Fictions of our forefathers : Fion Mac Cumhail and his warriors (Reprinted from the Irish Quarterly Review, No. XXXV., October 1859)

0^ J.SX

FICTIONS

OF

OUR FOREFATHERS:

FION MAC CUMHAIL AND HIS WARREORS.

\_Reprinted from the Irish Quarterly Review, Xo. XXXV.,
October, 1859.]

By the Author of " Legends of Mount Leinstbr.'

DUBLIN:

M'GLASHAN AND GILL, SACKVILLE-STREET ; JAMES DUFFY,

WELLINGTON-QUAY; W. B. KELLY, GRAFTON-STREET ;

AND P. KENTSTEDY, ANGLESEA-STEEET

LONDON :
BURNS & LAMBERT, PORTM AN- STREET AND PATERNOSTER-ROW.

THE

FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

Transactions of the Gssianic Society, Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4'.
Dublin: O'Daly, 1854—1859.

In former ages, including part of the eighteenth century,
our ancestors chose to take their principal meal in the middle
of the day, and thus had time and opportunity to go afterwards
to their employments, to take walks or rides, or enjoy a good
comedy or tragedy. Then they took their light evening meal ;
and after some social chat, in 'many cases enlivened by a social
cup, they retired to rest, their well varied day being over. We
would not bore our readers by needlessly informing them that
we have changed all this; that now a late dinner most un-
healthily spun out to bed time, concludes the day, but for the
sake of making them call to mind, that in this institution at least,
we have gone back to the customs of ages long prior to those
spoken of in our opening sentence. There is this difference,
however, between the eveuingr of these latter days and the
evenings of the remote times. ]\ow, the time after the serious
business of the meal is consumed in talking politics, talking
nonsense, or drinking ; for as to taking part in a dance, or
listening to music, these must be included in ihe business of
next day, as they mostly take place after midnight. But with
our great ancestors it was otherwise ordained. When ' thirst
and hunger ceased,' and the fatigue arising from the chase or
the fight made mental or bodily exertion disagreeable, they re-
clined on their couches, or sat upright in their high- backed
chairs, according to country or climate, called in their buffoons,
or dancers, or singers, or listened to the bard or storyteller,
till entertainers and entertained were equally tired ; and then
the seance came to a natural termination; and sleep and rest
did their needful duty, till a timely hour of next morning.

4 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

Thus did Homer, or some poet or poets of his supposed era,
recite certain episodes of the Trojan war, at the evening ban-
quets of the Ionian chiefs ; thus did Ovid read out passages
from the Metamorphoses while he still retained favor at the
court of Augustus ; and thus did the old Celtic bards, whom
we may without censure call Oisin, CaolUe, or Fenjus, make
the night seem short to Cormac, to Art, or Con of the Hundred
Fights.

It may be safely allowed that writing in Greek characters
was known in the days of Roboam, about which period Homer
or his double ganger lived ; but it must be kept in mind that
bards of the time were more expert at fingering the stem of the
wine cup than the stile, and also that his blindness presented se-
rious obstacles to practice in penmanship. So the sightless poet
conned over in his mind his many legends; and by dint of re-
peating them, fixed them, in his own memory and in the memory
of his disciples in the art. These again transferred them to
their successors, and in lapse of time, many omissions were made,
and many interpolations effected. But as the withdrawal of
one blessing is generally followed by the introduction of ano-
ther, letters began to flourish ; and before the legends as sung
by the blind bard were thoroughly forgotten or altered for
the worse, the genius of Pisistratus constructed a simple frame
work, in which he inserted the various lays relating to the de-
struction of Ilium, or the heroes and demi-gods who had fought
for or against it.

In after times we find Aristarchus taking the epic as left by
the learned tyrant of Athens (God send us a few such tyrants ij,
correcting mistakes, supplying deficiencies, and retrenching in-
terpolations and superfluities.

Now we must be permitted (first asking pardon of all classic
students) to state our own personal feeling towards that wonder
and perfect production of human genius, and to declare that
with the exception of some of its episodes, the reading or
studying of the main body of the work would be about as dis-
agreeable a mental occupation as we could conceive. Looking
to the favorite characters of the author, what do we find but
specimens of craft, selfishness, unrestrainable passion or unfeel-
ing cruelty ? Then see what a large portion of the poem is
taken up with a mere catalogue of ships, and the names of
fighting men, who without exciting the least interest in the
breast of poet or reader, come on the scene, and butcher each

TRANSACTIONS OK THE OSSIANIO SOCIETY. O

other in a mosfc dreary fashion ! Thus A with a javelin cast
kills B, C, and D ; and as he stoops to rifle his last victim, him-
self is transfixed by the javeHn of E, who scarcely has pinned
F to the ground, when he feels the lance of G piercing his own
groin. Tiie unfeeling poet describes most minutely the charac-
ter of the wounds, and the tortures inflicted on the sufferers,
aggravated by the sudden recollection of the sweet scenes of
childhood and youth, and the love of mother, sister, or wife :
but he has to give an anatomical precis of the parting scenes
of some tliOLisands more, and must get on, being as little af-
fected himself by the anguish and misery he describes, as a
professional fisher by the wriggles of a trout.

The best warriors of the Trojans are not a match for the
second or third-rate Grecian Chiefs, except when dirrctly
assisted by some partial god or goddess ; and it is surely a
wonder how these wonderful worthies took ten long years to
subdue their inferior foes, and even then were obliged to re-
sort to stratagem. The god-like Hector himself, the unselfish
hero, the true patriot, gets wretched treatment from his poet.
His courage, like that of Bob Acres, comes and goes, he flies
before his antagonist, and falls after a mere semblance of a
struggle. And what an unmitigated ruffian is the mighty
AchiUes, the central point of interest, the champion par ex-
cellence of the poem, when placed in line with the Pious
Eneas, with Rinaldo, with Arthur of Britain, Oscur of the
Fenians, or Siegfried of the Niebelnngen Lied! In his
heart there is no room for mercy ; for a mere personal pique
he stoUdly looks on the slaughter of thousands of his country-
men ; and seeing the remains of his noble foe at his mercy, he
draws thongs through the sinews of his legs, and drags him
three times round the walls of the fortress he had so long
defended, before the eyes, and in hearing of the cries of the
wife, the child, and the parents of the fallen guardian of his
country.

Surely magnanimity and the possession of a human heart,
ought to enter into the composition of a hero. The Hero of
the Iliad has not the slightest pretence to them ; he has not
even a just claim to real courage. He is sheathed in impene-
trable armour, and his foes are such pigmies, that he is merely
a butcher on a large scale through the whole of the concluding
fight, and we are obliged to look on a continued disgusting
series of murders.

b THE FICTIONS OF OUR PonKi'ATHERS.

The plot of the Iliad has been cried up for the imitation of
all succeeding poets ; let us examine with what justness. The
object to be attained is evidently the destruction of the city ;
that is not attained. Let it be said that the death of Hector
assured it, but that cannot be gathered from the accounts of
the after events as related in any extant legends or narratives.
Let it, however, be granted that the death of Hector is the
thing to be Achieved, and that the quarrel in the opening of
the poem seems to render that object unattainable, and that
■we are skilfully conducted through circumstances, each natu-
rally rising from a foregoing one, and seeming to put off tlie
attainment of the design the farther off as we advance, but in
reality conducing inevitably to the desired catastrophe.
That, however, is far from being the case. Hector slays
Patroclus ; and then Achilles donning his invincible arms,
slays his foe under very discreditable circumstances ; and be-
tween the starting point, the turning point, and the catastrophe,
we are treated to episodes, to melees and unpicturesque single
combats, consisting chiefly of javelin casts ; and these
might be taken out of the order in which we find them, and
settled in other fashions without deranging the general design.

Now, laying some of the above blame on the pagan spirit of
the age, joining our voice to the acclaim of twenty-five centuries
in praise of other qualities of the Deathless Lay, — recommending
readers ignorant of Greek to Cowper's rather than Pope's
version for the spirit and form of the original, and w^ishing
that Pope and Dryden had exchanged tasks when they took to
translate the Iliad and Eneid, we turn our faces westwards.

Taking into account the circumstances under which the
old Celtic or Teutonic tales, either in prose or poetry, were
recited, it will not cause surprise that none of them aspires
to the length of an epic, or if it is at all lengthened out by
mistake, it resembles one of our old coins with the cross, and
will make four tales such as they are. Action, adventure,
suspense, thrilling situations, are indispensable ; and these are
helped out with a profusion of high sounding alliterafive
epithets, and not unfrequently a catalogue of heroes or their
stag or wolf hounds, or episodes containing complete stories
in themselves.

Small favor would an epic constructed on the plan laid down
by Aristotle, if it took four or five evenings in delivery, find
from the excited audience of such productions as are above

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 7

mentioned. They could not afford patience or toleration to
nice discrimination of character, philosophical observations, ap-
propriate descriptions of scenery, judicious remarks on the
relative duties of kings and subjects to each other, or the slow
pace of a skilfully contrived Epos drawn out to the tiresome
point.

It was a sure index of the artificial, unsound, and uncritical
literature of last century, that James Mac Pherson, after col-
lecting in the Highlands, some of these old Celtic fictions, a
few in manuscripts of a late date, but the greater part from
oral recitation, should weave them inio a very passable epic,
bring poor Ossian from fighting or coursing over the plains of
Allen, naturalize him in a Highland bothy, clap a reed in his
hand, and order the literati of the three kingdoms to bow down
before him who penned a huge volume, ere running hand was
known, even in the cradle of Gaelic literature.

As one lie needs the support of sundry others, he was obliged
to transpose, distort, and even invent historical facts, to make
our Fenian heroes change their names and native land ; and the
grave and pious Dr. Blair sat down, and wrote a volume to
make his countryman's lies look like truth ; and such was the
delusion, that multitudes, including Napoleon 1st, took leave of
the little natural sense, God had given them, and tlirowing up
their head coverings, shouted out, " Whose dog is this Irish
Oisi7i ? there is no poet but the Highland Ossian, and Mac
Pherson is his Interpreter \"

Whether our Pagan ancestors had any written books, or
knew how to fill them with any characters except the Ogham,
which would certainly require the skill of a cunning penman
to make it look ornamental in bound folios or the primitive
roll — will probably remain for ever, what it is at this moment,
a vexed question.

But whatever the state of the written literature, there was
little room left to the unhappy kings and chiefs to doubt of the
extent of the vocal literature, prose and poetry, that flourished
in the memorie.=i and on the tongues of the thousand and one
bards or story tellers that annually visited their raths, and re-
lieved them of their superfluous gold and silver wine cups, rich
mantles, brooches, and girdles.

When it is taken into account that every one of these luck-
less dignitaries had his own hereditary seanachie or bard to
support in good style, and keep in good humour, in addition

0 THE FICriONS OF OUR FOREFArHEKS.

to this array of " Wandering Minstrels," it is little to be won-
dered at that their patience gave way at last, and that they
would have sent the whole idle school to take a cool bath in the
sea of Moyle, only for the good offices of St. Colum-Kil.
Then the ranks were thinned, the greater part were allowed to
set up as carvers in bog-oak, as cow herds, or as bearers of
lance and buckler; and no King, Tanist, or Tiernach, was
bound to maintain more than one poet and one genealogist in
his establishment.

We sympathise with the relieved feelings of the owner of
rath or fortress, when he no longer dreaded, as evening came
on, the approach of the mounted bard who was strong in the
possession of his thousand stories, attended by the bard next in
rank, who was only made up in five hundred, who again was
looked up to by the poet of a solitary hundred, but who still
felt himself great in the presence of the fifty-storied aspirant,
who was sedulously cared for by the apprentice of ten ; and
every one with minds made up to aiake themselves at home in
the devoted dun, and eat, and drink, and not depart without a
decent improvement in their worldly cicumstances.

When the powers attributed to poetic satire in those
times are considered, we must suppose the comfort of the
relieved chiefs and kings to have been very great indeed. An
instance is given from the introductory matter of tlie second
volume, edited by Mr. O'Kearney.

" Seanclian and his troop of subordinate Ollamhs having paid a visit
to Guaire, king of Connaught,who was celebrated for great liberality,
the cross old man, becoming displeased with the treatment he received
at court, refused to take the rations which had been dressed for his
use. After a three days' fast his wife persuaded him to accept an egg,
but by some neglect of the servants, the mice (we had then no rats)
had devoured the contents. The Ollamh was so exasperated that he
vowed to satirize the mice ; but upon reflection, determined instead,
to make the cats feel the venom of his satire, since they suffered the
mice to live, and thereby do him the injury.

The royal cat was therefore condemned to suffer the effects of the
bard's satire. This regal animal having felt the venom of the satire
in his cave, told his wife and daughter that Seanchan had satirized
him ; but that he would proceed to the palace, carry the old man
away, and tear his flesh to pieces. He kept his word ; he found the
Ollamh, and casting him on his shoulders, carried him off despite the
guards. When he was passing near Clonmacnoise with the satirist
on his shoulder, St. Kiaran being in a neighbouring forge, and seeing
the position of affairs, snatched a red hot ploughshare from the fire,
made short work with the marauder, and freed the poor Ollamh."

TRANSACTIONS OF THE 0S:^IAN1C SOCIETY. V

This noble brute kept high state in the cave of Cnobha,
rejoicing ill the name of Dorasan, son of Jrasan, and enjoying
the society of Riachall his wife, and Umn-gear-fhiaclach his
daughter. Before the Ollamh proceeded to hard measures with
him, he had made a prentice essay on the mice, ten of whom
fell lifeless from the venom of the cutting poetry.

We find another mouser suffering from the effects of satire
administered by himself. He occupied a pillar stone, and gave
true oracular answers to those, who in consulting him, adhered
in their statements to strict truth. A man missing his mare,
whom he supposed to be with foal, having asked her where-
abouts, the cat answered from within : —

" Thou of the bare and toothless gums.
Thou of the peevish, drizzly nose,
Pursue down to Truach
Thy hoofy mare without a foal."

Then the stone split with a crash, and the guardian cat
stepped out on the mound. The enquirer was so galled by the
satire, that he killed the animal, who in dying, made a solemn
request that he would repeat this quatrain to his own domestic
animals when be reached home : —

" Inform the fire-raker
And Gleadaigh of the ash-pit,
That O'Cathalain has killed
The royal cat of Cruachan."

O'Callan was a man of his word, and very innocently re-
peated the rhyme to the watchers of his hearth, who inconti-
nently tore him to pieces.

We tind a horse giving oracles at Samhaln (All Hallows) and
several traces of supernatural gifts inherent in animals, among the
old Irish legends. It is probable that they were supposed to be
the abiding places of spirits either bad or good as the case might
be. However, the highest form of worship among our ances-
tors seems to have been addressed only to the Sun and Moon,
and perhaps to Crom and Mananan Lir. The boar seems to
have exclusively enjoyed the privilege of possession by evil
powers.

Places that got their names from animals are frequent through
the island ; and it is probable that the circumstance is owing
to some supposed manifestation of power in the possssed beasts,
at an early period in the various localities.

10 THE FICTIONS OF OUK FOEEFATHEKS.

The incidents, real or fictitious, recounted in the four volumes
of the OssiANic Transactions already published, took place
during the reigns of Con of the Hundred Battles, of Art the
Melancholy his son, of Cormac his grandson, and Cairbre his
great grandson. These princes were of the line of Heremon,
and generally on bad ternas with the Munster kings of the
race of Heber. During their reigns, extending from about the
year A.D. 125, to A.D. 396, flourished the Fianna Eirionn or
Standing Army of Ireland, which was made up of two bodies, not
always friendly to each other, — the Ctan Boisgne and the Clan
Morna, the first embodying Leinster and Munster warriors, and
the second, those of Connaught and Ulster. The Clan Boisgne
favored the Munster or Heberian princes, and the Connaught
Clan defended the rights of Con and his descendants, and were
more commonly on the side of justice and legitimate rule than
their brothers of Leinster. This is the genealogy of the Chiefs of
the Leinster Fenians, — -Boisgne, Trenmor, Cumhail, Fion,
Oisin, Oscur. Every reader may not be aware that the hero
of the hundred fights was obliged to cede the Southern half of
the Island to the Munster chief, Modha Nuagat, who was
aided by the Leinster Clans, and that in the battle of Castle
Knoc near Dublin, Cumhail, father to Fion, was slain by Goll,
Son of Morna, who thenceforth ruled for a long period the
seyeu battallions of the Fenians, till at last Cormac, from motives
of expediency, conferred the chieftancy on Fion.

It is our settled opinion that these legends and wild adven-
tures were said or suiig in the old raths of our grandfathers,
before the tinkle of St. Patrick's bell was heard in our land ;
the spirit and local color of every one is so different from wliat
a story devised by a Christian poet or romancer would possess.
Mythological divinities have wonderful influence in the Iliad,
Odyssey^ and Eneid, but in the Ossianic lays they are scarcely
recognised. From the Poems quoted and the Metamorphoses
of Ovid a complete system of mythology might be put together,
but from our own pagan fictions we can only gather that a
festival of Baal or the Sun was kept on the first of May, and
at the Summer Solstice, that Samhain (End of Summer) had its
solemnity on 1st. of November, and that Crovi was a patron of
Agriculture. Mananan Lir the tutelar guardian of the Isle of
Man, took sailors under his special care; the spirits of the just
Firbolgs enjoyed bliss in the sunk island of O'Breasil ; spirits
of the learned Danaans still employed themselves in scientific

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 11

researches in their ancient; Brughs or cavern-temples such as
that at New Grange, and the Milesians enjoyed unvarying
delight in tlie happy land of Tir-na-n- Oge under our beautiful
lakes. The punishment of evil spirits was a tormented exis-
tence in the cold and stormy air above us, and the transmi-
gration of souls existed to some extent.

In favorable contrast to the unfeeling and savage conduct of
the Grecian men at arms, the Celtic warriors act with courtesy,
forbearance, and mercy ; and only for the total absence of the
religious element, the composition of the tales might be truly
ascribed to Christian poets or story tellers. According as the
old pagan reciters died off, and their office fell to Christian
minstrels, these last without changing the incidents or the spirit
of the tales, formed a frame work or introduction to each, suited
to the change in the religious views of himself and his audience.
Thus Oisin was preserved in being for a hundred and forty
years or so, and had the good fortune to fall into the hands of St.
Patrick ; and every legend is introduced by a religious discus-
sion between the Apostle and the old hero. The objections
and crooked arguments put into Oisina mouth are simjjly
detestable in many instances ; and it appears to us from this
circumstance, that these introductions and interpolations are
not older than the twelfth or thirteenth century. The fervent
devotion of the early Christians could not tolerate such bits of
blasphemy however unintentional. Who on taking up the
Decameron or the Fabliaux would not be induced to say that
the inventors of these stories were debauched infidels, yet he
would be wrong. Loose in morals they undoubtedly were, but
they had faith such as it was, not that kind indeed which, united
to a living spirit of devotion would exercise a beneficial effect
on their practices.

In our own ages of infidel tendencies, the arguments and
remarks of Oisin, so feebly combated by his Ciiristian anta-
gonist, would subject his publisher to a process for blasphemy,
and the free-spoken Boccacio and the Fabliaux writers would
be as obnoxious to the civil powers as the worthies of Holy-
well-st. But in those past ages of faith, the perverseness of
the old infidel was looked on as the waywardness of a spoiled
child, and the grossness of the Italian and French minstrels —
but there is no profit or pleasure in handling pitch, and we
have wandered a little too far from our subject.

Now we seriously exhort the editors of the future volumes

! 3 THE FICI'IONS OF OUR FOREFATHKRS.

of the Society, to reflect that there has been more than enough
of these objectionable passages preserved in the volumes already
pubHshed, and to abstain from reproducing sentiments and
opinions neither pleasurable nor profitable to con over in
silence, nor read aloud to either young or aged listeners.

It were to be wished that the diff'erent poems and tales in-
tended for publication, should be issued in accordance with the
order of time of the supposed occurrences; but circumstances
arising from the proprietorship of the manuscripts, and the
more or less leisure-time of the gentlemen editing them, pre-
vent that desirable consummation.

The first volume is occupied with the battle of Gahhra
(Garristown) in Meath, A.D. 293, Fion being dead a few
years at the time ; the second, third, and part of the fourth, with
the exploits of his manhood, and then we are made acquainted
with his youthful fortunes. The incidents of the expected
volume occurred more than 200 years before his birth. This
is the reverse of that concatenation so much lauded by Tony
Liimphin.

The bards that furnished matter for the works under con-
sideration, varied occasionally both as to circumstance and time,
when relating the same events, but all agree in the character-
outUnes and abilities of their heroes. Conan is a somewhat
better edition of Thersites, Caoilte Mac Ronan, Fions nephew,
is a poet and swift of foot. Oisin being the supposed narrator,
gives us little insight into his own distinctive character : he is a
good poet, and brave but unobtrusive. Osmr is peerless as
to strength and skill in arms, generous to a fallen foe, and
always ready to meet the most terrible champion from Greece
or Lochlan that comes to exterminate his people. Goll is next
to Osair in prowess but is morose : he is never worsted, but
never seeks danger for its own sake, or for the glory of the
Fenians. Diarmuid (yDuibhne cannot be seen by woman with-
out being loved : he is devoted body and soul to his brothers
in arms, and at need can combine sleight of hand with heroic
daring. Fion has been looked at from more than one point of
view by his chroniclers. He is brave, but never risks his
precious life agianst a redoubtable foe, when he can substitute
Faolan or Goll or Biorruing for himself : he acts the prudent
general and is averse to unnecessary blood-shed. In affairs of
the heart he has no bowels of compassion for a rival ; and his
unfeeling and revengeful conduct towards the gallant Diarmuid
is any thing but commendable.

TRANSACriONS OF TIIK OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 13

But character-painting was no object with the bards, and
local color and truth of costume were equally neglected. Won-
derful exploits and adventures were to be sung/ and they gave
themselves as little trouble to present a truthful picture of the
modes of life, the institutions, and the prevailing character of the
ancient inhabitants of our country, as Shakespeare did to pre-
sent a graphic jncture of tlie Boliemians, after he had ship-
wrecked the old councillor and the royal infant on their coast.
Still we occasionally get in these wild fictions, a glimpse of
the social institutions, of the habits, customs, and arras, and of
the framework of the government of our ancestors ; but it is not
with the good will of the story teller. The information cornea
from him incidentally, and without his knowledge, as an
Arabian poet, if he had never heard of or seen any country but
his own, would give us sketches of the bare burning ex-
panse of sand, of the cool shade of the tent or the palm tree,
of the camel's appearance and his qualities, of the fleetness of
the Arab steed, of the passage of caravans, and of the destruc-
tive Simoom, and all these as it were in his own despite, and
from sheer inability to avoid them.

