MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

’ ON E OF IR ELAND S MOST FEARLESS AN D POWERFUL ADVOCATES HIS EMINENCE

’ ' (Willi am «Bat hi nal QDGL om I ARCHBISHOP OF BOSTON

PREFACE

HE followi n g ch a p t ers appeared in the

Pi lot 1 91 0 1 91 1 during and , as a series T ” Of papers on Ancient Irish Paganism

- The over the pen name G a deli cus . works principally consulted in the preparation of them were the “ Social History of Ireland and “

of . th e Irish Names Places by Dr P . W . Joyce ; “ ” the Irish Mythological Cycle by De Jub a i n ville ; volumes four and five of the long - since “ defunct Ossianic Society ; the Literary History ” ’ of Ireland by Dr . Douglas Hyde ; Keating s “ ' History of Ireland and a great number of Gaelic texts published by the Gaelic League

of . and the Irish Texts Society , both Dublin Excursions have also been made into British and American Literature , as well as into Greek and Roman . The reader will discover that some Of the topics are not treated in a very serious vein . The temptation to treat them in i a l ght vein proved irresistible . While these p a

Pi lot pers were going through the , they were

of a source much pleasure to many rea ders , vii PREFACE

and we feel that they will continue to please ,

and , also , to enlighten . They give a fair idea Of the general character of the remnants of the

ancient Gaelic Literature that survive . When the writer commenced them he did not quite foresee that they would grow into a regular exposition Of the Ancient Irish Mythological

System . TH E AUTHOR CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

I I E INTRODUCTION . WERE THERE CHRISTIANS N R ’ R S P E ? LAND BEFO E T . ATRICK S TIM

CHAPTER II

I R CH CR C TI G E MA N R S . DOLAT Y . OMM UA H . KI G N MM I OF ON N CR O DUBH . SPR NKLING BLOOD FOU

OF . O M DATIONS BUILDI NGS EMANIA . N HU AN ’ SACRIFICE I N S T . PATRICK S TIME .

CHAPTER III

A N O IDOLATRY N OT VERY GENER L . NATIONAL RELI ’

HE A O CUR R Y S . W T . T GION . F IRIES NO E HAT W E IR S X ERE TH FA IE ? NOVEMBER E VE E CURSIONS . ’ ” F FINN Ma cCUMAL S THUM B O KNOWLEDGE .

CHAPTER IV

Q UARREL S AMONG THE FAIRIES . RELATIONS WITH

RTA S E . . MO L . TH BANSHEE TOM MOORE

CHAPTER V

’

CE CR C S RP S . W PALA OF UA HAN . VIRGIL HA IE HIT ’ R S S PP R TIE S HAUN TED GLEN . MYSTERIOU DI A EA

- E S A D TI R N A N OG . TH E R AN C . OSSIAN N FAI IES

S T . S I N ANCIENT LITERATURE . PATRICK AN D HI

BISHOPS TAKEN FOR FAIRIES . ix x CONTENTS

CHAPTER VI

’ I I N - S UN VERSALITY OF BELIEF FAIRIES . PLATO

P . CL E A L I THEORY . ORIENTAL TY ES MORAL N ’ NESS OF IRISH MYTHOLOGY . SHELLEY S Q UEEN ” P ’ P ’ MA B . . SHAKES EARE S FAIRIES , UCK MILTON S ” AN D COMUS . IRISH LANGUAGE CHRISTIANITY . P ’ ” S ENSER S FAERY Q UEEN .

CHAPTER VII

TWO CLASSES OF GODS . PESSIMISTIC AND OPTIMISTIC D VIEWS . THE BOOK OF THE UN COW .

CHAPTER VIII

HE R C A D T I ISH CALLED S OTI N IRELAND SCOTIA . CALE E OF TH E DONIA CALL D SCOTIA MINOR . LANDING ’

AM E R G I S . C O ACL MI LESIANS . N DECISION N ON ’ C AM E R G I S P N . VERSIFI ATION, OEMS

CHAPTER IX

C ONFLICT OF MILESIAN VALOR AND TUATHA DE

. R E DANAAN MAGICAL ART DONN . MILESIANS

TIRE NINE WAVES . GREAT STORM . FINALLY

THEY LAND . BATTLES FOUGHT

CHAPTER X

AME G I . HE AM G I A D S . R N T GODS . E R N N HE IOD ’ ME R G I S E J A N P S P PR . D U HILO O HY . HIS AYER ’ BAINVILLE S COMMENTS “ A WELSH POEM .

M E G A D S T . P A R I N N ATRI CK . CONTENTS

CHAPTER XI

HE . Y R T AN D . WH FAIRIES BANBA , FOLA ERIU I ISH P ” P MANUSCRI T BOOKS NAMED AFTER LACES ,

E T C . I P I R E A MAN USCR T REAL LY A LIBRARY . ’ R I N I TS P AN LAND S LITERATU E RESERVATION , ’ N I O F I DICAT ON IRELAND S DESTINY . OGHAM

. O F A CHARACTERS BOOK BALLYMOTE . B NBA , AN D I N FOLA ERIU SUCCESSION ASK, EACH , THAT T H E B HE ISLAND SHOULD E NAMED AFTER R . F FATE O DONN . CHAPTER XII

’ E R G I C E I AM N ; HIS CHARACTER AN D OFFI E . R U S

R P . OF D P AN . O HECY DEATH BANBA, FOLA ERIU L UG AN D O F AI L L T E P OF GAMES T N . RACTICE P O H E O F TH E UTTING A TERM T T LIVES GODS . P AGAN STORIES HAVE CHRISTIAN REDACTIONS . “ ’ ” I LIR S LONELY DAUGHTER . PAGAN SM HAS I TS R P LEFT MA K ON LACE NAMES .

CHAPTER XIII

R . S C EUHEME ISM GOD THAT WERE ALWAYS SU H , AND C MEN WHO AFTER DEATH BE AME GODS . MYTH C C OLOGI AL, HEROIC AND HISTORI CYCLES EASILY

DISTINGUISHABLE IN IRISH HISTORY . GILLA KE E VI N AND FLANN OF THE MONASTERY GREATEST R E UHE M E R I ZE S CC I ISH R . SOME A OUNT OF THEIR I WORK . T G E R N ACH . CHAPTER XIV R THE FAI IES . DE DANAAN MEETING AT BRUG NA

B OI N N E . UAI L G E DIGRESSION ON TAIN BO C N . xi i CONTENTS

L L AI D CUCU N AN FERDIAD . CONQ UEST OF T HE ”

. THE . M AC L I P SID DAGDA MANANNAN R . OEM ’ KI AE H O H AR TI G OF N T AN . T H E BULLS FIGHT . ’ ’ O CUR R Y S TRANSLATION OF TH E ACCOUNT OF

THAT FIGHT .

CHAPTER XV

—“

THE FAIRIES . DISTRIBUTION OF THE FAI RY PALACES .

OC . THE DAGDA AND OENGUS . MAC INT GREEK

AND IRISH MYTHOLOGICAL LEGENDS . FOOD OF M THE GODS . IM ORTALITY OF THE GODS . KN OWTH N E WG R AN G E DO WTH . U , AND MON

E T E C P . M NTS OF H YCLO S CRUACHAN .

CHAPTER XVI

THE BRUG ON THE BOYNE . THE TAIN REGARDED AS P ONE OF THE GREAT E IC STUDIES OF LITERATURE .

THE STORY OF POLYPHEMUS . ULYSSES ACTS LIKE

AN IRISHMAN .

CHAPTER XVII

THE BRUG MORE CLOSELY DESCRIBED . KINGS BURIED

THERE . ANCIENT BURIAL CEREMONIES . VENER ATION OF THE ANCIENT IRISH FOR THE MEMORY FI N OOL A OF THEIR DEAD . BURIAL OF AND HER P P FI N OOL A E . BROTHERS . , THE IRISH ENELO

CHAPTER XVIII ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE

P R . FAIRY ALACES . O IGIN OF FAIRY BELIEF

ABORIGINAL FAIRIES OR GODS . ACCESSION OF CONTENTS xiii

THE TUATHA DE DANAAN TO THEIR RANKS . “ P H E C OF TH E FAIRY ALACES . T AUTO RAT HE BREAKFAST TABLE ON HOLES I N T GROUND .

B OW . OF TH E R . MAN ANNAN . DERG SOME SHE S

- KNOCK MA . ROAD FROM HEADFORD T O TUAM .

TUAM CATHEDRAL .

CHAPTER XIX

N . . . E L CMAR . MA ANNAN OENGUS GOIBNIU LUCH

CR E I DN E . A TI NE AND DE DANAAN RTIFICERS .

STORY OF E I THN E . IRISH PAGANISM COMPARA

TI VE L Y CLEAN .

CHAPTER XX

INDIVIDUAL GODS . THE DAGDA . BRIGIT . THE LOVE

C . AI L I L L OF OENGUS FOR AER AND MEAVE .

M U . NUPTIALS . SIC

CHAPTER XXI

C C . . I D A T A ANN A A A E . E I N E H BU N N N CL E N A .

AI B E L L . G B I AN

CHAPTER XXII

W R UR E . E R . ETC . A F I S TH MOR IGAN BADB , DEMONS

A A A . E B R I CR E N D T BATTLE OF M GH R TH FL D . AM S W N I FIGHT OF CH PION ITH GE TI G L I N N I .

FINGER AND TOE NAILS AS WEAPONS .

CHAPTER XXIII

M A . . . A R R C NANNAN FAND EMER THE F I Y B AN H . M C R ANANNAN AND CORMAC MA A T . xi v CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXIV

I M . THE LEPRECHAUN . ANCIENT REFERENCES TO H

MODERN CONCEPTIONS OF HIM . HOW HE TREATED

OLIVER CR OMWELL .

CHAPTER XXV M THE POOKA . GIVES HIS NAME TO PLACES . SO E

OF HIS TRICKS .

CHAPTER XXVI

’

S . THE POOKA N OT ALWAYS TO BLAME . T PATRICK S

M . DIPLO ATIC TACT GREEK, LATIN AN D IRISH “ ” HUMANI TIES .

CHAPTER XXVII

THR E - ASS ICAT R E E FOLD CL IF ION OF I ISH GODS . TH

. E D IRISH DIVI A D R UA AND DONN . INSTANCES R M Y C IN O AN AND GREEK M THOLOGY. AQ UATI

RS . S S R . C MONSTE NAKE TO Y ABOUT ST PATRI K .

CHAPTER XXVIII R I R T E D TE M N U . R P A T . H GO , S I ISH ILL S ONES

S S H . V N R PEAKING TONES . T E LIA FAIL E E ATION

OF FI RE AND WATER .

CHAPTER XXIX

WORSHIP OF FIRE . THE GOD BAAL . THE BONFIRE .

M . THE ELE ENTS . ELEMENTAL OATH WEAPON

WORSHIP . THE IRISH ELYSIUM . IMMORTALITY .

S RP . METEMPSYCHO IS . METAMO HOSIS CONTENTS XV

CHAPTER XXX

R E I SI OL . M G E A SA . TU NING D ODD NU BERS . THE

EVIL E YE . THE ORDEAL .

CHAPTER XXXI

’ MULTIPLICITY OF IRISH GODS . JULIUS CAE SAR S

GAULISH BRITISH DRUIDS . IRISH DRUIDS

AN D THEIR PRACTICES . MAGICAL ARTS . DIVINA

I I DATHI . THE U DUB AT . D D HT H ON K NG R I AC .

I R E L AN D’S FAI R Y L OR E

CHAPTER I

I N TR ODUCTI ON

Were there Chri sti a n s i n I rela n d be ore t f S .

’ P a tri ck s ti m e ?

HE glorious St . Patrick , says Cardinal “ so Newman , did a work great that

n ot he could have a successor in it , the sanctity and learning and zeal and charity which followed on his death being but the

on e result Of the impulse which he gave . It seems impossible to pronounce a more compre h en si ve eulogy on the character and enduring ’ quality Of St . Patrick s work than that con t a i n ed in this on e sentence . It covers the whole ground and gives due credit . It squares literally with the facts . A very common asser

’ tion with St . Patrick s Day orators is that St . Patrick found Ireland universally pagan and left it universally Christian . In this beautiful f antithesis , rigorous truth su fers a little violence from the desire to secure rhetorical elegance . 2 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

St . Patrick could have no successor in his great life - work ; but he had a predecessor ; probably more than one . Their success , however , was so slight that it could not take away anything f from his glory . E forts had been made before his arrival to Christianize the country , but they

n o Pa ll i t . a us were confi ed particular localities d , who had been sent by the same Pope who

. set out afterwards sent St Patrick , with the hope of converting the whole island . He suc ceeded in founding three little churches in the

County Wicklow . Attempts have been made F to identify the sites of these churches . ather

Shearman , in an article in the Kilkenny Archae 1 872—3 s ological Journal for , identifie these sites

Ti ron e with g y , Killeen Cormac and Donard in

i n i . de t fi Wicklow , and Dr P . W . Joyce says his “ cations are probably correct . Here is what

of ua the Most Rev . Archbishop Healy T m says “ o n this matter ' A competent local authority , F the late ather Shearman , identifies Teach na

o a n Ti ron e R m with g y , an Old church in the m M a cAda . parish of Castle , County Wicklow The building has completely disappeared ; but

- the ancient cemetery still remains . Cell fin e

Shearman identifies with Killeen Cormac , now an old churchyard three miles southwest of CHAPTER I 3

Dunlavin ; but , as might be expected after

of the ravages Of the Danes , all traces the rel ics have completely disappeared . The third church , Dominica Arda , as it is called in the

Old Latin , Shearman locates in the parish now

Of called Donard , in the west the County

’ Wicklow . We do not assent to Shearman s

of t w o location the last churches , mainly because we think it improbable that Pa lla di us and his

SO associates , remaining for short a time in the country , penetrated the Wicklow mountains so far to the west . We think all these sites should be sought for in the neighborhood of

Pa lla di us the town of Wicklow , where landed ; but while the matter is still doubtful , we may

Of accept the suggestions Shearman , as not by “ ” any means certain , but as probable .

for Teach na Roman , Irish house Of the

- fin e of i Romans , Cell , church the rel cs , and

D om n a ch arda , or church of the heights , were

Pa lla i s the churches which d u founded . Dom

ni nach , which is the Gaelic for Domi ca , Sunday ,

was also used in ancient Irish to mean a church ,

n t o and ard , high , is an adjective aki the Latin

r f a duus . , di ficult Dom n a ch arda is noteworthy as the place

oli n us where Sylvester and S , the two holy

CHAPTER I

among eminent Gaelic scholars as to why it

of was called by the name Psalter , which is un mistakably a Christian word ; some maintain i n h a t t the compilation , com ng down from g fl i pagan times , received its name in Christian times . If the legend about the compiler were

s once proven to be hi toric fact , the controversy would at once be settled . It may be that the moral excellence Of this King has caused his memory to come down to us through all those

Of r ages with a halo Ch istianity around it .

