  must  at  any  cost  produce.  One  boy  carries  the 
sheep's  skin  on  his  back  and  is  first  to  enter ;  another  carries 
a  bag  for  the  cakes  ;  another  stays  at  the  door  to  repeat  the 

*  door-rhyme,'  and  another  at  the  widow  for  the  *  window- 
rhyme.' 

The  one  who  is  to  repeat  the  door-rhyme  begins  by  bless- 
ing the  inhabitants  of  the  house  and  concludes  by  saying  that 
'the  crow  has  come  to  the  door  and  has  croaked  for  admit- 
tance.' Then  the  one  with  the  sheep's  skin  enters  and  goes 
thrice  round  the  fire,  while  the  inhabitants  of  the  house  deal 
him  blows  with  tongs,  broom,  or  whatever  else  they  can  lay 
hold  of  The  toughness  of  the  skin  preserves  him.  With 
him  also  is  the  boy  with  the  bag.  Meanwhile  the  one  who  is 
to  repeat  the  window-rhyme  begins  by  saying  that  to-night 
is  Oidhche  na  Calainn;  that  he  will  take  bread  without 
butter,  and  butter  without  bread,  and  potatoes  by  themselves, 
why  therefore  should  he  go  away  obtaining  nothing  ?    Then 


244  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

he  goes  on  to  bless  them  if  they  are  liberal,  but  to  call  down 
upon  them  the  most  awful  dooms  if  they  are  stingy.  There 
are  many  variations  of  the  rhymes  but  they  are  all  skilfully 
composed  and  have  a  fine  flow. 

When  the  party  have  enough  bread  they  carry  it  to  their 
barn  and  go  shopping,  and  it  is  about  ten  o'clock  before  they 
come  back.  Then  the  jollity  begins.  The  feasting,  music, 
dancing,  and  story- telling  continue  till  daylight,  when  the 
party  disperses.     No  school  for  them  in  the  morning ! 

N.  M. 


ON  THE  MOOR 


We  had  often  wished  to  spend  a  day  on  the  moor,  and 
when  at  last  the  weather  condescended  to  smile  approval  on 
our  plans,  we  seized  the  opportunity,  and  with  our  provision- 
bags  slung  over  our  shoulders  we  prepared  for  a  four  or  five 
mile  tramp.  Between  ten  and  eleven  on  a  fine  August 
morning  about  half  a  dozen  of  us  set  out.  After  getting  clear 
of  the  townships  we  had  for  some  time  to  walk  along  a  peat 
track.  Nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  peats,  and  more  peats, 
and  beyond  that  peats  again.  An  occasional  cart,  which  a 
woman  was  busily  engaged  in  filling,  alone  broke  the 
monotony  of  the  scene.  But  gradually  we  left  all  this 
behind  us,  and  before  us  was  stretched  out  in  all  its  grandeur 
the  moor.  Beneath  our  feet  was  a  carpet  of  springy  heather  ; 
in  front  of  us  and  around  us  was  the  purple  moor ;  to  the 
left  we  could  see  the  waves  of  the  Atlantic  dazzling  and 
dancing  in  the  sun.  Before  us  the  ground  rose  in  gentle 
undulations  and  occasionally  in  the  hollows  thus  formed  little 
streams  ran  down  to  the  sea.  At  one  of  these  we  cried  a 
halt,  the  beauty  of  the  spot  and  the  close  vicinity  of  a  shelling 
proclaiming  it  a  suitable  place  wherein  to  pitch  our  tent. 

We  had  walked  about  two  hours  and  were  quite  ready 
for  *  the  cup  that  cheers,'  so  proceeded  at  once  to  see  what 
could  be  done  in  the  way  of  making  a  fire.    Our  first  thought 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS  245 

was  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  little  kirigh  standing  near,  and  as 
there  seemed  no  sign  of  life  about  we  went  up  and  recon- 
noitred. Finding  the  door  open  we  walked  in  and  had  a  look 
round.  The  little  dwelling  in  which  we  found  ourselves  may 
be  taken  as  a  fair  specimen  of  the  sheilings  on  the  moor. 
The  roof  and  walls  were  made  of  turf,  and  the  only  seats  it 
possessed  were  also  turf,  but  the  bed  was  partly  formed  of 
stones.  The  only  other  article  of  furniture,  a  small  wooden 
cupboard,  soon  attracted  our  attention  and  on  opening  it  we 
tacitly  agreed  to  break  the  eighth  commandment.  There  in 
front  of  us  was  the  very  thing  we  wanted — one,  two,  three 
bowls  of  cream  ! — for  we  had  neglected  to  bring  any,  feeling 
sure  some  such  chance  as  this  would  offer  itself  In  the 
middle  of  the  floor  there  burned  a  good  peat  fire,  over  which 
some  tusk,  probably  the  owner's  dinner,  was  boiling.  Carry- 
ing some  of  the  live  peats  down  to  our  camping-ground  we 
soon  had  a  fire  of  our  own,  and  returned  to  search  for  a  kettle 
in  some  shape  or  form.  The  nearest  approach  to  this  that  we 
could  get  was  a  pot  which  served  the  purpose,  however, 
equally  well.  Lid  there  was  none,  but  'necessity  is  the 
mother  of  invention,'  and  we  found  that  a  flat  stone  made  a 
good  substitute.  The  water  taken  from  the  stream  was  soon 
boiling,  and  not  many  minutes  afterwards  we  were  enjoying 
what  we  all  declared  to  be  'the  best  cup  of  tea  we  ever 
tasted.'  While  we  were  serenely  drinking  it,  however,  we 
noticed  a  woman  approaching  the  shelling,  and  a  sense  of  our 
guilt  stole  over  us.  Two  of  us  rose  at  once  to  go  and  confess 
our  theft  and  offer  some  compensation,  but  got  instead  a 
pleasant  surprise  to  find  in  her  an  old  friend  who  joined  our 
tea-party,  and  would  willingly  have  placed  the  rest  of  the 
cream  at  our  disposal. 

After  this  some  of  us  walked  on  about  a  mile  farther,  the 
rest  lazily  preferring  to  lie  in  the  sun.  The  excessive  heat 
soon  drove  us  back  to  do  the  same,  and  the  time  passed 
quickly  in  this  indolent  fashion  till  we  thought  it  time  to 
prepare  for  the  march  back. 

Strengthening  ourselves  for  the  return  journey  by  another 


246  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

cup  of  tea,  we  took  a  last  look  round  and  reluctantly  turned 
homewards.  The  four  or  five  miles  seemed  like  so  many 
yards,  so  quickly  did  the  time  pass  with  song  and  story,  and 
we  re-entered  the  villages  just  as  the  dusk  was  beginning  to 
creep  over  the  scene.  C.  J.  M. 

II 

It  was  the  twilight  of  a  day  in  early  August.  I  was 
staying  in  the  country  for  a  week  and  was  taking  my 
customary  evening  walk  over  the  moors,  with  the  daughter 
of  my  hostess,  to  herd  home  the  cows,  for  milking-time  had 
come. 

The  mossy  grass  on  which  we  walked  edged  the  vast 
expanse  of  brown  and  purple  moor.  The  tiny  flowers  in  the 
marsh  beside  the  road  were  closing  up,  but  here  and  there  a 
clump  of  rushes  or  a  sturdy  thistle  stood  up  like  sentinels 
guarding  their  more  fragile  companions.  We  jumped  across 
a  peat-bank,  at  the  side  of  which  a  stretch  of  white  cotton- 
grass  shivered  in  the  wind,  lonely  and  ghost-like. 

We  were  now  on  the  moor.  The  purple,  red,  and  pink 
hues  of  the  heather  were  growing  indistinct  under  the  shades 
of  evening.  From  the  west  spread  outward  a  faint  purple 
haze,  which  slowly  enshrouded  the  whole  moor.  The  calm  of 
the  scene  was  disturbed  only  by  the  distant  lowing  of  the 
cattle,  the  occasional  good-night  twitter  of  one  of  the  smaller 
birds  and  the  rustling  of  the  heather  as  we  trod  on  it. 

We  walked  on,  now  picking  some  ragged -robins  from 
their  marshy  bed,  now  stopping  to  watch  a  mavis  giving  its 
little  ones  their  supper.  A  mist  rose  in  front  of  us  from 
behind  a  little  hill,  and  the  cry  of  some  wild-fowl  came  from 
the  same  direction.  We  climbed  the  hillock  ;  in  front  of  us 
lay  a  little  loch,  still  and  grey  in  the  fading  light.  The  mist 
rising  from  it  seemed  to  carry  away  with  it  all  the  heat  of 
the  day  and  leave  in  its  place  the  chill  of  evening.  The 
water  lapped  gently  against  the  stones  on  the  grassy  bank. 
Now  and  then  a  lively  trout  widened  by  its  leap  the  ripples 
on  the  glassy  surface  and  swayed  the  clumps  of  water-lilies 


I 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS 


247 


that  floated  at  the  loch-side.  Past  us  through  the  heather 
scurried  a  timid  little  rabbit.  At  last  we  reached  the  cows. 
They  had  grown  impatient,  and  were  beginning  to  seek  their 
own  way  home,  now  stopping  to  chew  a  tempting  morsel, 
now  turning  round  with  a  friendly  '  moo.'  Night  fell  slowly 
and  wrapped  the  August  tints  of  the  moor  in  a  cloak  of 
sombre  brown.  All  the  flowers  had  long  gone  to  sleep.  The 
birds  also  had  ceased  their  good-night  song,  except  the  wild 
ducks,  whose  hoarse  cries  increased  the  feeling  of  mystery 
and  the  dreariness  that  night  had  brought  with  it.  From 
the  house,  the  plaintive  notes  of  a  Gaelic  lament  rose  and 
fell  on  the  still  air,  for  Mairi,  the  milk-maid,  had  a  sweetheart 
away  at  the  fishing,  and  she  never  ceased  singing  '  Fear  a' 
Bhata.' 

One  backward  glance  over  the  broad  expanse  of  sleeping 
moor,  and  chilled  by  the  loneliness  of  the  scene,  I  sprang  on 
to  the  road,  and  up  the  hill,  home,  to  watch  the  evening 
milking  and  afterwards  listen  to  the  tale  of  the  'Crippled 
Tailor,'  or  the  terrors  of  Mac-an-t-Sr6naich,  told  not  for  the 
first  time,  but  listened  to  with  never-failing  interest  as  we 
sat  round  the  blazing  peat-fire  in  the  twilight.         J.  C.  M. 


Ill 

The  rugged  moorland  was  bathed  in  the  rosy  light  of  the 
risen  sun  as  I  set  out  for  an  early  ramble.  Stretching  to 
meet  the  clear  blue  sky  was  the  undulating  stretch  of  purple 
heath,  broken  here  and  there  by  a  glistening  pool.  Purple, 
green,  and  brown  were  all  steeped  in  the  warm  light  of  the 
morning  sun.  In  the  wet  hollows  groups  of  graceful  cotton- 
flowers  nodded  their  silvery  heads  to  the  morning  breeze, 
and  the  birds  in  their  swift  flight  poured  forth  their  joyful 
song  of  welcome  to  the  day. 

Outlined  against  the  bright  blue  of  the  heavens  stood  a 
lonely  shelling.  Nature  alone  reigned  in  this  spot.  Not 
even  the  little  shelling  suggested  man  and  his  works ;  but 
seemed  instead  as  if  it  had  sprung  up  with  the  flowers. 
Everything  appeared  to  be  full  of  new  life.     The  soft,  caressing 


248 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


breeze  seemed  to  waft  to  me  the  tiny,  mysterious  whispers  of 
elves  and  strange  sounds  of  fairyland. 

As  I  walked  briskly  across  the  springy  turf  I  felt  as  if  I 
too  had  begun  life  anew,  had  as  it  were  begun  to  breathe 
again.  The  pure,  bracing  air,  the  fragrant  scent  of  the 
heather,  and  the  wild  beauty  of  my  surroundings  all  com- 
bined to  make  me  feel  as  free  and  joyous  as  the  wild  duck 
among  the  rushes.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  I,  too,  could,  like 
the  strong- winged  birds  passing  overhead,  cry  '  honck,  honck,' 
and  be  content.  To  throw  out  my  arms  and  let  the  wind 
blow  me  whither  it  willed  was  what  I  would  fain  have  done. 

Each  little  flower  had  raised  its  dewy  head  to  greet  the 
morning,  and  from  afar  came  faintly  the  lowing  of  cattle. 
Farther  on  I  came  upon  one  of  the  shelling  cows,  leisurely 
chewing  the  cud.  Hearing  my  footsteps  she  turned  her  head 
and  gazed  quietly  at  me  with  her  great  mild  eyes.  Then,  no 
doubt  deciding  that  I  was  a  harmless  creature,  she  turned 
again  and  took  no  further  notice. 

Continuing  my  walk  I  suddenly  spied  the  good  lady  of 
the  shelling  coming  towards  me.  Like  her  quaint  little  hut, 
she  seemed  to  fit  properly  her  surroundings.  With  a  bright 
and  cheery  '  La  math '  she  invited  me,  with  the  ever-ready 
Highland  hospitality,  to  come  to  her  shelling  and  refresh 
myself  with  some  of  the  warm  milk  just  drawn  from  the  cow. 
Such  an  invitation  was  of  course  accepted.  J.  M. 

EVENING  ON  THE  LAND 


It  was  evening.  A  pink  flush  lingered  on  the  western 
horizon,  and  the  long  barred  clouds  of  evening  were  tinged 
with  a  gleam  of  golden  red.  From  where  we  sat  in  the 
heather,  the  hill,  purple- splashed,  with  here  and  there  a 
rough  boulder,  fell  ruggedly  to  the  shore.  In  front  spread 
the  calm,  full  waters  of  the  harbour,  and  their  gentle  lapping 
on  the  rocks  was  borne  to  us  faintly  from  afar.  Away  down 
on  the  left  across  the  water  lay  Stornoway,  and  leading  from 
it,  along  the  sea  s  edge,  Newton  and  Sandwich  formed  the  left 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS 


249 


boundary  of  the  harbour.  There,  rising  back  from  the  water's 
edge,  nestled  the  town,  its  walls  and  roofs  touched  with  the 
tints  of  evening,  and  over  all — the  grey  town,  the  village  by 
the  sea,  and  the  haven  of  the  old  Norse  Vikings  with  its 
green  potato-fields  and  yellow,  ripening  cornfields — brooded  a 
quiet  peace.  As  we  looked  the  pink  faded  slowly  from  the 
sky  and  left  the  grey.  A  slight  rustle  passed  over  all,  a 
rabbit's  face  peeped  out  and  disappeared,  the  blue-grey  smoke 
floated  up,  and  night  began  to  settle  loth  over  the  earth. 
Away  to  the  right  rolled  the  vast,  silent,  darkening  moor.  A 
yellow  road  wound  into  it  and  got  lost.  Through  the 
swellings  of  the  waste  we  caught  the  gleam  of  a  river  on  its 
journey  towards  the  sea.  A  peninsula  jutted  out,  guarded 
by  a  lighthouse ;  in  front  and  behind  it  the  moor  stretched 
on  till  it  dropped  into  the  sea  in  rounded,  softened  hills. 
Lights  peeped  out  in  the  town,  the  shadows  melted  into  the 
dark,  and  we  turned  home.  D.  M. 


ON  THE  SEA 


II 


The  tide  had  turned ;  so  for  four  long  hours  the  fish 
would  not  take.  We  meant  to  wait  it  out,  so  lazily  on  the 
long  groundswell  that  heaved  in  sleepy  folds  we  floated  out 
two  miles  beyond  the  Chicken  Eock.  The  lingering  flush  of 
the  dying  day  was  fading  in  the  west.  In  the  growing 
darkness  the  outlines  of  the  Lochs  hills  melted  into  one 
another,  and  the  mountains  lay  a  huddled  mass  of  shadows 
against  the  glowing  sky.  To  the  south  Cleisham,  wrapped 
in  the  mists  of  distance,  was  still  touched  by  the  glory  of  the 
departed  day.  From  where  we  lay  we  could  see  the  entrance 
to  Stornoway  Harbour,  and  in  the  thickening  darkness 
Holm  Point  and  the  headland  of  Arnish  seemed  to  be  one, 
whilst  the  lighthouse,  lone  and  white,  kept  its  vigil  among 
the  brown  hills.  In  front  of  us  lay  the  Braigh  where  the 
waves  are  always  murmuring  of  the  mysteries  of  the  deep. 
Far  beyond  the  little  homestead  of  Melbost  rose  the  twin 
hills  of  Barvas,  and  further  to  the  north,  lonely  Monach. 


250  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Slowly  the  pink  in  the  west  faded,  the  shadows  of  the 
evening  deepened,  and  soft  peace  came  down  on  the  sea. 
The  shrill  stearnaich  ceased  their  wheelings  around  Sgeir  na 
Sgriamh,  and  the  wild  pigeons  sought  the  shelter  of  their 
dark  caves  and  rock-fissures.  Over  the  surface  of  the  silent 
sea  skipped  homeward  a  flock  of  sea-parrots,  and  higher  up  a 
silent  pair  of  solan  geese  swept  from  sight.  Darkness  fell  at 
last ;  but,  as  if  night  were  shaking  herself  from  sleep,  a  short 
gasp  of  wind,  followed  by  a  second  and  third,  came  out  of  the 
east,  whilst  great  dark  clouds  rolled  up  from  the  sea.  Soon  a 
gentle  '  easter  '  was  blowing  warmly  though  clamily,  bearing 
with  it  its  usual  burden  of  mist,  and  almost  in  a  moment 
everything  was  blotted  out  by  the  fog.  N.  C. 

AIG  AN  TEINE 


We  were  all  gathered  round  the  fire.  It  was  a  great  big 
fireplace,  and  every  little  while  the  wide,  black  chimney  was 
lit  up  by  an  extra  large  flame.  Outside  the  wind  roared  and 
dashed  the  rain  furiously  against  the  window-panes.  The 
night  was  black  as  pitch.  But  inside  were  warmth  and 
comfort.  We  children  would  not  have  the  lamp  lit.  Stories 
were  best  when  told  by  firelight.  The  old  shepherd  was 
story-teller.  He  was  very  old,  but  the  older  he  became  the 
more  stories  he  had  to  tell.     We  wanted  fairy  stories. 

'  There  are  no  such  things  as  fairies,'  said  young  Murdo. 

*  Are  there  not  ? '  said  the  old  shepherd.  *  'Tis  your  ignorance 
that  makes  you  say  so.'  '  Did  you  ever  see  them,  Ian  ? ' 
I  asked.  '  Tell  me  about  them.'  '  Well  then,  if  the  "  men  of 
peace  "  did  not  change  Tormad  Dubh's  baby,  who  did  ?  And 
did  not  we  use  to  see  their  red  lights  when  they  danced 
round  their  little  green  hills  ?  And  they  could  dance,  and  no 
w^onder  ! '  '  Why,  Ian  ? '  '  Because  they  had  music  that 
would   make   a   minister    dance.'      'What   are   they   like?' 

*  They  are  very  beautiful  and  very  small.  Their  dresses  are 
green  in  colour,  the  green  of  their  hills.     There  is  a  woman  I 


SCENES  IN  LEWIS  251 

know  from  Carlo  way  who  has  communication  with  the  "  good 
neighbours."  They  sing  their  songs  to  her,  but  she  does  not 
see  them.  They  come  to  her  at  night.  Green  is  their 
favourite  colour,  and  they  become  angry  with  any  person  who 
wears  it.  That  is  why  green  is  considered  unlucky.  And  it 
is  no  little  matter  to  anger  them.  When  they  quarrelled 
among  themselves,  they  fought  with  great  fury.  Their  hills 
echoed  with  the  din  of  the  conflict.'  '  Are  they  ever  seen 
now,  Ian  ? '  '  No — not  so  often  at  any  rate ;  but  they  still 
attend  weddings  and  funerals,  though  invisible.  My  grand- 
mother would  never  eat  at  a  wedding.  She  believed  that  the 
Sithich  (fairies)  took  away  the  food  provided,  and  put  in  its 
stead  food  that  was  hurtful.  Ah,  what  have  I  been  saying  ? 
It  is  well  this  is  not  Friday.'  And  not  another  word  would 
he  speak  of  the  '  Daoine  Sith.'  So  he  told  us  instead  some 
of  the  things  he  had  from  his  grandmother. 

'  Many  years  have  passed  since  my  old  grandmother  told 
me  the  tale ;  and  she  said  that  it  was  a  very  old  story  then. 
In  the  lochs  there  dwelt  a  huge  monster,  a  water-horse.  He 
was  very  dangerous.  He  used  to  swell  the  loch,  so  that 
any  one  that  happened  to  be  in  the  neighbourhood  was  swept 
into  it,  and  afterwards  devoured.  This  monster  had  a 
liking  for  women  and  children,  whom  he  enticed  to  his 
dwellings  under  the  loch,  there  to  eat  them  up.  The  grass 
round  the  loch  also  served  him  for  food.  Not  very  long  ago 
there  was  a  seileig  in  a  loch  over  the  way  of  Leurbost.  A 
seileig  is  not  the  same  as  the  each-uisge.  It  is  like  an 
enormous  eel,  and  is  supposed  to  come  from  the  sea.  Several 
people  saw  a  part  of  this  seileig  rise  like  an  island  in  the 
middle  of  the  loch.  They  got  a  big  hook  and  fastened  it  to 
a  long  chain.  On  the  hook  they  hung  the  carcass  of  a  sheep, 
and  threw  it  into  the  loch.  Next  day  they  pulled  out  the 
chain.  The  sheep  was  gone,  and  the  great  hook  had  been 
pulled  straight.  There  was  a  burn  running  from  the  loch  to 
the  sea,  and  some  time  after,  when  it  was  in  spate,  the  people 
saw  traces  along  the  sides  of  the  burn  as  if  some  slimy 
monster  had  been  making  its  way  from  the  loch  to  the  sea. 


252 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


It  must  have  been  the  seileigy  for  nothing  more  was  seen  of  it 
in  the  loch/  J.  M. 


It  is  a  cold,  frosty  night  in  November.  The  stars  are 
twinkling  in  the  dark  sky  and  the  scent  of  peat  fills  the  air. 
The  village  seems  to  be  asleep,  but  behind  the  closed  doors 
happy  faces  are  glowing  in  the  firelight.  At  this  hour  many 
are  going  out  to  ceilidh,  and  we  may  see  the  young  lads 
donning  their  beautiful  pink  and  green  socks,  while  the  girls 
are  showing  to  advantage  their  gay  blouses,  trophies  of  the 
fishing  season. 

A  little  distance  behind  the  other  houses  is  a  little  bothy 
where  Mairi  Mhor  and  her  brother  live.  Everybody  knows 
Mairi,  the  old  maid,  for  her  house  is  the  tigh  ceilidh  of  the 
village,  and  many  are  the  plots  hatched  under  her  roof,  and 
many  the  sly  cup  of  tea  read  there.  She  is  wrinkled  and 
grey,  but  she  has  the  quick  head  for  devising  tricks,  and  her 
laugh  rings  out  as  joyous  and  clear  as  the  trilling  of  the  lark. 
To-night  her  little  kitchen  is  swept  clean  and  is  lit  up  by  the 
blazing  fire  which  sends  out  a  cheerful,  hearty  glow.  Not  a 
sound  disturbs  the  stillness,  but  the  whir  of  Mairi's  wheel  as 
she  spins  her  winter  store  of  thread.  She  has  been  very 
busy  since  harvest  for  six  large  balls  of  thread  are  hanging  on 
the  wall  beside  her.  On  the  other  side  of  the  kitchen  her 
brother  is  lying  on  the  heinc  puffing  at  the  blackened  stump 
of  an  old  clay  pipe.  He  is  gazing  complacently  at  the  strings 
of  dry  haddocks  that  stretch  across  the  kitchen,  but  he  finds 
that  his  pipe  has  gone  out,  so  he  picks  up  a  glowing  peat 
with  the  tongs  and  relights  it.  Suddenly  talking  and 
laughter  is  heard,  and  Mairi  rises  from  her  wheel.  He  knows 
what  that  means,  and  with  a  grunt  rises  and  goes  out  to  have 
a  chat  with  his  cronies  about  the  potatoes  or  the  weather. 

Three  girls  enter,  their  faces  glowing  with  health,  and 
their  hair  combed  tightly  back  off  their  foreheads.  Mary  of 
the  black  eyes  sits  on  the  beinc.  She  is  rather  quiet  to-night, 
but  the  other  two  dive  beneath  the  heinc  and  come  out  with 


THE  GLAISTIG  AND  THE  BLACK  LAD       253 

their  arms  full  of  peats.  These  thej  place  one  above  the 
other  on  the  floor,  and  are  thus  supplied  with  seats  which 
they  can  draw  near  the  fire,  for  Mairi  has  only  one  chair  in 
her  establishment.  Now  the  tongues  begin  to  go.  The 
harvest,  the  fishing,  their  cows,  are  discussed;  then  they 
begin  to  comment  on  the  forthcoming  marriages,  for  there  are 
to  be  many  this  winter  as  the  fishing  season  has  been  so 
successful.  Mary  of  the  black  eyes  works  feverishly  at  her 
sock,  a  heather  coloured  one  with  crimson  diamonds,  and  the 
burning  colour  mounts  to  her  forehead.  Mairi  Mhor  nods 
to  the  others  and  glances  slyly  at  her.  They  understand. 
Although  their  tongues  are  busy,  so  are  their  hands.  Mairi 
Mhor  is  carding,  one  is  knitting  a  guernsey,  while  Christy 
E/uadh  is  frowning  over  a  fold  of  pink  flannelette  which, 
along  with  her  red  hair,  has  rather  a  fiery  efiect.  Three  lads 
enter,  and  with  a  *  Tha  sibh  anny.'  They  bring  out  more  peats 
and  sit  down  beside  the  girls.  The  tongues  go  quicker  than 
ever,  and  Mary  has  a  bad  time  of  it ;  she  is  teased  mercilessly. 
In  this  genial  atmosphere  the  lads  are  at  their  best,  and 
bursts  of  laughter  ring  out  as  their  stories  of  England  and 
the  other  places  they  have  seen  are  listened  to  with  delight. 
But  time  flies  and  the  eyes  are  beginning  to  get  drowsy,  so 
leaving  Mairi  nodding  by  the  fire  they  make  their  way 
homeward.  A.  M. 

THE  GLAISTIG  AND  THE  BLACK  LAD 

A  LOCHABER  LEGEND  FROM  THE  GAELIC 

Donald  A.  Mackenzie 

This  tale  would  Donald 

The  Bard,  recite 
By  the  Ceilidh  fire 

On  a  winter  night. 

'Tis  in  Lochaber  dwells  the  man — 

Mac  Cuaric  of  Lianachan  : 

Bold  and  brave  and  big  was  he 

And  black,  who  now  is  white  and  worn ; 

Full  blithesome  he  whose  heart  doth  mourn 

His  spouse  and  children  three : 


254 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

For  they  have  passed  before  their  time, 

And  he  is  faded  in  his  prime — 

Ah  !  the  fairies'  curse  and  the  goblins'  curse, 

And  the  Glaistig's  curse,  are  on  the  man. 

Alas  for  thee,  and  for  all  thy  kind. 

That  thou  didst  ever  the  Glaistig  bind — 

Mac  Cuaric  of  Lianachan  ! 


Hearken  and  hear  the  story  told  : 

Mac  Cuaric  was  brave  and  bold 

That  lonesome  night  when  he  would  set 

In  yonder  river  the  salmon  net. 

When  up  the  bank  he  clambered  sprightly 

To  reach  the  steed  as  black  as  jet. 

To  grasp  the  bridle  tightly — 

That  night,  that  night  he  '11  ne'er  forget ! 

For  an  awesome  cry  he  heard. 

As  into  the  saddle  he  leapt  full  lightly ; 

And  he  said,  '  'Tis  the  lone  night  bird 

Crying  up  through  the  valley  wide.' 

When  the  winsome  moon  came  out  all  brightly. 

And  he  saw  the  Glaistig  by  his  side, 

Like  the  vision  of  a  lady  fair, 

With  beaming  eyes  and  blowing  hair, 

With  mantle  green  that  floated  wide 

And  showed  her  shape  from  neck  to  knee — 

Beautiful  in  all  her  pride  ! 

*  All  hail  to  thee  !  all  hail  to  thee  ! 

*  O  big  black  lad,  all  hail ! '  said  she. 

*  Is  there  room  for  a  rider  behind  1 '  she  cried. 

*  Yes,  and  a  rider  before,'  said  he. 
And  she  came  nearer  and  more  near. 
Then  in  his  arms  he  locked  her  there. 
His  heart  was  bold — he  had  no  fear — 
For  she  was,  oh,  so  fair  ! 

And  ere  she  could  flit  beyond  his  reach, 
He  swung  her  lightly  from  the  beach ; 
And  set  her  before  him  on  the  steed — 
While  the  wind  tossed  out  her  yellow  hair — 
So  strong  was  he,  so  bold  indeed  ! 
And  with  Fillan's  wizard  belt  he  tied 
Her  struggling  arms  on  either  side ; 

And  there  she  sat  secure. 
As  the  mettlesome  steed  fled  over  the  moor. 


THE  GLAISTIG  AND  THE  BLACK  LAD        255 

*  Let  me  go,  oho  ! ' 
She  would  wail  in  her  woe. 
He  would  answer  her,  *  No, 
Thus  will  I  hold  thee, 
I  shall  ne'er  let  thee  go. 
Till  men  will  behold  thee 
And  laugh  at  thy  woe  ! ' 

For  the  steed  fled  fast,  the  steed  fled  free. 
With  the  big  black  lad  and  the  green  ladye. 

'  Let  me  go,'  she  would  wail — 
She  would  wail,  she  would  cry. 
'No  wish  I'll  deny. 
Thou  shalt  have  without  fail 
Of  cattle  a  fold, 
Speckled  and  bold, 
Black  over,  white  under, 
At  which  men  will  wonder ; 
And  a  white-crowned  bull ; 
And  thy  barns  all  full ; 
And  success  in  the  chase 
On  the  hill  and  the  moor. 
To  you  and  your  race 
For  evermore  ! 
If  thou  wilt  but  steady 
Thy  steed  by  yon  shore, 
If  thou  wilt  but  steady — 
If  thou  'It  set  me  free.' — 
'  All  mine  already. 
Already,'  said  he. — 

And  the  steed  fled  fast,  and  the  steed  fled  free, 
With  the  big  black  lad  and  the  green  ladye. 

'  Oho  !  let  me  go,' 
She  would  wail  in  her  woe. 
'  I  will  flee  from  yon  strand 
Yon  knoll  of  my  home, 
I  will  flee  from  yon  land. 
Over  hills  I  will  roam, 
Over  seas  I  will  go — 
If  thou  'It  free  me,  oho  ! 
Oh,  hearken  ! '  she  cried, 


256  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

*  To-night  I  would  build  thee 
A  home  for  thy  bride  ; 

Four  strong  walls  will  shield  thee, 
And  the  roof  will  be  wide. 

0  hearken  ! '  she  cried, 

*  On  yon  field — 'tis  my  plight  — 

1  will  build  it  to-night. 

Fire  will  not  hum  it^ 
Water  o'erturn  it, 
Not  caterans  harm  it. 
From  fairies  I'll  charm  it, 
Goblins  will  dread  it, 
With  comfort  I'll  spread  it, 
Set  me  free — set  me  free  / ' 
*  When  thou  shalt  fulfil  thy  promise,'  said  he. 

Then  on  the  moor  she  shrieked  full  loud. 
And  the  moon  sprang  back  behind  a  cloud. 
Her  shriek  was  like  a  thousand  rills 

In  one  fierce  cataract  borne. 
'Twas  heard  all  over  seven  hills, 

Like  Fionn's  mighty  horn — 
The  Horn  of  Worth  he  blew  at  morn. 

Then  from  every  crag  on  the  mountain-side 

The  fairy  echoes  awoke  and  cried. 

And  swept  and  rang  through  the  valley  wide. 

Like  a  thunder  roll 
In  the  heart  of  night. 

From  every  knoll 
And  every  height. 
From  every  cliff  and  every  cave, 
Out  of  the  mist,  and  out  of  the  shadow. 
In  a  flash,  like  the  sweep  of  a  falling  wave. 
The  fairies  fluttered  across  the  meadow. 
Thick  as  snowflakes  in  the  air, 
Thick  as  daisies  in  the  valley. 
Flitting  here  and  flitting  there. 
Like  the  waves  about  the  galley, 
Hound  the  Glaistig  see  them  rally  : 
Prancing,  stuttering,  dancing,  muttering, 
Ogling  beadily,  leering  greedily — 
But  the  Glaistig  is  her  orders  uttering. 
And  they  set  to  work  right  speedily. 


THE  GLAISTIG  AND  THE  BLACK  LAD       257 

Where  Clianig's  wild  cascade  moans, 
See  them  quarry  slabs  and  stones ; 
Id  one  long  line  the  fairies  stand, 
And  reach  them  on  from  hand  to  hand. 


Hearken !  in  the  Rowan  Wood, 
On  the  Isle  of  Knoll  of  Shore — 

Crash  the  trees  as  they  are  hewed, 
And  the  beams  are  carried  o'er, 

And  the  rafters  straight  and  thick — 

Carried  sure  and  carried  quick. 

And  ever  at  MacCuaric's  side 
The  Glaistig  wailed,  the  Glaistig  cried- 
And  ever  she  made  moan, 

'Midst  her  shrieks  and  groans — 

'  Two  stones  over  one  stone. 

One  stone  over  two  stones ; 

Fetch  the  stake  and  fetch  the  hod, 

Fetch  the  pin,  and  fetch  tlie  clod, 

Speedily,  oh  speedily  I 

And  every  timber  in  the  wood, 

But  mulbery,  but  mulbery.' 

Alas  for  him  who  recks  not  of  his  woe 

And  fairy  wrath  forgets  ! 
Alas  for  him  who  gets  not  as  he  sows 

And  sows  not  as  he  gets  ! 

Now  o'er  the  mountains  all  aloof 
The  grey  dawn  flings  its  cloak ; 

But  now  the  clod  is  on  the  roof. 
And  on  the  roof  the  smoke. 

MacCuaric  crouches  by  the  fire. 
He  keeps  the  coulter  red  and  hot, 

To  save  him  from  the  Glaistig's  ire — 
To  guard  him  from  a  fairy  plot, 

And  from  enchantments  dire. 

Then  the  Glaistig  knelt, 
He  took  off  the  charm  ; 
He  unloosed  the  belt. 
And  suffered  no  harm. 


VOL.  V. 


258  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

When  through  the  window  she  stretched  a  hand 
To  bid  him  farewell,  ere  she  'd  leave  the  land, 
He  knew  in  his  heart,  'twas  an  evil  plot — 
In  her  hand  he  thrust  the  coulter  hot. 


Then  with  a  groan. 
And  a  face  of  gloom, 
She  leapt  on  a  stone 
To  pronounce  his  doom. 

She  gave  him  the  curse  of  the  fairies  old, 
And  the  curse  of  the  goblins  too ; 

And  if  we  would  heed  as  we  hear,  'tis  told 
That  every  curse  came  true. 

'  Grow  like  the  rushes, 
But  wither  like  thyme ; 
Grow  grey  in  your  youth 
And  fade  in  your  prime. 
When  your  heart  is  strong 
Your  heart  will  bleed  ; 
And  I  ask  not  a  son — 
Not  a  son  to  succeed. 

*  OhI  I  am  the  sorrowing  Glaistig 
That  stayed  on  the  silvern  shore  ; 
For  I  built  thy  house  on  the  Meadow, 

And  it  cleaved  my  heart  to  the  core 

*  For  I  must  pass  like  a  shadow 

And,  oh,  I  must  spill  my  gore 
On  Finisgeig — its  peak,  its  peak 
Will  be  red  for  evermm'e  I 

And  ere  he  could  blame — 
And  ere  he  could  speak — 
She  leapt  in  a  flame 
Of  green  o'er  the  peak. 

Such  is  the  tale  the  bard  would  recite 
By  the  Ceilidh  fire  on  the  winter  night ; 
Such  is  the  tale  of  the  shattered  man — 
MacCuaric  of  Lianachan. 


TAEBH  MOR  NA  H-IOEBHAIG  259 

TARBH  MOR  NA  H-IORBHAIG 
(From  the  MSS.  of  the  late  Rev.  Father  Allan  Macdonald.) 

[A  tale  told  me  by  Mary  Macmillan,  Eriskay.  As  her 
Gaelic  style  is  slovenly  I  did  not  take  it  down  from  dictation, 
but  I  have  kept  all  the  incidents  she  gave,  though  I  know  she 
cannot  have  given  the  story  completely,  as  there  is  a  want  of 
finish  all  through.] 

A  king  had  three  daughters  all  marriageable.  The  first 
would  not  be  given  in  marriage  unless  her  father  got  her 
weight  in  gold.  I  don't  know  about  the  second,  but  the 
third  was  to  have  her  weight  in  gold  given  with  her  to  the 
man  who  married  her.  They  were  odd  conditions,  and  as 
girls  will  be  speaking  about  such  things  the  king's  three 
daughters  were  speaking  about  what  kind  of  husbands  they 
would  likely  get.  The  young  one  said  she  did  not  care  a  bit, 
that  she  would  marry  Tarbh  M6r  na  h-Iorbhaig  (the  Great 
Bull  of  Irvaig)  himself  if  he  came  for  her.  Little  did  she 
think  what  she  was  saying. 

A  week  after  there  was  seen  coming  to  the  house  the 
Great  Bull  of  Irvaig,  and  he  began  hitting  and  tearing  up  the 
ground,  and  looking  as  if  he  would  pull  the  house  to  pieces. 
The  maiden  remembered  what  she  had  said  and  told  her 
sisters  that  she  would  go  away  with  the  Bull  even  though  it 
should  be  death  to  her.  They  would  not  hear  of  letting  her  go 
away,  but  as  the  Bull  was  looking  so  dreadful  and  putting 
them  all  in  danger  they  let  her  go  down,  and  when  she  got  out 
of  the  door  the  Bull  meekly  and  reverently  lowered  his  head 
and  made  a  seat  for  her  between  his  horns,  and  away  he  sped 
with  her  till  he  came  to  a  *  caolas '  or  channel,  which  he  swam 
across  and  came  to  a  little  island.  There  was  a  house  in  the 
island  and  everything  in  plenty  in  it,  but  not  a  man  or 
woman  or  child  to  be  seen.  When  they  got  into  the  house 
the  Bull  threw  off  a  '  cochull '  or  cowl  and  was  the  most 
handsome  of  men,  and  he  told  the  maiden  how  he  had  been 
put  under  spells  by  a  wicked  stepmother  and  that  he  could 


260 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


never  be  freed  from  the  spells  unless  she  had  married  him 
and  that  he  was  a  king's  son  himself,  but  that  he  had  to  go 
through  a  good  deal  yet  before  he  could  get  free  from  the 
spells  laid  on  him.  Though  he  would  be  a  Bull  all  day  and 
to  everybody  else,  to  her  he  would  be  a  human  being  as  she 
saw  him  then  every  night  when  he  came  home  to  rest 
with  her. 

He  was  so  kind  and  pleasant  that  she  felt  the  time  passing 
happily,  and,  towards  the  end  of  three-quarters  of  a  year,  he 
told  her  that  he  thought  it  was  not  a  good  place  for  her  to  be 
alone  with  him,  and  that  if  she  liked  he  would  convey  her  to 
her  father  s  house  to  be  with  her  mother  and  sisters  who  had 
married  since  but  were  not  far  away.  '  Take  care,'  he  said, 
^  that  you  never  lay  a  finger  on  that  "  cochull,"  and  above  all 
you  must  promise  me  never  to  let  them  know  at  home  that  I 
ever  assume  any  shape  but  the  shape  of  the  Bull,  for  if  you 
do  it  will  be  bad  for  you  and  for  me.'  She  paid  heed  to  his 
words  and  promised  him  what  he  asked. 

He  put  on  the  *  cochull,'  and  was  straightway  a  Bull 
again.  He  bent  down  his  head  and  made  a  seat  for  her 
between  his  horns.  He  swam  the  channel  between  the  island 
and  the  mainland,  and  sped  away  till  he  came  to  her  father's 
house.  When  they  saw  the  Bull  coming  with  her  they  were 
in  great  alarm,  but  when  he  let  her  down  gently  at  the  door 
and  departed  they  went  to  welcome  her,  and  her  mother  and 
sisters  were  soon  with  her. 

In  due  time  she  had  a  baby  boy,  and  all  were  so  pleased, 
but  many  a  time  was  she  asked  by  them  what  appearance 
the  Bull  assumed  when  at  his  own  place.  She  was  faithful 
to  her  promise  and  would  not  say  a  word  about  those  things. 

One  evening,  as  the  baby  was  being  nursed  and  all  were 
happy  talking  and  laughing,  a  huge  hand  came  in  at  the 
chimney  and  seized  the  baby  and  disappeared  with  it.  The 
mirth  was  changed  to  sorrow  and  lamenting  and  the  young 
mother  was  very  sad. 

A  fortnight  after  the  birth  of  the  child  the  Bull  was  seen 
hurrying  along  to  the  house,  and  they  knew  he  came  for  her 


TAEBH  MOB  NA  H-IOEBHAIG  261 

and  they  made  every  effort  to  detain  her  but  with  no  effect. 
On  her  going  to  the  door  the  Bull  reverently  bent  his  head 
and  made  a  seat  for  her  between  his  horns  and  sped  away, 
swam  the  sound,  and  got  to  the  island  and  into  the  house, 
and  threw  off  the  '  cochuU '  and  was  again  a  handsome  young 
man.  *  You  are  sad,'  said  he,  '  not  to  have  your  baby  with 
you. '  She  said  she  was.  *  Do  not  be  sad  then,  for  the  boy 
is  being  well  looked  after  and  I  know  where  he  is.'  This 
relieved  her  mind  and  she  lived  very  happily.  The  Bull  was 
absent  during  the  day  generally,  but  in  coming  home  in  the 
evening  he  threw  off  the  '  cochull,'  and  his  beautiful  appearance 
and  pleasant  ways  made  her  feel  happy  with  him. 

After  a  due  interval  it  was  thought  proper  she  should  go 
again  to  her  father's  house,  and  the  same  cautions  as  to 
talking  were  given  to  her.  She  had  a  second  baby  boy,  and 
just  as  happened  to  the  first  the  second  was  also  taken  away 
by  a  huge  hand,  though  all  present  were  keeping  strict  watch 
and  holding  on  to  the  baby  when  it  was  being  seized.  The 
Bull  came  for  the  Princess  as  before,  and  told  her  the  second 
boy  was  also  alive  and  well  cared  for. 

A  third  time  she  came  to  her  father's  house  and  had  a 
third  baby  boy,  but  this  time  she  was  so  sorely  tempted  by 
her  sisters  and  mother  to  tell  about  her  mysterious  husband 
that  she  told  them  all  about  him  and  about  the  '  cochull '  and 
the  beautiful  and  handsome  and  kind  man  he  was,  and  how 
she  was  happier  with  him,  she  felt  sure,  than  any  of  them 
felt  in  their  homes.  The  third  baby  was  also  snatched  away 
and  the  Bull  came  this  time  on  the  thirteenth  day  showing 
great  signs  of  anger.  He  tossed  his  head  and  his  eyes  were 
wild,  and  he  lashed  his  tail  in  anger  and  he  tore  at  the  ground 
and  butted  against  the  house,  so  that  they  were  all  in  terror. 
One  of  her  sisters  had  told  her  to  burn  the  '  cochull '  and  to 
keep  her  husband  in  his  right  appearance  always.  The  poor 
young  wife  felt  she  had  to  blame  herself  for  breaking  her 
promises  and  was  afraid  of  the  Bull,  but  she  made  up  her 
mind  to  go  to  him  in  any  case,  even  though  she  should  be 
killed.     When  she  got  to  the  door  the  Bull  lowered  his  head 


262 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


and  made  a  seat  for  her  between  his  horns,  and  away  he  sped, 
and  never  stopped  till  he  swam  the  channel  and  came  to  the 
island  and  into  the  house.  He  told  her  that  she  had  caused 
his  and  her  mishap,  and  that  he  was  afraid  he  was  bound  to 
lose  her  for  ever  as  he  had  to  go  alone  on  a  perilous  journey 
and  leave  her  behind.  He  told  her  that  their  three  boys 
were  each  in  the  keeping  of  a  giant,  and  that  their  only 
chance  of  escape  was  through  his  interest  with  these  giants. 
He  was  very  much  afraid  that  she  would  never  overtake  him , 
and  that  if  he  reached  his  own  country  he  would  be  forced  to 
marry  one  whom  he  had  half  promised  to  marry,  and  he  felt 
this  more  than  anything  else. 

He  bade  her  good-bye,  and  said  he  could  do  nothing  for 
her  but  give  her  a  pair  of  boots  that  would  serve  in  good 
stead.  The  nearest  of  the  giants  was  a  year  and  a  day's 
walk  away,  but  with  the  boots  she  could  do  it  in  a  day, 
and  it  was  only  by  going  to  them  she  could  hope  to  get 
out  of  this  land  of  enchantment.  He  left  in  great  sadness, 
and  she  was  in  equally  great  sadness. 

When  morning  came  she  set  off  on  her  journey  to  the 
giants,  and  at  nightfall  saw  a  glimmer  of  light  on  the  floor 
of  a  glen,  and  she  made  for  it,  not  knowing  whether  it 
would  be  to  her  happiness  or  to  her  misfortune.  On  salut- 
ing at  the  door  she  was  welcomed  by  a  great  kindly  voice, 
which  told  her  that  she  was  expected,  and  that  her  husband 
had  been  there  last  night.  The  giant  told  her  that  the 
boy  who  was  playing  with  a  shinty  on  the  floor  was  her 
oldest  boy.  '  You  will  rest  to-night  in  my  house,  and  I  will 
give  you  another  pair  of  boots  that  will  enable  you  to  get 
to  my  brother's  house  in  a  day,  though  it  is  a  year  and  a 
day's  journey  away. 

After  supping  she  was  sent  to  sleep  in  the  soft,  white, 
woollen  blankets,  and  though  the  daylight  came  early  she 
was  afoot  earlier,  and  away  in  quest  of  her  husband. 

The  second  night  she  came  to  the  second  giant's  house, 
and  found  her  second  boy,  and  was  treated  with  equal 
kindness,   and  provided  with  another  pair  of   boots.      The 


TARBH  MOR  NA  H-IORBHAIG  263 

giant  told  her  that  the  journey  was  a  difficult  one,  but  that 
he  thought  she  could  get  along  to  the  third  brother  well 
enough,  but  then  the  most  difficult  part  was  to  begin.  He 
told  her  also  that  her  husband  had  been  there  the  night 
before. 

Before  daylight  next  morning  she  was  afoot  and  started 
on  her  journey,  but  thanks  to  the  boots  she  found  the  third 
giant's  house  that  night.  He  welcomed  her  kindly,  and 
pointed  out  to  her  the  third  boy,  and  told  her  that  her 
husband  had  left  his  house  in  the  morning,  but  that  he  was 
afraid  she  might  not  be  able  to  follow  him.  He  promised, 
however,  that  he  would  do  his  best  for  her,  and  if  she  did 
anything  as  he  directed,  that  there  was  still  a  chance  for 
her.  *  To-night  you  must  rest  here.  You  will  leave  the 
boots  also,  as  we  have  need  of  them  ourselves.  You  will 
have  to  cross  a  river  of  fire,  and  if  a  spark  touch  you,  you 
will  be  all  burnt  by  the  fire.  You  will  then  have  to  cross 
a  hill  of  pointed  glass,  and  the  slightest  wound  will  make 
you  bleed  to  death.  Then  you  will  have  to  cross  a  mountain 
of  thorns,  and  if  they  seize  you  they  will  keep  you  till  you 
die.  And  last  of  all,  there  is  a  mountain  of  fire  which,  if 
you  touch  it,  will  burn  you  to  a  coal  [cinder].'  She  was 
frightened  to  hear  what  she  had  to  go  through,  but  when 
she  thought  of  her  husband  it  gave  her  courage  for  every- 
thing. When  she  was  thinking  that  there  was  no  way  for 
her  of  getting  out  of  where  she  was  the  giant  told  her  that 
he  had  a  *  falarg '  or  magic  horse,  and  that  he  would  lend 
it  to  her  for  her  journey,  and  that  if  she  gave  the  *  falarg  * 
an  apple  of  a  special  colour  before  each  great  leap  he  had  to 
make,  that  he  would  take  her  safe  through  if  she  could  only 
keep  in  the  saddle. 

After  resting  that  night  she  got  up  early  in  the  morning, 
and  the  giant  saw  her  mounted  on  the  '  falarg,'  and  gave  her 
the  four  apples  of  different  colours,  and  told  her  that  if  she 
got  to  her  journey's  end  she  was  to  tie  the  bridle  in  a  special 
knot,  and  that  would  be  a  sign  to  him  that  she  had  arrived 
safely.     If  the  '  falarg '  arrived  with  the  bridle  hanging  loose 


264 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


about  him  he  would  know  that  she  had  perished.  She 
thanked  the  giant  and  went  her  way.  She  had  not  long 
gone  when  she  came  to  the  river  of  fire,  with  the  fire  boiling 
and  rolling  over  and  sputtering.  She  tightened  her  dress 
about  her,  fixed  herself  well  in  the  saddle,  gave  the  '  falarg ' 
an  apple,  and  he  bounded  high  and  clean  over  the  river  of 
fire.  She  then  went  on  and  came  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  of 
glass.  It  looked  very  dreadful.  She  gave  the  'falarg' 
another  apple,  and  he  bounded  high  over  the  hill  and  landed 
her  on  the  floor  of  a  glen  at  the  other  side.  She  rode  on  and 
came  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  thorns,  and  giving  the 
magic  horse  another  apple  she  was  borne  swiftly  right  over 
the  mountain  without  even  touching  it.  She  came  down  on 
another  glen  and  rode  on  till  at  last  she  came  to  the  moun- 
tain of  fire.  She  gave  the  *  falarg '  the  last  apple,  and  at 
once  he  leapt  high  into  the  air  over  the  top  of  the  burning 
mountain,  and  landed  gently  on  the  other  side,  where  her 
way  was  easier.  She  tied  the  bridle  about  his  neck,  and  he 
bounded  at  once  over  the  mountain  out  of  her  sight,  and  the 
giant  knew  that  the  king's  daughter  had  got  safely  over  the 
mountains.  The  country  now  was  easy  to  walk.  It  was  not 
enchanted  at  all.  As  she  was  going  along,  not  exactly 
knowing  where  she  should  direct  her  feet,  she  came  to  a 
river,  but  she  did  not  see  a  bridge  up  or  down.  As  she  was 
walking  along  the  bank  she  noticed  a  woman  washing  on 
the  other  side,  and  she  asked  her  how  she  was  to  get 
across.  The  one  who  was  washing  told  her  to  walk  a  little 
way  up  till  she  came  to  a  ford,  and  walked  up  on  her  side  of 
the  river  so  as  to  point  it  out.  On  getting  over  the  princess 
thanked  her  guide  and  asked  her  what  news  was  going. 