In the cycles of stories or poems, of which Charlemagne,
Arthur of Britain, Robin Hood of Shenoood Forest and Fion
of Almhdn, are the chief personages, these great people always
play secondary parts, and when a truculent Saracen, or Saxon,
or Sheriff', or King of Greece, approaches, surrounded with
terrors, it is Roland, Sir Laiincelot or Sir Gawain, Little John
or Will Scarlet, Goll or Oscur, that steps forward to humble
his pride. Indeed Fion and Robin have reason to object to the
handling they receive from some of tlieir laureats. Rol/in gets
tlirashed by the Pindar of Wakefield, by the Tinker and Friar
Tuck ; and Fion shirks some encounters he ought to have met
half way. But it is time to let the readers and the old ro-
mancers come to a viva-voce conference.

The Boyish Exploits of Fion Mac Cumhall are taken from
a fragment of the Psalter of Cashel preserved in the Bodleian
Lihrarif, Oxford, and furnished to the Society by Dr. O'Dono-
van. From its obsolete style and fragmentary character, it
must have presented no ea«y task, even to its eminent editor.

" There happened a meeting of valour and contention of battle res-
pecting the chieftainship of the Fianns, and the head stewardship of
Erin, between Cumhall, son of Treanmor, and Uirgrenn, son of
Lughaidh Corr. * * The battle of Cnucha (Castle Knoc) was fought
between them, i.e. between Cumhall and Uirgrenn. * * Cumhall

14 THV. FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

fell by Goll son of Morna in the battle, (wfio) carried off his arms and
head ; and from this there was a fundamental hatred between Fion
and the sons of Morna.

Cumhall left his wife pregnant, i. e. Muirenn, and she brought
forth a son, and gave him the name of Deimne. Fiaeail the son of
Cuchenn, and Bodhmall the Druidess, and Liath Luachra came to
Muirenn, and carried away the son, for his mother durst not keep
him with her. Muirenn afterwards married Gleoir the Redhanded,
king of Lamhraighe, from which Finn is called the son of Gleoir.
However Bodhmall and Liath taking the boy with them went to the
forests of Sliabh Bladhma, where the boy was nursed secretly. This
was indeed necessary, for many a sturdy stalwarth youth, and many
a venomous inimical hero, and angry morose champion of the war-
riors of Luaighni, and of the sons of Morna, were ready to dispatch
that boy and [also] Tulcha the son of Cumhall. But however the two
heroines nursed him for a long time in this manner.

His mother came at the end of six years after this to visit her son,
for it was told to her, that he was at that place, and she feared the
son of Morna for him, i. e. [might kill him]. But however, she
passed from one solitude to another, until she reached the forest of
Sliabh Bladhma [Slieve Bloom], and she found the hunting booth
[huf} and the boy asleep therein, and she afterwards lifted him, and
pressed him to her bosom, and she then pregnant [from her second
husband], and then she composed these quatrains caressing her son :

" Sleep with gentle pleasant slumber, &c."*

The woman afterwards bade farewell to the heroines, and asked
them if they would take charge of him till he should be of heroic age ;
and the son was afterwards reared by them till he was fit for hunting.

The boy came forth alone on a certain day, and saw the Ipras
lacha with her brood of] ducks upon the lake. He made a shot at
them, and cut off her feathers and wings, so that she died, and he
afterwards took her to the hunting booth : and this was Finn's first
chase. • • • •

He went forth one day alone [and never halted] till he reached
Magh Life, and on the green of a certain Dun [forf] there he saw
youths hurling. He went'to contend in agility, or to hurl along with
them. He came with them next day, and they sent the fourth
of their number against him. He came again, and they sent the third
of their number against him, and finally they went all against him,
and he won one game from them all. ' What is thy name ?' said they.
' Deimne,' replied he. The youths tell this to the owner of the dun
l/ort]. ' Do ye kill him if he comes again, if ye are able,' said he.
* We are not able to do aught unto him,' replied they ; ' Deimne is his
name.' ' What is his appearance ?' said he. • He is a well-shaped, fair

•The rest of this Lullaby is lost. Indeed it would appear from
the shortness of the sentences, and the abrupt and flighty nature
of the composition, that the whole story has been very much con-
densed, and in some places mutilated. (Translator).

TKANSACTIONS Ol'' THE OSSIANIC SOCIFCTY, 15

[;?nK]youth,'rcplied thev. ' Deiuine shall be named ' Finn' therefore,'
naid he. And hence these young men used to call him * Finn.'

He came the next day to them, and joined them in their game : they
attacked him all together, with their hurlets ; but he made at them
and prostrated seven of them, and [then] made off from them into
the forests of Sliabh Bladhma.

He afterwards returned at the end of a week to the same place.
What the youths were at [then] was swimming in the lake which was
close by [the dun]. The youths challenged him to swim with them. He
plunged into the lake to them, and afterwards drowned nine of them
in the lake, and then made to Sliabh Bladhma himself. ' Who drowned
the youths ?' enquire all. * Finn,' replied they [i. e. the survivors].
And for this the name of Finn clung to him [among all who heard of
this deed of drowning].

He came forth on one occasion out beyond Sliabh Bladhma, the two
heroines being along with him, and they perceived a fleet herd of the
wild deer of the forest of the mountain. ' Alas 1' said the two old
women, 'that we cannot detain one of these with us,' I ' can [said
Finn],' and he ran upon them,and catching two bucks of them.brought
them with him to his hunting booth. After this he used to hunt for
them constantly. * Depart from us now, O young man,' said the
female warriors to him, ' for the sons of Morna are watching to kill
thee.'

He went away from them alone [and halted not,] till he reached
Loch Lein, and over Luachair till he hired in military service with
the king of Bentraighe. He did not go by any name here, but there
was not at this time a hunter like him, and so the king said to him :

* If Cumhall had left any son, methinks thou art he, but we have not
heard of Cumhall having left any son, but Tulcha Mac Cumhaill, but
he is in military service with the king of Albain.'

He afterwards bids farewell to the king, and goes away from him
to Oairbrighe, at this day called Ciarraighe [Kerry], and he staid
with this king in military service. The king came one day to play
chess. He [Finn] played against him, and won seven games in suc-
cession. ' Who art thou ?' said the king, ' The son of a peasant of the
Luaighni of Teamhair,' replied he. ' Not so,' said the king ; ' but thou
art the son whom Muirenn [my present wife] brought forth for
Cumhall ; and do not be here any longer, that thou mayest not be
killed while under my protection.' After this he went to Cuilleann
O g-Cuanach to the house of Lochan, a chief smith : he had a very
comely daughter, Cruithne hy name ; she fell in love with the youth.

♦ I will give thee my daughter,' said the smith, ' although I know not
who thou art.'

' Make lances for me,' said the youth to the smith. Lochan then
made two spears for him. He then bade farewell to Lochan, and
went hi^ way. ' My son,' said Lochan, ' do not go on the passage on
which the boar called Beo is usually [to be] seen ; it has devastated
the [whole of] Middle Munster,' But the youth happened to go on
the very pass where the pig was. The pig afterwards rushed at him,
but he made a thrust of his spear at it, and drove it through it, so
that he left it lifeless, and then brought the head of the pig with him

16 THIC FICTtONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

to the smith as a dower for his daughter. From this is derived
Sliabh Muice in Munster."

He proceeds into Connaughfr, kills Liath Luachra who bad
given the first wound to his father in the battle of Castle Knoc,
recovers the spoils then lost, and restores them to Crimall, his
uncle, son ot Trenmor. He then takes service with the Druid
Finn-eges.

" Seven years Finn-eges remained at the Boinn [Boyne] watching
the salmon of Linn-Feic, for it had been prophesied that he would
eat the [saci-ed] salmon of Fee, and that he would be ignorant of
nothing afterwards. He caught the salmon, and ordered [his pupil]
Deimne to roast it, and the poet told him not to eat of the salmon
The young man brought him the salmon. 'Hast thou eaten
any of the salmon, O young man ?' said the poet. * No,' replied
the young man, ' but I burned my thumb, and put it into my
mouth afterwards.' * What name is upon thee, O youth ?' said
he. * Deimne,* replied the youth. 'Finn is thy name, O youth,'
said he, ' and it was to thee the salmon was [really] given, [in the
prophecy] to be eaten [not to me], and thou art the FINN truly.' The
youth afterwards consumed the salmon, and it was from this the
[preternatural] knowledge was given to Finn, i. e. when he used to
put his thumb in his mouth, and not through Teinm Laegha [poetical
incantation], whatever he had been ignorant of used to be revealed to
him.

He learned the three compositions which signify the poets, namely,
the Teinm Laegha, the Inus for Osna, and the Dicedul dicennaib ;
and it was then Finn composed this poem to prove his poetry :

' May-day delightful time! how beautiful the color !
The blackbirds sing their full lay, would that Laighaig were here !
The cuckoos sing in constant strains, how welcome is the noble
Brilliance of the seasons ever ! on the margin of the branchy

woods
The summer suail skim the stream, the swift horses seek the pool.
The heath spreads out its long hair, the weak fair bogdown grows.
Sudden consternation attacks the signs, the planets in their courses

running exert an influence :
The sea is lulled to rest, flowers cover the earth." "

It may be supposed that when Cormac, King of Ireland, was
informed of the gifts acquired by Fion, on tasting of the Sal-
mon of knoivledge, he became desirous of securing him as apar-
tizan. So we next find him appointed leader of the Fianns :
we will only slightly allude to the qualification, necessary for
obtaining admission into that body. The postulant should
defend himself with a hazel stick from javelins cast at him at
once by nine men ; — he should tie up his long hair, and run at
full speed through a wood without letting it get into disorder; —
he was to jump over a bough as high as liis chin, and run
under one as low as his knee, while chased through a thick forest.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 17

To pull a thorn out of one's foot when running at full speed,
or tread on a rotten stick without breaking it, requires good
natural aptitude and some practice, and these were indispensa-
ble for admission into Eion's militia. Any man that had not
music in his soul, or a facility in the composition of verse, was
inadmissible ; and every successful candidate made oath of
some kind, that he would relieve the poor according to his
ability, be loyal to king and chief, and never offer insult or
WTong to a woman. His relatives were always to bind them-
selves not to seek for revenge or eric, in case of his falling in
fight, but leave the care of his memory to his comrades.

These were severe ordeals, but look to the privileges of the
body ! They were cantoned on the inhabitants from Samhain
to Bealtinne, and at liberty to hunt, and fish, and use all edi-
ble fruits from Bealtinne to Savihain. If an ordinary son of
Eire wished to contract a marriage, he should get the consent
of the Fenian chief in his district. The salmon, deer, and
smaller game were rigidly preserved for their use ; and if a
simple mortal killed a stag, he should replace it by an ox,
and a fawn by a milch cow. Let Miss Martineau write Eng-
lish Forest and Game Law Tales after this !

In morality and respect paid to women, the Celts and Teu-
tons were far in advance of the far-trumpeted Greeks. In our
own island in days of yore, the sex now called weak had ter-
rible privileges, and some times abused them. If a lady put
Geasa (obligation or prohibition) on a knight, he had no loop
hole of escape ; — he should obey her, however unreasonable
the request. Thus at the wedding feast of Fion and Grainne,
king Cormac's daughter, the bride lays Geasa on Biarmnid
O'Buibhne to carry her off; and though this was highly repug-
nant to his loyal feeling and in direct contravention to his military
oath, he was obliged to comply. When Fion was on his
shifts in his youth, and had no better raiment than the skins
of the animals he slew for food, he found one morning a fine
assemblage of ladies on one bank of a great chasm, and a party
of gentlemen on the other. A proud princess had insisted on
Jier lover, that he should clear the chasm before she gave him
her hand ; but the poor fellow was merely clapping his arms
round his body to screw his courage to the springing point.
Fion modestly asked, if she would take himself for her wedded
lord on his accomplishing the feat. Her answer was that he
looked a personable man, though marvellously ill-clad, and she

]8 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATIIEES.

would give him the privilege if he succeeded. He did succeed,
but she laid Geasa on him that he should make the same leap
every year. Another fair tyrant insisted on his leaping over a
dallan as high as his chin, with a similar pillar stone of the
same dimensions borne upright on the palm of his hand. Fion
at a later period avowed in confidence to his father-in-law, that
this was the most difficult exploit he had ever achieved, and his
assertion appears to us worthy of belief. As children and fools
should not be indulged with sharp-edged weapons, we may
gather from the above facts, that ladies, even though of pure
Gaelic blood, should not have their demands granted, when
verging on the unreasonable, especially as Fion on one occasion,
fell short and was nearly killed. It was of a Friday morning,
and he had met a red-haired woman on the road.

In the second volume, which is taken up with Fion's visit
to the house of Conan of Ceann Sleibke in Clare, he is put
under Geasa to relate several circumstances connected with
the Fenians. The demand and supply went on in this wise.

•' Tell me," said Conan, " which are the sweetest strains you ever
enjoyed."

"I will tell you," replied Fionn. "When the seven constant
battalions of the Fenians assemble on our plain, and raise their stan-
dards of chivalry above their heads ; then when the howling, whistling
blast of the dry, cold wind rushes through them and over them, that
is very sweet to m«. When the drinking hall is furnished in Almhuin,
and the cup-bearers hand the bright cups of chaste workmanship to
the chiefs of the Fenians, the ring of the cups, when drained to the
last drop, on the tables of the Bruighin, is very sweet to me. Sweet
to me is the scream of the sea-gull, and of the heron, the roar of the
waves on Traigh-lidhe (Tralee), the song of the three sons of
Meardha, the whistle of Mac Lughaidh, the Dord of Fearsgaradh,
the voice of the cuckoo in the first month of summer, the grunting
of the hogs on Magh Eitne, and the echo of loud laughter in Derry."
And he sung this lay : —

" The Dord of the green-topped woods,
The dashing of the wave against the shore,
Or the force of the waves at Tralee,
When they meet the Lee of the white trout.

Three Cmen) who joined the Fenians, —
One of them was gentle, one was fierce.
Another was contemplating the stars,
They were sweeter than any melody.

The azure wave of the ocean.
When a man cannot distinguish its course,
A swell that sweeps fish upon dry land,
A melody to lull to sleep — sweet its effect.

tRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 19

Feargaill, son of Fionn, a man quick in execution,
Long and smooth the career of his glory.
Never composed a melody which did not reveal his mind :
A lulling repose to me were his strains."

" Win victory and blessings," said Conan, " and tell me now the
names of all those whom you have ever satirised or dispi-aised — who
was the man that, having only one leg, one arm, and one eye, escaped
from you in consequence of his swiftness, and outstripped the
Fenians of Eire, and why is this proverb used, ' As Roc came to
the house of Fionn ?' "

" I will tell you that," said Fionn. " One day the chief of the
Fenians and I went to Teamhair Luachra, and we took nothing in
the chase that san-.e day but one fawn. When it had been cooked, it
was fetched to me for the purpose of dividing it. I gave a portion of
it to each of the Fenian chiefs, and there remained none for my own
share but a haunch bone. Gobha Gaoithe, son of Ronan, pre.'ented
himself, and requested me to give him the haunch ; I accordingly
gave it to him : he then declared that I gave him that portion on ac-
count of his swiftness of foot, and he went out on the plain, but he
had only gone a short distance, when Caoilte, son of Ronan, his own
brother, overtook him, and brought the haunch back again to me,
and we had no further dispute about the matter. We had not been
long so, when we saw a huge, obnoxious, massy-boned, black, detes-
table giant, having only one eye, one arm, and one leg, hop forward
towards us. He saluted us ; I returned the salutation, and asked him
whence he came. • I am come by the powers of the agility of ray
arm and leg,' responded he, 'having heard there is not one man in
the world more liberal in bestowing, gifts than you, O Fionn ; there-
fore I am come to solicit wealth and valuable gifts from you.' 1
replied, that were all the wealth of the world mine, I would give him
neither little nor much. He then declared ' they were all liars who
asserted that 1 never gave a refusal to any person.* I replied, that if
he were a man, I would not give him a refusal. • Well, then,' said
the giant, ' let me have that haunch you have in your hand, and I will
say good bye to the Fenians, provided that you allow me the length
of the haunch as a distance, and that I am not seized upon until I
make my first hop.' Upon hearing this I gave the haunch into the
giant's hand, and he hopped over the lofty stockades of the town :
he then made use of the utmost swiftness of his one leg to outstrip
all the rest (of the Fenians). When the Fenian chiefs saw that,
they started in pursuit of the giant, while I and the band of min-
strels of the town went to the top of the dun to watch their pro-
ceedings. When I saw that the giant had outstripped them a con-
siderable distance, I put on my running habiliments, and taking no
weapen but Mac an Loin in my hand, I started after the others. I
overtook the hindmost division on Sliabh an Righ, the middle (next)
division at Limerick, and the chiefs of the Fenians at Ath Bo, which
is called Ath-Luain (Athlone), and those first in the pursuit at
Rinn-an-Ruaigh, to the right hand side of Cruachan of Connacht,
where he (the giant) was distant less than a javelin's cast from me.

B

20 THE FICTIONS CF OUR FOREFATHERS.

The giant passed on before me, and crossed Eas Roe (now Ballj-
shannon) of the sun of Modhuirn, without wetting his foot : I
leaped over it after him. He then directed his course towards the
estuary of Binn-Edair, keeping the circuit of Eire to his right hand.
The giant leaped over (the estuary), and it was a leap similar to a
flight over the sea. I sprang after him, and having caught him by
the small of the back, laid him prostrate on the earth. ' You have
dealt unjustly by m.e, O Fionn,' cried the giant, ' for it was not with
you I arranged the combat, but with the Fenians.' I replied, that
the Fenians were not perfect, except I myself were with them. We
had not remained long thus, when Liaghan Luaimneach from Lnachar
Deaghaidh came up to us ; he was followed by Caoilte Mac Ronan,
together with the swiftest of the Fenians. Each of them couched
his javelin, intending to drive it through the giant, and kill him in my
arms, but I protected him from their attacks. Soon after this the
main body of the Fenians arrived : they enquired what was the
cause of the delay, that the giant had not yet been slain. ' That is
bad counsel,' said the giant, * for a better man than I am would be
slain in my eric' We bound the giant strongly on that occasion ;
and soon after Bran Beag O'Buadhchan came to invite me to a
feast, and all the Fenians of Eire, who were present, accompanied
him to his house. The banqueting hall had been prepared for our
reception at that time, and the giant was dragged into the middle of
the house, and was there placed in the sight of all present. They
asked him who he was. ' Roc, son of Diocan, is my name,' replied
he, ' that is, I am son to the Legislator of Aengus of the Bnigh in
the south. ]\Iy wife poured a current of surprising affection and a
torrent of deep love upon Sgiath Breac, son of Dathcaoin yonder,
who is your foster son, O Fionn. It hurt my feelings severely to hear
her boast of the swiftness and bravery of her lover in particular, and
of the Fenians in general, and I declared I would challenge him and
all the Fenians of Eire, to run a race with me ; but she sneered at
me. I then went to my beloved friend, Aengus of the Brugh, to
bemoan my fate ; and he metamorphosed me thus, and bestowed on
me the swiftness of a druidical wind, as you have seen.* This is my
history for you ; and you ought to be well satisfied with all the hurt
and injury you have inflicted on me already.' The giant was there-

• The wind was one of the deities of the pagan Irish.
The murmuring of the Red Wind from the east.
Is heard in its course by the strong as well as the weak ;
A wind that blasts the bottom of the trees.
And withers men, is that Red Wind!

Old Poem.
Hence we see that there was a supernatural agency attributed to
the Red Wind from the east by the Irish ; in fact the wind being
one of the pagan deities, it never lost any of its baneful influences in
the popular superstitions of the Celtic race, and charm-mongers
attributed much evil influence to its effects, and were wont to conjure
it very menacingly in their spells. (Translator).

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIO SOCIETY. 21

\ipon set at liberty, and we could not learn where he betook himself.
The proverb, « As Roc came to the house of Fionn,' has originated
from that circumstance ; and so that is the answer to your question,
O Conan,"said Fionn."

At pages ] 49 and following of second volume will be found
a very curious allegorical tale for which we do not refer the
readers to the original, as it is not to be procured, but we hope
to see the early volumes reprinted. The ensuing extract, if
true to what might have happened, gives us insight into a
curious state of things as regarded marriage and divorce among
our Pagan ancestors.

Eecent proceedings in Parliament and pending proceedings
in Doctors' Commons, force on us the belief that the restor-
ation of this ancient custom would be acceptable to a section
of English society of the present day.

" Win victory and blessings,'' said Conan, " and inform me what
kindred have Bran and Sceoluing* to you, where it was you found
them, and who were the three half brothers by the mother's side,
that they had in the Fenian ranks ?"

" I will tell you about that," said Fionn. " Muirrionn Mongcaemh,
daughter of Tadhg son of Nuaghat, my motlier, once paid me a visit,
on which occasion she was accompanied by her sister Tuirreann,
daughter of Tadhg : there were at that same time with me two
princes, chiefs of the Fenians of Ulster, loUann Eachtach and
Feargus Fionn-mor, sons of Cas Cuailgne. lollann Eachtach was
paying his addresses to Tuirreann, and was deeply in love with her,
and I gave her to him in marriage upon certain conditions, namely,
that she should be restored safe to me, whenever I demanded her,
and that the Fenian chiefs should become sureties for her safe return.
The reason I demanded that, was, lollann was attended by a familiar
female spirit named Uchtdealbh (Fair-bosom), daughter of the king
of Coillen Feidhlim, and being apprehensive she might destroy
Tuirreann, I therefore gave her from my hand into that of Oisin ;
Oisin gave her into the hand of Caoilte ; Caoilte gave her into the
hand of Mac Luigheach ; Mac Luigheach gave her into the hand of
Diarmuid O'Duibhne ; Diarmuid gave her into the hand of Goll,
son of Moirne ; Goll gave her into the hand of Lughaidh Lamha,
son of Eoghan Taileach ; and Lughaidh gave her into the hand of
lollann Eachtach, saying : — ' I deliver to you this young wonian upon
the condition, that when Fionn thinks proper to demand her, you
shall restore her safe, as in duty bound.' After that mutual engage-
ment, lollann conducted her to his own house, and .she remained

• l)TiAt) ASAf SseoUins. Names of Fionn's favourite hounds.
SseoUjiJS is sometimes written ce6lb]i)i), siveet voice, of v.hich the
name in common use is undoubtedly a corruption. {Translator).

22 THE nCTIOXS OF OUR FOKEFATHERS.

with him until she became pregnant. That familiar spirit of lollann
paid Tuirreann a visit, under a disguised appearance, and said,
' O princess, Fionn wishes you long life and health, and desires you
to exercise hospitality on a large scale ; come out with me until I
speak a few words with you, as I am in a hurry.' The young woman
accompanied her out, and when they were some distance from the
house, she took her dark druidical wand from under her garment, and
having struck the yoving woman with it, metamorphosed her into a
greyhound, the handsomest that the human eye ever beheld, and
brought her along with her to the house of Feargus Fionnliath,
king of Ath-cliath Meagraith.* Nom', this was the character of
Fergus : he was the most unsociable individual in the world, and he
would not permit a hound to remain in the same house along with
him. Nevertheless, the courierf said to him, • Fionn sends to greet
you, wishing you long life and health, O Fergus, and requests you will
take good care of this hound against his coming here ; she is heavy with
young, therefore take particular care of her, and do not suffer her
to hunt (after her foetus grows heavier) ; if you do otherwise, Fionn
will not thank you.' ' I am much surprised at this order,' replied
Fergus, * since Fionn well knows that there is not in the world a
more unsociable being than myself, yet J will not refuse Fionn's re-
quest respecting the first hound he ever sent me.'