Regarding pre - Palladian Chr istianity we have

of . also the testimony St Prosper , the Chronicler

wh o of Of Aquitaine , lived at the time the event which he records . He tells us that in the year “ 43 1 n , Pope Celestine sent Palladi s to the

r Scots , believing in Christ , to be their fi st bishop . It will be remembered that the Irish

' were called Scots Or Scoti even as late as the

fifteenth century . It may be safe historically to surm ise that the number of Christians must have been fairly considerable and the prospect Of native subjects for ordination to the sacred ministry fairly good , to make the sending Of a

N OW h ow bishop necessary . did it happen that

Christianity , even in isolated little spots , existed i n Ireland at this early time ? Roma n civiliza 6 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

or tion Roman arms had never touched Ireland , and so this avenue of an accidental introduction Of Christianity into Ireland by Christian soldiers

a n in the Rom legions was precluded . It must

be borne in mind , however , that at this remote

a e l m of g , there were arge nu bers Christians in

Of the neighboring island Britain , and that there wa s much and frequent communication between the two countries . It is even regarded as probable that there was a well established

Church in Britain as early as the third century . h That C ristianity had been preached in Britain ,

on e . ages before , no doubts Under these cir cum st a n ces it was simply impossible for the ancient Irish not to have had some kn owledge of n Christ before Palladi s or Patrick , and this process Of elimination makes the theory that they received it from Britain the only tenable

on e . N otwithstanding all this , it does no serious ‘

Violence to truth to sa y that St . Patrick found

Ireland pagan and left it Christian . The story Of Ireland ’s early Christianity has been Often told and told well . Learned writers have elucidated the extension of Christianity from

of Ireland to the Continent Europe by St .

h i s Colum b a n us and followers , as also its CHAPTER I 7

diffusion in Scotland , Northern England , and even in islands still farther to the North through

ol m b kille . C u the agency Of St and his monks . ’ The following chapters on Ireland s peculiar form of ancient paganism may be foun d i n

in of t erest g . A few feeble survivals the ancient

i n pagan customs are still found Ireland , harm lessly and beautifully pervading inn ocent pas

of times and customs the present day . They are however beginning t o fade away like the i ’ twil ght over Ireland s western mountains . The traces of them that remain are powerful in their human appeal . CHAPTER II

Ki n Ti ern m a s . Cra mm Crua ch . I dola try . g g

E m a n i a . h ri n kli n o blood . Cromm Du b . Sp g f ’

P a tri ck s ti me . N 0 hum a n s a crifices i n St .

E may begin with the most rep ul

sive form of the ancient paganism ,

a sk and the question , were idols ever worshipped in Ireland ? Some writers Of ’ repute say that the Irish never knelt to an

of idol . But the weight historic testimony goes to show that this is merely a pleasing delusion . It would have been strange if the ancient Irish had fully escaped this abomina tion . They would have been alone in the whole wide world in this regard . On the contrary we are told by St . Patrick in his “ ” of om Confessions , that up to the time his c ing , the Scots , that is the Irish , worshipped only idols and abominations ; and in the Tripartite

of our Life Apostle , we are told that Tara was “ ” i dla ct druidect the chief seat Of ocus , that

Of is , idolatry and druidism . It also records many instances Of the overthrow and dest ru c

- tion Of idols by him as a part of his life work . 8 CHAPTER II 9

The most famous Of these idols was Crom m

of M Cruach . It was erected on the plain agh Slech t in the County of Cavan and was sur I t rounded by twelve minor gods . was covered with silver and gold and the minor gods with

Crom m brass or bronze . Cruach is mentioned

i n frequently in the Book Of L st er . There is no fact of ancient history better attested than his existence . The plain where he stood may mean the plain of gen uflect i on or the plain of

s techt slaughter , being susceptible Of either

i s or meaning , that , indiscriminate slaughter profound adoration , and while it certainly served as a place where divine honors were given

of to an idol , it also had served as a scene

Ti rn m a s slaughter . King ge and a whole host of his people were killed in some mysterious way while adoring this idol on a certain Samain or November Eve . Crom m Cruach was the King idol of Erin and was supposed to exercise a kind of primacy

- over all other hand made gods . The Dinn

en ch us s , a topographical tract , preserved in “ ’ Of L i n st er the Book , tells us that until Patrick s advent it was the god Of every people that ” “ rom m colonized Ireland . C Cruach with his ” sub - gods twelve was miraculously destroyed lO IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

by St . Patrick . It could have been thrown

down like any other structure . It might have

been overthrown by an earthquake , like the

or Colossus of Rhodes , destroyed during the “ night of the big but St . Patrick took

own of his way doing all this , to show forth the power Of G od .

In the . ancient Irish Literature , there is frequent reference to another idol . It was Crom m Dubh and he seems to have been next

rom m in importance to C Cruach . The people have a distinct tradition of him . It is most interesting to hear them call the first Sunday

dom n a c Cruim Crom m in August Duib , or ’ Dub h s on e of Sunday , as if he were the saints

Of the Calendar . As a matter Of fact they unwittingly celebrate on that day the dest ruc f tion o this idol . The Ultonians looked to

Kelst a ch Cerman as their local deity , just as the Con n a ci a n s and Mun st erit es looked to

Crom m Dubh . It is a sure thing that idolatry never prevailed universally in Ireland at any time . Less rep ul

of sive forms paganism were widely spread .

on It must, however , be admitted the authority of the Tripartite that the highest in the land

An a n a hr n sm we e e e ex sa e . c o i , but b li v it cu bl CHAPTER II 1 1

knelt before idols . That document tells us that Leary the high King who greeted St . Patrick had Offered divine worship to Crom m

Cruach . We have seen the statement made by serious historians that human sacrifices were Offered to ’ these gods . Certainly not in St . Patrick s time . There is no reference to them in his

r writings o in the works Of his biographers . If this practice or any trace Of it had existed in

or Ireland then , there is little doubt that he some Of the other early Christian writers would

t o have referred it , as they all showed an anxiety to expose in detail the abominations Of paganism , and show by contrast the beauty

of . and glory Christianity There is , however , at least a show Of evidence that at a period

’ many centuries before St . Patrick s coming , human blood was spilt in sacrifice . The Dinn sen ch us Crom m , referring to Cruach says , “ T o him they would kill their wretched piteous Offspring with much wailing and peril to pour out rom m M l their blood around C Cruach . i k and honey they would ask of him speedily in

r return fo on e third Of their healthy issue . G reat was the horror and the scare of him .

To him noble Gaels would prostrate themselves .

CHAPTER II

In this conn ection also an interesting story is

of F on found in the Book ermoy which , account of its classical and scriptural analogies , we give here . Certain Irish druids recommended that a boy , distinguished by certain peculiar personal characteristics , be killed and his blood sprinkled on s Of the door pots Tara to remove a blight , which the crime Of a certain woman had brought l ll on corn and mi k a over the country . The boy was saved by a wonderfully beautiful cow that had appeared at the last moment and was slain in his stead . The blight ceased . In Homer you have the story Of Iphigenia ; in the

Isa a c . Bible , What food for historical reflection

di s does it not give to find that , as in all the

so tant Orient , in ancient Ireland also , are found such traces , distorted indeed , but , never t h eless of interesting , the scenes and incidents and mysteries arising from the intercourse Of the Creator with primitive man . The East

our - our was cradle land , the West evidently destination . CHAPTER III

la I do tr n ot ver en era l. 0 a ti on a l y y g N N reli gi on .

The Fa i ri es . Who were th e fa i ri es ? N ovem

’ ber E ve excursi on s Fi n n M a cCum a ls “ thumb o Kn o le f w dge . HE ancient Irish had an immense

pantheon to select from . None Of the gods enjoyed an unquestioned

Z or s upremacy like eus among the Greeks ,

n o Jupiter among the Romans . There was

well defined and connected system of religion . Nevertheless the ancient Irish were a very reli

n gi ous people . Each o e worshipped whatever

od g or goddess he chose , prayed in whatever li way he ked and wherever he liked . There

were no temples and n ot much prayer . Under the slavery of pagani sm the Irishman was a

own free lance , following his taste unquestion

n l i g y . Under the freedom and liberty Of the

firm est Gospel truth , he is the supporter Of religious or ecclesiastical authority and the

staunchest devotee Of a beautiful , harmonious

and logical religious system . But let us come 1 4 CHAPTER IH

to the Fairies ; we want to introduce them .

And now , gentle reader , we are only bringing back t o your recollection a class Of beings who

of . are , very likely , Old acquaintances yours

ou or h Perhaps y have seen them yourself, ave

Yo seen somebody who sa w them . u spent your younger days in some country place or little town in Ireland and you remember dis t i n ct l O m st eri y what a source Of terror , and f y

ous i n defin a b le ou , awe these fairies were to y , and what an in fluence they had on your general

behavior . Invisible themselves , they made you ’ careful and circumspect in many ways , par t i cula rly if you were of an imaginative and

nervous temperament . You little knew or thought that these very fairies were the Object Of religious belief and worship in Ireland before

the introduction Of Christianity . You yourself knew very well there were n o

such things as fairies . You did not believe in

them . Nevertheless a lurking fear that perhaps after all they were all around you haunted you ;

and if , in the dusk Of evening , when the twilight

t o had almost all faded away , you had pass over

Cnoc - a n - t - si o - dain or go by the Sgea c M or (large tree) that stood a ll alone on the top of

Pron oun ced Cn uck a t eeya wn . 1 6 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

- the little lonesome looking hill , in spite of all f ‘ your e forts to brace yourself , a strange fear , enhanced by the awful silence prevailing , and an impulse to run for your life came upon you .

But you would not be a coward . You would walk at your accustomed pace . You would be f brave and manly , but it took an awful e fort . Imagination played havoc with your better

Of ers i ra knowledge and judgment , and beads p p

out tion stood in bold relief on your brow . You certainly would have run ; but you were afraid to let the fairies know you were afraid ;

s and besides you knew they were a frolic ome ,

set pranky little , fond Of a joke , and might give chase , and your last condition would be worse

of o than your first . At last , in sight your wn

ou s door , y breathed more freely , a new acces ion

Of courage came to you , you felt you had a safe handicap for the run , you took to your heels , made a dash for home , rushed in the door , put the family in a panic , and brought the “ immediate conviction that you had s een some ” thing . Whether there were fairies or n ot you

i - were glad you were n doors .

This incident , which is by no means all

o imagination , illustrates the mental attitude f

s many people towards the fairies , I hould CHAPTER III 1 7

sa O y even yet , in some remote parts f the

country . Some writers speak Of the tenacity Of pagan i m O of Pan s . N denizens the ancient Irish theon can compare with the fairies in their hold

on the Irish imagination , and in their persistency

in clinging to their rights on Irish soil .

or ? Who were , rather who are , the fairies Let us begin the answer to this question by the ’ ’ “ note from O Curry s M anuscript Materials Of ” Ancient Irish History , where he explains the

“ ‘ ’ word Banshee ' Th e word b ea n side (banshee) ‘ ' ’ literally , woman of the fairy mansions meant

of a woman from the fairy mansions the hills , or the land Of immortality . In other words it meant , according to the ancient legendary

u a t h a belief, a woman of that T De Danaan M race which preceded the ilesians , and which , on their conquest by the latter , were believed to have retired from this life to enjoy an i n

i n visible immortality the hills , lakes , fountains and islands Of Erin where it was reported they F were to remain until the last judgment . rom this state Of existence they were of old believed to be able to reappear at pleasure in the ordinary

forms Of men and women . And this ancient

l T ua t h a be ief regarding the De Danaan , whose 1 8 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

sudden disappearance from our ancient history seems to have been only accounted for in this

s i manner , till l ngers among the people Of modern Ireland in the form Of the superstitious rever ence for what they now call the fairies or good ” people . When on e considers the immensity of the

ancient Irish Pantheon , composed , as it was , Of

war gods and war goddesses , demons of the air,

of sprites the valley , common ghosts , spectres

le reca w n s Of and goblins , p , banshees , fairies various kinds , one cannot help thinking that the mortal inhabitants were in constant danger Of being crowded or scared into the surrounding seas . It was certainly high time for St . Patrick to come and tell these people of the on e true