'Indeed,  this  is  news.  The  kings  son,  who  was  away 
under  enchantments  for  many  years,  has  come  back,  and  they 
are  anxious  that  he  should  marry  at  once.  But  he  says  he 
won't  marry  any  one  except  the  one  who  washes  a  stain  of 
blood  out  of  his  three  white  shirts.' 

The  poor  wife  knew  it  was  her  husband,  and  knew  that 
the  stains  of  blood  were  tears  of  blood  he  had  shed  for  herself, 


TARBH  MOR  NA  H-IOEBHAIG  265 

and  she  said  she  would  try  to  wash  them.  '  You  need  not 
try,'  said  the  other.  *  I  am  the  fifth  who  has  tried  already, 
and  we  have  all  failed.' 

'  I  will  try,  however,'  said  the  princess,  '  and  if  I  succeed 
you  must  promise  to  let  me  sleep  with  the  prince  the  first 
three  nights  after  your  marriage.'  The  other  agreed  to  this, 
and  the  prince's  wife  began  to  wash  the  shirts,  and  she  made 
them  as  white  as  snow,  and  the  other  woman  went  home  to 
the  king  and  the  prince  with  the  white  shirts,  and  the  poor 
prince  sorely  against  his  wishes  was  forced  to  celebrate  a 
wedding  with  her.  At  night  as  he  was  going  to  sleep  this 
woman  gave  him  a  sleeping  draught  and  then  put  the  other 
in  her  place. 

But  do  what  she  could  or  say  what  she  would  the  prince 
never  in  any  way  recognised  her.  In  the  morning  she  had 
to  leave  him.  At  night  she  came  again,  but  he  had  been 
given  another  sleeping  draught,  and  it  had  the  same  power 
over  him.     She  lamented  and  wailed  all  night,  saying : — 

*  I  bore  three  sons. 
I  crossed  a  river  of  fire, 
A  mountain  of  glass, 
A  mountain  of  thorns, 
A  burning  mountain  for  you. 

And  I  washed  the  bloodstains  from  your  three  shirts. 
But  you  pay  no  heed  to  me.' 

All  night  long  she  crooned  this,  but  to  no  effect. 

There  was  a  waiting- woman  who  overheard  her  and  picked 
up  her  words,  and  went  next  day  to  the  prince,  saying, 
'  What  a  strange  wife  you  have  got,  who  keeps  on  crooning 
all  night.'  And  she  repeated  her  words.  *  I  am  sure  I  don't 
know,'  said  the  prince.  '  I  did  not  hear  her.'  *  She  was  so 
last  night  and  the  night  before  last,  and  you  must  have  taken 
a  sleeping  draught  not  to  have  heard  her,'  said  the  woman. 
The  prince  on  the  third  night  noticed  the  sleeping  draught 
prepared  for  him,  and  contrived  to  make  believe  that  he  had 
taken  it.  When  he  went  to  bed  he  pretended  to  sleep  more 
deeply  than  ever.     His  wife  was  allowed  to  go  to  his  bed  for 


266 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


the  third  and  last  night.  She  began  her  crooning  before 
long.  He  listened  as  patiently  as  he  could.  He  then  spoke 
to  her,  and  got  up  and  brought  her  to  his  father,  and  he  told 
him  he  would  never  have  another  wife  but  herself  He  told 
the  story  of  his  enchanted  life,  and  how  if  it  had  not  been  for 
her  and  for  her  three  children,  which  had  been  given  to  the 
giants  to  procure  their  goodwill  and  assistance,  he  could  never 
have  escaped  from  the  spells  that  had  been  laid  upon  him. 


AN  CUAN  SIAR 

COINNEACH   MacLeOID 

Bha  Binne-bheul  fad  air  a  h-aineol  an  tir  an  eorna,  's  latha 
de  na  laithean  thuirt  i  gu'm  bu  mhithich  dith  nis  dol  dhach- 
aidh  d'a  flaitheas  fein,  far  nach  laigheadh  grian,  's  far  nach 
eireadh  gaoth,  's  far  nach  sguireadh  ceol.  An  ciaradh  na 
h-oidhche  chaidh  i  steach  'na  bhirlinn  nach  iarradh  seol  no 
stiuir  ach  riin  a  cridhe  fein,  *s  mar  an  eala  shiab  i  as  an 
t-sealladh.  Ach  air  oiteig  fhann  an  fhoghair  dh'  fhag  i 
iomadh  soiridh  slan  is  beannachd  as  a  deigh.  Slkn  leibh,  a 
mhuinntir  mo  ghraidh,  tha  solus-iuil  air  sgeir  as  eol  domh, 
agus  Siar  air  sin  tha  mo  dhachaidh.  Slan  leibh,  a  mhuinntir 
mo  ghraidh,  ri  traghadh  's  ri  lionadh,  's  am  fear  a  leanadh 
mise  gabhadh  e  aiseag  nan  tonn. 

Hiamh  o'n  oidhche  sin,  tha  suil  na  h-6ige  agus  cridhe  na 
h-aoise  a'  sireadh  Siar — ma  tha  no  nach  'eil  an  solus-iuil 
fathast  air  an  sgeir. 

Shuidh  mi  air  creig  an  oir  a'  chladaich,  ann  an  stiil  na 
grdine,  a  dh'  61  mo  leoir  de  'n  Cheitein.  Air  mo  chulaibh, 
anns  a'  ghleann,  bha  na  h-uain  a'  m^ilich  's  na  laoigh  s! 
geumraich ;  air  mo  bheulaibh,  bha  na  h-eoin  a'  neadachadh 
an  tiurr  na  feamann,  bha  long  a'  fuaradh  an  rudha,  bha 
balachan  bkn  a'  ruideis  air  an  traigh  's  a'  tilgeadh  choilleag 
air  na  faoileannan  a  bha  sgiathagraich  ris  na  tonnan.  *  'lUe 
^^ig/  ghlaodh  mi  ris,  'tha  do  sheanair  feadh   nan  caorach, 


AN  CUAN  SIAR  267 

s  do  mhathair  anns  a  bhuaile,  's  nach  b'abhacas  do  n 
bhaJachan  bhi  measg  nan  uan  's  nan  laogh ! '  'Is  docha 
leam  bhi  cleasachd  ris  na  faoileannan,'  ars'  esan,  '  bhuail 
mi  naoi  diubh  cheana,  's  tha  mi  feuchainn  ri  tri  eiJe 
bhualadh  mus  toir  an  rudha  am  bata  diom.'  *  'Ille  bhig,  'ille 
bhig/ — ach  cha  b'ann  ris-san  'na  aonar  bha  mi  bruidhinn — 
*  tha  t'athair  'na  laighe  an  aigeal  a'  chuain,  's  cha  'n  'eil 
bodha  shir  no  sheachainn  ainm  eadar  so  agus  Rocabarraidh  ^ 
nach  bu  leaba-  bais  uair  no  uaireigin  do  na  daoine  o'n  tainig 
thu,  agus  is  mor  m'  amharus,  mur  dean  am  Freasdal  fein  a 
chaochladh,  nach  ann  ris  an  uaigh,  ach  ris  a'  chuan,  a  ta 
thusa  's  do  leithid  a  fas/  '  Is  e  cron  m'  fhais  a  mhaillead/ 
ars'  esan ;  *  ach  tha  'n  reabhairt  'san  f  hannadh,  's  an  teis- 
mheadhon  na  contraigh  bheir  mi  leam  a  'gheolag,  's  ni  mi  'n 
Sgeir  Bhreac  dheth.'  '  Seadh,  a  laochain,  a  dh'  fhaicinn  an 
ruic  a  chuir  an  suaineadh-bais  mu  dha  chois  do  bhrathar.' 
Ach  cha  b'  ann  air  m'  f  hacail  a  bha  'aire.  '  An  teis-mheadhon 
na  contraigh,'  ars'  esan,  '  bidh  rbin  a'  chaolais  gu  leir  cruinn 
comhla  air  an  Sgeir  Bhric,  a'  gusgal  a'  chiuil  sin  a  dh'  ionn- 
saich  iad  o  chionn  fhada  ann  an  Lochlainn,  mus  do  chuir  am 
muime  na  truaghain  fo  na  geasa.  Chuala  mi  an  cuid  phort 
aig  mo  sheanair,  ach  b'  fhearr  leam  gu  mor  an  cluinntinn  o 
'm  beoil  fein.'  *  Seadh,  seadh,  a  laochain,  's  theid  mi  an  urras 
nach  i  an  Sgeir  Bhreac  as  ceann-uidhe  dhuit  an  deireadh 
sge6il.'  *  Cha'n  i,  le  'r  cead  ;  ma  bhios  mi  am  ghilJe  maith  's 
nach  bathar  mi  a'  cleasachd  ris  na  faoileannan,  gheabh  mi 
'san  sgoth  mh6ir  an  ath  uair  a  theid  i  air  skil ;  an  taobh  thall 
de  'n  rudha  tha  'n  Traigh  Bkn  far  am  bi  a'  mhaighdean-mhara 
'ga  failceadh  fein,  's  an  uamh  mhor  far  am  bi  i  ag  itheadh  nam 
morair;^  's  nam  faighinn  fein  treis  air  an  stiuir,  rad  nach 
dual  gu  faigh,  ruiginn  an  geodha  nas  fhaide  shios,  far  a  bheil 
or  na  Spainte  am  falach  's  an  taibhse  caol  dubh  'ga  dhion.' 
'  Seadh,  seadh,  a  bhobain  ghaolaich,  's  cha  'n  fhada  gus  am  bi 
an  sgoth  'na  lan-luing,  le  stiuir  5ir  is  tri  chroinn  airgid,  's  an 
Cuan  Siar  fo   'sroin  !    Bha  uair  agus  b'  e51ach  mise  air  a' 

^  Eilean-sge6il  eadar  Uibhist  is  Barraidh  agus  Tir-nan-Og. 

*  lasg  beag  boidheach  dearg  air  a  bheil  a'  mhaighdean-mhara  ro-dheigheil. 


268 


THE  CELTIC  EEYIEW 


cheart  luing  sin ;  is  iomadh  sgeul  thug  mi  as  a  croinn,  's  cha 
robh  slat  no  calpa,  achlais  no  aisinn  dith,  air  nach  cuirinn 
ainm.  An  Cuan  Siar  !  an  Cuan  Siar  I  b'  e  'n  taladh-  sithe  a 
gkir  I  te6ghaidh  a'  ghrian  fein  g'a  h-ionnsaidh  'san  f heasgar,  's 
mus  'eil  reabhairt  nan  eun  ^  na  h-kirde,  tha  bruadar  na  h-oige 
air  an  iteig  chum  a  doimhne  siogaidhe.^     Ach  O  !  'ille  bhig, 

411e  bhig .'    Thuit  coilleag  eile  am  measg  nam  faoileann. 

*  Tri  eile  ! '  ars'  esan  gu  moiteil,  '  's  cha  tug  an  rudha  am  bkta 
diom  fhathast ! ' 


Is  fhada  bhios  cuimhne  air  an  oidhche  ud.  Tha  a  sgeul 
sgriobhta  an  iomadh  cluaineig  's  an  iomadh  tobhtaidh  an  cois 
na  mara,  is  anns  na  laithean  nach  tainig  innsidh  fear  le  moit 
gu  n  d'  rugadh  e  Feill-Brighde  nan  seachd  sian.  Cha  b'  e  an 
eiginn  ach  an  t-ailghis  a  chuir  o  thigh  mi  fein  an  oidhche  sin, 
's  na'n  toireadh  toil  dhachaidh  mi,  cha  b'  ann  a  muigh  fo 
sgath  creige  a  bhithinn  gu  h-ainn  an  la.  Ach  bu  shaor  an 
ceannach  na  dh'  f  huiling  air  na  chunnaic  mi ;  mur  do  thuig 
mi  riamh  roimhe  uamhas  nan  dtil  is  iad  air  bhoile,  dh'  f  hairich 
is  thuig  a  nis.  Bha  gach  sgal  gaoithe  a  thigeadh  a  sior  dhol 
an  cruaithead,  gus  mu  dheireadh  am  b'  aon  sgal  an  doineann 
gu  leir  's  i  air  fior  bharr  a  comais.  'S  mar  a  chuireas  damh  le 
bheucail  damh  eile  gu  bilirich,  dhtiisg  an  fhairge  fo  dhiibhlan 
na  gaoithe  ;  dh'  at  is  f  hrion  is  still  i  an  aodann  a  buaireadair, 
's  'nuair  nach  fhaigheadh  i  greim  oirre  dhioghail  i  air  an  neo- 
chiontach  e,  's  le  leum-roid  shlachdraich  i  i  fein  an  aghaidh 
nan  creag.  Leis  a!  ghaoir  's  leis  an  stairn  chaidh  mo  cheann 
'na  bhreislich,  's  'nuair  a  chunnaic  mi  na  dealanaich  ri  falach- 
fead  anns  an  dorchadas,  ar  leam  gu'm  bu  sradagan  teine  iad 
a  armaibh  nan  gaisgeach  a  bha  garbh-chomhraig  ri  cheile  ;  's 
ma  bha  tkirneanaich  an  lorg  an  teine,  bha  iad  fein  's  an 
doineann  air  an  aon  ghleus  's  cha  chomharaichte  o  cheile  iad. 
Ach  ge  b'  fhada  dubh  an  oidhche,  thainig  crioch  oirre  mu 
dheireadh,  's  cho  luath  's  a  stiuirinn  mo  cheum  's  a  chead- 

^  Theirear  reabhairt  nan  eun  ri  lain  arda  an  earraichj  anns  an  tiurr  a  dh'  fhaga 
iad  sin  as  an  deigh,  is  ro-thoigh  leis  na  h-eoin  a  bhi  neadachadh. 
2  Taladh  nathrach  air  an  eun. 


AN  CUAN  SIAE  269 

aicheadh  an  doineann  sin  domh,  thog  mi  orm  gu  balle.  Air 
an  rathad  de  b'  iongantaiche  learn  na  boireannach  fhaicinn 
'na  criiban  air  torr  staimh,  siaban  nan  tonn  a'  stealladh 
thairte,  's  i  f^sgadh  a  bas  mar  the  an  dubh-bhr6n.  *  A  bhean, 
a  bhean/  ghlaodh  mi  rithe,  '  is  olc  an  ceann-uidhe  taobh  na 
mara  ri  an-uair.'  *  Seadh,  a  choigrich/  ars'  ise,  *ach  nach 
maith  a  chas  air  tir ;  bha  m'  aona-mhac  air  bh^rr  nan  tonn  a 
raoir,  's  aig  Kigh  nan  Dili  tha  brath  ciod  a  ch^ramh  an  diugh. 
Is  mairg  a  dh'  earbadh  a  chuid  no  dhuine  ris  a'  chuan — bha  i 
riamh  gun  iochd  gun  truas — 's  bha  manadh  a  bhathaidh  air- 
san  co-dhiu.  'Nuair  a  bhiodh  giollain  eile  a'  breacladh  'san 
allt  no  ag  eunadaireachd  anns  a'  chreig,  b'  e  chluich-san  a 
bhi  cleasachd  ris  na  tonnan  's  ris  na  faoileannan.  'S  gu  cinn- 
teach  cha  b'  e  cion  rabhaidh  a  chuir  gu  muir  e.  Chaill  e 
'athair  's  chaill  e  bhrkthair  le  dosgainn-mhara,  is  b'  ainneamh 
riamh  bks  a'  chinn-adhairt  a  measg  nan  daoine  o  'n  tainig  e. 
Ach  nach  aimideach  mise !  gus  an  deanar  siigan  de  ghain- 
mhich  na  traghad,  cha  chuirear  teadhair  air  fuil  na  marachd 
's  i  6g.'  Leis  a  so  dh'  eirich  i  'na  seasamh,  chrath  i  an  s^l  as 
a  h-aodach,  chuir  i  a  h-aghaidh  air  baile.  Chunnaic  i  mkileid 
'san  tiiirr — am  prioba  na  siila,  bha  sid  a  mach  aic'  air  bkrr  an 
t-skile.  *  Biodh  sid  aice  comhla  ris  a'  ch5rr/  ars'  ise,  *  an 
duine  's  a  chuid  maraon.'  Chunnaic  i  duilleag  de  'n  Bhioball 
ga  luasgadh  anns  a'  ghaoith — chrom  i  's  chuir  i  sid  'na  broil - 
leach.  *  Sith  gu'n  d'fhuair  an  lamb  a  rug  's  an  t-siiil  a  leugh.' 
Chunnaic  i  dealbh  an  sgor  creige — chuir  i  sid  ri  taobh  na 
duilleige.  *  Bha  dealbh  aig  mo  mhac-sa  cuideachd,  niur  a 
robh  a  dhk — na  leigeadh  Dia  gu  bheil  mathair  eile  'gan  togail 
air  cladach-cein  an  diugh  ! ' 

Mo  thruaighe !  mo  thruaighe  !  ge  blath  anail  na  m^thar 
's  ge  Ian  tataidh  a  guth,  breugnaichidh  an  Cuan  Siar  a  h-aona- 
mhac  uaipe,  a'  cur  ionndrainn  'na  chridhe  nach  muchar  le 
faoil  na  dachaidh  no  le  gaol  nam  ban. 

*  Le  'r  cead,'  ars'  esan,  's  e  'na  shuidhe  ri  taobh  an  rathaid, 
a'  leigeadh  a  sgios,  '  mur  cuir  mi  dragh  air  'ur  n-  inntinn  no 
maille  'nur  ceum,  b'  fhior  thoigh  leam  an  aon-fhalbh  a  bhi 


270 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


againn.'     *Ro-mhaith,  a  charaid,'  area  mi  fein,  *is  mothaid  a' 

chuideachd,  is  lughaid  an  rathad  e,  's  tha  aithne  gun 

chuimhne  agam  ort  co-dhiu.'  '  Is  ckraid  sinn  anns  a'  chuis/ 
ars'  esan,  *  ach  is  eagal  learn  gu  bheil  siubhal  iomadh  latha  's 
bliadhna  cur  nan  eolach  as  mo  chuimhne/  Dh'  innis  e  dhomh 
an  sin  an  liuthad  cuan  a  sheol  e  's  an  liuthad  clad  ach  a  bhuail 
e,  an  t5ir  air  an  fhortan — '  'S  ged  nach  do  thog  mi  fa.thast  e', 
ars'  esan,  *  thig  mo  latha  gun  teagamh,  ma  bhios  mi  fein  fur- 
achail  's  am  Freasdal  deonach.'  Anns  an  fhacal,  thog  an  ceo 
bharr  nam  beann  ;  chuir  rughadh  na  greine  trian  ri  ailleachd 
a'  ghlinne ;  theo  mo  chridhe  ri  mo  dhuthaich  fein,  's  b'  ann 
de  m'  ioghnadh  gu'n  smaointicheadh  duine  cneasda  sam  bith 
air  a  fagail.  An  l^rach  nam  bonn,  bha  smuain  mo  chridhe 
'na  bheul-san.  'An  dachaidh,  an  dachaidh,'  ars'  esan,  *cha 
dhuine  duine  as  a  h-aonais  ;  ach  cha  robh  taobh  an  teine 
riamh  aig  a  bhlaths  gus  an  tigeadh  am  feasgar,  's  am  biodh 
an  coigreach  Ian  -sgith  de  shiubhal  cein  's  de  dh'  allaban.  Air 
mo  shon  fein,  cha  d'  fhuair  mi  mo  leoir  fathast  de  na  soluis  's 
de  na  bailtean  's  de  na  beanntan  gorma  ta  fad  air  falbh  ;  's 
ma  tha  no  nach  'eil  mi  aimideach,  is  e  mo  lan-duil,  mus 
miosaich  an  t-  Earrach  's  mus  tig  an  ra-dorcha  air  a'  ghealaich, 
a  bhi  aon  uair  eile  air  luing,  a'  sebladh  gus  na  dtithchannan 
Siar.' 

An  fhuil !  an  f huil !  smaointich  mi  annam  fein ;  cha  d' 
fhuaraich  tri  mile  bliadhn'  i ;  cuiridh  i  fathast  an  cridhe  gu 
h-  ionndrainn  's  a'  chas  gu  siubhal,  's  ni  i  an  da  ni  cho  dian  : 
iarraidh  na  maidne  gu  falbh  agus  iarraidh  an  fheasgair  gu 
tilleadh. 


Cha  robh  ann  ach  tigh-tughaidh,  ach  b'  fhada  shiubhladh 
tu  mus  faiceadh  tu  a  leithid  eile.  Thug  monadh  is  coille 
seasgaireachd  dha,  sruthan  ceol-gaire,  fosgladh  an  iochdar  a' 
ghlinne  sealladh-mara,  's  na'n  iarradh  an  righ  na  b'  fhearr,  bu 
mhotha  mhiann  na  chomas.  Bha  fear-an-tighe  'na  shuidhe 
air  geolaidh,  's  a  beul  foidhpe,  e  uair  a'  sniomh  siomain, 
's   da   uair   a'    briodal   ri   chuid   leanaban    's   iad   a'   ruideis 


mu   chasan.       *Cha   teid    i    so    tuiUeadh    gu   muir,'    thuirt 


AN  CUAN  SIAR  271 

mi  ris,  's  mi  cur  mo  choise  air  druim  a'  bhata.  *  Cha  teid 
i  fein  no  a  stiuireamaiche  tuilleadh  gu  muir,'  ars'  esan. 
*  Seadh,  seadh,  a  charaid,  "  Ge  b'e  dh'  aiticheas  an  talamh, 
cha  d'  fhag  i  falamh  riamh  e." '  '  Cha  d'  fhag  buileach, 
co-dhiu/  ars'  esan ;  *  air  a  miosad  is  fhearr  atharnach  an 
fhearainn  na  atharnach  nan  tonn.  B'  og  a  dh'  earb  mise  mo 
chuid  's  mo  bheatha  ris  a'  chuan,  's  thug  i  dhiom  trian  de  m' 
bheatha,  's  mo  chuid  gu  leir.  Ach  fhuair  i  na  gheabh  i  de 
m'  chuid,  's  mur  d^na  dhomh  radh  !  de  m'  dhuine.  Chir  mo 
mhathair,  's  i  'na  bantraich,  fait  liath  iomadh  bliadhna  roimh- 
mhithich  leis  a'  bhron-mhara ;  's  na  leigeadh  Dia  gu'n  cuir 
mac  dhomhsa  gu  brath  cas  air  clkr  luinge,  's  a  h-aghaidh  ri 
muir.  Cha'n  urrainn  nach  'eil  an  Droch  Shuil  aig  a'  Chuan 
Shiar !  chuir  i  a  cuid  draoitheachd  ormsa  o'n  chiad  latha  thog 
mi  coilleag  'san  traigh,  's  cha  mhor  nach  robh  mi  buileach  fo 
'sm^ig,  corp  is  anam,  an  deireadh  sgeoil.  Ach  latha  bh'  ann, 
s'  b'  e  lath'  an  aigh  dhomhsa  e,  rinn  gaol  mnatha  seun  domh, 
's  tha  mi  nis  saor  gu  brath  o  sgleb  's  o  gheasa  na  Doimhne.' 
Thug  e  suil  bhlath  air  a  chuid  leanaban,  is  las  'aodann  le 
teas-ghradh  athar.  '  Nach  buidhe  dhomhsa  mo  charamh  an 
diugh ! '  ars'  esan — *  na  laoigh  a'  geumraich,  na  h-uain  a' 
meilich,  mo  choimhleabach  anns  a'  bhuaile,  mo  chuid  cloinne 
mu  m'  dh^  ghliiin,  's  gun  mi  ach  ceum  o  'n  dachaidh.  'S 
'nuair  dhimas  mi  'n  dorus  am  beul  na  h-oidhche,  ma  thig  gkir 
na  mara  a  steach,  cha'n  ann  mar  ghlaodh  bais  am  chluais,  ach 
mar  thkladh  muime  a'  cur  mo  chuid  leanaban  'nan  suain. 
Nach  buidhe  dhomhsa  mo  chas  air  tir ! ' 

Och  !  och !  an  deachaidh  an  solus  as  air  an  Sgeir  as  eol 
duinn?  A  bheil  Binne-bheul  'na  tosd?  's  an  do  sguir  an 
ce61  a  bha  taladh  nam  fear  thar  aiseag  nan  tonn  ? 

*  An  Dan  's  an  Cuan ! '  ars'  esan,  's  e  air  tachairt  rium 
anns  a'  chladach  air  feasgar  fann  foghair,  'an  Dkn  's  an 
Cuan !  an  Dkn  's  an  Cuan !  is  ionnan  an  da  ni — bheir  iad  le 
cheile  an  cuid  fein  a  mach.  Bha  mise,  's  mi  am  dhallaran 
truagh,  an  diiil  gu  robh  mi  fein  's  mo  chuid  cloinne  saor  gu 
brath  o  dhraoitheachd  na  Doimhne,  ach  cha  robh  's  cha  bhi 


272 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


fear  de  m*  dhaoine.  Ged  a  thuinichinn  an  teis-mheadhon  na 
h-Eorpa,  gheabhadh  mo  leanabain  lorg  na  lacha  chon  a'  chuain 
— 's  tha  dithis  dhiubh  nis  ('s  gu  cinn teach  cha'n  ann  air  an 
aineol !)  'san  Tir-fo-thuinn.  'S  ged  nacb  cbir  do  f  hear  m'aoise 
a  radh,  cha'n  f  haic  mi  fein  se51  air  cuan  nach  iarrainn  bhi  air 
an  stiuir,  s  luimein  maith  gaoithe  am  leth-cheann.'  '  Seadh, 
a  charaid,  ach  nach  maith  a'  chas  air  tir,  gu  sonraichte  am 
brkigh  a  ghUnne ! — crodh  is  caoirich  air  an  raon,  brie  anns  an 
allt,  earbag  no  dhk  anns  sJ  choille ! '  ^  Cha  chiim/  ars'  esan, 
'crodh  no  caoirich,  breac  no  earbag,  fuil  na  marachd  o  'n 
chuan — 's  Dia  thoirt  maitheanais  domh !  cha  chiim  no  gaol 
nam  ban.'  Bha  ghrian  nis  a'  dol  fodha ;  bha  cuan  an  lionaidh 
a'  cniadachadh  feamainn  a'  chladaich,  's  bha  feamainn  a' 
chladaich  a'  dol  air  mhire  's  air  rughadh  mar  mhaighdean  a 
ph6gar.  *  An  Cuan  Siar  !  an  Cuan  Siar  ! '  ars'  esan,  's  e  air 
bhoile  le  gaol  nach  gabhadh  muchadh,  ach  a  bha  mar  an 
lasair  ag  iarraidh  nan  speur,  '  an  Cuan  Siar !  an  Cuan  Siar  ! 
thug  i  dhiom  mo  chuid  's  mo  dhuine  uair  is  uair,  ach  m' 
eudail  a  traghadh  's  a  lionadh,  's  a  gair  'san  f  heasgar.  Bas  a' 
chinn-adhairt  is  reilig  na  cille,  cha  b'  iad  mo  roghainn — tiir 
dhubh  'gad  thachdadh  —  cnuimheagan  'gad  tholladh  —  gun 
chreutair  beo  ri  d'  thaobh  a  chumas  sgios  no  fadal  dhiot. 
Cha  'n  ionnan  's  an  cuan — i  plosgadh  le  beatha  a  latha  's  a 
dh'  oidhche,  's  i  cho  uirsgeulach  lasgarra.  Is  comunn  na  feile 
shios  agus  shuas  !  Ron  is  eala  is  maighdean-mhara  !  Faoileann 
bhan  is  cathan  is  sulaire  1  'S  na  lachain  ! — lacha  bheag,  lacha 
mhor,  lacha-stiurach,  lacli  a'  chinn  uaine — 's  bias  na  meala 
air  gach  ainm  diubh  !  An  Cuan  Siar  !  an  Cuan  Siar !  a  Dhia, 
'se  'n  cuan  i  ! — ceann-uidhe  mo  dhaoine  am  beatha  's  am  bks 
— fuil  na  marachd,  eadhon  an  craiceann  na  h-aoise,  a'  sior- 
ospagaich  g'a  h-ionnsaidh.' 


A  SEQUEL  TO  THE  LEGEND  OF  ST.  BRENDAN  273 

A  SEQUEL  TO  THE  LEGEND  OF  ST.  BRENDAN 
DoMiNicK  Daly 

In  an  early  number  of  the  Celtic  Review  there  appeared  an 
article  on  the  famous  metrical  Latin  composition  written  in 
the  middle  of  the  sixth  century  by  St.  Brendan  (or  Brandon), 
*  The  Navigator/  in  his  monastery  at  Clonfert,  Kerry,  where 
he  ruled  over  a  great  industrial  community  of  three  thousand 
monks.  It  was  then  submitted  that  the  *  Navigator's ' 
account  of  his  seven  vears'  Atlantic  adventures  was — in  fact 
and  intention — only  a  sort  of  pious  romance  designed  for 
popular  entertainment  and  edification,  but  intermixed  with 
myths,  traditions,  and  reports  current  amongst  the  maritime 
Celts  of  Western  Europe,  especially  the  Irish  and  Bretons. 
Taking  the  narrative  in  conjunction  with  supplementary 
information  supplied  by  such  learned  investigators  as  the 
author  of  Alt-Bretonische  My  then,  it  is  made  quite  obvious 
that  those  Celts  had  a  fixed  belief — correct  in  fact,  however 
arrived  at — in  the  existence  of  transatlantic  lands,  and  of 
attempts  having  been  made  to  reach  them.  Those  myths, 
as  a  mass,  were  confused,  inharmonious,  contradictory  and 
sometimes  fabulous — all  of  which  is  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
considering  the  intellectual  condition  of  the  age  in  which 
they  arose  or  were  current. 

Two  transatlantic  voyages,  at  least,  are  indicated  more 
or  less  specifically,  one  by  a  company  of  sixty  sailor  monks  in 
either  one  or  three  wooden  ships ;  the  other  by  fifteen  such 
monks  in  a  hide-covered  sailing  boat.  Some  versions  give 
the  command  of  one  or  both  expeditions  to  St.  Brendan, 
others  bring  in  the  Breton  St.  Maclovis  as  associated  with 
him.  One  of  the  objects  of  those  excursions  was  apparently 
the  finding  of  the  abiding-place  of  a  certain  mysterious 
Mernoc,  who  was  reputed  to  have  established  a  monastic 
retreat  in  some  remote  tropical  island  of  the  Atlantic.  St. 
Byrenthus,  the  godfather  of  Mernoc,  by  his  tearful  supplica- 

VOL.  V.  s 


274  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

tions,  persuaded  St.  Brendan  to  go  in  search  of  this  godson, 
in  the  hide-covered  boat  which  is  so  particularly  described 
in  Brendan's  poem.  St.  Maclovis,  too,  is  represented  as 
taking  an  interest  in  the  quest  for  Mernoc,  his  objective  point 
being  named  as  the  island  of  *  Yma.'  He,  however,  failed  in 
finding  the  singularly  named  island,  notwithstanding  the 
assistance  he  received  from  a  pagan  giant  named  '  Mildu,' 
who  resided  in  one  of  the  islands  visited,  and  who  was 
properly  grateful  to  the  saint  for  having  raised  him  from  the 
dead  and  baptized  him. 

Here  it  may  be  noted  that  St.  Maclovis  (like  St.  Brendan) 
was  a  real  historical  personage,  having  a  place  in  the  Calendar 
under  the  Latinised  name  of  '  Maclutus ' — '  Maclovis  '  being 
an  Irish  variation  of  the  name.  In  Brittany  he  was  best 
known  as  St.  Malo,  and  the  important  seaport  town  of  that 
name  was  called  after  him.  He  had  been  educated  and 
ordained  in  Ireland — then  a  famous  educational  and  ecclesi- 
astical centre — and  was  for  years  a  friend  and  co-worker  with 
St.  Brendan. 

Although  the  search  for  the  vanished  Mernoc  seems  to 
have  been  a  matter  of  great  interest  to  Brendan  and  Maclovis 
and  their  brethren,  the  myths  supply  little  information  about 
him.  The  name  is  clearly  Breton,  or  Welsh,  as  one  may 
infer ;  but  nothing  is  said  as  to  who  he  was,  where  he  sailed 
from,  the  circumstances  of  his  out-going,  and  what  subse- 
quently befell  him  and  his  companions.  It  can  only  be 
gathered  that  he  was  believed  to  have  established  a  monastic 
retreat,  isolated  from  the  dangers  and  temptations  of  a  sinful 
world,  in  some  far-distant  island.  It  is,  perhaps,  a  permissible 
conjecture  that  it  was  he  who  conducted  the  expedition  of 
sixty  monks  to  such  an  island,  and  that  the  vague  and 
fragmentary  myths  confuse  this  with  subsequent  voyages  by 
Brendan  and  Maclovis.  It  does  not  seem  reasonable  that 
the  latter  should  take  with  them  such  a  large  number  of 
monks  on  what  appear  to  have  been  voyages  of  mere  dis- 
covery or  search,  unassociated  with  any  intention  of  settle- 
ment or  colonisation. 


A  SEQUEL  TO  THE  LEGEND  OF  ST.  BEENDAN  275 

However,  as  Mernoc  was  not  found,  and  never  again  heard 
of,  the  presumption  would  naturally  be  that  he  and  his  fifty- 
nine  fellow-monks  died  out  in  the  course  of  time  in  their 
insular  seclusion  without  leaving  successors  to  perpetuate 
their  memory.^  But  quite  recently  some  remarkable  dis- 
closures have  been  fortuitously  made  which  seem  to  have  a 
distinct  bearing  on  the  Mernoc  Myth.  The  literary  industry  of 
Sir  Clements  Markham  has  brought  to  light  the  existence  and 
contents  of  an  old  and  curious  Spanish  book,  published  in  1594, 
treating  on  the  Guanches,  or  aboriginal  natives,  of  Tenerife, 
the  author  being  a  friar  of  the  name  of  Alfonso  de  Espinosa.^ 
The  cause  of  the  book  having  been  written  was  this  : — 

For  many  years  there  had  been  in  Tenerife  a  famous, 
miraculous  wooden  image,  about  three  and  a  half  feet  high, 
of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  celebrated  far  and  wide  amongst 
Spanish  Catholics  as  having  wrought  many  wonderful  cures, 
and  conferred  great  benefits  on  its  devotees.  The  fame  of 
this  image  so  impressed  Father  Espinosa  (then  stationed  in 
Guatemala,  South  America)  that  he  came  to  Tenerife  for  the 
express  purpose  of  devoting  himself  to  the  service  of  this 
wonderful  *  Virgin  of  the  Candelaria ' — so  called  because  the 
burning  of  candles  at  her  shrine  was  esteemed  an  appropriate 
form  of  reverence,  inasmuch  as  the  hand  of  the  Child  had  a 
receptacle  for  holding  a  candle.  Having  thoroughly  investi- 
gated the  history  of  the  image,  and  satisfied  himself  of  its 
divine  origin  and  miraculous  powers,  the  worthy  friar  sat 
down  and  commenced  the  writing  of  the  book,  which  was 
published,  as  aforesaid,  in  the  year  1594,  under  the  title  of 
Del  Origen  y  Milagros  de  la  Santa  Imagen  de  Niiestra 
Senora  de  Candelaria,  etc.  (The  Origin  and  Miracles  of  the 
Holy  Image  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Candelaria). 

It  is  not  necessary  for  the  present  purpose  to  go  into  the 
details  of  this  curious  old  book  to  any  great  extent ;  but  it 

1  See  Tennyson's  *  Voyage  of  Maeldune ;  founded  on  an  Irish  legend,  a.d.  700,' 
Stanza  xi. 

2  A  copy  of  the  book  is  in  the  British  Museum.  The  translation  of  the  work  by 
Espinosa  on  Tenerife  and  Our  Lady  of  Candelaria  forms  a  recent  volume  of  the  series 
of  the  Hakluyt  Society,  edited  by  Sir  Clements  Markham,  the  President  (1906). 


276 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


may  be  said,  generally,  that  it  shows  the  author  to  have 
been  very  painstaking  and  earnest,  but  of  such  an  abounding 
simplicity  of  piety  and  faith  that  he  sees  miracles  everywhere 
and  in  everything,  and  always  prefers  a  miraculous  solution 
of  a  problem  to  a  commonplace  one,  however  obvious.  Bear- 
ing in  mind  this  tendency  of  his,  one  may  accept  the  book  as 
presenting  faithfully  the  account  the  Guanches  gave  him  of 
what  they  knew  about  the  image,  which  the  earliest  European 
visitants  found  in  possession  of  a  tribe  or  family  of  Guanches 
occupying  the  district  of  Gumar,  on  the  eastern  side  of 
Tenerife,  south  of  the  present  city  of  Santa  Cruz. 

These  natives  told  Espinosa  (who  had  established  most 
friendly  relations  with  them)  that  at  a  very  remote  time 
in  the  past  their  forefathers  had  found  the  image  standing 
upright  on  a  flat  stone  in  a  cavern  or  grotto  near  the  coast, 
which  is  here  very  dry  and  sandy.  For  hundreds  of  years 
it  had  been  regarded  with  reverence  by  the  Guanches,  and 
carefully  preserved  by  them,  because  it  was  believed  to 
insure  good  fortune  to  its  possessors.  That  was  all  those 
benighted  pagans  knew  about  it ;  but  when  the  enlightened 
Spaniards  came  on  the  scene  they  soon  discovered  that  it 
was  a  miraculous  image  which  had  descended  direct  from 
heaven.  Espinosa  zealously  supports  this  view,  and  repels 
(almost  with  indignation)  the  possibility  of  any  contrary  or 
alternative  theory.  He  will  not,  for  instance,  have  it  that 
the  image  might  have  belonged  to  some  shipwrecked  vessel 
— its  fresh  and  undamaged  condition  was  opposed  to  any 
such  idea — and,  besides,  there  was  the  high  improbability  of 
an  object  of  the  kind  being  afloat  in  the  western  ocean  at  so 
early  an  epoch  as  that  of  its  finding,  or  of  being  cast  up 
from  the  sea  in  the  position  in  which  it  was  found  by  the 
Guanches  of  Gumar. 

This  is  the  tone  and  temper  of  the  book  throughout — 
the  image  and  the  innumerable  miracles  it  wrought  being  its 
theme  from  first  to  last.  But  its  interest  (in  the  present 
connection)  lies  in  its  incidental  references  to  the  natives  and 
their  traditions.     These  were  very  secondary  matters  with 


A  SEQUEL  TO  THE  LEGEND  OF  ST.  BEENDAN  277 

Espinosa,  and  his  rendering  of  them  is  all  the  more  valuable 
on  that  account,  because  he  was  not  interested  enough  in 
them  to  be  led  into  the  temptation  of  misrepresenting  them, 
consciously  or  unconsciously.  He  may  therefore  be  credited 
with  good  faith,  at  least  in  his  repetition  of  the  old  legends 
which  the  Guanches  narrated  to  him. 

Here  is  an  extract  from  Chapter  iv.  page  16  of  his  book, 
which  I  think  it  is  desirable  to  give  in  the  original  as  well 
as  in  translation  : — 

*  Los  naturales  Guanches  viejos  dizd  que  tiene  noticia  de 
inmemorable  tiepo,  que  vinieron  a  esta  Isla  sesenta  personas, 
mas  no  saben  de  donde,  y  se  juntaron  y  hizieron  su  habi- 
tacion  junto  a  Icode,  que  es  un  lugar  desta  Isla,  y  el  lugar 
de  su  morada  llamanan  en  su  lengua :  Alzanxiquian  ahcana- 
hac  xerax,  que  quiere  dezir :  Lugar  del  ayuntamiento  del 
hijos  del  grande.'  ['  The  old  native  Guanches  say  that  they 
knew  from  immemorial  tradition  that  there  came  to  this 
island  (Tenerife)  sixty  people,  but  where  from  they  did  not 
know,  and  they  united  and  made  habitation  near  Icod,  which 
is  a  place  on  this  island,  and  they  called  it  so,  as  meaning 
(in  their  language)  the  place  of  the  union  of  the  sons  of  the 
Great  One.'] 

Icod  is  a  place  on  the  other,  or  western,  side  of  Tenerife 
from  Gumar. 

Father  Espinosa  was  apparently  not  struck  with  any  idea 
of  a  possible  connection  between  the  foreign  religious  com- 
munity of  sixty  established  at  Icod  in  bygone  days  (according 
to  the  legend),  and  the  presence  of  the  holy  image  at  Gumar 
only  some  sixteen  or  seventeen  miles  away  in  a  straight  line 
across  the  hills.  He  was  so  completely  absorbed  in  the  con- 
viction of  the  divine  origin  of  the  image  that  his  mind  was 
closed  against  all  speculation  on  the  subject. 

In  the  same  chapter  he  mentions  another  tradition  of  the 
Guanches  relating  to  a  religious  preacher  who  had  once  been 
amongst  them  in  very  remote  times.  Espinosa  insists  that 
this  preacher  was  a  bishop  sent  by  inspiration  of  the  Apostles 


278 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


(presumably  in  heaven),  and  he  says  his  name  is  given  in 
a  certain  '  Kalanda/  from  which  he  quotes  an  extract.  Here 
again  I  think  it  desirable  to  quote  directly  from  the  book : — 
*  Es  fama  que  los  Apostoles  embiaron  a  ellos  a  predicar  la  Fe 
un  Obispo,  cuyo  nombre  me  han  prometido  dezir.  ...  Y  la 
Kalenda  lo  dize  por  estas  palabras  :  *'  Fortunatse  insulse  sex 
numero.  ..."  [description  of  situation  and  names  of  the  six 
Canary  Islands].  "  Hie  Blandanus  magnse  abstinentise  vir  ex 
Scotia,  pater  trium  millium  monachorum  :  cum  beato  Maclunio 
has  insulas  septenio  perlustrat :  Hie  dictus  Maclouius  gigan- 
tem  mortuum  suscitat :  qui  baptizatus  Judeorum  ac  Pagano- 
rum  penas  refert :  et  paulo  post  intervallum  moritur,  tempore 
Justiniani  Imperatoris." ' 

This  indifferent  and  disjointed  composition,  with  its 
obvious  errors  and  omissions,  may  be  subjected  to  the  follow- 
ing free  and  explanatory  rendering  : — 

'  In  these  islands  [Canary]  was  Brendan,  a  very  austere 
man  from  Scotia  [one  of  the  ancient  names  for  Ireland],  who 
was  the  father  or  pastor  of  three  thousand  monks  [at  Clonfert] 
from  which  he  was  absent  seven  years,  with  him  the  blessed 
Maclovis  who  raised  a  giant  [named  *  Mildu '  in  the  Celtic 
myths]  from  the  dead  and  baptized  him,  and  he  [the  giant] 
told  of  the  tortures  inflicted  [in  hell]  on  Jews  and  Pagans, 
and  a  little  time  afterwards  he  again  died,  and  this  was  in  the 
time  of  the  Emperor  Justinian  [i.e.  middle  of  sixth  century].' 
The  defects  of  the  Latin  quotation  may  be  due  to  careless 
copying  by  Espinosa,  for  in  addition  to  such  obvious  mistakes 
as  '  Blandanus  '  for  '  Brandanus,'  '  Maclunio '  and  '  Maclouius ' 
for  *  Maclovis,'  other  faults  may  be  suspected  which  a  reference 
to  the  original  might  disclose.  But,  after  much  trouble,  I 
have  been  unable  to  trace  the  '  Kalenda '  mentioned  by 
Espinosa.  Even  as  the  quotation  stands  it  is  highly  interest- 
ing and  important,  as  giving,  for  the  first  time,  a  name  and 
a  geographical  position  to  the  islands  of  the  Brendanian 
legend  and  the  myths  relating  to  Maclovis  and  his  perform- 
ances and  adventures. 

The  Guanches'  account  of  the  establishment  of  the  sixty 


A  SEQUEL  TO  THE  LEGEND  OF  ST.  BRENDAN  279 

'  sons  of  the  Great  One '  at  Icod  is  in  striking  harmony  with 
the  whole  story  of  Mernoc.  Had  Espinosa  ever  heard  of 
Mernoc,  and  been  aware  of  this  curious  coincidence,  he  might 
possibly  have  been  less  insistent  than  he  was  on  the  image 
having  been  placed  in  the  grotto  by  angelic  hands,  though  he 
would  probably  have  remained  convinced  of  its  heavenly 
creation  and  miraculous  powers.  He  found  additional  evid- 
ence of  such  creation  in  its  perfection  of  form,  the  freshness 
and  beauty  of  its  colours  and  gilding,  and  particularly  in  the 
many  mysterious  words  inscribed  on  various  parts  of  it  in 
Latin  letters  of  gold.  These  he  reproduces  in  his  book  as 
follows  : — 

TIEPFSEPMERI    *    EAFM    *    IRENINI    *    FMEAREI    * 

LPVRINENIPEPNEIFANT    *    NARMPRLMOTARE    ^ 

OLM   *    INRANFR   *    lAEBNPFM   *  RFVEN  *  NVINAPI 

MLIFINVIPI    *    NIPIAN    *    FVPMIRNA    *    ENVPMTI  * 

*  EPNMPIR  *  VRVIVINRN  *  APVIMFRI  »i«  PIVNIAN  ^ 

NTRHN  *  NBIMEI  *  ANNEIPERFMIVIFVF  * 

I  suppose  it  is  impossible  (as  Espinosa  found  it)  to  make 
anything  out  of  those  groups  of  letters,  though  (assuming  them 
to  be  some  kind  of  archaic  Latin)  a  wild  guess  might  be  made 
at  a  meaning  here  and  there.  For  instance,  the  word  *  Irenini ' 
might  mean  '  people  of  Irene ' — an  ancient  name  from  which 
the  modern  name  '  Ireland '  is  derived.  No  such  meaning 
might  have  been  intended,  but  it  would  be  likely  enough  if 
the  Guanches'  legend  of  the  existence  of  a  religious  community 
(presumably  Christian)  at  Icod  were  reliable.  And  that,  too, 
would  sufficiently  account  for  the  presence  of  the  image  in  the 
grotto  at  Gumar ;  for  it  might  very  well  have  been  brought 
there  for  some  pious  purpose  by  monks  from  Icod,  or  it  might 
be  a  solitary  relic  for  their  monastery  there,  which  had  found 
its  way  through  native  agency  across  the  island  to  the 
Gumar  grotto  in  the  course  of  the  long  ages  which  followed 
the  dying  out  of  the  monks. 

Nor  is  it  necessary  to  assume  a  miraculous  cause  for  the 
condition  of  pristine  freshness  in  which,  it  is  alleged,  the 
image  was  found.     In  Egypt,  with  a  like  dry  and  uniform 


280 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


climate,  similar  objects  have  been  preserved  for  thousands  of 
years  as  bright  and  fresh  in  appearance  as  on  the  day  when 
they  passed  from  the  hands  of  the  painter  and  gilder.  As  to 
the  alleged  artistic  carving  and  decorations  of  the  image 
there  is  no  need  to  dwell  upon  the  ability  of  the  monks  of  old 
to  produce,  in  the  seclusion  of  their  monasteries,  excellent 
and  unsurpassed  works  of  such  a  description. 

It  may  here  be  pointed  out  that  one  of  the  islands  said 
(in  the  *  Legend')  to  have  been  visited  by  St.  Brendan  he 
called  the  '  Island  of  Goats,'  from  the  number  of  those  animals 
he  saw  there.  He  describes  it  as  an  enormous  rocky  moun- 
tain rising  abruptly  from  the  sea,  and  so  steep  that  he  sailed 
about  it  for  three  days  before  finding  a  landing-place.  This 
is  quite  descriptive  of  Tenerife.  The  aborigines  were  mainly 
dependent  for  their  sustenance  on  goats'  milk  and  flesh,  and 
used  the  skins  for  clothing  and  other  purposes,  including 
manifold  wrappings  for  the  mummified  remains  of  their  dead. 
It  is  still  *  an  island  of  goats,'  though  the  present  inhabitants 
are  less  dependent  on  that  animal  than  their  predecessors.  It 
looks  as  if  *  del  chievre  oil  de  St.  Brendan  '  (in  the  words  of 
the  old  Breton  ^  lai ')  was  not  wholly  imaginary,  but  that  the 
saint  had  knowledge  of  it,  direct  or  indirect,  but  certainly 
correct. 

The  disclosures  furnished  by  Father  de  Espinosa's  book  (for 
which  we  are  indebted  to  Sir  Clements  Markham)  are,  I  think, 
of  importance,  and  certainly  interesting  to  all  students  of  the 
Brendanian  legend  and  its  associated  myths.  They  carry 
these  much  beyond  the  point  where  they  ended  when  they 
engaged  the  attention  of  such  eminent  critics  as  Jubinal, 
Michel,  von  Schroder,  Goeje,  Wright,  etc.  They  at  least 
offer  a  plausible  sequel  and  conclusion  to  a  set  of  legendary 
myths  which  have  invoked  the  speculations  of  learned  anti- 
quarians for  centuries ;  and  it  is  certain  that  had  they  been 
known  earlier  they  would  have  received  that  serious  attention 
from  the  above  writers  which  they  are  bound  to  have  from  any 
future  writers  on  the  subject. 


MICHEAL  BREATHNACH        281 


MICHEAL  BREATHNACH 

The  death  of  Micheal  Breathnach,  Principal  of  the  Connacht  Training 
College,  is  very  deeply  lamented  by  Gaelic  workers  everywhere.  Intensity 
is  added  to  the  sorrow  at  the  loss  by  the  fact  that  he  was  in  his  young 
manhood,  and  equipped  in  no  ordinary  degree  with  every  quality  and 
accomplishment  most  necessary  for  a  teacher  and  leader  in  our  national 
revival  movement.  Ireland  has  many  ardent  advocates,  but  living  in  a 
world  where  opposition  and  scorn  and  ridicule  are  daily  to  be  contended 
with,  many  of  the  worthiest  and  most  learned  have,  of  necessity,  acquired 
the  stern  qualities  of  combatants  and  pioneers. 