As regards Fergus: he soon after brought out his hound to the
chase to test her value ; and made a great havoc in the hunt that
day, and every other day, during a month, for the hound never saw
a wild animal that she would not run down. At the expiration of
that time she grew heavy with young, so that she was afterwards led
to the chase no more ; and Feargus was tilled with love and a strong
passion for hounds ever after. The wife of Fergus happened to be
confined about that time ; and she gave birth to an infant the same
night that the hound whelped two puppies, a male and female. It so
happened during the previous seven years, that whenever Fergus's
wife was confined, a Fomorach used to come that same night, and

* 2lc CliAc 31)eA5nAi6e. The ancient name of Galway harbour.

f CacIac, signifies a courier ; and strangely enough, those couriers
were, many of them at least, females, as in the present case. leAbAtt-
CAttj was the favourite courier of Conchubar Mac Nessa, King of
Ulster, and ho^ujAi) was the courier of Cumhall. lollann's Lean-
nan Sighe assumed the character of a courier in order to de-
ceive her Intended victim. The Leannan Sighes always bestowed their
affections on some mortal object, as appears from the account of
them in our MSS. as well as in popular tradition. There is a curious
story current among the people concerning the love which Cliodhna,
the fairy princess, bore towards a Munster Chieftain. She is said to
have assumed the appearance of Sighle Ni Mharranan, a swineherd's
daughter, and to have become a servant in the house of the young
chief's father, in which situation she managed, by industry and good
conduct, to rise to the situation of a lady's maid in the family, and
at last to win the affections of the object of her love. (Translutur).

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSTANIC SOCIETY. 23

carry away the infant. However, Eithleann met Fionn at the end
of a year, and having arranged a hospitable meeting at the house of
Feargus Fionnliath, they delivered Fergus from the plague of the
Foniorach.

As regards Fionn ; when he learned that his mother's sister was
not living with lollann Eachtach, he insisted on the fulfilment of the
pledge by which the Fenians were bound to restore her safely ; the
pledge passed (from one to the other) to Lughaidh Laraha the last.
Lughaidh pledged his word that he would bring the head of lollann
to Fionn, unless he (lollann) would deliver to him Tuirreann alive
and safe, that he might restore her to redeem his own pledge. lol-
lann requested time to go in quest of Tuirreann, having pledged his
word that if he was unable to find her, he would surrender himself,
in order to free Lughaidh from his obligation. Lughaidh granted
him that request ; and lollan immediately proceeded to the Sighe* of
Coillean Feidhlim where Uchtdealbh, his Leannan Sighe, then was :
he told her the purport of his visit. ' Well then,' said Uchtdealbh,
• if you will consent to give me a pledge and bond that you are will-
ing to have me as your spouse to the termination of your life, I will
free you from yovir difficulty." lollann gave what she required ; and
she went to the house of Feargus Fionnliath, to fetch the young
woman, and restored her to her natural shape, at a short distance
from the house. Uchtdealbh brought the young woman to me, and
informed me that she had been pregnant before her metamorphosis
into a hound, and had given birth to two puppies, a male and female.
She told me also that whichever I chose them to be, either human
beings or hounds, they should accordingly be such. I replied, that if
they were to be given to me, I would prefer that they should remain
hounds. In the meantime, Lughaidh Lamha requested that I should
reward him for his guardianship by giving him Tuirreann to wife.
I gave her ; and she remained with him, until she gave birth to three
sons, namely, Sgiath Breac, Aodhgan Ruadh, and Gael Crodha, and
these are the three sons born of the same mother who gave birth to
Bran and Sceoluing. Hence, this is the solution of your question,
O Conan," said Fionn.

The Eithleann so obscurely mentioned is said to have been
a Leannan Sighe that attended Fion. Watching the Fomorian
giant, in the shape of a wolf hound, when he came to take
away the infant, she bit off his arm and thus prevented the
theft. She afterwards conducted Fio7i, Fergus, and the rest
to the giant's cave, where they recovered the children that had
been carried away.

We have in these volumes several proofs (if any such were
wanted), that our Fairy lore and undonhted superstitious, have
been bequeathed to us from our heathen forefathers. Here

* Sighe, residence of a fairy in an enchanted hill.

24 THE FICTIONS OT OUR FOREFATIIERB.

we have the Leannan Sighe, and elsewhere we can trace our
May-bushes, bonfires on St. John's eve, and Holland-tide divi-
nations up to Bealtinne (Sun's Fire), the Midsummer festival of
the sun, and the Moon's festival at Sarahain. The early
missionaries had Christian festivals appointed at the same
periods, to turn the people from idolatrous rites; but though
the new converts were well disposed to adore God, and to pay
due reverence to the Baptist and the Saints in general, tiiey
would mingle relics of the old superstition with the Christian
solemnities. We are unwilling to believe that our Gaelic grand-
fathers sacrificed human victims in the Baal-fires : perhaps they
preserved the memory of the horrid Phoenician rite by making
their cattle, or prisoners, or young people pass through them :
if so, it will account for our youngsters still jumping thro the
May and midsummer bonfires.

If we can trust the author of Fion's visit to Cona7i of Ceann
Sleibhe, the Danaans were a powerful party in Ireland in tlie
third century. Enveloped in their cloak of darkness, the Feigh
Fiad/i, they surrounded the house during the marriage feast, to
kill Fion, Fion's wife, and Fion's father-in-law, and every one
connected with them, as the lady had been intended for the
wife of one of their cliiefs. Another instance of the terrible
usage of the Geasa will be seen in the following extract.

" As for Fionnbharr* of Magh Feabhail ; he despatched messen-
gers to the different parts of Eire, to summon the Tuatha de Danaans
from all quarters, for Fionnbharr was king over them. Six large
well appointed battalions, from all parts, assembled on the margin of
Loch JDearg-dheirc within the space of a month. This muster took
place upon the very day that Conan had the wedding feast ready for
Fionn and the Fenians. He (Conan) sent Soistreach, his own female
courier, to Teamhair Luachra, to invite Fionn and the Fenians.
When she had delivered her message to Fionn, she returned back by
Loch Dearg-dheirc, and the Tuatha de Danaans having seen her pass,
Failbhe Beag followed her, to ask her the news. She informed him

• T=10I)t)bv^rln ?J^iM5b l^eAbAil. A powerful prince of the Tuatha
de Danaans. The Connacht peasantry believe that he is the king of the
fairies of their province : they call him Fionnbharra, others TU\]i:._
beAjicAc ]^ior)i)bATin T^15 i)A b-veAfx Tt)-beA5. His residence is in Knock-
madh, near Castle Hackett, County of Galw.ay ; and the neighbour-
ing peasantry relate many strange stories about that being. To
Fwimbharru they attribute the great success attending the family of
Kirwan on the turf. Fionnbharra makes no scrnple to supply any
vacancies that may occur in his forces by the admission of some of
his mortal neighbours : all these become ri5s or long-livers. (Trans,
tutor).

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 23

that she had been before Fionn Mac Ourahaill. Failbhe Beag asked
her where Fionn then was, and how many men he had with him.
' I left him at Teamhair Luachra, and ten hundred is the nun)ber of
his companions,' answered she. She also told him that Fionn was
to spend that night with Conan of Ceann Sleibhe. When Failbhe
heard that, he struck the female courier with his sword, and cut her
in two : he then dragged her remains, and cast them into the (ad-
joining) river. Hence that stream is called Dubhghearthach from
that time to the present. ♦ • # • # *

With respect to Fionnbharr of Magh Feabhail and the Tuatha
de Danaans ; they enveloped themselves in the Feigh Fiadh, and
marched forward invisibly, powerfully, with steadiness, and without
delay — none contending for precedence — in sixteen armed, well-ap-
pointed, well-marshalled battalions, to the plain opposite the house
of Conan of Ceann Sleibhe. ' It is little use for us to be here,' said
they, ' since the service of the sword of Goll is engaged in the de-
fence of Fionn against us.' ' Goll shall not protect him on this
occasion,' said Eithne the druidess, ' for I will beguile Fionn out of
the house, despite of the vigilant care that is kept over him.'

She proceeded on to the town (house), and stood opposite to Fionn
on the outside. ' Who is he that is before my face?' asked she. * It
is I myself,' responded Fionn. ' The geasa by which a true hero
never suffered himself to be bound be upon you, unless you come
outside without delay,' said she. Fionn did not suffer the geasa to
hangover him, but walked out without delay; and, though there
were many persons inside, none of them noticed Fionn leaving the
house, except Caoilte alone. He walked up to Eithne the druidess.
At that same time the Tuatha de Danaans let fly a flock of dark birds
with fiery beaks to the Dun (of Conan) ; and these (birds) perched
on the chests and bosoms of all the people (within), and scorched
and tormented them to such a degree, that the young lads, the
women and the children belonging to the place betook themselves to
flight from the Dun in all directions, and the wife of Conan, whose
name was Canana, was drowned in the river outside the town.
Eithne, the druidess, then challenged Fionn to run a race with her,
* for,' said she, ' it was for the purpose of running a race with you I
called you out.' ' What shall be the distance ?' asked Fionn. * From
Doire-da-thorc in the west, to Ath-mor in the east,' said she. They
arranged the matter so ; but Fionn got across the Ath (ford) before
her, while, in the meantine, Caoilte was following him. Fionn be-
gan to urge on Caoilte, saying, « you ought to be ashamed of your
running and of your (small) amount of swiftness, since a woman is
able to leave you behind.' Caoilte thereupon sprang forward, and,
making a very distressing bound, struck his shoulders against the
hag's chest at Doire-an-t Seanaich in the south ; and then, having
turned about, he made a slash of his sword at her in the waist, so
that he divided her into two equal parts.

' Win victory and blessings, O Caoilte,' exclaimed Fionn, ' for,
though many is the good blow you have struck in your time, you
never dealt a better one than that' They then returned back to the
green before the town, where they found the Tuatha de Danaans

Q6 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

drawn up in martial order before them, after having thrown off their
Feigh Faidha. 'It seems to me, O Caoilte,' said Fionn, 'that we
have fallen into the thick of our enemies in this Dun.' They there-
upon turned back to back, and every warrior on all sides at-
tacked them, so that groans of weakness from the unequal contest
were wrung from Fionn. GoU, having heard them, exclaimed, ' It
is a sorrowful case, for the Tuatha de Danaans have enticed Fionn
and Caoilte away from us ; let us arise with speed to their help.'
They, thereupon, rushed out upon the green in a dense body, deter-
mined upon the performance of great feats and carnage, supported
by Conan Ceann Sleibhe and his sons.* But now that proud, agres-
sive, chieftain of champions, the body-mangling, fiery hero, the terri-
ble loud thunderer, and the fresh blooming branch, invincible in
battle, Goll, son of Moirne, son of Garraidh Glundubh, son of Aodh
Dunaidh, son of Aodh Ceannchlair, son of Conall, son of Saidhbhre,
son of Ceat mac Maghach, son of Cairbre Ceanndearg, son of the
king of Connacht, became enraged ; like a towering mountain under
his grey shield was he in battle ! He laid prostrate the bravest of
their leaders, he mangled the bodies of their nobles, and burst through
the ranks of their chieftains ; he shortened limbs and delved into
skulls, until he reached their pillar of support, Fionnbhar of Magh
Feabhail himself. They commenced to attack one another, until
both the royal champions were mangled and disfigured, in consequence
of the hard struggle which they maintained. The result of the
combat was, that Fionnbharr of Magh Feabhail fell by the heavy,
hard-dealt strokes of Goll. Failbhe fell by the hand of Caoilte.
Eochadh M6r, son of Lughaidh, the nimble hero of the quickly-dealt
strokes, sprang into the midst of the enetay, and commenced to hew
down and carve the troops, until he met the furious and valorous
man, Donn Uatha : they engaged one another ; and the end of the
conflict was, that both fell foot to foot and face to face on the spot.
Rachta Dearg was slain in the conflict by Sgolb Sgeine, son of Oisin.
Rochan was slain by Garraidh Glundubh, and the two Sgails fell by
the hands of each other. The three Domhnalls were slain by the
hands of Conan the Bald, son of Moirne, without any assistance
whatever. The two Cairbres were slain by Conan of Ceann Sleibhe
and his son. But few of the battles of Erin were ever fought with
such dreadful determination as was that battle ; for no individual on
either side wished, or was guilty of the dishonor, to yield or re-
treat a single step, from the spot on which he engaged his opponent ;
for they were the most hard-fighting bodies of men to be found in
any of the four parts of the globe, namely, the manly, bloody,
robust Fenians of Fionn, and the white-toothed, handsome Tuatha
de Danaans ; and they both were nearly annihilated in that battle."

During his visit at Ceann Sleibhe, Fion related how he was
transformed into a decrepid old naan at thi^ lake of Slieve

* *' 2Uc ceAt)t)A, fto l^eATX5A6 <.\p c-ixfi6 itjileA6 uAibttcAc lonnrAj&ccAc,
A5Af Ai} Iaoc leA&ATtrA loirstieACjAXSAt At) conPA UACiijA]; ioi)5At)CAc, ASAf
i\ij bu|t)i}e blA&njAtjijAC boTxb-ctteAVAC, hAtox) 5oll njAc ?r)6]|ii)e, &c."

TRANSACTIONS OF TUB 0S8IANIC BOCIETT. 27

Guillean in the north. The legend has been rendered into
English verse by Dr. Drummond, Miss Brooke, and others,
and is not here detailed, as it is perhaps tlie most widely
known of all Fenian stories.

In the first and second volumes, edited by Mr. O'Kearnoy,
there is a large mass of information conveyed in the introduc-
tion and notes, concerning the ancient mythological sources
from which our Fairy lore has flowed down to us. Indeed his
only embarrassment seems to have arisen from want of space
to set his legendary stories in suitable order.

The third volume is chiefly occupied with the Pursuit of
Fion after Diannuid and Grainne. It is edited by Mr. S.
H. O'Grady, who in the introduction, gives a list of the princi-
pal Fenian tales and poems. His remarks on the structure of
the language, its aptitude for poetry, its richness in nearly
synonymous epithets, and the abuses made by the poets of its
facilities for alliteration and assonance, will be found most
useful to Irish students ; we have much pleasure in quoting the
text of part of his sound, critical, and judicious observations.

" Whatever it may be that has given vitality to the traditions of the
mythic and elder historic periods, they have survived to modern
times ; when they have been formed into large manuscript collections,
of which the commonest title is " Bolg an t-Salathair," answering
to " A Comprehensive Miscellany." These were for the most part
written by professional scribes and school-masters, and being then
lent to, or bought by those who could read, but had no leisure to
write, used to be read aloud in farmers' houses on occasions when
numbers were collected at some employment, such as wool-carding
in the evenings ; but especially at wakes. Thus the people became
familiar with all these tales. The writer has heard a man who never
possessed a manuscript, nor heard of O' Flanagan's publication, relate
at the fireside the death of the sons of Uisneach without omitting
one adventure, and in great part retaining the very words of the
written versions. Nor is it to be supposed that these manuscripts,
though written in modern Irish, are in the mere colloquial dialect —
any more than an English author now writes exactly as he converses.
The term modern may be applied to the language of the last three
centuries, when certain inflections and orthogi-aphical rules obtained,
which have since held their ground ; and the manuscripts we speak of,
though admitting some provincialisms, many of which are differences
of pronunciation more than anything else, have retained the forms
proper to the modern literate language.

• » • • » • •

In some manuscripts,certainly,these distinctions have not been obser-
ved ; but we here speak of good ones, among which we class the two,
from which has been derived the text published in the present volume.
The first is a book containing a number of legends and Ossianic

28 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

poems, and entitled '* Bolg an t-Salathair ;'* written in 1780, at
Cooleen, near Portlaw, in the county of Waterford, by Labhrais
O' Fuarain or Lawrence Foran, a schoolmaster : and he apolo-
gises in a note for the imperfections of his manuscript, alleging
in excuse, the constant noise and many interruptions of his pupils.
The second is a closely written quarto of 881 pages, from the pen of
Martan O' Griobhtha, or Martin Griffin of Kilrush, in the county of
Clare, 1842-3. This manuscript, which a few years ago came into
the Editor's possession, is called by the scribe " An Sgeulaidhe," i. e.
The Story-teller, and is entirely devoted to Fenian and other legends,
of which it contains thirty-eight: some having been transcribed from
manuscripts of 1749.

From what has been said before, it will be understood that the
language of these tales in their popular form, though not by any
means ancient, is yet, when edited with a knowledge of orthography
and a due attention to the mere errors of transcribers, extremely
correct and classical ; being in fact the same as that of Keating.
Nor is it wise to undervalue the publication of them on the score of
the newness of their language, and because there exist more ancient
versions of some, providing always that the text printed be
good and correct of its kind. On the contrary, it seemed on this ac-
count the more desirable to publish them,that there have hitherto bpen,
as we may say, no text books of the modern language,* whilst there
still are at home and abroad, many Irishmen well able to read and
enjoy such, were they to be had. The Fenian romances are not, it
is true, of so great an interest to those philologists whose special
pursuit it is to analyse and compare languages in their oldest phase,
such as the ancient Irish remains which have been edited with so much
learning and industry during the last twenty years ; but they will
delight those who lack time, inclination, or other requisites for that
study of grammars and lexicons, which should prepare them to under-
stand the old writings ; and who read Irish, moreover, for amuse-
ment and not for scientific purposes. It has been already said that
some of these legends and poems are new versions of old ; but it is
not to be supposed that they are so in at all the same degree or the
same sense as, for instance, the modernised Canterbury Tales are of
Chaucer's original work. There is this great difference, that in the
former, nothing has been changed but some inflections and construc-
tions, and the orthography, which has become more fixed ; the genius
and idiom of the language, and in a very great measure the words,
remaining the same ; whilst in the latter all these have been much
altered. Again, the new versions of Chaucer are of the present day ;
whereas our tales and poems, both the modifications of older ones, and

* Almost the only original work in correct Irish ever printed in
the country, was a portion of Keating's History, published by Mr.
William Haliday in 181 1 ; which is both uninviting in appearance,
and difficult to procure. Most other Irish works have been trans-
lations, of which the best undoubtedly is the translation of Thomas
a Kempis, by the Rev. Daniel A. O'Sullivan, P. P. of Inniskeen,
county of Cork, who is an accomplished Irish scholar and poet, (Tr.)

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETV. £9

tliose which in their very origin are recent, are one with the oiher,
most probably three hundred years old.

The style of the Irish romantic stories will doubtless strike as very
peculiar those to whom it is new, and it is to be hoped that no edu-
cated Irishman will be found so enthusiastic as to set them up for
models of composition — howbeit, there is much to be considered in
explanation of their defects. The first thing that will astonish an
English reader is the number of epithets; but we must remember
that these stories were composed and recited not to please the mind
only, but also the ear. Hence, adjectives, which in a translation
appear to be heaped together in a mere chaos, are found in the
original to be arranged upon principles of alliteration. Nor will the
number alone, but also the incongruity of epithets, frequently be
notorious, so that they appear to cancel each other like -f- and —
quantities in an algebraical expression."

The Editor then adduces a pile of epithets apphed to a king,
occupying iwchelmesoi JBoiirffeois, and remarks how easily a more
judiciousarrangenientnjightbemade, but then as he observes, —

" The writer would have been compelled to break up his
long chain of adjectives which fell so imposingly in the native tongue
on the listener's ear, and to forego the alliterative arrangement of
them, which is this : — The first three words in the above sentence,
(a noun and two adjectives), begin with vowels ; the next two adjec-
tives with c; then follow three beginning with /; five with J"; three
with c ; three with 5 ; three with m ; three with r ; four with c ;
three with g ; four with m ; two with vowels ; and four with i.

Alliteration was practised in poetry by the Anglo-Saxons, but
this seems attributable rather to the embryo state of taste amongst
them, and to an ignorance of what really constitutes poesic beauty,
than to the genius of their language : hence the usage did not obtain
in the English ; and at the present day, alliteration, whether in prose
or poetry, is offensive and inadmissible, except when most sparingly
and skilfully used to produce a certain effect. It was, doubtless,
the same want of taste which introduced, and a want of cultivation,
which perpetuated the abuse of alliteration amongst the Celtic nations,
and prevented the bards of Ireland and Wales from throwing off the
extraordinary fetters of their prosody' in this respect ; and it is a
great evidence of the power and copiousness of the Celtic tongues,
that even thus cramped, they should have been able to move freely
in poetry. Impose the rules of prosody by which the mediceval and
later Celtic poets wrote, upon any other modern European language,
and your nearest approach to poetry will be nonsense-verses, as the
first attempts of school-boys in Latin verse are called, where their
object is merely to arrange a number of words in a given metre,
without regard to sense. Alliteration was not only abused in poetry,
but also in prose ; and indeed it may be asked whether the introduc-
tion of it at all into the latter is not of itself an abuse. But differ-
ently from many other languages, the genius of the Gaelic, apart

" Which includes minute and stringent rules of assonance as well
as of alliteration. (Tr.)

30 THE FICTIONS OY OUR FOREFATHERS.

from external causes, seems to impel to alliteration, and its numerous
synonyms invite to repetitions which, properly used, add strength, and
being abused, degenerate into jingle and tautology. The Irish
speakers of the present day very commonly, for emphasis sake, use
two synonymous adjectives without a conjunction, instead of one
with an adverb, and these they almost invariably choose so that there
shall be an alliteration. Thus a very mournful piece of news will be
colled ' Sgeul dubhach dobronach,*or ' Sgeul dubhach doilghiosaoh,'
or ' Sgeul buaidheartha bronach,' in preference to ' Sgeul dubhach
bronach,' and other arrangements ; all the epithets having, in tiie
above sentences at least, exactly the same meaning. An obstinate
man that refuses to be persuaded, will be called ' Duine dur dall,' and
not • Duine'dur caoch ;' ' dall' and * caoch' alike meaning ' blind." Be-
sides the alliteration, the words are always placed so as to secure a
euphonic cadence. And this would denote that the alliterations of
the Irish and further proofs of their regard for sound, have other
sources than a vitiated taste : but it is to this latter that we must
attribute the perversion of the euphonic capabilities of the language,
and of the euphonic appreciation of its hearers, which led to the
sacrifice of sense and strength to sound ; and this taste never having
been corrected, the Irish peasantry, albeit they make in their con-
versation a pleasing and moderate use of alliteration and repetition,
yet admire the extravagance and bombast of these romances. An-
other quality of the Irish also, their corrupt taste caused to run riot,
that is their vivid imagination, which forthwith conspired with their
love of euphony to heap synonym on synonym. It is well known how
much more strongly even an English speaking Irishman will express
himself than an llnglishraan : where the latter will simply say of a
man, ' He was making a great noise,' the other will tell you that
« He was roaring and screeching and bawling about the place.' Some-
times this liveliness becomes exceedingly picturesque and expressive:
the writer has heard a child say of one whom an Englishman would
have briefly called a half-starved wretch, ' The breath is only just in
and out of him, and the grass doesn't know him walking over it.'