F om G od . It was ather T Burke who said that the Irish had a wonderful way Of realizing or

s Visualizing the unseen . Thi brings to mind the admonition Of St Paul ' Let your conversa tion be in heaven . Their conversation , the burden and trend Of their thought was in heaven , even though a mistaken heaven . N O class Of divinities received such widespread worship as the fairies . Some thought that the retired T ua t h a De Danaan constituted the entire fairy body . But the weight Of authority CHAPTER III 1 9

goes to show that this is not so . These merely joined forces and cast in their lot with an

already organized fairy kingdom . They were

- s not absorbed by this pre exi ting body . They

own retained their distinct peculiarities . They

remained a class in themselves . They are often described as gods or elves who had their

dwelli ngs on earth . Some of them were mor

. im m or tal , others immortal These owed their ’ tality to Ma n n a n a n M a cL i r s ale which they drank copiously and to his swines ’ flesh which

they ate with a relish . This particular diet was an antidote against disease and decay and

death . This ale is not brewed at the pres

ent day . The recipe must have been lost ,

ages gone by . Some Of the fairies that were

mortal lived to an immense age . Those we find m en t lon ed in the ancient Irish manu

scripts are men and women Of ordinary stature , having their troubles among themselves , and “ ” t oo troubles with mortals . They made love

to mortals and were loved in return . They fought against mortals and mortals fought against them and Often ' defeated them in spite Of their immense natural and acquired a d

i n vantages war as in love .

or Samain , November Eve , must have been

CHAPTER III 21

or inspect them very closely , , in fact , to inspect them at all . Th ere was always more or less

For . on e risk , if there was thing more than

on another the fairies insisted , it was that

n or a man should mi d his own business ; , at

s a f lea t , that he might not pry into their fairs however much he might want to extend his uninvited solicitude to the a fl a i rs of mortals like himself . Finn Ma c Cum a l had an experience with a fairy which we insert here in the language into ’ which Professor O Curry translated it from an f F Old Irish text . The history o inn Mac ’ ” “ Cu m a ls thumb Of Knowledge , says he , as related in the ancient Irish tales , is a very wild on e indeed ; but it is so Often alluded t o that ' I may as well state it here . It is shortly this Upon a certain occasion this gallant warrior was hunting near Sli even a m on in the present county of Tipperary ; he was standing at a spring - well when a strange woman Came sud den l h im y upon , filled a silver tankard at the spring , and immediately afterwards walked F away with it . inn followed her , unperceived ,

e until sh came to the side Of the hill , when a concealed door opened suddenly and she walked

n F i . inn attempted to follow her farther but 292 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

the door was shut so quickly that he was only

on able to put his hand the door post , with the f thumb inside . It was with great di ficulty

that he was able to extricate the thumb , and

so having done , he immediately thrust it,

bruised as it was , into his mouth to ease the

O pain . N sooner had he done so than he found himself possessed of the gift Of foreseeing

future events . This gift was not , we are told ,

r always present , but only when he bruised o

chewed his thumb . This was probably the reason why he never volunteered any informa

tion about the future . He had always to be

asked for it .

Ma cG n i om a rt a F or The inn , youthful ex

loit s of F p inn , a very ancient little tract , gives

f Of a di ferent version this story . It says that Finn went to the school Of Fi n n eigea s on the F ’ Boyne to study literature . inn s name was

Fi n n ei ea s then Demne . g had been seven years trying to catch the salmon of the pool of Fei c . It had been foretold that he would eat this salmon and then that there would “ be nothing ” he would not know . The salmon was finally

caught and turned over to Demne to be cooked . Demne was strictly Ordered n ot to eat a bite of

b e it . But in the act of cooking it , burned his CHAPTER III 23

t o thumb , which he forthwith put in his mouth

i n ease the pa n . He reported the i cident t o Fi n n eigea s who at once changed his name from F F Demne to inn , that is the air , and declared “ was his privilege t o eat the fish and acquire the gift Of prophecy which he himself had missed . CHAPTER IV

‘

t e i e . I i M t o Qu a rrels of h fa ri s r sh y h logy . Fri en dly a n d m a tri m on i a l rela ti on s between

fa i ri es a n d m orta ls . Th e B a n sh ee. M a n

ga n . M oore.

N illustration Of the quarrels of the fairies among themselves is given in

the Rennes Di n n sen ch us . A serious quarrel had happened between two parti es of

S or . fer ide , fairy men They decided to fight

o it ut . They assumed the Shapes Of deer and met on the plain Of M oen m a gh in Connaught . The battle that ensued was s o terrific and the numbers slain on either side so vast that hoofs and antlers enough were left to form several large fairy mounds .

Of Our readers will take this , as a matter

i s . course , for what it , a fairy story Our ancestors , when they were pagans , believed it to be an historical fact . Otherwise they would n ot have taken it seriously , and their writers would not have committed it to writing as a i m piece of serious history . It is not mere

24. CHAPTER IV 25

a i n a t i on or . g Irish exaggeration It is not , Of

s i us . s course , hi tory to It mythology , pure

and simple . i All the great nations Of antiquity , l ke Ireland ,

have their mythological and heroic , as well as

h i . storical periods The admirable , the terrible ,

s a s a s the horrible , the repul ive , well love and

war , figure in the Irish mythology as they do in the mythologies of ancient Greece and

Rome .

But to return to the fairies . We find them in

constant intercourse with men , sometimes to

a the advant ge , but more frequently to the F detriment Of the latter . airies and mortals

even intermarried . It happened frequently that a man or woman had his or her lea n a n * s i de or , fairy follower , which was in reality a

fairy lover .

i s s P L u ch t a It aid of ingin Mac , who was

Of M s King South un ter in the second century , that h i s lea n a n s i de used to visit him every

i or a n d Sama n November Eve , take him to see

the fairy palaces and their treasures . Ancient writers record innumerable instances f o . li such attachments In the Sylva G a de ca ,

’ O G ra d is published by Standish Hayes y , it

P n n e la n a n s ee ro ou c d w h . 26 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

P Of recorded that achna , a King Ulster , had a

er si de fri en d wh o f , a fairy man or fi told him

even of things that were yet to happen . By far the most frequent and familiar kind

lea n a n bea n s i de Of side was the (banshee) , whose wail was heard when her mortal protege

or wh en s om e f was about to die , mortal a fliction / was about to visit the family over whose des

sh e tinies exerted a watchful and loving care . What a wonderful kind Of pagan guardian

sh e or angel was ; , rather , is she ; for very many Irish people do not fin d the courage or the heart to sa y or to believe that the last banshee has yet disappeared .

In fact , until very recent times , and we

s a might safely y that even up to the present,

in some places , there are many splendid families who would feel as if they had sustained some

or n mysterious loss , i jury to their family pride , if they had to abandon definitely the lurki ng

belief that this devoted sprite still loved them . Tom Moore introduces the banshee in the melody in which he sings

HOW oft h a s t h e ba n shee cried ' How oft h a s dea th un tied i l n s a e B r ght i k th t glory wov , Sweet bon ds en twin ed by love ' CHAPTER IV 27

Pea ce to ea ch m a n ly soul tha t sleepeth ; R es t to ea ch fa ithf ul eye tha t weepeth ; L on g m a y t h e fa ir a n d bra ve ’ ’ ” o er t h e Sigh hero s gra ve . But as Moore ’s special reference is to Ad miral Nelson his introduction Of the banshee is

- far fetched . Nelson was not an Irishm an .

CHAPTER V 29

and that fairies fought against fairies for it ; and mortals frequently became mixed up in

on o n those fights , sometimes fighting their w responsibility to dispossess the fairies or to oust

other mortals . The cave of Cruachan figures principally in that age when the mythological cycle was fast disappearing and its dark shadows yielding to the dawn Of the heroic period .

The cave is , perhaps , best remembered as the abode of the most malignant Of the fairy elves

- of or demons . It was called the hell gate

on Ireland because it was from it that , Novem ber Eve , the most terrifying and noxious Of the spectral hosts , that made that night hideous ,

- - burst forth . Copper red birds , three headed vultures and other demons , terrible to behold , issued from it and , with their poisonous breath , blasted and blighted everything with whi ch they came in contact . ’ of This reminds us Virgil s Harpies , which in their flight corrupted the very atmosphere with

T O their filth . bring matters nearer home , that cave itself recalls the “ Weird Gathering ”

Of Whittier , that fearful assemblage Of demons , witches , sorcerers and hideous spectres which he describes as gathering at the sound Of the 30 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

- blood curdling , midnight trumpet, and coming together for an un holy purpose in that

W a n d a n e en n ild h u t d gl , ’ T x a s a n a m wi t S ugu d N u kea g .

We do n ot know exactly where that glen is ; but we surmise that the poet only picked out some definite cavern s o as to give the picture in “ ” his mind a local habitation and a name and ,

t o incidentally , without intending it , give some undefined spot a very bad name .

As for the Irish fairies , even the good ” people or benevolent elves made themselves Objects of terror by their propensity t o steal people away . They did this in various ways . M ysterious disappearances , whether for a time or a for all time , were as a general thing c counted for in this way . Many Of our readers will remember also that many people who died in Ireland , at least apparently , and whom they had seen dead , did not really die at all , but were carried away to the nearest fairy mansion , a real fairy having assumed the role Of corpse for a blind and t o supply a wake and funeral . This suspicion was deep and serious when a promising young person pined away .

I a em Th e n dia n n m e for Sa l . CHAPTER V 3 1

We believe , however , that this particular relic or adjunct of the ancient pagan belief has

. s n o w h passed away The tradition exi ts , t it

a s st nding , that the person thu carried away found life in fairyland indes cribably pleasant

’ and hence the concluding li nes in Nora Hopper s “ beautiful little poem on the Girl from Faery land

’ For a m ea s i n Fa e a n h lf y h rt ryl d . An d a f i s e e on ea h l h r rth , ’ An d a I m s e s h lf poil d for orrow, ’ An d a l I m s a n e m h f tr g to irth , An d m ee a re a n i n y f t wild for d c g, ’ An d m y n eighbor s feet a re slow a e m e G en e F ? Why did you t k , tl olk ” Why did you let m e go ?

We fin d the same tradition spun out into a delightful Gaelic poem of 740 lines by Michael

of 1 7 0 Comyn Clare about the year 5 . The “ ” “ ‘ n - o or Th e L a n d of poem is called Tir na g , ” Of the Youth that is , perpetual youth

s s and tell how Ossian , the famous Iri h poet and

Of hero the third century , went away willingly “ ” with Niam of the Golden Hair to that blissful land and lived there in happy wedlock with her for over two hundred years ; when finally becoming anxious to know what had

of F n i or become the e heroes he had left , and 3 2 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

of F particularly his father inn , he came to Ireland on a milk white steed and was told by all the people he met and questioned that Fin n F and the eni had passed away ages before .

Accidentally touching mother earth , against which he had been particularly cautioned , the fairy bloom Of youth left him , and he became suddenly afflicted with all the decreptitude of his enormous age . A great anachronism is f solved a n d he is made a contemporary o St . Patrick ; and a semblance of foundation in

or fact , at least in poetic fancy , is given to the quaint and beautiful and at times humorous “ dialog ues between the saint and the helpless , ” hopeless , blind , Old man .

of One the reasons , if not the only reason , for the composition of Tir na n - og was to explain away this anachronism , which the “ ” Ossianic poems , magnificent as they are , had created , by making Ossian and St . Patrick F engage in dialogue . rom this point Of view it is a most beautiful literary contrivance .

O 1a n l a re The ss c poems , to which we refer ,

on Of comparatively modern date , but founded the ancient legends and tales . The extent to which religious worship was given to the fairies in ancient times is very well CHAPTER V 3 attested by the fact that in modern Ireland “ seventy - t wo townlands have the word shee

or f as a prefix a fix to their names . The fairies “ ” “ were called the good people , na daoine ” maite to propitiate them . The latter day hold Of this belief on the popular fancy is due more to its poetry than to its philosophy .

It is no violent transition , however , to pass from a belief in the banshee to a belief in a F ’ guardian angel . In St . iae s metrical life Of

of St . Patrick there is a phrase worthy con “ a s a a sideration . It refers to the people t u t “ ” a dort a side a people adoring the shee or “ ” fairies . Windisch in his Irische Texte , has , ” of t u a t a a d or idla instead this reading , t a , “ ” “ for substituting idols shee . This poem ’ was written during St . Patrick s own lifetime . f Its author was bishop o Slet t y . In the Tripartite Life Of our Apostle there is a passage which runs thus ' Patrick went afterwards to

i li e h o . e . C b c n the fountain , , , the slopes Of

’ Ma cN eill o Cruachan at sunrise . Leary s t w

E it h n e F Feidelm daughters , the air , and the red went early to the fountain as they were

Of Wont to , when they found the synod clerics at the well , with white garments and their books before them . They wondered at the 34 IRELAN D ’S FAIRY LORE appearance of the clerics and imagined they “ - r were fire side o phantoms . They ques t i on ed Patrick ' Whence are you and whither have you come ? Is it from the ‘ side ’ (shee) ? Are you gods ? ” The passage goes on to relate the conversation Of the maidens , their questions having given the Saint an excellent Opportunity to enlighten their enquiring minds about the on e true G od . How natural it was that the strange and unexpected habiliments and general make - up of the Christian bishops caused the pagan maidens to take them for fairies . It gives us a new idea Of this belief as it existed in

O the fifth century . S solidly was it established that it has taken fifteen hundred years t o eradicate it completely . As to the etymology of the word side or ” ” shee , Dr . Todd , in his Life Of St . Patrick “ h i s says , It is doubtful whet er the word cognate ‘ ’ s s or with the Latin sede , a eat habitation , or ‘ ’ whether it comes from the Celtic side , a blast

” ‘ ’ Of wind . We connect it with the sedes . It is not that the Irish borrowed the word from the Latin . The Latin may have borrowed it “ ” from the Irish . Shee is rarely , if ever , employed in the modern language for a blast

Si n ea n d Of wind . Instead , , a mo ification Of it , CHAPTER V 35

is used . The word shee originally applied “

. Fa n to the fairies themselves Colgan says , ‘ ’ t a st i ca l spirits are by the Irish called side ,

out because they are seen , as it were , to come of beautiful hills to infest people , and hence the vulgar (common) belief that they reside in certain subterraneous habitations within these hills , and these habitations and sometimes the ‘ ’ hills themselves are called by the Irish side . “ ” We beg our readers to Observe that the d “ ” in this word is silent . The d and the fin al “ ” “ ” “ ” e show that the i is long . S before a ” slender vowel has an sh sound ; hence the “ ” f pronunciation shee . Any simplification o the spelling Of Irish words by eliminating what seem to be unnecessary letters would make an attempt to get at their etymology extremely difficult .