I  have  been  wondering  how  it  came  that  Micheal,  living  in  the  same 
environment  as  others,  retained  to  the  very  end  an  unsullied  radiance  and 
sweetness  of  temper,  that  hopefulness  and  ardour  should  still  warm  his  heart 
even  when  he  was  passing  under  the  shadow  of  death. 

I  think  I  can  understand,  for  in  this  Irish  movement  I  have  met  some 
few,  though  far  too  few,  of  whom  the  same  could  be  said.  It  was  because 
there  was  something  in  his  personality  and  character  which  silenced  opposi- 
tion, and  changed  opponents  into  fellow-workers. 

I  give  some  extracts  from  an  article  in  The  Peasant,  written  by  one  who 
knew  him  intimately: — 

*  One  evening  in  his  early  period  as  an  organiser  of  the  Gaelic  League, 
Tomas  Concannon  was  walking  along  the  Cois  Fhairrge  Road,  between 
Galway  and  Spiddal.  The  old  road  by  the  sea  is  a  noted  highway  in 
Gaeldom,  but  it  takes  some  time  to  appreciate  it.  All  the  winds  of  Connacht 
seem  to  concentrate  thereon,  at  intervals,  and  they  seem  determined  to 
freeze  the  bones  and  the  heart  of  the  stranger  to  the  locality.  It  takes  a 
good  deal  to  cloud  the  spirit  of  Tomas  Concannon ;  but  that  chilly  evening 
he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Cois  Fhairrge  was  a  poor  place  compared 
with  his  native  Aran.  Passing  through  Lochan  Beag,  near  Spiddal,  he  met 
a  genial,  bright-faced  boy,  whom  he  saluted,  of  course  in  Irish.  The  boy 
answered  in  a  rill  of  Irish  that  charmed  the  heart  of  Tomas.  There  was  a 
rare  seanchus  between  the  twain  on  the  old  roadside.  No,  the  boy  had  not 
heard  of  the  Gaelic  League,  and  it  struck  him  as  curious  that  there  was  any 
need  for  a  society  to  preserve  Irish,  Why,  around  Lochan  Beag,  where  the 
old  folk  met  and  told  the  great  Fenian  tales,  and  sang  the  immemorial 
songs  in  the  genial  night,  there  was  Irish  enough  to  last  till  the  Day  of 
Judgment.  He  described  the  nights  and  the  gala  gatherings  with  such  glow 
and  raciness  that  Tomas  began  to  think  that  Fionn  and  Oisin  and  all  the 
Fianna  were  still  living  in  Cois  Fhairrge.  The  boy,  he  found,  was  a 
monitor  in  the  local  school,  but  already  he  had  composed  lyrics  go  leor,  was 
a  sgeuluidhe  and  a  seanchaidhe  and  a  walking  embodiment  of  the  lore  of  the 
Irish  ages  in  Cois  Fhairrge.  The  boy  was  Micheal  Breathnach.  What 
Tomas  had  told  him  of  the  new  work  for  Irish  ideas  beyond  Cois  Fhairrge 


282 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


was  not  lost  on  him,  gave  him  in  fact  a  new  outlook  on  Ireland,  a  new 
interest  in  the  Irish  lore  in  which  Cois  Fhairrge  abounded.  Then,  early  in 
the  new  century,  the  London  Gaelic  League,  being  determined  to  widen  its 
field  of  work,  wanted  an  assistant  secretary,  racy  of  the  soil,  one  who  was  a 
Gaelic  expert  in  every  way.  Micheal  obtained  the  post — Seaghan  O'Cathain, 
who  was  then  secretary,  declared  that  the  Irish  letter  in  which  he  applied  for 
it  was  literature.  He  went  straight  to  London.  At  first  he  saw  only  the 
glow  and  not  the  pathos  of  Irish  life  in  London.  The  whole  order  of  things 
was  delightfully  suggestive  of  the  new  spirit  aroused  by  the  language  move- 
ment. The  London  League  worked  over  an  area  some  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
long  by  more  than  ten  broad,  so  it  had  both  variety  and  spaciousness. 
Micheal  entered  promptly  into  the  spirit  of  it  all,  having  his  fill  of  language 
teaching,  going  from  a  seanchus  in  one  sphere  to  a  ceilidh  in  another, 
hurrying  to  take  his  part  in  an  Irish  play  in  a  third,  and  doing  duty  as  a 
singer,  story-teller,  reciter  and  Irish  orator,  as  occasion  demanded.  When 
he  had  time  he  studied  French  and  Latin  and  wrote  Irish  poetry.  To  the 
general  Gael  Micheal  is  known  as  a  story-teller  for  shorter  flights  that  took 
Oireachtas  prizes,  and  for  his  translation  of  Kickham's  Knocknagow.  This 
is  still  running  serially  in  An  Claidheamhj  and  the  first  part  appeared  a 
couple  of  years  ago  in  book  form.  It  is  a  very  curious  contrast  to  his 
sensation  novel. 

'We  have  mentioned  his  Oireachtas  prizes.  Far  and  away  the  most 
important  of  all  was  for  a  History  of  Ireland.  This  was  won  over  four 
years  ago.  It  is  a  voluminous  work,  treating  of  Irish  fate  and  fortunes 
from  early  times  to  our  own.  It  was  penned,  unknown  to  almost  every- 
body, in  quiet  nights  after  the  stress  of  all  sorts  of  Gaelic  League  work. 
There  has  been  much  and  very  regrettable  delay  in  regard  to  it,  and  it  was 
only  last  month  that  the  Publication  Committee  of  the  Gaelic  League  was 
able  to  arrange  definitely  for  its  issue.  It  will  now  have  a  new  and  touching 
interest  for  readers  in  Gaeldom. 

'Early  in  1905  Micheal,  to  the  intense  regret  of  all  who  knew  him,  was 
stricken  for  a  period  by  a  severe  illness,  and  when  he  rallied  he  turned  to 
Connacht  again.  He  was  appointed  Principal  of  the  Connacht  Training 
College  at  Tourmakeady,  and  there  through  happy  summer  months  he 
carried  out  a  really  Irish  education  course  under  well-nigh  ideal  conditions. 
Amongst  his  pupils  the  first  session  were  a  young  Gaelic  poet,  a  folk-lore  col- 
lector, who  had  gathered  a  hundred  and  fifty  wonder-stories  from  the  people  in 
Mayo,  half  a  dozen  schoolmasters,  and  sundry  buachailli  and  cailini  full  of  the 
spirit  of  New  Ireland.  When  teaching  was  over  they  went  a-boating  and 
a-singing  on  Lough  Mask,  thus  gaily  rounding  culture  with  gaiety.  For  a 
period,  too,  that  same  year  Micheal  acted  as  Professor  of  Irish  at  St. 
Jarlath's  College,  Tuam.  Unhappily  his  health  gave  way  again,  and  a  trip 
to  the  Continent  was  thought  advisable.  Each  succeeding  winter  he  was 
obliged  to  spend  abroad,  returning  at  the  beginning  of  the  summer  to  take 
up  the  work  of  the  college,  which  grew  and  prospered  under  him. 


BOOK  REVIEWS  283 

*He  made  the  Connacht  College,  by  the  shore  of  Loch  Mask,  an 
institution  which  was  a  credit  and  a  joy.  He  and  it  were  beloved  by  the 
students,  and  the  tributes  paid  this  summer  to  his  work  and  method  by 
Continental  litterateurs,  who  were  there  for  a  period,  were  unreservedly 
and  whole-heartedly  enthusiastic.  However,  it  is  with  his  gracious  and 
most  winning  personality  that  the  memory  of  those  who  knew  and  worked 
with  him  will  specially  and  lovingly  dwell.  It  was  an  irony  and,  as  it 
proved,  a  tragedy  that  his  first  years  of  serious  work  after  leaving  his  native 
village  were  spent  in  London,  though  amongst  Gaels.  They  ought  to  have 
been  spent  in  the  capital  of  Connacht  or  of  Ireland ;  and  so  they  would 
have  been  if  Ireland  were  normal  and  appreciated  truly  the  talents  of  her' 
own  children  and  realised  her  own  native  possibilities.  Let  us  trust  that 
the  old  order  is  really  and  deeply  changing,  and  that  she  is  growing  saner 
and  stronger. 

*Micheal  was  full  of  the  freshness,  the  romance,  the  dreams  and  the 
blitheness  of  the  Gael.  He  made  Irish  teaching  almost  as  interesting  as 
poetry.  He  was  master  of  as  many  tales  and  poems  as  an  ancient 
seanchaidhe.  He  wrote  as  easily  as  a  river  runs  to  the  sea.  And  he  had 
all  the  charm  of  the  unspoiled  Gael  to  the  last.' 

I  do  not  think  it  possible  that  any  one  was  ever  found  to  argue  to  his 
face  that  the  Gaels  of  Irish-speaking  Ireland  were  an  inferior  and  uncivilised 
race,  for  in  appearance,  in  speech,  in  manner,  he  stood  as  a  proof  to  the 
contrary.  Nor  can  I  think  that  any  one  ever  taunted  or  tormented  him 
with  the  assertion  that  the  Irish  language  was  dying  and  must  die.  On  his 
young  lips  it  was  obviously  and  gloriously  alive,  and  his  eyes  had  in  them 
the  radiant  hope  of  one  who  is  sure  of  ultimate  triumph.  He  had  that  air 
of  proud  self-confidence  which  inspires  confidence  in  others,  and  it  is  our 
consolation  in  this  time  of  sorrowing  to  think  that  amongst  his  band  of 
pupils  and  disciples,  his  example  will  be  for  ever  remembered  and  followed. 
We  think,  too,  that  amongst  the  Western  Irish-speaking  people  from  whom 
he  sprang,  there  may  come  from  time  to  time  others  of  his  type. 

His  memory  will  endure  during  the  lives  of  all  whom  he  influenced  and 
taught,  and  the  result  of  his  work  long  beyond  that,  for  it  is  our  trust  that 
he  is  yet  to  be  numbered  amongst  the  preservers  of  our  language,  the 
builders  of  our  Nation.  Alice  Milligan. 


BOOK  REVIEWS 

Tlie  Making  of  Ireland  and  its  Undoing,  1200—1600.     By  Alice  Stopford 
Green.     Macmillan  and  Co.     Pp.  xiii  +  511.     I0s.net. 

The  history  of  Ireland  has  suffered  more  than  that  of  most  countries  in 
having  been  written  mostly  from  the  point  of  view  of  a  conquering  people 
who  differed  widely  in  race,  traditions,  laws,  manners  and  customs  from  the 


284 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


people  whom  they  overcame.  Geoffrey  Keating  indeed  wrote  the  history  of 
Ireland  from  the  inside  and  in  Irish  about  1625,  but  his  work  was  not 
published  till  1723,  and  was  then  long  unknown  outside  of  Irish 
circles. 

To  English  eyes  the  Irish  people  have  ever  presented  marvellously  few 
virtues ;  from  the  twelfth  century  onwards  the  English  recognised  it  as  a 
sacred  duty  laid  on  them  to  bring  that  barbarous  people  to  a  'state  of 
civility,' to  'make  a  godly  conquest'  of  them,  or  in  lieu  thereof — to  certain 
English  statesmen  a  commendable  alternative — to  '  extirp '  them  clean  out 
of  the  land,  and  plant  in  the  same  a  goodly  Saxon  stock.  In  this  view  the 
native  men  of  Ireland  did  not  concur.  They  preferred  Gaelic  to  English ; 
they  preferred  their  own  ancient  laws  and  customs  to  those  of  the  feudal 
system.  They  were  provokingly  slow  to  recognise  their  uncivil  and 
barbarous  condition.  Strange  to  say,  the  great  Norman  barons  who  were 
settled  in  Ireland  at  the  time  of  the  twelfth  century  conquest  came  over  to 
the  Irish  point  of  view,  became  Irishmen,  nay,  Hiberniores  ipsis  Hibernis,  more 
Irish  than  the  Irish  themselves.  They  '  not  only  forgot  the  English  tongue, 
but  scorned  the  use  of  it.' 

The  question  naturally  arises  whether  the  traditional  English  view  of 
Irish  culture  in  the  Middle  Ages  is  to  be  accepted  as  final,  or  admits  of 
qualification.  One  also  feels  curious  to  know  whether,  apart  from  motives 
of  high  philanthropy,  the  English  had  any  substantial  advantages  in  view 
that  might  serve  incidentally  to  recompense  their  civilising  ardour.  Mrs. 
Green's  book  is  an  attempt  to  answer  these  questions. 

It  is  an  accepted  historical  fact  that  Scotland  was  never  more  generally 
prosperous  than  in  the  century  preceding  the  Wars  of  Independence,  and 
that  indeed  it  was  this  prosperity,  coupled  with  grit  and  good  leadership, 
that  enabled  her  to  withstand  the  pressing  advances  of  her  English 
neighbours,  Mrs.  Green,  in  great  and  convincing  detail,  points  out  that 
Ireland  enjoyed  a  similar  period  of  prosperity  which  reached  its  height  in 
the  fifteenth  century.  It  is  pointed  out  that  the  union  of  the  Danish 
settlers  with  the  native  population  was  followed  by  a  remarkable  movement 
in  the  twelfth  century  towards  an  organised  national  life.  Ireland  absorbed 
the  Danes.  Then  came  the  violence  of  the  Norman  invasion,  but  continued 
intercourse  produced  a  new  race  of  '  Ireland  men,'  zealous  for  the  good  and 
self-government  of  their  common  home.  The  fifteenth  century  Mrs.  Green 
regards  as  a  new  period  of  national  reconstruction,  rich  with  the  promise  of 
development.  Ireland  at  this  period  had  an  extensive  commerce,  both 
internal  and  continental.  Her  roads  and  waterways  were  busy,  and  her 
harbours  all  round  her  coasts  frequented.  The  land  was  diligently  tilled ; 
the  pastures  were  stocked  with  cattle ;  chiefs  and  others  waxed  wealthy  by 
trade,  and  the  people  as  a  whole  enjoyed  comfort  and  plenty.  Alongside  of 
this  went  encouragement  of  art  and  literature,  of  which  the  chiefs  were 
generous  patrons.  The  rewards  of  learning  and  of  skill  in  mediaeval  Ireland 
were  not  inferior  in  their  way  to  those  enjoyed  now  by  successful  novelists 


BOOK  REVIEWS  285 

and  writers  of  plays.  Spenser  admitted  the  quality  of  Irish  poetry ; 
convincing  specimens  of  exceeding  skill  in  metal-work  are  extant.  The  Irish 
Brehon  law  was  highly  developed,  and  equitable  in  its  operation.  There  is 
no  diflSiculty  in  showing  that  Ireland  possessed  a  continental  culture.  Her 
scholars  were  well  known  and  respected  in  Italy,  France,  and  Spain,  as  in 
Oxford  also.  A  list  (incomplete)  of  translations  into  Irish  from  Latin, 
French,  Spanish,  and  English  comprises  thirty-one  works  of  various 
character.  That  there  was  another  and  a  less  pleasing  side  to  this  fair 
picture  is  well  known.  The  tribal  system  was  weak  on  the  political  side, 
whence  the  disunion,  raids  and  bickerings  which  have  been  represented  as 
forming  the  staple  of  Irish  history.  Mrs.  Green  is  aware  of  this,  but  her 
business  is  with  the  peaceful  activities  that  can  be  proved  to  have  occupied 
after  all  the  great  part  of  the  people's  life. 

As  to  practical  motives  for  the  conquest  of  Ireland,  the  answer  is 
simple.  Ireland  was  a  fair  and  fertile  country,  with  large  exports,  and 
flourishing  commerce,  'a  nation  and  kingdom  to  transfer  into  the  super- 
fluous multitude  of  fruitless  and  idle  people  here  at  home  daily  increasing.' 
The  *  perfecting'  of  Ireland  involved  a  deliberate  policy  to  'exterminate 
and  exile  the  country  people  of  the  Irishry,'  the  only  limits  to  the  said 
policy  being  *  the  marvellous  sumptions  charge '  entailed,  and  the  great 
difficulty  in  face  of  'the  hardness  and  misery  those  Irishmen  can  endure 
both  of  hunger,  cold,  thirst,  and  evil  lodging,  and  to  eat  roots  and  drink 
water  continually ' — clear  proofs  these  of  their  '  uncivil  and  barbarous ' 
state.  If  the  desired  result  was  not  obtained,  it  was  not  for  want  of 
straightforward  and  practical  measures  on  the  part  of  English  statesmen. 
Some  of  these  measures  may  be  noted.  Irish  trade  had  long  been 
discouraged  unsuccessfully  by  Acts  of  Parliament.  In  the  times  of 
Henry  viii.  and  Elizabeth,  however,  more  efficient  measures  succeeded  in 
choking  off  the  foreign  trade  and  ruining  the  island  industries.  In  the  case 
of  the  great  woollen  trade,  for  instance,  it  was  reasonably  urged  '  if  they 
should  manufacture  their  own  wools,  which  grow  to  very  great  quantities, 
we  should  not  only  lose  the  profit  we  make  now  by  indraping  their  wools, 
but  it  might  be  feared  they  would  beat  us  out  of  the  trade  itself  by 
underselling  us,  which  they  were  well  able  to  do.'  Later,  in  1633,  Strafford 
writes,  'to  serve  your  Majesty  completely  well  ...  we  must  make  sure 
still  to  hold  them  dependent  on  the  Crown,  and  not  able  to  subsist  without 
us,  which  will  be  effected  by  wholly  laying  aside  the  manufacture  of  wools 
into  cloth  or  stuff  there,  and  by  furnishing  them  from  this  kingdom,  and 
then  making  your  Majesty  sole  merchant  of  all  salts  on  that  side  :  for  thus 
shall  they  not  only  have  their  clothing  [but]  the  improvement  of  all  their 
native  commodities  (which  are  principally  preserved  by  salt)  and  their 
victual  itself  from  hence  .  .  .  and  thereby  become  so  dependent  upon  this 
Crown,  as  they  could  not  depart  from  us  without  nakedness  to  themselves 
and  their  children,'  Another  recommends :  '  Take  first  from  them  their  corn 
so  that  the  Irishry  shall  not  live  thereupon ;  then  to  have  their  cattle  and 


286 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


5"^ 


.IK*' 


beasts,  and  then  shall  they  be  without  corn,  victual  or  cattle,  and  thereof 
shall  ensue  the  putting  in  effect  of  all  these  wars  against  them.' 

The  financial  relations  of  Ireland  and  England  were  ably  regulated  to 
serve  the  same  purpose.  Irish  money  was  kept  debased  at  least  a  quarter 
below  the  English  standard.  '  The  King  saved  expense  by  paying  his  Irish 
army  in  Ireland  not  in  sterling  coin  but  in  a  cheaper  coin.  The  English 
trader  could  profit  by  buying  with  bad  money  in  Ireland,  and  selling  for 
good  money  in  England.  And  a  blow  was  struck  at  the  foreign  commerce 
of  Ireland  :  no  foreign  merchant  would  bring  goods  where  money  was  light 
and  bad.'  The  Four  Masters  chronicle,  under  1499:  'New  money  was 
introduced  into  Ireland,  i.e.  copper,  and  the  men  of  Ireland  were  obliged  to 
use  it  as  silver.'  For,  said  the  sagacious  Cecil,  *  that  realm  cannot  be  rich 
whose  coin  is  poor  and  base,  nor  that  hath  not  intercourse  and  trade  of 
merchandise  with  other  nations.'  The  story  of  the  commercial  ruin  of  such 
towns  as  Gal  way.  Limerick,  Cork,  and  Waterford  shows  that  the  policy  of 

*  thorough '  had  at  least  a  considerable  measure  of  success. 

Part  of  the  same  policy  was  the  extinction  of  the  Irish  language  and 
learning,  for  these  '  procure  a  talent  of  Irish  disposition  and  conversation  in 
them  which  is  likewise  convenient  to  be  expelled.'  Latin  was  forbidden  to 
be  used  in  treaties  and  negotiations,  '  lest  it  might  be  falsely  expounded  by 
deceitful  friars.'  English,  being  understood  of  few,  was  the  safer  medium 
when  questions  of  exposition  arose.  It  need  hardly  be  added  that  Irishmen 
were  debarred  from  the  English  Universities,  where  formerly  they  had  been 
wont  to  resort,  as  also  from  all  lucrative  positions  at  home. 

Yet  after  all  the  pains  thus  thoughtfully  taken  on  their  behalf,  the 
Irishry  returned  only  black  ingratitude.     Their  iniquity  was  preternatural. 

*  As  I  suppose,  it  is  predestinate  in  this  country  to  bring  forth  seditions, 
inventions,  lies,  and  such  other  naughty  fruits,  also  that  no  man  shall  have 
thanks  for  services  done  here.' 

Mrs.  Green's  remarkable  book,  backed  up  as  it  is  by  references  for  every 
statement,  makes  reading  that  to-day  must  sadden  the  hearts  of  all  right- 
thinking  men,  English  and  Irish  alike.  At  the  root  of  the  whole  matter  is 
the  difference  in  race ;  and,  probably,  there  is  no  instance  in  mediaival  and 
modern  history  in  which  the  intensity  of  racial  hatred  is  shown  to  greater 
advantage.  In  Scotland,  thanks  to  our  forefathers,  thanks  perhaps  also  to 
our  poverty,  such  conflicts  have  been  spared  us  largely,  not  wholly.  In  any 
case  they  have  left  behind  no  root  of  bitterness  such  as  still  rankles,  and 
small  wonder,  in  the  hearts  of  Irishmen  who  know  their  country's  history. 

W.  J.  Watson. 


Laoidhean  agus  Dhin  Spioradail — le  Murchadh  Macleoid  (nach  maireann) 

Scalpaidh  na  h-Earradh — air  a  dheasachadh   leis  an  Urr.  Calum 

Mac'illinnein  B.D.  an  Duneidean.     Published  by  Norman  Macleod, 

25  George  iv.  Bridge,  Edinburgh.     Price  2s. 

This  is  a  neat  little  volume  of  Gaelic  verse,  extending  over  xi-f  83  pp. 


NOTES  28  7 

The  get-up  of  it  reflects  credit  on  printers  and  publishers — and  is  such  as 
will  be  sure  to  appeal  to  the  taste  of  the  real  book-lover.  It  is  described 
and  commended  in  an  editorial  note — in  English — and  the  reader  is  intro- 
duced to  the  life  of  the  author  in  a  plain,  unpretentious  narrative,  couched  in 
smooth,  idiomatic  Gaelic. 

In  many  respects  it  is  a  remarkable  volume.  If  it  is  examined  purely 
and  severely  as  a  literary  production  it  would  be  easy  for  men  of  much 
lower  stature  than  the  author  measured  to  point  to  defects  more  or  less 
serious.  The  range  of  subjects  may  be  neither  very  wide  nor  very  varied, 
and  the  author  confined  himself  to  a  small  patch  of  the  great  field  of 
religious  experience.  Judged  as  poetry  one  misses  much  of  the  rich 
imagery  and  obscure  and  elevated  style  with  which  some  of  our  great 
poets  have  made  us  familiar.  Nevertheless  we  find  in  this  volume  very 
many  of  those  features  which  give  charm  to  some  of  our  finest  modern 
Gaelic  bards. 

To  give  true  justice  to  the  book,  however,  it  must  be  read  and  examined 
in  full  light  of  the  author's  life  and  opportunities.  He  had  only  the  advan- 
tage of  an  elementary  education,  say  between  the  ages  of  six  and  fourteen. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  became  an  ordinary  sailor,  and  for  six  years 
gave  no  evidence  of  any  higher  ambition.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he 
made  his  way  home  and  found  himself  suff"ering  from  a  disease  which  he 
knew  would  prove  fatal  before  very  long.  He  lingered  for  some  four 
years,  during  the  first  two  of  which  he  was  much  troubled  and  downcast. 
Then,  however,  the  cloud  lifted  and  he  began  to  give  expression  to  his 
thoughts  in  poetic  form.  We  submit  that  under  such  circumstances  the 
little  volume  which  he  left  us  is  remarkable  for  its  excellence  and  pathos. 
"With  insignificant  exceptions,  the  language  and  idiom  are  of  the  pure 
stream,  and  taste  of  the  right  bias.  They  are  real  Harris  texture  and  smell 
of  the  peat. 

NOTES 

The  charming  little  peep  into  the  past  afforded  by  Father  Allan 
MacDonald's  legend  in  the  last  number  of  the  Review  touched  a  chord  in  at 
least  one  reader's  heart — a  chord,  too,  which,  struck  in  early  childhood,  has 
never  ceased  to  throb. 

Eushes  abounded  in  our  parish  :  chairs,  tables,  and  whip-making  were  a 
never-failing  source  of  pleasure.  We  used  the  pith  to  ornament  card-board 
boxes,  but  the  little  brown  tips  were  always  a  trouble.  I  have  spent  hours 
in  trying  to  get  enough  all-over-green  rushes  even  to  make  one  chair,  but 
never  succeeded.  It  gave  me  a  feeling  very  much  akin  to  pain  to  find  that 
they  were  all  spoilt  by  that  wretched  little  'brown  bit.' 

There  was  always  a  pleasant  feeling  when  we  pulled  up  a  spike  of 
scabious  to  find  that  the  fairies  had  bitten  their  little  share  off;  and  when 
we  cut  a   thick  bracken  stem,  to  find  the  spread-eagle,  or  counted  the 


288 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


'shoes'  on  the  horse-chestnut,  the  delight  was  always  new,  but  those 
rushes ! — they  were  a  continual  vexation,  only  to  be  understood  or 
appreciated  by  a  country-bred  child.  I  never  spoke  about  my  feeling  to 
any  one,  which  perhaps  intensified  it. 

Father  Allan's  solution,  none  the  less  thrilling  that  the  rush-gathering 
days  are  long  gone,  is  like  a  mountain  burn,  whose  water  is  not  only 
refreshing  to  drink,  but  whose  tumbling  rhythm  brings  back  a  living  memory 
of  days  of  yore.  E.  S.  M. 


Alt '  Celtischer  Sprachschafs.  —  A.  Holder  (Teubner,  Leipzig).  The 
eighteenth  part  (Vesontio-Zusemo),  which  has  now  appeared,  contains 
many  articles  of  interest.  The  Vettones,  a  Lusitanian  folk,  yield  an  ad- 
jective Vettonicus,  whence  Vettonica  herba,  a  specific  against  snake  bites  of 
minor  order,  according  to  Celsus,  whence  our  betony.  The  article  on 
Victoria  shows  that  the  Celts  had  a  goddess  of  victory  named  Andraste  or 
Andate,  who  has  often  been  wrongly  connected  with  our  Annat,  a  Celtic 
Church  term.  The  most  important  individual  word  treated  of  is  vindos, 
white,  Gaelic  fionn,  Welsh  gwyn,  which  with  its  derivatives  runs  to  about 
twenty-two  columns.  Ptolemy's  Vindogara,  a  bay  and  town  of  the  Dam- 
nonii  in  Scotland,  is  equated  as  to  situation  with  Girvan  in  Ayrshire.  It 
has  been  thought  to  be  the  bay  of  Ayr,  but  we  suspect  that  Girvan,  formerly 
Garvane,  is  simply  Vindo-gara,  with  the  parts  of  the  compound  reversed. 
In  fact  Girvan  appears  to  be  the  place  noted  in  Professor  Anwyl's  paper  in 
the  Celtic  Review  (January  1908)  as  Garanwynyon,  mentioned  in  the  Black 
Book  of  Caermarthen.  'From  the  expression  Gro  Garanwynyon  (the 
gravel  of  Garanwynyon),'  says  Professor  Anwyl,  'it  is  not  improbable  that 
it  was  on  the  seashore.'  The  latter  part  of  Garanwynyon  appears  to  be 
from  gwyn,  white,  and  if  so,  the  name  is  simply  Vindo-gara  reversed.  If  this 
is  correct,  it  should  furnish  a  much-needed  caution  to  the  people  who  derive 
names  offhand  with  a  light  heart. 

The  editor  adds  45  pages  by  way  of  addenda  to  vol.  i.  pp.  1-47,  of  the 
Sprachschatz,  at  which  rate  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  no  immediate  prospect 
of  A.  Holder's  great  work  coming  to  a  conclusion.  Among  these  addenda 
may  be  noted  an  inscription,  D{eae)  s{anctae)  T{uribrigensi)  Ad{aeginae)j 
'To  the  holy  goddess  Adaegina  of  Turobriga,'  in  Spain,  with  whose  name  he 
compares  0.  Ir.  adaig  night,  our  Gaelic  oidhche. 

The  Royal  Irish  Academy  Todd  Lecture  Series,  vol.  xiv.  (52  pp. ;  Is.  6d.), 
is  by  Dr.  Kuno  Meyer,  and  is  entitled  The  Death  Tales  of  the  Ulster  Heroes. 
The  tales  comprise  the  deaths  of  Conchobar,  Loegaire  Buadach,  Celtchar 
mac  Uthechar,  Fergus  mac  E6ich,  and  Cet  mac  Magach.  Three  of  these 
have  not  hitherto  been  published,  and  of  a  fourth,  the  Death  of  Fergus,  the 
only  source  hitherto  has  been  Keating's  versipn.  Dr.  Meyer  prints  four  of 
these  tales  from  the  Edinburgh  MS.  XL.,  for  several  of  which  that  MS.  is 
the  only  authority.  A  version  of  the  fifth  is  found  in  the  same  MS.  Text 
and  translation  are  placed  on  opposite  pages,  and  the  book  is  furnished  with 


NOTES  289 

notes,  indexes  of  persons  and  places,  and  a  glossary.  The  whole  is  of  un- 
common interest  and  value.  We  may  quote,  for  its  rhythm,  a  verse  of  a 
poem  by  Cinded  hiia  Hartacdin,  who  died  in  975  A.D.  It  is  addressed  to 
the  stone  formed  of  Mesgegra's  brain,  which  was  slung  by  Cet  mac  Mdgach 
at  Concobar,  and  after  lodging  in  his  head  for  seven  years  ultimately  proved 
his  death. 

'  A  chloch  thall  for  elaid  uair  Buite  buain  male  Bronaig  bain 

ropsa  mind  i  tressaib  t6ir  dia  mba  i  cind  maic  Nessa  nair.' 

Translated  by  Dr.  Meyer : 

•  O  stone  yonder  upon  the  cold  tomb  of  ever-famous  Buite,  the  blessed 
son  of  Br6nach,  thou  wast  a  diadem  in  battles  of  pursuit  while  thou  wast  in 
the  head  of  the  noble  son  of  Ness.' 

Elad— ailad,  a  tomb,  seems  to  survive  in  Scottish  Gaelic  as  eala(dh),a 
term  which  Mr.  A.  Carmichael  informs  me  is  used  in  Lismore  and  elsewhere 
to  denote  the  stone  marking  an  ancient  tomb  (presumably  of  a  cleric). 

Rev.  Charles  M.  Robertson  pointed  out  {Celtic  Beview,  i.  94)  that 
Ptolemy's  Tamia  should  be  sought  for  on  the  Tummel,  with  which  it  is 
etymologically  connected.  Mr.  Robertson  considered  Logierait  to  be  the 
most  likely  site,  an  excellent  position  where  a  place  of  strength  existed 
doubtless.  There  is,  however,  another  site  which  is  worthy  of  consideration, 
as  actually  preserving  the  very  name  itself,  viz.  Dun  Teamhalach,  at  the  east 
end  of  Loch  Tummel,  meaning  Tummel  Fort.  Important  forts  were  often 
situated  at  that  end  of  a  loch  from  which  its  river  issues,  e.g.  Dundurn,  at 
the  east  end  of  Loch  Earn,  Dunmore  at  the  east  end  of  Loch  Vennachar,  the 
great  ruins  at  the  east  end  of  Loch  Shin,  and  the  forts  in  the  Ness  valley. 
Dun  Teamhalach,  therefore,  seems  to  possess  strong  claims  as  the  site  of  one 
of  the  '  towns '  of  the  Vacomagi.  The  maps,  by  the  way,  with  their  usual 
felicity,  make  it  Duntanlich,  which  may  have  served  to  prevent  its  recog- 
nition. 

Mr.  W.  C.  Mackenzie's  Simon  Fraser,  Lord  Lovat^  His  Life  and  Times 
(Chapman  and  Hall),  is  a  handsome  volume  containing  much  information  as 
to  Simon's  early  life  and  struggles.  It  does  not  clear  his  memory,  but  it 
helps  to  explain  him.  Since  publication  of  the  book,  Mr.  Mackenzie  has 
discovered  that  Simon's  body,  thought  to  rest  in  Kirkhill,  was  buried  in  the 
Tower  of  London  on  17th  April  1747.  In  course  of  a  newspaper  corre- 
spondence, however,  appeal  has  been  made  to  an  examination  of  the  Wardlaw 
vault  conducted  on  25th  September  1884  by  Sir  William  Fraser  of  Ledclune, 
and  Mr.  William  Mackay,  Inverness,  has  shown  from  documents  in  his 
possession  that  Sir  William  Fraser  was  satisfied  that  a  body  which  he  found 
therein  was  that  of  Simon.  It  is,  of  course,  quite  possible  that  Simon's 
remains  were  quietly  conveyed  to  Kirkhill  some  time  after  their  interment 
in  the  Tower. 

VOL.  V.  T 


290 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


One  of  the  best  equipped  of  the  many  recent  school  histories  of  Scotland 
is  The  Story  of  Our  Native  Land  (Blackie  and  Sons)  by  Mr.  Duncan  Mac- 
Gillivray,  Eector  of  Bellahouston  Academy.  The  new  edition,  which  is  sure 
to  be  soon  called  for,  should  give  an  opportunity  of  recognising  more 
explicitly  the  Celtic  element  in  Scotland's  story.  By  the  way.  Alba,  which 
originally  applied  to  the  whole  of  Britain,  and  continued  to  be  so  used  till 
about  the  tenth  century,  is  not  usually  referred  to  alp^  a  lump.  The  form 
Albion  is  very  old.  Sir  John  Khys  declines  to  etymologise  it,  though 
Holder  says  *  Weissland,  von  seinen  Kreidefelsen  am  Meer,'  which  is  the 
explanation  most  in  vogue. 

*  D.  M.  E.,'  writing  to  the  Northern  Chronicle  on  official  lists  of  prisoners 
taken  after  Culloden,  brings  out  the  interesting  points  that  their  average 
height  ran  rather  under  5  feet  5  inches,  and  that  the  great  majority  of  them 
were,  men  of  middle  age  or  over  it.  One  might  imagine  that  this  latter  fact 
at  least  might  be  ascribed  to  inferior  running  power,  but  '  D.  M.  R.,'  from 
other  statistics,  is  of  opinion  that  most  Highland  young  men  of  that  period 
were  in  the  habit  of  migrating  or  emigrating. 

The  current  number  of  the  Scottish  Historical  Review  contains  an  article 
by  Mr.  Evan  M.  Barron  on  the  part  played  by  the  Celtic  people  north 
of  the  Grampians  in  the  Scottish  Wars  of  Independence.  Mr.  Barron 
shows  good  ground  for  believing  that  Bruce's  main  strength  lay  in  the 
north  and  west,  a  position  directly  contrary  to  that  maintained  by 
Mr.  A.  Lang.  The  article  is  well  and  ably  written,  and  deserves  close 
study. 

An  Comunn  Gaidhealach  propose  to  establish  somewhere  in  the  High- 
lands a  summer  school  for  Gaelic  on  the  lines  which  have  proved  so 
successful  in  Ireland.  The  idea  is  not  new,  and  the  scheme  deserves 
hearty  support. 


A  considerable  section  of  the  many  valuable  Celtic  books  in  the  library 
of  the  late  Dr.  Alexander  MacBain  has  been  acquired  by  the  University  of 
Glasgow  through  the  liberality  of  a  benefactor  who  withholds  his  name. 
The  University  authorities  are  to  be  congratulated  on  their  acquisition,  as 
also  on  having  to  a  large  extent  helped  to  prevent  the  scattering  of  a  fine 
collection.     Is  fhasa  sgapadh  na  tional. 

Dr.-  MacBain's  Trustees  have  presented  to  the  University  of  Glasgow  the 
first  draft  of  his  famous  Etymological  Dictionary  of  the  Gaelic  Language. 
The  MS.  is  large  quarto,  strongly  bound  in  black  leather.  Over  eight 
hundred  books  of  Dr.  MacBain's  collection  remain  to  be  disposed  of. 

W.  J.  W. 


THE    CELTIC    REVIEW 

APRIL  15,  1909 

GAELIC  GLOSSES 

Whitley  Stokes 

The  following  glosses  have  been  extracted  from  the  vocabu- 
lary contained  in  pp.  143-153  of  a  paper  manuscript  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  marked  xxxviii.,  belonging  to  the  High- 
land Society  of  London,  and  now  deposited  in  the  Advocates' 
Library,  Edinburgh.  This  vocabulary  contains  about  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  entries,  which,  in  my  transcript,  I  have 
numbered  consecutively.  Many,  perhaps  most,  of  them  are 
identical  with  the  entries  in  one  or  other  of  the  glossaries 
printed  in  the  Archiv  fur  Celtische  Lexikographie,  Halle, 
1900,  1904,  1907.  But  those  that  follow  have  never,  so  far 
as  I  know,  been  printed,  and  are  probably  unknown  to 
Celtists  : — 

41.  aillibi^s.l.  braddn. 
One  of  the  many  Irish  words  for  '  salmon.'  O'Reilly  gives 
it  as  ailliuhhar,  an  obvious  misreading  of  ailliubhas.  This 
is  borrowed  from  a  Middle- English  "^''hali-hass,  a  compound  of 
halt  '  holy,'  and  base,  now  bass,  a  perch,  the  fish  being,  like 
hali-but,  '  holy  plaice,'  excellent  eating  for  holidays  (Skeat). 
A  similar  name  is  halli-hoe,  a  Cornish  word  for  the  skipper 
fish,  scomberesox  saurus  (Wright,  The  English,  Dialect 
Dictiong^ry,  iii.  33). 

86.  airdicA^ach  .1.  uchtach. 
*  high-bosomed,  i.e.  full-chested.'      The  lemma  (corruptly  in 
the   MS.  airdiac^tach)  is    a    compound   of  ard,    'high,'  and 

VOL.  V.  U 


292  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

ichtachf  an  adjective,  derived  from  icht  (  =  Lat.  pectus ,  Kuhris 
Zeitschr.y  xxxv.  84),  whence  the  Middle-Irish  nominal  prep. 
ar  icht.  The  gloss  is  an  adj.  derived  from  ucht  from  "^poktu 
in  ablaut-relation  to  pectus. 

125.  buing  .1.  dabach. 
The  gloss  means  a  *  large  tub,'  and  the  lemma  buing  must  be 
borrowed  from  MHG.  hunge  *  drum,'  or  Swed.  hunke  *  a  flat- 
bottomed  bowl.'    See  Falk  and  Torp's  Etymologisk  Ordbog,  i. 
85,  col.  2. 

148.  bath  .1.  bric^^. 

The  gloss  means  a  *  spell '  or  'charm';  the  lemma  seems  cognate 
with  Lat.  fatantur  '  multa  fantur,'  Festus,  and  fateor.  See 
Urkeltischer  Sprachschatz,  p.  159. 

198.  caindi^^hecA^  .1.  meidi^hecfet. 

The  lemma  is  founded  on  the  Lat.  quantitas :  the  gloss  is 
derived  from  meid  'quantity,  size.' 

224.  clannach  .1.  subhailce. 

The  gloss  means  *  virtue ' :  the  lemma  may  be  connected  with 
Gr.  AcaXd?,  Skr.  kalya-s.  O'Brien  and  his  copyist  O'Reilly 
have  clanach  '  virtue.' 

333.  eilminte  .1.  duile. 

The  gloss  means  'elements,'  and  the  lemma  is  the  pi.  of 
eilmint,  a  loan  from  the  gen.  sg.  of  the  Lat.  elementum, 
O'Reilly  has  '  element  s.  an  element,  vulg.'  a  mere  pedantic 
form. 

346.  foithrebh  .1.  gort. 

The  gloss  means  *a  field,'  esp.  *a  corn-field.'  The  lemma  is 
cognate  With,  fothirbe,  Trip.  Life,  82,168,ybf^AzV6e.l.  imaireno 
gort  no  achad,  H.  3.18,  p.  62,  col.  1.  O'Reilly,  apparently 
mistaking  gort  for  gorta,  tra^nslsites  foithreibh  by  *  hunger.' 

424.  glann  .1.  gaire. 

The  gloss  means  *  laughter ' :  the  lemma  (which  O'Reilly 
misspells  glan)   may  be  =  Pindar's  yeXdp-qs  '  laughing,  cheer- 


GAELIC  GLOSSES  293 

ful,'  from  ^yeXaa-mj^i  cognate  with  yeXaw,  yeXacrros.  As 
Prellwitz  says :  Lachen  ist  heiter  sein,  glanzen ;  Lat.  reni- 
dere  =  ridere ;  vgl.  yeXeiv  *  XdiLireiv,  avOeiv,  Hesych. 

462.  imne  .1.  amal  so. 

The  gloss  means  *  thus,'  as  O'Reilly  translates  it.  The  lemma 
is  cognate  with  the  O.  Ir.  im-tha,  *  so  is,'  nim-tha,  *  not  so  is,' 
nim-that,  *  not  so  are,'  and  also  with  Lat.  im-ago,  im-itor. 

517.  mar  each  .1.  imsniomach. 
The  gloss  means  '  anxious,'  *  sad ' :  the  lemma  is  from  '^margach 
(g  provected  by  r),  cognate  with  Ir.  mairg  '  woe,'  Gr.  fxdpyos 
'  raging.' 

519.  muaid  .1.  fuaim. 

The  gloss  means  *  sound,'  '  noise ' :  the  lemma  is  obviously 
cognate  with  Gr.  ftu^o),  fivyiio^;,  Lat.  mugio,  Skr.  muj^ 
mdjati. 

526.  necht  .1.  geal. 

The  gloss  means  *  bright ' :  the  lemma  is  glossed  by  glan 
*pure,'  in  H.  3.18,  p.  637^;  and  see  Archiv  i.,  pp.  62,  89. 
The  ur- Keltic  form  is  preserved  in  the  corrupt  Gaulish  gloss 
netcos  murus  C.G.L.v.  'unwashed'  leg.  nectos  merus.  Bezz. 
Beitr.  xxix.  169.  The  Gr.  vlttto^  in  dviiTTo^  347  and  the  Skr. 
niktd  are  cognate. 

572.  proscZa  .1.  calma. 
The  gloss  means  '  brave ' :  the  lemma  is  an  adjective  derived 
from  pros,  a  loan  from  O.  Fr.  prouesse  or  Mid.  Eng.  prowes, 
pruesse,  ^low  prowess, 

573.  poireda  .1.  cuasac[h]. 
The  gloss  means  '  hollow ' :  the  lemma  '  porous '  being  derived 
from  poir,  Lat.  porus,  gen.  pori,  Gr.  Tropos. 

678.  sidh  .1.  mecZhon  laoi. 
The  gloss  means  *  middle  of  the  day,'  'noon'  (when  sunUght 
is  brightest) :  the  lemma  should  be  sidh,  from  the  root  sveid, 


294 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


whence  Lett,  swidu,  swlst,  'vom  anbrechenden  Tageslicht, 
hell  werden/  Lith.  svidus  '  blank/  '  glanzend/  and  Lat.  sldus 
con-sidero.     See  Walde,  Lat.  Etym.  Worterhuch,  139,  571. 

713.  tonn  .1.  ard  no  caillech. 

The  first  gloss  means  a  height :  the  lemma,  when  it  means 
'height,'  may  come  from  tumno  or  ^tumndj  and  be  cognate 
with  Lat.  tumeOj  tumor,  tumulus,  etc.  The  second  gloss, 
caillech,  means  *  nun '  or  '  old  woman,'  and  then  the  lemma 
may  be  borrowed  from  Prov.  domna,  or  Ital.  donna,  with  the 
same  provection  of  d  that  we  find  in  tesc  from  discus,  peist 
from  hestia,  and  ParthaUn  from  Bartholomaeus.  A  derivative 
tuinne  occurs  in  the  compound  sen-tuinne.     Corm.  s.  v.  priill. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  BY  ALEXANDER  MAC- 
DONALD  (MAC  MHAIGHSTIR  ALASTAIR) 

Professor  Mackinnon 

V.  Poems  hitherto  unpublished. 

{Continued  from  vol.  v.  p.  235) 

The  following  long  poem  (pp.  177-182)  is  on  the  same 
subject,  and  equally  severe.  The  first  stanza  is  defective, 
unless  we  insert  the  refrain — '  Sid  gniomh  comhraig  nan 
Caimbeulach  dubh,'  as  the  MS.  does  in  stanzas  2,  3,  4.  It  is 
also  doubtful  whether  the  piece  is  complete.  The  last  lines 
would  suggest  the  conclusion,  but  the  usual  *  Finid '  is  not 
appended. 

Tha  Clannach  ^  ainmeil 

An  drast  ann  an  Albainn, 

Gu'n  saoil  iad  le'n  tapadh 

Gu'n  striochd  sinn  le'r  (n-)armaibh, 

Air  fas  'nam  b6can 

Le  burach  an  suic. 

^  Formed  by  the  author   from    clann,   'clan,'   as   fineachf    'clan,'   tribe,'    from 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  295 

Hoth,  both  !  aig  gach  aona  mhuic, 

'S  a  carbad  air  (s)amhadh  ; 

'S  a  corr-fhiacail  ruisgte 

Gu  cusanimh  p]  bainne. 

Cba'n  'eil  binid  no  iomadal, 

No  meuragan  salacb, 

Nach  dean  iad  a  ghiubhladb 

Mar  arrachdas  abhail, — 

O  sid  gniomb  c6mhraig 

Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh ! 

Cha'n  'eil  lonaid  no  taban 

No  cl6imh  an  d^is  armadh, 

Nacb  bi  'm  ba'ist  nan  trustar 

Dh'ionnsuidh  'm  mosaicb'  a  dhearbhadh, 

Sid  gniomb  c6mhraig 

Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh  ! 

Cha'n  'eil  sp^in  gu  61  fuaraig 

No  creachuinnean  tr^ghad, 

Nach  bi  aca  'ga  se61adh 

Gu  buailtean  a  thr^ghadh ; — 

Sid  gniomb  cdmhraig 

Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh ! 

Cha'n  'eil  uachdar  air  miosar 

Nach  dean  iad  a  chr^gradh ; 

Mulchag  no  measgan, 

No  miodraichean  bl^'cha, 

Nach  cuir  iad  'n  am  bucaid, 

Marri  pocannan  garbhain ; — 

'S  f  ior  ghrkineil  an  turaraich 

Thig  bho  thulchainn  na  gr^isge, 

Sid  gniomb  c6mhraig 

Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh  ! 

'N  uair  a  theid  sibh  a  chadal, 
'S  'ur  raidsichean  sehrrsta, 
Bidh  'ur  stamagan  ciurrta, 
Gus  am  bruchd  air  'ur  n-etoach, 
Sid  gniomb  cdmhraig 
Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh  ! 


Sid  gniomb  c6mhraig 


296 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh ! 

Tha  'ur  camp  air  iks  miomhail, 

'S  cha'n  fhearr  'ur  n-artiliri 


Druma  'ga  heatadh, 

Cur  rafreut  air  .  .  . 

Sid  gnlomh  c6mhraig 
Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh  ! 

Ach  fuirichidh  sibh  fhathasd 

Anns  an  ionad  as  c6ir  dhuibh, 

Anns  an  fhail  uirceinich 

'Cladhach  na  h-6traich, 

Sid  gniomh  cdmhraig 

Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh ! 

'S  na  gabhaibh  d'  ur  n-ionnsuidh 

An  cliii  nach  do  thoill  sibh ; 

Mur  bhith  tapadh  Dhiuc  Uilleam, 

Agus  Breatunn  bhi  foill  duinn, 

Cha  b'  fhearr  sibh  gu  c6mhrag, 

Na  siof ainn  an  t-sruth ! 

Ged  bha  sibh  aig  Bhulcan, 

Cha  d'  rinn  e  'ur  fadhairt ; 

'S  cha  mh6  's  ann  de'n  fhior  chruaidh, 

A  rinn  e  'ur  taghadh ; 

Ach  de'n  fheddar  as  buige, 

'S  as  measa  's  a'  mhargadh ; 

'N  uair  thig  ^m  a'  chruadail, 

Cha  dual  da  bhi  marbh(t)ach, 

Sid  gniomh  cbmhraig 

Nan  Caimbeulach  dubh ! 

Mur  biodh  oirnne  ri  cogadh, 

Ach  luchd  chladhaich  an  dtraich, 

Gu'n  cuireamaid  stopadh 

Air  btirach  an  sr6ine, — 

An  armailt'  each 

A  mhilleadh  an  suth  ! 

Cha  bhiodh  tromhorc  ^  no  uircean 

Nach  cuirteadh  gu  cr6nan, 


The  word  is  unknown  to  me. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  297 

'G  'ur  sgiiirsadh  le  lannaibh, 
Nach  faicteadh  h-aon  be6  dhibh, — 
Bhithinn  gle  dheonach 
Ri  dol  air  'ur  muin  ! 
Tha  mi  cho  chinnteach 
'S  tha  anail  ro'm  phdraibh, 
Gu  faigh  sibh  cruaidh-chunntas 
Fhathasd  'n  'ur  d6-bheirt ; 
Thuirt  an  sean-fhacal  cuimhneach 
Nach  bi  maith  gun  bhi  rathail ; 
'S  nach  bi  olc  gun  bhi  dioghlt', 
Mu'n  tig  deireadh  an  latha, — 
Guidheam  sgriob  n^mhaid 
A  theachd  air  'ur  muin  ! 

Luchd  nam  bial  goileasach, 
Spreilleasach,  gr^nnda, 
'G  a  bheil  pailteas  na  foille 
'G  a  sgeith  anns  gach  ^ite, — 
Sid  am  p6r  abhrasach 
Ceirtleagach  dubh !  ^ 
'Ur  bhomit,  'ur  puinnsean, 
A'  brtichdadh  an  ^irde ; 
Gach  earra-ghlas  bho  'r  goile 
Dh'  fh^g  deireasach  t^intean, — 
Sid  am  p6r  sanntach 
Air  abhsporaig  cruidh  !  ^ 
Thig  toradh  air  shiol, 
Mar  chuir  sibh  'ur  n-6arlaid ; 
Gheibh  sibh  tuarasdal  ddbailt', 
A  reir  diirachd  'ur  c^irdeis ; 
Thug  de  dhuthchas  bho'r  sinnsridh 
Bhi  sanntach  air  airgiod ; 
Bho  's  e  friamhach  gach  uilc  e, 
Ni  gach  peacadh  a  dhearbhadh, 
Air  luchd  nan  stamagan  cabhrach, 
Nach  dean  tair  air  gne  stuth  ! 