Had these peculiar qualifications of ear and mind, joined to the
mastery over such a copious and sonorous language as the Gaelic,
been guided by a correct taste, the result would doubtless have been
many strikingly beautiful productions both in prose and verse. As
it is, the writings of Keating are the only specimens we have of Irish
composition under these conditions. Of these, two being theologi-
cal, do not allow any great scope for a display of style ; but his his-
tory is remarkably pleasing and simple, being altogether free from
bombast or redundancy of expression, and reminding the reader for-
cibly of Herodotus. « • • • •

But, notwithstanding that so many epithets in our romantic tales
are superfluous and insipid, great numbers of them are very beautiful
and quite Homeric. Such are the following, applied to a ship, ' wide-
wombed, broad-canvassed, ever-dry, strongly- leaping ;' — to the sea,
' ever-broken, showery topped,(alluding to the spray);' — to the waves,
* great-thundering, howling-noisy.' Some of these are quite as sono-
rous and expressive as the famous ToXup'kois^olo daXdaffrn."

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OBSIANIG SOCIETY, 31

Through the bod)' of the tale now under consideration run
veins of the finest romantic poesy, intermingled with others
which attract by the naivete or the strange quaintness of the ex-
pression. Fion appears to great disadvantage, and Diarmuid
except in one instance, exhibits the magnanimity and loyalty to
his comrades, of a Chevalier of the Christian ages of faith.
We suppose that in this and other legends, the editors have
been obliged to use the knife, but (in our opinion) to a very
small extent. A healthy moral tone (making due allowances)
pervades the genuine Celtic legends as well as the fictitious
literature of Spain. An English scholar can only arrive in the
translation at the pleasure arising from feeling, or description,
justness of expression, or conduct of the tale, but the reader
skilled in Irish enjoys along with these, the charm produced
by euphony, alliteration, and the vivid painting of the images
or sentiments in the copious and sonorous poetry of the
original.

Let sympathy be given to the poor hero on reading the evil
chance befalls on at the opening of the poem. Fion^ though not
on very good terms with Cormac, is about to be married to his
daughter, and high festival is held in the Miodclmarta, the
banqueting hall of Tara of the kings.

♦'The king of Erin sat down to enjoy drinking and pleasure, with his
wife at his left shoulder, that is to say, Eitche, the daughter of
Atan of Corcaigh, and Grainne at her shoulder, and Fionn Mac
Cumhaill at the king's right hand ; and Cairbre Liffeachair the son
of Cormac, sat at one side of the same royal house, and Oisin the son
of Fionn at the other side, and each one of them sat according to his
rank and to his patrimony from that down. • • • • •

' Tell me now,' said Grainne, to Daire Mac Morna of the songs,

* who is that warrior at the right shoulder of Oisin the son of Fionn ?'

* Yonder,' said the druid, 'is Goll Mac Morna, the active, the war-
like.' ' Who is that wai-rior at the shoulder of Goll ?' said Grainne.
' Oscar the son of Oisin,' said the druid. ' Who is that graceful-
legged man at the shoulder of Oscar?' said Grainne. ' Oaoilte Mac
Ronain,' said the druid. ' What haughty, impetuous warrior is that
yonder at the shoulder of Caoilte ?' said Grainne. ' The son of Lu-
ghaidh of the mighty hand, and that man is sister's son to Fionn Mac
Cumhaill,' said the druid. ' Who is that freckled sweet-worded
man, upon whom is the curling dusky-black hair, and [who has] the
two red ruddy cheeks, upon the left hand of Oisin the son of Fionn ?'
' That man is Diarmuid the grandson of Duibhne, the white-toothed,
of the lightsome countenance ; that is the best lover of women and
of maidens that is in the whole world.' Who is that at the shoulder
of Diarmuid ?' said Grainne. • Diorruing the son of Dobhar
Damhadh O'Baoisgne, and that man is a druid and a skilful man
of science,' said Daire duanach.

' That is a goodly company,' said Grainne ; and she called her
attendant handmaid to her, and told her to bring to her the jewelled-

32 THE yiCTIONS OF OUR FORKFATHERS.

golden -chased goblet which was in the Grianan after her. The
handmaid brought the goblet, and Grainne filled the goblet forth-
with, (and there used to go into it [be contained in it] the drink of
nine times nine men). Grainne said, " take the goblet to Fionn
first, and bid him drink a draught out of it, and disclose to him
that it is I that sent it to him." The handmaid took the goblet
to Fionn, and told him everything that Grainne had bidden
her say to him. Fionn took the goblet, and no sooner had he
drunk a draught out of it, than there fell upon him a stupor of
sleep and of deep slumber. Oormac took the draught and the
same sleep fell upon him, and Eitcbe, the wife of Cormac,
took the goblet and drank a draught out of it, and the same sleep fell
upon her as upon all the others. Then Grainne called the attendant
handmaid to her, and said to her : ♦ Take this goblet to Cairbre
Liffeachair and tell him to drink a draught out of it, and give the
goblet to those sons of kings by him.' The handmaid took the goblet
to Cairbre, and he was not well able to give it to him that was next
to him, before a stupor of sleep and of deep slumber fell upon him
too, and each one that took the goblet, one after another, they fell
into a stupor of sleep and of deep slumber. * „ * •

Then Grainne turned her face to Diarmuid O'Duibhne, and what
she said to him was : ' Wilt thou receive courtship from me, O son
of Duibhne ?' ' I will not,' said Diarmuid. ' Then,' said
Grainne, ' I put thee under bonds of danger and of destruction, O
Diarmuid, that is, under the bonds of DromdraoiJheachta, if thou
take me not with thee out of this household to-night, ere Fionn and
the king of Erin arise out of that sleep.'

' Evil bonds are those under which thou hast laid me, O woman,'
said Diarmuid ; " and wherefore hast thou laid those bonds upon me
before all the sons of kings and of high princes in the king's mirthful
house [called] Miodhchuairt to-night, seeing that there is not of all
those, one less worthy to be loved by a woman than myself?" " By
thy hand, O son of Duibhne, it is not without cause that I have
laid those bonds on thee, as I will tell thee now.

' Of a day when the king of Erin was presiding over a gathering
and muster on the plain of Tearahair, Fionn and the seven battalions
of the standing Fenians, chanced to be there that day ; and there
arose a great goaling match between Cairbre Liffeachair the son of
Cormac, and the son of Lughaidh, and the men of Breaghmhagh,
and of Cearna, and the stout pillars of Teamhair arose on the side of
Cairbre, and the Fenians of Erin on the side of the son of Lughaidh ;
and there were none sitting in the gathering that day but the king,
and Fionn, and thyself, O Diarmuid. It happened that the game
was going against the son of Lughaidh, and thou didst rise and stand,
and didst take his caman from the next man to thee, and didst throw
him to the ground and to the earth, and thou didst go into the game,
and didst win the goal three times upon Cairbre and upon the war-
riors of Teamhair. I was that time in my Grianan of the clear view,
of the blue windows of glass, gazing upon thee ; and I turned the
light of my eyes and of my sight upon thee that day, and I never
gave that love to any other from that time to this, and will not for
ever.'

' It is a wonder that thou shouldest give me that love instead of
Fionn,' said Diarmuid, * seeing that there is not in Erin a man that is

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIAMC SOCIETY. 33

fonder of a woman than he ; and knowest thou, O Grainne, on the
night that Fionn is in Teamhair that he it is that has the kevs of
Teamhair, and that so we cannot leave the town ?' ' There is a
wicket-gate to my Grianan,' said Grainne, ' and we will pass out
throue^h it.' ' It is a prohibited thing for me to pass through any
wicket-gate whatsoever,' said Diarmuid. ' Howbeit, I hear,' said
Grainne, 'that everj warrior and battle-champion can pass by the
shafts of his javelins and by the staves of his spears, in or out, over
the rampart of every fort and of every town, and 1 will pass out by
the wicket-gate, and do thou follow me so.*

Grainne went her way out, and Diarmuid spoke to his people, and
what he said was : ' O Oisin, son of Fionn, what shall I do with
these bonds that have been laid on me?' ' Thou art not guilty of the
bonds which have been laid on thee,' said Oisin, • and I tell thee to
follow Grainne, and keep thyself well against the wiles of Fionn.'
' O Oscar, son of Oisin, what is good for me to do as to those bonds
which have been laid upon me?' I tell thee to follow Grainne,' said
Oscar, * for he is a sorry wretch that fails to keep his bonds.' ' What
counsel dost thou give me, O Caoilte ?' said Diarmuid. ' I say,'
said Caoilte, ' that I have a fitting wife, and yet I had rather than
the wealth of the world, that it had been to me that Grainne gave that
love.' ' What counsel givest thou me, O Dio"ruing?' ' I tell thee
to follow Grainne, albeit thy death will come of it, and I grieve for
it.* 'Is that the counsel of you all to me?' said Diarmuid. ' It is,'
said Oisin, and said all the others together.

After that, Diarmuid arose and stood, and stretched forth his active
warrior hand over his broad weapons, and took leave and farewell of
Oisin and of the chiefs of the Fenians ; and not bigger is a smooth-
crimsoned whortleberry than was each tear that Diarmuid shed from
his eyes at parting with his people. Diarmuid went to the top of the
fort, and put the shafts of his two javelins under him, and rose with
an airy, very light, exceeding high, bird-like leap, until he attained
the breadth of his two soles of the beautiful grass-green earth on the
plain without, and Grainne met him. Then Diarmuid spoke, and
what he said was : ' I trow, O Grainne, that this is an evil course
upon which thou art come ; for it were better for thee have Fionn
Mac Cumhaill for lover than myself, seeing that I know not what
nook, or corner, or remote part of Erin I can take thee to now.
Return again to the town, and Fionn will never learn what thou hast
done.' • It is certain that I will not go back,' said Grainne, 'and
that I will not part from thee until death part me from thee.' ' Then
go forward, O Grainne,' said Diarmuid."

The fugitives escape into Clanrickard in Gal way, and Diar-
muid fortifies a small grove in vrliich they take shelter. Track-
ers from Neamhiin (Navan) find the grove, but their devoted
friends Oisin Oscur and Caoilte send Bran to warn them.
Bran understands his directions with " knowledge and wisdom,"
gets into the refuge, and thrusts his head into Diarmuid's
bosom. His friends fear that their warning is not effective :

34 TTIE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

SO Fearghoir, CaoiUes giolla gives tliree shouts that might be
heard three cantreds off, and the fugitives find themselves fully
awake to their situation.

" Diarmuid heard Fearghoir, and awoke Grainneout of her sleep,
and what he said was : ' I hear the henchman of Caoilte Mac Ronain ;
and it is by Caoilte he is, and it is by Fionn that Caoilte is, and this
is a warning they are sending me before Fionn.' ' Take that warn-
ing,' said Grainne. * I will not,' said Diarmuid, 'for we shall not
leave this wood until Fionn and the Fenians of Erin overtake us :'
and fear and great dread seized Grainne when she heard that."

Aonghus of the Brugh on the Boyne was tiie son of Dagdae
a Danaan king of Ireland, who had reigned over the country
for eighty years (a circumstance truly magical). He was the
devoted patron of iJiarmuid, and had given him the dreadful
arras {venomous is the Irish epithet)^ viz. the swords^ Moraltagh
and Begaltagh, and the javelins, the Ga-dearg, and the
Ga-buidhe. He now appears to the besieged pair, and
carries off Grainne in a fold of his mantle, but Diarmuid will
not condescend to that safe and inglorious mode of escape.

" After that, Aonghus put Grainne under the border of his mantle,
and went his ways without knowledge of Fionn or of the Fenians of
Erin, and no tale is told of them until they reached Rosdashoileach,
which is called Luimneach' now.

Touching Diarmuid ; after that Aonghus and Grainne had departed
from hun, he arose as a straight pillar, and stood upright, and girded
his arms, and his armour, and his various sharp weapons about him.
After that he drew near to a door of the seven wattled doors that
there were to the enclosure, and asked who was at it. ' No foe to
thee is any man who is at it,' said they [who were without] ; * for
here are Oisin the son of Fionn, and Oscar the son of Oisin, and the
chieftains of the Clanna Baoisgne together with us ; and come out
to us, and none will dare to do thee harm, hurt, or damage.* ' I will
not go to you,' said Diarmuid, ' until I see at which door Fionn him-
self is.' He drew near to another wattled door, and asked who was
at it. ' Caoilte the son of Crannachar Mac Ronain, and the Clanna
Ronain together with him ; and come out to us, and we will give
ourselves [fight and die] for thy sake.' • I will not go to you,' said
Diarmuid, 'for I will not cause Fionn to be angry with you for well-

• Luimneach was originally the name of the lower Shannon, e.g.
" K| beitt luinjTjecl) i^oTi A &ixuinj."
The Luimneach bears not on its bosom,

(Poem in Four Masters, A.D. 662.)
but about the year 830 the name was applied not to the river but to
the city. Ros'da shoileach means the promontory of the two sallows,
and was anciently the name of the site of the present city of Limerick
fvide O'Fluhertys OgygiaJ. (Tr.)

TRANSACTIONS OP THE 088IANIC SOCIETY. 35

doing to myself.' He drew near to another wattled door, and asked
who was at it. ' Here are Conan the son of Fionn of Liathluachra,
and theClanna Morna together with him; and we are enemies toFionn,
and thou art far dearer to us than he, and for that reason come out
to us, and none will dai-e meddle with thee.' ' Surely 1 will not go,'
said Diarmuid, ' for Fionn had rather [that] the death of every man
of you [should come to pass], than that I should be let out.' "

And so on till he has parleyed at five out of the seven
wickets.

" He drew near to another wattled door, and asked who was at it.
•No friend to thee is any that is here,' said they, ' for here are Aodh
beag* of Eamhuin, and Aodh fadat of Eamhuin, and Caol crodhaj
of Eamhuin, and Goineach§ of Eamhuin, and Gothan gilmheurachjj
of Eamhuin, and Aoife the daughter of Gothan gilmheurach of Eam-
huin, and Cuadan lorgaire^ of Eamhuin ; and we bear thee no love,
and if thou wouldst come out to us, we would wound thee till thou
shouldst be like a gallan, without respite.' ' Evil the company that
is there,' said Diarmuid, ' O ye of the lie, and of the tracking, and of
the one brogue ; and it is not the fear of your hand that is upon me,
but from enmity to you, I will not go out to you.' He drew near to
another wattled door, and asked who was at it. ' Here are Fionn
the sonof Cumhaill, the son of Art, the sonof Treunmhor O'Baoisgne,
and four hundred hirelings with him ; and we bear thee no love, and
if thou wouldst come out to us, we would cleave thy bones asunder.'
• I pledge my word,' said Diarmuid, ' that the door at which thou
art, O Fionn, is the first [i.e. the very] door by which I will pass, of
[all] the doors.' Having heard that, Fionn charged his battalions
on pain of their death and of their instant destruction, not to let
Diarmuid pass them without their knowledge. Diarmuid having
heard that, arose with an airy, high, exceeding light bound, by the
shafts of his javelins and by the staves of his spears, and went a great
way out beyond Fionn and beyond his people without their knowledge
or perception. He looked back upon them, and proclaimed to them
that he had passed them, and slung his shield upon the broad arched
expanse of his back, and so went straight westward ; and he was not
long in going ovit of sight of Fionn and of the Kenians. Then when
he saw that they followed him not, he returned back where he had
seen Aonghus and Grainne departing out of the wood, and he fol-
lowed them by their track, holding a straight course, until he reached
Ros da shoileach.

He found Aonghus and Grainne there in a warm, well-lighted hut,
and a great, wide-flaming fire kindled before them, with half a wild
boar upon spits. Diarmuid greeted them, and the very life of Grainne
all but fled out through her mouth with joy at meeting Diarmuid.

Aonghus arose early, and what he said to Diarmuid was : ' I will
now depart, O son of O'Duibhne, and this counsel I leave thee ; not

• Short Hugh, f Tall Hugh, % The slender brave one. § The
wounder. | The loud-voiced, white-fingered. ^ The tracker. \Tr.J

C

36 THE FiCTio>^s or oun torefathers.

to go into a tree having [but] one trunk, in flying before Fionn ; and
not to go into a cave of the earth, to which there will be but the one
door ; and not to go into an island of the sea, to which there will
be but one way [channel] leading ; and in whatever place thou wilt
cook thy meal, tluie eat it not; and in whatever place thou wilt
eat, there lie not ; and in whatever place thou wilt lie, there rise
not on the morrow.' "

"Wounding him like a Gallan (i}[\hr stone)" probably
means, cutting off his head, arms, and legs, and reducing him
to a mere trunk.

All this time, Blarmuid is as guiltless as the Chevalier Bay-
ard himself would be in similar circumstances. The fugitive
pair pick up an invaluable squire, and passing from one refuge
to another, they approach the west coast of Kerry ; and there,
bearing into land, are seen the war ships of Fiou's allies from
the coast of France. Nine times nine warriors come ashore,
and JDiarmuid enquires their business and country.

" « We are the three royal chiefs of Muir n-Iocht,' said they, 'and
Fionn Mac Oumhaill it is, that hath sent there to seek us, [because
of] a forest marauder, and a rebellious enemy of his, that he has
outlawed, who is called Diarmuid O'Duibhne ; and to curb him are
we now come. Also we have three venomous hounds, and we will
loose them upon his track, and it will be but a short time before we
get tidings of him ; fire burns them not, water drowns them not, and
weapons do not wound them ;* and we ourselves number twenty
hundreds of stout, stalwart men, and each man of us is a man com-
manding a hundred. Moreover, tell us who thou thyself art, or
hast thou any word of the tidings of the son of O'Duibhne ?' ' I saw
him yesterday,' said Diarmuid, ' and 1 myself am but a warrior who
am walking the world by the strength of my hand and the temper of
my sword ; and I vow that ye will have to deal with no ordinary
man, if Diarmuid meets you.' * Well, no one has been found [yet],'
quoth they. ' What are ye called yourselves?' said Diarmuid. 'Dubh-
chosach, Fionn-chosach, and Treun-chosachf are our names,' said
they."

Eifty of our hero's foes are killed in contending with him
in a trial of skill, such as neither Virgil nor Milton would have
admitted into their epics : then follow two other games of a
somewhat more dignified character. He arose at early day and
beaming dawn on the morrow, and —

" Went himself to the top of the same hill, and he had not been
there long, before the three chiefs came towards him, and he enquired

* Literally, weapons do not become red upon them,
t i.e. The black-footed, the fair-footed, and the strong-footed. (Tr.)

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 37

of them whether they would practise any more feats. They said that
they had rather find tidings of the son of O'Duibhne than that. * I
have seen a man who saw him to-day,' said Diarmuid ; and thereupon
Diavniuid put from him his weapons and his armour upon the hill,
[everything] but the shirt that was next his skin, and he stuck the
Crann buidhe of Mananan* upright with its point uppermost.
Then Diarmuid rose with a light, bird-like bound, so that he des-
cended from above upon the javelin, and came down fairly and cun-
ningly off it, having neither wound nor cut upon him.

A young warrior of the people of the green Feniansf said, * Thou
art one that never hast seen a good feat, since thou wouldst call'that
a feat ;' and with that he put his weapons and his armour from him,
and he rose in like manner lightly over the javelin, and descended
upon it full heavily and helplessly, so that the point of the javelin
went up through his heart, and he fell right down to the earth.
Diarmuid drew the javelin, and placed it standing the second time ;
and the second man of them arose to do the feat, and he too was
slain like the others. Howbeit, fifty of the people of the green
Fenians fell by Diarmuid's feat on that day ; and they bade him
draw his javelin, [saying] that he should slay no more of their people
with that feat, and they went to their ships.

Diarmuid rose on the morrow, and took with him to the aforesaid
hill, two forked poles'out of the next wood, and placed them upright ;
and the jNIoralltach.J that is, the sword of Aonghus an Brogha,
between the two forked poles upon its edge. Then he himself rose
exceeding lightly over it, and thrice measured the sword by paces
from the hilt to its point,and he came down, and asked if there was a
man of them to do that feat. ' That is a bad question,' said a man of
them, * for there never was done in Erin any feat, which some one of
us would not do.' He then rose, and went over the sword, and as he
was descending from abo ve,it happened to him, that one of his legs came
at either side of the sword, so that there were made of him two halves
to the crown of his head. Then the second man rose, and as he des-
cended from above, he chanced to fall crossways upon the sword, so
that there were two portions made of him. Howbeit, there had not
fallen more of the people of the green Fenians of Muir n-Iocht on
the two days before, than there fell upon that day. Then they
told him to take up his sword, [saying] that already too many of
their people had fallen by him ; and they asked him whether he had
gotten any word of the tidings of the son of O'Duibhne. ' I have
seen him that saw him to-day,' said Diarmuid, ' and I will go to seek
tidings to-night.*

Diarmuid rose at early dawn of the morning, and girt about him
his suit of battle and of conflict, under which, through which,
or over which, it was not possible to wound him ; and he took the

• i.e. The yellow shaft of Mananan, a spear which Mananan had
given to Diarmuid. Mananan was the son of Lear, one of the chiefs
of the Tuatha de Danann, and Lord of the Isle of Man.

f So called from the colour of their armour or of their standards.

J i.e The great and fierce one.

38 THE FICTIONS OF OUR rOREFATHERS.

Moralltach, that is, the sword of Aonghus an Brogha, at his left
side, which [sword] left no strol^e nor blow unfinished at the first
trial. He took likewise his two thick-shafted javelins of battle, that
is, the Ga-buidhe, and the Ga-dearg, from which nonerecovered, either
man or woman, that had ever been wounded by them. After that,
Diarmuid roused Grainne, and bade her keep watch and ward for
Muadhan, [saying] that he himself would go to view the four quar-
tei's around him. When Grainne beheld Diarmuid with bravery and
daring [clothed] in his suit of anger and of battle, fear and great
dread seized her, for she knew that it was for a combat and an en-
counter that he was so equipped ; and she enquired of him what he
would do. ' [Thou seest me thus] for fear lest my foes should meet
me.' That soothed Grainne, and then Diarmuid went in that array
to meet the green Fenians."