CHAPTER VI 3 7

of As to the Oriental types fairies , who has not read with astonishment Of some Arabian

n genie developing from a huge colum Of smoke , released from condensation in a little shrine or

on e casket Of some kind , and where is the whose

a ll of memory could lose trace the little men , a foot and a half in height , appearing before

of the court in enchanted palaces , carrying bars

s iron , forty feet long , acros their shoulders , and knocki ng their enemies far into the hereafter with a blow from on e of those terrible weapons ? di The Aryan world had its stinctive pantheon .

It was grave and sombre and terrible . When it reached Ireland it became invested with a poetical fascination . It was also cleansed , con sidera b l s s y , from the voluptuou nes that had

‘ defiled it in its eastern home . It became thoroughly Irish and soon comprised withi n its walls the great Tnatha De Danaan race . We kn ow the primi tive fairies only as a class or ki ngdom . We know the T ua t h a De Danaan fa I rI es by the names Of their chiefs or leaders . One Of the most remarkable things about the mythological literature Of Ireland is its com

a ra i p t ve moral cleanliness . We sometimes meet with a primitivenes s of expression with which we can hardly quarrel at this distance Of time . 3 8 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

s ub a i n vill There are also , as hown by De J e , a

few , very few cases Of sexual crime ; but instead

or Of being laughed at condoned , as they would ’ of be by Homer s gods , they are made the cause relentless strife and sometimes Of desolating

wars . This alone would show that Irish mythology

s a s was clean in it elf and that it did not , some

claim , owe its purification to the zeal Of the

of saints later days , who were largely the f transcribers o its records . The unexpurgated editions Of Shakespeare

alone , and even of the Catholic Dryden , con tain more impure suggestiveness than is to be ’ found in all of Ireland s pagan literature . These productions of modern times are a thousand times more of a menace and a danger ’ to weak human nature ; and as for Shelley s teachings Of free love and Of other doctrines

that naturally go with this , and are intrinsically

subversive of all social order , you seek in vain for anything like them in the pagan literature

Of Ireland . Of Shakespeare and Dryden we speak with p rofound respect and with deep reverence for their genius and we feel that if they were

e writing in our times they would , in delicat CHAPTER VI 9

matters , have accommodated their phraseology to our more refined ears and keener moral sensibilities . Mention of Shelley brings to mind the di sa p pointment a man feels when he first goes to “ ” read Queen Mab . It is a grand poem , sublime in conception , rich and powerful in

s expression . At least that i our recollection Of it . But to one who retains a more or less laudable respect for the clean mythology of ancient Ireland , it seems a little less than a sacrilege to introduce the hazy and venerable fairy queen Of antiquity and make her the prophetess Of a socialism of the rankest kind , “ ” “ ” inveighing against King and Priest , and in their persons , against all constituted authority , and against all the powers that go to keep s ociety together .

Queen Mab takes with her in her airy chariot , and carries even beyond the orbits Of the

of our s planets olar system , to her fairy palace in the ether Of inconceivable distance , a tempo

sh e ra rily disembodied spirit which indoctrinates , reaching a climax in what we shall call a bitter denunciation Of the institution Of marriage . d We call it by this name , because to a here too closely to the diction Of the original would b e 40 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE all the more Offensive to ordinarily refined and modest ears by the power and majesty and clearness Of its expression . ’ With Shakespeare s fairies , almost everybody is acquainted . There is Ariel , the trusty , and

Oberon and Titania , both benevolent and magnificent sprites . And Puck ; what shall we sa y of him ? He is undoubtedly the Pooka brought into Ireland by the Danes ; but , perhaps , the Danes brought a Pooka into England too .

our This is opinion , and we wish they had left him there . The Irish pooka is far more villain ous than his English brother . His chief diver sion consists in scaring people out Of their wits , and all for the pure deviltry Of it .

We shall allow an Englishman , Charles Lamb ,

s of l to describe the trick the Eng ish pooka . “ ” “ or Puck , says Lamb ( , as he was sometimes ‘ ’ called , Robin Goodfellow ) was a shrewd and

n k avish sprite , that used to play comical pranks in the neighboring villages ; sometimes getting into the dairies and skimming the

‘ milk ; sometimes plunging his light and airy form into the butter churn , and while he was dancing his fantastic shape in the churn , in vain the dairy - maid would labor to change her cream into butter ' nor had the village swains CHAPTER VI any better success ; whenever Puck chose to

O play his freaks in the brewing opper , the ale was sure to be spoiled . “ When a few good neighbors were met to drin k some comfortable ale together , Puck would jump into the bowl Of ale in t h e likeness

Old Of a roasted crab , and when some goody was going to drink , he would bob against her lips and spill the ale over her withered chin ; and presently after when the same Old dame was gravely seating herself to tell her neighbors a s a d and melancholy story , Puck would slip her

- three legged stool from under her , and down

Ol toppled the poor Old woman , and then the d gossips would hold their sides and laugh at her , ” and swear they never wasted a merrier hour . We remember to have seen Milton ’s Comus somewhere referred to as a fay or fairy Of the Middle Ages ; and if the blind Old Puritan bard presented to the world this sprite whose purpose in life seemed to have been to lure to a doom worse than death any maidens who happened to be lost in the woods , he made up for the

f i n O fensive obtrusion , to some extent , by

ro uci n of t d g Sabrina , the real fay or fairy the benevolent kind , the nymph who gave her servi ces to the rescuing of such hapless mortals . 42 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

We fin d it difficult to determine when the word fairy was introduced into the English language . But we know that it came through ” the French Feer means to enchant; and

or Of the noun fee means fay fairy , a class

as beings which are represented being , as a general thing , extraordinarily beautiful . Like the muses and graces and nymphs of ancient classic literature , there is a poetical fascination about them , and they lend a charming character to medieval romance . One might suppose that the fairies and spirits of Shakespeare might have been sug gested by the fairies of Ireland ; but it is far more probable that they are the traces or relics Of the great mythology left all over the face of Europe by the great Celtic migration which started from Scythia , or more remotely

on from Asia , the southwest bank of the Indus , and reached its “ Ultima Thule ” in Ireland and in the highlands Of Scotland , in both of which places its most distinctive traditions are found

- to day . Where the Irish language is most prevalent as a spoken language is where the fairy tradi

n ot wit h st a n d tions exist most clearly ; and this , ing the fact that that language became per CHAPTER VI

meated and pervaded by the spirit Of Chris t i a n ity to such an extent that in the presence of a calamity that might be thought to be Of S fairy origin , the ign of the cross is at once

of M made , and the sacred names Jesus and ary

invoked . TO such an extent was the Irish language bound up with Christianity that the interests Of the one became the interests Of the other ; they were both subjected to the same common proscription ; and we can say there is no doubt ff whatever that that tongue , di erentiating the

Catholic Irishman from the English - speaking

Protestant , was a powerful human agency in the hands of Providence to help divine grace

in preserving the faith in Ireland . But we came near forgetting to state that “ ” ” the French fees were the fata of L OW

t o Latin and Of the Italian , and are supposed “ ” have been suggested by the Parcae or ” o Fates Of ancient R me . The Irish fairies

di s i n are largely of the same genus , but are so t c

t i vel y Irish that they form a class in themselves . They spoke the Irish language as the Catholics

did , and some Of the most interesting and amusing stories Of the peasantry I n Gaelic

Ireland , even now , represent the fairies as good

CHAPTER VII

Fa i r beli e i n n i n th a n d su cceedi n cen t y f g uri es . P Two cla sses of gods . essi mi sti c a n d op

i mi t o a i E vi l t s i c vi ews f f ri es . s they could

T o i n i ct . he B ook the Du n ow fl f C . ATHER than dwell any further here on middle age and modern con cep

tions Of the fairies , we retire again into the mists Of antiquity and ransack a

‘ few more references made to them in our “ of ancient literature . In the tale the Sick Bed ” “ Cucula i n of , in the Book Of the Dun Cow

h - Ui dre ' (Libur na ) , we find the following “ For the demoniac power was great before the faith ; and such was its greatness that the demons used to corporeally tempt the people , and they used to show t hem delights and s ecrets such as how they might become i m mortal . And it was to these phantoms the ignorant used to apply the name Sidhe The passage we quoted from the Tripartite Life some time ago gives an idea of the fairy

belief that prevailed in the fifth century . This 45 46 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

present citation shows what it was in the h ninth , tenth and elevent centuries ; but the idea it gives Of the “ good people ” is entirely

of t oo gloomy . The Sick Bed Cucula i n

’ Atla n ti s O Cu rr was published in the ; and y ,

so editing it in that magazine , was influenced by its reference to the “ Shee ” and their de moniac power as to get the same pessimistic

. N O . 2 1 notion of them In Appendix , page “ 4 h i s M M of 50 , of anuscript aterials Ancient ” ' fir- Irish History , he says Of the shee , fairy

- or - men , and the ben shee , man shee , fairy

women , there were , however , two classes . One of these was supposed to consist of demons , who took on themselves human bodies Of men or women , and by making love to the sons and

of daughters men , and revealing to them delusive views Of a glorious prospective im mortality , seduced them into a fatal union by which they were forever lost from God . “ Th e second class consisted of the Tua t h a

De Danaan , a people said to have been devoted altogether to the practices of Druidism and the

Black Art . This people in fact were the possessors Of Erin at the coming of the Milesian Colony ; and having been conquered by the M ilesians , and disdaining to live in subjection CHAPTER VII 7

to a more material and less spiritual power

ow n than their , their chiefs were imagined to

have put on the garb of a heathen immortality , and selecting for themselves the most beautiful

Of s situations hill , lakes , islands , etc . , throughout

or the land , to have built for themselves , caused

to spring up , splendid halls in the midst Of

those chosen situations , into which they entered , drawing a veil Of magic around them to hide

them from mortal eyes , but through which they

s ee on had power to all that was passing earth . These immortal mortals were then believed not only to take husbands and wives from

Of amongst the sons and daughters men , but also to give and receive mutual assistance in ” their battles and wars respectively . ’ It is clear that O Curry thought the aboriginal fairies to have been demons in the darkest sense “ Of the word , and that the passage in Book Of ” the Dun Cow represented them as such ; while the T ua t h a De Danaan accession to the fairy kingdom might be considered to have brought

considerable human goodness with it . The pessimistic idea was probably induced by the Christian clergy in their z ealous desire to detach the people from a superstition that was evidently clinging to them . 48 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

The idea Of the shee given by the writer Of the Tripartite is thoroughly bright and optimistic ; there is no reason for supposing that he ever thought of distinguishing between the two classes Of fairies , if , indeed , he knew

anything about these divisions .

The idea , however , we have found handed down to us from antiquity is that whether thes e

or I s beings are benevolent otherwise , ntercour e with them was regarded as boding evil to mortals . Very little good has been known to result from it . They were dreaded rather than loved . And the deference shown them was intended to propitiate them , or avert the evil they might do .

They could make themselves visible to some , while remaining invisible to all others standing lk around , just as Pallas Athene ta ed with

Achilles and was seen by him , while none of the other Greeks in his company sa w her at all ; or just as Prospero in the Tempest takes precautions not to have his daughter Miranda

ee s him talkn with Ariel , because he knows

h e ee s cannot s the sprite , and that she would , therefore , think her father was talking to h imself . It is this sense of the presence of the fairies CHAPTER VII and the thought that they might be eaves dropping that made people speak of them with deference . The manifold evil they could do is mentioned in such ancient documents as the Sea n ch us ” f M or o . , and the story Of the Voyage Bran They could cause a blight Of the crops or strike

n cattle with disease . Eve to this day , when

or cattle human beings , by dep redation or in

or any other way , desecrate a haunted liss fairy fort , and get sick afterwards , their mis fortune is attributed to fairy vengeance , no matter h ow clear the natural cause Of the malady may be . And there has been a race Of impostors wh o profited financially by encouraging this super st it i on among the people . They pretended to “ ” have learned from the good people , them

Of selves , ways and means counteracting the f e fects of fairy malignity , and these ways and means were as weird and un cann y as anything ’ ever concocted by Shakespeare s witches . “ ” Th e Dun s o b e Book of the Cow , called

on w cause written the hide Of a bro n cow , was compiled about the year 1 1 00 . Its contents are

Pagan and Christian , historical and romantic ,

e but principally romantic . It has also som 50 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

gloomy pieces , such as the history Of the pagan

Colum b kille cemeteries , and the elegy on Saint , supposed to have been written by Dallan

For a il . g , his contemporary and friend The eleventh century compiler interlined this

s elegy with a gloss , explaining the word then

Obsolete . The gloss itself is now Obsolete .