Bidh  'ur  register  lion'or, 

'G  a  sgriobhadh  an  Albainn  ; 

'S  'ur  cuimhneachan  salach 

^  The  line  is  quoted  in  H.  S.  D.  to  illustrate  the  meaning  of  abhrasach,  with  refer- 
ence Oran.     I  do  not  remember  seeing  it  in  print. 

*  The  line  is  quoted  in  H.  S.  D.  to  illustrate  the  meaning  of  abhsporag,  with  refer- 
ence Oran. 


298 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Anns  gach  histoii  seanachais, — 

Sid  am  p6r  abhrasach 

Ceirtleagach  dubh ! 

Thig  aiceidean  cruaidh, 

'S  cha  truagh  learn  'ur  c^radh, 

'N  aghaidh  luchd  nam  bial  fiar, 

A  bha  riamh  dhuinn  'n  an  n^mhaid, — 

Sid  am  p6r  sanntach 

Air  abhsporaig  cruidh ! 

Bidh  sibh  cho  t^ireil 

*S  gu'n  dean  P^rlamaid  6igheach, 

Gun  triuir  (fh)aicinn  agaibh, 

An  caraibh  a  cheile ; 

Ach  mar  ch^ardainnean  peasain, 

Gun  onair  gun  cheutaibh, 

'G  'ur  ruith  as  gach  baile, 

Gun  fhear  no  bean  reidh  ruibh, — 

Ei  luchd  nan  stamagan  cabhracb, 

Nach  dean  tMr  air  gn^  stuth  ! 

Luchd  nam  bial  foilleil, 

*S  nan  cridheachan  cealgach, 

Chuir  cul  ri'r  righ  dligheil, 

'S  rinn  'ur  Maighistir  ^icheadh ; 

Tairgse  suimeannan  airgid 

Dh'  fhiach  am  braitht'  e  d'  a  chionn ; 

Sibh  dearbh-bhr^ithrean  ludais, 

'S  neo-chliuiteach  'ur  brathair, 

Ged  tha  cuimhneachan  siorruidh 

Sios  's  a'  Bhiob'l  air  a  ch^radh, — 

Chain  e  toradh  na  p^ise, 

Ph^igh  ar  Sl^n'f hear  d'a  chionn ; 

Ma's  e  cheumannan  peacach, 

Tha  sibhse  'gan  leanmhainn  ; 

A'  cur  neo-choireach  laghail 

An  cunnart  cuirp  agus  anma  : 

Bithibh  cho  chinnteach, 

'S  tha  Sgriobtur  'g  a  dhearbhadh, 

Gu'm  bi  'ur  sentens  ro  phianail, 

An  tigh  a'  bhreitheamh  as  ^irde, 

'N  uair  thig  sumanadh  bais  oirbh 

Gu  dol  a  nunn  ! 

Tha  Mhaighdeann  'g  'ur  tagradh, 
Lan  acrais  sior-innseadh ; 
'S  cha'n  fh^gar  i  toileach, 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  299 

Gun  fheoil  mhothlaich  nan  Guibhneach, — 

Sid  a  chios-chnkmh 

A  th'  aic'  oirbh  a  muigh  ! 

Tha  i  edlach  mu'r  n-aitim, 

'S  fad  o  rinn  sibh  dhith  striopach  ; 

Cha'n  'eil  fine  measg  Ghaidheal, 

'S  f  earr  ni  'carbad  a  lionadh, 

Na  na  shiolaich  a  nuas 

Bho  shliochd  Dhiarmaid  an  tuirc ! 

Tha  gearr  o  chiad  bliadhna, 

Bho  rinn  sibh  rith'  p^igheadh, 

'S  'ur  n-ainbheach  d'  a  reir  sin 

A'  sior  dhol  an  ^irdead ; 

Tuitidh  cudum  nam  fiach  ud 

Air  fear  de  shliochd  Chailein ; 

'S  bidh  colann  gun  cheann  deth, 

Le  carbad  na  caile, — 

Sid  an  deud  teann 

Tha  sanntach  air  fuil ! 

Bidh  'ur  ceathramhnan  deiridh 

'G  an  togail  an  ^irde, 

Cur  s^radh  'n  ur  .  .  . 

Le  dul  nam  ball  cainbe, — 

Sid  an  t-iomartas  bais 

A  thig  air  'ur  muin  ! 

Sibh  nach  cuirear  an  duileachd, — 

Gach  aon  fhear  is  beul  cam  air, 

A'  glaodhaich  's  a'  sgairteachd, 

'G  an  tarruing  gu  teann 

Le  sreang  as  am  bun ! 

Cha  bhi  bean  ann  an  Latharn' 

Nach  bi  basan  '  gam  bualadh ; 

Sior  thuirse  ri  gearan, 

*  Tha  m'f  hear-tigh'  air  a  ghualadh ' ; 

Tha  na  sruithean  air  tionndadh, 

'S  cuibhr  an  f  hortain  'n  'ur  n-aghaidh ; 

Dh'  aindeoin  cabhraich  no  sugain, 

Cha  bhi  sinn  eibhneach  an  deighidh, 

Gach  driodf  hartan  b^is 

A  thig  air  'ur  muin  ! 

'S  fad  o  th6isich  'ur  puinnsean 
'S  'ur  n^dur  mi-rioghail ; 


300 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

B'  f  heairrd  sibh  losgadh  an  teine 
Gu  fiachainn  'ur  gniomha, 
Gu  glanadh  gach  giomh 
A  th^rmaich  'n  'ur  f  uil ! 
Bidh  'ur  purgadair  soilleir 
Air  faobhar  nan  cl^idh'ean, 
'G  'ur  sgiursadh  le  lannaibh, 
Cur  kir  air  a  phr^bar, — 
Gach  aon  f  hear  's  a'  charbad, 
'S  car  cam  ann  gu  bhun  ! 

rii 

Air  a  righ  le  d61as ; 

'Ur  coguis  'g  'ur  n-agradh 

Anns  na  rinn  sibh  de  dh6-bheirt ; 

2 

'N  'ur  cu  no  'n  'ur  n-each  sibh  ; 
Air  mhodh  's  nach  biodh  ctinntas, 
Oirbh  ri  thoirt  seachad, 
'N  uair  thig  turaraich  a'  bhais 
Le  sp^rn  air  'ur  muin  ! 

'Nuair  gheibh  sibh  'ur  charters, 
Air  'ur  leapannan  caoile ; 
'Ur  tiomn'  air  a  sgriobhadh, 
'S  'ur  carcas  aig  daolan, 
Chi  sibh  suimeannan  airgid 
'N  a  dhiomhanas  dubh  ! 
An  saoghal  gu  h-uile, 
'S  gach  maoin  tha  air  uachdar, 
'G  a  fhagail  'n  'ur  deighidh, 
Ach  tri  b6rdain  mu'n  cuairt  dibh, 
'S  aon  l^ine  chad  f  huar 
Air  a  fuaigheal  mu'r  smuig ! 
Bidh  am  baigear  as  bochda 
Tha  'g  iarraidh  na  d^irce, 
Cho  saoibhir  a  dh'  f  hearann, 
'S  cho  pailt  ruibh  a  dh'  eudach  : 
'S  olc  a  dh'  ^irich  do'n  phrabar, 
Chain  iad  rompa  's  'n  an  deighidh ; 
Gus  an  teid  c^mhal  tro'  shn^thaid, 
Cha  tig  eibhneas  an  deighidh 
Gach  traoitearachd  ghr^ineil, 
A  th^rmaich  'n  a  tuil ! 


MS.  defective. 


MS.  illegible. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS 


301 


The  following  verses,  the  last  in  the  MS.,  occupy  pp.  183- 
4.  At  the  end  of  the  eighth  verse  '  Finid '  is  written  and 
afterwards  deleted,  while  the  succeeding  four  verses  are 
added.  The  concluding  verse  seems  to  close  the  poem,  al- 
though the  usual  '  Finid '  is  not  appended.  The  reader  will 
not  fail  to  observe  that  this  piece  differs  in  conception  and 
expression  from  the  poet's  well-known  manner.  Macdonald, 
so  far  as  known,  was  not  much  of  a  sportsman,  nor  could  he 
be  charged  with  being  over-sentimental.  Besides,  it  will  not 
be  forgotten  that  the  poet  published  under  his  own  hand,  in 
1751,  two  pieces,  Oran  air  Sean  Aois  and  Caraid  is  Namhaid 
an  Uisge-bheatha,  which  have  been  claimed,  on  good  authority, 
as  the  composition  of  Iain  MacCodrum.  It  will  be  allowed, 
I  believe,  by  every  competent  judge,  that  all  the  poems  in  the 
MS.,  with  the  possible  exception  of  this  last  one,  could  have 
been  written  by  none  other  than  Mac  Mhaighstir  Alastair. 

Och,  's  och,  och  mi  fein  ! 
Smaoineachadh  air  luchd  ar  cleas ; 
Cha  teid  mi  dh'  f  hireach  no  shealg, 
Cha  mharbhas  earba  nam  preas. 
Damh  cr6ice  cha  dean  mi  le6n, 
Bidh  sinne  fo  bhr6n  am  feasd ; 
Bata  mar  bhaigear  'n  ar  d6rn, 
Cochull  c6t  oirnn,  's  beag  a  mheas. 

Cha  b'ionann  's  ar  breacan  riomhach, 

B'  f  hinealta  sgeimh  agus  snuadh ; 

Crios  tir  de  leathair  an  fh^idh  oirnn, 

'G  a  ch^radh  an  6ileadh  cuaich ; 

Chumadh  e  ar  n-airm  bho  mheirgeadh, 

Fudar  cha  bh^idhteadh  's  a'  chluais  ; 

Bhiodh  e  ullamh,  ealamh,  gleusda, 

Dh'  ionnsuidh  gach  feum  a  bhiodh  bhuainn. 

Smeoraichean  air  bharraibh  gheug, 
'G  atharrachadh  theudan  citiil ; 
Sid  mo  che6l  an  6irigh  gr^in', 
Boc  a'  reiceil  os  mo  chionn ; 
Coilich  air  bharraibh  nan  cnocan, 
'S  an  urbaill  paisgte  'na  chuaich, 
(Mala)  dhearg  an  e6in  bu  duibhe 
Cur  siubhail  fo  m'  aighear  su(as). 


302 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

.     .     .     ^breac-iteach,  ce61-bhinn, 
Na  h-e6in  bhdidheach  air  bh^rr  chraobh  ; 
.     .     .     2(b)agoiita,  cruinn,  beitir, 
Air  bh^rr  phreas  a'  seinn  gach  citiil ; 
lad  f  h^in  a'  freagairt  a  ch^ile, 
Le  notaichean  ^ibhinn  caomh, 
Eifeid  gun  ttichan,  gun  sgreadan, 
Aig  gach  feadaig  a  h'krd  gl(aodh). 

C6  th^irneas  sinne  gu  ca61, 

No  gu  s61as  m6r  na  seilg, 

Gun  umainn  acb  cochuill  chraicinn, 

'S  brigis  lachdunn  suas  gu  'r  ma  .  .  ^ 

'S  eigin  fuireach  aig  a'  bhaile, 

'N  comunn  bhan,  ge  cruaidh  an  cks ; 

Nionagan  a'  bdrd  gu  diomhair, 

Ciallachadh  nach  fiach  ar  st^. 

Gu'm  b'  e  sid  mo  dhusgadh  cadail, 
Air  leabaidh  shocair  's  an  f  hraoch, 
Boladh  na  meala  mu'n  cuairt  domh, 
'S  mi  suainte  suas  air  mo  thaobh ; 
Mo  bhreacan  fodham  is  tharam, 
'G  am  chumail  bho  f  huachd  .  .  .  ^ 
'S  tu  bhiodh  eadar  mi 's  gach  cruadal, 
'S  truagh  an  diugh  thu  bhi  do  m'  dh  .  .3 

Nis  bho  chain  sinn  geall  na  coille, 

Geall  na  beinne,  langan  f^i(dh), 

Gha  teich  sinn  air  astar  fada, 

Bho  ch6mhrag  (f  h)raoch  (?)  dheirg  is  dhuinn  ; 

Gun  umainn  ach  brigis  lachdunn 

Cochull  a'  slachdraich  m'  ar  druim, 

Call  mor  bha  sp6rs  na  h-abhann 

Drathais  chldimh  suas  gu  'r  d  .  .  .  ^ 

'S  i  so  an  ao(na)  bhliadhna  ch6rr, 
Tha  Tomas  ag  iniiseadh  gu  beachd ; 
Gu  faigh  sinn  coinne  gu  le6ir, 
Biomaid  be6  an  ddchas  rag ; 
Fuasglamaid  sinn  f  hin  bho  dhraoidheachd, 
'S  bho  gach  geas  's  a  bheil  sinn  paisgt' ; 
'S  thugamaid  a  dhe6in  no  'r  eigin, 
Ar  cliii  's  ar  ceutaibh  air  n-ais. 


1  MS.  defective.  ^  MS.  illegible. 

^  MS.  frayed  at  the  edge  and  illegible. 


UNPUBLISHED  POEMS  303 

Tha  mi  'n  diugh  gun  ruith  gun  leum  ; 

Tha  mo  cheile  bhuam  air  chall ; 

Nic  Suain  mhaiseach  t'  ainm  baistidh, 

Dh'  f  huir'eadh  agam,  falbh  's  an  tamh  ; 

'S  ged  a  rachainn  fad'  air  astar, 

'S  tu  leanadh  riumsa  teann ; 

Gur  tu  nach  deanadh  mo  dhiobradh. 

'Shneachda  no  dhile  bhiodh  ann. 

Tha  c6rr  is  da  f  hichead  bliadhna, 
Bho  rinn  sinn  ar  snaim  a  chur ; 
Cha  chualas  droch  f  hacal  riamh  bhuait, 
Aon  mhi-mhodh  gu'n  tugainn  duit ; 
Ged  a  cheangladh  thu  le  iallaibh, 
'S  ged  a  tholladh  thu  le  bruid, 
Bhiodh  tusa  oho  seang  ri  maighdinn 
Cur  fasgaidh  air  cliabh  mo  chuirp. 

Shiubhlainn  leat  iosal  is  ard, 
Mullach  bheann  is  barr  nan  enoc, 
Faoin-ghlinn  nan  glacagan  tl^th, 
Creachainn  firich  's  coille  dhos ; 
'Nuair  a  thigeadh  oirnn  an  oidhche, 
Thearnamaid  's  an  f  hraoch  gu  clos  ; 
Mo  bhreacan  suainte  mu'm  chom, 
Cadal  trom  is  eirigh  moch. 

C6ta  goirid  's  osan  gearr, 

'S  eileadh  air  a  charadh  deas ; 

Bhiodh  sid  aig  uaislean  na  h-Albann, 

Aig  Righ  Robert  bu  mhor  meas  : 

Ge  b'e  theireadh  anns  an  am  sin, 

Gun  iad  a  bhi  ann  am  f  easd, 

'S  neonach  leam  nach  buailte'  meall  air, 

Air  Sasunn  mheallta  nan  cleas. 

If  it  cannot  be  maintained  that  some  of  these  poems  add 
to  the  fame  of  the  great  Jacobite  bard,  this  much  at  least 
will  be  allowed,  that  no  future  editor  of  Mac  Mhaighstir 
Alastair  can  afford  to  neglect  the  interesting  and  valuable 
MS.  whose  contents  have  now  been  printed  for  the  first  time. 


304  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


CELTIC  RELATIONS   OF  ST.   OSWALD   OF 
NORTHUMBRIA. 

J.  M.  Mackinlay 

Bv  relationships  I  do  not  mean  ties  of  blood,  but  ties  of 
circumstance.  St.  Oswald  was  Anglic  by  birth,  and  ruled 
over  an  Anglic  people,  but  at  various  times  during  his 
romantic  career  he  was  brought  into  touch  with  Celtic 
influences.  When  his  father,  ^thelfrith,  King  of  Northum- 
bria,  was  killed  in  battle  in  the  year  617,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Eadwine,  brother-in-law  of  the  dead  king,  Oswald,  who  was 
then  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  had  to  flee  from  his  native 
land.  He  went  to  the  north-west,  and  along  with  his  elder 
brother  Eanwith  and  a  dozen  followers,  sought  refuge  in  the 
monastery  of  lona.  St.  Columba  had  been  dead  twenty 
years ;  but  the  tradition  of  his  sanctity  was  still  a  living 
force  in  the  island.  Celtic  monasteries  were  places  of  educa- 
tion as  well  as  of  devotion.  When  speaking  of  monastic 
institutions  in  Erin,  Miss  Eleanor  Hull  in  her  Early  Christian 
Ireland  remarks  :  *  Let  us  see  what  sort  of  life  a  boy  lived 
in  one  of  these  great  schools.  It  was  a  busy  life,  for  they 
had  not  only  to  learn  lessons  and  to  attend  the  services  of 
the  church,  but  they  had  also  to  take  their  share  in  the 
general  work  of  the  place.  The  monks  and  students  alike 
seem  to  have  taken  part  in  cultivating  the  ground,  in  grinding 
and  baking  bread,  and  in  doing  the  duties  both  of  farmers 
and  cooks.  Even  the  bishops  and  clergy  seem  at  first  to 
have  worked  with  their  hands,  and  to  have  laboured  in  the 
fields,  but  as  the  establishments  grew  larger  the  work  must 
have  been  divided,  and  the  lay  brethren  no  doubt  performed 
the  ordinary  duties,  while  the  monks  and  clergy  gave  them- 
selves to  teaching  and  the  services  of  the  Church.  But  in 
St.  Columcille's  time  all  shared  the  work,  and  even  men  of 
noble  birth  ploughed  and  reaped  and  attended  to  the  wants 
of  the  establishment.' 


CELTIC  RELATIONS  OF  ST.  OSWALD        305 

When  Oswald  and  his  brother,  along  with  their  com- 
panions, entered  the  monastery  of  lona,  they  apparently  did 
so  merely  because  it  supplied  an  asylum  during  a  time  of 
political  unrest,  for  they  were  still  Pagans.  They  allowed 
themselves,  however,  to  be  instructed  in  the  doctrines  of 
Christianity.  Eventually  they  made  profession  of  the  new 
faith  and  received  the  seal  of  baptism.  When  Oswald  came 
to  lona  its  Abbot  was  Fergna  Brit,  i.e.  the  Briton,  otherwise 
called  Virgnous,  who  was  head  of  the  monastery  from  605  till 
623.  He  had  been  one  of  its  inmates  when  St.  Columba  was 
Abbot,  and  according  to  Adamnan  was  witness  of  a  miraculous 
light  which,  on  one  occasion,  enveloped  the  saint,  and  which 
he  alone  of  all  the  brethren  was  permitted  to  see. 

Meanwhile  political  changes  were  making  themselves  felt 
in  Northumbria,  rumours  of  which  penetrated  even  into  the 
recesses  of  the  Icolmkill  monastery.  Though  evidently  content 
with  his  mode  of  life  there,  with  its  round  of  study,  labour, 
and  devotion,  Oswald  did  not  forget  his  home -land  and  his 
royal  ancestry.  At  lona  he  was  still  an  exile.  *  Unhappy  it 
is  for  a  man,  however  good  his  means  and  his  lot,  if  he  does 
not  see  his  own  country  and  his  own  home  at  the  time  of 
rising  in  the  morning  and  at  the  time  of  lying  at  night.' 
This  sentiment  thus  expressed  in  Dr.  Alexander  Carmichael's 
admirable  version  of  Deirdire  was  found  true  in  the  experi- 
ences of  the  royal  exile. 

In  633,  sixteen  years  after  Oswald  became  a  fugitive, 
Eadwine  fell  in  battle  at  Heathfield  (now  Hatfield),  in  York- 
shire, crushed  by  the  combined  armies  of  Penda,  ruler  of 
Mercia,  and  his  ally  Csedwalla,  a  British  prince.  Eanwith 
thereupon  ascended  the  Bernician  throne,  and  Osric,  a  cousin 
of  Eadwine,  that  of  Deira ;  but  in  the  following  year  both 
these  princes  were  slain,  and  the  two  thrones  were  vacant. 
This  was  a  call  to  Oswald  to  enter  public  life,  and  he  did  not 
let  the  opportunity  pass.  With  a  small  army  recruited 
probably,  as  Dr.  W.  F.  Skene  suggests,  from  among  the  men 
of  the  Border  north  of  the  Tweed,  he  marched  south  and  met, 
near  the  Roman  Wall,  between  the  Tyne  and  the  Solway,  a 


306 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


Pagan  army  much  larger  than  his  own,  under  the  leadership 
of  Cation,  who  has  been  identified,  though  not  conclusively, 
with  Csedwalla. 

On  the  day  before  the  battle  Oswald  was  sleeping  in  his 
tent,  when,  according  to  the  narrative  of  Adamnan,  a  wonder- 
ful and  cheering  vision  was  vouchsafed  to  him.  Adamnan 
says :  '  He  saw  St.  Columba  in  a  vision,  beaming  with 
angelic  brightness,  and  of  figure  so  majestic  that  his  head 
seemed  to  touch  the  clouds.  The  blessed  man,  having 
announced  his  name  to  the  king,  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
camp,  and  covered  it  all  with  his  brilliant  garment,  except 
at  one  small  distant  point ;  and  at  the  same  time  he  uttered 
those  cheering  words  which  the  Lord  spake  to  Jesua  Ben 
Nun  before  the  passage  of  the  Jordan,  after  Moses'  death, 
saying,  "  Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage ;  behold,  I  shall 
be  with  thee,"  etc.  Then  St.  Columba,  having  said  these 
words  to  the  king  in  the  vision,  added,  **  March  out  this 
following  night  from  your  camp  to  battle,  for  on  this  occasion 
the  Lord  has  granted  to  me  that  your  foes  shall  be  put  to 
flight,  that  your  enemy  Cation  shall  be  delivered  into  your 
hands,  and  that  after  the  battle  you  shall  return  in  triumph, 
and  have  a  happy  reign." '  To  give  emphasis  to  the  above 
story  Adamnan  adds :  '  I,  Adamnan,  had  this  narrative  from 
the  lips  of  my  predecessor,  the  Abbot  Failbe,  who  solemnly 
declared  that  he  had  himself  heard  King  Oswald  relating 
this  same  vision  to  Segine  the  Abbot.'  The  incident,  how- 
ever we  may  interpret  it,  is  of  special  interest  as  showing 
what  a  hold  the  monastery  of  lona  had  taken  on  the  mind 
of  Oswald.  What  he  had  there  heard  of  its  great  founder 
had  so  impressed  him  that  now,  at  a  critical  juncture  in  his 
life,  his  imagination  was  stirred  by  memories  of  what  he  had 
been  told. 

In  the  battle  that  followed  Oswald  and  his  army  obtained 
a  decisive  victory.  The  scene  of  the  conflict  was  a  place 
some  seven  or  eight  miles  north  of  Hexham,  styled  in  the 
English  tongue  Heavenfield  or  the  Heavenly  Field,  '  which 
name,'  according  to  Bede,  'it  formerly  received  as  a  presage 


CELTIC  RELATIONS  OF  ST.  OSWALD        307 

of  what  was  afterwards  to  happen,  denoting  that  there  the 
heavenly  trophy  would  be  erected,  the  heavenly  victory 
begun,  and  heavenly  miracles  be  wrought.'  Bede's  reference 
to  the  heavenly  trophy  and  the  heavenly  miracles  relates  to 
a  wooden  cross  erected  by  Oswald  before  the  battle  and  to 
the  cures  believed  to  have  been  wrought  by  chips  of  its  wood 
when  placed  in  water.  The  conflict  is  styled  by  Nennius  the 
battle  of  CatscauU,  supposed  to  represent  Cad-ys-gual,  i.e. 
the  battle  at  the  wall.  A  church  was  afterwards  built  on  the 
spot,  and  dedicated  to  St.  Oswald. 

Nothing  now   lay   between   Oswald  and  the  throne  of 
Northumbria,  and  in  ascending  it  he  re-united  the  kingdoms 
of  Bernicia   and   Deira.      In  addition   he   was  overlord   of 
practically  all  England  except  Kent,  of  the  islands  of  Angle- 
sea  and  Man,  and  even  of  the  Cymric  kingdom  of  Strath- 
clyde,  whose  capital  was  Alcluith,  now  Dunbarton,  i.e.  the 
hill  or  fort  of  the  Britons.     During  the  time  of  Eadwine 
Christianity  had  been  introduced  into  Deira  by  St.  Paulinus ; 
but   in   Bernicia  heathenism    still   prevailed.      Accordingly 
when  Oswald  formed  a  plan  for  evangelising  the  northern 
portion  of  his  realm,  it  was  natural  that  his  thoughts  should 
turn  to  lona  for  the  help  he  needed.     *  The  same  Oswald,' 
says  Bede,  *  as  soon  as  he  ascended  the  throne,  being  desirous 
that  all  his  nation  should  receive  the  Christian  faith,  whereof 
he  had  found  happy  experience  in  vanquishing  the  barbarians, 
sent  to  the  elders  of  the  Scots  .  .  .  desiring  they  would  send 
him  a  bishop  by  whose  instruction  and  ministry  the  English 
nation,  which  he  governed,  might  be  taught  the  advantages 
and    receive   the  sacraments   of  the   Christian   faith.'      In 
response  to  the  king's   request  one  of  the  brethren  named 
Corman,  was  sent  to  Bernicia,  but  he  was  too  austere  and 
had  little  success  in  his  preaching.     On  his  return  to  lona 
he  was  succeeded  among  the  Angles  by  Aidan,  whom  Bede 
describes  as  *  a  man  of  singular  meekness,  piety,  and  modera- 
tion.'    The  only  blemish  in  his  character  hinted  at  by  Bede 
was  his  habit  of  celebrating  Easter  at  the  Celtic  and  not  the 
Roman  time  of  year. 

VOL.  V.  X 


308  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

The  king  assigned  to  Aidan  as  his  Episcopal  seat,  Lindis- 
farne,  off  the  Northumbrian  coast,  known  later  as  Holy 
Island.  It  had  a  special  attraction  for  the  missionary  bishop 
as  it  recalled  his  Scottish  home.  Aidan,  as  the  Rev.  Canon 
Raine  points  out,  '  had  been  long  accustomed  to  the  sea-girt 
shore  of  lona ;  and  Lindisfarne  would  doubtless  appear  to 
him  a  second  lona  embosomed  in  the  waves/  The  Bishop, 
unaccustomed  to  the  Anglic  speech,  had  difficulty  in  making 
himself  understood  in  Northumbria ;  but  the  king,  who  had 
become  familiar  with  Gaelic  during  his  residence  in  lona,  was 
in  the  habit  of  acting  as  interpreter  to  the  chief  men  of  the 
court.  Bede  tells  us  that  many  other  Scottish  missionaries 
settled  in  different  parts  of  the  Northumbrian  realm,  that 
churches  were  built,  and  that  money  and  lands  were  given 
by  the  king  to  found  monasteries.  An  anecdote  told  by 
Bede  exemplifies  King  Oswald's  kindness  to  the  poor.  One 
Easter  the  king  was  sitting  at  dinner  with  Bishop  Aidan, 
and  on  the  table  was  a  silver  dish  full  of  dainties.  When 
the  king  was  informed  that  a  number  of  starving  people 
stood  without  seeking  alms,  he  at  once  sent  food  to  them, 
and  ordered  the  silver  dish  to  be  broken  up,  and  divided 
among  them ;  '  at  which  sight,'  says  Bede,  *  the  bishop,  much 
taken  with  such  an  act  of  piety,  laid  hold  of  his  right 
hand  and  said,  ''May  this  hand  never  perish."  Which  fell 
out  according  to  his  prayer,  for  his  arm  and  hand,  being  cut 
off  from  his  body,  when  he  was  slain  in  battle,  remain 
entire  and  uncorrupted  to  this  day.' 

In  642,  eight  years  after  his  accession  to  the  Northum- 
brian throne,  Oswald  was  slain  in  battle  at  a  place  called  by 
Bede  Maserfield,  believed  to  be  Oswestry  in  Shropshire. 
His  conqueror  was  Penda  of  Mercia,  who,  flushed  with 
triumph,  caused  the  dead  king's  head,  arms,  and  hands  to 
be  cut  off  and  fixed  on  stakes.  The  story  of  Oswald's 
relics  forms  a  picturesque  chapter  in  the  annals  of  hagiology ; 
but  the  narration  of  their  wanderings  lies  beyond  the  scope 
of  the  present  article.  The  stake  on  which  the  king's  head 
was  fixed  was  believed  to  have  acquired  thereby  miraculous 


MACGREGOE  GENEALOGIES  309 

powers.  Bede  tells  us  that  when  Acca,  afterwards  Bishop 
of  Hexham,  was  in  Ireland  on  pilgrimage  he  found  that  the 
fame  of  the  king's  sanctity  was  already  spread  far  and  near. 
A  violent  plague  was  raging  at  the  time.  Acca  was  asked 
by  a  certain  scholar,  who  was  dangerously  ill,  if  he  could 
supply  any  relics  of  St.  Oswald,  in  the  hope  that  they  might 
bring  restoration  to  health.  Acca  replied  that  he  had  with 
him  a  piece  of  the  oaken  stake  on  which  the  king's  head  had 
been  fixed  at  Maserfield.  He  forthwith  blessed  some  water 
and  placed  in  it  a  chip  of  the  wood  as  was  done  in  the  case 
of  the  cross  at  Heavenfield,  already  referred  to.  The  sick 
man  drank  the  water  and  recovered,  and  King  Oswald  got 
the  credit  of  the  cure. 


MACGREGOR  GENEALOGIES 

Rev.  a.  Maclean  Sinclair 

Douglas's  Baronage  was  originally  published  in  1798.  It  is 
a  valuable  work,  but  far  from  being  trustworthy,  especially 
before  the  year  1500.  Its  account  of  the  Macgregors  is 
substantially  as  follows  : — 

Gregor,  third  son  of  King  Alpin,  was  the  progenitor  of 
the  Clan  Gregor.  Dugall,  son  of  Gregor,  died  about  the  year 
900,  leaving  two  sons,  Constantine  and  Fingon.  Constantino 
succeeded  his  father  as  chief  of  the  Clan  Gregor.  Fingon  was 
the  ancestor  of  the  Mackinnons.  Griogair  na  Brataich,  or 
Gregor  of  the  Standard,  son  of  Constantino,  was  killed  in  a 
battle  with  the  Danes  in  961.  John  Mor,  son  of  Griogair  na 
Brataich,  was  killed  in  battle  about  1004.  Griogair  Garbh, 
or  Gregor  the  Stout,  son  of  John  M6r,  and  laird  of  Glen- 
urchy,  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  warriors  of  his  day.  Sir 
John,  son  of  Gregor  the  Stout,  was  known  as  Iain  Borb  nan 
Cath,  or  fierce  John  of  the  battles.  He  married  an  English 
lady  of  great  beauty,  and  had  by  her  two  sons,  Malcolm,  his 
successor  in  the  chiefship,  and  Gregor,  Abbot  of  Dunkeld. 
Gregor  was  the  progenitor  of  the  Macnabs,  or  sons  of  the 


310  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

abbot.  Sir  John  Borb  died  about  1113.  Sir  Malcolm,  son 
of  Sir  John,  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  strength  of  body. 
He  died  about  1164,  leaving  three  sons,  William,  Gregor, 
and  Aodh.  Gregor,  who  was  known  as  Griogair  Mor  Grknda 
or  big,  ugly  Gregor,  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Grants.  Aodh, 
Ay  or  Hugh,  was  the  progenitor  of  the  Mackays.  Sir 
William,  son  of  Sir  Malcolm,  died  about  1238,  leaving  two 
sons,  Gregor,  his  successor,  and  Alpin,  Bishop  of  Dunblane. 
Gregor,  son  of  Sir  William,  died  about  1286.  Malcolm,  son 
of  Gregor,  fought  at  the  battle  of  Bannock  burn  in  1314.  He 
died  about  1374,  and  left  two  sons,  Gregor  Alainn,  his  heir, 
and  Gilbert,  ancestor  of  the  Griersons  of  Lag.  Gregor  Alainn, 
or  handsome  Gregor,  had  five  sons  :  Malcolm,  his  heir,  John 
of  Brackly,  Gillespick  or  Archibald,  Gregor,  and  Dugald  Ciar. 
Gregor,  the  fourth  son,  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Macgregors  of 
Roro.  Dugall  Ciar,  or  dark-grey  Dugall,  was  the  progenitor 
of  Clann  Dughaill  Ch^ir  or  descendants  of  Dugall  Ciar. 

The  foregoing  genealogy  of  the  Macgregors  is  utterly 
erroneous.  It  is  not  founded  either  upon  facts  or  genuine 
traditions ;  it  is  a  work  of  the  imagination  from  beginning  to 
end.  The  MacKinnons  are  not  descended  from  the  Mac- 
gregors ;  neither  are  the  Grants,  nor  the  Mackays. 

The  following  genealogies  may  not  be  free  from  errors ; 
at  the  same  time  they  may  be  of  some  use  to  those  who  are 
interested  in  the  history  of  the  Clan  Gregor. 

The  Macgregors  of  Glenurchy 

I.  Gregor,  the  founder  of  the  Clan  Gregor,  was  born 
about  the  year  1280.  He  was  the  son  of  Duncan,  son  of 
Malcolm,  son  of  Gilchrist,  son  of  Ferchar,  son  of  Murdoch, 
son  of  Andrew.  He  possessed  the  lands  of  Glenurchy  and 
others. 

II.  John  Cam,  son  of  Gregor,  had  three  sons,  Patrick, 
John  Dubh,  and  Gregor.  He  died  in  1390,  and  was  buried 
at  Dysart. 

Patrick,  eldest  son  of  John  Cam,  succeeded  his  father  as 


MACGREGOE  GENEALOGIES 

chief  of  the  Clan  Gregor.     Malcolm,  son  and  successor  of 
Patrick,  was  chief  in  1400. 

III.  John  Dubh,  second  son  of  John  Cam,  was  tacksman 
of  Stronmellochan.  He  married  Derval,  daughter  of  Ewen 
Maclachlan,  and  had  Malcolm,  and  probably  John  and  Ewen. 
He  died  in  1415,  and  was  buried  at  Dysart. 

IV.  Malcolm,  son  of  John  Dubh,  succeeded  Malcolm,  son 
of  Patrick,  as  chief  of  the  Clan  Gregor.  He  had  four  sons  : 
Patrick,  the  Vicar  of  Fortingall,  Dugall  and  Duncan.  The 
Vicars  name  was  probably  John  or  Gregor.  Dugall  may 
have  been  known  as  Dugall  Ciar  or  dark-grey  Dugall. 

V.  Patrick,  son  of  Malcolm,  had  two  sons,  John  Dubh 
and  Duncan  Beag.  He  died  in  1461,  and  was  buried  at 
Dysart.  Duncan  Beag  became  tacksman  of  Boro  in  1470, 
and  died  there  in  1477.     He  left  two  sons,  Patrick  and  Gregor. 

VI.  John  Dubh,  son  of  Patrick,  was  tenant  of  Glenstrae 
and  Stronmellochan.  He  died  in  1519,  and  was  buried  at 
Dysart.     He  was  about  ninety  years  of  age. 

VII.  Malcolm,  son  and  heir  of  John  Dubh,  had  two  sons, 
Patrick  and  Duncan.     He  died  in  Glenlyon  in  1498. 

VIII.  Patrick,  son  of  Malcolm,  died  at  Auchinchallane  in 
1518,  and  was  buried  at  Dysart.  He  left  two  sons,  Gregor 
and  Duncan. 

IX.  Gregor,  elder  son  of  Patrick,  succeeded  his  great- 
grandfather in  1519  as  chief  of  the  Clan  Gregor,  and  also  as 
tenant  of  Stronmellochan.  He  was  appointed  tutor  to  Alister 
Boy  Macgregor  of  Glenstrae  in  1528.  He  died  at  Auchin- 
challane in  1547,  and  was  buried  at  Dysart.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded as  chief  of  the  Clan  Gregor,  or  Laird  Macgregor,  by 
his  brother  Duncan,  who  was  born  about  the  year  1505. 


The  Macgregors  of  Glenstrae 

Dugall,  son  of  Malcolm,  son  of  John  Dubh,  had  Alister, 
Malcolm,  John,  Patrick,  Duncan,  and  Dugall.  Ewen,  son  of 
Alister,  son  of  Dugall,  had  three  sons,  John,  Alister,  and 
Duncan.  Mary,  daughter  of  Duncan,  son  of  John,  son  of 
Dugall,  died  in  1548. 


312 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


I.  John  mac  Ewen  mac  Alister  succeeded  John  Macgregor 
in  Glenstrae  in  1519.  We  find  him  described  in  1522  as  the 
heir  and  successor  of  John  Dubh.  According  to  the  Black 
Book  of  Taymouth  he  was  principal  of  the  Clan  Dugall  Ciar, 
but  not  the  right  heir  to  the  chiefship  of  the  Clan  Gregor. 
He  ravished  Helen  Campbell,  daughter  of  Sir  Colin  Camp- 
bell of  Glenurchy,  and  widow  of  Maclean  of  Lochbuie.  He 
married  her,  and  had  by  her  a  son  named  Alister  or  Alex- 
ander. He  had  a  son  named  Gregor,  who  may  possibly  have 
been  by  a  former  wife.  Gregor  died  shortly  after  the  birth 
of  Alister.  John  MacEwen  was  nominally  captain  of  the 
Clan  Gregor  of  Glenstrae,  but  in  reality  captain  of  the  whole 
clan.  He  was  not  chief  of  the  Clan  Gregor ;  he  was  only 
chieftain  of  a  branch  of  it.  He  died  at  Achallader,  April  12, 
1528,  and  was  buried  at  Dysart. 

II.  Alister,  son  and  successor  of  John  MacEwen,  was  born 
in  1525,  and  infeoifed  in  the  lands  of  Glenstrae  in  1528.  He 
married  a  daughter  of  Campbell  of  Ardkinglass,  and  by  her 
had  John,  Gregor  Roy,  Ewen,  Duncan  of  the  Glens,  and 
Patrick  Odhar  in  Cadernoch,  Glencorf  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  son  John,  who,  as  the  result  of  a  wound  from  an 
arrow,  died  in  early  life. 

Gregor  Roy  succeeded  his  brother  John  in  Glenstrae. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  Duncan  Campbell  of  Glenlyon,  and 
had  by  her  Alister  Roy  and  John  Dubh.  He  was  executed 
at  Kenmore  by  Sir  Colin  Campbell  of  Glenurchy,  April  7, 
1570.  His  wife  composed  a  pathetic  and  beautiful  elegy 
about  him. 

Alister  Roy,  son  and  successor  of  Gregor  Roy,  defeated 
the  Colquhouns  at  Glenfreoin,  February  7,  1603.  He  was 
unjustly  executed  in  Edinburgh,  January  20,  1604.  John 
Dubh,  second  son  of  Gregor  Roy,  was  known  as  Iain  Dubh 
na  Luirich  or  John  Dubh  of  the  coat  of  mail.  John  Dubh 
married  a  daughter  of  John  Murray  of  Strowan,  and  by  her 
had  Gregor  Roy,  Patrick  Roy,  and  John.  He  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Glenfreoin. 

Gregor  Roy,  eldest  son  of  John  Dubh,  succeeded  his  uncle 


MACGREGOR  GENEALOGIES 


313 


in  Glenstrae  in  1604.  He  sold  Glenstrae  and  Stronmellochan, 
in  July  1624,  to  Sir  Duncan  Campbell  of  Glenurchy.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother  Patrick  Roy. 

Patrick  Roy,  second  son  of  John  Dubh,  had  two  children, 
James  and  Jean.  He  died  about  1648.  Jean  was  married 
in  1666  to  Allan  Cameron,  brother  of  Sir  Ewen  Cameron  of 
Lochiel.  James,  son  and  successor  of  Patrick  Roy,  entered  into 
a  bond  of  friendship  with  Lachlan  MacKinnon  of  Strath- 
ordill,  June  4,  1671.  In  this  bond  he  is  described  as  James 
Macgregor  of  that  Ilk.     He  died  without  issue. 

V.  Ewen,  third  son  of  Alister,  son  of  John  MacEwen, 
was  born  about  1550.  He  appears  on  record  as  tutor  of 
Glenstrae  in  January  1584.  He  had  three  sons,  Gregor  in 
Morinsh,  John  Dubh,  and  Duncan.  Gregor  and  John  Dubh 
were  executed  in  1604,  simply  for  having  fought  at  the  battle 
of  Glenfreoin. 

VI.  Duncan,  third  son  of  Ewen,  married,  in  1603,  Margaret 
MacFarlane,  by  whom  he  had  Malcolm  of  Stuckinroy,  and 
Ewen  of  Kilmanan.  He  was  appointed  tutor  of  Glenstrae 
in  1604. 

VII.  Ewen  of  Kilmanan  married  in  1656  Mary  Napier, 
by  whom  he  had  two  sons,  John  and  Archibald.  John 
died  without  issue,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 
Archibald. 

VIII.  Archibald  of  Kilmanan  married  Ann  Cochrane  in 
1680,  and  by  her  had  a  son  named  Ewen.  He  succeeded 
Gregor,  son  of  Gregor  of  Stuckinroy,  as  chief  of  the  clan 
Gregor,  in  1693.  Ewen,  his  son,  died  unmarried  about 
1702.  Archibald  of  Kilmanan  died  in  Ireland  between  1710 
and  1715. 


The  Macgregors  of  Glengyle 

I.  Malcolm  Macgregor,  progenitor  of  the  Macgregors  of 
Inverlochlarig  and  Glengyle,  was  born  about  the  year  1440. 
He  was  a  son  of  Dugall,  son  of  Malcolm,  son  of  John  Dubh 
of  Glenstrae. 

Dugall     Ciar,    son    of    Malcolm,    had    three     sons, 


II. 


314 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


Malcolm,    Duncan,    and    Patrick.     The    word    Ciar    means 
dark-grey. 

III.  Malcolm,  son  of  Dugall  Ciar,  appears  on  record  in 
1533.  He  was  put  to  the  horn  in  that  year,  together  with 
Duncan  and  Patrick  his  brothers.  He  lived  at  Carnlea,  and 
married  Fingula  Maclntyre.  He  had  four  sons,  Dugall, 
Gregor  Dubh,  Duncan,  and  Finlay.  Dugall,  his  eldest  son, 
had  three  sons,  Malcolm,  Dugall  Og,  and  Gregor.  Malcolm 
lived  at  Inverlochlarig  in  Balquidder.  He  was  executed  in 
1604.  Gregor,  son  and  heir  of  Malcolm,  appears  on  record 
in  1613.  Dugall  Og,  second  son  of  Dugall,  son  of  Malcolm, 
lived  in  Glengyle,  and  was  slain  at  Bentoig,  along  with  Duncan 
his  son,  in  1604. 

IV.  Gregor  Dubh,  second  son  of  Malcolm,  married  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Buchanan  of  Carbeth,  and  had  by  her 
Malcolm  Og  and  other  sons.  He  was  living  in  Glengyle  in 
1581  and  at  Caol-letter  in  1586.  He  became  tacksman  of 
Glengyle  sometime  afterwards. 

V.  Malcolm  Og,  son  of  Gregor  Dubh,  was  executed  in  1613. 
He  left  Malcolm,  Gregor,  Duncan,  John,  Donald,  Duncan  Beag, 
and  other  sons.     It  is  said  that  he  had  nine  sons  in  all. 

VI.  Malcolm,  son  of  Malcolm  Og,  married  a  daughter 
of  Macdonald  of  Keppoch,  and  had  by  her  Donald  Glas 
and  John. 

VII.  Donald  Glas  was  born  about  1630,  and  appears  on 
record  for  the  first  time  in  1655.  He  was  a  lieutenant -colonel 
in  the  army  that  fought  for  King  Charles  ii.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  Campbell  of  Glenlyon,  and  had  by  her  three  sons, 
John,  Duncan,  and  Robert.  He  had  also  a  daughter  who 
became  the  wife  of  Donald,  second  son  of  Macdonald  of 
Glencoe.  Captain  Campbell  of  Glenlyon,  the  officer  who 
took  such  an  active  part  in  the  horrible  massacre  of  Glencoe, 
was  a  brother  of  Donald  Glas's  wife  and  an  uncle  of  the  wife 
of  Donald,  son  of  Macdonald  of  Glencoe. 

Robert,  third  son  of  Donald  Glas— the  Rob  Roy  of  history 
— is  the  best  known  of  all  the  Macgregors.  Indeed,  next  to 
Wallace  and  Bruce,  he  is  probably  the  best  known  of  all 


MACGREGOR  GENEALOGIES      315 

Scotsmen.     He  was  born  in  1660,  and  died   in  December 
1734. 

VIII.  John,  eldest  son  of  Donald  Glas,  succeeded  his  father 
in  Glengyle.     He  had  two  sons,  Gregor  and  Donald. 

IX.  Gregor,  son  of  John,  was  born  in  1689.  He  obtained 
from  the  Marquis  of  Montrose  a  feu-charter  of  Glengyle.  He 
was  known  as  Griogair  na  Gluin  Duibh,  or  Gregor  of  the 
black  knee.  He  died  in  1777,  leaving  two  sons,  John 
and  Robert. 

The  Macgregors  of  Brackly 

I.  Duncan  Liomhanach,  or  Duncan  who  lived  in  Glenlyon, 
must  have  been  born  about  the  year  1400.  He  was  a  brother 
of  the  Vicar  of  Fortingall.  He  had  three  sons,  John,  Gregor, 
and  Gilbert,  or  possibly  Gregor,  John,  and  Gilbert.  Gilbert 
was  Vicar  of  Kilmartin,  and  died  in  1511. 

II.  John,  son  of  Duncan  Liomhanach,  or  John  Duncanson, 
married  Catherine,  daughter  of  William  Cardney,  laird  of 
Foss,  and  had  Duncan,  William,  John,  and  Andrew.  He 
lived  at  Balloch,  and  died  there  in  1491.  He  was  buried 
at  Inchadin  or  Kenmore.  William,  his  son,  died  at  Garth  in 
1511,  leaving  a  son  named  Malcolm. 

III.  Duncan,  eldest  son  of  John  Duncanson,  became  tacks- 
man of  Brackly,  a  two-mark  land  in  Glenurchy,  and  also 
captain  of  Glenurchy  Castle.  He  died  in  1518  and  was 
buried  at  Dysart.  He  had  four  sons,  John  Dubh  his  suc- 
cessor, Donald  Dubh,  Neil,  and  Malcolm.     Neil  died  in  1524. 

IV.  John  Dubh  of  Brackly  and  Glenurchy  Castle  died  in 
1562. 

V.  Gregor,  son  of  John  Dubh,  had  two  sons,  John  and 
Charles.     The  later  was  slain  at  Bentoig  in  1604. 

VI.  John,  son  of  Gregor,  appears  on  record  in  1629  as  John 
Graham,  alias  Macgregor  of  Brackly. 

VII.  James  Graham,  son  of  John,  succeeded  his  father  in 
Brackly  or  Breacshliabh. 

VIII.  Patrick,  son  of  James,  appears  on  record  in  1655 
and  1682. 


316  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

IX.  John,  son  of  Patrick,  succeeded  his  father,  and  is 
referred  to  in  1686. 

X.  Gregor  Macgregor,  son  of  John,  appears  on  record  in 
1714  as  head  of  the  family  of  Brackly. 

The  Macgregors  of  Brackly  were  for  a  long  time  hereditary 
captains  of  the  castle  of  Glenurchy. 

The  Macgregors  of  Eoro 

I.  Gregor,  progenitors  of  the  Macgregors  of  Roro,  was  a 
son  of  Duncan  Liomhanach.  He  had  four  sons,  Duncan, 
Ewen,  Neil,  and  John.  He  died  in  1515.  Ewen  his  son  died 
in  1505.  Neil  his  son  had  a  son  named  Gregor,  who  died  in 
1512. 

II.  Duncan,  son  of  Gregor,  had  Gregor,  Ewen,  and  other 
sons.  Ewen  murdered  Gregor  Clerk  in  1552.  He  died  in 
1554,  and  was  buried  with  great  lamentation  of  men  and 
women.  John  Dubh,  son  of  Ewen,  died  at  Bunrannoch  in 
1564,  and  was  buried  at  Fortingall. 

III.  Gregor,  son  of  Duncan,  succeeded  his  father.  He 
married  Mariotta  Barre.  He  died  at  a  comparatively  early 
age. 

IV.  Duncan,  son  of  Gregor,  appears  on  record  in  1563. 
He  had  four  sons,  Gregor,  John  Dubh  Mor,  Alister  Breck,  and 
Malcolm  Dubh.  Alister  Breck  had  three  sons,  Duncan,  John 
Dubh,  and  Alister.  Duncan  lived  in  Ferna.  He  fought  at 
the  battle  of  Glenfreoin,  and  was  executed  in  1604.  John 
Dubh  lived  in  Stronfernan.  He  was  slain  by  John  Campbell, 
brother  of  the  laird  of  Lawers,  in  1611.  His  slayer  sent  his 
head  to  the  Privy  Council  and  obtained  a  handsome  reward 
for  it.  Alister,  son  of  Alister  Breck,  appears  on  record  in 
1614. 

V.  Gregor  and  John  Dubh  Mor,  sons  of  Duncan,  appear 
on  record  in  1589.  Gregor  had  three  sons,  Duncan,  George, 
and  John  Dubh  Sinclair. 

VI.  Duncan,  son  of  Gregor,  is  mentioned  in  1631.  He 
married  Catherine,  daughter  of  Dugall  Campbell  of  Glenlyon, 


MACGEEGOR  GENEALOGIES      317 

and  had  by  her  Alexander  and  Gregor.     Alexander  was  slain 
at  the  battle  of  Inverlochy  in  1645. 