He approaches the foe, and after a short war of words, —

* « He drew the Moralltach from his sheath, and dealt a furious
stroke of destruction at the head of him that was next to him, so
that he made two portions of it. Then he drew near to the host of
the green Fenians, and began to slaughter and to discomfort them
heroically and with swift valour, so that he rushed under them,
through them, and over them, as a hawk would go through small
birds, or a wolf through a large flock of small sheep : even thus it
■was that Diarmuid hewed crossways the glittering, very beautiful
mail of the men of Lochlann, so that there went not from that spot a
man to tell the tidings, or to boast of great deeds, without having
the grievousness of death and the final end of life executed upon him,
but the three green chiefs and a small number of their people that
fled to their ships.

Diarmuid returned back having no cut nor wound, and went his
ways till he reached Muadhan and Grainne.

Diarmuid rose at early day and beaming dawn on the morrow,
and halted not, until he had reached the aforesaid hill ; and having
gotten there, he struck his shield mightily and soundingly, so that he
caused the shore to tremble with the noise [i.e. reverberate] around
him. Then said Dubh-chosach that he would himself go to fight with
Diarmuid, and straightways went ashore. Then t he and Diarmuid

• 2l5ur A5& Mi'^i rT) V'O cATittAii)5 Aij ^6\\Mcac ax a citUAil cAirse,
A3UV CU5 foT^lor-BuiUe vi'ocrijvxn be pA ceAVV At; z] x'A tjeAfA 60, 50
ij-seattntjA 6a. 6|i&At) be. 2loij ronoioooruis rluAStjASlAir-V&IoiJo, A5ur
tto 5Ab b'A t)-eiTvleAC A5ur &A ij-AccUTt)A6 50 njileAbcA tijeATt-cAlnjA, 5U|i
5Ab FiicA, c|tiocA, A5Ur civ^trA, ArijAjl t)o tiAcpAS rsAbAC v'A ii)jr)-eut)Aib, 00
Ti)Aci)citte ctte njoiticTxeub rt)]OT).c'AO]\AC ; 5unAb ATr)lA\6-x]r) 00 5eA|tn-t5| Ati-

T1)U10 CATtrOA luineACA loitJljeACA lAtJAjlne l)AloclAT)t)AC, 50 t)AC t)-&eACA]6

fCAi) it)i)rce tofejl lOATDAOi&ce n)b]V-5^]oi\) ax ai) UvcAin HT), 5^') bnoi) bAjr
A5Ur z]»)e rAojjAil ft'injinc Ain, acc ija cni sUir-f ei'^'^l^e A5ur beA3At) tJA.
Ttjuiociti no ceic cun) a Ui]t)5e.

+ ?i]n rii) "o r^is'^e i^^it) A5ur t5]Ann)uib An a c&iie 50 connAibAii, veAnA-

n}A|l, pei6Ti)eAC, puilbeAncAc, rsAnrASAc, peicneAtijAn ; trjAn a bjAti fta.
bAti) i3;vr)A, ijo 6a CA^b buile, i)6 6A leo5At) CUCA15, vo 6A fsAbAC atin.AiJCA
An bnuAc AjUe. 3unAb e ni) z]onx5nAn) A5ur cuAnAr5AbA)l At) coii)iiAic
cejc ceiiji) 6o]6eAbnA«)i)A n" ^'a cAconnA.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANir SOCIETY. 39

ru«hed upon one another like wrestlers, like men making mighty efforts,
ferocious, straining their arms and their swollen sinews, as it were
two savage oxen, or two frenzied bulls, or two raging lions, or two
fearless hawks on the edge of a cliff. And this is the form and
fashion of the hot, sore, inseparable strife that took place betwixt
them.

* They both throw their weapons out of their hands, and ran
against, and to encounter each other, and lock their knotty hands
across one another's graceful backs. Then each gave the other a
violent, mighty twist ; but Diarmuid hove Dubh-chosach upon his
shoulder, and hurled his body to the earth, and bound him firm and
fast upon the spot. Afterwards came Fionn-chosach and Treun-chosach
to combat with him, one after the other ; and he bound them with the
same binding."

JDiarmuid by this time feels aggravated with Fion and
his adherents, and deals rather remorselessly towards the three
Green Fenians. He should have kept his own antecedents
better before his eyes.

Female Couriers are often met with in our old stories : one
is here presented to the reader.

" They had not been long thus, before they saw the female messen-
ger of Fionn Mac Cumhaill coming with the speed of a swallow, or
a weasel, or like a blast of a sharp, pure, swift wind, over the top of
every high hill and bare mountain towards them ; and she enquired
of them who it was that had made that great, fearful, destroying
slaughter of them. ' Who art thou that askest ?' said they. ' I am
thefemalemessenger of Fionn Mac Cumhaill,' saidshe ; ' and Deirdre
an Duibh-shleibhe is my name, and it is to look for you that Fionn
has sent me.' ' Well then we know not who he was,' said they, ' but
we will inform thee of his appearance ; that is, [he was] a warrior
having curling, dusky-black hair, and two red ruddy cheeks, and he
it is that hath made this great slaughter of us : and we are yet more
sorely grieved that our three chiefs are bound, and that we cannot
loose them : he was likewise three days one after the other fighting
with us."*

The three enchanted hounds are finally loosed on our hero,
but they fare like his other foes, including a newly introduced
chief with a green mantle.

" Then, since it is not usual for defence [i.e. resistance] to be made
after the fall of lords, when the strangers saw that their chiefs and

• Cejlsio AttAoi) A T).AinTi) Ar A lATtjAib, A5ur nin^ A 5-C01t)I)e A5ur A 5-
con)6a]l AcS|le, A^ur ro^^^iDAjb i)a sojblAnjA rv\Ti cAol&Tion;At)T)Aib a ceile.
2lt)T) rin cUjASAti ctieunconn cnjneAroAc OA. ce]le, 5ut} tor, t5i<\Tiii)uit>t5ub-
cofAc An A 5UAlA|i)r), o'.in buAil bejm &A cottp PA caIait) ; A5ur y\o ceA05All
re 50 tiAii)5<iAi) tior5AO)lce a\\ ai) lucAjfx rip &• 1*t^ X]^ ^'^WS P|oi)o-corAc
A5ur Cfieuo-covAc 00 cotijtiAC }\\x a ij-b[Ai5 ■* c&lle, asU)- CU5 ai) cca^saI
ceu&t)A ottt^cA, &c.

40 THJi FICTIONS OF OUR FOREt'ATUEUS.

their lords were fallen, they suffered defeat, and betook themselves to
litter flight ; and Diarmuid pursued them, violently scattering them
and slaughtering them, so that unless [perchance] any one fled over
[the tops of] the forests, or under the green earth, or under the
water,there escaped not of them a n)essenger nor a man to tell tidings ;
but the gloom of death and of instant destruction was executed upon
every one of them except Deirdre of Duibh-shliabh, that is, the
female messenger of Fiorni Mac Cumhaill, who went wheeling and
hovering [around] whilst Diarmuid was making slaughter of the
strangers."

xicaders of the Waverley Novds will recollect the contempt
bestowed on tlie " Man without a Chief." The position was
sorely felt from our earliest times.

*' At that very time and hour, Fionn saw [coming] towards him
Deirdre of Duibh-shliabh, with her legs failing, and her tongue
raving, and her eyes drooping in her head ; and when Fionn saw her
[come] towards him in that plight, he asked tidings of her. ' I have
great and evil tidings to tell thee, and methinks I am one without a
lord ;'* and she told him the tale from first to last of all the
slaughter that Diarmuid O'Duibhne had made, and how the three
deadly hounds had fallen by him ; * and hardly I have escaped
myself,' quoth she."

We have no room for further extracts ; and besides we are
not inclined to impair the reader's interest in the conduct of
the story, which, making allowance for the marvellous element,
is skilfully put together. There are a few episodes introduced
of a very curious character. In correspondence with thecheerful
tone of our ancient mythology, Mananan son of Lir the
benevolent Lord of Man, and Aongiis of the Brugh, the learned
Danaan Seer afford protection to the deserving. The catas-
trophe is scarcely worthy of the plot.

■ The third volume likewise includes a metrical lamentation
after the Fenians by Oisin, and a beautiful little tale of King
Cormac, something of the character of Dean Parnell's Hermit,
the Son of Lit comporting himself as the Angel does in the
modern story.

* It was a misfortune and a reproach amongst the Irish for a
plebeian to be without a lord or chief, since he would be thus liable
to any insult or oppression, without having one to whom to look, to
obtain redress for him ; for a chief was bound, in return for the sup-
port and maintenancegivenhim by his people, to protect them all. This
relation between the chief and his tribe is expressed in the old Irish
saying put into the mouth of a clansman, "Spend me and defend me,"
(Vide Spencers View of the State of Ireland.) Deidre means to re-
proach Fionn by saying, that since he was unable to defend his own,
they might as well be lordless. {Tr.)

TRANSAOTIONS OP THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 41

HOW CORMAC MAC ATRT GOT HIS BRANCH.

" Of a time that Cormac, the son of Art, the son of Conn of the
hundred battles, that is, the ai-ch-king of Erin, was in Liathdruim,*
he saw a youth upon the green before his Dun, having in his hand a
glittering fair}' branch with nine apples of red gold upon it. And
this was the manner of that branch, that when any one shook it,
wounded men,and women with child would be lulUed to sleep by the
sound of the very sweet fairy music which those apples uttered ; and
another property that branch had, that is to say, that no one on
earth would bear in mind any want, woe, or weariness of soul when
that branch was shaken for him, and whatever evil might have be-
fallen any one, he would not remember it at the shaking of that
branch.

Cormac said to the youth, ' Is that branch thine own ?' ' It is
indeed mine,' said the youth. ' Wouldst thou sell it ?' asked Cormac.
' I would sell it,' quoth the youth, 'for I never had anything that I
would not sell.' ' What dost thou require for it ?' said Cormac. ' The
award of my own mouth,' said the youth. ' That shalt thou receive
from me,' said Cormac, ' and say on thy award.' ' Thy wife, thy
son, and ihy daughter,' answered the youth, ' that is to say, Eithne,
Cairbre, and Ailbhe.' ' Thou shalt get them all, said Cormac.
After that, the youth gives up the branch, and Cormac takes it to his
own house, to Ailbhe, to Eithne, and to Cairbre. ' That is a fair
treasure thou hast,* said Ailbhe. ' No wonder,' answered Cormac,
' for I gave a good price for it.' * What didst thou give for it or in
exchange for it?' asked Ailbhe. ' Cairbre, Eithne, and thyself, O
Ailbhe.' ' That is a pity,' quoth Eithne, * [yet it is not true), for we
think that there is not upon the face of the earth, that treasure for
which thou wouldst give us.' 'I pledge my word, said Cormac,
'that I have given you for this treasure.' Sorrow and heaviness of
heart filled them, when they knew that to be true, and Eithne said,
• It is too hard a bargain [to give] us three for any branch in the
world.' When Cormac saw that grief and heaviness of heart came
upon them, he shakes the branch amongst them ; and when they heard
the soft, sweet music of the branch, they thought no longer upon any
evil or care that had ever befallen them, and they went forth to
meet the youth. ' Here,' said Cormac, ' thou hast the price thou
didst ask for this branch.' ' Well hast thou fulfilled thy promise,'
said the youth, ' and receive [wishes for] victory and blessing for
the sake of thy truth ;' and he left Cormac wishes for life and health,
and he and his company went their ways. Cormac came to his hou.se,
and when that news was heard throughout Erin, loud cries of weep-
ing ■end of mourning were made in every quarter of it, and in Liath-
druim above all. When Cormac heard the loud cries in Teamhair,he

• Liathdruim. This was the ancient name of Teamhair, or Tara.
It means the druim or ridge of Liath, who was the son of Laighne
leathanghlas.

42 THE FICTIONS OF OUR T0REFATHER3.

shook the branch among them, so that there was no longer any grief
or heaviness of heart upon any one.

He continued thus for the space of that year, until Cormac said,
' It is a year to-day since my wife, ray son, and my daughter were
taken from me, and I will follow them by the same path that they
took.'

Then Cormac went forth to look for the way by which he had seen
the youth depart, and a dark magical mist rose about him, and he
chanced to come upon a wonderful marvellous plain. That plain was
thus : there was there a wondrous very great host of horsemen, and
the work at which they were, was the covering-in of a house with
the feathers of foreign birds, and when they had put covering upon
one half of the house, they used to go* off to seek birds' feathers for
the other ; and as for that half of the house upon which they had put
covering, they used not to find a single feather on it when they re-
turned. After that Cormac had been a long time gazing at them in
this plight, he thus spoke : "I will no longer gaze at you, for I per-
ceive that you will be toiling at that from the beginning to the end
of the world.'

Cormac goes his way, and he was wandering over the plain until
he saw a strange foreign-looking youth walking the plain, and his
employment was this ; he used to drag a large tree out of the ground,
and to break it between the bottom and the top, and he used to make
a fire of it, and to go himself to seek another tree, and when he came
back again he would not find before him, a scrap of the first tree
that was not burned and used up. Cormac was for a great space
gazing upon him in that plight, and at last he said, ' I indeed will
go away from thee henceforth, for were I for ever gazing upon thee,
thou wouldst be so at the end of all.'

Cormac, after that, begins to walk the plain until he saw three im-
mense wells on the border of the plain, and those wells were thus :
they had three heads in them [i.e. one in each]. Cormac drew near
to the next well to him, and the head that was in that well was thus :
a stream was flowing into its mouth, and two streams were flowing
from or out of it. Cormac proceeds to the second well, and the
head that was in that well was thus : a stream was flowing iuto it, and
another stream flowing out of it. He pr6ceeds to the third well,
and the head that was in that well v/as thus : three streams were
flowing into its mouth, and one stream only flowing out of it. Great
marvel seized Cormac hereupon, and he said, ' I will be no longer

* The Consuetudinal Past, as it is called by the Irish grammarians,
reads strangely in English in the above sentences, where however the
tense could not be otherwise rendered than by periphrases of various
kinds, such as, " They continually went off," " They kept going off,"
&e. The English, however, do not always, even by this method, ex-
press the continuity or repetition of an action, leaving it to be un-
derstood ; but the Irish, having special tenses, present and past, for
the purpose, are very careful in making the distinction, which they
attempt in English also.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 411

gazing upon you, for I should never find any man to tell me your
histories ; and I think that I should find good sense in your meanings
if I understood them.' And the time of day was the noon.

The king of Erin goes his ways, and he had not been long walking
when he saw a very great field before him,* and a house in the
middle of the field ; and Cormac draws near to the house, and entered
into it, and the king of Erin greeted [those that were within]. A
very tall couple, with clothes of many colours, that were within,
answered him, and they bade him stay, ' whoever thou art, O youth,
for it is now no time for thee to be travelling on foot.' Cormac the
son of Art sits down hereupon, and he was right glad to get hospi-
tality for that night.

'Rise, O man of the house,' said the woman, *for there is a fair
and comely wanderer by us, and how knowest thou but th at he is
some honorable noble of the men of the world ?f and if thou hast
one kind of food better than another, let it be brought to me.' The
youth upon this arose, and he came back to them in this fashion, that
is, with a huge wild boar upon his back, and a log in his hand ; and
he cast down the swine and the log upon the floor, and said, * There
ye have meat, and cook it for yourselves.' ' How should I do that ?'
asked Cormac. ' 1 will teach you that,' said the youth ; ' that is to
say, to split this great log which I have, and to make four pieces of
it, and to put down a quarter of the boar, and a quarter of the log
under it, and to tell a true story, and the quarter of the boar will be
cooked.' 'Tell the first story thyself,' said Cormac, 'for the two
should fairly tell a story for the one.' ' Thou speakest rightly,'
quoth the youth, ' and methinks that thou hast the eloquence of a
prince, and I will tell thee a story to begin with. That swine that I
brought,' he went on, ' I have but seven pigs of them, and I could
feed the world with them ; for the pig that is killed of them, you
have but to put its bones into the sty again, and it will be found alive
upon the morrow,' That story was true, and the quarter of the pig
was cooked.

" Tell thou a story now, O woman of the house," said the youth.
" I will," quoth she, " and do thou put down a quarter of the wild
boar, and a quarter of the log under it." So it was done. " I have
seven white cows," safd she, " and they fill the seven kieves with
milk every day ; and I give my word, that they would give as much
milk as would satisfy them, to the men of the whole world, were they
upon the plain drinking it." That story was true, and the quarter
of the pig was therefore cooked.

• Literally, he saw from him. This expression the Irish intro-
duce into English, meaning that a person sees a thing at a distance,
as if stretched before him. In the same way they say, " I saw him
to me," i.e. approaching me.

t i.e.. Of foreign parts. Duine uasal, here rendered a Noble, does
hterally mean a noble man, and was formerly applied to the gentle-
men of a tribe, the class between the chief and the plebeians : in the
spoken language it still remains a Gentleman, and a dkuine uasail is
the equivalent for " Sir" in conversation, not a shaoi, as is found in
various modern printed dialogues.

44 THE FICTIONS OF OUR F0IIEFATEER8.

" If your storiesbe true," said Cormac, " thou indeed art Mananan,
and she is your wife ; for no one upon the face of the earth* pos-
sesses those treasures but only Mananan, for it was to Tir Tairrngire
he went to seek that woman, and he got those seven cows with her,
and he coughed upon them until he learned [the wonderful powers
of] their milking, that is to say, that they would fill the seven kieves
at one time." "Full wisely hast thou told us that, O youth," said
the man of the house, "and tell a story for thy own quarter now."
•* I will," said Cormac, " and do thou lay a quarter of the log under
the cauldron, until I tell thee a true story." So it was done, and
Cormac said, " 1 indeed am upon a search, for it is a year this day
that my wife, my son, and my daughter were borne away from me."
" Who took them from thee ?" asked the man of the house. " A
youth that came to me," said Cormac, " having in his hand a fairy
branch, and I conceived a great wish for it, so that I granted him
the award of his own mouth for it, and he exacted from me my word
to fuUfil that: now the award that he pronounced against me was,
my wife, my son, and niy daughter, to wit, Eithne, Cairbre, and
Ailbhe." " If what thou sayest be true," said the man of the house,
•*thou indeed art Cormac, son of Art, son of Conn of the hundred
battles." " Truly I am," quoth Cormac, " and it is in search of
those I am now." That story was true, and the quarter of the pig
was cooked. " Eat thy meal now," said the young man. " I never
ate food," said Cormac, " having only two people in my company."
" Wouldst thou eat it with three others, O Cormac ?" asked the
young man. "If they were dear to me, I would," said Cormac.
The man of the house arose, and opened the nearest door of the
dwelling, and [went and] brought in the three whom Cormac sought,
and then the courage and exultation of Cormac rose.

After that, Mananan came to him in his proper form, and said
thus : " I it was, who bore those three away from thee, and I it was,
who gave thee that branch, and it was in order to bring thee to this
house, that I took them from thee, and there is your meat now, and
eat food," said Mananan. " 1 would do so," said Cormac, " if I could
learn the v. onders that I have seen to-day." "Thou shalt learn
them," said Mananan, " and I it was, that caused thee to go towards
them that thou mightest see them. The* host of horsemen that

• iiv. 6\\\i]n) I7A cAlrijAi). literally, upon the back or ridge of the
earth, which is the Irish idiom.

f Faiscin to see. This in the spoken language \s feicsin, always
pronounced by metathesis _/ma« or feiscint. The Irish language at
the present day seems to have a repugnance to the sound of the
letter x (which is nearly represented by the combinations cs, gs), so
metathesis generally takes place, e. g. bosga for hogsa, a box ;
Duiscin for huicsin, a boxing-glove ; foisge for foigse, nearer ; tuisgin,
for tuigsin, to understand ; tuisge for tuigse, the understanding; tuis-
geanach for tuigseunach,con&i(l(ira,te ; but 5ag-saHacA, an Englishman,
and ^^agsanojEngland, are pronounced Sasanach, Sasana. This pecu-
liarity is sometimes introduced into English by those who speak it
imperfectly, and who may be heard to say eshkcrcAse for " exercise."

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIKTY. ^^

appeared to thee covering in the house with the birds' feathers,
which, according as they covered half of the house, used to disappear
from it, and they seeking birds' feathers for the rest of it — that is
a comparison which is applied to poets, and to people that seek a
fortune, for when they go out,all that they leave behind them in their
houses is spent, and so they go on for ever. The young man whom
thou sawest kindling the fire, and who used to break the tree between
bottom and top, and who used to find it consumed whilst he was away
seeking for another tree, — what is represented by that, are those who
distribute food whilst every one else is being served, they themselves
getting it ready, and every one else enjoying the profit thereof. The
wells which thou sawest in which were the heads, — that is a com-
parison which is applied to the three that are in the world.* These
are they : that is to say, that head which has one stream flowing into
it, and one stream flowing out of it, is the man who gives [the goods
of] the world as he gets [^them^.-|- That head which thou sawest
with one stream flowing into it, and two streams flowing out of it,
the meaning of that is — the man who gives more than he gets [of the
goods] of the world. J The head which thou sawest with three
streams flowing into its mouth and one stream flowing out of it, that
is the man who gets much and gives little, and he is the worst of the
three. And now eat thy meal, O Cormac," said Mananan.

After that, Cormac, Cairbre, Ailbhe, and Eithne sat down, and a
table-cloth was spread before them. " That is a full precious thing
before thee, O Cormac," said Mananan, " for there is no food, how-
ever delicate, that shall be demanded of it, but it shall be had with-
out doubt," '•■ That is well," quoth Cormac. After that Mananan
thrust his hand into his girdle, and brought out a goblet, and set it
upon his jialm. '-It is of the virtues of this cup," said Mananan,
"that when a falsestoi-y is told before it, it makes four pieces of it;
and when a true story is related before it, it will be whole again."
"Let that be proved," said Cormac. "It shall be done," said
Mananan. "This woman that I took from thee, she has had another
husband since I brought her with me." Then there were four
pieces made of the goblet. " That is a falsehood," said the wife of
Mananan. " 1 say that they have not seen a woman or a man since
they left thee but their three selves." That story was, true and the
goblet was joined together again. " Those are very precious things,
that thou hast, O Mananan," said Cormac. " They would be good
for thee [to have]," answered Mananan, "therefore they shall all
three be thine, to wit, the goblet, the branch, and the tablecloth, in
consideration of thy walk and of thy journey this day ; and eat thy
meal now, for were there a host and a multitude by thee,thou shouldst
find no grudging in this place. And I greet you kindly as many as
ye are, for it was I that worked magic upon you, so that ye might be
with me to-night in friendship."

* This is the Irish mode of expressing " three classes of men
that exist."

t i.e. who is liberal according to his means.

j This is a mode, and certainly a strong one, of saying " who is
more liberal than he can afford."

46 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

He eats his meal after that ; and that meal was good, for they
thought not of any meat but they got it upon the table-cloth, nor of
any drink but they got it in the cup, and they returned great thanks
for all that to Mananan. Howbeit, when they had eaten their raeal,
that is to say, Cormac, Eithne, Ailbhe, and Cairbre, a couch was
prepared for them, and they went to slumber and sweet sleep ; and
where they rose upon the morrow was in the pleasant Liathdruim,
with their table-cloth, their cup, and their branch.
Thus far tl"ien the 'wanderingof Cormac and how he got his branch.'"