Its presence , however , gives the poem great philological importance . The whole compilation has been published in facsimile by the Royal Irish Academy with preface and description Of contents . The Libur na h - Uidre has the distinction Of being one of those books for which a battle was fought . “ It wa s forcibly taken from the men Of Con “ naught , into whose hands it had fallen in ’ ” ransom for O Doh ert y . This is another evidence of the high value set on learning and on books by the ancient

Irish . CHAPTER VIII

he I ri sh ca lled S coti a n d I rela n d c i T S ot a .

a le on a ca lled coti a I h C d i S Mi n or . ri s a n d

E rse la n gu a ges . L a n di n g of the Mi lesi a n s ’ a Am r I rel n d . e i n s deci i n g si on . N page 1 75 Of the fifth volume of the publications Of the long since de

fun ct Ossianic Society , we find Por

h rus p y , the platonic philosopher ; Claudian ,

Of E t h i cus the Latin poet the fourth century ; , the Cosmographer ; Saint Prosper , who died

A . D . 466 ; Orosius , the Spanish historian , who flourished in the beginning Of the fifth century ;

B ri t a n i cu Gildas s in the sixth century , and Saint I sodore and Venerable Bede in the seventh ;

Of Fi e soli and Saint Donatus , Bishop who died 8 A . D . 40 , all referred to as calling the Irish

E t h i cus Scoti and Ireland Scotia , or saying , as did , that Ireland was inhabited by the Scoti . And we know from Roden ’s “ Insel der Heiligen ” that the Irish were called Scots even as late as the fifteenth century , in several cities

F z Of Germany , Belgium , rance and Swit erland 51

CHAPTER VIII 53 only as a thin long ridge Of land almost sub merged ; and , somehow , impossible to approach . F inally , however , they were able to anchor their ships at the mouth Of the river Slaney i n

B C . 3505 . Ireland at the time was governed by three

Tua t h a M a c COill Ma cCech t De Danaan kings , , and M a c G rei n e ; and their queens were resp ec t i vel Fodla y Eire , and Banba , each of whom gave her name to Ireland ; but the name , Eire , is that which sticks , to the present day . The other two names are beautiful , indeed , but have almost ever been relegated to the fields of romance and poetry . The Milesians accomplished little or nothing from their location at the mouth Of the Slaney . They were driven out to sea by a magical storm , and we next hear Of them landing at

Inver Skene or Kenmare Bay . They marched

D ru m ca i n north to , which was afterwards called

Tara , met the three kings there and demanded that they surrender the Sovereignty of Ireland or fight for it . The De Danaan kings pretended to have been taken by surprise , and complained that that was n ot a fair and square way of wagin g

o war r demanding s urrender . They wanted at 54 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE least three days to consider whether they would

s or give up the i land and leave it , submit to the Milesian yoke , or raise an army and give battle ; and in the interval they wanted the invaders to leave the island altogether .

Am er i n M g , one Of the sons of iled , and chief brehon and bard Of the colony , was appealed to

Of as to the justice Of the claims the De Danaan , and the appeal came from the De Danaan themselves . As we are getting this information

’ from the introduction to Am ergi n s poems in

of the Books Lecan and Ballymote , we prefer to give some Of the dialogue . “ ” M a oill of Cea rm a d We , said cC , son , will

Am er i n abide by the decision of g , your own

s s brehon , and hould he pronounce a fal e judg ment it is certain that he will be killed by us . SO sure were they that injustice would not pass unpunished . “ Am er i n Pronounce the judgment , g ,

M . Eber Donn , the ilesian “ ” m er i n I will , said A g , let them have the ” island . “ What direction shall we take ? ” said Eber D on n . “ sea We are to set out nine waves to , said

Am er i n g . CHAPTER VIII 55

That , says the scribe , was the first judgment pronounced by the Milesians in ” Ireland . Am ergi n delivered this judgment in a poem of eight verses . By means Of a gloss interlined

’ Con n ella n Of by a later scribe , Owen the Queen s dl College , Cork , about the mid e Of the last

wa s century , able to translate or rather , as he himself expresses it , to interpret , this most f interesting and curious relic O antiquity . Here is his translation The men whom we found dwelling in the land , to them is possession due by right . It is , therefore , your duty to set out to sea over nine green waves ; and if you shall be able to land

Of again in spite them , you are to engage them in battle , and I adjudge to you the land wherein you found them living . I adjudge to you the land in which you found them dwelling , by the right Of battle . But although you may desire the land which these people possess , yet yours is the duty to show them justice . I forbid you from injustice to those you have found in the ” ou land , however y may desire t o Obtain it . CHAPTER IX

Con test of Mi lesi a n va lor wi th Da n a a n ma gi ca l

Do n . Ara a n . M l a rt . n n i esi a n s n i n e wa ves

ut to s ea . rea t s tor ra D o G m i sed . i gressi on ’ to Amer i n s oems a n d a n ci en t I ri sh g p m etre.

M les a s a e v a lo s l i i n , ft r se er l sse , a n d' B a ttles

of Sli eve Mi sh a n d Ta i llte .

HE Milesians were much disappointed i ’ at Am erg n s decision . If my advice ” were taken , said Donn , the son Of M “ iled , the matter would be decided by battle ; for if it be in the power of the Druids Of the

Tu a t h e Da Danaan , we never shall be able t o regain Erin . M The ilesians had no fear in open battle , but against Druidical enchantment they had mis givings about being able to land . It was a contest Of valor against the resources Of magical illusion and power . “ Th e Book Of Ballymote and the Great ” ’ m er in s Book of Lecan give A g poems , with an

n introduction . From the introduction we lear “ tha t Th e Milesra n s then departed from Tara 56 CHAPTER IX 57 southward and arrived at Inver Fele (the mouth of th e F River eal , or Cashin on the Shannon in the County of Kerry) and Inver Sk en a (the Bay Of Kenmare) where their ships were

set out at anchor, and they over ni ne waves to sea . “ Th e Druids and Files of Erin then chanted incantations , by which they raised such a storm as caused everything that was at the t bo tom of the sea to be raised to its surface , and by the violence of the storm the fleet was driven from the coast far westward t o sea and ” was separated . “ This is a Druidic wind said Donn , the son of Miled . “ ” Am er in It is , responded g , if it does not ” blow above the masthead .

VVh ereu on p Aranan , the youngest of the sons of M iled , went up the mast to ascertain the fact , but was thrown therefrom , and while in the act of falling he said that the wind did not prevail beyond the masthead . ’ He (Aranan) was the pilot Of Donn s ship a n d was the pupil of Am ergi n .

our It was deceitful in soothsayers , said “ Donn , not to have prevented this magic ” wind . 58 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

Am r in There was no deception , replied e g , and standing up he said as follows '

Aili m i a t n erea n n ,

E rm a c m m a e uir ot ,

M ot a c sli a b srea t a c , et c .

Con a clon Ver ifi i on The poem is in the s ca t , in which the last word of each line is the first word Of the next . This metre seems to have been peculiar to ancient Ireland , and might easily seem to us to be a kind of verbal jugglery ; although it may have been justly regarded a s highly artistic for the remote age to which it is ascribed . As a matter Of fact the ancient Irish bard was supposed to deliver his verses at very short

a s Am r i n notice , if not spontaneously , we see e g doing here .

’ This poem Of Am ergi n s is a prayer that the Milesians may regain the land Of Erin whose mountains are great and extensive ; whose streams are clear and numerous ; whose woods abound with various fruits ; whose rivers and waterfalls are large and beautiful ; whose lakes are broad and widely spread ; which abounds in ” “ fountains on elevated grounds . M a y we ” gain power and dominion over its tribes , he CHAPTER IX 59

o n continues . M a y we have kings Of ur ow ”

ul . r ing at Tara, etc It is remarkable that the Milesians concluded that the storm that dispersed them was a magical

n ot one , because it did blow above the mast

wa s head , because , as they thought , there nothing to destroy above that point ; whereas if it were a natural tempest , it would fill the surrounding air without any regard t o what it might , or might not , destroy . It is remark able also that this piece Of shrewdness is trans m it t ed to us with such circumstantial detail through a period of perhaps 3000 years or more . The Milesian fleet was wrecked along the rocky coast . Remnants Of it landed in such widely separated places a s the coast of Kerry and the mouth of the Boyne Terrific battles were fought at Slelve Mish in Kerry and at

T a ill t e in Meath . In both of them the Mile sians were victorious . Although only three Of the sons Of Miled and a correspondingly reduced number Of their people had landed they were able to overthrow the T ua t h a De Da na a n a n d

of take possession the island . 35 The annalists give the year A M . 00 a s t h e date of the first attempt Of the Milesians t o

h 501 h e capture the island , and t e yea r 3 as t

CHAPTER X

Th e G ods . Amer i n a Am er i n . n d H o g g esi d . ’ h e hi loso h o Amer i n s o T p p y f g p em s . Am er

’ i n s oeti ca l ra er on la n di n i n I rela n d g p p y g . ’ a i n vi lle s comm en t De J u b s . An a n a logous ’ co us E Welsh p oem . S t ri gen a . O M olloy on

Am er i n a n d t . P a c a lon . Con c g S tri k .

E FOR E looking into the coun cils Of the

T u t h a a De Danaan , after they were con M quered by the ilesians , and noticing the plans they made for their future , it will be well to give a little more attention to the

Of Am er i n poems g , associated as these are with the very beginnings Of the Milesian history Of

Ireland . It was on the first of May the Milesians began their conquest . This day was sacred to

on e of Beltene . Beltene was Of the names the l god of death , the god who gave life and a so took it away . ’ Am ergin felt profoundly that his people s fight was against gods in the persons Of the T ua t h a De Danaan ; and his four extant poems derive all their force and character and tone 61 62 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

from that conviction . He believes with Hesiod that matter precedes the gods , that they are not independent of it , that science or general knowledge which may have come from the gods may be used to overthrow them , that the great phenomena of visible nature are above them , and may also be turned against them .

He identifies science with its Object , regards

of it as Being itself, which the forces Of nature and all sensible being are but visible manifesta “ tions . Thus it is that the file , who is the visible embodiment of science in human form , is not only man but eagle , vulture , tree , plant , ” sword or spear . Am ergin glorifies this science by which he hopes to overthrow the gods ; and he identifies himself with it and with everything to which h . W it is extended en he speaks , he speaks for some undefined power back Of all the gods . His philosophy is regarded as pantheistic and

r he speaks fo G od in all his poems . In the poem or prayer he recited on first landing in Ireland , he says

I a m t h e win d which blows over t h e sea ; I a m t h e wa ve Of t h e ocea n ; I a m t h e m urm ur of t h e billows ; I a m th e ox of t h e seven com ba ts ; CHAPTER X 63

I a m t h e vulture upon t h e rock ; I a m a tea r of th e sun ; I a m t h e fa irest Of pla n ts ; I a m a Wild boa r i n va lor ; I a m a sa lm on in t h e wa ter ; I a m a la ke i n t h e pla in ;

I a m a word Of scien ce ;

I a m t h e spea r - poin t tha t gives ba ttle ; I a m t h e G od who crea tes in t h e hea d t h e fire (Of

thought) . i s a enl en s t h e a ssem on t h e m n a n Who it th t ight bly ou t i , if n ot I ?

e e t h e a es Of t h e m n n ot I ? Who t ll th g oo , if

sh oweth t h e a e W e e t h e sun es es Who pl c h r go to r t, if n ot I ?

ca n re W e e t h e a e s run ea es Who di ct you to h r w t r cl r t, if n ot I ?

ca n n t h e fish m i t s e esses i n t h e sea Who bri g fro r c , a s I ca n ?

ca n a se t h e fish a a t h e s e a s Who c u to ppro ch to hor , I ca n ?

ca n a n e t h e i ls m n a n s m n es Who ch g h l , ou t i or pro o tori , ” a s I ca n ?

n ot The phrases if I and as I can , are ’ supplied from explanatory glosses . The poet s “ reasoning is something like this ' God does all these things ; God is all th ese things ; they are

n inseparable , I might say , i distinguishable from him ; they are but the manifestations of him in

action , they are identical with him , as I am ; 64 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

if they are ascribable to him they are ascribable

on e to me , because I am but more external

evidence Of him .

And then comes the higher , the special claim , “ ” Am er i n ' when g says I am a word of science . “ I s The file says De Jubainville , the word

Of science , he is the God who gives to man the fire of thought ; and as science i s n ot distinct

f rOm on e its Object , as God and nature are but , the being of the file is mingled with the winds

and the waves , with wild animals and with the ’ ” warrior s arms . An analogous poem I s found in a Welsh manu

script Of the fourteenth century . It is ascribed “ Am er . in to the poet Taliesin g says , I am a ” “

Of sun . tear the Taliesin says , I have been “ Am er i n a tear in the air . g says , I am the ”

. s vulture upon the rock The Wel h bard says , “ so on I have been an eagle ; and , wherever “ ” “ Am ergin says I am the Welsh man says I ” O have been , thus substituting the idea f successive metamorphoses for what De Jub a i n ville styles the vigorous pantheism Of Irish philosophy .

ub a i n ville n ot If De J had said Celtic , and

s Iri h , in this connection we would be inclined to find no fault . But we have good reason t o CHAPTER X 65

think that he regards the ancient Celtic pan theism as tainting Irish philosophy to a very un

i n desirable extent even early Christian times . The particular poem of Am ergin that we have l ’ ll Con a c on . O M o o been analyzing is not in y ,

who wrote his Grammatica Latino - Hib ern i ca 1 677 in Rome , and published it there in , tells us that Con a clon is the most difficult species Of

O composition under the canopy f heaven .

of Nevertheless , what depths philosophy Am ergin was able to cram into that sententious ' and monotonous metrical style Mere t ra n sla tion was not enough to develop the meani ng Of such verse ; it had to be interpreted in the

of r light every circumstance that threw , o

on . could throw , any light it

of Am e i Two other poems rg n are extant . In

on e of Con a clon them , in , already noticed , “ ” n n a ili m n - B and begi ing iat rend , he invokes

sea the earth and the , mountains , woods ,

rivers and lakes . It is an invocation addressed

to Ireland deified .

n ot Con a clon In the other poem , in , the sea is mentioned first , but the earth is next referred to as a divinity that it would not be well to “ ” i h - a . fis se sl ght He appeals to the abounding , “ ” “ t o the fruitful earth , to the irruption Of 66 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

” “ fish fish , to the under the waves , and the

Object Of the appeal , as we are left to gather from the circumstances and from the tenor of

the poems , is to get all these forces to aid his people in their fight against the Tua t h a De

Danaan gods . His prayer is heard and the

gods are overthrown . Who can contemplate those appeals Of Amer

of gin , made at the very dawn our history , without being reminded Of the “ Lorica ” Of

Saint Patrick , sung on his way to Tara ; perhaps , over a thousand years later on ?