VII.  Gregor,  second  son  of  Duncan,  had  three  sons, 
Gregor,  Duncan  Roy,  and  Neil. 

VIII.  Gregor,  son  of  Gregor,  fought  for  the  Stewarts  in 
1715. 

IX.  Duncan,  son  of  Gregor,  was  born  probably  about 
1700.  He  fought  for  Prince  Charles  in  1745.  He  got 
deeply  into  debt  and  had  to  part  with  Roro.  He  died  in 
1763. 

The  Mallochs. — Ewen,  son  of  Gregor  Duncanson,  was 
born  probably  about  1470.  He  died  in  1505,  leaving  three 
sons,  John  Malloch,  Neil,  and  James.  Neil,  son  of  Ewen, 
lived  in  Ardennaig,  and  had  three  sons,  Gregor,  William,  and 
Malcolm.  Gregor  succeeded  his  father  in  Ardennaig.  Mal- 
colm mac  Neil  vie  Ewen  was  living  at  Lagferna  in  1558. 

John  Malloch  (Iain  Malach  or  John  of  the  heavy  eye- 
brows) had  Neil,  Ewen,  John  Roy,  Duncan,  Donald,  and  other 
children.  He  died  at  TuUichcamin  in  1523,  and  was  buried 
at  Killin.  Duncan,  son  of  Patrick,  son  of  Duncan,  son  of 
Neil,  son  of  John  Malloch,  purchased  the  estate  of  Balhaldies. 
Alexander  of  Balhaldies,  son  of  Duncan,  married  in  1686 
Margaret,  eldest  daughter  of  Sir  Ewen  Cameron  of  Lochiel, 
and  had  by  her  William,  Ewen,  John,  Duncan,  Alexander, 
and  Donald.  John  was  the  author  of  the  Memoirs  of  Lochiel 
— a  very  valuable  work.  David  Mallet  the  poet,  whose  name 
was  really  David  Malloch,  was  a  descendant  of  John  Malloch. 

The  Gregorys. — James,  son  of  Gregor  Duncanson  of 
Roro,  settled  in  Aberdeenshire  about  the  year  1500.  James 
Gregory,  his  son,  lived  at  Woodland  in  Udney,  and  had  three 
children,  James,  Thomas,  and  Janet.  James,  son  of  James, 
was  a  saddler  in  Aberdeen.  He  had  two  sons,  John  and 
James.  John  was  born  in  1598.  He  studied  for  the  Church 
and  became  minister  of  Drumoak,  where  he  died  in  1652. 
Donald  Gregory,  the  accomplished  historian  of  the  Western 
Highlands  and  Islands  of  Scotland,  was  descended  from  him. 


318 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


The  Macgeegors  of  Glencarnock 

I.  Duncan  L^dasach  was  born  about  the  year  1505,  and 
lived  at  Ardchoille  in  Glendochart.  In  1550  Alister  Odhar, 
son  of  Patrick,  son  of  Duncan  Beag,  slew  John,  son  of  Donald 
Bane  Macgregor.  On  Sunday,  November  22,  1551,  Duncan 
Lkdasach  and  Gregor  his  son  slew  Alister  Odhar,  and  took 
from  him  his  purse  and  forty  pounds  of  money.  Duncan 
Lh^dasach  had  four  sons,  Gregor,  Malcolm  Roy,  Patrick  Dubh, 
and  Duncan  Og.  He  was  executed  at  Finlarig  in  June  1552 
by  Colin  Campbell  of  Glenurchy  and  Duncan  Roy  Campbell 
of  Glenlyon.  Two  of  his  sons,  Gregor  and  Malcolm,  were 
executed  along  with  him.  The  word  Ladasach  means  bold  of 
speech,  arrogant. 

II.  Gregor  Roy,  eldest  son  of  Duncan  Ladasach,  married 
Isabel  Cameron,  and  had  seven  sons  :  Duncan,  Patrick,  Alister 
Scorach,  Gregor  Gearr,  Malcolm,  Patrick  Athollach,  and 
Dugall.  Duncan  was  brought  up  in  Lochaber,  and  was  known 
as  Duncan  Abrach.  Patrick  fought  under  Alister  of  Glenstrae 
at  Glenfreoin,  and  was  executed  in  Edinburgh  in  1604.  He 
had  five  sons  :  Duncan,  Alister,  Patrick,  Donald,  and  John. 

III.  Duncan  Abrach  lived  at  Ardchoille.  He  was  forfeited 
in  1569.  He  had  two  sons,  Gregor  and  Patrick.  He  was 
slain  at  the  massacre  of  Bentoig  in  April  1604.  Gregor,  his 
elder  son,  was  slain  at  the  same  time. 

IV.  Patrick,  second  son  of  Duncan  Abrach,  had  a  son 
named  John. 

V.  John,  son  of  Patrick,  is  described  in  1670  as  John 
Macgregor,  alias  mac  Phadraig  mhic  Dhonnachaidh  Abraich 
in  Glenlochy.     He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  John  Og. 

VI.  John  Og,  son  of  Duncan,  was  born  in  1668.  He 
married  Catherine  Campbell,  and  by  her  had  Robert,  Peter  or 
Patrick,  Duncan,  Evan,  and  John.  He  amassed  a  good  deal 
of  wealth,  and  purchased  the  estate  of  Glencarnack  in  Bal- 
quidder.     He  died  in  1744. 

VII.  Evan,  fourth  son  of  John  Og,  was  born  in  1710.  He 
was  an  officer  in  the  army.     He  married  Janet,  daughter  of 


IKISH  IN  THE  NATIONAL  UNIVEESITY     319 

John  Macdonald  of  Balcony,  son  of  Sir  James  of  Sleat,  and 
had  by  her  John  Macgregor  Murray  and  other  sons. 

VIII.  John  Macgregor  Murray  was  a  general  in  the  East 
India  Company's  Service  and  auditor-general  of  Bengal.  He 
was  a  man  of  ability,  culture,  and  wealth.  In  1784  he  was 
acknowledged  by  eight  hundred  and  twenty-six  Macgregors 
as  chief  of  their  clan.  He  was  created  a  baronet  in  1795. 
He  died  a  few  months  afterwards. 


THE  NEW  NATIONAL  UNIVEESITY  IN  IRELAND 

AND  THE  IRISH  LANGUAGE 

An  Craoibhin  Aoibhinn 

Douglas  Hyde,  LL.D. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  not  since  the  death  of  Parnell  in  1891 
has  Ireland  been  in  such  a  state  of  excitement  as  at  present. 
Certainly  not  since  Parnell's  time  has  any  such  deep  and  wide- 
spread interest  in  public  affairs  been  manifested  (except  per- 
haps when  the  Liberal  Government  introduced  their  Council 
Bill)  as  has  been  shown  over  the  University  question  during 
the  last  few  months.  Almost  every  elective  body  in  Ireland 
has  been  thrown  into  excitement  and  forced  to  decide  one 
way  or  another  upon  a  question  which  would  a  priori  appear 
to  be  the  very  last  one  in  the  world  to  arouse  the  interest  of 
public  bodies.  For  it  is  after  all  an  academic  question  which 
has  created  all  this  trouble,  namely,  what  sort  of  entrance 
examination  is  the  new  University  going  to  have,  and  is  the 
Irish  language  to  be  an  essential  subject  in  it. 

I  have  said  that  this  is  an  academic  question,  and  at  first 
sight  it  appears,  to  the  outsider,  to  be  nothing  more.  But 
the  instinct  of  the  Irish  people  has  discerned,  and  I  think 
rightly  discerned,  that  under  an  academic  disguise  there 
really  lies  involved  a  national  question  of  the  first  magni- 
tude, a  question  in  its  own  way  as  fraught  with  weighty 
possibilities  for  the  future  of  the  Irish  nation  as  the  land 
question  or  even  the  question  of  Home  Rule  itself 


320 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


Every  one  knows  in  a  general  way  that  the  Catholics  and 
Nationalists  of  Ireland  have  always  been  practically  deprived 
of  university  education,  or  rather  that  they  never  had  any 
university  to  which  they  could  go  without  sacrificing  their 
principles  or  running  counter  to  their  bishops.  Trinity  College 
(also  called  Dublin  University),  with  a  splendid  income, 
was  for  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  the  only  university 
in  Ireland,  and  no  Catholic  was  admitted  to  a  degree  in  it 
(although  it  was  largely  financed  by  the  rents  of  land  taken 
from  the  Catholic  Irish)  until  1793,  nor  could  a  Catholic 
obtain  even  a  scholarship  in  it  until  the  year  1873,  when 
the  Test  Act  was  repealed.  In  1845  Sir  Eobert  Peel  created 
a  second  university  of  three  colleges,  one  each  in  Belfast, 
Cork,  and  Galway,  and  called  it  the  Queen's  University.  He 
meant  thereby  to  solve  the  Catholic  difficulty,  and  probably 
went  as  far  as  public  opinion  for  the  moment  would  let  him, 
but  the  Colleges  were  almost  from  the  outset  dubbed  the 
godless  Colleges  and  were  rejected  by  the  Irish  Catholics, 
for  whom  two  at  least  of  them  had  been  intended.  This 
Queen's  University  having  failed  to  solve  the  difficulty  was 
dissolved  in  1879,  and  the  Royal  University  of  Ireland  was 
established  to  take  its  place.  This  new  University,  however, 
was  only  an  examining  body.  Candidates  from  the  Queen's 
Colleges,  or  from  any  school  that  wished,  or  from  private 
study,  came  up  to  Dublin  once  a  year,  and  passed,  if  they 
could,  the  examinations  held  in  the  Royal  Buildings.  A 
degree  of  the  Royal  University  of  Ireland  did  not  carry  with 
it  any  assurance  that  its  owner  had  ever  attended  lectures, 
had  ever  come  under  the  guiding  eye  of  a  professor,  had  ever 
mixed  with  fellow-students,  or,  in  a  word,  had  ever  absorbed 
into  himself  that  finer  essence  of  university  education  which 
is  not  to  be  expressed  in  terms  of  marks  at  an  annual  exami- 
nation. And  now  in  1909  Irish  university  education  is  once 
more  thrown  into  the  melting-pot,  and  two  new  Universities 
have  taken  or  are  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  Royal,  which 
will  expire  before  next  year.  The  College  at  Belfast  has  been 
enriched    and    converted    into  an   independent   University, 


IRISH  IN  THE  NATIONAL  UNIVERSITY     321 

chiefly  designed  for  Presbyterians,  while  the  Colleges  of  Cork 
and  Galway  are  to  have  a  new  and  richer  sister  added  to  them 
in  Dublin,  and  these  three  are  to  form  the  National  University 
of  Ireland.  This  is  to  be  a  real  University,  which  will  give 
no  degrees  without  attendance  at  lectures,  and  it  is  a 
University  which  will  be  national  in  the  sense  that  it  will  be 
open  to  everybody  and  contain  no  tests,  and  it  has  been 
accepted  by  the  spokesmen  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  the 
Catholic  Archbishop  of  Dublin  has  just  been  elected  its 
Chancellor.  It  appears  at  first  sight,  and  no  doubt  will  turn 
out  to  be,  a  thoroughly  satisfactory  solution  of  the  university 
difficulty,  for  though  the  first  Senate  has  been  nominated  by 
the  Crown,  the  next  Senate,  which  will  supersede  the  present 
one  in  five  years'  time,  will  be  an  academic  Senate,  on  which 
the  Crown  has  reserved  to  itself  the  power  of  appointing  only 
four  nominees  out  of  thirty -five,  and  one  of  these  four  must 
be  a  woman.  In  other  words  it  is  the  biggest  piece  of  Home 
Rule  ever  conceded  by  England  to  Ireland  since  the  establish- 
ment of  Local  Government.  At  the  present  moment  a  statutory 
committee,  also  appointed  by  the  Crown,  but  consisting  of 
men  both  trusted  and  reliable,  are  busy  drafting  statutes, 
considering  what  the  site  of  the  new  College  will  be,  deliberat- 
ing what  chairs  are  to  be  founded,  what  professors  appointed, 
how  much  money  will  be  spent  upon  various  subjects  of 
learning,  and  so  on,  while  the  Senate  meets  occasionally  to 
keep  in  touch  with  the  Committee. 

And  here  it  is  that  the  country  has  suddenly,  to  the  intense 
astonishment  of  those  who  did  not  know  the  popular  feeling, 
sprung  to  its  feet,  galvanised  as  it  were  into  an  absorbing 
interest  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Senate.  The  question  now 
fiercely  debated  in  the  newspapers,  in  the  County  Councils, 
in  the  Boards  of  Guardians,  in  the  District  Councils,  in 
branches  of  the  Gaelic  League,  in  debating  societies,  in 
branches  of  the  United  Irish  League,  as  well  as  at  great 
public  meetings  in  Dublin,  Cork,  Belfast,  Limerick,  Galway, 
and  scores  of  other  towns  is  this,  *  What  is  the  Senate  going 
to  do  about  the  Irish  language  ?    Is  it  going  to  be  merely  an 


322  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

optional  subject,  or  will  they  make  it  an  essential  ? '  That,  of 
course,  is  what  we  do  not  yet  know. 

The  Gaelic  League,  while  laying  stress  upon  the  fact  that 
this  is  really  a  great  national  question  and  not  a  Gaelic  League 
question  at  all,  has  of  course  thrown  itself  altogether  upon  the 
side  of  making  Irish  an  essential  for  matriculation,  and  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  people  who  have  never  joined  the 
Gaelic  League  have  taken  the  same  side.  Their  argument  is 
that  now,  at  last,  Ireland  has  got  a  real  University  of  her  own, 
which  she  can  mould  after  her  own  fashion,  and  that  she  does 
not  wish  it  to  be  a  mere  Catholic  replica  of  Trinity  College  or 
a  University  to  rear  people  for  export,  but  a  self-centred 
national  institution,  far  more  interested  in  raising  Irishmen 
for  home  consumption  than  for  colonial  posts,  and  almost  as 
much  interested  in  turning  them  out  good  Irishmen  as  good 
scholars.  They  argue  that  if  their  University,  for  which  they 
have  made  such  unheard-of  sacrifices  in  the  past  (generation 
after  generation  growing  up  without  any  university  education 
whatever,  and  thus  voluntarily  condemning  themselves  to 
obscurity  and  poverty  rather  than  go  to  Trinity  College),  is  to 
be  only  an  imitation  of  an  English  institution.  Irishmen  will 
be  greatly  distressed,  and  indeed  violently  indignant.  They 
point  out  that  in  the  long-run  the  money  for  this  University 
will  come  out  of  their  own  pockets,  and  that  consequently 
the  people  who  pay  for  it  have  the  right  to  make  their  voice 
heard  as  to  the  kind  of  University  they  desire.  They  insist 
that  in  spite  of  all  the  battles  fought  with  the  Boards  of 
Primary  and  Intermediate  Education,  and  all  the  concessions 
wrung  from  them  during  the  last  fifteen  years,  the  old  Irish 
nation  must  yet  go  down  and  Ireland  become  an  English 
province — an  unhappy,  second-hand,  second-rate  English 
province — unless  she  now  succeeds  in  nationalising  her  higher 
education  also,  and  thus  continuing  the  national  language 
and  tradition. 

In  order  to  do  this  they  put  forward  a  very  simple  and 
at  the  same  time  a  very  far-reaching  demand,  which  is  that 
a  knowledge  of  the  Irish  language  should  be  essential   for 


lEISH  IN  THE  NATIONAL  UNIVEESITY      323 

entrance  into  the  new  University.  They  point  out  that 
little  or  no  hardship  can  be  caused  by  this  regulation,  because 
of  the  six  thousand  or  seven  thousand  Catholic  students 
who  went  in  for  the  intermediate  examinations  last  year 
about  eighty-five  per  cent,  took  up  Irish.  This  shows  that 
the  Catholic  secondary  colleges  have  really  and  truly  the 
machinery  at  hand  for  teaching  Irish  to  every  one,  and  that 
they  do  in  fact  teach  it  to  all  who  go  in  for  the  inter- 
mediate examinations  except  some  fifteen  per  cent.  There 
can  therefore  be  no  difficulty  for  the  Catholic  schools  and 
secondary  colleges,  which  are  the  institutions  which  will 
naturally  supply  the  new  University  with  students,  in  making 
Irish  one  of  the  essential  subjects  for  examination  for  entrance. 

It  is  being  freely  said  in  print  in  Ireland  by  Catholic 
laymen,  many  of  them  men  of  position  and  approved  loyalty 
to  the  Church,  like  Colonel  Moore,  C.B.,  of  Moore  Hall, 
commander  of  the  Connacht  Rangers  in  the  late  African 
War,  and  Mr.  Edward  Martyn  of  TuUira  Castle,  who  has 
given  thousands  of  pounds  towards  the  establishment  of  a 
Palestrina  choir  in  the  Catholic  Cathedral  in  Dublin,  that 
the  reason  for  opposing  Irish  as  an  essential  for  matriculation 
is  probably  the  desire  on  the  part  of  certain  authorities  and 
orders  to  create  in  Dublin  (ultimately  of  course  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  Irish  taxpayer)  a  great  Catholic  University  for 
all  the  English-speaking  Catholics  of  the  British  Empire. 
Certain  it  is  that  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  Catholic 
Bishops  have  gone  out  of  their  way  to  publicly  disapprove 
of  making  Irish  an  essential,  and  the  person  who  first  led 
the  campaign  against  it  was  the  Jesuit  Father  who  is  the 
most  celebrated  educationalist  in  Ireland. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  if  this  be  really  the  desire  of  the 
ecclesiastical  authorities,  upon  which  subject  I  express  no  view, 
it  is  not  that  of  the  people.  The  people  care  nothing  about 
the  wants  of  the  Empire,  but  very  much  indeed  about  the 
wants  of  Ireland,  and  they  think  that  nothing  in  the 
world  could  be  better  for  those  snobbish  Catholics  who  have 
been  hitherto  educated  in  utter  ignorance  of  their  country — 

VOL.  v.  Y 


324 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


and  I  fear  not  seldom  in  absolute  hostility  to  it — than  to 
make  them  at  long  last  learn  something  about  their  own 
land,  at  least  sufficient  to  let  them  know  that  they  had 
a  history,  a  language,  and  a  country.  The  demand  that  Irish 
should  be  an  essential  for  entrance  is  made  with  the  intention 
of  Irishising  the  secondary  schools  of  the  country.  Boys  and 
girls,  over  eighty  per  cent,  of  whom  are  already  taught  the 
language  in  those  institutions,  will  then  be  all  taught  it,  and 
taught  it  much  better  and  more  carefully  ;  and  those  superior 
people  who  either  really  despise  or  affect  to  despise  the  lan- 
guage and  country  of  their  ancestors  will  then  have  to  fall 
into  line  with  their  humble  or  more  patriotic  brothers  and 
sisters.  Again,  if  Irish  is  made  an  essential  for  matriculation, 
it  will  ensure  that  Irish-minded  people  enter  the  University 
but  it  will  not  handicap  anybody  whatsoever  inside  the 
University  itself,  for  it  can,  if  the  student  wishes,  be 
dropped  by  him  the  moment  he  begins  to  specialise. 

There  have,  however,  been  objections  raised  by  the  op- 
ponents of  essential  Irish  which  are  worthy  of  the  deepest 
consideration.  The  first  is  that  Protestants  would  be  pre- 
vented from  going  to  the  University  because  Irish  is  not 
taught  in  the  Protestant  schools,  or  is  taught  in  very  few  of 
them.  In  answer  to  this  it  is  said  that  the  new  University 
was  not  established  for  Protestants,  who  can  go  to  Trinity 
College  or  Belfast  if  they  will,  and  it  is  not  fair  to  frustrate 
the  desire  of  the  nation  for  the  sake  of  a  possible  handful  of 
Protestant  students.  My  own  opinion  on  this  point  is  that 
if  the  University  be  made  frankly  Irish  it  will  absorb  every 
national  Protestant  in  the  country,  and  gain  in  the  long-run 
perhaps  ten  times  as  many  Protestant  students  (many  of 
whom  are  very  national)  as  if  it  pursued  a  contrary  course. 

A  second  objection  is  that  there  are  many  good  Irishmen 
in  England  in  the  Civil  Service  and  elsewhere,  and  that  it 
would  not  be  fair  to  demand  a  knowledge  of  Irish  from  their 
children.  The  answer  is  that  there  is  a  branch  of  the  Gaelic 
League  in  every  big  city  in  England,  where  Irish  can  always 
be  learnt,  and  that  though  there  may  be  a  residuum  who 


IRISH  IN  THE  NATIONAL  UNIVERSITY      325 

could  not  so  learn  it,  still  they,  like  the  Protestants,  are  few 
in  number,  and  it  is  not  worth  while  to  warp  the  University 
in  order  to  please  them  only.  It  has  also  been  suggested 
that  such  students  could  be  admitted  to  the  university  with- 
out a  knowledge  of  Irish,  provided  they  took  out  an  Irish 
course  before  their  degree. 

A  third  objection  is  that  it  would  shut  out  the  Colonial 
and  American  Irish.  But  the  American  Irish  have  already 
held  many  meetings  of  their  own  in  many  parts  of  the  States, 
and  protested  loudly  that  no  Irish  American  would  dream  of 
turning  his  back  upon  the  splendid  universities  of  the  United 
States  except  for  the  one  thing  alone — the  hope  of  a  real 
Irish  education.  Besides  special  exceptions  might  be  made 
in  favour  of  Colonials  and  foreigners.  This  is  a  matter  of 
detail.  It  seems  certain  that  the  University  will  attract 
many  more  Irish- Americans  by  making  Irish  an  essential  than 
by  not  doing  so. 

The  general  objection  against  Irish  as  an  essential  is,  as 
we  have  said,  that  it  will  drive  away  students  from  the  new 
University  and  send  them  into  Trinity  College,  Belfast,  or 
London  University.  But  nobody  has  yet  specified,  so  far  as  I 
know,  what  students  exactly,  other  than  the  classes  I  have  men- 
tioned, will  be  driven  away.  In  my  opinion  the  new  University 
would  not  lose  more  than  a  few  dozens  for  the  first  few  years, 
and  none  at  all  after  that ;  but  on  the  other  hand  it  would 
attract  to  itself  after  five  years  hundreds  who  would  never 
have  gone  to  it  had  it  remained  a  West  British  institution 
with  Irish  as  a  mere  optional  subject,  as  in  the  present  Royal 
University. 

I  believe,  and  this  is  the  last  word,  that  as  the  Irish 
language  did  not  die  naturally  but  was  killed  by  force,  so  a 
little  gentle  pressure  is  necessary  for  its  restoration.  I  am 
sure  that  this  can  be  applied  without  the  smallest  dijBaculty, 
or  the  slightest  injustice  to  any  one  whatever,  provided 
only  that  nothing  be  unduly  rushed  or  hurried.  I  am 
persuaded  that  nothing  less  than  making  the  national  language 
essential  in  the  national  University  can  convince  the  Irish- 


326 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


speaking  population  that  they  really  and  truly  possess  in  their 
language  a  great  asset  of  the  highest  national  importance,  and 
that  nothing  short  of  this  will  bring  home  to  the  mind  of 
the  Gaelic  Irishman  that  after  three  or  four  hundred  years  of 
oppression  he  is  at  last  ceasing  to  be  the  under  dog  in  Ireland, 
and  I  firmly  believe  that  until  he  loses  the  sense  of  inferiority 
that  has  been  so  long  and  so  sedulously  impressed  upon  him 
the  Irish  nation  can  neither  thrive  nor  prosper. 

That  the  country  at  large  is  of  this  way  of  thinking  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  nineteen  County  Councils,  including 
the  whole  of  Munster  and  Connacht,  two  of  the  provinces 
that  will  most  largely  feed  the  University,  have  passed 
resolutions  calling  on  the  Senate  to  make  Irish  an  essen- 
tial. .  .  .  Several  of  these  County  Councils  have  gone  further 
and  pledged  themselves  to  raise  no  rates  for  the  University 
(they  have  the  statutory  power  to  raise  a  penny  in  the 
pound)  unless  this  be  done.  About  one  hundred  and 
thirty  District  and  Urban  Councils  and  Boards  of  Guardians 
out  of  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  have  adopted 
the  same  resolution.  The  General  Council  of  County 
Councils  (the  nearest  approach  to  an  all-Ireland  repre- 
sentative body)  have  adopted  it  also  with  only  one  dis- 
sentient. The  great  national  convention  held  last  February, 
at  which  two  thousand  delegates  were  present  from  County 
Councils,  Borough  Councils,  District  Councils  and  branches 
of  the  United  Irish  League  from  all  over  Ireland,  passed 
the  Gaelic  League  resolution  by  a  majority  of  three  to  one, 
although  Mr.  John  Dillon,  M.P.,  in  a  most  powerful  speech 
tried  to  dissuade  them  from  doing  so.  On  no  other  sub- 
ject except  that  of  Home  Rule  has  the  country  been  so  unani- 
If  the  Senate  consider  themselves  as  in  a  fiduciary 


mous. 


rather  than  a  didactic  position,  and  consequently  bound  to 
administer  Irish  education  in  the  way  demanded  by  the 
Irish  people,  then  the  result  has  been  already  decided. 


But  the  Senate  may  not  take  this  view. 


MILITARY  PERTHSHIRE  327 

MILITARY  PERTHSHIRE 

William  Mackay,  Inverness 

This  paper  has  been  suggested,  and,  if  I  may  use  the  word, 
inspired,  by  the  remarkable  volumes  recently  published  by 
the  Marchioness  of  Tullibardine — A  Military  History  of 
Perthshire y  1660-1902,  and  A  Military  History  of  Perthshire, 
1899-1902}  It  can  be  said  with  truth  that  no  county  in 
Scotland  has  given  to  the  British  Empire  so  many  soldiers 
and  sailors  of  distinction  as  the  great  half-Highland,  half- 
Lowland  County  of  Perth,  or  has  done  more  to  place  the 
deeds  of  the  brave  on  record.  Among  other  works  dealing 
more  or  less  with  military  affairs,  it  has  given  us  Stewart  of 
Garth's  Sketches  of  the  Highlanders,  which,  although  pub- 
lished so  long  ago  as  1822,  is  still  the  acknowledged  authority 
on  the  military  history  of  the  Highlands ;  The  Atholl 
Chronicles,  by  the  present  Duke  of  Atholl ;  The  History  of 
the  Clan  Gregor,  by  Miss  Murray  Macgregor,  of  Macgregor ; 
and  now  these  two  sumptuous  volumes,  of  which  Lady  Tulli- 
bardine is  editor,  and,  for  the  most  part,  author. 

The  second  of  the  volumes  is,  in  her  Ladyship's  words, 
'  intended  in  the  first  instance  as  an  appreciation  of  the  ser- 
vices rendered  by  Perthshire  men  who  served  in  South  Africa 
during  the  late  war,  and,  indirectly,  as  a  tribute  to  British 
soldiers  and  sailors  in  general.'  It  records  the  services  of 
Perthshire  men,  and  of  men  serving  in  Perthshire  regiments  in 
the  Boer  war,  the  last  Soudan  expedition,  and  the  various 
campaigns  on  the  Indian  frontier  during  the  decade  which 
closed  in  1903.  The  volume,  with  its  numerous  portraits — 
upwards  of  1000 — of  officers  and  men,  is  one  of  great  interest, 
and  its  value  will  become  even  greater  as  the  generations 
pass ;  but  to  present-day  readers,  and  especially  to  readers 
who  have  Highland  blood  in  their  veins,  or  are  moved  by 

1  Perth  :  R  A.  and  J.  Hay.      Glasgow  :  J.  Maclehose  and  Sons.      Edinburgh  : 
William  Brown. 


328  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Highland  sentiment,  the  volume  of  supreme  interest  is  the 
first  and  larger  one.  Within  its  634  pages  it  contains  a  great 
quantity  of  material  which  no  future  historian  of  any  Scottish 
district  can  safely  leave  unexamined.  Primarily  it  is  a 
Perthshire  book,  but  the  writers,  in  describing  Perthshire 
battles,  and  recording  events  in  which  Perthshire  soldiers 
and  sailors  took  a  part,  of  necessity  give  much  information 
regarding  men  and  occurrences  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 
And,  while  the  volume  is  a  rich  storehouse  on  which  future 
writers  are  certain  to  draw,  it  is  much  more  than  an  accumu- 
lation of  antiquarian  facts.  It  is  full  of  well-written  literary 
articles,  without  a  speck  of  dry-as-dustness  about  them  ;  and 
its  portraits,  illustrations,  and  maps  are  of  the  utmost  interest 
and  value. 

The  work  divides  itself  into  six  sections.  The  first  con- 
sists of  thirteen  articles  on  the  Perthshire  Regiments  of  the 
Regular  Army,  of  which  the  Editor  contributes  five,  Mr. 
Andrew  Eoss  four,  and  Mr.  Allan  M'Aulay,  the  Duke  of 
Atholl,  Mr.  W.  B.  Blaikie,  and  Sir  James  Ramsay  of  BamfF 
one  each.  These  run  from  the  Earl  of  AthoU's  and  Major- 
General  William  Drummond's  Troops  of  Horse,  1666-67,  to 
the  116th  Regiment  of  Foot,  1794-95.  The  second  section 
is  taken  up  with  nine  articles  on  the  Reserve  Forces  of 
Perthshire,  from  the  seventeenth  to  the  twentieth  centuries, 
six  of  which  are  by  the  Editor,  one  by  her  and  Colonel 
Smythe  of  Methven,  and  two  by  Mr.  Ross.  Of  the  three 
articles  on  battles  fought  in  Perthshire,  which  fill  the  third 
section.  Sir  Alexander  Muir  Mackenzie  of  Delvine  contri- 
butes the  one  on  '  Some  Early  Perthshire  Battles,'  while 
those  on  the  *  Battle  of  Killiecrankie  and  the  Battle  of 
SherifFmuir '  are  by  the  Editor.  The  fourth  section  contains 
articles  by  Mr.  W.  B.  Blaikie  on  *  Perthshire  in  the  'Fifteen 
and  the  Afiair  of  Glenshiel,'  '  Perthshire  in  the  'Forty-five ' 
and  '  Lord  George  Murray ' ;  and  the  fifth  consists  of  forty- six 
sketches  by  the  Editor,  Miss  Eleanor  C.  Sellar,  Mrs.  W.  J. 
Watson,  Miss  Murray  Macgregor,  Mr.  Graham  Hope,  Mr. 
Andrew  Ross,   Mr.  W.  B.  Blaikie,  and  Mr.  Blaikie  Murdoch, 


MILITAEY  PERTHSHIEE  329 

of  '  Perthshire's  Men  of  Action/  among  whom  we  find  men 
whose  reputation  is  world-wide,  from  the  Marquis  of  Mon- 
trose, 1612-50,  to  Sir  Charles  Metcalfe  Macgregor,  1840-87. 
Of  these  numerous  contributions  we  can  only  refer  to 
a  few  of  those  which  are  likely  to  prove  of  most  interest 
to  Highlanders. 

The  origin  of  the  Black  Watch  (of  which  Mr.  Ross  and 
Mr.  M'Aulay  write)  is  traced  to  the  Independent  Companies 
which  were  formed  as  early  as  1667,  for  the  purpose  of 
'securing  the  peace  of  the  Highlands,'  and  which  were  re- 
cruited from  clansmen  all  over  the  Highlands,  and  com- 
manded by  representatives  of  influential  Highland  families. 
In  1725  six  companies  of  Highlanders  were  raised,  which 
in  time  became  known  as  Am  Freiceadan  Duhh,  or  *  The 
Black  Watch,'  from  the  contrast  of  the  '  sombreness  of  their 
attire,  their  dark-hued  tartan,  and  general  lack  of  military 
embellishment,'  to  the  bright  uniform  of  the  Saighdearan 
Dearg,  or  *Red  Soldiers.'  In  1740  these  companies  were 
embodied  as  a  Regiment  of  the  Line  at  Aberfeldy.  The 
regiment  is  therefore  justly  enough  claimed  by  Perthshire, 
but  the  lists  given  in  this  volume  show  that  it  and  the  com- 
panies which  were  merged  into  it  contain  many  names  from 
the  counties  of  Inverness,  Ross,  Banff,  Argyll,  and  Dum- 
barton, including  the  name  of  Simon,  Lord  Lovat. 

In  connection  with  the  raising,  in  1780,  of  the  73rd  or 
Perthshire  Regiment  (originally  the  2nd  Battalion  of  the 
Black  Watch),  Mr.  Blaikie  commends  the  Highlanders  for 
loyally  accepting  the  inevitable  after  the  feelings  raised  by 
the  events  connected  with  the  'Forty-five  had  subsided,  and 
patriotically  placing  their  services  at  the  disposal  of  their 
country,  which  was  then  and  for  many  years  afterwards  in 
much  need  of  them.  '  The  list  of  the  original  officers 
of  the  second  battalion  of  the  42nd,'  he  writes,  *  shows 
many  historic  Highland  names,  both  Whig  and  Jacobite. 
The  colonel  was  Lord  John  Murray,  who  had  com- 
manded the  Royal  Highland  Regiment  since  1745.  The 
lieutenant  -  colonel     was     Norman     Macleod     of    Macleod, 


330 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


grandson  and  successor  of  the  Macleod  who  so  fiercely- 
opposed  Prince  Charles.  The  major  was  Patrick  Graeme, 
second  son  of  the  Jacobite  Laird  of  Inchbrakie,  who  married 
a  daughter  of  Oliphant  of  Gask.  Among  the  captains  and 
subalterns  were  James  Drummond,  who  afterwards  bore  the 
historic  title  of  Lord  Perth;  Colin  Campbell,  a  nephew  of 
Glenure,  the  victim  of  the  Appin  murder;  John  Grant, 
grandson  of  the  Jacobite  Chief  of  Glenmoriston  ;  Alexander 
Macgregor  of  Balhaldies,  son  of  the  Jacobite  agent  of  the 
previous  generation ;  and  Robert  Robertson,  a  younger  son 
of  Lude,  and  a  grandson  of  "Lady  Lude"  of  the  Torty-five, 
the  most  ardent  Jacobite  in  Perthshire.'  The  same  prefer- 
ence of  country  to  party  was  shown  in  connection  with  other 
Highland  regiments.  The  most  striking  instances,  perhaps, 
are  the  raising  of  the  Eraser  Regiment  by  Lord  Lovat's 
eldest  son,  Simon  Eraser,  who  had  commanded  his  clan  in 
Prince  Charles's  interest,  and  the  raising  of  the  73rd  Regi- 
ment by  Lord  Macleod,  who,  with  his  father,  the  Earl  of 
Cromartie,  had  been  out  in  the  same  cause. 

The  story  of  the  Battle  of  Killiecrankie  is  interestingly 
told  by  the  Editor,  who  discusses  the  route  taken  by  Dundee 
from  Blair  to  Killiecrankie,  and  the  true  site  of  the  battle. 
Upon  these  points  much  controversy  has  taken  place,  but 
Lady  Tullibardine  appears  to  have  conclusively  proved  that 
Dundee  marched  his  main  force  up  the  left  bank  of  the 
Fender,  behind  the  hill  of  Lude,  and,  proceeding  down  the 
Clune  Burn,  gave  battle  to  Mackay  on  the  lower  slopes  of 
Craig  Eallaich,  a  short  distance  behind,  or  to  the  north  of, 
Urrard  House.     A  helpful  map  accompanies  the  article. 

Of  the  many  Perthshire  personages  of  whom  accounts  are 
given,  two  of  the  most  interesting  are  the  Marquess  of  Tulli- 
bardine and  Lord  George  Murray,  brothers,  who  in  defiance 
of  the  wishes  of  their  father,  the  first  Duke  of  Atholl,  joined 
the  Earl  of  Mar  in  the  'Fifteen.  On  the  collapse  of  the 
rising,  they  escaped  to  the  Hebrides,  from  which  they  sailed 
for  France.  Tullibardine  was  attainted,  and  lost  his  birth- 
right, his  younger  brother.  Lord  James  Murray,  taking  his 


MILITARY  PERTHSHIEE  331 

place  in  the  AthoU  title  and  estates.  TuUibardine  com- 
manded the  Jacobites  in  the  Affair  of  Glenshiel  in  1719. 
With  a  price  of  £2000  on  his  head,  he  wandered  for  a  time 
in  Glengarry,  Knoydart,  and  the  Hebrides.  He  ultimately 
found  his  way  to  France,  where  he  resided  until  1745,  *  often 
in  great  poverty,  sometimes  in  prison  for  debt.*  Finally,  he 
accompanied  Prince  Charles  to  Scotland,  unfurled  the 
standard  at  Glenfinnan,  and  on  the  march  south  rested  with 
the  Prince  for  a  few  days  in  his  ancestral  castle  of  Blair. 
'  His  reception,'  remarks  Mr.  Blaikie,  '  might  well  be  hailed 
as  a  happy  omen  by  the  disinherited  Prince  Charles,  for  no 
sooner  had  the  Marquess  set  foot  in  Atholl  than  he  was  met 
by  "  men,  women,  and  children  who  came  running  from  their 
houses,  kissing  and  caressing  their  master,  whom  they  had 
not  seen  for  thirty  years " ;  and  he  was  given  a  welcome 
evincing  "the  strongest  affection,  which  could  not  fail  to 
move  every  generous  mind  with  a  mixture  of  grief  and  joy." 
The  people  of  Atholl  accepted  him  as  their  Duke,  and  his 
arrival  gave  a  great  impetus  to  the  Cause.'  But  the  Cause 
was  not  destined  to  succeed.  After  Culloden,  TuUibardine 
wandered  in  Badenoch,  Eannoch,  Balquidder,  and  the  Loch 
Lomond  district,  so  ill  and  weak  that  he  had  to  be  carried  in 
a  pannier  on  horseback,  until,  betrayed  by  William  Buchanan, 
younger  of  Drummikill,  who  fell  before  the  £1000  blood-money 
— never  paid ! — when  the  starving  Seven  Men  of  Glen- 
moriston  were  successfully  resisting  the  £30,000  bribe,  he 
was  captured,  sent  to  London  and  imprisoned  in  the  Tower, 
where  he  soon  died,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven. 

The  career  of  Lord  George  was  equally  romantic.  He 
joined  the  Expedition  of  1719,  and  was  wounded  while  com- 
manding the  right  wing  at  Glenshiel,  on  10th  June.  He 
wandered  among  the  mountains  of  Inverness-shire,  Strath- 
bogie,  and  Mar  until  the  following  April,  when  he  crossed  to 
Holland.  He  was  pardoned  in  1725,  and,  returning  to  Scot- 
land, married  and  settled  down  in  the  old  house  of  TuUi- 
bardine as  a  quiet,  country  gentleman,  the  friend  and  adviser 
of  his  neighbours,  delighting  in  husbandry,  gardening,  and 


332 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


sport.  Until  1745  he  lived  the  most  peaceful  of  lives,  taking 
no  part  in  plot  or  intrigue;  and  the  world,  and  probably 
himself,  came  to  believe  that  he  had  abandoned  the  Cause  of 
the  Stewarts.  But  a  letter  written  by  Prince  Charles  to  him 
from  Blair  Castle  changed  all,  and,  on  4th  September,  he  joined 
his  brother  in  the  Jacobite  army  at  Perth,  and  became  Lieu- 
tenant-General.  He  faithfully  adhered  to  the  Cause  until  all 
was  ended  at  Culloden,  but,  as  an  experienced  soldier,  who  in 
the  estimation  of  Mr.  Blaikie  '  ranks  with  Montrose  and 
Dundee  as  one  of  the  great  leaders  of  Highlanders,'  he  had 
nothing  but  contempt  for  the  capacity  of  the  Irish  adven- 
turers who  were  the  Prince's  advisers ;  and,  unfortunately  for 
himself,  he  took  no  pains  to  conceal  his  feelings.  The  result 
was  that  almost  from  the  outset  he  suffered  from  the  ill-will 
of  the  Irishmen,  and  from  the  suspicion  of  the  Prince.  He  ap- 
proved of  the  proposed  surprise  march  from  Culloden  to  Nairn, 
but,  when  it  became  evident  that  the  project  had  failed,  he,  not- 
withstanding the  Prince's  orders  to  the  contrary,  turned  back 
the  Highlanders  to  Culloden,  where  they  awaited  Cumber- 
land's attack.  Charges  of  treachery  were  hurled  at  his  head, 
and  the  famous  John  Boy  Stewart,  with  true  Celtic  impulse, 
came  to  believe  that  they  were  true.  That  soldier  bard,  in 
his  poem  on  Culloden  Day,  does  not  spare  his  discredited 
chief  :— 

Is  mor  eucoir  an  luchd-6rduigh, 
An  f  hull  ud  a  dh6rtadh  le  foill ; 
Mo  sheachd  mallachd  aig  De6rsa, 
Fhuair  e  'n  lath'  ud  air  6rdugli  dha  f^in ! 

Mheall  e  sinne  le  'ch6mliradh, 

'S  gu'n  robh  ar  barail  ro  mhdir  air  r'a  linn. 

[Great  is  the  iniquity  of  the  commanders, 
To  have  spilt  that  blood  with  treachery ; 
My  seven  curses  on  George, 
He  got  that  day  to  his  own  ordering ! 


He  deceived  us  with  his  conversation, 

And  that  our  opinion  of  him  was  too  high  in  his  time.^ 


MILITAEY  PERTHSHIRE  333 

And  in  another  lay  on  the  same  unhappy  day,  Stewart 
returns  to  the  charge  : — 

Mas  fior  an  d^na  gu'  cheann, 

Gu  'n  robh  Achan  's  a'  champ — 

Dearg  mheirleach  nan  raud  [?]  's  nam  breugan  ! 

B'e  sin  an  Seanalair  m6r ! 
Gr^in  is  mallachd  an  t-sl6igh ! 
Reic  e  onoir  's  a  ch6ir  air  eucoir ! 

Thionndaidh  e  'choileir  's  a  chledc, 

Air  son  an  sporain  bu  mh6 — 

Rinn  sud  dolaidh  do  shedid  righ  Seumas  ! 

[If  my  lay  be  true  to  its  end, 
There  was  an  Achan  in  the  camp — 
Fell  thief,  full  of  deceits  [?]  and  lies. 

That  was  the  great  General ! 

The  loathing  and  the  curse  of  the  people  ! 

He  sold  his  honour  and  his  integrity  for  evil ! 

He  turned  his  collar  and  his  cloak 

For  the  purse  that  was  biggest — 

Which  did  hurt  to  the  heroes  of  King  James  !] 

Although  with  the  ordinary  clansmen,  for  whose  comfort 
and  well-being  he  had  always  been  solicitous,  Lord  George 
was  popular,  many  of  them  followed  John  Roy  Stewart  in 
the  belief  in  his  guilt.  The  general  verdict  of  chiefs  and 
officers  was,  however,  in  his  favour. 

Many  years  after  Culloden,  that  devoted  Jacobite  without 
guile,  Alexander  MacNab  of  Inishewen,  who  had  himself  been 
a  captain  in  the  Prince's  army,  and  had  in  the  days  of  trouble 
befriended  the  Glenmoriston  saviours  of  Prince  Charles,  wrote 
a  Vindication  of  Lord  George  which,  so  far  as  I  am  aware, 
has  not  hitherto  been  printed.  In  it  he  attributes  the  charge 
to  private  malice,  and  declares  :  '  From  my  own  observations, 
Lord  George's  conduct  was  not  only  blameless,  but  likewise 
true  and  loyal  to  his  Prince,  from  his  first  entering  into  the 
service  until  the  whole  affair  was  over.' 


334 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


The  Vindication — a  MS.  copy  of  which  is  in  my  possession 
— is  worth  quoting  : — 

*  In  the  first  place,  it  was  owing  to  his  [Lord  George's]  intelligence 
and  advice  we  retreated  from  Derby,  having  received  information 
that  General  Wade  was  to  the  east,  the  Duke  of  Cumberland  march- 
ing towards  the  centre,  and  Ligoneer  at  Newcastle-under-Line,  within 
six  miles  of  Derby,  so  that  we  were  nearly  surrounded  by  these  three 
different  armies. 

'  In  the  second  place,  previous  to  the  battle  of  Falkirk,  Lord  George 
marched  from  that  town  before  daylight  to  Linlithgow,  to  carry  off 
all  the  provisions  and  forage  which  General  Hawley  had  ordered  to 
be  ready  for  the  use  of  his  own  troops.  General  Hawley's  advance 
guard  unexpectedly  met  ours  at  the  east  end  of  Linlithgow,  upon 
which  they  retired  to  General  Hawley.  Immediately  we  marched 
out  of  the  town  to  meet  Hawley,  when  we  observed  he  had  retreated 
as  far  as  Wineburgh,  and,  imagining  he  had  gone  back  to  Edinburgh, 
we  returned  to  Linlithgow  to  execute  our  first  design.  But  Hawley, 
marching  to  Bathgate,  the  first  information  we  had  of  his  route  was 
seeing  his  troops  advancing  in  three  colums  above  the  town.  Im- 
mediately Lord  George  ordered  the  bagpipes  to  play  and  march 
slowly  through  the  town  to  make  a  point  to  meet  General  Hawley 
till  all  our  men  were  out  of  the  houses,  when,  making  a  front  of  our 
rear,  we  retreated  to  Falkirk,  the  enemy  pursuing  us  by  the  back 
of  the  town  in  order  to  intercept  us  before  passing  the  Bridge  of  Lin- 
lithgow, so  that  their  front  came  to  the  Braehead  at  the  one  end  when 
our  rear  was  at  the  other.  If  Lord  George  had  been  so  inclined,  it 
was  easy  for  him,  without  the  least  suspicion  upon  his  part,  to  have 
frustrated  that  very  day  the  whole  of  his  Prince's  views,  as  matters 
were  situated. 

*  Thirdly,  at  the  battle  of  Falkirk  he  shewed  both  courage  and 
good  conduct,  being  placed  on  the  right  wing.  Standing  himself  in 
the  front  line,  he  put  his  wig  in  his  pocket,  and,  scragging  his  bonnet, 
gave  orders  not  to  fire  till  the  dragoons  had  fired  first,  as  they  made 
several  attempts  to  make  us  discharge  first.  This  I  was  eye-witness 
to,  being  placed  at  a  small  distance  from  his  Lordship,  where  John 
Roy  Stewart  and  Mr.  Oliphant  of  Gask  stood  beside  him.  The 
Dragoons  being  broke  by  our  fire,  and  a  great  number  killed,  as  they 
were  so  near,  the  Highlanders  threw  away  their  guns  to  attack  them 
sword  in  hand,  when  Lord  George  sent  Mr.  Oliphant,  his  aide-de- 
camp, ordering  the  men  to  take  up  their  guns  and  charge  immedi- 
ately, as  he  supposed  the  infantry  to  be  nigh  the  Dragoons,  as  there 
was  a  small  eminence  that  intercepted  our  view,  and  would  be  ready 


MILITARY  PERTHSHIRE  335 

to  receive  us  with  their  fire ;  but  he  could  not  prevail  with  the  common 
soldiers  from  rushing  forward  and  meeting  the  Glasgow  militia  behind 
the  Dragoons,  as  he  at  first  judiciously  suspected. 

'  In  the  fourth  place,  before  the  Battle  of  CuUoden  we  rested  a 
night  and  part  of  two  days  on  CuUoden  Muir,  expecting  the  enemy 
from  Nairn,  during  which  time  we  received  no  refreshment,  only  a 
hard  sea  biscuit  each  man  towards  the  evening  of  the  second  day, 
and  as  soon  as  it  turned  dark  that  night  we  marched  to  surprise  and 
attack  the  enemy  in  their  camp  at  Nairn  before  daylight,  and  Lord 
George  in  front.  The  tediousness  of  our  march  through  bad  roads  and 
bad  weather,  joined  to  the  darkness  of  the  night,  so  that  you  could 
not  decern  a  white  from  a  black  horse  altho'  standing  beside  you, 
retarded  our  march  so  much  that  at  break  of  day  we  were  two  miles 
from  Nairn,  so  that  Lord  George  and  the  whole  Commanding  officers 
saw  it  prudent  to  retire  for  that  day,  as  the  troops  were  so  much 
fatigued,  until  they  got  some  refreshment  and  rest,  not  expecting 
the  enemy  to  follow  them  that  day,  as  it  did  not  promise  to  be  fair 
and,  tho'  this  was  judged  prudent  by  the  whole  Commanding 
Officers,  yet  the  common  soldiers  reflected  upon  Lord  George  for  the 
fatigue  and  retreat,  as  if  he  had  corresponded  with  the  enemy,  which 
was  merely  impossible  at  that  time.  The  most  of  our  army  went  to 
Inverness  for  some  refreshment,  the  rest  remained  with  the  Prince 
about  CuUoden  House,  when  information  was  brought  that  the  Enemy 
were  on  their  march  to  CuUoden  Muir.  Immediately  a  party  of  horse 
were  dispatched  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy,  and  their  advanced  guard 
met  our  reconnoitring  party  on  the  height  about  a  mile  South-East 
of  CuUoden  House,  and  immediately  retired  upon  seeing  us.  The 
Prince,  with  all  that  remained  of  his  army  about  CuUoden  House, 
marched  directly  up  the  hill,  when  the  enemy  were  on  their  march  in 
three  colums,  about  a  mile  distant,  and,  when  those  at  Inverness 
were  informed  of  it,  each  ran  with  the  best  speed  they  could,  and  so 
were  coming  up  in  different  parties  without  observing  order,  and,  as 
I  was  afterwards  informed,  the  Prince  sent  orders  to  Lord  George  to 
attack  immediately  with  the  handful  of  men  that  remained,  before 
the  Enemy  had  formed,  which  Lord  George  refused  to  do  till  the 
whole  would  come  up  from  Inverness ;  for  a  gentleman  that  was  pre- 
sent informed  me  of  a  conversation  that  passed  betwixt  the  Prince 
and  John  Roy  Stewart  in  the  suilking  [skulking]  time,  when  the 
former  expressing  his  displeasure  of  Lord  George's  conduct  at 
CuUoden,  John  Boy  Stewart  replied,  had  it  been  any  other  than  his 
Highness,  he  could  take  upon  him  to  vindicate  Lord  George's  Con- 
duct.   Then  the  Prince  said,  "  WeU,  John,  I  am  another  person,  let 


336 


THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 


me  hear  your  vindication  "  ;  after  which  John  Roy  Stewart  vindicated 
Lord  George ;  the  Prince  then  asked,  "  Well,  John,  have  you  done  ? " 
John  replied,  Please  his  Highness,  he  had.  "  Well,"  says  the  Prince, 
"  before  the  Enemy  had  formed,  I  sent  Lord  George  an  Aide-de-Camp 
with  orders  to  attack  immediately,  in  which  if  I  had  been  obeyed  I 
would  drive  their  front  in  their  rear ;  which  order  I  repeated  several 
times  without  being  obeyed,  and,  by  the  time  the  enemy  had  formed, 
I  sent  orders  to  the  Duke  of  Perth,  who  immediately  obeyed,  but  it 
was  then  too  late.  I  know,"  continued  he,  "  Lord  George  would  make 
a  very  good  Dragoon,  but  he  knows  very  little  of  the  General " ;  and 
so  the  conversation  ended ;  but  he  did  not  express  during  the  whole 
the  least  insinuation  or  suspicion  of  his  disloyalty  in  any  manner, 
only  he  was  highly  displeased  with  his  disobeying  orders  at  the  Battle 
of  CuUoden. 