We find the influence of the ancient forms of expression
still prevailing among our peo[)le who are acquainted with the
English language only. The consueiudinal mood referred to
in one of Mr. O'Grady's notes on this tale, is still used in a
fashion by English-speaking Celts. Instead of saying, ' He,
is in the habit of strolling along the river-banks every day,'
or, * he is accustomed to stroll/ &c., thus making use of an
infinitive mood or {)articiple along with the principal verb,
they say. * He does be strolling along the river-banks every
day.' To every one accustomed to hear English spoken with
Irish idioms, this last sentence, though inelegant in form,is more
expressive, and conveys a fuller notion of continuity than the
ordinary phrase, ' He strolls along the river banks every day.'
To this Celtic characteristic of attachment to old institutions,
and dislike of change, is owing our tautology, and circumlo-
cution, and the preservation of Irish and Anglo-Norman words
and phrases. A peasant will still say, ' the fever is very brief (a
mistake for rife) in such a place ;' and on entering a company,
he will use the old salutation, ^ Sit yevierry, or, Sitk i/e merry,'
as if he was a Saxon of the reign of Edward IV. He does not
renounce — he reneagues his bad ways ; he calls his shelves for
crockery and pewter ware after the old French dressoir ; his
son is not a boy or lad, he is ^gorsoon. The inhabitants of the
' Big House,' are not ladies and gentlemen, they are the ' Per-
sons of Quality,' or simply, the ' Quality ' of Queen Anne's
reign. Instead of saying, ' I had the good fortune to break
my whiskey bottle,' he recalls the Anglo-French of the times of
the Fale^ and crie^, ' I made brisUe of my bottle of whiskey.'
He translates the Gallic m«/ literally, and complains of being
very had^ when he is only sich. Of a subtle nature, he will not
call a 'spade,' a s;;a^g ,• he prefers the Irish equivalent Fac,
and when dirt is very dirty, he calls it Sal. The gutturals and
asjurations of Saxon, Irish, and old French, possess their old
influence over him, he retains the pronunciation of ages before
the Conquest, and in every dozen words he utters, one at least,
is genuinely Irish.

TRANSACTIONS OF TUK OSBIANIC SOCIETY. 47

Our substantial Irish folk are more wise in their generation,
than to hold out extra encouragement to the productions of
native poets, novelists, painters of historical pictures, — indeed,
to merely literary products of every kir.d, music perhaps
excepted. They know by instinct, how useless and burden-
some to themselves and society in general, are middling pro-
fessors or practitioners in letters and the fine arts. However,
in withholding their patronage from the bad and the middhng,
the really gifted come to the wall along with the rest, unless
they employ their talents or genius on foreign subjects, or
get their wares marked with a British stamp : then indeed
they enjoy the privileges accorded to all foreigners. No truly
national periodical need hope for a long life or adequate sup-
port. In our Hibernian art-exhibitions, a cunning thief might
remove the specimens of native artists without fear of detection ;
and if a writer unprovided with a strong purse, attempts to
publish a work in any department of literature on an Irish
subject, let him prepare to meet a heavy bill with small returns
from the booksellers. There was a National Magazine published
•ill Dubhn about thirty years since, and conducted with ability,
yet the proprietors lost about a thousand pounds by it in two
or three years. An enthusiastic dealer in rare books, chiefly
on Irish subjects, started a truly national and valuable historic-
al work (a translation from the Irish) in numbers, had it ably
translated and edited, and completed it in the very best style as
regarded appearance. His reward was bankruptcy, and the re-
sult— the deaths of his wife and himself of broken hearts, and
the dispersion of their helpless family. With natural good taste,
and notbad judgment, we seem afraid to pronounce on the merit or
demerit of anything inthedomain of art or literature, till wecan
ascertain what the people of England, or their artistic and
literary Aristarchuses think or feel about it.

Wilham Elliott Hudson was an honorable exception to many
of his countrymen in this respect. By personal exertions and
by great pecuniary sacrifices, he long aided every laudable effort
to revive or preserve our ancient literary monuments.

To him we owe the national music preserved in the Citizen.
The Celtic Society were under deep obligations to him, and one
of his latest efforts was directed to the formation of the Ossianic
Society. Mr. O'Daly, Editor of the fourth volume of its
transactions, has not forgotten the friend of the " mere Irish "
men of letters. His bust forms the vignette of the volume,

48 THE FICTIONB OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

and a well deserved and grateful tribute is paid to his memory
in the opening sheet. Let the owners of the yet-unpublished
manuscripts, the past and future editors, and the annual sub-
scribers, lake no offence at our complaint of the apathy of our
gentry and middle classes, but receive the praises accorded to
Hudson and such as he, as indirectly given also to themselves.

The volume now under consideration begins with one of the
everlasting dialogues between Oisiu and our National Saint,
in which, as usual, we are made to sympathise with the proud
and carnal-minded old Heathen. Then we have the bloody
fight of Knoc-an-Air (Hill of Slaughter) and its results, Oisin's
visit to Tir-na-n- Oge, and the Boyish Eicploits of F'lon Mac
Cmnhail already discussed. Great judgment, and care, and
sound knowledge oftheold tongue, are evident in the translation,
and the editor has not been niggardly in imparting informa-
tion on every thing connected with the subject matter of tale
or poem, as he renders it into English. Indeed Gselic litera-
ture owes him much. Were it not for his zeal in its cause, and
his business aptitudes, many a valuable and interesting relic of
the genius and fancy of our old bards and story tellers, would be
lost to ourselves and those who succeed us ; ay, and many an
interesting ancedote of the provincial poets and learned Trojans
of the past generation. His lines (we trust) have fallen in
pleasanter places than those of poor Bryan Geraghty, who if
not as profound a Gaelic scholar, was full as enthusiastic for
the literary glories of his native land.

From the dialogue we select a few stanzas. Oisin loquitur.

" I have heard music more melodious than your music,
Tho' greatly thou praisest the clerics,
The song of the blackbird of Letter Lee,
And the melody which the Dord Fiann made.

The very sweet thrush of Gleann-a-sgail,

Or the dashing of the barks touching the strand;
More melodious to me was the cry of the hounds.
Than of thy schools, O chaste cleric.

Little Cnu, Cnu of my heart,

The small dwarf who belonged to Fionn, —
When he chaunted tunes and songs.
He put us into deep slumbers.

Blathnaid, the youthful maid,

Who was never betrothed to man under the «un.
Except to little Cnu alone, —
O Patrick, sweet was her mouth.

TIIAN8ACTI0NS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY, V.J

The twelve hounds which belonged to Fionn,
When they were let loose through Glen Rath,
Were sweeter than musical instruments,
And their face outwards from the Suir."

'Twas the desire of the son of Cumhall of noble mien,
To listen to the sound of Dromderg,
To sleep at the stream of Eas Ruaidh,
And to chase the deer of Galway of the bays.

The warbling of the blackbird of Letter Lee,
The wave of Rughraidhe lashing the shore,
The bellowing of the ox of Magh-maoin,
And the lowing of the calf of Gleann-da-mhail.

The resounding of the chase of Sliabh-g-Crot,
The noise of the fawns round Sliabh Cua ;
The seagulls' scream on lorrus yonder.
Or the screech of the ravens over the battle-field.

The tossing of the hulls of the barks by the wave.
The yell of the hounds at Drumlish ;
The cry of Bran at Cnoc-an-air,
Or the murmur of the streams about Sliabh Mis.

The call of Oscur going to the chase.

The cries of the hounds at Leirg na bh-Fiann ;
To be sitting amongst the bards.
That was his desire constantly."

The Battle of Cnoc-afi-Air (or AurJ is a very fair speci-
men of the old heroic poem of the Celts. The exploits of the
chief heroes are indeed superhuman, but there is no ranting
nor bombast. The slaughter of the men with or without
names, is terrible, but the Fenians fight only in self-defence.
Fion does not expose himself to personal risk, but he is not
lavish of the blood of his own people nor of the invaders ; and
instead of a general melee, himself and his princess procure an
engagement of a few warriors on either side to determine the
victory. The authors of tliis poem and of the story of Dlanuuid
and Grainne did not consult each other as to little points of
chronology. She did not become Fion's wife till some time
after the other hero's death ; but in the present poem, Diar-
mtdd is fighting among the "Seven battalions of the standing
Fenians," as lustily as if he had not been slain many years be-
fore, on the tulagh at Sliabh Gulban.^ But if Homer and
Cervantes have been caught napping at times, let needful
slumber be forgiven to our own nameless bards.

* A Mountain in Sligo, now called Ben Beelban.

) THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

Oisin commences thus : —

" We were all, the Fians and Fionn,
Assembled on this hill to the west.
Practising feats of agility,
And we so mirthful casting stones.

» • ■

Fionn gazed above his head.

And he beheld a mighty omen of blood.

' I greatly fear,' saith the sage,

' That a ruin of slaughter will come upon the Fians,

Conan spoke with a loud voice,
Exclaiming haughtily and proudly,
' There is no one whose colour changed,
I confess, but a coward.'

' O Fionn, son of Cumhall,' saith the Druid,
* Call thy forces in thy presence.
And divide them into two separate bodies,
That they may watch the approach of the foe.'

Fionn sounded the Dord Fhiann,
And they answered by a shout,
Each man vieing to be first.
Noble, chief, and host."

After some discussions and false alarms : —

•♦ A woman more beauteous than the sun.
The Fians beheld approaching on the plain ;
Fionn Mac Cumhall, I tell thee,
Was saluted by the queen of the red mantle.

' Who art thou, O queen ?' saith Fionn,
' Of the gentlest mien and loveliest form :
Truly more sweet to me is thy voice,
Than all the strains of music.'

• Niamh-nuadh-chrothach, is my name,
Daughter of Garraidh, the son of Dolar Dein ;
The chief king of Greece, my curse upon him 1
Bound me to Tailc Mac Treoin.'

'Why is it that thou shunnest him ?
Do not conceal the fact from me now :
As thy protector till judgment's day,
I take thy hand against his will.'

'Not without cause did I hate him.
Black as the coal was his skin ;
Two ears, a tail, and the head of a cat.
Are upon the man of repulsive countenance.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 51

I walked [travelled] the world thrice,
And did not leave a king or lord.
That I did not implore, but thee, O Fionn,
And a chief never promised me protection from him.'

' I will protect thee, O youthful daughter,'

Saith Mac Cumhaill, who was never conquered,
' Or all shall fall for thy sake.
The seven battalions of the Fians.'

Soon we saw coming towards us.
The chieftain Tailc of the hard spear ;
He did not salute, or pay homage to Fionn,
But demanded battle on account of his wife.

When Tailc had butchered a Dumber of the Feninn host, he
was taken in hand by Oscur, and.

For five nights and five days.

Were the two, who were not feeble in battle,
Without food, without drink, without sleep,
'Till Tailc fell conquered 'oy my son.

Niamh-nuadh-chrothach, sad the tale,

When she beheld the extent of the slaughter.
Shame overcame her crimsoned face.
And she fell lifeless among the slain.

The death of the queen after all ills,
Was what preyed most upon us all ;
This hill after the conflict,
The Fenians named Cnoc-an-Air,"

A new terror now approaches, Mergach of the Green Spears.
He comes evidently intent on mischief. He is as fell a cham-
pion as Tailc, but of better manners ; he parleys before coming
to blows.

M. " ' Relate unto me, O son of mighty Cumhaill,
As thou didst promise at the commencement,
By whom, or how did fall
Tailc the strong and powerful, and his bright love.'

F. ' Tailc Mac Treoin the great fell,

By the power of the strong arm of Oscur the iiuble j
There fell by Tailc, at first of the Fians,
Full ten hundred of spotless men.'

M. • Was it not shameful to thee, O Fionn,

To suffer the princess of the loftiest fame.
To be put to death by the Fians ?
Her death will bring havoc among the Fians of Fail.'
D

52 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

F. 'Not I nor any of the Fenians,

Ordered the death of the woman ;

But when she beheld the loss of the host.

Into the pangs of death she fell.' "

After much waste of breath, it is settled that some Penian
■warrior shall meet Mergach in ' battle and conflict' next morn-
ing. Fiou then proceeds to sound the loyalty and resolution
of his forces : —

" He first addressed the front battalion, Qfresh ;

Who were named the battalion of heroes smooth and
He inquired of them in a loud tone,
Would they'fight as usual in his cause ?

They all at once answered Fionn

That for him they would ever fight ;

The battalion of the chieftains said likewise,

That they would follow the battalion with most hands.

The battalion of the middle-sized men said.
In battle or conflict however desperate,
That they never deserted their noble king.
And would never flinch one step.

The battalion of the middle-aged men said,
They would not flinch till the day of death ;
And the battalion of the stout men said also.
That they would follow him like the rest.

The battalion of the small men said.

And the battalion behind them, the rear guards.

That they were faithful in their acts,

And that they would follow him like the rest."

But when he demands a single champion to meet the terrible
Mergach, neither will the Smooth and Fresh heroes, nor the
Chieftains, nor the Middle-sized, nor the Middle Aged, nor
the Stout Men, nor the Sriiall 3Ien, grant him the much-de-
sired hero. However, Caoin Liath, the chief of the rear guard,
offers to engage next morning one of the best men of the
invaders ; and,

" Caoin Liath took his armour and shield,
And fiercely struck the battle-blow ;
Meargach of the blue spears came
With his host immediately to the spot.

Meargach called forth one of his oWn men,
Whose name was Donn Dorcain ;
Then the two attacked each other.
Dexterous and stoutly on Cnoc-an-Air.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 03

The twain, who were not feeble in battle,
Were freely cleaving bodies and limbs.
From the rising of the sun till evening.
Till Donn Dorcain fell, a headless corpse.
• • •

When Meargach of the blades beheld
That Caoin Liath laid Donn low,
He armed his well-proportioned, elegant body
In battle armour for conflict and death."

No one is judged meet to encounter Mergach but Oscur.

" Oscur went forth in battle armour.

And he took his arms and shield in his hand ;

He went onwards to meet

Angry Meargach, the lion of bravery.

The two attacked each other on the second day.
In the morning with fierce blows.
Cleaving and wounding each the other,
And 'twas not long till the Fians shouted.

• • »

This was why the Fenians wailed,
O Patrick of the clerics, truly ;
The third blow given by Meargach of the blades,
Left Oscur weak upon the ground.

When we beheld Oscur down,

We and the rest supposed him dead ;
But 'twas not long till the valorous hero
Arose alive, and stood up.

' Remember Oscur' saith Oonan Maol,
'Thy fall to the Fians will be a loss ;
Remember every hard battle
Thou sustained for the hosts of Fioun.'

The two were of the fairest features,
Oscur and Meargach I say ;
On the second day on the approach of evening.
That their form or appearance could not be distinguished.

There was not a spot of their smooth bodies
Without trace of scars and wounds of blades.
From the top of their heads to the sole of their feet :
To us and the rest it was not pleasant.
• • •

The two brave heroes relinquished the battle
For that night, and sorely wounded
Were their bodies, flesh and bone,
Without vigor, without fame, without force.

54 THE FICTIONS OF ODIl roRKFATHERS.

On the iBoriiing of the morrow.

The two encountered each other fiercely ;
They were the strongest and mightiest of arm.
That ever came on earth.

In might, in strength, and in agility,
Without want of feats or deeds.
The two gave not up the action.
For day or night during ten days.

Not long were we on both sic'es.
Ministering and listening to them ;
Till Mearoach was behind his shield.
Prepared for Oscur of the severe blows.

Oscur did not give him rest or quarter.
But severely dealt each fierce blow ;
At the close of the severe combat,
Of Meargach he cut his head." .

The noble Oscur is at last allowed to repose on his couch of
rushes, and look to the healing of his wounds, while MergacKs
sons and chiefs engage in single combat with the Fians.
Conan the foul-tongucd, the bald, and the cowardlj, is obliged
to take his turn.

" Conan never potent in battle,

And who never sought fame for valour or deeds.

Went to meet Liagan, who when he came in his presence.

Said, ' silly is thy visit, thou bald man !'

When Oonan came nigh to him,
Liagan fiercely raised his hand ;
< More dangerous for thee is the man behind.
Than I before thee,' saith Conan,

Liagan the heroic looked behind.

And quick was the blow made by Conan :

Before he could look forward,

His head was severed from the neck !

Conan did not maintain his ground.
Nor did he ask any to take his place ;
He ran with all haste towards the Fians,
And flung his blade from his hand."

TRANSACTIONS OP THE OSSTANIC SOCIETY. 55

At last it comes to the turn of Faolan.

" Faolan had hardly dealt the second blow
To Cian Mac Lachtna of the hard blades.
When we beheld approaching
A fair princess of noble features.

Cian Mac Lachtna fell by Faolan
Before the princess arrived ;
The battle was relinquished on each side,
Waiting the arrival of that fair lady.

The enemy raised a wail of grief
On recognising the princess ;
The Fians were silently gazing at her,
Whilst she incessantly shed tears !

The noble princess cried and wailed,
And wrung her hands in dismal grief;
She shed a bitter flood of tears.
And exclaimed, ' where are my Three ?'

The bright princess went forth
Intensely wailing among the slain.
Till she reached the spot,
Where her husband and two sons fell.

The Fians mustered east and west,
The foe, in hke manner, feebly came
From every side and peak of the hill.
Listening to the caoin of the woman.

™g
Till she fell into the swoon of death ;
The foe raised a bitter wail.
And the Fians themselves were in grief!

We and the foe imagined.

That she had there died without a moan ;
But she assumed her own shape again.
And sung in tears the lay that follows !

' 0 Meargach of the sharp green blades.
Many a conflict and severe fight.
Amidst the hosts and in single combat.
Came off by thy hardy hand in thy time.

Long was thy journey afar.

From thine own fair land to Inis Fail,

To visit Fionn and the Fians,

Who treacherously put my Three to death

THE FICTIONS 01? OUR FOREFATHERS.

Sorrowful ! my husband — my chief!
I lost by the wiles of the Fians,
My t<PO youths — my two sons.
My two men that were fierce in battle !

My grief! my Dun laid low,

My grief! my shelter and shield,
My grief I Meargach and Ciardan,
My grief! Liagan of the broad chest!

My grief! my riches all,

My grief! your absence in battle time.
My grief! my muster of hosts.
My grief ! my three heroic lions !

I knew, by the mighty fairy host.
That were in conflict over the Dun,
Fighting each other in the chasms of the air.
That evil would befal my Three !

I knew, by the fairy strain.

That came direct into mine ear.

That evil tidings were not far from me :

Your fall was what it portended !

I knew, on the morn of that day.

On which my three noble heroes parted me.
On beholding tears of blood on their cheeks.
That they would not return victorious to me !

I knew, O noble Three,

In forgetting the leashes of your hounds.
That ye would not again return with victory,
Without treachery from the hosts of Fionn !

I knew, ye torches of valor !

By the cascade's stream, near the Dun,
Having changed into blood at your departure,
That this guile was ever found in Fionn.

I knew, by the eagle's visit
Each evening over the Dun,
That ere long I would hear
Evil tidings from my Three 1

I knew, when the huge tree withered.
Both branch and leaves before the Dun,
That victorious you would never return.
From the wiles of Fionn Mac Cumhaill !'

TRANSACTIONS OP THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 57

' Do not decry Fionn, O noble princess (saith Grainne),
Nor yet decry the Fians ;
'Twas not by treachery and craft,
That thy three [heroes] fell I"

* I knew by the sorrowful vision
That revealed my doom to me.
That my head and hands were cut off.
That it was ye who were bereft of sway !

I knew by melodious Uaithnin,
The favorite dog of my Liagan,
Howling each morning early,
That death was certain for my Three !

I knew, when in a vision I saw,

A pool of blood where the Dun stood,

That my Three were vanquished

By the wiles from which Fionn was never exempt !'
» « •

' Had they remained in their own country,

0 mild princess,' saith Grainne of Fionn,
And not come to be avenged for Mac Treoin,
From the Fians they would have received no hurt !'

' Had they fallen in fair battle.

Without deceit or treachery, O gentle Grainne,

1 would not reproach the Fians,

But they do not survive to bear me witness 1'

'Had they survived, O noble princess.

They themselves would not decry the Fians ;

'Twas by valour and might of arm.

They laid low thy Three !
« » •

O Ailne !' saith the pleasant Grainne,

I know that thou hast come from afar :

Come with me and with the Fians,

Till we together eat and drink."

Ailne of the bright form declined

The invitation given her by Grainne of Fionn ;

And she said it was beneath herself

To partake of cheer from people of their deeds.

' May my body be rent in two !'
Saith Conan, in a surly voice,
' But thou slialt pay, O Ailne bright.
For unjustly stigmatising our hosts !'

58 THE PICTIONS OF OUR rOREFATHERS.

♦ O biild man of the ugliest aspect,
That I have yet met on any plain,
I apprehend I have sorely paid
For the stigma given, and how sad the tale I'

' Thou shalt pay more sorely,' saith Conan,
For the scandal thou hast given the Fians,
I Mill cut off thy head of the golden locks,
If I am permitted by Fionn of the Fians.'

' Though huge and bulky is thy body.
And though flat and bald is thy skull,
And tho' thou art thick-boned, tough-sinewed, swift.
These are marks which ill become a hero !'

We the Fenians, all raised

A shout of joy, so did the foe.

When the woman rebuked and reproached

The silly bald man [Conan].

He drew his sword from its costly scabbard.
And made a fierce dart towards the woman ;
Oscur gave him a hard blow.
That made Conan shriek and roar.

Conan howled, and looked piteously

On Oscur of the sharp-tempered blades,

And he said, ' shameful is the deed :

Thou hast pierced my breast from side to side !'

• I would not pierce thy breast nor thy body.
But that 1 saw thy bad intent :
It was not meet for thee to unsheath thy sword.
On seeing the shape and beauty of the woman,"

In the morning the Fians came
On the hill where lay the slain ;
And 'twas not long till we beheld approaching,
Ailne of the bright countenance, and her hosts.

Grainne advanced to meet them.
And took gentle Ailne by the hand ;
They walked together on the one path.
And the two approached the front of the hosts.

At the time that they reached us,

Daire sounded the melodious music of battle ;

Fionn sounded the Bar-buadh,

And called in haste his mighty hosts.

O bright Ailne !' saith Grainne,
• Is it thy wish that two heroes
Should fight with their blades,
Or a general battle on each side ?'

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. OD

' O Grainne !' saith Ailne of the bri'-^ht countenance,
It is thus it should be at either side.
Thirty of the Fenian heroes.
And thirty their match, to meet.'

' Call to thee thy thirty heroes (saith G-rainne),
On the plain by themselves.
And I shall call thirty of the Fians,
Till they give severe battle on Cnoc-an-Air !