Am er i n f g appeals to the elements or aid . Saint Patrick appeals to Christ to protect him

from the elements , and to turn all their powers

and properties to his advantage .

How Am er in s pathetic is the figure of g , tand “ ” in n g away back in the cloudland , appeali g t o t o the forces that are anterior all the gods ,

o appealing over their shoulders t a higher power , and in the helplessness Of heathenism con founding this power with visible nature and her forces and laws ' What could it all have been but the feeli ng away down in the depths of his soul that back Of all these gods there was One in whose hands they were all but common clay ' CHAPTER X 67

F old Am er i n rom the Celtic philosophy Of g , how easy is the transition to the true philosophy '

The on e is suggested in the other . This old Celtic philosophy was the kind that would yield at once to the “ Kindly Light ” Of Chris

i n i t a t y . It was made in the designs of Provi

for . dence , a preparation it

CHAPTER XI 69

These circumstances were the place in which

r or the book was w itten compiled , the date Of its compilation , the name Of the author and the occasion or circumstances that led to its being undertaken . This continued to be the custom of those who wrote the Gaelic language , even

of F M down to the time the our asters . Sometimes compilations are named after the “ compilers as well as after the place . The An ” “ ” n a ls n ow kn own as the Annals of Ulster “ were formerly better known as the An nals Of ” “ Sen a it Ma cM a n u s , and the Annals Of the ” “ Four Masters are sometimes called the An nals ” Of Donegal . ‘ ’ These huge tomes or Books are not confin ed

on e to any subject, but include a vast variety Of subjects , having no connection with each other at all , beyond the fact that they are bound up in on e great manuscript . They are thrown

You together promiscuously . find a love story

or or or a courtship , a voyage a vision in the same parchment with a pitched battle or a “ ” treati se on medicine or astronomy . The Book is really a library . When on e considers the patience and care with which these books were copied and re - copied and the high appreciation in which they were 70 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

held , the thought becomes irresistible that

G od Almighty Himself had , by a special provi

n ot dence , decreed that Ireland should be entirely divested of the internal evidence she bore Of the mighty in fluence she was destined to wield in the civilization Of the world . The Book of Ballymote is peculiarly valu able as containing a grammatical tract and a key

- to the Ogham cypher writing . It has also many translations and adaptations from the Greek and Roman classics , genealogies Of saints and li other hagiological a n d much bib cal matter . ’ A book - collector named O Don n ell bought it

on e of from its last private owners , a man 1 4 named McDon ough . The price paid was 0

McD on ou h milch cows . g parted with the book

re willingly . Nevertheless he seems to have

ret t ed . or g having to part with it Either that , the scribe thought the price too high ' for he says that although the book is good , buying a book from McDon ough is a purchase from a churl . The G aelic text of this great book which belongs now to the Royal Irish Academy would “ make 2500 pages of such a work as the Ann als ” of F . the our Masters , large quarto ” The Book Of Lecan , compiled by a member CHAPTER XI 71

Of the famous literary family Of the Ma cFi rb i ses

i n A . D . 1 4 1 7 in the County Sligo , is very much k “ li e the Book of Ballymote in its contents . Nearly every on e of these great collections i n “ ” “ e - or ludes a copy Of the Libur Gabala , Book of Invasions .

In this latter , we find a more detailed account F Of Banba , ola and Eriu , or Eire , as the word T h is now spelled . These were the ua t a De

- Danaan goddess queens . The Libur tells us that the Milesians had to fight against demons ; and says that these demons were the Tua t h a

De Danaan . Some copies Of thi s book represent the con tending forces a s having fought the battle of

Slei ve M on of ish , in Kerry , the occasion the

M a first landing Of the ilesians , before the p p ea ra n ce at Tara and consequently before their temporary retirement from the island . While marching northward to Tara after this battle , we are told , they met first Queen Banba and sh e told th em that if it was to conquer

Ireland they had come , their expedition was not just . m A er i n . It is for that indeed we came , said g ” “ on e Then , said Banba , grant me at least ” favor , that the island be called by my name . 72 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

m A er i n . It shall be so , said g But the island did not bear her name very long ; for proceeding F h a little farther , they met ola and s e asked

Am er i n the same favor and g granted it . Ireland did not long enjoy Fola ’s name

Usn ech either ; for , at , the Central point of

Ireland , they met Eire . She was the only on e

Of the three who gave them a cordial greeting . “ ” “ Welcome , warriors , said she , you are come from afar . This island will belong to you for all time , and from here to the farthest East there is none better ; no race will be so perfect ” “ as yours . It is not to you , cried Eber “ n Of M Don , the eldest Of the sons iled , that

o e our we w any thanks , but to gods and our “ own prowess . What I announce has no “ ou concern for y , said Eire , you shall not enjoy this island ; it will not belong to any f descendants o yours . She then begged that the island be called after her and Am ergin granted the request . After the grudging reception given the warriors by Banba and Fola it might appear surprising and even startling to fin d Eire giving them a cordial welcome . But , then , her name was to last forever , associated with them and with

t o their destinies . In song and story it was CHAPTER XI 73 become one Of the most beautiful names in the M world . She welcomed the ilesians as her

sh e own , as the race over whom was to be the presiding divinity .

in of As the Greeks gloried the name Hellenes ,

so given them after their god , Hellen , the

M in E i rea n a i ilesians gloried the name of g , taken from that De Danaan goddess away back in the mythological ages . CHAPTER XII

’ Am ergi n ; hi s ch a ra cter a n d Offi ce; E i re s p rop h

h o B a n ba Fola a E i re u Dea t nd . L c . e y f , g

a l Pra c i ce o utti a n d the ga m es of T i lten . t f p n g

P a a n a term to th e li ves of the gods . g stori es “ ’ L i r s lon el h a ve Chri sti a n reda cti on s . y ” P a n sm h a s le t i ts m a rk on da ughter. a g i f

p la ce n a m es .

son of MERG IN was the eldest Miled .

olla m or of He was the , man all

or learning , as well as brehon , judge

c . and counsellor , to the whole olony It is very likely that he was also their druid or

priest . He was certainly their file or poet ;

- i n a kind of primeval poet laureate , and this

capacity he incited them to battle by his songs , encouraged them by his appeals for the favor of the unseen powers , celebrated their prowess when they were victorious , and recited elegies for them when they were dead . As their olla m of , he was the depositary their highest

n on e wisdom and k owledge , the who preserved

74. CHAPTER XII 75

old their genealogies , and to the family tree added each new ramification . At first all these offices were centred in one man ; but in the course Of time , rigorous lines were drawn to distinguish them ; and we find f that the three great , general o fices Of Druid , brehon and file came each to have its own representative . Strict precautions were taken to prevent the interference of anyone Of these

Of personages in the functions the others .

Am er in Donn was next to g in age , and , from

h e t prominence given him in the ancient tales , it is clear that he was the commander - i n - chief ’ s Of the expedition . Eire prophecy regarding him came true . In the course Of the magic storm he and his whole crew were lost . The sand hills on which his ship was wrecked on the western coast Of Munster still h ea r his

of name , and the tradition the catastrophe is

of vivid in the minds the people Of that place .

of The most ancient copies the Libur Gabala , that we still have , go back to the twelfth cen

u s F tury . These tell that Banba , ola and Eire were ki lled with their husbands at the battle of

T ill Of a t in n . This ancient place in the County

Meath is Anglicized T ellt own . Its ancient name came from the goddess T a illt i wh o was

CHAPTER XII 77

chiefs would have reached us as gods , were it

not for this process . With all respect for the

s s ancient Chri tian , we think it regrettable that

the ancient pagan tales were tampered with .

They could do no harm . Perhaps we ought to

be thankful that they were spared to us at all . To convert them from pagan to Christian

s re a classics was impossible . Their Chri tian d c i tors appreciated them as l terature , and as reflecting the peculiar character Of the ancient

on Irish mind , when it rested religion ; and

n ot ex ur therefore they would , if they could , p

gate the paganism Out Of them altogether .

Besides , these pagan tales were comparatively clean as far as the moral conduct Of their heroes

was concerned . A very great number of these stories have

Christian redactions . The story is generally

told in the Old pagan way , but new develop

or ments are added , by which the hero heroine ,

or n t o a whole group Of these , is brought dow ’ t o Saint Patrick s time , and made receive

baptism , and then die . ’ Fi n oola It is in this way that , Lir s Lonely

- Daughter , and her equally ill fated brothers ,

Aod Fi a cra , Conn and , are made to live at “ E i h n e least nine hundred years , and that t . 78 IRELAN D ’S FAIRY LORE

the Fair after living fifteen hundred years

with her fairy companions , is at last made to

sh e stray away from them , so that , like the

Children Of Lir, received baptism and Christian burial from Saint Patrick or some on e of his

di sciples . As already indicated these Christian reda c tions of the Old tales were intended to eradicate paganism , and to make the tales themselves conform to Christian ideas . Paganism h a s disappeared but its traces remain ; and as Christianity 1 s written in the

Old Irish language all over the face Of the land ,

of so in the names places , is the ancient paganism written there , also , indelibly . Wh en the archaeologist goes to explain a place name he will find very frequently that

on his explanation , to be intelligible , will take l l the very form Of an Old myth or pagan fa b e .

T ua h a The t De Danaan , whether they were

or on gods men , left their footprints , not the

on - shifting sands , but the hard bed rock Of the

Irish topographical nomenclature .

The Christian redactors Of the pagan tales ,

of i and many the annal sts , tell us that the gods died . Nevertheless these gods lived on in the popular imagination and acted as the tutelary CHAPTER XII 79 deities Of the districts in which they were buried .

This superstition , if indeed it ought to be taken seriously enough t o be called a sup erst i tion , suggests a beautiful Christian reflection .

Wonderful things have happened , and are always happening , where the bodies Of the saints are laid . The typical Irish mind , whether

or pagan Christian , had always an exquisite sense Of the fitness Of things . CHAPTER XIII

E uhem eri sm . G ods th a t were a lwa s s uch a y , n d

en who a ter dea h M m f t beca m e gods . yth o

lo i ca l h eroi c a n d hi stori c c cles ea si l di sti g , y y n

a le n I ri or i lla ee a gui sh b i sh hi st y . G K vi n n d Fla n n of the Mon a stery grea test I ri sh

uh em eri sts . ome a cco n o e E S u t f th i r work .

Ti gern a ch .

T the court of Cassander in Mace

donia , in the early part Of the third

century before Christ , there lived a

Greek writer named Euhemerus . He wrote a book to prove that the ancient myths were all S genuine historical facts , and to how that the gods were all , originally , men who had distin

ui sh ed or b en eficen ce g themselves in war , in to their fellowmen , and who , in consequence , were gratefully regarded as gods after their death , and considered worthy Of divine honors . This writer ’s success in reducing gods to the level of men was only partial . Every classical scholar knows that the Greek mythology still stands apparently intact , and that there is very so CHAPTER X I H 8 1

little confusion there between gods and men .

a sk One never has to which is which . But among those who received divine honors after their death he probably wrought some havoc . There is a certain grim humor in the reported conduct Of the Roman tax collectors operating in Greece after this country had become subject to Rome . They exem pted from taxation all lands belonging to the im morta l gods or in any way sacred to them ; but refused to regard as immortal gods those wh o became gods only after their death . The process Of making the gods out to be

i s ordinary men called euhemerising , after

of Euhemerus . Many the ancient Christian writers Of Ireland did very much of this kind of work , and in this way threw much obscurity on the lines of demarcation between the m yt h o logic and the heroic or human . They can hardly be considered a help to the historian . One would imagine they would rather confuse him . The Irish euhemerists never tried to

of exp lain away the entire system mythology .

This would have been impossible , and the attempt unworthy of thinking men . But they injured that system a little , by puncturing it

t s s . here and there , hus cau ing confu ion It 82 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

seems to be a new thing in the world t o have

the mythological , heroic and historic cycles distinguished at all in Irish history ; and the fact that these cycles are now distinctly marked is due to the work Of the great Celtic scholars

of the last seventy years . It is quite natural

that this should b e so . Formerly when the Irish historian told us

of some impossible story as a piece Irish history ,

or h ow we laughed at him , we thought puerile , or silly our fathers were to accept such stuff as history . But now when the profound and discriminating Celtist tells us the same story , and shows us where it fits like a mosaic in on e

on e of magnificent whole , in grand system mythological lore , we no longer laugh ; we take it seriously . We stand in amaz ement in the presence of a fact that has at last dawned on us that as a

on distinct race , we appeared the horizon Of history in very much the same fashion as all the other great races that have accompli shed great things and fulfilled evident destinies in this world . th e Among the great races , it was only in

G od Hi s own e case Of the Jews that , for wis purposes , kept the remotest antiquity as clear , CHAPTER XIII 83

. O historically , as the present day N cloud land ” in the divinely inspired history of the ancient world .

ub a i n ville According to De J , the writers who wrought the most destruction in the Irish

G i olla Ca om h ei n Pantheon were g , pronounced

Keevin F M approximately Gilla , and lann aini h rea c . st , both Of the eleventh century In any age or country the erudition and work Of these men would have commanded respect . The syn ch ron i sm s Of Flann of the Monastery go back

o t the remotest ages , and are referred to in highly commendatory language by such writers “ as Usher , Ware , Lynch , better known as Cam ’ b ren si s eversus O Fla h ert , y and Charles ’

O Con n or.