'  It  was  no  matter  of  surprise  that  Lord  George  was  unwilling  to 
engage  with  the  few  who  came  up  the  hill  at  first,  till  the  whole  at 
Inverness  would  arrive ;  for,  as  I  heard  afterwards,  it  was  computed 
we  only  had  seventeen  hundred  in  our  front,  and  only  line,  for  we 
had  no  other  except  Lord  John  Drummond's  regiment,  and  the 
Prince's  Guard,  amounting  to  about  two  hundred,  and  only  one  field 
piece,  and  we  were  flanked  on  the  right  by  the  Argyllshire  Militia, 
and  Dragoons,  and  none  to  cover  the  horse  on  our  left ;  most  of  the 
Regiments  there  wanted  near  a  third  of  their  men,  who  went  to  see 
their  wives  at  home,  but  did  not  come  up  in  time,  Cluny  Macpherson 
and  all  his  men,  with  Lord  Cromarty's  Regiment,  Barisdale  and  the 
Macgregors,  with  such  others  as  went  to  Sutherland  to  collect  the 
cess,  as  our  finances  were  quite  exhausted ;  so  that  it  was  no  matter 
of  surprise  that  Lord  George  should  wait  the  coming  up  of  those  at 
Inverness,  considering  the  fewness  of  the  number  in  whole,  before 
engaging  the  Enemy,  as  they  had  at  least  thrice  our  number,  with 
suitable  Artillery.  I  was  well  informed  that  after  Lord  George  went 
abroad  he  employed  the  Scots  College  at  Paris  to  receive  all  the 
accusations  against  him,  which  he  would  make  it  his  business  to 
make  satisfactory  answers  to;  but  I  did  not  hear  of  one  single 
act  of  accusation  having  been  lodged  against  him. 

*  I  have  no  motive  or  inducement  for  the  above  vindication  but 
merely  doing  justice  to  injured  innocence,  which  I  am  sure  is  the 
case  here,  and  that  I  flatter  myself  there  are  few  in  life  now  who  knew 
the  different  circumstances  as  I  did.  At  Inishewen,  the  fourteenth 
of  March,  Seventeen  hundred  and  ninety-five  years. 

'Alexr.  MacNab.' 


TOPOGEAPHICAL  VAEIA  337 

In  view  of  John  Roy  Stewart's  poetic  maledictions, 
MacNab's  reference  to  his  opinion  of  Lord  George  is  curious, 
and  the  questions  arise — When  did  Stewart  become  con- 
vinced of  Lord  George's  guilt?  and — Was  the  change  of 
opinion  the  result  of  his  intercourse  in  France  with  Prince 
Charles's  Irish  officers?  Lord  George  died  an  exile  in  1760, 
thirty-five  years  before  Inishewen  wrote  his  Vindication,  and 
eleven  years  after  the  death  of  the  other  exile,  John  Roy 
Stewart.  Four  years  after  Lord  George's  death  his  son 
became  Duke  of  AthoU. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    VARIA 

W.  J.  Watson 

tros 

Old  Welsh  tros,  across,  modern  Welsh  traws,  is  paralleled 
in  several  Perthshire  names.  To  the  south  of  Loch  Rannoch 
is  Troscraig,  Cross-rock,  applied  to  a  rock  which  lies  athwart 
the  general  run  of  its  neighbours.  The  same  base  with  ex- 
tensions is  seen  in  na  Trdisichean,  the  Trossachs,  i.e.  the 
places  lying  athwart,  between  Loch  Katrine  and  Loch 
Achray.  This  exactly  describes  the  Trossachs,  which  fill  the 
gap  at  the  end  of  Loch  Katrine  so  completely  that  Loch 
Katrine's  waters  have  to  seek  a  way  for  themselves  between 
the  Trossachs  and  the  foot  of  Ben  Venue.  The  curious  name 
Throsk  in  Stirlingshire,  situated  near  the  Forth,  may  be  a 
derivative  of  tros  as  crosg,  a  cross  place,  is  from  crois  or 
rather  cross,  a  cross.  With  this  again  may  be  compared  the 
great  hill  Trosgaich  at  the  north  end  of  Loch  Lomond,  over- 
looking Ldirig  Airnein,  Arnan's  crossing ;  Trosgaich,  crossing 
place,  has  been  transferred  from  the  lairig  or  crossing,  to  the 
hill  above  it.  But  the  old  meaning  still  lingers,  for  a  good 
authority  of  his  own  accord  declined  to  say  definitely  whether 
Trosgaich  is  the  name  of  the  hill  or  not  rather  of  the  pass. 

Tros  may  be  old  Pictish.     On  the  other  hand  it  may  be 
Strathclyde  Welsh.     Loch  Lomond  itself  is  in  Welsh  Llyn 


338  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Llumonwy,  Lake  of  Lumon-water,  which  seems  to  be  plain 
Welsh  for  Beacon-water,  and  llumon  being  borrowed  from 
Latin  lumens  as  its  phonetics  show,  is  at  any  rate  not  a 
native  Pictish  term.  The  probability  is  that  the  name  was 
given  by  the  Strathclyde  Britons  from  beacon  fires  on  Ben 
Lomond.  Gaelic  has  taken  over  the  name  as  Loch  Laoiminn, 
in  north  Gaelic  Loch  Laomuinn,  with  phonetics  influenced  by 
the  personal  and  hero  name  Laomuinn  (Norse  Law-man)  with 
which  it  has  no  real  connection.  With  Ben  Lomond  may  be 
compared  the  Welsh  Plynlimmon,  for  Pumlumon.  Two  or 
three  miles  beyond  Trosgaich,  as  one  goes  up  Glenfalloch,  is 
Clach  nam  Breatan,  the  Britons*  stone,  a  great  roughly 
oblong  slab  about  ten  feet  long,  standing  at  an  angle  of 
about  30°  on  a  cairn  of  moraine  matter.  The  stone  is  not 
visible  from  the  public  road,  except,  I  think,  at  one  particular 
point,  but  may  be  readily  located  by  leaving  the  road  at 
a  point  a  little  over  a  mile  beyond  Glenfalloch  farm  (properly 
Clachnambreatan  farm)  before  one  comes  to  the  Falls  of 
Falloch,  and,  keeping  to  the  left,  crossing  the  railway  line 
above  the  powder  magazine,  which  latter  will  serve  as  a  guide 
when  to  leave  the  public  road.  There  are  many  stones  on 
the  hillside,  but  Clach  nam  Breatan  is  too  conspicuous  to 
be  missed  or  mistaken.  It  is  well  to  be  thus  minute,  for  it 
is  too  probable  that  in  a  few  years  it  might  be  impossible  to 
identify  it  from  local  information. 

There  are  several  other  names  in  the  Menteith  district 
which  might  reasonably  be  claimed  as  Strathclyde  Welsh,  but 
these  may  be  reserved  for  discussion  at  some  other  time. 

esc,  'Icr/ca. 

The  old  Irish  esc,  water,  Ptolemy's  'la-Ka,  whence  the  river 
names  Exe,  Esk,  Welsh  Usg,  appears  in  Irish  in  the  term 
Murrisc,  a  sea-fen,  sea-swamp,  and  in  easgaidh,  a  quagmire. 
Hence,  also,  our  Gaelic  easgann,  Old  Irish  escung,  fen-snake 
{ung,  Latin  anguis  ^).  The  derivative  easgaidh  seems  to  be 
obsolete  in  Scottish  Gaelic,  but  it  appears  in  at  least  two 

^  MacBapin's  EtymologiccU  Dictionary. 


TOPOGEAPHICAL  VARIA  339 

northern  place-names.  The  eastern  part  of  the  present 
farm  of  Clashnabuiack,  Alness,  Eoss-shire,  was  formerly  a 
distinct  holding,  containing  a  swampy  hollow  now  drained, 
and  called  in  Gaelic  PoUaisgidh,  for  poll  +  easgaidh,  meaning 
fen-hollow.  The  other  instance  occurs  at  the  west  end  of 
Loch  Ruthven,  at  the  head  of  Strathnairn,  where  there  is 
a  low-lying  farm,  much  of  it  once  swampy,  called  Aberskye 
(accented  on  first  syllable),  in  Gaelic  Ahairsgidh,  Here 
ahar  is  the  term  seen  also  in  Loch-aber,  Irish  abar,  marshy 
land,  now  eabar,  mud,  in  spoken  Scottish  Gaelic.  Thus 
Aberskye  means  mud-fen.  The  contraction  of  Ahareasgaidh 
into  Ahairsgidh  is  due  to  the  stress  on  the  first  part  of  the 
compound.  Esky  Loch  ^  is  probably  a  third  instance  ;  but 
more  should  be  forthcoming. 

henn. 

The  primary  meaning  of  henn  is  '  horn,'  hence  *  peak,'  and 
in  Ireland  the  bens  are  peaked  hills.  With  us  in  Scotland 
the  term,  in  the  oblique  form  heinn,  is  extended  to  apply  to 
any  hill  without  regard  to  shape,  though  traces  of  the  old 
usage  are  common.  The  diminutive  hinnean  always  denotes 
a  peaked  hill,  sometimes  by  no  means  diminutive  in  size.  The 
Binnean  in  Glendochart  is  3821  feet  in  height.  The  adjec- 
tive heannach  always  means  '  peaked,'  and  is  applied  to  a 
variety  of  things,  including  lochs  :  Loch  Beannach,  horned 
loch,  is  a  common  name,  usually  mistranslated.  The  classical 
instance  is  Lacus  Benacus  (Bennacus)  in  the  north  of  Italy, 
now  Laco  de  Garda,  so  called  from  its  running  to  a  horn.  The 
same  word  with  extension  is  found  in  Loch  Vennachar,  Gael. 
Loch  Bheannchair,  practically  the  horned  loch,  or  rather  loch 
of  the  horn-shaped  place.  In  Boss-shire  we  have  the  dupli- 
cate Loch  Bheannacharan,  with  still  another  extension.  It 
may  be  noted  that  croc,  antler,  is  used  in  a  way  exactly 
similar ;  Loch  Crdcach,  antlered  loch ;  Lochan  na  Crdice, 
lochlet   of  the  antler.     In  all   these  instances   the   horn  is 

^  W.  J.  N.  Liddall's  Place-Names  of  Fife  and  Kinross. 
VOL.  v.  Z 


340 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


horizontal,  not  vertical.  The  vertical  meaning  is  seen,  how- 
ever, in  Benly,  Gaelic  Binniligh,  a  pointed  hill  at  Abriachan, 
Inverness,  from  henn-^-lach,  place  of  the  horn  or  peak.  A 
more  recondite  case  is  found  in  Ross-shire  in  the  hill-name 
Benndealt,  which  was  long  obscure  to  me.  The  hill  consists 
of  a  ridge  dipping  towards  the  middle  and  having  a  distinct 
peak  at  each  end.  When  one  remembers  that  the  Ross-shire 
Gaelic  for  saddle  is  dialt  (not  diollaid)  the  meaning  is  plainly 
seen  to  be  *  peak-saddle.'  The  numerous  places  called 
Benchar,  Banchor,  Bangor,  Banchory,  are  all  of  the  same 
derivation,  but  whether  the  horn  in  these  is  horizontal  or 
vertical  requires  local  knowledge  in  each  particular  case  to 
determine. 


mion;  gag. 

The  adjective  mion,  small  (Latin  min-or),  occurs  very 
seldom  in  names  of  places.  It  is  seen  in  Minard  on  Loch  Fyne, 
mion  4-  aird,  small  cape,  and  in  the  Mionchnoc,  the  little  hill, 
to  the  west  of  Fyrish,  Novar.  On  Gordon  of  Straloch's  Map 
(1641-8)appears  'Mountains  .  .  .  Minigeg'  in  the  Struan 
neighbourhood,  and  the  Grampian  range  here  is  still  called 
Monadh  Mion-gaig,  the  mountain  range  of  *  Minigeg.'  Here 
the  second  element  is  gag,  a  cleft,  the  whole  meaning  '  little 
cleft,'  as  distinguished  from  the  various  other  names  in- 
volving gag  in  that  wild  region.  Best  known  of  these  is 
Gaick,  in  Gaelic  Gaig  (locative  case),  of  sinister  reputation. 
There  are  also  Garhhgag,  rough  cleft,  Singaig,  old  cleft,  and 
Mungaig,  this  last  involving  mun,  which  is  probably  of  same 
root  as  monadh.  The  latter  two  names,  and  also  Miongaig, 
have  the  short  indefinite  or  '  sporadic  *  vowel  sound  between 
the  two  parts  of  the  compound.  The  use  of  gag  in  this 
district  is  one  of  the  many  instances  of  the  fondness  of 
special  localities  for  special  terms.  There  may  be  added 
Baile  na  Gaig,  near  Dochgarroch,  Inverness,  a  cosy  stead, 
with  a  cleft  in  the  ridge  immediately  behind  it,  also  the 
stream  Faragaig,  Stratherrick. 


TOPOGEAPHICAL  VARIA  341 

ith,  iodh,  ithir. 

In  Old  Irish  the  generic  term  for  corn  is  ithj  genitive  etho. 
One  of  the  plains  of  Ireland,  cleared  by  the  people  of  Part- 
holon  (some  eight  generations  after  the  Flood,  say  the 
legends)  was  Mag  Ita  or  Mag  loth,  thus  giving  corn-grow- 
ing in  Ireland  a  high  antiquity.  The  word  is  obsolete  with 
us,  except  in  the  compound  iodhlann  (iodh  +  lann),  a  corn- 
yard.  It  occurs,  however,  in  a  few  names  of  places  best 
known  of  which  is  Tiree,  '  Tir-iodh  iosal  an  e6rna,'  low-lying 
Tiree  of  the  barley,  famed  for  its  fertility  even  in  the  sixth 
century,  when  it  was  tilled  by  Columban  monks.  Adamnan 
Latinises  it  as  Ethica  Insula  and  its  sea  as  Ethicum  Pelagus, 
showing,  I  suppose,  that  in  his  time  the  Gaelic  of  it  was  Tir- 
etho. 

From  ith  is  formed  ithir,  corn- land,  and  I  venture  to  think 
that  to  this  we  may  look  for  the  derivation  of  the  names 
Strathyre  and  Stronyre  at  the  head  of  Loch  Lubnaig. 
Stronyre  is  a  promontory,  flat  and  fertile,  by  the  loch  side, 
forming  part  of  the  farm  of  Laggan.  In  Gaelic  it  is  Srdn- 
eadhair,  and  Strathyre  is  Srath-eadhair,  though  here  the  th 
of  srath  is  in  pronunciation  rather  made  to  go  with  the 
second  part,  whence  a  local  explanation  as  *  Strath  of  the 
tether '  (teadhair)  with  reference  to  the  windings  of  the  quiet 
Balhhaig  which  flows  through  it.  But  the  pronunciation  of 
Srdn-eadhair  gives  the  key  to  the  right  division,  and  I 
think  that  the  names  mean  Point  and  Strath  of  the  corn- 
land.  I  venture  further  to  identify  Strathyre  with  the  place 
mentioned  in  the  Annals  of  Ulster,  under  date  653  :  '  Bellum 
Sratho  Ethairt  ubi  Duncath  mac  Conaing  cecidit,'  the  battle 
of  Strath- ethart,  in  which  fell  Duncan,  son  of  Conang. 
Conang  was  son  of  Aedan,  King  of  Dalriada,  who  died  in 
621  A.D. 

Monzie,  in  Strathearn,  appears  on  record  c.  1230  as 
Mugedha;  1268,  Monyhge;  1282,  Mothyethe ;  1283,  Muyhe; 
and  the  modern  Gaelic  is  Magh-eadh.  This,  as  has  been 
pointed  out  in  an  appendix  to  the  recently  published  Charters 


342  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

of  Inchqffray  Abbey,  may  be  explained  with  tolerable  cer- 
tainty as  *  Plain  of  Corn/  a  parallel  to  the  Irish  Magh  loth. 
It  will  be  noted  how  closely  the  modern  Gaelic  form  co- 
incides with  the  oldest  charter  spelling  ;  the  spelling  of  1283 
is  really  a  very  fair  phonetic  attempt  at  the  same  sound,  and 
of  value  as  showing  that  the  Gaelic  then  was  exactly  what  it 
is  now.  The  puzzling  n,  which  appears  both  in  the  English 
form  and  in  the  spelling  of  1268,  is  explained  by  Professor 
Mackinnon  as  the  ancient  n-  after  neuters,  magh  (Gaulish 
mag  OS  mages-)  having  been  originally  neuter.  Very  similar 
is  the  case  of  the  adjacent  Monzievaird,  which  appears  in  the 
Inchaffray  Charters  as  1203,  Monewarde;  1234,  1239,  Moy- 
theuard;  1265,  Mony vard ;  while  the  present  day  Gaelic  is 
Magh'bhard.  If  it  is  curious  that  the  old  n  should  be 
represented  in  the  charter  spellings  of  these  names,  it  is  still 
more  curious  that  it  has  stuck  in  their  modern  Englished 
forms.  Yet  these  are  only  examples  of  a  large  class  of 
names  where  very  ancient  forms  are  preserved  after  the 
manner  of  fossils  in  modern  English.  Lovat,  for  instance, 
which  is  doubtless  Pictish  (root  lov,  wash),  is  never  heard 
in  Gaelic  speech  ;  it  is  always  A'  Mhor'oich,  '  the  sea- plain,' 
possibly  a  translation  made  when  the  meaning  of  the  Pictish 
Lovat  was  still  understood.  Balkeith,  near  Tain,  is  in  Gaelic 
Baile  na  Goille,  also  very  possibly  a  translation  from  the 
Pictish.  The  modern  Gaelic  of  Daviot  near  Inverness  is 
Deimhidh,  which  Dr.  MacBain  happily  identified  as  to 
derivation  with  the  Welsh  Demetae,  now  Dyfed.  From 
about  1203  onwards,  Daviot  appears  on  record  as  Deveth ; 
the  Aberdeen  Daviot  appears  in  early  documents  as  Davy- 
oth.  Here  and  in  many  other  cases  we  have  the  curious 
phenomenon  of  a  sort  of  double  nomenclature,  the  present 
day  Gaelic  and  the  English  forms,  the  former  showing  the 
usual  regular  phonetic  changes,  the  latter  preserving  fossi- 
lised a  very  old  pronunciation.  These  English  forms  have 
been  explained  as  revivals ;  but  this  theory,  while  it  may 
explain  some  instances,  seems  to  be  on  the  whole  inadequate, 
and  the  whole  subject  deserves  consideration. 


A  MODERN  INSTANCE  OF  EVIL-EYE        343 


A  MODERN   INSTANCE   OF  EVIL-EYE 

The  following  occurred  in  the  island  of  Grimsey,  North  Uist, 
during  the  month  of  February  1906.  It  happened  that  a 
man  from  Benbecula  came  to  Grimsey  to  purchase  a  horse. 
He  was  aware  that  a  crofter  named  MacAulay,  residing  at 
Mas-Ghrimisa,  had  a  horse  to  sell,  but  knew  also  that  the 
price  would  be  more  than  he  could  give,  as  the  horse  was  of 
a  handsome,  showy  breed.  In  his  course  through  the  island 
he  passed  MacAulay's  house,  spoke  a  few  words  in  passing, 
and  said  a  word  in  praise  of  MacAulay's  horse. 

That  evening  the  horse  got  suddenly  very  ill.  MacAulay 
tried  such  remedies  as  were  known  to  him,  but  as  these  did 
not  cure,  he  bethought  himself  of  a  woman  in  the  neighbour- 
hood who  had  the  power  to  counteract  the  evil-eye.  This 
she  used  by  means  of  '  Eolas-an-t-snathlain,'  the  Charm  of 
the  thread.  MacAulay  told  her  of  his  horse's  illness.  She  at 
once  set  about  the  charm,  procured  three  pieces  of  woollen 
thread,  red,  blue,  and  green,  twined  each  into  a  three-stranded 
thread,  knotted  them  together,  and  gave  the  complete  thread 
to  MacAulay  with  instructions  to  tie  it  round  the  tail  of 
the  sick  horse  on  the  bony  stump  under  the  long  hair  of 
the  tail.  This  MacAulay  did,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  the 
horse  got  better  within  an  hour. 

Mrs.  Maclean,  the  operator,  used  her  fingers  and  teeth  to 
twine  the  thread,  during  which  she  crooned  the  rune  given 
here. 

The  writer  heard  of  the  circumstances,  and  went  to 
inquire  of  Mrs.  Maclean  regarding  it.  She  frankly  told  that 
she  had  the  power,  and  that  her  mother  had  it  before  her ; 
that  she  is  not  conscious  of  any  '  possession,'  but  simply  goes 
on  always  believing  toward  success,  never  towards  defeat ; 
that  she  was  never  unsuccessful  in  any  case  ;  that  she  can 
at  once  tell  whether  the  evil  or  illness  has  arisen  from  an  evil, 
envious  wish  or  is  merely  accidental ;  if  the  latter  she  has  no 
difficulty,  nor  has  she  any  opposition  to  overcome,  and  she 


344  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

stops  at  once ;  if  the  former  {i.e.  arising  from  an  envious 
heart)  she  distinctly  knows  and  feels  opposition,  and  has  to 
brace  herself,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  to  stem  and  over- 
come the  influence  against  her.  If  the  struggle  is  severe  she 
emerges  from  the  contest  quite  exhausted,  and  on  several 
occasions  had  to  keep  her  bed  for  a  day  or  two ;  on  one 
occasion  she  had  to  do  so  for  four  days. 

The  writer  asked  her  if  she  knew  how  she  might  keep 
or  lose  the  faculty  or  gift.  She  replied  that  if  she  began  at 
any  time  to  live  a  wicked,  abandoned  life,  gave  up  prayer 
and  cultivating  the  Christian  graces,  she  was  fully  persuaded 
that  the  faculty  or  capacity  would  *  wane  and  fade  away  and 
disappear'  (chrionadh  agus  sheargadh  e,  agus  chaillinn  e). 
Mrs.  Maclean  is  known  as  a  woman  of  integrity  and  purity 
of  life. 

What  the  power  is  or  what  it  consists  of  she  could  not 
say.  One  thing  is  plain,  that  whatever  it  be  it  is  natural,  or 
rather  a  natural  development  of  a  sense  that  is  usually  dor- 
mant. Mrs.  Maclean  has  been  uniformly  successful  also  as 
a  local  midwife  (bean-ghluin),  and  mentioned  that  when 
called  to  attend  she  feels  herself  helpless  in  the  grasp — 
the  friendly  grasp — of  a  power  that  controls  her,  and  to  this 
she  attributes  her  success  in  that  line.  The  following  is  the 
Eolas  she  used  in  counteracting  the  evil  eye  : — 

Tha  mi  tilleadh  gonadh  sul ; 
Ann  an  ainm  Eigh  nan  Dul. 
A  uchd  Pheadair,  a  uchd  Phoil : 

Paidir  Moire  a  h-aon, 

Paidir  Moire  a  dha, 

Paidir  Moire  a  tri, 

Paidir  Moire  a  ceithir, 

Paidir  Moire  a  cuig, 

Paidir  Moire  a  sia, 

Paidir  Moire  a  seachd, 
Bitheadh  tusa  slan  an  nochd, 
Tog  suas  a  Dhe  nan  Dul. 
Tog  suas  a  Chriosda  chaomh, 

An  ainm  an  Athar, 

An  ainm  a'  Mine — Amen. 


PIOBAIREAN  SMEARCLEIT  345 

PIOBAIREAN  SMEAECLEIT 

From  the  MSS.  of  the  late  Rev.  Father  Allan  Macdonald 

Bha  'ad  ag  obair  bho  ghrein  gu  grein  air  chor  's  gu'n  robh 
'ad  ainmeil  mu  dheireadh.  'S  ann  's  a  Chlaigionn  a  bha  'ad 
a  fuireach.  Mu  'n  ^m  am  bheil  mi  dol  a  dheanamh  beagan 
seanchais  mu  dheaghainn  bha  iad  arm  an  t-athair  agus  a  thriuir 
mhac,  dithis  glic  agus  am  fear  eile  bha  car  'g  a  dhith.  Cha 
robh  am  fear  gorach  ri  piobaireachd  idir.  Cha  togadh  e  i. 
Cha  robh  e  ach  ag  obair  air  tuathanachas.  Tha  loch  ann  an 
Smearcleit  ris  an  can  iad  an  Loch  Briste  agus  tha  ad  ag  radh 
gur  e  na  piobairean,  an  km  a  bhi  spaidsearachd  's  a  seinn  na 
pioba,  a  chladhaich  an  loch.  'S  ann  a  bh'  ann  roimhe  blianag 
reidh  a  bha  na  cuidhe  's  tha  'n  garadh  ri  f haicinn  f hathast  air 
gach  taobh  dha  'n  loch. 

Bha  lagh  aca  's  a  bhaile  agus  crodh  a  bhaile  uile  gu  leir 
anns  a  chuidhe  agus  chuir  iad  cruinn  co  bhiodh  'g  fhaire  na 
cuidhe  h-uile  h-oidhche,  'dithis  mu  seach  gus  an  ruitheadh  e  air 
a  bhaile.  An  gille  luideach  a  bha  so  aig  a  phiobaire  dh'  f  halbh 
e  fhein  agus  nighean  nabaidh  a  bh'  aige  a  dh'  fhaire  na  cuidhe. 

Chunnaic  iad  an  Sithean  Ruadh  os  cionn  tigh  Eoghainn  'ic 
Caluim  a  fosgladh.  Dh'  iarr  esan  air  an  nighin  am  brod 
snathaid  gun  chro  a  bh'aice  na  brollach  's  gu'n  reachadh  e  dha'n 
t-sithein  's  e  fosgailte.  Cha  robh  ise  deonach  a  toirt  da. 
Bhuail  i  air  trod  ris  ag  radh  c'  aite  am  fanadh  ise  s  gu  'm  biodh 
i  marbh  leis  an  eagal  ann  an  sud  leatha  fhein.  *  Tha  chead 
agad  a  bhi  marbh  ach  thoir  thusa  dhomh  am  brod  snathaid.' 
Nuair  a  dhubh  dh'  f  hairtlich  air  gu  'n  tugadh  i  dha  e  thug  e 
cruinn  leum  h-uice  's  thug  e  bh'uaip  e  'g  a  h-aindeoin. 
Dh'f  hag  e  ise  aig  a  chachaileith  's  mach  a  ghabh  e  agus  chaidh 
e  dh'an  t- Sithean  Ruadh.  Chuir  e  'm  brod  anns  an  arddorus. 
Cho  luath  's  a  chaidh  e  stigh  dh'  fhaighneachd  iad  dheth 
c'  aite  robh  e  dol  no  gu  de  'n  ealain  a  bha  e  'g  iarraidh.  '  S  i 
phiobaireachd  an  ealain  a  tha  mise  g  iarraidh.'  Thuirt  leth- 
shean  duine  a  bh'  ann  a  sin  e  thighinn  far  an  robh  esan  's  gu  'n 
tugadh  e  sud  da.     '  Co  dhu  ibh  's  f  hearr  leat  tlachd  a  bhi  agad 


346  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

f  hein  dha  'n  phiob  na  tlachd  a  bhi  aig  c^ch  dhith  V  os  an 
sitheach.  '  Bu  mhath  leum  tlachd  a  bhi  againn  dhith  le  cheile, 
agam  fhein  's  aig  ckch.'  *  Teann  a  nail  agus  fosgail  do  bhial 
agus  cuiridh  mise  mo  theangaidh  ma  chuairt  na  d'  phluicean/ 
Rinn  e  sin.  Thug  am  bodach  a  sin  a  nail  piob  agus  shin  e 
dha  i  agus  dh'  f  haighneachd  e  dheth  co  dhiubh  a  bha  port  aige 
fhein  no  'n  ionnsuicheadh  iad  port  dha.  Thuirt  esan  gu'n 
robh  port  aige  fhein  agus  chluich  agus  rinn  e  e  anns  a  mhionaid 
uarach,  's  cha  robh  e  'n  taing  port  iarraidh  orrasan.  So  am 
port  a  rinn  an  gille. 

Tha  'n  crodh  laoigh  air  aodan  Chorrabheinn 
Uisge  's  gaoth  air  aodan  Chorrabheinn 
'S  tha  'n  crodh  eil  an  Eilean-an-fheidh  ^ 
Tha  'n  crodh  laoigh  's  an  fhraoch  aig  Mairi. 

(Tha  siubhal  eil  ann  nach  eil  idir  agamsa  ors'  an  seanchaidh.) 
Fhuair  e  phiob  'nuair  a  chluich  e  'm  port.  Ghabh  e  sin 
a  mach  agus  thug  e  'm  brod  as  an  arddorus  leis.  Rainig  e  an 
nighean  aig  a  chachaileith  far  na  dh'  f hag  e  i.  Shin  e  dhith 
am  brod  snathaid,  's  thug  e  'n  tigh  air.  Dh'  f  hosgail  e  cist 
athair  's  thug  e  aiste  'phiob  agus  ckch  nan  cadal.  Ghabh  e 
mach  as  an  tigh  leithe  dha  'n  athaigh  air  culaibh  an  tigh. 
Chuir  e  suas  a  phiob  anns  an  athaigh.  Dhuisg  na  gillean 
's  an  athair.  Bha  e  air  ainm  's  an  ^m  gu  'n  robh  piobaire  Eirean- 
nach  dol  a  thighinn  'g  am  fiachainn.  Thuirt  na  gillean  gu  'n 
robh  'm  piobaire  Eireannach  air  tighinn.  Dh'  fhaoighneachd 
iad  dha  'n  athair  an  robh  e  cluinntinn  a  chiuil. 

'  Thk/  OS  esan.  ^  Faodaidh  sinne  a  phiob  a  phasgadh/  os  na 
gillean.  Thuirt  am  bodach  nach  ruigeadh  iad  a  leas  f  hathast. 
*  Ma  shiubhail  e  'n  domhan  na  'n  saoghal  s  e  buille  meoir  mo 
mhic  a  tha  sud.'  *  Cha  'n  urrainn  sin  a  bhith,'  osa  fear  de  na 
gillean.  *  Cha  'n  e  th'  ann  idir.  Cha  do  rug  am  fea,r  sin  air 
piob  no  air  feadan  bho  rugadh  e'.  '  Cha  tuirt  sin  dad/  os 
athair;  *se  tha  sud.  Rach  sibhse  'illean  agus  cuiridh  mise 
geall  ma  sheallas  sibh  air  ghioganachd  gu  'm  faic  gur  e  mo 
mhac  a  tha  sud.'     Dh'  eirich  iad  's  chuir  iad  umpa.     Sheall 

^  Far  am  bheil  tigh  Dhomhuil  Dhomhnullaich  mac  Aonghus  mhic  Alasdair,  am 
Bornish.     'Se  eilein  a  bha  ann  mu'n  tugadh  air  falbh  an  t-uisge. 


A  CELTIST  HONOURED  347 

iad  a  mach.  Mhuthaich  iad  gu  soilleir  dha  'm  brathair  a  seinn 
na  pioba  's  e  spaidseireachd  air  urlar  na  h-athadh.  Dh'  innis 
iad  dha  'n  athair  gur  e  'm  brathair  og  a  bha  cluich  na  pioba. 
(*  Nach  ann  aig  a  bhodach  a  bha  'm  beachd  'nuair  a  dh'  aithnich 
e  buille  meoir  a.mhic  fhein  nach  do  sheinn  feadan  riamh  roimhe 
sin !')  '  Cha'n  e  an  t-Eireannach  a  th'ann  idir/  os  asan,  ach 
an  luidealach  gille  againn  fhein,  agus  faodaidh  sinn  na  pioba 
phasgadh  ri'r  beothlan.  Tha  'n  ealain  aige-sa.  Dh'  fhag  e 
piob  athar  far  an  d'fhuair  e  i. 

'S  ann  beagan  as  a  dheaghaidh  so  thainig  am  piobaire 
Eireannach  agus  's  ann  air  a  raona  reidh  far  a  bheil  an  Loch 
Briste  an  diugh  a  chaidh  ad  a!  chluich.  Nuair  a  choinnich  iad 
air  omhlar  (urlar?)  a  Loch  Bhriste,  chruinnich  moran  sluaigh 
ann  a  bhuineadh  do  cheanna-deas  na  duthcha.  Dh'  aithnich 
gach  boireannach  agus  fireannach  a  bh'ann  gu'n  gleidheadh  am 
piobair  Eireannach  air  a'  Ghaidheal.  'Nuair  a  bha  an  sluagh 
cho  tiugh,  bha  asan  a  stigh  nam  bronn  mur  gu'm  biodh  ad 
ann  an  cuidhe.  'Nuair  a'  chunnaic  na  boirionnaich  gu'n  robh 
an  t-Eireannach  dol  a  ghleidheadh,  bhuail  ad  air  phrionachan 
a  stobadh  ann  am  mala  na  pioba  aige.  Leis  an  t-saothair  a 
fhuair  esan  a'  cumail  gaoithe  anns  a  mhala  nach  cumadh  gaoth, 
thuit  e  marbh  mu  dheireadh.  Tha  e  air  a  radh  gum  beil  am 
piobaire  Eireannach  air  a  thiodhlacadh  mu  r5gh  a'  chladaich 
ann  am  Smearcleit. 


A  CELTIST  HONOURED 

Rev.  Donald  MacLean 

Since  the  death  of  Hector  MacLean  and  J.  F.  Campbell  of 
Islay,  Mr.  Alexander  Carmichael,  whom  the  University  of 
Edinburgh  has  deservedly  honoured  with  the  degree  of 
LL.D.,  has  heen  facile  princeps  in  the  domain  of  Highland 
folklore.  He  is  a  striking  personality,  with  a  strong  indi- 
vidual flavour.  In  him  are  to  be  found  the  finest  traits  of 
the  Celtic  character.  Buoyant  with  enthusiasm  for  all  things 
Celtic,  and  with  a  remarkable  tenacity  of  purpose,  he  has 


348  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

been  enabled  to  amass  a  wealth  of  lore  and  general  informa- 
tion on  the  Highlands,  by  which  he  has  put  his  countrymen 
and  all  students  of  Celtic  matters  under  a  debt  of  lasting 
gratitude.  His  contributions  to  Celtic  literature  have  been 
numerous,  and  extend  over  a  long  period  of  time.  Apart 
from  fugitive  pieces  of  considerable  merit  to  be  found  in 
various  periodicals,  the  permanent  record  of  his  work 
deserves  a  close  examination.  Interested  as  he  has  always 
been  in  the  social  condition  of  the  Highlands,  he  contributed 
an  article  on  Land  Tenure  in  the  Highlands  to  Skene's  Celtic 
Scotland,  which  Lord  Napier  said  had  been  the  means  of 
enlisting  his  sympathy  on  behalf  of  the  crofters.  In  many 
respects  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  to  the  Report 
of  the  Crofter  Royal  Commission  is  his  elaborate,  searching, 
and  sympathetic  paper  on  the  *  Agrestic  Customs  of  the  Outer 
Isles.'  Here  he  shows  such  familiarity  with  this  subject  as 
could  only  be  acquired  by  long  study,  a  keenly  observant 
eye,  and  a  quick  faculty  for  careful  discrimination. 

To  that  monumental  work.  Popular  Tales  of  the  West 
Highlands,  by  J.  F.  Campbell,  he  contributed  many  stories 
which  he  had  gathered  in  his  pilgrimages  through  the  High- 
lands. By  these  also  his  claim  to  be  considered  a  foremost 
folklorist  was  established.  In  vol.  iv.  of  the  Tales  is  a  long 
and  careful  letter  from  his  pen  on  the  then  famous  '  Ossianic 
Controversy/  His  attempt  there  is  to  point  out  the  corre- 
spondence of  the  traditional  tales,  recited  by  generation  after 
generation  of  the  people  with  the  Tales  as  reproduced  by 
Macpherson.  Copious  references  are  given  which  seem  to 
put  the  question  of  the  antiquity  of  the  Tales  beyond  doubt, 
but  the  question  of  extant  MSS.  is  dealt  with  after  the 
manner  of  a  Macpherson  apologist.  The  great  value  of  the 
contribution  lies  in  the  amount  of  local  and  first-hand  in- 
formation given  on  the  vexed  question  of  the  Tales. 

In  the  Transactions  of  the  Gaelic  Society  of  Inverness,  of 
which  Society  he  is  an  Honorary  Chieftain,  are  to  be  found 
several  valuable  contributions  from  him,  notably  the  prose 
tale  of '  Deirdire,'  gathered  from  oral  tradition.     It  is  printed 


A  CELTIST  HONOURED  349 

in  volumes  xiii.  and  xiv. — which  are  long  out  of  print — and 
has  since  been  translated  into  French  and  German.     In  1905 
was  published  in  book  form  'Deirdire  and  The  Lay  of  the 
Children  of  Uisne,  orally  collected  in  the  Island  of  Barra, 
and  literally  translated  by  Alexander  Carmichael.'     Part  of 
this  truly  beautiful  love  romance  is  found  in  MSS.  liii.  and 
Lvi.    in  the  Advocates'  Library,  Edinburgh.     Dr.  Whitley 
Stokes  reproduced  part  of  it  from  MS.  liii.,  and   Professor 
Mackinnon    has   published    the   whole    MS.,   with    English 
translation,   in    The    Celtic   Review.      The   great    value    of 
Dr.  Carmichael's  version  is  that  it  is  the  only  one  collected 
from  oral  tradition.     It  belongs  to  the  Cuchulain  cycle  of 
Gaelic  Sagas,  a  cycle  not  very  commonly  met  with  in  Scot- 
tish oral  literature.     The  tale  is  quiet  and  subdued.     It  is 
free  from  the  exaggeration  peculiar  to  many  of  its  class ;  the 
dignity  of  all  the  principal  characters  and  of  Deirdire  herself 
is,  indeed,  striking,  and  the  tragic  death  of  lovely  Deirdire 
invests  the  story  with  such  pathetic  interest  as  appeals  to 
the  emotional  side  of  human  nature.     The  scene  of  the  first 
part  of  the  tale  is  near  Lochness,  probably  Glenurquhart. 
By  easy  movements  the  scene  is  changed  to  Ulster.     The 
principal  characters  are  Calum  Cruitire,  Calum  the  Harper, 
and  Deirdire  his  daughter,  'who  was  above  comparison  of 
the  people  of  the  world,  shapely  in  her  person,  lovely  in  her 
beauty,  while  her  skin  and  her  gait  were  like  those  of  the 
swan  of  the  lake  and  the  hind  of  the  hill ' ;  Naois,  Aillean,  and 
Ardan,  sons  of  Uisne,  *the   three   heroes   of  the   greatest 
renown    in    the    land ' ;    Conchobar,   the   King   of   Ulster ; 
Fearachar  Mac  Eo,  and   Boinne   Borb,  and   the   dangerous 
Druid,  Duanan  Gacha  Draogh.     Deirdire  was  born  to  Calum 
the  Harper,  when  it  ceased  to  be  with  his  wife  after  the 
manner  of  woman  (which  has  its  analogue  elsewhere).     The 
soothsayer  who  predicted  her  birth  predicted  such  shedding 
of  blood  over  her  as  there  was  never  before  in  the  land. 
Calum  was  troubled  by  the  prediction,  and  when  the  child 
was  born  he  sent  her  with  a  nurse- mother  away  to  a  far-off 
place,  where  no  eye  would  see  a  sight  of  her,  and  no  ear 


350  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

would  hear  a  sound  of  her.  Here  she  grew  up  to  know  only 
birds,  plants,  and  trees,  until  she  was  discovered  by  a  hunts- 
man, who  brought  the  information  of  his  discovery  to  King 
Conchobar  of  Ulster.  King  Conchobar  came  himself  in 
person  to  Deirdire  in  the  green  knoll,  instantly  fell  in  love 
with  her,  and  proposed  marriage.  Deirdire  did  not  at  first 
agree,  but  agreed  to  marry  him  at  the  end  of  a  year  and  a 
day.  In  the  interval  the  sons  of  Uisne  passed  by  Deirdire 
in  the  green  knoll.  She  fell  in  love  with  Naois,  and  they 
and  his  two  brothers  fled  to  Scotland.  Conchobar  heard  of 
this,  and  through  Fearchar  invited  the  three  brothers  and 
Deirdire  to  a  great  feast  in  Ulster.  They  agreed  to  go. 
Deirdire  was  not  willing  to  leave  Albain,  but  she  went  with 
Naois.  *  Deirdire  was  heavy  showering  the  tears,  and  she 
sang : — 

Beloved  is  the  land,  that  yonder  land, 

Albain  full  of  woods  and  full  of  lakes, 

Sore  to  my  heart  to  be  leaving  thee, 

But  I  go  away  with  Naois. 

They  reached  Ulster,  and  were  put  up  in  Conchobar  s  Hostel. 
Conchobar  gave  orders  to  slay  the  brothers  and  bring  Deirdire 
up  to  him.  A  slaughter  ensued,  but  the  brothers  prevailed. 
Then  the  services  of  the  evil  Druid  were  invoked.  He  set  a 
thick  wood  before  the  brothers  escaping  with  Deirdire.  But 
this  did  not  check  them.  And  the  Druid  then  *  froze  the 
grey  uneven  sea  into  jagged  hard  lumps,  the  sharpness  of 
swords  on  one  side  of  them,  and  the  venom  of  serpents  on 
the  other.'  Arden  died  in  the  effort  across  this  sea,  then 
Aillean  fell,  and  poor  Naois  '  heaved  the  sore  sigh  of  death, 
and  his  heart  rent.'  The  sea  was  drained  by  the  Druid,  and 
the  three  sons  of  Uisne  were  found  lying  dead  together. 
Deirdire  stood  by  the  side  of  the  grave  as  it  was  being 
opened,  and  when  the  bodies  of  the  brothers  were  laid  in  it, 
Deirdire  said  : — 

Move  thou  hither,  0  Naois  of  my  love ; 
Close  thou  Ardan  over  to  Aillean, 
If  dead  had  understanding, 
Ye  would  make  place  for  me. 


A  CELTIST  HONOURED  351 

They  did  this.     Deirdire  leapt  into  the  grave  and  lay  close 
to  Naois,  and  *  she  was  dead  by  his  side/ 

The  tale  is  beautiful  itself  and  in  its  language,  and  valu- 
able as  a  reflex  of  Celtic  character.  For  the  philologist  the 
value  of  this  work  of  Dr.  Carmichael,  as  conveying  the 
traditional  tale  exposed  to  the  influences  of  time  and  oral 
recital,  becomes  apparent  when  it  is  compared  with  the 
written  tale  in  Liii.  of  the  Glenmasan  MS.  It  shows  us  the 
tendency  of  words  to  become  obsolete.  It  was  customary 
for  people  when  meeting  one  another  to  exchange  three 
kisses.  This  was  'tiurapogaJ  This  is  proved  from  MSS. 
In  Dr.  CarmichaeFs  tale,  Deirdire  gives  Naois  ^na  tri  tiura 
pog.'  This  is  tautology  caused  by  the  ignorance  of  the 
writer,  who  knows  the  custom  but  not  the  meaning  of  the 
word,  and  accordingly  added  the  word  tri.  Similarly,  when 
Conchobar  bribes  the  sons  of  Fergus,  he  offers  them,  in 
Dr.  Carmichaers  version,  drochaid  shaor,  which,  as  explained 
in  the  notes  at  the  end  of  the  volume,  is  corrupted  from 
tricha  cet,  a  cantred  of  land.  Caogady  fifty  (the  title  of  the 
first  edition  of  the  Gaelic  Psalter),  is  the  only  word  of  the 
class  now  in  use.  The  drochaid  (bridge)  shaor  was  the 
easiest  substitute  which  the  popular  fancy  could  devise  for 
the  tricha  cet,  now  become  an  obsolete  term.  The  substitute 
phrase  is,  however,  as  valueless  linguistically  as  the  gift 
which  it  is  meant  to  convey  when  compared  with  the  original. 
Still,  the  reproduction  of  the  later  phrase  in  Dr.  Carmichael's 
version  proves  his  faithfulness  to  the  tradition,  and  establishes 
the  authenticity  of  the  whole.  The  idiom  of  the  tale  is  given 
as  that  of  Barra,  and  the  local  words  are  reproduced  by 
recourse  to  phonetic  spelling.  This  is  by  no  means  an  easy 
matter  when  the  writer  is  familiar  with  various  dialects. 
The  writer  of  an  orally  delivered  tale  may  even  unconsciously 
mix  his  own  dialect  and  idioms  with  that  of  the  reciter.  The 
absence  of  such  admixture  from  the  tale  reflects  the  greatest 
credit  on  Dr.  Carmichaers  accuracy  and  care.  The  tale  itself, 
with  its  commingling  of  ideas  peculiar  to  different  ages  and 
races,  is  exceedingly  beautiful  and  chaste  in  its  conception 


352  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

and  execution.  The  English  translation  is  a  faithful  render- 
ing of  the  original,  and  whether  the  tale  is  read  in  Gaelic  or 
English  it  is  equally  attractive. 

But  Dr.  Carmichaers  magnum  opus  is  the  Carmina 
Gadelica  (2  vols.,  quarto.     1900). 

This  is  indeed  a  unique  contribution  to  the  literature  of 
the  Highlands.  It  sheds  such  light  on  the  religion  and  social 
customs  of  our  remote  ancestors  as  enables  us,  with  some 
degree  of  accuracy,  to  depict  for  ourselves  their  mental 
proportions,  their  strong  religious  beliefs,  and  the  joy  and 
sorrow  which  entered  into  their  lot. 

If  the  lichen-covered  ruins  that  occupy  such  conspicuous 
spots  in  the  Highlands  are  silent  witness-bearers  to  the  feuds 
and  internecine  wars  of  a  past  civilisation,  these  Hymns  and 
Incantations,  embedded  in  many  instances  in  archaic  expres- 
sions, crystallise  the  beliefs  of  votaries  of  successive  cults  that 
pursued  each  other  through  the  long  vista  of  prehistoric  and 
historic  times. 

The  collection,  which  was  made  at  the  sacrifice  of  money 
and  time,  with  painstaking  assiduity  and  an  enthusiasm  that 
surmounted  the  difficult  barriers  of  shyness,  suspicion,  and 
religious  reserve,  though  large,  is  not  exhaustive.  Dr. 
Carmichael  himself  has  in  preparation  two  volumes  uniform 
with  these,  besides  much  MS.  material  for  future  publication, 
and  there  are  still  floating  among  the  people  *  invocations ' 
and  *  charms  '  which,  though  they  may  be  variants  of  those 
here  reproduced,  have  distinguishing  features  of  their  own, 
emphasised  by  local  circumstances. 

*  Charms '  for  a  '  sprain,'  *  sore  eye,'  '  warts,'  '  bleeding  of 
the  nose,'  etc.,  differ  considerably  in  the  method  of  application. 
In  some  instances  the  charm  is  uttered  and  the  power  is 
invoked  to  effect  the  remedy  with  a  touch  of  the  hand  or 
tongue  or  by  mere  breathings,  as  the  only  visible  external 
applications.  In  other  instances  the  method  is  more  elaborate 
and  scientific.  The  difficulties  before  the  collectors  are 
becoming  greater,  and  a  true  appreciation  of  these  will  enable 
us  to  appraise  Dr.  CarmichaeVs  work  at  an  almost  in- 
estimable value. 


A  CELTIST  HONOURED  353 

The  difficulties  arise  (1)  from  the  present  day  dominating 
power  of  the  strictly  scientific  or  rationalistic  method  in  the 
effort  to  explain  the  phenomena  of  life,  and  (2)  from  the 
antithesis  of  the  former,  that  deeply  religious  people  have, 
ignorantly,  no  doubt,  looked  upon  the  possession  of  a  '  charm ' 
as  suggestive  of  friendship  with  the  spirit  of  darkness. 

Now  no  person  likes  to  be  called  either  a  *  fool '  by  a 
scientist,  or  a  'friend  of  the  devil'  by  a  good  neighbour. 
While  the  charms  are  survivals  of  occultism  or  more  correctly 
perhaps  the  developed  magical  science  of  the  Druids,  and 
perhaps  also  remains  of  mediaeval  Christianity,  the  identifica- 
tion of  the  possession  of  charms  with  the  evil  spirit  rather 
than  with  the  good  spirit  is  assuredly  an  interesting  survival 
of  early  Christianity's  attitude  to  Druidism. 

Hence  then  the  reticence  to  disclose  the  charm  to  a 
stranger  or  an  indiscreet  friend.  Zeal  and  knowledge  have 
thus  obliterated  what  true  love  for  knowledge  should  have 
fostered  and  perpetuated.  In  looking  at  the  collections  of 
'  Hymns '  and  '  Incantations,'  one  is  struck  with  the  fact  that 
the  great  bulk  of  these  are  deeply  religious  in  sentiment  and 
expression.  This  shows  that  religion  was  a  powerful,  yea, 
even  the  supreme  element  in  the  thoughts  and  actions  of  the 
people.  The  Great  Personal  Being,  under  whatever  name  He 
appears,  is  the  moral  Governor  of  the  world.  He  is  the 
sustaining  power  in  His  own  creation.  He  controls  all 
forces,  shapes  human  destinies,  and  is  deeply  interested  in 
the  interests  of  humanity.  All  things,  even  the  minutest 
details  of  life,  are  referred  to  Him,  believing,  evidently,  that 
nothing  is  too  insignificant  for  His  protecting  care.  His 
protection  is  prayed  for  on  going  on  a  journey.  His  blessing 
is  invoked  on  the  boat  launching  into  the  deep,  as  well  as  on 
all  the  ordinary  household  undertakings. 