' O Thuardan !' saith Ailne, of the bright countenance.
There fell by thy hand in one day,
One hundred and three, mighty, swift men :
Come thou as leader in the fight !'

* O Giabhan !' saith Grainne aloud,

' There fell by thy hand in one battle,
Three hundred and sixteen men :
Stand thou by his side.'

* O Meanuir !' saith Ailne, 'go forth.

Thou that hast brought the swift deer from the hill.
By the swiftness of thy two fleet hardy legs :
Cowardice is not thy character in battle.'

' O Ruaithne !' saith pleasant Grainne,

♦ Thou wouldst not crush the withered grass,
When in pursuit [of the foe] by thy fleetness :
Thou shalt match him in the conflict.'

The two gentle women,

Ailne, and Grainne the wife of Fionn,

Were calling and choosing the men.

Until exactly thirty were mustered at a side.

The mighty men attacked each other.

Each two of them in hand to hand conflict,
At the close of the battle there only survived,
O Patrick ! but two of the Fians !"

Ailfte is still insatiable of blood, and will at any cost, have
a general melee. Fiou and Grainne do all in their power to
avoid bloodshed, but in vain ; at last^ the chief loses his tem-
per.

" Fionn then vehemently sounded.

The Dord with a call for vengeance to the fight ;
They attacked each other at either Bide,
And the battle was fought furiously I

Alas, O Patrick ! that was the battle,

The fiercest and the mightiest of hand to hand conflicts,
That was fought since the beginning of the world,
And to the stubborn princess 'twas disastrous !

60 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

O Patrick ! I relate but the truth :
Though the foe were hardy and fierce.
They all fell by the Fians,
Except three and the princess herself.

The princess and the three departed,
And we knew not whither they went;
Sorrowful they were at parting,
And, O Patrick of the clerics, 'twas sad !

Thus ended the severe contest,

O Patrick of the white croziers, lately come ;

Henceforth the Fians named

This hill westwards, the hill of slaughter.

And 0 my grief ! 'twas there fell,

Luanan the wise, of the heavy spears.

Who would bring the wild boar from the hill.

By the great swiftness of his robust limbs.

'Twas there fell mighty Cruagan,

Who would devour a cow at one meal.
With forty cakes of bread.

'Twas there fell Caol the swift.

Who in swiftness was fleeter than the wind.
And Ciarnan inflicter of severe wounds," &c.

And then follows a bead-roll of the brave Fenians that
perished, with a " touch at the quality" of each. The survivors,
as soon as they are in condition, repair to Loch Lene (Kil-
larney) to get the dread images of slaughter removed from
their minds, and enjoy a stag hunt. We are favored with a
list of the dogs of the chiefs, occupying four pages, headed by
Fions favorites.

" We had there Sceolain and Bran,
Lomaire, Brod, and Lom-luth ;
Five hounds foremost in chase and action.
That never parted Fionn."

The treasures belonging to the Fenians, lost or concealed
under the fair waters of the lakes, are also enumerated. Let
our antiquaries look to the matter in time,

"This is the lake — the fairest to be seen,
That is under the sun truly ;
Many treasures belonging to the Fians,
Are in it doubtless, secured this night.

TRANSACTIOxNS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 61

There are there in the northern side [[of the lake]]
Fifty blue-green coats of mail ;
There are in the western side.
Fifty helmets in one pile !

There are in the southern side

Ten hundred broad and glittering swords,
Ten hundred shields and the Dord Fhiann,
And the Barr-buadh likewise.

There is in the eastern side

Gold and raiment in plenty, and spoils,

Treasures too many to describe,

That came afar each day across the sea."

Describing the hunt gives Oisin an appetite, and he com-
plainingly hints to St. Patrick : —

" I often slept abroad on the hill,
Under grey dew on the foliage of trees.
And I was not accustomed to a supperless bed.
While there was a stag on yonder hill !'

P. ' Thou hast not a bed without food ;
Thou gettest seven cakes of bread,
And a large roll of butter,
And a quarter of beef every day.'

O. * I saw a berry of the rowan tree
Twice larger than thy roll ;
And I saw an ivy leaf
Larger and wider than thy cake of bread.

I saw a quarter of a blackbird,

Which was larger than thy quarter of beef;

'Tis it that fills my soul with sadness.

To be in thy house,' " • • * •

It is related in other poems that on St. Patrick refusing be-
lief to Oisin's facts in natural history, he procured a rowan
berry from Glan-a-Smoll, an ivy leaf from Chapelizod, and
the quarter of a monstrous blackbird killed on the Curragh,
even larger than those of which he made boast.

Grainne is interesting and loveable in the former tale : in this,
she acts the kind Bail Tierna to her husband's tribe. She
has the glory of her people and of their chief at heart, but
she is averse from slaughter, and has a feeling heart even for
their bitter enemies. The circumlocution observed in the
ordinary phraseology of our peasantry comes from the old
language of Oisi?i^s days ; specimens will be remarked in
different places through our quotations.

V>'2 THE FICTlOxNS OF ODR FOREFATHERS.

But all human institutions come to an end, and the Fenians
were no exception. Fion himself was assassinated at Ath
Brea on the Boyne, A.D. 2S6 ; and a few years afterwards, the
exactions and pretensions of the Clan Boisgne became so dis-
agreeable to the reigning monarch , Cairbre, that he resolved
to reduce their power even at the risk of his life. It is re-
corded that the Prince of Decies in Waterford wishing to
espouse his daughter Sgeimh S/tolais (Light of Beauty), the
Fenians insisted on the tribute paid to them on such occasions :
and this was the last straw that broke the back of the monarch's
patience. The Clan-Morna came to his aid under the com-
mand of Aedh Caemh, and the tribes of Ulster also obeyed
his call, but the Fenians of Britain and the Munster Hiberians,
to whose prince,* Fion's daughter, Smnaar, had been wedded,
rushed to the standard of Oscur to whom the chieftaincy had
fallen; and on the fatal field of Gabhra in Meath,the enraged
forces met, and the fighting days of the Fions of Fail were
ended. Some of the verses relative to the fight, as afterwards
repeated to St. Patrick by the only survivor, Om«, here fullow.

" We numbered thirty sons

Of the tribe of Fionn of the Fenians,
Who bore shield and sword.
In front of conflict and battle.

When we marched from Binn Eadair,
This was the number of our whole force.
Ten hundred valiant Fenians,
In the bands of each man.

The bands of the Fians of Alba,
And the supreme King of Britain,
Belonging to the order of the Fians of Alba,
Joined us in that battle.

The Fians of Lochlann were powerful.
From the chief to the leader of nine men ;
They mustered along with us.
To share in the struggle.

. There was Cairbre Liflfeachair,
And the great hosts of Erin,
Opposed to our power,
In the battle of Gabhra of the strokes.

* Cormac Cas.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIG SOCIETY. 63

There were Oscur,* son of Garraidh,
And ten hundred active warriors.
Augmenting the forces in that battle,
In opposition to my son.

And Mac Garraidh Mac Moirne.

Led their brave hosts and their banner forward.

In the front of the battle of Gabhra."

Just as in the drama of the Battle of Aughrim,, the Fenians
before engaging the Eoyal troops, had like to destroy each
other through rivalry for command : much blcod was slied,
and, —

" We then raised our war-cry

Commencing the battle of Gabhra ;
Oscur and the Fians of Leinster,
Marched to oppose Mac Moirne.

There was Feargus the poet,
The prince's minstrel.
Cheering us in the struggle,
To advance to the battle.

We rushed against each other.
We and they ;
Of a similar conflict
No mortal shall have to tell.

My son urged his course

Through the battalions of Tara,
Like a hawk through a flock of birds.
Or a rock descending a declivity.

Mac Garraidh* of the white skin came,
After having served in the battle,
To meet my son,
Fiei'cely and prince-like.

The men of Eire hearkened,

Though the cessation was painful ;

To the sound of the strokes

That passed between the two Oscurs.

As many as two score shields,
In each contending struggle,
Mac Garraidh the pure, and my own son,
Broke in the battle of Gabhra.

* Aedh Caemh or the Connaught Oscur, grandson of 3Iorna,

64 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

Three showers arose

Over their heads in the strife, —
A shower of blood, a shower of fire.
And a bright shower from their shields.

Mac Garraidh was worsted.

Though the task was difficult.

By Oscur, who never failed

In point of liberality to the learned.

The monarch of Eire hastened,

Who had jjoisoned {deadly) weapons ;
To meet Oscur of the strokes.
And he wounded his heart.

Nor failed my son.

Whose cai-eer was never impeded :

He drove the nimble javelin

To the cross through Cairbre.
• • •

He slew the king of Munster,

Though great his deeds in conflict ;

The son of the king of the world fell by him also.

And so did Mac Garraidh.

By him was slain Cairbre,

Who had the silken standard ;
There fell by him in evil conflict
The despoilers of every country.

Until the grass of the plain is numbered,
And every grain of sand of the sea-coast,
All who fell by my son
Cannot possibly be enumerated.

My son was slain.

That caused the misfortune of the Fenians ;
He fell in that battle.
Together with Cairbre."

From the discursive mode in which the fight is sung, and per-
haps from the dovetailing of two separate poems on the same
subject, there begins now a confused narrative. Even Fion, who
had been murdered some years before, comes to bewail his
grandson.* A few verses are subjoined in which no inconsis-

• The translator reconciles the incongruity by supposing the ghost
of i^ton to have visited the field of slaughter ; but on giving the mat-
ter due consideration, and carefully examining the text, we have
come to the conclusion that the poet meant otherwise.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. DO

tency occurs. The reader will scarcely fail to mark a true
poetic spirit and genuine pathos even iu the bald literal trans-
lation.

" When the carnage ceased, I came,

And stood over my successful son Oscur ;
And Caoilte devoid of deception came,
And stood over his six gentle sons.

• » «

Many a mail of noble warriors.
Many a fair head-piece,
And shield lay scattered over the plain.
Together with princes bereft of life !

• » •

I found my own son lying down
On his left side by his shield.
His right hand clutched his sword, and he
Pouring blood through his mail.

I leaned the shaft of my spear on the ground.
And I raised a cry over him ;

0 Patrick, I then thought.
What I should do after him.

Oscur gazed up at me.

And the sight was pain enough for me (to bear) ;
He extended his two arms towards me,
Endeavoring to rise to meet me.

I grasped the hand of my own son,
And sat down by his left side ;
And from (the time of) that sitting by him,

1 set no value on the world.

My manly son thus said to me,

And he at the latter end of his life ;
• I return my thanks to the gods
For thy safe escape, O father.'

Mac Ilonan then cried aloud.
And feebly fell upon the earth ;
He cast his pure body upon the ground.
He plucked his hair and beard.

• » •

We remained that night amidst the slaughter,
Watching his body till the day.
And conveying the male descendants of Fionn,
To pleasant and delightful mounds.

We raised the manly Oscur
. Aloft on the shafts of our javelins
Bearing him to another pure mound.
To strip him of his garments.

06 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

A palm's breadth from his hair.
Of his body was not whole.
Until it reached the sole of his foot,
But his face alone.

From that day of the battle of Gabhra,
We did not speak boldly ;
And we passed not either night or day.
That we did not breathe deep, heavy sighs.

We buried Oscur of the red weapons,
On the north side of the great Gabhra,
Together with Oscur son of Garraidh of renowned feats,
And Oscur, son of the king of Lochlann.

And he who was not niggardly of gold,
Mac Lughaidh, the tall warrior, —
We dug the cave of his sepulchre
Very wide, as became a king.

The graves of the Oscurs, narrow dwellings of clay.
The graves of the sons of Garraidh and Oisin,
And the whole extent of the great Rath,
Was the grave of the great Oscur of Baoisgne.

I beseech the king of blissful life,

And do thou beseech him too, Patrick son of Oalphurn,
That weakness may come upon my voice ;
My sorrow to-night is very great !"

It was scarcely judicious to admit into the collection^ the
prose account which follows the poem. It totally upsets the
ordinary traditions of the tribe, making Fion, Biarmnid
O'Diiibhne, and others, perform deeds of valour on that day,
despite of their having been wrapt in clay for several years ;
and the style of the piece is extremely turgid and unpoetical.

The residence of Oisin in Tir-na-n-Oge occupies a portion
of the fourth volume. It is furnished by Mr. O'Looney,
Dunreel, Ennistymon, and is ushered to the reader's notice by
these remarks.

" The Council of the Ossianic Society do not hold themselves respon-
sible for the authenticity or antiquity of the following poem ; but print
it as an interesting specimen of the more recent of the Fenian IStories,
In the tract which follows it, will be found one of the most ancient of
records that describe the exploits of Finn Mac Cumhaill."

This piece is the last in order of time of the Ossianic poems,
and contains one of the discrepancies before mentioned. Fion
must have been dead at tlie time about fifteen years, but our

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. G7

bard presents him as still in the enjoyment of his hunting
faculties.

" We were hunting on a misty morning^^
Nigh the bordering shores of Loch Lein,
Where were fragrant trees of sweetest blossoms.
And the mellow music of birds at all times.

• « *

Twas not long 'till we saw, westwards,
A fleet rider advancing towards us,
A young maiden of most beautiful appearance.
On a slender white steed of swiftest power.

A royal crown was on her head ;

And a brown mantle of precious silk,
Spangled with stars of red gold.
Covering her shoes down to the grass.

A garment wide, long, and smooth.
Covered the white steed ;
There was a comely saddle of red gold.
And her right hand held a bridle with a golden bit.

Fion courteously enquires her rank and appellation.

" Golden-headed Niamh is my name,

0 sage Fionn of the great hosts :

Beyond the women of the world I have won esteem,

1 am the fair daughter of the King of Youth,"

F. " Relate to us, O amiable princess,

What caused thee to come afar across the sea —

Is it thy consort has forsaken thee.

Or what is the affliction that is on thyself?''

N, " 'Tis not my husband that went from me,

And as yet 1 have not been spoken of with any man,

O king of the Fianna of highest repute,

But affection and love I have given to thy son.

Obligations unresisted by true heroes,
O generous Oisin, I put upon thee.
To come with myself now upon my steed
Till we arrive at the " Land of Youth."

It is the most delightful country to be found,
Of greatest repute under the sun,
Trees drooping with fruit and blossom.
And foliage growing on the tops of boughs.

E

G8 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOIIKFATHERS.

Abundant there, are honey and wine.
And evervtl.ing that eye has beheld.
There will not come decline on thee with lapse of time.
Death or decay thou wilt not see.

Thou wilt get, without falsehood, a hundred swords ;
Thou wilt get a hundred satin garments of precious silk;
Thou wilt get a hundred horses, the swiftest in conflict.
And thou wilt get a hundred with them of keen hounds.

Thou wilt get a fitting coat of protecting mail.
And a gold headed sword apt for strokes.
From which no person ever escaped alive.
Who once saw the sharp weapon.

Thou wilt get a hundred coats of armour and shirts of satin ;
Thou wilt get a hundred cows and also a hundred calves ;
Thou wilt get a hundred sheep with their golden fleeces ;
Thou wilt get a hundred jewels not in this world.'"

No refusal will I give from me,

O charming queen of the golden curls !

Thou art my choice above the women of the world.

And I will go with willingness to the 'Land of Youth.

1 kissed my father sweetly and gently.
And the same affection I got from him ;
I bade adieu to all the Fianna,
And the tears flowed down my cheeks.

Many a delightful day had Fionn and I,
And the Fianna with us in great po'wer.
Been chess-playing and drinking.
And hearing music — the host that was powerful

A hunting in smooth valleys.

And our sweet-mouthed dogs with us there ;
At other times, in the rough conflict.
Slaughtering heroes with great vigour.

» • •

We turned our backs to the land
And our faces directly due-west,
The smooth sea ebbed before us,
And filled in billows after us.

We saw also, by our sides,

A hornless fawn leaping nimbly,
And a red-eared white dog.
Urging it boldly in the chase.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE 0S81ANIC SOCIETY. G9

We beheld also, without fiction,
A young maid on a brown steed,
A golden apple in her right hand,
And she going on the top of the waves.

We saw after her,

A young rider on a white steed.
Under a purple crimson mantle of satin,
And a gold headed sword in his right hand."

Before reaching the "Laud of Youth," Oisin rescues a
distressed princess from the hated suit of a giaut, aud, —

" We buried the great man,

In a deep sod-grave, wide and clear,

I raised his flag and monument.

And I wrote his name in Ogham Craobh,

» » K

We turned our backs on the fortress,
And our horse under us in full speed.
And swifter was the white steed,
Than March wind on the mountain summit.

We beheld by our side,

A most delightful country under full bloom,
And plains, beautiful, smooth, and fine.
And a royal fortress of surpassing beauty.

Not a color that eye has beheld,
Of rich blue, green, and white.
Of purple, crimson, and of yellow.
But was in this royal mansion that I am describing.

There were at the other side of the fortress.
Radiant summer-houses and palaces.
Made all of precious stones.
By the hands of skilful men and great artists.

We saw again approaching,

A multitude of glittering bright hosts.
And a noble, great, and powerful king,
Of matchless grace, form, and countenance.

There was a yellow shirt of silken satin.
And a bright golden garment over it :
There was a sparkling crown of gold.
Radiant and shining upon his head.

We saw coming after him

The young queen of highest repute.

And fifty virgins sweet and mild.

Of most beautiful form in her company.

70 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERB.

When all arrived in one spot,

Then courteously spoke the ' King of Youth,'
And said, ' This is Oisin the son of Fionn,
The gentle consort of ' Golden-headed Niarah

He took me then by the hand.

And said [aloud to the hearing of] the host,
' O brave Oisin ! O son of the king !
A hundred thousand welcomes to you !

This is the gentle Queen,

And my ovpn daughter, the Golden -headed Niamh,
Who went over the smooth seas for thee.
To be her consort for ever.'

I spent a time protracted in length,
Three hundred years and more,
Until I thought 'twould be my desire
To see Fionn and the Fianna alive.

In the unruffled enjoyment of a calm, waveless life, he yearns
for the chequered existence of old, and the sight of his lost
brothersin ar ms.

" I asked leave of the king.

And of my kind spouse — golden-headed Niamh,

To go to Erinn back again.

To see Fionn and his great host.

' Thou wilt get leave from me,' said the gentle daughter,
' Though 'tis a sorrowful tale to me to hear you mention it,
liest thou mayest not come again in your life
To my own land, O victorious Oisin !'

' What do we dread ! O blooming queen !
Whilst the white steed is at my service :
He'll teach me the way with ease.
And will return safe back to thyself.'

' Remember, O Oisin ! what I am saying.
If thou Jayest foot on level ground.
Thou shalt not come again for ever
To this fine land in which 1 am myself.

I say to thee again without guile.

If thou alightest once off the white steed,

Thou wilt never more come to the ' Land of Youth,'

O warlike Oisin of the golden arms !

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIG SOCIETY. 71

' I say to thee for the third time.

If thou alightest off the steed thyself,
That thou wilt be an old man, withered, and blind,
Without activity, without pleasure,, without run, without
leap.'

• • *

I looked up into her countenance with compassion.
And streams of tears ran from my eyes :
O Patrick ! thou wouldst have pitied her
Tearing the hair off the golden head.

She put me under strict injunctions

To go and come without touching the lea.
And said to me, by virtue of their power.
If I broke them that I'd never return safe.

I kissed my gentle consort.

And sorrowful was I in parting from her;
My two sons, and my young daughter
Were under grief, shedding tears.

I prepared myself for travelling,

And I turned my back on the " Land of Youth ;"

The steed ran swiftly under me,

As he had done with me and * golden-headed Niamh.

On my coming then into the country,
I looked closely in every direction ;
I thought then in truth
That the tidings of Fionn were not to be found.

'Twas not long for me nor tedious.

Till I saw from the west approaching me,
A great troop of mounted men and women,
And they came into my own presence.

They saluted me kindly and courteously.
And surprise seized every one of them.
On seeing the bulk of my own person.
My form, my appearance, and my countenance.

I myself asked then of them.

Did they hear if Fionn was alive,

Or did any one else of the Fianna live,

Or what disaster had swept them away ?

There is many a book written down,
By the melodious sweet sages of the Gaels,
Which we in truth, are unable to relate to thee,
Of the deeds of Fionn and of the Fianna.

72 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOnKFATHERS.

' We heard that Fionn had

A son of brightest beauty and form,

That there came a young maiden for him,

And that he went with her to the " Land of Youth.

When I myself heard that announcement,

That Fionn did not live, nor any of the Fianna,
I was seized with weariness and great sorrow,
And I was full of melancholy after them.

I did not stop on my course,

Quick and smart without any delay.

Till I set my face straightforward,

To Almhuin of great exploits in broad Leinster.

Great was my surprise there.

That I did not see the court of Fionn of the hosts ;

There was not in its place in truth.

But weeds, chick-weeds, and nettles.
• • «

On my passing thro' the Glen of the Thrushes,

I saw a great assembly there :

Three hundred men and more

Were before me in the glen.

One of the assembly spoke,

And he said with a loud voice ;

' Come to our relief, O kingly champion.

And deliver us from difficulty 1'

I then came forward.

And the host had a large flag of marble,
The weight of the flag was down on them.
And to uphold it they were unable !

Those that were under the flag below.
Were being oppressed weakly.
By the weight of the great load
Many of them lost their senses.

One of the stewards spoke.

And said — ' O princely young hero !
Forthwith relieve my host.
Or not one of them will be alive.*
» • •

I lay upon my right breast.

And I took the flag in my hand ;

With the strength and activity of my limbs

I sent it seven perches from its place !

With the force of the very large flag.

The golden girth broke on the white steed ;

I came down full suddenly.

On the soles of my two feet on the lea.

TRANSACTIONS OP THE 0S8IANIC SOCIETY, 73

No sooner did I come down,

Than the white steed took fright ;

He went then on his way,

And I, in sorrow, both weak and feeble.

I lost the sight of my eyes.

My form, my countenance, and my vigour,

I was an old man, poor and blind.

Without strength, understanding, or esteem.

Patrick ! there is to thee my story,
As it occurred to myself without a lie.
My going and my adventures in certain.
And my returning from the 'Land of Youth.'"