There can be n o doubt about the value of a F commendation from Archbishop Usher , or ather

or on e . Lynch , , in fact , from any Of these men ’ Charles O Con n or (of B a llyi n a ga r) has not been always a great success in his translations F from Old Irish . lann was connected in some M way with the Monastery Of onasterboice , ’ and the weight Of evidence is t o the eflect that he was n ot in Sacred Orders . His synchronisms form an excellent abridgment Of universal

ow history down to his n time .

CHAPTER XIII 85

’ “ O Curry says It is to be Observed that Flann was the predecessor of Tigern a ch ; and without in the least , derogating from the well

Of earned reputation of that annalist , enough the works of Flann remain to show that he was a scholar Of fully equal learning , and a ” historic investigator of the highest merit . Again we are forgetting the fairies ; but we feel perfectly justified in turning aside occa s i on a lly to give a short account Of the great mortals who either built up or tore down their mansions . In our next chapter we shall begin to give an account of the great Tn atha De Danaan gathering at the famous Brugh on the

Boyne .

z I n hi s Ma n uscript Ma teria ls of An cI en t Irish

History . CHAPTER XI V

a De Da n a a n me ti a The F i ri es . e n g t B rug n a

Di r i n on Ta i B a B oi n n e . ess o n O u i g C lgn e.

Cuculla i n a n d Ferdi a d . Con quest of the ”

h a a . a a Si d . T e D d M n n n a n M a cL i r g . ’ P m o i a h Ha rt a T ll oe f K n et O i g n . he B u s ’ ’ a la o fight . O Curry s tr n s ti on f the a ccoun t of

a h th t fig t .

F Ta illt i TER their defeat at , the Tua t h a De Danaan set about recon st ruct in g themselves Their chiefs held a great meeting to determine precisely what they should do . The place where the meeting was held was the Brugh on the Boyne . Brugh means a fairy palace ; at the present day “ ” b rui h i n the form g , which is a grammatical “ ” of inflection it and is pronounced breen , is more generally used . In those parts Of the country still most haunted by fairies , the word “ side for their palaces , is very generally “ ” supplanted by breen . We may take occasion here to notice the Tain

O B Cua ilgn e or Cattle Spoil of Cooley . Not withstanding the serio - comic name of this story

n rui h ea n Often writte b g . 86 CHAPTER XIV 87

it is the greatest Of the Irish Epic tales . As a

on n result Of the raid Don , the famous brown

Of Cua l n e steer g in Ulster , with the Object of bringing him to Connaught to add him to the M possessions Of Queen eave , and thus establish her supremacy in wealth over her husband , ilill A , who was the proud owner of the no less

Fin n bh ea n n a ch famous , or white horned bull ,

M a cN essa the King Of Ulster , Conor , becomes involved in a protracted war with Meave and her Munster alli es . This war develops the heroes Cuculla i n and Ferdiad and a host Of others , and astonishes the reader with the keen sense of manly honor and soldierly chivalry in the heart of anyone in ancient Erin who had the

in courage to call himself a man . Even their paganism death had no terrors for these heroes , but a breach of chivalrous honor or a failure to

on e stand by their plighted word was the thing , under heaven , they dreaded . ’ Anyone reading Mrs . Hutton s English version ’ Of this wonderful story or Wi n di sch s German version is forced to the conclusion that all the mi ddle ages did for chivalry was to Christianize it and exalt its motive to the supernatural . n But , Of course , it is Christia ity alone that could do this .

CHAPTER XIV 89 entirely able to free themselves from certain disabilities inflicted by the De Danaan , until they succeeded in making a treaty Of peace with him . By this treaty they were enabled to gather the corn of their fields and to get f and drink the milk o their cows . Both these foodstuffs had been blighted by the incantations h Of the T ua t a Da Danaan . The pagan version of the G a b a il Int Sida also makes the Dagda the leading figure in the

B oi n n e of deliberations at Brug Na , the palace

s the Boyne , but the Chri tian redactions of the tale give the greater prominence to Manannan

M a cL i r. The Dagda is made by the pagan story to reserve this famous palace to himself and distribute t h e various other underground s ids or sidi to the numerous chiefs Of the T ua t h a De

Danaan , after they and their people had decided not to leave Ireland but to retire into this kind

Of invisible immortality . ’ A poem attributed to Ki n a et h O Ha rt iga n Of the tenth century represents the Dagda as occupying this same palace even before the

Milesian occupation of the country . He had

h i s - dwelt there with goddess queen Boana ,

wh o after whom the famous river is named , and 90 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE is really nothing more or less than the Boyne deified .

Here we again digress . We may as well tell our readers something about the bulls we

our mentioned in references to the Tain . We may not have so graceful an opportunity soon again . The reader knows very well , in advance , that the bulls fought . We cannot improve on ’ ’ O Curry s description of it . In his analysis Of the great story as found by

n him in manuscript form , and after dilati g on Meave ’s satisfaction at having obtained posses

old sion Of the Donn and punished her foe , ’ Ma cN essa O Curr Conor , y continues This wild tale , however , does not end here ; for it gravely informs us that when Donn Cua ilgn e found himself in a strange country , and among strange herds , he raised such a loud bellowing as had never before been heard in the province Of Connaught ; that on hearing those unusual ’ Ailills Fi n n b h ea n n a h o sounds , bull , the c , r

- White horned , knew that some strange and formidable foe had entered his territory ; and that he immediately advanced at full speed to the point from which they issued , where he s oon arrived in the presence of his noble enemy . “ Th e sight Of each other was the signal Of CHAPTER XIV 91

of battle . In the poetic language the tale , the province rang with the echoes of their roaring , the sky w a s darkened by the sods of earth they threw up with their feet , and from the foam that flew from their mouths ; fainthearted men , women and children hid themselves in caves , caverns and clefts of the rocks ; whilst even the most veteran warriors but dared to view the combat from the neighboring hills and eminences . “ Th e Fi n n b h ea n n a ch at length gave way and retreated towards a certain pass which opened into the plain in which the battle raged , and where sixteen warriors bolder than the rest had planted themselves ; but s o rapid was the retreat and the pursuit that n ot only were all these trampled to the ground , but they were

l n . Cua i e buried several feet in it The Donn g , at last, coming up with his Opponent , raised

on Off him his horns , ran with him , passed the

’ of M i gates eave s palace , tossing and shak ng him as he went , until at last he shattered him t o pieces , dropping his disjointed members as he went along . “ An d wherever a part fell that place retain ed the name Of that joint ever after . And thus it was (we are told) that Ath Luain , now Ath

CHAPTER XV

Di stri buti n o the a i r a la ces Fa e . The i ri s o f f y p .

a a M a c I n t c . G re k The Da gd n d Oen gus . C e

h a l Food o a n d I ri sh myt ologi c l egen ds . f the

ds I mm orta li t o th e ods . K h o . n owt g y f g ,

M on um e N ewgra n ge a n d Dowth . n ts of the

ru a ch a n . Cyclop s . C HE Conquest Of the Sid tells us that although the Dagda kept the palace of

the Boyne for himself , it was for ages

Oc or after known as the Sid Maic Int , fairy mansion of the Son Of the Young .

M a c Oc s on Of This Int was Oengus , the the

of B oa n d so Dagda himself and , and was called

of because his parents as well , course , as him self , were supposed to enjoy perpetual youth or immortality . How the Brug came to bear his name is explained by an ancient legend . When the “ on distribution Of the sides was going , he was absent . He was at the home of the god M idir to receive an education . His father , in

Of the confusion and hurry work and business , had forgotten all about him . 93 94 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

When Oengus returned and found that his

father had no sid left for him , he was surprised

t o and indignant . As a last resort he asked be

allowed to remain over night in the Brug.

The Dagda graciously assented , saying that

to the night he could also add the day , meaning

Of course the next day . The next day towards evening Oengus discovered that he was expected to leave after the expiration Of the day and the

night .

so Although the legend does not say directly,

t o it is clear that he was finally ordered decamp .

do This he stoutly refused to , claiming that as the palace was given him a day and a night

a s it was thereby ceded to him in perpetuity ,

all time is made up Of days and nights . His father was evidently unprepared for this

logic . He had no argument to overcome it ,

’ and so he admitted the justice Of his son s

B oin n claim , and allowed him to hold Brug na e

own di in his name , which the delighted youth d

fin inde itely . A most wonderful place indeed was this palace . Three trees grew there and were always

on e laden with fruit , reminding Of the gardens

Of the Hesperides , beyond the sunset where the golden apples grew for the gods Of ancient CHAPTER XV 95

Greece ; reminding on e also Of the garden of

of w Phoebus , at the ends the earth here Night has her home and where the vault of the heavens begins . It is remarkable indeed how the ' Irish m yth o logical legend , by placing fruit trees at the

on couch Of the Dagda , at the Brug the Boyne , remin ds on e of the Greek legend that also places trees at the couch Of Zeus in the gardens

Of the gods .

see What can we in it all but a vestige , as it

of is a distortion , of the Biblical description the Garden Of Eden ? In the palace of the Boyne are also three

on e l n swine , ivi g and the other killed and ready to eat ; and alongside this a jar of ex cellen t ale . The swine were the ambrosia and

of the ale the nectar of the gods ancient Erin . N O on e who tasted of these viands could ever die and they were n o sooner eaten than they

so s of reproduced themselves , that the tore

n provisions , apparently small , lasted indefi itely f and fed an indefinite number o gods . It is clearly seen that the pagan version Of the Conquest of the Sid teaches the im m or tality of the gods without restriction or reserva

of tion . It was in later days in manuscripts

CHAPTER XV 97

He finds a parallel instance in Greek mythol “ ogy and tells us that the Greeks attributed their prehistoric monuments to the Cyclops ” who were originally mythological beings .

The monuments raised by the Cyclops , how

of or ever , were not earth loam , but enormous

of masses of unhewn stone , which specimens are still to be seen at Mycenae in Greece and also in several places in Italy . The theory at present about these is that they

on were built by the Pelasgians , but that account Of their grandeur they were anciently attributed

or Of to the fabulous mythological race Cyclops .

In historic pre - Christian times the high Kings of Ireland were buried at Cruachan in Con naught ou the banks of the Shannon ; but for the first four centuries Of the Christian era they

on were buried at the Brug the Boyne . The first high King of the Milesian race to

Crim t h a n M a cN a i r be buried there was , and he very probably owed this distinction to the fact that his wife was Of the Tua t h a De Danaan race and a fairy . CHAPTER XVI

B The a i n r The B rug on the oyn e . T ega rded a s

on e o th e rea t e i c studi es o li tera tur f g p f e .

tor o Pol h m Ul sse a c The s y f yp e us . y s ts li ke

a n I ri shm a n .

N our examination Of the records that throw light on the pagan religion Of the

ancient Irish , we have had occasion to “ ” B o li refer frequently to the Tain Cua gn e . We wish to state our belief here that that story is destined to receive universal recognition as

of on e Of the great epics the world .

so That it is worthy to be regarded , the treatment it has received at the hands of competent French and German scholars leaves

s - no doubt . The whole Engli h speaking world is now fast falling into line with the nations of continental Europe in according it its rightful place .

Henry Adams Bellows in an oration , delivered 29 1 91 0 at Harvard , June , , during the com m en cem en on t exercises , dilated the reason why so many of the names Of the authors Of some Of the great masterpieces of medieval 98 CHAPTER XVI 99

literature are lost to us , and , in the course of “ ' Ch ret i en n e his remarks , said de Troyes we know , and Wolfram Von Essenbach , Caedmon , Bernart de Ven t a dorn and Sn orri St u rluz on °

us N i eb elun en li e but of the men who gave the g d ,

Of the Chanson de Roland , the ballads the Cid ,

th e Ta i n or We the Beowulf , , the Eddic poems , ” know practically nothing . We quote this passage because it is the first we have seen in which an American scholar of high standing places the Tain where it ought to

t. be , among the grea epic studies Of literature , and because it is an indication Of the hold that the cultivation of Celtic studies is sure to take in this country .

As we had occasion to mention the Cyclops , we may as well tell a story that lingers in our

on e memory about Polyphemus , who was of the most remarkable Of them . He lived alone on an island .

Ulysses , King Of Ithaca , coming home from the Siege of Troy , landed on that island , fell

of on e - into the hands the eyed giant , and was shut up by him in his cave , with his sheep .

Of There was no means escape , as the door was too heavy to be thrown open by ordinary human power .

CHAP TER XVI 1 01

on tically dragging himself along his back , as the animal moved , Ulysses made his escape .

Once outside , he took to his boat , and when , as he thought , at a safe distance , yelled back at his former captor and told him in un ex p urga t ed language what he thought Of him .

The latter , in rage and disappointment , tore a piece Off the mountain and threw it in the direction the voice came from . It struck un

a comfort bly near Ulysses , raising mountainous waves that nearly swamped him .

But he would n ot be daunted . He yelled again and another piece of the mountain came his way and raised dangerous waves again .