On  the  lonely  moor  the  maiden  pleads  for  the  protection 
and  blessing  of  God  in  her  milking  croon.  These  people 
lived  conscious  of  the  Presence  and  All-Mighty  Power  of  the 
Eternal  God,  and  these  verbal  expressions  of  their  mystic 
Faith  helped  to  vitalise  their  religious  life.  Shorn  of  these 
symbols  their  life  would  have  been  uninteresting,  dreary,  and 


354  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

cold.  A  later  civilisation  with  its  materialistic  tendencies 
has  been  unkind  to  these  people.  It  has  robbed  them  of 
the  simplicity  and  artlessness  of  their  religion  by  eliminating 
from  their  unwritten  liturgies  all  that  would  not  coincide  with 
results  of  a  cold,  scientific  criticism. 

The  *  collections '  are  a  veritable  mine.  But  they  must 
be  dug  and  the  effort  will  surely  repay  students  of  all 
branches  of  study  identified  with  Celticism. 

The  philologist  will  find  here  words  that  have  stood 
unaffected  by  the  corroding  influences  of  time  and  the 
influence  of  contact  with  a  foreign  tongue.  Traces  there 
are  also  of  incipient  decay.  There  are  instances  of  the 
transposition  of  certain  letters,  of  eclipse  and  of  the  influence 
of  the  nasal  sound,  which  seem  to  prove  the  correctness  of 
the  rigid  rules  of  grammarians  on  these  points.  Borrowed 
words  are  here  too,  as  might  be  expected  in  a  collection  of 
sacred  utterances  which  are  the  codified  beliefs  of  the  Church 
which  has  been  so  dependent  on  Greek  and  Latin  for  its 
phraseology.  Words  which  show  the  language  in  its  pristine 
glory  cheer  the  heart  of  the  philologist  in  his  search  for  roots 
and  m  his  studies  of  cognate  languages.  The  strange  and 
sometimes  inexplicable  combination  of  words  in  the  present- 
day  speech  may  thus  become  easily  soluble. 

For  a  student  of  comparative  religion  there  is  here  at 
his  disposal  materials  of  a  valuable  kind.  Some  of  the 
terminology  belongs  to  the  pre-Christian  age.  *  Dia  nan  dul,' 
still  with  us  in  the  Gaelic  Psalter,  is  a  reminder  of  the  times 
when  the  terrible  elements  had  not  been  impersonated. 
The  *  Flaith '  or  '  princes '  still  current  are  themselves  the 
humanised  gods  of  the  Celtic  Pantheon.  The  potency  of 
the  charms  is  traceable  to  the  beliefs  of  the  times  when  the 
lordly  Druids  seemed  to  have  had  the  elements  in  the  hollow 
of  their  hands,  and  with  their  magic  power  could  control 
invisible  Demons.  Christianity  and  Heathenism  can  be 
compared  and  contrasted.  The  quiet  and  solemn  reverence 
of  the  former  is  the  counterpart  of  the  deadly  fear  of  the 
latter.    The  barbarous  rites  of  heathenism  place  the  liberty, 


A  CELTIST  HONOUEED  355 

joy,  and  peaceful  assurance  of  the  other  in  bold  relief.  The 
servility  and  defencelessness  of  society  under  Druidism  and 
the  less  systematic  beliefs  of  heathenism  emphasise  the 
tremendous  change  brought  about  by  Christianity.  The 
assimilation  by  Christianity  of  many  of  the  harmless  practices 
of  the  preceding  cults  is .  clearly  noticeable.  Through  the 
many  changes  that  the  religious  beliefs  and  practices  of  the 
people  have  passed,  certain  heathen  customs  have  remained 
a  permanent  element  in  the  life  of  the  community.  These 
practices,  such  as  the  cure  by  charms,  and  the  equally 
prevalent  use  of  '  black  cocks '  and  *  cats,'  though  they  can 
easily  be  traced  to  the  sacrificial  element  in  the  pre- 
Christian  cults,  are  made  use  of  by  Christians,  fully  convinced 
that  this  method  of  cure  is  in  no  way  inconsistent  with 
their  faith. 

But  the  volumes  before  us  put  in  the  hands  of  the 
Church  historian  also  materials  which  he  cannot  consciously 
ignore. 

Like  geological  strata,  the  layers  of  ecclesiasticism  are 
quite  as  marked  here.  The  saints  of  the  early  Columban 
Church,  which  float  as  mere  phantoms  in  distant  ages,  are 
here  invested  with  such  mediatorial  powers  as  indicate  the 
efforts  of  ecclesiastics  to  magnify  the  importance  of  these 
saints.  Later  saints  are  also  introduced,  and  they  point  to  a 
step  in  development  of  the  Church's  doctrine  under  the 
influence  of  medisevalism.  The  gradual  disappearance  of 
what  might  be  called  the  superstitious  elements  in  these 
concrete  examples  of  the  people  s  faith  shows  the  influence 
of  later  theological  thought  and  the  extent  of  its  sphere 
of  action. 

Altogether  these  volumes  have  no  compeer  in  their 
domain.  They  are  sure  to  remain  a  classic  of  Celtic 
literature.  The  present  edition  being  practically  out  of 
print,  the  price  has  become  prohibitive,  and  a  cheaper  edition 
is  earnestly  looked  for. 

To  Dr.  Carmichael  all  students  of  Celtic  are  under  a 
deep  debt  of  gratitude.  He  rescued  from  oblivion  much  of 
VOL.  v.  2  a 


356  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

the  oral  tradition  of  our  people,  which  were  it  not  for  his 
incessant  labours,  would  have  passed  away  on  the  stream  of 
time.  The  translations  are  on  the  whole  accurate  and  literal. 
There  are  cryptic  utterances  in  the  originals  which  would 
not  yield  readily  to  translation,  but  Dr.  Carmichael  has  a 
wonderfully  sympathetic  insight  as  well  as  much  persever- 
ance. Archaic  expressions  are  also  found  which  have  no 
modern  equivalents.  The  tracings  of  capital  letters,  a  fine 
work  of  art,  and  faithful  to  the  types,  as  readers  of  Celtic 
MSS.  can  verify,  are  due  to  his  wife,  to  whose  sympathy, 
encouragement,  and  help  Dr.  Carmichael's  achievements  owe 
very  much. 

It  was  fitting  that  Dr.  Carmichael's  work  should  be 
honoured  not  only  by  the  University  but  by  Celts  of  all 
ranks  and  interests,  who  took  advantage  of  the  occasion  to 
present  him  with  the  robes,  hood,  and  cap  of  a  Doctor  of 
Laws  of  Edinburgh  University. 


THE  BARONS  OF  BACHUILL 

Alexander  Carmichael 

The  island  of  Lismore  is  situated  in  the  district  of  Lome 
and  the  sheriffdom  of  Argyle.  It  lies  in  the  Linn  of  Lome 
opposite  Oban,  trending  along  towards  Appin.  Including  the 
islet  of  Musdal,  which  is  separated  from  the  main  island  by  a 
shallow  strait — a  few  feet  deep,  and  a  few  yards  wide  at  low 
water — Lismore  is  ten  and  one-tenth  miles  in  length  and 
averages  about  one  mile  in  breadth. 

The  geological  formation  of  Lismore  is  limestone  with  the 
exception  of  two  beds  of  whin  and  several  dykes  of  trap. 

The  whin  is  at  Cilleandrais  and  Portcharrain,  two  con- 
tiguous farms,  and  the  traps  cross  the  island  at  nearly  equal 
intervals  along  its  length.  These  traps  merge  under  the  sea 
at  Lismore  and  again  emerge  on  the  two  opposite  coasts. 

Probably,  however,  the  most  interesting  and  instructive 
geological  feature  of  Lismore  is  the  ancient  sea-margin  by 


THE  BARONS  OF  BACHUILL  357 

which  it  is  surrounded.  This  margin  is  of  irregular  width, 
from  one  to  a  hundred  yards,  and  in  one  place  is  one  thousand 
yards  wide.  It  is  of  uniform  level  throughout  though  rough 
and  rocky  on  the  surface.  A  sea  escarpment  rises  fifty  feet 
above  this  terrace  and  is  considerably  honeycombed — in  some 
places  deeply  indented — by  the  action  of  the  sea.  Some 
of  the  deeper  indentations  penetrate  the  rock  to  unknown 
distances  forming  deep  caves,  one  of  which  is  alleged  to  pierce 
the  island  right  through.  This,  however,  can  only  be  conjecture. 
A  story  is  told  of  a  piper  and  his  dog  having  entered  this 
cave — Uamh-Chraidh — at  Bailegrunail,  intending  to  come  out 
at  Uamh-an-duine,  which  is  at  Creaganaich.  It  is  alleged 
that  the  piper  was  heard  playing  right  across  the  island,  the 
music  ascending  through  earth-holes — talamh-tuill — on  the 
way,  the  burden  of  his  lament  being  : — 

Mis  air  airin  baidh  'us  burrail 
Measg  nan  glumag  eagalaich 
Uamh  Chraidh  am  Baile-ghrunail 
Uamh-an-Duin'  an  Creaganaich. 

I  drowning  and  howling 
Amongst  the  horrid  pools 
The  Pain  Cave  in  Bailegrunail 
The  Man  Cave  in  Creaganaich. 

The  dog  came  out  at  Uamh-an-Duine  hairless  and  sightless, 
but  the  playing  ceased  and  the  piper  never  emerged.  The 
conclusion  is  that  the  cave  contained  impassable  pools,  in  one 
of  which  the  piper  was  drowned. 

Similar  stories  are  told  of  many  other  places  from  Ireland 
to  India  and  from  Britain  to  Japan,  and  probably  with  as  much 
foundation  in  fact. 

The  present  sea-escarpment  rises  six  feet  or  so  above  sea- 
level.  Its  face  is  fairly  vertical  and  singularly  honeycombed. 
Some  of  the  old  sea  margin  contains  half- fossilised  masses  of 
shells  caked  together  like  the  conglomerate  rock  of  the  coast 
of  Lome — some  of  the  shells  simply  cemented  together  by  the 
edges  in  the  most  delicate  and  fantastic  manner  like  Indian 


358  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

filigree.  In  some  places  the  face  of  the  escarpment  is  still 
studded  with  limpets,  whelks,  both  black  and  white,  and 
mussels  like  the  rocks  of  the  shore  below,  against  which  the 
sea  now  beats.  And  irresponsively  cold  the  heart  and  irre- 
deemably cold  the  imagination  that  would  not  be  moved  at 
the  sight  of  the  lowly  crustaceans  thus  still  clinging  in  death 
after  unknown  ages  to  their  sapless  mother  rock,  like  a  dead 
child  clinging  to  its  dead  mother's  breast. 

The  name  Lismore  is  variously  interpreted  lios,  a  fort,  and 
mor,  great — great  fort ;  lios,  a  garden — the  great  garden  ;  and 
slios,  a  plain — the  great  plain. 

The  name  may  mean  *  the  great  fort '  from  the  number  of 
forts  in  the  place,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  more  or  less 
visible.  It  may  mean  *  the  great  garden '  from  the  fertility  of 
the  soil,  the  island  having  been  the  garden  and  granary  of 
the  great  Lords  of  the  Isles  when  these  semi-royal  nobles  held 
sway  over  the  whole  Highlands  and  Islands  of  Scotland  and 
possessed  a  house  and  the  half  of  Alban — *  tigh  is  leth  Albain/ 
Or,  it  may  mean  *  the  great  plain '  from  its  low-lying  position 
in  the  midst  of  the  sea  surrounded  by  mountains. 

Sliosmore  is  not  a  form  of  the  name  now  known  to  the 
people  of  the  place,  though  curiously  enough  it  is  the  form 
used  by  the  people  of  the  Outer  Isles  when  speaking  of  this 
island.  And  this  form  receives  countenance  from  the  disputa- 
tion alleged  to  have  occurred  between  Saint  Columba  and 
Saint  Moluag. 

It  is  said  that  Columba  and  Moluag  were  brothers.  Each 
wished  to  possess  Lismore  and  to  make  it  the  centre  of  his 
missionary  labours,  for  there  was  much  emulation  among  the 
saints  of  old — striving  who  should  win  most  souls  to  Christ. 

The  brothers  arranged  to  run  a  race  and  that  the  first  to 
land  should  possess  the  island.  They  left  together,  each  saint 
with  his  crew  of  clerics  singing  the  Psalms  of  David  while  they 
rowed  their  coracles  as  the  Highland  boatmen  still  sing  their 
iorraim — boat-songs. 

When  approaching  the  island,  the  brethren  still  straining  at 
their  oars  and  the  saints  chanting  their  psalms,  Moluag  lifted 


THE  BARONS  OF  BACHUILL  359 

his  axe  and  cut  off  the  little  finger  of  his  left  hand,  and  throw- 
ing it  ashore  exclaimed  :  *  My  witness  be  to  God  and  man, 
my  flesh  and  blood  are  on  the  land,  Columba  beloved' — 
*  M'  fhianuis  air  Dia  agus  daoine  m'  fhuil  is  m'  fheoil  air  tir, 
a  Chaluim  chaoimh.'  Upon  seeing  the  devotion  of  his  brother 
Columba  turned  aside  the  bow  of  his  boat  and  did  not  land. 
It  is  alleged  that  he  tried  to  depreciate  the  island  as  represented 
in  the  following  dialogue  : — 

CoLUM-ciLLE.  Sliosmor  mar  ainm  an  eilean. 
MoLUAG.  Ma's  a  slios  mor  gu  m'a  slios  tarbhach. 
COLUM-ciLLE.  Slocach,  cnocach,  creagach. 
MoLUAG.  Brioghar,  mioghar,  preasach. 
CoLUM-ciLLE.  Faobhar  a  chloich  bhos  a  chionn. 
MoLUAG.  A  goimhe  foipe. 
COLUM-CILLE.  Fearna  mar  chonadh  da. 
MoLUAG.  Gabhail  mar  a  choingeal  da. 

Columba.  The  great  plain  be  the  name  of  the  island. 
MoLUAG.  If  great  the  plain,  great  be  the  fruit. 
Columba.  Hollow-full,  knoll-full,  rock-full. 
MoLUAG.  Fruit-full,  sweet-full,  shrub-full. 
Columba.  Be  the  edges  of  its  rocks  above. 
MoLUAG.  Be  their  venom  under. 
Columba.  Green  alder  be  its  fuel. 
MOLUAG.  May  it  burn  like  the  candle. 

Embracing  and  blessing  his  brother  and  bidding  him  pro- 
sperity through  time  and  eternity  Columba  proceeded  north- 
wards, preaching  the  gospel  and  building  churches,  till  he 
reached  the  palace  of  Brude,  King  of  the  Picts,  near  Inverness. 
When  Brude  heard  that  Columba  was  approaching,  he  was 
sore  afraid,  and  barred  his  iron  gates  against  him,  and  appealed 
to  his  gods  for  protection.  But  Columba  prayed  to  his  God 
against  the  gods  of  Brude,  and  immediately  the  iron  bars  fell 
down,  and  the  iron  gates  of  Brude  opened  wide,  and  Columba 
walked  in,  and  so  the  King  was  converted  to  the  Christian 
faith. 

During  the  Norse  occupation  the  western  isles  of  Scotland, 
together  with  the  Orkney  and  Shetland  Isles  on  the  north 


360 


THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 


and  the  Isle  of  Man  on  the  south,  were  ruled  ecclesiastically 
from  Norway. 

This  long  disarticulated  chain  of  islands  was  divided  into 
two  great  groups,  the  line  of  demarcation  being  drawn  across 
the  small  island  of  Carnaburg  behind  the  island  of  Mull. 
The  group  of  islands  to  the  north  of  this  line  was  called  the 
Nordreys — the  Northern  Isles — and  the  group  to  the  south 
the  Sudreys — the  Southern  Isles. 

An  English  diocese  still  retains  the  name  of  the  southern 
group,  *  Sodor  and  Man ' — the  Southern  Isles  and  Man.  The 
title  is  singularly  inapplicable  now,  as  all  the  Southern  Isles 
are  in  Scotland,  and  the  Isle  of  Man  was  only  annexed  to 
the  British  Crown  in  the  year  1825.  Upon  the  downfall 
of  the  Norsemen,  Argyll  and  the  Western  Isles  were  joined 
into  a  bishopric  entitled  the  '  See  of  Argyll  and  the  Isles.' 
In  the  year  1200,  John,  Bishop  of  Dunkeld,  sent  his  chaplain 
Harold  to  Innocent  iii.,  asking  that  Argyll  and  the  Isles 
might  be  disjoined  from  Dunkeld,  and  erected  into  a  separate 
see  with  Harold  as  bishop  thereof.  The  Pope  admired  the 
conscientiousness  of  the  bishop,  quoting  the  proverb,  '  Eara 
avis  in  terra.' 

The  Pope  appointed  and  consecrated  Harold  bishop  of 
the  new  diocese  accordingly.  From  its  insularity,  security, 
sanctity,  and  perhaps  fertility,  the  island  of  Lismore  was 
selected  as  the  seat  of  the  new  bishop.  A  cathedral  was 
built,  the  choir  of  which  is  now  the  parish  church.  The 
palace  was  built  at  Achanduin.  The  ruins  of  the  palace 
situated  on  a  high  knoll  are  picturesque  features  in  the  pic- 
turesque landscape.  Closely  adjoining  is  the  island  of 
Bearnarey,  where  Columba  was  wont  to  preach  under  a  large 
yew  tree.  The  tree  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  island,  half  of  it 
over  the  land  and  half  over  the  sea,  and  was  capable  of 
sheltering  a  thousand  people  beneath  its  widely  spreading 
branches. 

The  people  of  Mull  and  Morven  came  in  their  skin 
coracles,  wherein  they  sat  out  the  service,  while  the  people  of 
Lismore  came  on   foot   and  sat   on   the  ground,   the  island 


THE  BAEONS  OF  BACHUILL 


361 


"being  accessible  by  foot  at  half-tide.  From  the  circumstance 
of  Colum-cille  preaching  there,  the  island  of  Bearnarey 
was  looked  upon  as  holy  ground,  and  the  tree  under  which  he 
preached  as  sacred.     An  old  poem  speaks  of : — 

Dun  stuadh  Sta'  inis 
Air  taobh  tuath  Latharna 
Us  Bearnara  an  iuthair  uasail 
Air  taobh  tuath  Liosmoire. 

The  turret  dun  of  Staffnage 
Upon  the  north  side  of  Lome 
And  Bearnarey  of  the  noble  yew 
Upon  the  north  side  of  Lismore. 

The  remains  of  a  small  oratory  and  an  oblation  cairn  are 
close  by  where  the  yew  tree  stood. 

Colum-cille  prophesied  that  the  pride  and  greed  of  man 
would  yet  place  beneath  his  feet  the  noble  tree  under  which 
he  and  they  found  shade  and  shelter  while  discoursing 
on  the  lowly  humanity  of  Christ,  and  that  the  guiltiness  of 
the  act  would  only  be  expiated  by  water  and  blood  and  three 
fires. 

About  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  island  removed  the  tree  to  make  a  staircase 
in  his  house  at  Ardmhucnis,  Benderloch.  When  felling  the 
tree  it  came  down  upon  a  man  crushing  him  to  death  and 
dyeing  the  rocks  red  with  his  blood. 

When  the  boats  left,  towing  the  tree  behind  them,  the 
day  was  calm  and  bright  and  the  sea  as  smooth  as  a  mirror, 
but  when  they  approached  Rudh-na-Fionnart  near  their  desti- 
nation, a  sudden  storm  burst  upon  them,  crushing  the  boat 
against  the  tree,  whereby  more  lives  were  lost. 

The  house  in  which  the  tree  was  used  took  fire,  and 
everything  was  destroyed  except  the  staircase.  The  house 
was  rebuilt  and  the  magnificent  stair  again  used,  and  again 
the  house  was  destroyed  by  fire — all  save  the  staircase. 

Some  say  that  this  Castle  of  Lochnell,  so  singularly 
sheltered  and  beautifully  situated,  has  been  burnt  and  re- 
built three  times,  others  say  twice. 


362  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

A  bishop  is  invested  with  a  pastoral  staff  emblematic  of 
his  office  as  shepherd  of  the  flock.  In  Latin  this  staff  is 
called  baculum,  in  Gaelic  *  bachull/ 

On  the  erection  of  the  see  of  Argyll  and  the  Isles  a 
man  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  custodian  of  the 
baculum  of  the  bishop.  The  office  was  honourable  and 
important,  and  a  man  of  standing  in  the  district  was 
selected  for  the  appointment.  The  appointment  was  con- 
ferred upon  Livingstone,  some  say  of  Lismore,  others  of 
Benderloch,  adjoining.  The  Gaelic  form  of  Livingstone 
is  Mac-an-leigh,  son  of  the  physician.  Probably  it  origi- 
nated from  the  Beatons,  who  for  many  centuries  were 
celebrated  all  over  Scotland,  and  are  still  spoken  of  in  High- 
land tradition.  The  Beatons  are  said  to  be  descended  from 
Betan  who  came  over  with  Calum-cille,  and  to  have  been 
physicians  of  the  Columban  Church  in  Scotland  during 
many  ages.  There  were  three  celebrated  families  of  them — 
one  in  Mull,  one  in  Islay,  and  one  in  Skye.  The  parent 
house  was  in  Mull,  and  their  tombstones,  which  are  at 
lona  and  Killfinichen,  are  among  the  finest  sculptured  stones 
in  Scotland.  The  Beatons  were  family  physicians  to  the 
Stuart  kings,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  payments  made  to 
them  in  the  Exchequer  Rolls.  The  name  assumes  various 
forms,  as  Bethune,  Beaton,  and  Paton. 

As  indicating  the  tenacity  of  heredity,  I  may  mention 
that  I  knew  a  descendant  of  one  of  these  Beatons  in  the 
island  of  South  Uist.  He  came  from  Skye  when  a  young 
man,  as  a  shepherd.  He  died  in  great  poverty,  an  old  man  of 
eighty-eight,  in  South  Uist  some  fifteen  years  ago,  in  the  most 
miserable  hut  I  ever  saw.  The  man  was  wholly  unlettered, 
but  he  knew  the  Gaelic  name  of  every  plant,  its  medicinal  pro- 
perties, its  flowering  season,  and  all  its  various  characteristics. 

In  those  early  times  payments  were  made  in  kind.  Those 
to  the  custodian  of  the  staff  of  the  Bishop  of  Lismore  were 
made  in  lands.  A  small  estate  was  given  him  near  the 
cathedral  and  he  was  created  a  baron. 

The  cathedral  church   of  Lismore   is  dedicated  to  Saint 


THE  BAKONS  OF  BACHUILL  363 

Moluag.  The  pastoral  staff  of  the  bishop  was  called  the  staff 
of  Moluag — Bachull  Moluag  and  various  other  names,  and 
many  people  believe  that  it  belonged  to  Moluag,  and  that  the 
baron  of  Bachuill  was  keeper  of  it  ages  before  the  disjoining 
of  Lismore  from  Dunkeld. 

Besides  being  the  keeper  of  the  crozier,  the  Baron  was 
almoner  of  the  cathedral,  dispensing  the  bounty  of  the 
bishop  to  the  poor  of  the  parish.  In  this  capacity  he  was 
called  *  An  Deor ' — the  almoner.  The  site  of  the  old  dwell- 
ing of  the  barons  is  still  called  'Tarach  Taigh  an  Deor,' — 
the  site  of  the  house  of  the  almoner,  and  the  ground  upon 
which  it  stood  *Bruthach  Taigh  an  Deor,' — the  slope  of  the 
house  of  the  almoner. 

The  *  Baron  of  Bachuill,'  as  Livingstone  is  still  called,  was 
also  chancellor  of  the  cathedral,  and  as  such  had  to  visit  the 
landowners  throughout  the  diocese  to  receive  the  tithes  and 
all  other  dues  accruing  to  the  church.  On  these  occasions 
the  Baron  carried  the  crozier  of  the  bishop,  at  sight  of 
which  all  men  were  bound  to  pay  him  homage. 

The  Bachull  of  Moluag  was  treated  with  veneration  akin 
to  awe  by  the  people.  Like  the  staff  of  St.  Fillan  of  Glen- 
dochart,  and  the  staff  of  St.  Patrick  of  Armagh,  the  famous 
Bachull  Isu,  the  staff  of  Moluag  possessed,  in  the  simple 
faith  of  the  times,  miraculous  powers.  It  ensured  safety 
at  sea,  truth  on  land,  secured  man  from  plague,  woman  from 
death,  and  cattle  from  murrain.  And  like  the  bell  of  St. 
Fillan,  if  carried  away  or  left  behind,  it  came  home  again  of 
its  own  accord.  Upon  one  occasion  the  keeper  of  the  staff 
inadvertently  left  it  behind  him  on  the  mainland,  and  only 
remembered  his  mistake  when  he  landed  in  the  island  of 
Lismore.  The  Baron  was  considering  how  to  recross  the 
strait  in  the  dark  stormy  night  to  recover  his  staff.  Just 
then  he  heard  something  whizzing  in  the  air  behind  him  and 
passing  his  ear  and  falling  before  him  in  the  rolag-mhara, 
rolled  seaweed.  The  Baron  bent  down  to  see  what  it  was, 
and  to  his  great  joy  and  relief  it  was  his  Bachull  Moluag ! 
Many  similar  stories  are  still  current  of  this  interesting  relic 


364  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

— stories  that  show  the  veneration  of  the  people  and  of  the 
times. 

Locally  the  crozier  is  called  Caman  na  Bachuill,  the  crook 
of  Bachull;  Bachull  Moluag,  the  Bachull  of  Moluag;  Am 
Bachull  Buidhe,  the  yellow  bachull;  Am  Bachull  Mor,  the 
big  Bachull ;  Am  Bata  Buidhe,  the  yellow  staff.  These 
last  two  names  are  in  allusion  to  the  metal  with  which  the 
staff  was  covered. 

Baron  Livingstone,  as  the  present  custodian  is  called, 
possesses  a  small  freehold  estate  in  virtue  of  being  the  keeper 
of  the  staff  of  Moluag.  The  estate  is  called  Bachuill,  from 
the  crozier  being  kept  there.  The  crozier  itself  is  frequently 
called  after  the  estate,  even  to  calling  it  Bachull  na  Bachuill, 
the  Bachull  of  Bachull.  The  custodian  of  the  crozier  is 
called  Baran  a  Bhachuill,  the  Baron  of  the  Bachull ;  Baran 
na  Bachuill,  the  Baron  of  Bachull. 

The  Livingstones  of  Lismore  were  unfortunate  in  their 
neighbour,  Campbell  of  Airds.  Sir  Donald  Campbell  of 
Airds  was  a  natural  son  of  Campbell  of  Calder,  now  Cawdor. 
He  is  known  in  tradition  as  ^  DomhnuU  Dubh  nan  Ard,' 
Black  Donald  of  Airds. 

Sir  Donald  was  an  ecclesiastic  at  a  time  when  many 
ecclesiastics  were  sorely  perplexed  which  end  of  the  see-saw 
to  follow.  While  Rome  was  paramount  Sir  Donald  was  a 
Roman  of  the  Romans ;  when  Episcopacy  was  in  the  ascend- 
ant he  swore  by  the  Thirty-Nine  Articles ;  and  when  Presby- 
terianism  was  triumphant  Sir  Donald  Campbell  became 
reconciled  to  Presbytery. 

The  man  was  greedy  of  power  and  pelf,  gaining  ends 
regardless  of  means,  a  robber,  steeped  to  the  neck  in  fraud 
and  guile,  and  pursued  his  evil  courses  with  an  address  and 
adroitness  that  Jacob  might  have  envied.  He  was  bishop- 
elect  of  Lismore,  but  had  not  been  appointed,  the  Pope 
probably  being  uncertain  of  him. 

'Is  math  an  la  an  ni  am  madadh-ruadh  searman,*  A 
good  day  it  is  when  the  fox  preaches  a  sermon.  Sir  Donald 
Campbell  announced  that  he  was  to  preach  in  Lismore  and 


THE  BARONS  OF  BACHUILL  365 

that  he  expected  the  people  to  attend.  He  preached  accord- 
ingly. On  the  following  day  it  was  reported  that  the  black 
sheep  of  Alasrath  belonging  to  Sir  Donald  was  stolen.  The 
people  were  alarmed,  sheep-stealing  being  a  capital  crime  and 
Sir  Donald  implacable.  The  houses  were  searched,  and  that 
there  might  be  no  remissness  of  duty  Campbell  himself 
accompanied  the  search  party.  The  house  of  the  Baron  was 
searched  like  the  rest,  and  there  on  the  rafters  was  found 
the  skin — lug-marks  and  all — of  the  black  sheep  of  Alasrath. 
The  people  were  astonished,  and,  apparently,  none  more  than 
Sir  Donald  Campbell.  Sir  Donald  gave  the  Baron  the  alter- 
native of  losing  his  head  or  losing  his  lands. 

*  Well,'  said  the  honest  Baron,  'I  am  not  a  thief;  there 
has  never  been  a  thief  of  my  family  as  far  back  as  I  can 
trace.  But  some  evil-minded  man  has  done  this  evil  thing 
to  me  to  bring  myself  to  disgrace  and  my  children  to  ruin. 
I  am  not  afraid  to  die — the  guiltless  die  but  once,  the  guilty 
many  times ;  but  rather  than  that  posterity  should  cast  up 
to  my  children  that  their  father  was  hanged  for  stealing  a 
sheep,  I  leave  my  land  with  you,  Sir  Donald,  and  my  integrity 
with  my  children  as  their  only  legacy.' 

Campbell  thereupon  took  possession  of  all  the  lands  of 
Livingstone  south  of  Fuaran  Frangaig,  including  Bailegarbh, 
Cnoc  na  Croiche  to  the  Lake  of  Cileandrais,  Garadh  nan 
Cleireach,  Peighinn  Chailean,  and  on  to  Crois  Dughaill. 
Bachuill  he  left  with  the  Baron. 

When  Sir  Donald  lay  dying — and  his  death  was  terrible — 
he  sent  a  fleet-footed  messenger  to  bring  the  Baron  to  him. 
But  his  wife  sent  a  swifter  messenger  to  bring  back  the  other. 
And  all  night  long  Sir  Donald  kept  calling  out,  *  The  Baron  ! ' 
'  The  Baron  ! '    ^  O  the  Baron  ! '   *  What  is  keeping  the  Baron  ! ' 

*  Why  is  not  the  Baron  coming  ? '     And  his  wife  kept  saying, 

*  Yes,  love,  yes.  Thou  didst  ever  love  the  Baron  !  thou  didst 
great  favours  for  him  ;  the  grateful  Baron  will  soon  be  here.' 
And  all  night  long  the  black  raven  kept  croaking  in  the  elm- 
tree  above  Black  Sir  Donald,  as  did  the  raven  in  the  tree 
above  the  bed  of  Duncan.     Before  morning  dawned,  on  a 


366  THE  CELTIC  KEVIEW 

night  of  terrific  wind  and  thunder  and  lightning,  Black  Sir 
Donald  Campbell  of  Airds  was  dead. 

When  the  man  bribed  to  do  Sir  Donald's  work  at  Alasrath 
heard  that  his  master  was  dead  he  was  sore  dismayed  and 
like  a  man  bereft,  running  to  and  fro,  rolling  his  tongue  like 
a  bear,  and  bleating  like  a  sheep.  Ultimately  the  unhappy 
man  rushed  up  the  lofty  Clach-thoU,  from  the  precipitous 
head  of  which  he  had  the  grace  Judas-like  to  cast  himself, 
and  was  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  rocks  below. 

Baron  Carmichael  ^  of  Sgurain,  and  others  whom  this  man 
of  fraud  and  guile  had  robbed  of  their  lands,  resented  the 
robberies  and  chafed  under  their  wrongs,  but  Baron  Living- 
stone behaved  with  such  Christian  meekness  and  resignation 
under  his  grievous  wrong  that  seemingly  even  the  hard  heart 
of  his  wily  injurer  was  touched. 

This  was  not  the  only  occasion  on  which  the  Livingstones 
of  Bachuill  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  Campbells  of  Airds. 
Towards  the  close  of  the  1 8th  century  a  road  was  formed  along 
the  length  of  Lismore.  This  road  cut  a  piece  off  the  little 
estate  of  Bachuill.  Sir  John  Campbell  of  Airds  proposed  to 
Baron  John  Livingstone  of  Bachuill  to  excamb  this  piece  of  land 
for  a  piece  that  lay  between  Bachuill  and  the  glebe.  To  this 
the  Baron  consented,  and  the  exchange  was  made.  '  But,' 
said  Sir  John  Campbell,  *  as  the  land  that  I  am  giving  is  of 
more  value  to  you  than  the  land  that  you  are  giving  me,  you 
must  pay  me  a  small  sum  in  addition.'  '  Whatever  you  say  is 
right  is  right,  Sir  John,'  said  the  Baron.     '  Well,  we  will  call 

^  Baron  Carmichael,  Lismore,  was  a  man  of  some  standing  in  his  day.  He  was 
usually  called  '  Am  Baran  Ban  '—the  Fair  Baron  ;  and  '  Baran  Tigh  Sgurain ' — the 
Baron  of  Sgurain  House — from  the  precipitous  projection  on  which  the  house  stood. 
One  of  the  family  was  Bishop  of  Lismore,  and  was  usually  called  An  t-Easpuig  Ban. 
He  was  one  of  the  bishops  during  whose  episcopacy  the  Cathedral  of  Lismore  was 
built.  Some  three  centuries  subsequently  descendants  of  the  Fair  Baron  were  still 
fair— Dr.  Dugald  Carmichael  was  called  '  Dughall  Ban ' — Fair  Dugald  ;  and  '  An 
Dotar  Ban ' — the  Fair  Doctor.  He  is  known  to  science  as  the  '  Father  of  Marine 
Botany,'  and  was  the  intimate  friend  and  correspondent  of  Sir  William  Hooker,  who. 
called  many  marine  plants  after  him.  His  nephew,  the  accomplished  Celtic  scholar, 
the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Clark,  Killmallie,  went  under  the  name  of  '  Gilleaspa  Ban— Archi- 
bald the  Fair. 


THE  BARONS  OF  BACHUILL  367 

it  the  small  sum  of  fifty  shillings,  then,'  said  the  wily  Sir  John. 

*  Whatever  you  say  is  right  is  right.  Sir  John,'  said  the  Baron 
unsuspectingly.  The  thin  end  of  the  wedge  being  thus  got 
in,  in  the  following  year  an  additional  sum  of  fifty  shillings 
was  exacted  and  paid,  and  so  on  from  year  to  year,  till  the 
sum  amounted  to  £17,  10s.  a  year  ! 

While  discussing  these  proceedings  a  few  years  ago  with 
the  late  Baron  of  Bachuill,  the  writer  remarked  that  the 
honesty  of  the  Livingstones  had  been  no  protection  against 
the  guile  of  the  Campbells  of  Airds.  'No,'  said  the  good, 
kindly  Baron,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  and  a  smile  on  his 
lips,  quoting  an  old  proverb,  '  There  is  no  watertightness  in 
the  divots  of  the  Campbells.'  (Cha  n'eil  dion  ann  an  sgrath 
nan  Caimbeulach.)  '  What  comes  with  the  rain  goes  with  the 
wind,'  says  the  old  proverb.  The  Campbells  of  Airds  lost 
their  lands  long  ago,  and  their  representatives  are  scattered 
far  and  wide.  Even  their  burying-place  in  the  midst  of  the 
lovely  woods  of  Airds,  and  which  they  took  such  pains  to 
enclose  and  secure,  is  no  longer  left  sacred  to  them,  and 
strangers  bury  therein.  Sadly  curtailed  and  small,  Bachuill 
is  still  the  property  of  the  ancient  Livingstones,  together  with 
the  love  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  them. 

It  is  not  quite  clear  whether  a  fostership  or  a  marriage 
connection  or  both  existed  between  the  Stewarts  of  Appin 
and  the  Livingstones  of  Lismore,  but  the  friendship  between 
them  was  strong  and  enduring.      A  Gaelic  proverb  says  : 

*  Cairdeas  gu  caogad  co-altas  gu  ceud ' — relationship  to  fifty, 
fostership  to  a  hundred.  The  following  incident  throws  a 
lurid  light  upon  life  in  the  Highlands — and  indeed  in  the 
Lowlands  also — in  the  first  decade  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
There  had  been  wolfish  feuds  about  lands  between  the  Stewarts 
of  Appin  and  the  Macleans  of  Duart. 

The  Earl  of  Argyll — whose  daughter  Elizabeth — the  sub- 
ject of  Campbell's  poem  of  'Glenara' — was  married  to 
Maclean — brought  about  a  reconciliation,  and  Stewart  went 
to  Duart  to  ratify  the  peace.  There  were  games  and  feats 
of  strength  and  arms,  in  all  of  which  SoUamh  Mac  Colla, 


368  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Solomon  Maccoll,  the  gille  cas  fliuch  of  Stewart,  was  vic- 
torious. The  Macleans  were  '  neither  to  hand  nor  to  bind/ 
and  they  fell  upon  the  luckless  gille  cas  fliuch,  and  beat  him 
to  death. 

Then  they  jeered  at  the  body,  saying,  '  nach  ann  ann  a  tha 
an  smior  chnamh  ;  nach  ann  ann  a  tha  an  ola  dhonn  ! '  *  Is  it 
not  in  him  that  the  bone  marrow  is  ?  is  it  not  in  him  that  the 
neatsfoot  oil  is  ? '  and  other  taunting  terms,  as  if  they  had  a 
newly  killed  cow  before  them. 

Stewart  was  grieved  at  the  death  of  his  trusted  man,  and 
riled  at  the  taunts  of  his  slayers,  and  he  replied  with  more 
warmth  than  wisdom,  '  Cha  b'e  brisgeanan  ban  an  raoin  agus 
faochagan  dubh  a  chladaich  idir  teachd-an-tir  mo  ghille-sa.' 
*  The  pale  silverweed  of  the  field,  and  the  black  whelk  of  the 
strand  were  not  at  all  the  sustenance  of  my  man.'  The  in- 
sinuation— perhaps  all  the  more  from  the  latent  truth  it  con- 
tained— roused  the  Macleans  to  red  heat,  and  twenty  Duart 
swords  came  down  on  the  hapless  head  of  Appin. 

Not  content  with  slaying  Stewart,  the  Macleans  suspended 
his  corpse  against  the  wall  of  their  castle,  and  threatened 
death  to  any  who  would  dare  to  take  it  down. 

The  men  of  Appin  fled  for  their  lives,  landing  on  the 
nearest  point  of  Lismore,  nor  did  they  rest  till  they  placed 
that  island  and  the  sea  on  either  side  of  it  between  them- 
selves and  Mull. 

Livingstone  of  Bachuill  was  grieved  when  he  heard  of  the 
death  of  his  good  friend  Stewart  of  Appin.  He  said  nothing, 
however,  but  when  night  came  he  and  his  two  red-haired 
daughters  went  away  in  their  skiff,  nor  were  they  long  in 
reaching  Duart.  Livingstone  and  his  daughters  miraculously 
managed  to  bring  the  body  of  the  Lord  of  Appin  to  their 
skiff,  and  to  put  to  sea  before  they  were  discovered,  but  they 
had  hardly  left  the  shore  when  the  Macleans  came  rushing 
down  with  wild  tumult  and  wilder  imprecations. 

They  immediately  launched  their  boats  and  leapt  into 
them,  but  as  hurriedly  leapt  out  of  them  again,  amidst  yells 
of  execration,  for  boat  after  boat  filled  with  water  and  sank 


THE  BARONS  OF  BACHUILL  369 

beneath  their  feet.  The  wise  Baron  had  been  before  them 
and  driven  auger-holes  through  their  boats.  Ultimately 
they  managed  with  much  difficulty  to  launch  a  sixteen-oared 
war  galley  less  damaged  than  the  rest,  that  had  brought  home 
to  Duart  many  a  *  creach '  from  distant  island  and  near  main- 
land. 

After  a  terrible  struggle,  amidst  the  swirling  currents  of 
'  Boinne  nam  Biodag,'  the  Macleans  came  up  to  the  Living- 
stones in  running  through  the  narrow  shallow  strait  that 
separates  the  small  islet  of  Musdal  from  the  main  island  of 
Lismore. 

Just  as  a  crowd  of  Macleans— a  tithe  of  whom  would 
have  sent  it  to  the  bottom — was  about  to  jump  down  into 
the  little  skiff  of  the  Livingstones,  a  swift,  swirling  current 
threw  the  large  galley  on  a  sunken  rock,  on  which  it  was  left 
hard  and  fast  by  the  rapidly  receding  tide,  while  the  same 
rapid  river-like  current  rushed  the  little  skiff  of  the  Living- 
stones far  beyond  reach. 

They  rowed  their  hardest,  and  soon  reached  a  creek, 
where  they  landed,  and  hurriedly  buried  the  body  in  the 
shingle  of  the  beach.  The  people  of  Lismore  and  Appin 
gathered,  and  carrying  the  body  of  Stewart  to  Clachan, 
buried  it  in  the  cathedral  church  of  Saint  Moluag. 

And  there  in  the  *  dim  religious  light '  of  the  old  fane  the 
tombstone  of  the  Lord  of  Appin  is  still  to  be  seen,  and  the 
story  of  the  good  Baron  of  Bachuill  and  his  two  brave 
daughters  is  still  told. 

The  creek  where  the  Livingstones  landed  and  buried  the 
body  is  called  *  Port  Chailleach,'  the  port  of  the  women. 

Even  yet  the  mention  of  the  two  red-haired  daughters  of 
the  Baron  of  Bachuill  brings  a  flush  to  the  face  of  a 
Maclean  ! 

The  burying -ground  of  Lismore  is  named  after  Saint 
Moluag.  It  is  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  prominent  knoll. 
From  this  knoll  there  is  a  most  extensive  and  varied  view, 
rarely  equalled,  nowhere  excelled,  of  sea  and  lake,  of  wood 
and  glen  and  mountains.     To  the  back  are  the  mountains  of 


370  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Mull  and  Morven,  to  the  left  the  long  vista  of  the  Corran — 
the  sea  running  in  among  the  mountains  of  Lochaber,  in  the 
midst  of  which  stands  Ben  Nevis  towering  above  his  neigh- 
bours. In  front  is  Cruachan  and  the  Linn,  and  Land  of 
Lome,  and  to  the  right  the  Small  Isles  with  the  mountains 
of  Jura  in  the  dim  blue  distance  beyond. 

Highlanders  are  taunted  with  clinging  like  limpets  to 
their  native  rocks.  At  all  events  Highlanders  cling  heart 
and  soul  to  the  memory  of  the  woods  and  lochs  and  glens  and 
mountains  among  which  they  were  reared,  and  which  they 
never  forget  wherever  they  go. 

On  the  summit  of  the  burying-ground  is  a  cross  called 
*  Crois  Dubh— the  black  cross,'  and  known  on  the  mainland 
as  the  *  Black  Cross  of  Lismore,' — Crois  Dubh  Liosmoire. 
Till  recently  all  public  announcements  were  made  at  this 
cross,  and  a  proclamation  was  not  considered  valid  unless 
made  here.  The  cross  adjoins  the  site  of  the  first  Christian 
church  in  the  island,  and  probably  like  other  crosses  through- 
out the  Highlands  and  Islands  was  used  as  a  preaching- station 
before  there  was  a  church.  The  first  church  of  Saint  Moluag 
in  Lismore  is  believed  to  have  been  constructed  of  wattles,  like 
most,  if  not  all,  of  the  Columban  churches,  and  even  dwellings, 
of  the  time.  It  stood  on  the  top  of  the  burying-ground.  The 
cathedral  church,  now  the  parish  church,  is  at  the  foot  of  the 
knoll.  It  was  completed  in  1300,  sixty-four  years  after  the 
place  was  made  into  a  see.  This  church,  like  many  others, 
was  burnt  by  the  Norsemen,  who  massacred  the  people,  for 
these  Viking  invaders  revelled  in  blood  and  fire.  During  last 
century,  while  a  grave  was  being  dug  on  the  site  of  this  ancient 
church,  a  three-branched  candlestick  was  found.  The  candle- 
stick was  gold,  small  and  finely  formed,  though  plain.  Bits  of 
burnt  wood,  stone,  and  other  debris  of  the  early  church  came 
to  light  at  the  same  time.  Possibly  this  interesting  relic  of 
early  Christian  art  formed  part  of  the  altar  furnishing  of  the 
simple  wattle  church  of  Saint  Moluag.^     This  candlestick  was 

1  Saint  Moluag  is  said  to  have  died  at  Ardclach,  while    on  one  of  his  many 
missionary  journeys.    When  the  people  of  Lismore  heard  of  his  death  twenty-four  of  the 


THE  BAEONS  OF  BACHUILL      371 

secured  by  General  Sir  Duncan  Campbell  of  Lochnell,  but 
what  became  of  it  on  the  dispersion  of  his  fine  collection  is 
not  known.  The  writer  made  minute  personal  inquiries  for 
it  at  the  British  Museum  and  elsewhere,  but  unsuccessfully. 
In  the  centre  of  the  burying-ground,  and  adjoining  the 
foundation  of  this  early  church,  is  the  lair  of  the  Barons 
of  Bachuill.  This  would  indicate  the  connection  of  the  family 
with  the  situation  of  the  lair  and  church,  and  was  very 
early,  probably  preceding  by  many  centuries  their  appoint- 
ment to  the  custody  of  the  pastoral  staff  of  the  bishop  in 
the  thirteenth  century.  Probably  the  Livingstones  were  the 
keepers  of  the  actual  staff  of  Saint  Moluag,  and  were  simply 
confirmed  in  the  office  when  the  see  of  Argyll  and  the  Isles 
was  created.  If  this  be  so,  the  crozier  of  Saint  Moluag  is  one 
of  the  very  oldest  relics  of  Christian  art  in  Scotland,  and 
second  to  none  in  interest.  The  crozier  is  2  feet  10  inches 
long.  It  is  of  wood,  and  was  sheathed  with  metal,  probably 
gold,  and  is  dotted  all  over  with  the  marks  of  the  pins  fasten- 
ing the  metal  to  the  wood. 

The  earliest  charter  now  extant  of  the  Barons  of  Bachuill 
is  dated  1544.  This,  however,  is  only  a  renewal,  and  refers  to 
a  previous  charter.  In  it  the  Baron  of  the  time  is  spoken  of 
patronymically  as  John,  the  son  of  Molmoire,  the  son  of  Iver. 
Molmoire  is  Maol- Moire, — *  the  tonsured  of  Mary.' 

The  Barons  of  Bachuill  are  of  interest  to  all  who  are 
interested — and  who  is  not  ? — in  Dr.  David  Livingstone.  The 
great  missionary  explorer  was  descended  from  these  Living- 
stone Barons  of  Bachuill  in  Lismore.  Neil  Livingstone,  the 
young  son  of  the  old  Baron,  joined  the  army  of  Prince  Charlie, 
and  was  in  the  rising  of  1745.  He  escaped,  but  not  scatheless, 
the  disasters  of  Culloden  and  made  his  way  home  to  Bachuill. 
But  Lismore  was  not  a  safe  asylum,  being  the  country  of  the 

strongest  men  in  the  island  travelled  to  Ardclach  and  brought  his  body  home  on 
their  shoulders  and  buried  him  within  his  own  rustic  little  church  amidst  the  moaning 
of  men  and  the  wailing  of  women,  for  Moluag  was  much  beloved.  This  is  the  tradi- 
tion, still  current  in  Lismore.  Other  accounts  state  that  he  died  at  Kosmarkie,  and 
that  he  is  buried  there. 

VOL.  v.  2  B 


372  THE  CELTIC  EEVIEW 

Campbells,  and  the  parish  of  the  Rev.  John  MacAulay.  This 
John  MacAulay,  who  had  been  minister  of  South  Uist,  was 
the  grandfather  of  Lord  Macaulay,  and  like  his  father  in 
Harris,  the  Rev.  Aulay  MacAulay,  he  made  himself  obnoxious 
by  trying  to  secure  the  Prince. 

Neil  Livingstone  crossed  from  Lismore  to  Morven,  and 
after  a  time  from  Morven  to  Mull,  and  finally  from  Mull  to 
Ulva,  adjoining. 

Donald  Livingstone,  the  son  of  Neil  Livingstone,  was  in 
the  local  Fencibles  of  his  day.  During  the  annual  drills  at 
Oban  and  Stirling  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  his  namesake 
and  distant  kinswoman,  Catherine  Livingstone,  whose  father 
was  a  farmer  at  Bailemore  in  Kerrara,  opposite  Oban. 
When  his  regiment  was  finally  disbanded  Donald  Livingstone 
married  Catherine  Livingstone  and  brought  her  home  with 
him  to  Ulva.  Things,  however,  did  not  prosper  in  Ulva 
with  the  young  people,  and  after  a  time  they  removed  to 
Blantyre  on  the  Clyde.  Donald  Livingstone  had  a  son, 
Neil,  the  father  of  David  Livingstone,  whose  name  will 
live  while  courage,  honesty,  and  humanity  are  admired  among 
men. 

The  tomb  of  the  Livingstones  of  Lismore  adjoins  the 
site  of  the  original  church  of  Saint  Moluag.  The  place  is 
called  Plod  nam  Baran,  Plod  na  Bachuill,  Plod  Chlann-an- 
leigh,  the  lair  of  the  Barons,  the  lair  of  Bachuill,  the  lair  of 
the  Livingstones. 

The  Barons  are  buried  by  themselves,  no  member  of  their 
family  being  buried  with  them.  There  is  only  one  known 
instance  of  a  member  of  his  family  being  buried  with  a 
Baron — a  wife  who,  when  dying,  appealed  to  be  buried  in 
death  beside  him  whom  she  loved  in  life.  The  husband  and 
wife  were  so  devotedly  attached  to  one  another  throughout 
their  long  married  life  that  the  touching  appeal  was  acceded 
to,  and  she  was  accordingly  buried  in  the  same  grave  with 
the  Baron. 

The  grave  of  the  Barons  is  situated  by  itself,  and  is 
known  as  An   Uaigh   Mhor — the  great  grave,   Uaigh  nam 


THE  BARONS  OF  BACHUILL  373 

Baran — the  grave  of  the  Barons,  and  Uaigh  na  Bachuill — the 
grave  of  Bachuill,  and  other  names. 

One  of  the  Barons  was  a  man  of  immense  strength  and 
stature,  and  was  called  An  Gorm  Mor,  the  big  blue. 