Anxious for the success of the labors of this truly- national
Society, we wish every care taken for the nou.-appearance of
blemishes. They cannot prevent two mere stories or legendary
poems from differing in the relation of the same circumstance,
or from putting a warrior to death, or reviving him with no
regard, eacli to the other's chronology. But granting Fion
and Goll Mac 3Iorna to have been real men and not myths, —
a belief in which they are borne out by Tiernach and the Four
Masters, let them not countenance such an inconvenient
instance of longevity as that of Goll who was present in the
battle of Magh Lena in A.D. 125, and lived down near to
that of Gabhra, A.D. 296 or thereabouts. Begging them
again by all they hold dear, to moderate the rancor of poor
Oisin in his future (published) controversies with St. Patrick,
our fault-finding ceases. We exhort them to reprint (if
practicable) the second, third, and fourth volumes : they may
use their own discretion as to the first. Furtliermore, we
exhort every man of literary or archajological taste, whether he
rejoices in Celtic, Saxon, or Cumbrian (PictishJ descent, to
get his name forthwith on the list of subscribers. Tlie Irish
language or a kindred branch of it was spoken in every coun-
try of South Western Europe from the time that the
early colonies, migrating from the plains of Shinaar, were gra-
dually occupying them. It is hence the most ancient of the
cognate European languages, whether existing in books or on
the tongues of living men, and traces of it may be still found
in every one of the various resting places of the old colonists
in the names attached to rivers, hills, old cities, harbours, and
capes. The language itself is regular, copious, expressive,
euphonious, peculiarly fitted for being moulded into verse, and
adapted to every modulation of which the gamut is capable.

74 THE FICTIONS OF OCK FOREFATH JifiS.

Next to Latin and Greek, the written remains of our language
are the oldest in Europe ; and we would be glad to see those
archseologibts who would give up all their worldly possessions
for the recovery of the lost books of Livy or the plays of Meuan-
der, bestow a moderate interest on th.e preservation of the once
common language of Italy, Gaul, Iberia, Britain, Caledonia,
and lerna. Let them fancy their extasy on the recovery of a
manuscript of the language spoken in King Arthur's Court,
copied in the tenth century from cue nearly coeval witli Sir
Launcelot and Sir Gavvin, or of a Welsh, Cornish, or Breton
one, a couple of centuries later. Let them fancy this ratlier
improbable circumstance, and rejoice that there are pieces of
the ancient Celtic tongue extant in manuscripts of the ninth
century, which themselves were compiled from manuscripts
four hundred years older. If incredulity disturbs their
archseological comfort, let them reveal their doubts to any of
our excellent confessors, — Drs. Todd, O'Donovan, or Petrie,
or our no less excellent Professor Eugene Curry, and we promise
them perfect ease of mind on the subject.^

The French, Italian, and Spanish tongues being in some
inexplicable way, moulded from the Latin by the northern
nations, who made a kind of chemical combination of their
own dialects and the sort of Latin spoken by the colonies,
and which had been previously affected to some extent by the
native Celtic of these countries, we need not look for much
regularity in these languages, nor the existence of manuscripts
as early by some hundreds of years as among the uncouquered
Celts or Teutons.

We regard with much interest a copy of the Song of Hollo,
a Saxon legend in rude verse or prose of the days of Alfred,
either of the Eddas^ Rei/nard the Fox, or the Nibelungen
Lied, and give up as fruitless, all hopes of ever discovering
romance, poem, or history in the Celtic dialect spoken by
Boadicea, or Caractacus, or the valiant Celtic Gauls who gave
such trouble to Csesar. Let then the literary world receive
with welcome, those lays which delighted our ancestors, before

* Besides our scholars ah-eady mentioned, we wish to express the
obligations under which the Irish reading public stand to Messrs
Graves, Hackett, O'Brennan, O'Connellan, O'Mahony, V^indele, and
to the deceased Bryan Geraghty, publisher of the Annals of the Fuur
Masters.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY. 75

La Belle Izoucl bathed in the Liffey ; — which were committed to
writing long before Alfred learned to read, and which have
been since perpetuated by zealous family historians, by religious
men in their cloisters, by poor scliool masters, by farmers after
their laborious day's toil,or by blacksmiths when their arms were
reposing from wielding hammer or sledge. Many a valuable
piece has been lost, and there are some wiiich in part at least,
are not worth preserving ; but thanks to Grm(Bus our Celtic
Apollo, many are now out of danger, preserved in legible type ;
and thousands of manuscripts are still religiously watched in
our College, our Academy, in the libraries of the English
Universities, and those of the Continent. If it be objected by
hypercritics or natives of Baeotia that the specimens given
do not warrant our enthusiasm, we beg to cite one convincing
proof of the injustice of their objection. We lately heard
extracts read from the third volume, in a party where there
was a sprinkling of dissipated young fellows, who, wlienever
they read at all, patronise the worst samples of i\\Qfast litera-
ture of the day, and all these to a man, either fell asleep,
yawned, or stole away on some pretence.

We will not offer our readers the affront of attempting to
prove to them, that the extracts given breathe a genuine
poetio spirit, that they exhibit happiness of description, a
picturesque beauty, originality, and vigour. In presenting
even the bare literal translation deprived of the charms of
rhythm, appropriate poetical idiom, and such conventional
agreeability as arises from alliteration and assonance, we reckon
on the consent of the body of our readers that the Ossianic
remains are most worthy of preservation.

Our era is so far fortunate, that in our metropolis, and
scattered through the country, at this present time, we possess
a fair average number of sound Irish scholars, not only learned
in the tongue, but anxious for its permanent endurance. We
have called on literary people in general to join the ranks of
the subscribers, but we call more emphatically on the masters
of the old language, to use dihgence about the editing and
translating of such pieces as are really worth preservation,
and not to be chary with any information concerning the old
usages, laws, and modes of life, not yet dwelt on in the volumes
published.

From the materials now collecting with such diligence,
our sons may probably see that " History of Ireland " so long
looked for, completed at last. It is a little despressing to think

76 THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

that ourselves will not iiave the pleasure of reading it, but
what good man planting an acoru, expects to sit under the
shade of the future oak ! The long shadows cast from our
round towers have cooled or damped our zealous co-operation,
and will continue to have that bad effect, till we know whether
their architects were fire-worshippers or good Christians. Tlie
question will hardly be laid at rest in our time. So let our
Seauachies, forgeting their differences, call to mind that they
were Gaels before they were either Heathens or Christians,
and vigorously continue to unearth our long- buried national
treasures.*

Our mere English reader will feel small comfort from the
appearance of some Irish names met in the present paper,
especially when he finds three or four consonants without the
interposition of a vowel. However, let him simply pronounce
whatever one or two of them makes the most euplionious
sound with the vowel going before or following, and m most
cases he will not be far from the true pronunciation, d loses its
sound in most cases when united with h, so he will sound
* Eochaidh,' as if written Achi/ or Uchi/, and ' Aodh,'^i?. c is
always hard, thus ' Ceann' (head) is pronounced Kaoiiu, and
the final e is always sounded. ^Bh' and 'mh' are mostly sounded
like V, for instance * bhan,' van, ' mhor' (great), vor. Your
mere Briton has some time in his life heard a real or a stage
Irishman pronounce Ochone ; let him remember, and apply his
knowledge if he can, to words that have ch or gh in their con-
struction. It has often struck us as singular, the difficulty
English people find in achieving a guttural sound, whereas
the German tongue, the base of their own, is full of such.
The general aspiration of d and t in Irish, has influenced the
sound of these letters in English words as pronounced by our
peasantry. The diphthong ea gets the sound of ai, but ie is
not incorrectly sounded by our people in any instance. It is
very easy to know whether an Irish sketch is written by a
native of England or Ireland, by the mode in which such
words as ' Priest^ or ' Chief are written. They are always,
(as already said) pronounced correctly, but under the Briton's

• The chief Bard owning a thousand tales is not to be literally
received. Seven times fifty tales of the first rank, and three times
fifty of the second rank, were his stint. In Orainne and Diarmuid
towards the commancement, Daibhne is erroneously printed for
O'Duibhne in two or three instances.

TKANBACTIOiNB OF THE OBSIANIC SOCIETY. 77

pen they come out Praste and Chafe. Ah ! if Mr. Dickens
or the Messrs Chambers could only be sensible of the pain
they inflict on the eyes and ears of their Irish subscribers,by neg-
lecting the travelling and other sketches of their contributors
on Irish subjects, they would in pity employ as corrector of the
press, some one born West of tlie Irish sea. In AU the Year
Round, August 13, among other atrocities laid at the door of
the poor Coniiaught man, he is made to pronounce ' flying'
flaying^ ' \\i\tV thafe, &c. Paddy usually makes use of the
expression ' let them alone/ but the Year Round man makes
him say, ' let them be,' and call a ' girl' a gtirl. Mike,
for the only time in his life, we are sure, mentions in pre-
sence of the sage tourist — ' a pair of breeches as mightily
takes his fancy.' The same Mike relates, how Bianconi was sliip-
wrecked in a desert island early in life, with three shillings in
his pocket, and how he incontinently purchased pictures in
Dublin for these coins. We know that such things happen
in dreams, but how the man, the Desert Island, and the
Dublin picture shop, came in such close neighbourhood, is very
difficult to be realized.

Our Solomon meets on his tour the mountain ' Benatola,'
where Benabola formerly ruled over the twelve pins, and has
the good taste to call the former member for Galway, ' Old
Cruelty to Animals' He relates how a man went to cut
turf, intending to boil his potatoes w^ith it on the same day,
though our peasants are so wayward as to leave it to dry some
days before it is used for fuel. This man took a log on his
shoulder, and a kippeen (twig or stick) at his back ; he went
into the bog, cut his kippeen full of tlie (wet) turf I tied it up
in a cord, and carried it ofi to burn on the very day. We
wondered what the man wanted the log for, till we recollected
that in some parts of Ireland, a spade is called a loy, on pur-
pose we suppose, for the mystification of foreign tourists.
The use to which the kippeen was put, still remains a mystery.
In one particular we do justice to our tourist's sagacity : he
spells * Sheebeen' Shahhecn, quasi 'shabby-inn' — an expressive
title. Such is life : Sir Anthony Absolute gets angry with his
son, his son reproves his valet, the valet cuffs the errand boy,
and the errand boy kicks the house-dog. The great national
taker ofportraits, J, i>?^»2d!5, entices John Bull mto his painting-
chair, and on pretence of making his portrait, he shortens his
legs, adds a foot or so to the breadth of his body, where the

7S THE FICTIONS 0¥ OUR FOREFATHERS.

waistcoat ends, an inch or two to the breadth of his nose,
claps a round hat jauntily on a puir of coquettish short horns,
and is just at the moment called out of the room. Johi takes
that opportunity to look at his ' counterfeit presentment,' and
is far from flattered. His cousin Pat steps in at the moment ;
the annoyed sitter assumes palette, pencils, and maul stick,
makes the new comer assume the chair, and takes revenge on
him for the wrong himself had just suffered.

Any words used by the English, Spaniards, French, and
Italians, that cannot be clearly traced to the Celtic, the Saxon,
the Greek, or the Latin, may be looked on in the same light
as those sprung up in later times in America or our distant
colonies, and having strictly local or accidental significations.
May we see published in our own times, at a moderate price,
a Polyglot dictionary of the English, and those four early
tongues of Europe, merely containing words common to three
of them at least ; something in this fashion :

English. Celtic. Teutonic. Greek. Latin.

(Mother. Mathair. Mutter. Meter. Mater.

Father. Athair. Vater. Pater. Pater.

Nose. Riuu. Nase. Ris or Kin. Nasus.

A vocabulary follows of Celtic words, many of which enter
into the composition of proper names, or are still used by
English-speaking natives, while they fancy they are conversing
in the pure Anglo-Norman dialect, a few only of the many
words common to both languages being admitted. Let the
English reader remember that c and g are always sounded
hard, and d and t generally pronounced dh and tk.

Aban, (Avon) Water, River Beal, Beul, Mouth.

{Avonmoi-e, large river). Bealach, Pass.

Aill, CVi& {Albion, white clifi). Bearna, Gap.

Ainjith, Silver. Beg, Beag, Little.

Ard, mghUrmagh, High Field). Ben, Hill (Ben a Dair, Hill of
JtJi, Ford. Oaks, Howth).

Bo, Cow.

Baile, a Town [Baile ath cliath, Bodach, Cow-keeper.

Town on Ford of Hurdles, Both, Tent, henee Bothy, a Hut.

Dublin). Brathach, a Banner.

Ball, Spot. Breac, Speckled, a Trout.

Bas, Death. Breath, a Judge, hence Brehon.

Be, Life, Woman (Eve ?). Brugh, Town, Residence.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY.

79

Bunn, Foundatiou.

Caemh, Caomh, Crooked.

Calhh, Bald (Calvus, Lat.).

Caoch, Blind.

Caol, Short, Slender.

Capall, Horse.

Cam, Heap of Stones.

Carraic, Corrig, Rock.

Cathair (pr. Caer\ Town {Car-
low, Town on the lake).

Cath Battle.

Ce, Tit, the Earth.

Ceann, Head (Kantire, Cape of
the Tower).

Cearc, Hen.

Car, Wax, {Cera L.)

C^o, Fog.

CU,Cell, Church (Z't'^t^are, Church
of the Oak).

Cineal, Family, Tribe.

Cish, Cias, a Rent.

Ckach, Cliath, Wattle, Hurdle.

Clo, Nail {Clavus, L.).

Clock, Stone.

Clogh, Be\\,CClogh€r, Golden Bell,
or Stone of Gold, or Stone of
the Sun).

Cluain, Cluan, Meadow {Clon-
tarff. Bull's Pasture).

Cmc, Hill.

Coilech, a Cock.

Coille, a Wood.

Col, an Impediment {Cul, Fr. ).

Core, Currach, Bog, Marsh.

Cosh, Foot.

Craeb, Craob, Branch.

Craig, Gullet, Claw.

Creach, Booty, Spoil.

Croagh, Crock, Cross, Crook.

Crioicenn, Skin, Hide.

Cruit, a Harp.

Cu, Hound.

Cuisle, Vein.

Curaclh, Knight.

Dair, Duir, Oak {Derry, Oak

Grove, hence Druid).
Dal, Blind.
Daltha, Foster Child.
Daol, a Reptile.
Dearg, Red. ^

Z)e/^, Thorn.
Deoch, a Drink.
Z)z, Z)o, Two.
DiA, God.
Dia, Day.
Doire, Grove.
Domnach, Sunday.
Donn (pr. dhouii). Brown.
Dorn, Fist.
Dorus, Door (Deoch an Dorus,

Stirrup Cup).
Druim, Drum, 'Pddge(Bathdrum,

Fort on the Hill Ridge).
Duan, Poem.
Duine, a Man*
Dun, a Fort.
Dur, Hard (Durus, L.).

Each, Ech, Horse (Ze?m a?i eic,
Horse leap).

^aZ<, Flock {Moynalty, Plain of
Flocks of Birds).

Ecdg, Noble {Ethel in Saxon).

Earr, Hero.

Eglais, Chui-ch.

£"27?^, a Hind.

JJtrzc, £?7C, a Fine.

En, Ean, a Bu-d.

Ere, Ox.

jEJs, a Waterfall {Assaroe, Es
Aodh Ruadh, Cascade of Red
Hugh, Salmon leap at Bally-
shannon).

Face, Spade.

Fadh, TaU, Long.

Failte, Welcome.

Fail, Ring, Stone, Blood, Name

of Ireland.
Falc, Hook {Falx, L.).

80

THK FICTTONB OP OUR FOREFATHERg.

Fasach, a Desert.

Far, Why ? {Warum in Ger-
man).

Fead, Whistle, Sword.

Feis, Parliament.

Fer, Fir, a Man.

Fesog, Beard.

Fiac, a Raven.

Fiacal, Fecc, Tooth.

Fian, a Hero.

Fib, Laughter.

Fiad, Deer.

Fid, Whistle.

Firm, Fair.

Fiodhga, Woody.

Flaith, Flath, Prince, Heaven.

Flann, Blood, Red.

Fledh, Feast {Pkedogue, Chil-
dren's Feast of Easter Eggs).

Folt, Hair.

FoH, Strong (Fortis, Lat.).

Fraech, Fraoch, Heath, hence
Frauchans.

Ga, Javelin.

Qab, Mouth.

Gad, Withe.

(tczYZ, Foreigner.

Ge, Goose.

Geal, ^Vhite.

Gean, Woman, Daughter, Love
(Gune, Gr.).

Gealach, the Moon.

Gcra, Sword.

Gear, Gar, Short.

6r2a^Z, Hostage.

Giolla, Gilla, Servant ( Gilmour,
Mary's Servant).

Glac, Fist, Fork, {Galloglach,
Armed Partizan ; Giolla, At-
tendant, and the above).

Glas, Green.

Gleirr, White of Egg.

Gluin, the Knee.

Glib, Lock of Hair.

Gloir, Sunrise, Glory.

Glor, Voice.

Goban, Smith, hence Gow.

Gob, Beak.

Goil, Knighthood.

Gort, Garden.

Gorm, Blue.

Gradh, Love.

Graf, Scion, Sprout.

Graig, Manor.

Grian, the Sun (hence Grange).

Gril, Iron Grating.

Gris, Ashes.

Gruag, the Hair.

Grinn, Hedgehog.

Gug, Gog, Egg.

/, Island.

lar, West {Ireland, West Land).

Inbher, a Rivers' Mouth; J.6er

in Welsh.
Inis [Inch), an Island,
/r, Anger.

La, Day (Z-a Samhna, Sun's

Day, Lammas).
Laeeh, Hero.
Laith, Milk (Lac, Lat.).
Lamh, Lav, Hand.
/-a?zn. Sword.
£aot, Poem.

Leabhar, Book {Liber, L.).
Leacht, Bed.

Leanbh (hence Llanna), Child.
Zeac, Flag, Stone(X«?ca, Saxon).
Lecht, a Grave.
XeiVA, Half.
XeiOT, a Leap (Limavady, Dog's

Leap),
imra, Pool (Dublin, Dubh

Linn, Black Pool).
Xer, XiV, the Sea.
Lis, Fort, House.
ita^A, Grey.
Lios, Cottage.
Loch, Lake, Pool.
Loinges, a Fleet.

TRANSACTI0^8 OF THE OSSIANIC SOCIETY.

81

Long, Lung, a Ship.

Lose, Blind of one eye (Luscus,

Lat).
Luachair, Rushes.
Luaidh, Ashes, Lees.
Luain, the Moou.
Lugnas, Lammas.
Luath, Sharp, Swift (Name of

a Hound).
Lus, Herb, (Licsmore, Large

Herb, Fox-glove).
Luim, New Milk.
1/uin, Spear.

Mac, Sou (Mackay, Mac Hugh,
Mac Kew, Mac Aodk, Son of
Hugh).

Madra, Dog (Madra Rua, Red
Dog, Fox ; Madre, Cunning,
Foxy,Fr.).

Maer, Steward.

Magh, Mathaire, a Field.

Mairt, Execution.

3Iala, Eyebrow.

Mam, Breast, Mother, Mount.

Manach, Monk.

Man, Hand.

Maoit, Moist.

Maol (pr. MM), Bald, Horn-
less.

Maor, Earl, Baron, Sergeant.

Mathair, Mother.

Me, My, Me, I, Myself.

Meas, Yard, Measure Judg-
ment.

Measg, Mixing.

Mer, Finger.

Mer, a Blackbird.

Mir, a Part.

Mion, Small.

Misnecht, Courage.

Moin, Bog.

Molt, Sheep, Wether.

Mor, Mhor, Big. {Major, L.)

Mos, Custom.

Muic, Pig

Muidh, Moy, Plain (Moi/tuir,

Plain of the Tower).
Muinter, Tribe.
Muir, the Sea, {Mare, L.).
Muis, Pouting Lip.

Naemh, Naomh, a Saint.
Nead, Nest (Nidus, L.)
Neul, Cloud {Nephele, Gk.).
Noed, Naked, Nude.
Noi, Ship {Navis, L.).
Nuall, Angelical voice [Noel,
Christmas, Fr.).

Og, Oig, Young, Virgin.

01, Drink.

Olann, Wool.

Oir, the East {Orient).

Oil, Great.

Ollamh, Doctor.

Or, Gold.

Os, Mouth.

Pain, Bread.

Paisde Child, (Pais, Gk.).
Parian, a Crab, {in use in Scot-
land).
Piast, Worm, Serpent.
Pih, Pioh, Pipe, Flute.
Port, Tune, Jig, Harbour.
Pus, Lip.

Rae, the Moon.
Rann, Verse.

Raom, Rim, Number, Rhythm
(root of the word Arithmetic).
Rath, Fortress.
Ri, Righ, King.
Righan, Queen.
Rinn, Nose, Promontory.
Ros, a Green Plain.
Rosg, the Eye.

Roth, i?02«. Wheel {Rota, L.).
Ruadh, Red.

82

THE FICTIONS OF OUR FOREFATHERS.

Sa, It, It is.

Sagarth, Priest.

Sail, Wniow.

Sal, Heel, Dirt.

Salthair, Chronicle.

Samh, the Sun.

Sanihain, End of Summer, All-

haUows.
Samhradh, Summer (pr. Saura).
Saor, Saer, Mason, Carpenter.

Free.
San, Holy,
Scath, Shade.
Scaff, Ship, SkiflF.
Sceall, Story, Shield.
Scealp, CliflF, Bite.
Sceath, Sgat, Sge, Hawthorn.
Sceul, Seel, Tidings, Story.
Scian, Dagger, Knife.
Sciath, Shield, Basket.
Scraith, Sod; Vulgo, Scraw.
Se, He, Six.
Sean, Old.

Seek, Dry {Siccus L.).
Seas, Heap of Sheaves.
Si, She, Her.

Sia, Siglie, Sidhe, Siog, Fairy.
Sinnach, Fox.
Siol, Tribe.
Sios, Down.
Siur, Sister, Country.
Slab, Mire.
Slainte, Health.
Slan, Health.
Sleg, Spear.

Sliabh, Mountain Kidge.
Sliochd, Tribe.

Slod, Fuddle (hence Sludge).
S77iaois, Nose (pr. Smuish).
Smoll, Trush.
Snathad, Needle.
Sneachd, Snow.
Snnad, Fair Head of Haii-, hence

Snood.

Soisgel, the Gospel.

Soalt, a Leap {Saltut, L.).

Solas, Comfort.

Soc, Beak, Plough Share, Nose.

Suil, the Eye.

Ta, I am, It is.

Tain, Herd of Cattle, Land.

Taim, I am.

Talamh, Earth.

Tarhh, Bull [Taurus, L.).

Tart, Thirst.

Tech, Teach, House.

Tea, Piope.

Teidhm, Death.

Teine, Ten, Tin, Fire.

Ti, Him or Her.

Tigherna, Lord.

lYr, Land Country.

Tlachd, Burying Place.

To bar, a Spring Well.

Tonn, a Wave.

Tort, Cake.

Tra, 2Va25', Strand {Bantry,

Ventry, Fair Strand).
Tradh, Fishing Spear.
Traill, Slave.
Trean, Strong (Treanmor, Very

Strong — Proper Name).
Tnis, a Girdle.
Tuaih, People.
Tuc, a Rapier.
Tulach, a Hill.
T'z/r;^, a Tower.
Tm, Incense, {Thus, L. )

Ua, 0, Grandson.

Uiagh, Uaim, Cave.

Uais, Noble (Duine Vasal,

Gentleman).
Uan, Lamb.
Ucht, Breast.
Ui, Hy, District.
Ubh (pr. Uv), Egg.