The  gravestone  of  this  Baron,  Leac  a'  Ghuirm  Mhoir,  is  of 
great  interest.  The  carving  on  it  is  that  of  the  Middle 
Ages,  and  in  high  relief  but  greatly  weathered  and  defaced, 
and  in  some  places  worn  out.  On  the  upper  half  of  the 
stone  is  the  figure  of  a  man  in  the  kilt — much  as  the  dress 
is  worn  now — and  holding  a  long  staff  in  his  right  hand,  pro- 
bably the  staff  of  Saint  Moluag.  Along  the  sides  of  the 
stone  trellised  foliage  ascends  intertwining  at  the  top  and 
then  bursting  into  blossoms  and  drooping  gracefully  over  the 
head  of  the  man.  The  carving  on  the  lower  half  of  the  stone 
is  even  more  obliterated,  though  still  exhibiting  traces  of 
deer  and  dogs,  of  hunters  and  hunting  scenes. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  1544  charter  of  the 
Livingstones  of  Bachuill : — 

Universis  et  singulis  pateat  per  presentes,  nos  Archibaldum 
Campbell  Dominum  feodatorium  terrarum  de  Argyll,  Campbell  et 
Lorn,  cum  consensu  et  assensu  Carissimi  Patris  ac  Tutoris  nostri 
Archibaldi  Comitis  Argadiae,  Domini  Campbell  et  Lorn  ac  Domini 
terrarum  earundem,  Concessisse,  necnon  in  honore  Dei  omnipotentis 
beatse  virginis,  et  Sancti  nostri  Patroni  Moloci,  Mortificasse,  et  pre- 
senti  scripto  nostro  confirmasse  dilecto  signifero  Joanni  M'Milmore- 
vic-Kiver,  et  hseredibus  suis  masculis,  de  suo  corpore  legitime 
procreatis  seu  procreandis,  quibus  deficientibus  ad  nostrum  de 
dimidietate  terrarum  de  Poynbachilla  et  Paynaballan,  extendentis  ad 
dimidietatem  mercatse  terrarum  jacentes  in  Insula  de  Lismore,  infra 
dominium  nostrum  de  Lorn  et  vice  comitatem  de  Argyll,  cum 
custodia  magni  baculi  beati  Moloci,  ita  libere  sicut  caeteri  prede- 
cessores  dicti  Joannis  habuerunt  a  suis  predecessoribus,  dominus  de 
Lorn,  cum  custodia  dicti  Baculi  in  puram  et  liberam  eleemosynam 
prout  libere,  quiete,  honorifice,  integre,  bene  et  in  pace,  sicut  aliquse 
terrse  infra  regnum  dantur  seu  concedantur;  et^  hoc,  pro  salute 
animarum  nostrum  predecessorum  ac  successorum.  In  cujus  rei 
testimonium,  sigillum  nostrum,  una  cum  sigillo  carissimi  Patris 
nostri  ac  Tutoris  nostrorumque  subscriptibus  manualibus  huic  nostro 
scripto  jussimus. 


374  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Datum  apud  Castellachlan,  nono  die  Mensis  Aprilis  milesimo 
quingentesimo  quadragesimo  quarto,  presentibus  ibidem  Johane 
M'Caul  de  Dunolly,  Johane  M'Caul  de  Baray,  Colino  Campbell  de 
Ardkinles,  et  Lachlan  M'Lachlan  de  eodem  cum  diversis  aliis. 

(sic  suhscrihitur)  Argyll. 
Ex  mandate  Archibaldi  Earl  de  Argyll. 

Taken  by  Gregor  M'Gregor,  minister  of  Lismore,  from  a  copy  tran- 
scribed from  the  original  charter,  on  the  18th  June  1810,  in  presence 
of  Mr.  John  Stewart,  minister  of  Lismore,  and  Mr.  George  Campbell, 
minister  of  Ardchatten,  by  Mr.  Hugh  Eraser,  minister. 

Lismore  Manse, 
16^^  January  1845. 

To  All  and  Singular  let  it  be  known  by  those  presents  that  we, 
Archibald  Campbell,  Lord  Fiar  [feudatory]  of  the  lands  of  Argyll, 
Campbell,  and  Lome,  with  the  consent  of  our  dearest  father  Archi- 
bald, Earl  of  Argyll,  Lord  Campbell  and  Lome,  and  Lord  of  the  same 
lands,  have  granted,  and  in  the  honour  of  God  Omnipotent,  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  and  Saint  Moloc  our  Patron,  have  mortified  and  by 
our  present  writing  have  confirmed  to  our  Beloved  Standard-Bearer 
[signifer],  John  M'Milmore-vic-Kiver  and  the  heirs-male  of  his  body 
lawfully  procreated  or  to  be  procreated,  whom  failing,  to  return  to 
his  own  gift  all  and  singular  our  Lands,  being  half  of  the  lands  of 
Poynbachilla  and  Paynaballan,  extending  to  half  of  a  merk  or  mark 
land  lying  in  the  Island  of  Lismore,  within  our  Lordship  of  Lome 
and  Sheriffdom  of  Argyll,  with  the  custody  of  the  Great  Staff  of 
Saint  Moloc  as  freely  as  the  other  predecessors  of  the  said  John  have 
held  from  our  predecessors  Lords  of  Lome,  with  the  custody  of  the 
said  Staff  in  pure  and  free  Alms  as  freely,  quietly,  honorably,  com- 
pletely, well  and  peaceably  as  any  lands  within  the  kingdom  are 
given  or  granted,  and  this  for  the  safety  of  the  souls  of  us  our 
predecessors  or  successors.  In  testimony  whereof  we  have  ordered 
our  seal  along  with  the  seal  of  our  dearest  father  and  tutor,  and  our 
manual  subscriptions  to  be  appended  to  this  our  Writ.  Given  at 
Castle  Lachlan  on  the  9th  of  April  1544  in  the  presence  of  John 
M'Caul  of  Dunolly,  John  M'Caul  of  Baray,  Colin  Campbell,  Ard- 
kinlas,  and  Lachlan  M'Lachlan  of  that  Ilk,  with  various  others. 

(Signed)  Argyll. 

By  the  mandate  of  Archibald,  Earl  of  Argyll. 
The  names  of  the  lands  are  not  spelt  quite  the  same  as  in  the 
abstract  of  the  Charter  in  the  Origines  Farochiales,  vol.  ii.  part  i. 


BOOK  REVIEWS  375 

p.  163,  where  a  figure  of  the  Bachuill  of  Saint  Moloc  will  be  found. 
The  original  is  there  said  to  be  in  the  possession  of  the  Livingstones 
of  Bachuill,  whose  representatives  still  have  the  Charter,  but  the 
Staff  has  been  acquired  by  the  Duke  of  Argyll. 


BOOK  REVIEWS 

Cywyddau  Cymru — wedi  eu  dethol  a'u  golygu  gan  Arthur  Hughes,  ynghyda 
Rhagdraeth  gan  yr  Athro  EfoWARD  Anwyl.  Bangor :  Jarvis  and 
Foster.     3s.  Qd.  net. 

Probably  many  readers  of  Professor  Lewis  Jones's  excellent  Caniadau  Cymru 
must  have  hoped  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  desire  he  there  expresses  that 
somebody  would  do  for  the  Cywydd  what  his  own  collection  does  for  lyrics 
in  'free  metre.'  Mr.  Arthur  Hughes  in  the  present  work,  which  is  of 
similar  format  to  the  Caniadau,  has  done  it  admirably,  and  produced  a 
volume  for  which  all  lovers  of  Welsh  literature  will  feel  that  they  owe  him 
a  debt  of  gratitude.  This  anthology  of  passages  in  the  cywydd  metre,  a 
selection  of  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  pieces  from  seventy-five  authors, 
made  with  fine  taste  and  critically  edited,  is  a  perfect  treasure-house  of 
beautiful  verse,  and  gives  to  every  Welshman  the  opportunity  of  acquaint- 
ing himself  with  many  of  the  chief  poets  of  his  country.  One  sighs  for  an 
inspired  translator  to  interpret  the  poems  for  English  readers ;  but  alas ! 
such  an  one  has  yet  to  be  found,  and  indeed  it  may  be  doubted  whether  any 
translator,  however  inspired,  could  ever  render  in  a  non-Celtic  tongue  the 
finest  effects  of  cynghanedd.  To  the  Welsh  reader  the  book  will  give 
unalloyed  pleasure,  and  we  may  echo  the  hope  expressed  by  Professor  Anwyl 
in  his  preface  that  it  may  be  *a  means  of  education  to  generation  after 
generation  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Wales  in  the  gems  of  their 
country's  poetry.' 

The  principle  of  selection  followed  by  Mr.  Hughes  is,  quite  rightly,  some- 
what different  from  that  adopted  in  Caniadau  Cymru.  In  an  anthology  of 
lyrics  like  the  latter  book  it  is  far  better,  except  in  special  cases  where  a 
portion  of  a  poem  can  be  readily  detached  from  the  rest  or  where  a  poem  is 
of  very  unequal  merit,  to  give  only  complete  lyrics ;  but  in  dealing  with  a 
metre  like  the  cywydd,  which  has  been  used  for  poems  of  every  length,  from 
a  dozen  lines  to  the  epical  proportions  of  Dafydd  lonawr's  Cywydd  y  Drin- 
dod,  and  which,  moreover,  is  found  along  with  other  metres  in  the  awdl, 
such  a  principle  could  be  carried  out  only  by  excluding  from  the  selection 
some  of  the  finest  passages  in  the  language.  Mr.  Hughes  was  therefore  well 
advised  in  selecting  freely  from  various  cywyddau.  Individual  selections  are 
of  course,  as  in  all  anthologies,  open  to  question,  and  it  is  perhaps  to  be 
wished  that  in  some  cases,  for  example  in  that  of  Dafydd  ab  Gwilym,  more 


376  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

complete  specimens  of  the  cywydd  had  been  given ;  but  there  can  hardly  be 
a  question  as  to  the  Tightness  of  Mr.  Hughes's  general  principle.  Thus  the 
book  is  less  an  anthology  of  cywyddau  than  one  of  passages  in  the  cywydd 
metre.  One  improvement  might  indeed  be  suggested,  with  a  view  to  a 
possible  second  edition — that  the  poem  from  which  each  selection  is  taken 
should  be  indicated  at  the  foot.  In  many  cases,  after  the  longer  selections, 
are  collected  a  number  of  couplets;  not  a  few  of  these  'jewels  five  words 
long '  would  be  an  ornament  to  any  literature. 

The  book  being  intended  for  the  general  reader,  Mr.  Hughes  very 
properly  gives  the  poems  in  modern  spelling,  and  he  further  smooths  the 
path  of  the  student  by  a  short  commentary,  grammatical,  metrical,  and 
general,  and  by  a  glossary.  There  is  also  at  the  end  of  the  book  a  bio- 
graphical index  like  that  in  Caniadau  Cymru,  from  which  the  notices  of  most 
of  the  later  authors  in  the  book  are  drawn.  In  addition  to  the  biographical 
details  a  short  critical  appreciation  is  usually  given ;  those  of  Dafydd  ab 
Gwilym  and  Tudur  Aled  are  deserving  of  special  mention.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  add,  to  those  who  know  Jarvis  and  Foster's  publications,  that 
the  book  is  admirably  printed  and  is,  at  the  price,  a  marvel  of  cheapness. 

In  turning  over  the  pages  of  this  anthology,  which,  chronologically 
arranged,  shows  us  the  development  of  the  cywydd  metre  for  five  hundred 
years,  from  its  origin  in  the  fourteenth  century  to  modern  times,  two  general 
reflections  suggest  themselves.  The  first  is  the  beauty  and  consonance  with 
the  Welsh  genius  of  cynghanedd,  the  basis  of  the  cywydd  as  of  all  the  strict 
metres.  It  has  often  been  attacked  both  by  Welsh  and  by  foreign  critics, 
and  it  has  no  doubt  sometimes  exercised  a  hampering  influence  on  the 
genius  of  poets  (though  probably  the  Eisteddfodic  system,  with  its  set 
themes,  is  more  really  to  blame) ;  but  how  consistent  it  is  in  the  hands  of  a 
master  with  freedom  and  flexibility  is  triumphantly  shown  by  Dafydd  ab 
Gwilym  on  every  page.  And  of  what  exquisite  effects  it  is  capable  when 
rightly  handled !  How  indissolubly,  for  example,  fhe  beauty,  both  of 
thought  and  phrase,  of  the  following  passages  is  bound  up  with  their 
cynghanedd : — 

'  Lie  mae'r  dyn  a'r  lliw  mor  deg 
A'r  wennol  ar  y  waneg.'  * 

*  Y  g^  marw,*e  gdr  raorwyn 
Ddaear  dy  fedd  er  dy  fwyn.'^ 

*  Ymaros  di  ym  mrest  hedd, 
0  ymaros  daw  mawredd  : 


*  *  Where  she  abides,  the  maid  whose  hue  is  fair  as  the  swallow  on  the  wave.' 
Note,  in  the  second  line,  how  the  cynghanedd  reproduces  the  heaving  motion  of  the 
waves. 

2  '  0  dead  man,  the  maiden  loves  the  earth  of  thy  grave  for  thy  sake.' 


BOOK  EEVIEWS  377 

'Gwell  doniau  na  gwyllt  ennyn, 
Gwell  yw  Duw  na  gallu  dyn.'  ^ 

'  Mae'r  gerdd  annwyl  yn  wylo, 
A'r  Haw  wen  dan  grawen  gro.'^ 

'  Dros  loywlas  deyrnas  y  dydd 
Hi  daena  ei  hadenydd.'  ^ 

Secondly  the  collection  well  illustrates  the  extraordinary  range  and 
adaptability  of  the  cyiuydd.  We  find  this  one  metre  used  by  Dafydd  for  his 
exquisite  pastorals,  playful,  tender,  or  plaintive,  by  Goronwy  Owen  to 
describe,  with  almost  Miltonic  sublimity,  the  singing  of  the  morning-stars 
and  the  fall  of  the  heavens,  by  Islwyn  for  his  brooding  and  melancholy 
mysticism,  by  Lewis  Glyn  Cothi  to  ridicule  the  Saxons  of  Flint  and  their 
piper,  and  by  Nicander  to  sing  the  praises  of  cheese  ! 

The  subjects  of  these  selections  are  various,  but  the  majority  relate, 
like  the  greater  number  in  any  collection,  to  one  or  other  of  the  five  sub- 
jects, love,  nature,  death,  religion,  and  the  love  of  country.  In  the  first 
two  Dafydd  ab  Gwilym  stands  alone.  There  are  strings  in  the  lyre  of  love 
which  he  never  touched,  and  to  apprehend  the  deeper  spiritual  significance 
of  Nature  as  Islwyn  for  example  did  was  of  course  impossible  to  any  poet 
of  Dafydd's  age ;  but  within  his  own  realm  he  is  unequalled.  The  extracts 
from  his  works,  placed  as  they  are  at  the  beginning  of  the  book,  show  his 
greatness  more  clearly  than  ever.  It  does  not  seem  likely  that  he  origin- 
ated the  cywydd,  but  as  no  earlier  instance  of  it  than  his  time  is  known  he 
must  at  least  have  been  one  of  the  first  to  use  it ;  yet  he  writes  with  an  ease 
and  mastery  which  later  poets  can  at  best  only  imitate.  Of  his  professed 
disciples — most  of  the  later  poets  have  felt  his  influence  directly  or  indirectly 
— the  most  worthy  of  mention  is  perhaps  Bedo  Brwynllys,  from  whom  some 
beautiful  extracts  are  given.  Three  strikingly  imaginative  couplets  may 
be  quoted :  '  The  sound  of  my  sighing  for  my  darling,  my  fair  one,  beats 
upon  the  east.'  'Thy  love,  0  thou  sun  of  the  south,  pours  in  rivers  on  my 
face.'     'My  spirit  will  call  unto  thy  life  from  wood  to  wood.' 

The  marwnad  or  elegy  has  always  occupied  an  important  place  in  Welsh 
literature,  ever  since  the  day  when  Lly  warch  Hen  lamented  over  '  the  white 
town  in  the  valley,'  and  there  are  many  beautiful  examples  in  this  collec- 
tion. Two  stand  out  with  a  more  intimate  appeal  than  the  rest.  One  is 
the  elegy  (No.  32)  of  the  fourteenth-century  poet  Llywelyn  Goch  over 
Lleueu  Llwyd,  who,  tradition  relates,  had  died  of  grief  for  a  false  report  of 
his  death.     Is  it  possible  anywhere  in  literature  to  find  lines  more  moving 

1  '  Tarry  thou  in  the  bosom  of  peace ;  from  tarrying  comes  might.      Better  are 
Nature's  gifts  than  wild  ardours,  better  is  God  than  the  strength  of  man.' 

2  'The  dear  song  weeps,  and  the  pebbles  cover  the  white  hand.' 

3  '  Over  the  bright  realm  of  day  she  (night)  spreads  her  wings.'     Note  here  again 
how  the  cynghanedd  gives  the  effect  of  the  beatiog  of  great  wings. 


378  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

in  their  intensity  of  passion  than  these  1 — *  Rise  up,  sweet  soul,  and  open 
the  dark  earthen  door ;  put  from  thee  thy  long  bed  of  sand,  and  meet  my 
face,  0  beloved.  See  here,  0  thou  whose  gay  life  was  so  quickly  spent, 
above  thy  grave  the  sun's  gay  dwelling ;  and  one  heavy  of  aspect  for  thy 
going,  Llywelyn  Goch,  a  bell  to  ring  thy  praise,  who  ranges  wild  with 
anguish  about  the  door  of  thy  house,  Lleueu  Llwyd.  .  .  .  Rise  up  to  end 
the  banquet ;  then  see  if  thou  wilt  choose  the  grave.  Come,  with  the  fox- 
glove in  thy  cheeks,  up  from  the  sad  house  of  clay.' 

The  other  is  the  elegy  of  Lewis  Glyn  Cothi  on  his  five-year-old  son 
with  its  passionate  farewell :  '  John  sends  to  his  father  a  pang  of  longing 
and  love :  farewell  to  the  smile  in  my  mouth,  farewell  to  laughter  from 
my  lips ;  and  farewell  now  to  the  ball,  and  farewell  to  loud  singing ;  and 
farewell  to  my  merry  friend,  here  in  my  life  on  the  earth,  to  John  my 
son  ! '  From  that  century  of  savage  war  and  monstrous  crimes  this  lament 
of  the  Lancastrian  soldier  over  his  child  comes  with  an  almost  startling 
pathos. 

Of  the  religious  poems  of  the  fourteenth  century  those  quoted  from 
Si6n  Cent  are  the  most  interesting.  Religion  has  occupied  a  larger  place 
in  Welsh  poetry  since  the  eighteenth  century,  and  there  are  several  fine 
specimens  of  modern  religious  poetry.  There  is  none  more  noble  than  the 
lines  (No.  327)  from  Islwyn's  awdl  to  the  night,  surely  one  of  the  great 
masterpieces  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Among  poems  which  sing  the  love  of  country  may  be  mentioned  the 
fine  lines  of  lolo  Goch  to  Owain  Glyndwr  (No.  38);  but  the  finest  is 
Goronwy  Owen's  wonderful  ode  to  Anglesey,  the  poem  of  which  Mr.  W.  J. 
Grufiydd  has  said  that  it  is  '  the  most  inspired  and  inspiring  poem  of  all 
the  poetry  of  the  eighteenth  century.' 

Among  poems  not  strictly  falling  under  any  of  the  above  heads  may  be 
mentioned  specially  the  well-known  cywydd  (No.  40)  of  lolo  Goch  on  the 
labourer,  a  poem  which  from  the  contemporary  of  Owain  Glyndwr  gives  a 
wonderfully  modern  impression  with  its  praise  of  the  labourer  as  *  Emperor 
of  earth  and  seas  and  of  all  the  life  of  the  world.' 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  the  value  and  interest  of  this  delightful 
collection.  It  is  impossible  to  conclude  without  a  reference  to  the  serious 
illness  which  has  so  unhappily  fallen  upon  the  compiler  almost  at  the 
outset  of  his  life's  work.  The  lovers  of  Wales  will  hope  for  him  a  speedy 
recovery,  and  that  he  may  long  be  spared  to  devote  his  powers  to  the 
service  of  his  country.  H.  Idris  Bell. 


Songs  of  the  Hebrides.     Some  collected  and  all  arranged  by  M.  Kennedy 
Eraser.    Edinburgh.     2,s.  net. 

We  have  received  further  numbers  of  Mrs.  Kennedy  Eraser's  Songs  of 
the  Hebrides.    The  complete  work  will  shortly  be  issued  by  Messrs.  Boosey, 


BOOK  EEVIEWS  379 

London,  and  promises  to  be  an  important  contribution  to  the  literature 
of  Gaelic  music.  As  the  daughter  of  the  famed  Scottish  singer,  David 
Kennedy,  and  as  a  highly- trained  professional  musician  well  versed  in  the 
art  and  folk  music  of  Europe,  Mrs.  Fraser  is  well  fitted  for  the  task  she  has 
undertaken.  She  has  sung  Gaelic  melodies  on  professional  tours  with  her 
father  in  various  countries,  and  has  the  Celtic  blood  and  the  Celtic  spirit, 
an  important  qualification  for  an  interpreter  of  Gaelic  folk  song  to  the 
musical  world.  In  the  parts  sent  to  us,  we  notice  with  satisfaction  that  the 
original  melodies  are  preserved  in  their  simplicity,  without  manipulation. 
Many  or  most  of  these  songs  are  known  to  Islesmen,  some  of  them  as  a  dim 
memory  of  childhood ;  but  very  few  of  them  have  hitherto  been  translated 
into  English,  or  supplied  with  an  instrumental  setting.  Mrs.  Eraser's 
English  words  are  very  melodious  and  lyrical,  and  reveal  very  considerable 
poetic  talent.  They  are  very  free,  sometimes  practically  original,  though 
based  on  or  suggested  by  the  Gaelic.  This  is  certainly  better  than  the  over- 
literal,  stiff"  translations  that  are  often  worse  than  bad  prose,  obscuring  the 
clear  beauty  of  the  original,  as  a  horn  lantern  does  the  light  within  it. 
But  we  think  this  freedom  is  sometimes  here  carried  to  excess,  though  we 
must  say  that  the  vowel  system  of  the  Gaelic  lines  is  rendered  most  happily 
into  English  in  many  cases.  The  outstanding  merit  of  Mrs.  Kennedy  Eraser's 
work  is  in  the  piano  arrangements,  which  are  really  independent  musical 
compositions,  full  of  originality  and  haunting  charm,  yet  it  is  remarkable 
that  the  melody  is  not  obscured  or  eclipsed,  but  rather  shines  the  more 
brilliantly  as  a  diamond  in  a  silver  setting.  The  accompaniments  are  always 
characterised  by  fitness.  The  airs  lend  themselves  wonderfully  well  to 
Mrs.  Kennedy  Eraser's  methods  of  instrumental  writing  for  the  piano,  the 
modern  equivalent  of  the  harp,  for  which  instrument  the  older  tunes  were 
in  all  likelihood  composed  at  first.  These  arrangements  will  delight  the 
most  fastidious  and  critical  taste,  and  the  work  will  be  a  revelation  to  the 
musical  public  of  the  pure  and  chaste  beauty  of  the  little-known  songs  of 
the  Isles.  They  are  true  wildings  of  nature,  full  of  the  tender  humanity 
of  simple  souls — songs  to  make  the  tears  start,  some  of  them,  others, 
weird  and  elemental,  suggesting  the  odour  of  the  seaweed  and  the  roar  of 
the  billows,  full  of  that  exquisite  penetrating  sensibility  often  noted  as  the 
basis  of  Celtic  character.  Indeed,  these  little  ballads  give  a  truer  insight 
into  the  hearts  of  the  Island  folks  in  their  joys  and  sorrows  than  all  the 
decadent  Neo-Celtic  productions  of  the  time.  We  trust  in  later  numbers 
that  the  editors  will  give  us  as  much  of  the  Gaelic  words  for  each  song 
as  possible.  The  Gaelic  editor,  Mr.  Kenneth  MacLeod,  contributes  some 
admirable  verses  of  his  own  to  certain  airs  without  traditional  words.  In 
Song  12  'beallach'  for  'bealach'  is  probably  an  oversight.  We  trust  Mrs. 
Kennedy  Eraser  will  give  at  the  close  of  the  series  some  of  her  thoughts  and 
impressions  of  the  general  characteristics  of  Gaelic  music.  M.  N.  M, 


380  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

Binneas  nam  Bard.     Part  I.    By  M.  M'Farlane.    Stirling :  ^neas  M'Kay. 

Price  2s.  Qd. 

Mr.  M'Farlane  is  issuing  in  parts  an  anthology  of  Gaelic  poetry  and 
music  under  the  above  title,  a  valuable  compilation  which  promises  to  fill  a 
special  place  of  its  own  in  Gaelic  literature.  The  first  volume  contains  some 
lengthy  heroic  poems,  such  as  'Ba^  Dhiarmaid,' extending  to  102  v.erses, 
and  also  many  of  the  older  lyrics.  In  later  volumes  a  collection  of  the  best 
poems  that  have  appeared  in  fugitive  form  in  Highland  newspapers  and 
magazines  will  be  given,  with  their  appropriate  melodies,  we  presume,  in 
every  case.  In  this  volume  the  poems  are  arranged,  so  far  as  we  can  see, 
on  no  clear  principle  of  chronology  or  subject,  nor  are  any  names  of  authors 
attached  to  the  poems.  No  doubt  the  authorship  of  many  poems  is  uncertain, 
but  it  is  a  glaring  defect  to  print  compositions  by  Duncan  Ban  and  Alex- 
ander M 'Donald  without  inserting  the  authors'  names.  Were  these  worthies 
alive  to-day  the  Editor  would  be  certain  to  have  an  unpleasant  experience 
of  blistering  bardic  invective,  if  perchance  he  escaped  the  peril  of  '  baraille 
Nic-C6iseam.'  The  subject  matter  of  the  poems  is  of  varied  interest.  There 
are  several  Laments,  poems  on  the  Chief  of  the  Clan,  love-songs,  songs  of 
action,  and  descriptive  pieces.  The  text  has  been  carefully  edited,  and  is 
very  free  from  typographical  errors. 

To  read  these  Gaelic  poems  is  a  refreshing  experience.  They  are  the 
composition  of  men  who  were  taught  in  no  school  but  that  of  Nature,  whose 
songs  were  not  written  to  order,  but  are  the  outflow  of  natural  feeling,  and 
often  of  genuine  poetic  inspiration.  They  are  specimens  of  the  work  of  the 
minor  poets  of  the  Gael,  chiefly,  but  few  of  these  poems  lack  the  note  of  true 
passion,  or  are  entirely  destitute  of  lines  of  beauty  and  power.  Especially 
they  reveal  personality  and  thus  these  productions  of  past  days  in  the  High- 
lands have  still  an  intense  human  interest.  Nothing  reveals  so  intimately 
the  life  of  a  people  as  their  literature — especially  their  poetry.  Mr.  J.  0. 
Shairp,  Professor  of  Poetry  at  Oxford,  and  afterwards  Principal  of  St. 
Andrews  University,  compares  Gaelic  poetry  with  that  of  England,  Eome, 
and  Greece,  in  one  of  his  lectures,  and  strongly  recommends  the  study 
of  it — '  as  a  poetry  which,  if  narrower  in  compass  and  less  careful  in  finish, 
is  as  intense  in  feeling  and  as  true  to  nature  and  man  as  anything  which 
the  classical  literatures  contain.' 

The  Editor  has  done  excellent  service  in  furnishing  the  reader  with  the 
melody  for  each  poem  in  this  work,  in  both  notations,  without  harmonies. 
It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  nearly  all  Gaelic  poems  were  written  for  special 
melodies.  Every  poem  has  crystallised  round  a  tune.  Gaelic  poetry  is  lyrical 
in  the  mass ;  very  little  of  it  is  didactic.  Even  in  pure  word  painting  of 
nature,  as  in  '  Beinn  Doran,'  Duncan  Ban  uses  the  varied  wild  measures  of  a 
pipe  tune  with  splendid  efi"ect.  For  such  a  subject  Scott  or  Wordsworth 
would  probably  have  chosen  the  usual  hackneyed  octo-syllabic  rhyme.  Out 
of  the  great  store  at  hand  the  Editor  has  given  an  admirable  selection  of 


BOOK  EEVIEWS  381 

songs,  and  the  present  volume  will  kindle  eager  expectation  for  more  of  the 
same  quality,  among  all  lovers  of  the  Gaelic  Muse.  He  has  a  delicate  task 
to  perform  in  selecting  the  best  of  many  variants  of  a  popular  tune  and 
wedding  them  to  the  appropriate  words.  One  form  may  be  unconsciously 
preferred  to  another  because  of  past  associations  or  from  having  heard  it 
well  sung,  when  the  strict  principles  of  musical  analysis  would  not  justify 
the  choice.  We  have  heard  other  versions  of  some  of  these  melodies,  differ- 
ing widely  from  the  form  given,  and  the  reader  should  not  too  readily  con- 
clude that  the  form  printed  is  in  all  cases  finally  and  decisively  the  best. 
Some  at  least  seem  to  us  lacking  in  unity,  or  defective  in  contrast  of  parts, 
through  repetition  of  the  same  phrase,  or  less  melodious  than  other  forms 
we  have  known.  On  page  82  two  sol-fa  notes  are  wrongly  marked — another 
error  occurs  on  p.  103  of  a  similar  kind.  There  is  a  brief  Preface  to  the 
book  in  English  and  Gaelic.  We  do  not  admire  the  style  of  the  Gaelic 
Preface.  It  is  stiff  and  un-idiomatic — in  fact,  the  worst  piece  of  Gaelic  in 
the  book. 

Criticism  apart,  however,  Mr.  M'Farlane's  work  is  a  large  and  important 
enterprise  well  worthy  of  the  support  of  our  readers.  The  work  will  make 
a  special  appeal  to  all  lovers  of  Gaelic  melodies.  This  part  contains  no  less 
than  52  tunes,  many  of  them  fresh  and  not  generally  familiar,  with  hun- 
dreds of  verses  of  poetry,  at  the  low  price  of  half-a-crown.  M.  N.  M. 


NOTES 
The  Making  of  Ireland  and  its  Undoing 

In  your  notice  of  Mrs.  Green's  Making  of  Ireland  (p.  284)  the  following 
passage  occurs  :  '  Strange  to  say,  the  great  Norman  barons  who  were  settled 
in  Ireland  at  the  time  of  the  twelfth-century  conquest  came  over  to  the 
Irish  point  of  view,  became  Irishmen,  nay  Hibernis  ipsis  Hiberniores,  more 
Irish  than  the  Irish  themselves.  They  not  only  forgot  the  English  tongue, 
but  scorned  the  use  of  it.' 

It  seems  to  me  that  this  is  calculated  to  give  a  wrong  impression  of  the 
historical  conditions  which  obtained  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  remained 
substantially  unaltered  throughout  the  two  following  centuries.  The 
reader  unfamiliar  with  the  history  of  the  time  would  surely  gather  that 
there  was  something  apart  and  distinctive  in  the  conduct  of  the  Norman 
adventurers  who  made  raids  (of  course  the  word  conquest  is  quite  unjusti- 
fiable) into  Ireland  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  would  further  be  tempted, 
I  hold,  to  draw  conclusions  as  regards  present  day  conditions  which  would 
be  wholly  erroneous.  As  a  simple  matter  of  fact  there  is  nothing  to  differ- 
entiate the  proceedings  of  Strongbow  and  his  companions,  or  the  outcome  of 
those  proceedings,  from  similar  proceedings,  and  a  similar  outcome,  in  other 
parts  of  the  British  Isles  and  of  Western  Europe  generally  in  the  previous 


382  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

two  hundred  years.  In  the  first  place  let  me  clear  out  of  the  way  the 
remark  concerning  'English.'  It  is  in  the  last  degree  likely  that  Strongbow 
and  his  companions  and  followers  did  '  scorn  English,'  but  then  they  did 
so  before  they  raided  Ireland,  and  not  in  consequence  of  their  raid.  It  is 
doubtful  if  more  than  five  per  cent,  of  Strongbow's  force  could  even  speak 
English ;  it  is  certain  that  they  only  did  so  sparingly  and  exceptionally. 
The  leaders  spoke  Norman-French,  the  men-at-arms,  as  far  as  eighty  per 
cent,  were  concerned,  spoke  Welsh,  of  the  remaining  twenty  per  cent,  the 
majority  were  Flemings  from  Pembrokeshire.  Any  linguistic  conquest, 
therefore,  made  by  the  speech  of  the  invaded  Irish  was  made  not  at  the 
expense  of  English,  but  at  that  of  Welsh,  Flemish,  or  French.  This  minor 
point  eliminated,  let  us  take  a  broad  view  of  Strongbow's  raid.  He  went 
to  Ireland  to  acquire  land  and  wealth,  just  as  for  the  previous  three  hundred 
years  North-men  warriors  had  gone  out  on  similar  errands,  just  as  a  hundred 
years  earlier  the  Norman  William  had  come  to  England.  And  Strongbow 
stood  in  the  same  theoretical  relations  of  feudal  obligation  (relations,  the 
practical  nature  of  which  depended  ultimately  upon  the  force  at  the  disposal 
of  the  two  parties  involved),  to  the  king  at  London  as  William  had  done  to 
the  king  at  Paris.  Nor  can  there  be  any  shadow  of  doubt  that  if  Strong- 
bow had  been  able,  he  and  his  successors  would  have  acted  towards  the 
king  at  London  exactly  as  William  and  his  successors  acted  toward  the  king 
at  Paris.  Why  they  were  unable  is  a  point  I  shall  deal  with  presently. 
To  some  extent  they  did  try,  and  in  so  trying  they  incurred  the  familiar 
reproach,  hurled  at  them  by  the  chroniclers  of  the  London  king,  of  becoming 
*more  Irish  than  the  Irish.'  What  this  really  meant  in  the  mouth  of  said 
chroniclers  was  that  Irish  plus  Norman  barons  were  a  great  deal  more 
troublesome  than  Irish  alone.  The  Norman  stiffened  and  intensified  Irish 
resistance.  The  reproach  of  the  London  king's  chroniclers  was  justified. 
But  then  a  similar  reproach  of  the  Paris  king's  chroniclers  directed  against 
William  and  his  successors  would  have  been  equally  justified ;  they  too 
wedded  English  heiresses,  they  too  ultimately  forgot  the  French  tongue,  and 
came  to  scorn  the  use  of  it ;  they  too  used  the  people  whom  they  dominated 
to  flout  their  feudal  obligations.  And  in  England  it  was  the  Normans,  as  a 
whole,  who  became  '  more  English  than  the  English,'  whereas  only  a  minority 
in  Ireland  became  '  more  Irish  than  the  Irish ' ;  in  England  the  entire 
Norman  mass  acquired  the  native  speech,  in  Ireland  only  a  portion.  In  so 
far  as  the  history  of  the  three  centuries,  1100-1400,  is  concerned,  if  any  con- 
clusion is  to  be  drawn  respecting  the  assimilative  capacities  of  the  two 
peoples — English  and  Irish — it  would  seem  to  be  in  favour  of  the  English  ; 
they  did  assimilate  their  alien  immigrants  entirely ;  the  Irish  did  not.  I 
do  not,  however,  desire  to  draw  such  a  conclusion ;  I  believe  it  would  be 
a  false  one;  I  believe  that  historic  conditions  amply  account  for  the 
difference  stated  without  resorting  to  doubtful  hypotheses  about  racial 
capacity.  But  if  such  hypotheses  are  to  be  ruled  out  on  the  one  side,  they 
must  be  ruled  out  on  the  other,  and  the  familiar  tag  Hibernis  ipsis  Hiberniores 


NOTES  383 

must  cease  to  stand  warrant  for  the  implications  it  is  commonly  held  to 
carry  with  it. 

Considerations  based  on  the  action  of  William  and  Strongbow  (and  of 
their  respective  followings)  are  strengthened  if  we  widen  our  field  of  survey. 
The  amazing  thing  about  the  North-men,  and  the  Normans  their  descendants, 
is  the  single-minded  realism  of  their  political  aims  and  conceptions,  un- 
fettered and  unclogged  by  any  racial  or  linguistic  prepossessions.     They 
come  into  the  present  Normandy — within  a  generation  or  two  they  slough 
their  Germanic  speech,  their  Germanic  culture,  they  adopt  Romance  speech, 
they  adopt  but  transform,  and,  if  I  may  coin  a  word,  '  businessify '  the 
Romance  culture  they  found;   the   same   phenomenon  may  be  noted   in 
southern  Italy.     By  the  time  of  the  invasion  of  England  conditions  had 
changed :  the  adopted,  the  transformed  culture  (resultant  of  an  infusion  of 
fresh  young  Germanic  blood  into  the  Romance  organism)  has  become  the 
dominant,  the  driving  culture  of  the  period.     But  the  Norman  does  not 
therefore  forswear  his  practical,  realistic  insight;    he  has  to  impose  his 
culture  on  England,  but  he  learns  as  well  as  he  teaches,  he  does  not  simply 
dictate  and  enforce,  he  adopts,  modifies,  reshapes  such  material  of  English 
culture  as  seems  utilisable  and  promising,  compromises  on  the  question  of 
speech  (contenting  himself   with   enriching  the   English   vocabulary   and 
simplifying  both  its  inflectional  system  and  its  syntax)  so  that  as  ultimate 
outcome  we  have  the  Englishman  and  the  English  speech  of  to-day,  re- 
sultants in  which,  however  marked  may  be  the  Norman-Romance  impress, 
no  unprejudiced  historical  student  will  deny  that  the  framework,  the  bulk, 
are  Germanic  (or,  let  us  say,  Germano-Celtic,  to  allow  for  that  element 
which  differentiates  the  insular  from  the  Continental  German)  and   not 
Romance.     Thus  it  comes  about  that  the  two  dominant,  the  two  richest 
cultures  of  modern  Europe  are  the  English  and  the  French  (the  order  is 
alphabetical,  I  do  not  claim  any  priority  of  merit),  the  one  representing  the 
most  diversified  form  of  Germanic  culture,  the  one  most  mixed  with  and 
subject  to  alien  influences,  the  other  occupying  the  same  position  in  the 
Romance-speaking  world ;  for  France  has  the  advantage  over  either  Italy  or 
Spain  in  that  the  Celtic  and  Germanic  admixtures,  especially  the  latter,  have 
been  more  persistent  and  more  potent.       But  Ireland  was  not  the  only 
part  of  the  British  Isles  into  which,  after  the  Conquest,  there  went  Norman 
barons,  men  theoretically  under  feudal  obligation  to  the  king  at  London. 
They  swarmed  into  Wales,  they  also  swarmed  into  Scotland,  i.e.,  into  the 
land  lying  between  the  Cheviots  and  the  Forth,  into  the  domain  of  kings 
whose  centre  of  power  for  several  centuries  was  mainly  Edinburgh,  and 
whom  I  therefore  style  kings  at  Edinburgh.     It  is  instructive  in  the  extreme 
to  compare  and  contrast  their  conduct  (and  the  outcome  of  that  conduct) 
here  with  what  took  place  in  Ireland.     As  far  as  the  king  at  London  and  his 
partisans  are  concerned,  the  Scottised  Normans  are  just  as  open  to  reproach 
as  the  descendants  of  Strongbow — they  became  more  Scottish  than  the 
Scots.     Within  a  very  short  period  they  practically  took  over  the  Germanic 


384  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

speech  of  the  people  among  whom  they  settled  (or  the  Celtic  speech,  when, 
as  more  rarely,  they  pushed  into  the  Celtic-speaking  area) ;  they  stiffened 
and  intensified  the  resistance  of  the  king  at  Edinburgh  to  the  feudal  over- 
lordship  claim  of  the  king  at  London.  The  course  of  proceedings  being  so 
much  the  same,  why  was  the  outcome  so  different  1  The  answer  to  this 
question  involves  and  requires  a  clear  realisation  of  the  conditions  of  the 
twelfth  century,  conditions  which,  as  I  have  said,  remain  substantially  un- 
changed until  the  close  of  the  Middle  Ages.  We  have  then  the  king  at 
London :  subject  to  indefinite  feudal  obligations  toward  the  king  at  Paris 
against  which  he  is  in  perpetual  conflict;  asserting,  himself,  indefinite 
feudal  claims  in  regard  to  the  king  at  Edinburgh  and  the  Celtic  kings 
of  North  and  South  Wales,  and  definite  feudal  claims  in  regard  to  barons 
in  the  territory  of  the  king  at  Edinburgh,  in  Celtic  Wales,  and  in  Celtic 
Ireland.  The  bulk  of  his  subjects  are  of  Germanic  speech  and  custom  :  in 
resisting  the  claims  of  the  king  at  Paris  or  in  asserting  his  own  against 
Edinburgh  or  against  his  barons  in  parlibus  Celtorum,  he  has  to  rely  more 
and  more  upon  his  English-speaking  subjects,  he  ultimately  becomes  a  king 
of  England  in  contradistinction  and  opposition  to  other  parts  of  the  British 
Isles.  We  have  next  the  king  at  Edinburgh,  also  ruling  over  a  population 
for  the  most  part  Germanic  in  speech;  perpetually  engaged,  mainly  in 
resisting  the  claim  of  the  king  at  London,  subsidiarily  in  endeavouring  to 
extend  his  sway  over  the  Celtic  district  lying  to  the  north  and  west  of  his 
domain.  In  the  prosecution  of  the  one  endeavour  he  assists  and  is  assisted 
by  the  king  at  Paris ;  in  the  prosecution  of  the  second  endeavour  the  tables 
are  turned.  The  Celtic  chiefs  of  the  North-west  have  just  as  little  taste  for 
being  dominated  by  the  king  at  Edinburgh  as  the  latter  has  for  being 
dominated  by  the  king  at  London,  and  they  play  exactly  the  same  game. 
They  appeal  to  and  intrigue  with  London  just  as  Edinburgh  appeals  to  and 
intrigues  with  Paris.  For  the  North  British  Celt  of  1200-1500  London  is  the 
friend,  not  Edinburgh.  At  the  end  of  that  period  there  emerges  a  kingdom 
of  Scotland,  mainly  Germanic  in  speech  and  custom,  distinct  from  and  bitterly 
opposed  to  other  portions  of  the  British  Isles,  but  the  ultimate  junction  of 
which  with  the  kingdom  of  England,  kindred  in  speech  and  custom,  must 
have  been  clear  to  clear-sighted  men  in  1500. 

We  now  see  why  the  action  of  the  Norman  barons  who  went  into  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland  had  different  results  from  that  of  those  who  went  into 
Ireland.  In  the  one  territory  they  found  a  king  and  a  kingdom,  a  centre  of 
organisation  to  which  they  could  rally,  which  they  could  develop  in  virtue 
of  their  own  more  highly  developed  culture  into  an  organism  in  which  their 
appetite  for  wealth  and  power  could  expand  more  freely  than  by  remaining 
in  close  union  with  and  dependence  upon  the  king  at  London,  In  the  other 
territory  they  found  no  such  organisation,  no  such  centre ;  they  are  too  few 
and  weak  to  transform  Ireland  by  such  a  process  as  William  had  transformed 
England ;  they  have  not  the  means,  thanks  to  which  under  Norman  guidance 
the  kingdom  of  Scotland  was  transformed  in  the  period  1050-1200;  the 


NOTES  385 

outcome  of  their  efforts,  strenuous  as  the  latter  often  were,  is  an  intensifica- 
tion of  the  evils  from  which  Ireland  had  already  suffered  so  long.  Had 
Strongbow's  raid  been  deferred  for  a  century  Ireland  might  have  developed 
unity  on  national  lines ;  had  he  been  a  Conqueror,  a  Robert  Guiscard,  or  a 
Robert  the  Bruce,  he  might  have  imposed  unity,  constituted  a  kingdom  of 
Ireland  which,  like  that  of  Scotland,  could  have  held  its  own  against  the 
kingdom  of  England  and  have  joined  it,  when  the  fulness  of  time  came,  as 
Scotland  did,  on  equal  terms. 

It  might  be  urged  that  the  fact  of  there  being  kings  at  London  and  Edin- 
burgh and  only  chiefs  at  Armagh  and  Cashel  is  due  to  the  predominantly 
Germanic  strain  in  the  population  of  the  one  set  of  territories,  and  to  the 
inherently  greater  capacity  of  the  one  race  for  political  organisation.  I 
make  no  such  claim,  and  I  would  again  deprecate  the  invocation  of  doubtful 
hypotheses  concerning  racial  capacity.  The  difference  between  the  Germanic 
speech  area  of  Britain  (including  southern  Scotland)  and  Ireland  in  this 
respect  seems  to  me  amply  accounted  for  by  the  greater  predominance  in  the 
one  district  of  Roman  conceptions  and  ideas.  The  English  assimilated 
rapidly  the  Roman  ecclesiastical  ideal,  and,  through  the  Church,  much  of  the 
Roman  political  ideal,  fusing  the  latter  with  their  own  customs.  The  Irish 
resisted  with  the  utmost  stubbornness  (the  contest  lasted  over  five  centuries) 
the  Roman  ecclesiastical  ideal,  and  never  accepted  more  than  the  merest 
shreds  and  fringes  of  Roman  political  ideals.  On  turning  to  Wales,  where 
the  influence  of  Rome,  whether  as  an  inheritance  from  the  Roman  dominion 
(though  this  is  much  slighter  than  commonly  asserted)  or  by  infiltration 
from  neighbouring  England,  from  the  seventh  century  onwards,  is  clearly 
traceable,  we  note  that  the  Welsh  king  does  approximate  more  closely  to 
the  common  mediaeval  ideal  of  kinghood.  Howell  Dda  or  Gruffydd  ap 
Cynon  or  Owain  Gwynedd  have  more  points  in  common  with  the  Conqueror 
or  with  Edward  I.,  with  William  the  Lion  or  with  James  iv.,  than  had 
Brian  Boroihme.  In  Wales  the  elements  of  kingship  are  present,  though 
undeveloped,  in  Ireland  they  are  absent.  Mediaeval  Ireland  is  still  in  the 
tribal  stage  out  of  which  contemporary  France,  Germanic  Britain,  and  the 
Empire  have  passed,  out  of  which  Wales  was  passing  when  the  process  was 
rudely  hastened  by  the  Edwardian  conquest. 

Thus  Strongbow's  raid  takes  its  place  as  the  final  stage  of  a  process 
which  began  with  the  establishment  of  the  Duchy  of  Normandy,  and  of 
which  the  main  results  were  the  constitution  of  the  mediaeval  kingdoms  of 
England  and  Scotland,  and  hence  of  the  existing  polity  of  Great  Britain. 
It  cannot  be  said  that  any  racial  issues  were  involved,  and  certainly  there  is 
nothing  in  the  episode  to  justify  racial  enmity.  Indeed,  careful  perusal  of 
British  history  in  mediaeval  time  shows  what  little  justification  there  is  for 
the  belief  in  permanent,  irreconcilable  racial  antagonism  throughout  the 
Middle  Ages.  In  Ireland,  in  Celtic  Scotland,  in  Germanic  Scotland,  in 
Wales,  we  find  Celt  fighting  with  Celt,  German  against  German,  both 
seeking  and  welcoming  the  alliance  of  the  alien  race  against  men  of  their 


386  THE  CELTIC  REVIEW 

own  kin.  Take  any  of  the  great  battles  of  the  period — Brunanburh, 
Clontarf,  the  Standard,  Largs,  Bannockburn.  There  is  never  the  semblance 
of  a  clear-cut  division  between  the  Celtic  and  Germanic  elements  of  the 
population ;  the  varying  factions  combine,  separate  and  recombine  without 
the  faintest  reference  to  racial  considerations.  No  English  king  would  have 
hesitated  to  accept  Celtic  aid  against  Dane  or  Norman ;  no  Celtic  chief  but 
eagerly  welcomed  Danish  or  Norman  aid  against  a  rival  Celtic  chief. 
Alliances  that  seem  the  firmest  are  dissolved  from  generation  to  generation ; 
enmities  that  seem  the  most  bitter  are  replaced  by  enthusiastic  friendship. 
Well  indeed  might  Roderick  Dhu  have  wondered,  could  he  have  foreseen 
that  his  descendants  would  be  the  staunchest  adherents  of  the  descendants 
of  the  hated  James.  And  when  Owain  Gwynedd,  first  among  the  chiefs  of 
Celtdom,  sought  to  play  ofiP  the  king  at  Paris  against  the  king  at  London, 
he  little  thought  that  two  centuries  later  the  London  king  would  find  no 
braver  men-at-arms  in  his  force  than  among  his  Welsh  followers.  Again,  in 
spite  of  the  many  and  close  ties  between  Wales  and  Ireland  in  the  tenth  to 
twelfth  centuries,  the  Welsh  had  as  little  hesitation  in  following  Strongbow 
and  carving  out  new  homes  among  the  Irish  Celts  as  the  Irish  would  have 
had  if  the  cases  had  been  reversed. 

In  historical  studies  there  is  one  unpardonable  sin — one  offence  against 
the  Holy  Ghost — to  import  the  passions  and  enmities  of  the  present  into 
the  past.  For  the  salient  fact  which  emerges  from  all  historical  study, 
prosecuted  without  prejudice  and  in  single-mirided  devotion  to  truth,  is  that 
no  two  sets  of  conditions  are  ever  alike,  that  the  passions  and  emotions  of 
each  age  stand  and  fall  to  themselves,  and  that  beneath  the  fallacious 
uniformity  of  names  and  boundaries  there  may  be  concealed  fundamental 
diversity.  In  particular,  there  is  nothing  in  the  historic  record  to  justify 
the  conception  of  irreconcilable  racial  antagonisms,  or  the  exaltation  of  an 
ideal  of  so-called  racial  purity.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  by  happy  admixture 
that  the  historic  races  have  developed  new  powers  and  new  capacities,  it  is 
by  cross-fertilisation  and  not  by  in-breeding  that  the  historic  national 
cultures  have  gained  in  breadth  and  elevation,  have  enriched  and  perfected 
themselves.  The  politician  may  have  some  excuse  for  advocating  the  ideal 
of  separatism — of  P articular ismus  as  the  Germans  say, — the  scholar,  who 
should  always  look  beyond  the  national  unit  towards  an  ideal  of  humanity, 
can  have  none.  Alfred  Nutt. 


The  death  of  Dr.  Whitley  Stokes  has  come  as  a  sore  and  unexpected  blow 
to  his  many  friends  and  admirers.  His  contribution  to  this  number  of  the 
Celtic  Review  was  probably  his  last  work.  Dr.  Stokes  did  not  live  to  correct 
the  final  proof,  which  was  done  by  Dr.  Kuno  Meyer. 


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