He kept up the good work , nevertheless , and kept the giant busy for some time ; but the danger for Ulysses was growing less and the

’ giant s aim was growing poorer , and at last he had to put his hand to his ear in an effort to locate the voice that was growing feebler as his tormentor wa s getting more and more out

Of range . ’ This story is to be found in Homer s Odyssey . ’ It is suggested t o us by De Jub a i n ville s par allelisms between the Irish and the Greek system Of mythology . And our only excuse for giving it here is t h e 1 02 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

impression that has remained with us since we first read it ; that there must have been a

Celtic strain in Ulysses . One would think

that , like a cunning Greek , he would have been

glad to get away quietly , taking no more risks and courting no further danger . But the fact that he yelled back and yelled again and kept it up as long as there was a possible chance Of being heard and adding fresh fuel to the wrath of the enormous Cyclopean

our monster sustains , we believe , contention . CHAPTER XVII

The B rug more closely des cri bed . Ki n gs buri ed

i en t buri a l ceremon i An c es . V there . en era

ti on of the a n ci en t I ri sh f or th e m emory of

B uri a l o Fi n oola a thei r dea d . f n d her

th e I ri sh P en lo Fi oola e e . h rs . brot e n , p

HE ancient cemetery Of the Brugh lies

on the northern bank Of the Boyne , and extends about three miles along

of its course . It consists about twenty burial mounds Of various sizes . These cover artificial

or caves chambers , containing shallow saucer f shaped stone co fins or sarcophagi , in whi ch

of the bodies the dead were deposited . This continuous ridge or height includes the

of N ew ra n e Kn three distinct mounds g g , owt h

Dowth ew ra n e and ; but N g g , as already indi ca t ed d , is i entified as the Brugh proper , the famous fairy palace . Many modern writers rob the whole place Of much Of its poetry by calling it the burial place of the De Da n a a n s ; and some say that to this system of cemeteries belonged the ancient mound now called Mill 1 03

CHAPTER XVII 1 05

These reflections bring to mind a thought that we must not pass by the tenderness of the regard in which the ancient pagan Irish

Of held the memory their dead , and the sacred solemnity Of the ceremonies with which they placed the dead body in the grave .

In this particular , as in many others , their pagan ritual was a beautiful preparation for

n ot the Christian , , however , because it was pagan , but because it was human ; and the statement that the human heart is naturally Christian h a s been a truis m since it was uttered seventeen hundred years ago . N O matter h ow pagan the ancient Irish story

of is , if it tells a burial , the funeral ceremonies ' are sure to be described . The reader will find “ t o a d li e os fea ra d cluit ce g a a leacht , ocus a ” “ ca oi n t e or , his flagstone tomb was raised over h i s grave and his ceremonies (literally , games) ” Of lamentation were celebrated . One cannot help seeing in this ancient custom something analogous to the beautiful modern custom of sounding taps at the grave Of a “ i n e or . lui e ca o t soldier The c t c , tribute Of

f of lamentation , was the noblest e fort the poor human heart , striving to give expression to its purest feelings on the solemn occasion of death . 1 06 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

s It was the be t that human nature could do , M till the Requiem ass and the Pie Jesu , the

luit ce Ca oi n t e s Christian C , came and atisfied

its holiest aspirations . Another of the ancient ceremonies was the writing Of the name of the deceased in Ogham

letters on a pillar stone at the grave . This Ogham writing or cipher would probably have remained forever a sealed book were it n ot that a key to it was found in the ancient Book Of

Ballymote . Very often warriors falling in battle asked “ ” that a cairn or heap Of stones be placed

over their graves , and , if dying far away from honored parents , requested that these should be told they died with a name untarnished

or by the slightest blemish , even suspicion of cowardice . The veneration Of the ancient Irish for the memory of their dead is further illustrated by the fact that from the wreckage of ancient Irish “ manuscripts there is preserved , in the Book ” “ Sen ch a s Of the Dun Cow , a tract called Na ” “ ” or Relec , the History Of the Cemeteries . It is concerned with the history Of the pagan cemeteries only .

As an example Of a pagan burial , christianized CHAPTER XVII 1 07

O by the redactor f the ancient pagan story , we translate the following paragraph from the

story Of the Children of Lir . After the misfortunes and many m et a m or p h oses and miseries they had undergone for a

period of nine hundred years , the Christian

’ redactor , who brings them down to St . Patrick s “ time , tells us that they were baptized , and they died and were buried and Fi a ch ra and

Fi n oola Conn were placed at either side of , and

AOd Fi n oola before her face , as had ordered , and their tombstone was raised over their

grave , and their Ogham names were written ,

and their lamentation rites were performed , ” and heaven was gained for their souls . ’ “ ’ Fi n oola da u h , Tom Moore s Lir s lonely g ” Fi on n h ua la ter , is in Irish , g , meaning the fair

shouldered . She was the eldest of the four , and we doubt if there is in literature a more

- sa crifice charming character , as seen in her self and solicitude truly motherly for her three younger brothers and her care Of them in their

common misfortune . If Chateaubriand took Penelope for the highest type Of marital fidelity

that pagan literature could advance , he certainly

Fi n oola would have taken , if he had known the

for beautiful story , the highest type that pagan

CHAPTER XVIII

An other a ccoun t of the di stri buti on of the fa i ry

i r ri i n o a beli e . A p a la ces . O g f f y f bori gi n a l A fa i ri es or gods . ccessi on of Tu a th a De “ F r Da n a a n to th ei r ra n ks . a i y p a la ces . Th e ” Au tocra t of th e B rea kfa st Ta ble on ho les i n

M a n a n n a n . B o D r . the groun d . w e g Som e

- Kn ock M a . R oa d om of th e Sh ees . fr Hea d h a m a t edra l. ford to Tu a m . Tu C N the Christian redactions Of the Conquest

out of Of the Sid , the Dagda is left sight altogether in the account Of the distribution

Of the fairy palaces . The implication is that he was dead before this happened . Hence we

of sub have two versions the story , agreeing i ll f st a n t a of . y , but di fering in matters detail There is another tract bearing on the same sub “ ”

ect . j , and preserved in the Book Of Leinster It bears the strange name of Mesca Ulad or ” of of Intoxication Ulster . It gives the credit

di st rib lon m the ut to A ergin . He divided Ireland between the conquerors a and the conquered . And he , the Mesc 1 09 1 1 0 IRELAND ’ S FAIRY LORE

Of says , gave the part Erin that was under ground to the T ua t h a De Danaan and the other

‘ ’ own part to his corporeal people , the sons Of

M Da n a a n s iled , after which the De went into ” hills and fairy palaces . There is another version Of the same tract “ that agrees with the Conquest . This version “ T ua t h a says , the De Danaan went into fairy palaces (sidb ruga ib ) so that they spoke with

‘ ’ Side under ground . There are other ancient stories such as the ” Sick Bed of Cu cula i n that represent the T ua t h a De Danaan as visiting the palaces of previously existing gods . These were evidently the local

Of nh gods the aboriginal i abitants , the tutelary deities Of races that preceded the Tu a th a De

Danaan in Ireland , and which , we venture to sa y , antedated even what we now know as the

o mythological period r cycle . We can never know how far back into the existence of peopled Ireland this fairy belief extends . It is an astounding thing that a belief going so far back into the past should have existed as a harmless superstition until so recently in some places , and should seem destined to exist as an interesting tradition for

I Of Of ages to come . t is one the evidences the CHAPTER XVIII l1 1 tenacity Of paganism and Of the conservative character of the Irish as a race . As for the association of the De Danaan with “ ” the Shee and the distinct existence of the “ or Shee , aboriginal fairies , before the De

Danaan retirement , the passages we have quoted give ample evidence . In the story Of the Children of Lir we are

T h a made acquainted with Bow Derg , the ua t

see h i s De Danaan King , and we two sons riding M a along at the head Of the arcr Side , or fairy

own cavalcade , which , we are told , are their “ ” Sen h a s people . And in the c Na Relec we are told that it was the Si a b ra that killed Cormac “ M a c a n d Tua h Art , that it was the t a De ” Danaan that were called Si a b ra . The Si a b ra were the most undesirable class Of the fairies . But we are not to understand that the Tua t h a De Danaan were associated with this class alone . They distributed themselves among all classes , and imparted to the original deities a human interest , which , otherwise , they never would have acquired .

Otherwise , in fact , we never would have heard Of them . They were at least brought nearer human kind by the accession to their ranks of beings , which , although regarded as

CHAPTER XVIII 1 1 3

with holes in the ground ; and we are , as a li general thing , able to shrink from the thought

of beings that appear only in the dark . We are considering holes in the ground as residences

or places of refuge , and are reminded by them Of the following passage from the Autocrat Of the Breakfast Table “ n Did you never , i walking in the fields ,

come across a large flat stone , which had lain , nobody knows how long , just where you found

it , with the grass forming a little hedge , as it

were , all around it , close to its edges , and

of l have you not , in Obedience to a kind fee ing that told you it had been lying there long

or enough , insinuated your stick or your foot

it s a n d your fingers under edge turned it over , as a housewife turns a cake , when she says ‘ ’ to herself , it s done brown enough by this time ’ ? What an Odd revelation and what an unf ore seen and unpleasant surprise to a small com

munity , the very existence Of which you had

not suspected , until the sudden dismay and s cattering among it s members produced by your turni ng the Old stone over ' “ w Blades Of grass flattened do n , colorless ,

B O e en e H m es y liv r W d ll ol . 1 1 4 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

matted together , as if they had been bleached

‘ and ironed ; hideous , crawling creatures , some

or h orn e sh elled Of them coleopterous y , turtle bugs on e wants to call them ; some of them softer , but cunningly spread out and compressed li ke Lepine watches (Nature never loses a

or or crack a crevice , mind you , a joint in a tavern bedstead , but she always has one Of her

fla t - pattern , live timekeepers to slide into it) ; black , glossy crickets , with their long filaments sticking out like the whips of four - horse stage

s - coaches ; motionle s , slug like creatures , young larvae , perhaps more horrible in their pulpy stillness than even in the infernal wriggle Of maturity ' “ But no sooner is the stone turned and the wholesome light of day let upon t his com pressed and blinded commun ity of creeping

of things , than all them which enjoy the luxury Of legs and some of them have a good many

rush around wildly , butting each other and everything in their way , and end in a general stampede for underground retreats from the region poisoned by sunshine .

We do n ot quote this scene , for that is what it really is , to disparage the fairies or their chosen places of residence ; but merely to CHAPTER XVIII 1 1 5 illustrate on e Of the reasons why we do n ot quite like them . Who , after lifting that large

of flat stone , would think lighting a cigar or eating his dinner without having previously washed h i s hands carefully ? And who would not feel like keeping away from any mound or hill , if he had any reason

of to think , that at any time the night , strange beings might issue from it to conciliate his favor or play tricks on him ? “ The Mesca Ulad , from which we have

of quoted , is a tract , the very existence which seems to be a slander on a whole province of

of sober an d respectable people . It is a story the meeting of the Ulster men at a feast at the palace Of Emania .

When they became heated with feasting , they arose from the table and set out in a body

Curoi M a cDa i re to settle an Old dispute with ,

Of ea mh a i r King West Munster , whose palace , T

L u a ch ra . , in Kerry , they burned to the ground

The Mesca is classed among the historical tales . Although Bow Derg was made King of the

T ua t h a M De Danaan , anannan still remained

t o their chief counsellor . He assigned each chief the m a n s1 0 n he and h i s tribe were to M occupy . any of these places are still pointed

CHAPTER XVIII 1 1 7

Midir , but the legends connected with it are

N ea n n t a now forgotten . Sid near Lanesborough

n M ulla h sh ee in Roscommon is now k own as g , * anglicized Fairymount . But there is a mountain five miles southwest

- Of Tuam , called Knock Ma , which some trans late as Hill Of the Plain . We are Of the opinion

’ that its right name is Kn ock - Meave or Meave s

Hill . There is no legend known to us which says

Con that Meave , who flourished as queen of

Of n naught at the time Christ , retired i to the Fairy Kingdom ; but there are legends which show that such powerful fairies as the Dagda sought her assistance in matters Of great i m

s o portance , although , to do , he had to remain alive for ages after the euhemerists had attended

his funeral . She and the fairies were very much and very Often interested in each other and consequently our opinion that this hill is named after her is very probably well founded . Besides it is the tradition held by the people Of the vicinity , and they ought to know . The hill had been F assigned to the famous i n va ra by Manannan .

The fairies are very powerful there still .

’ D J s I N a m es P . e s a es r oyc ri h of l c . 1 1 8 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

of On the northeastern slope this hill , or rather

mountain , there are thick woods , and after a

drizzling rain , when the sun comes out , the summit of the mountain is enveloped in a heavy

sa mist . The people y this is when the fairies “ ” are distilling their potheen , although it does not quite appear whether the mist i s smoke from the concealed distilleries or whether the belief is not founded on the fact that its presence

or obscures hides the smoke , thus giving the fairies an opportunity to pursue their labors

undetected .

On the road from Headford to Tuam , when

passing by this steep elevation to the right, on e would never know what blast of wind

of n would bring a host fairies , bearing right dow

upon him . This , of course , is particularly so at night ; and in the pale moonlight on e would

be especially uneasy , and could not help casting

see furtive glances up the mountain side , to if

they were coming . On a dark night on e would not be so apt to

s ee n ot think he would them , but he would be

surprised at any time to hear them . You

would pray , good reader , and pray fervently

too , until you got past that mountain that for ages has stood there in solitary grandeur CHAPTER XVIII 1 1 9 and concealed within i t s unexplored recesses the hosts of the gods of ancient Erin . You would not pray to them ; but you would pray t o be kept safe from them ; and on a moon light night when the very moonlight itself

a n of gives appearance weirdness and calm , but awful , dignity to such a scene , and the silence itself has an element of terror in it , you would thank your stars when you got where you could see the plain all around you again on both sides of the road ; but still every fresh breeze would make your heart beat faster , and renew the uncanny fears . We were told by a young man who used to ta ke long walks to the top of that mountain w that , ascending it from the south estern side ,

or where there are little no woods , but here and

s s there large tone cairns , and pit choked up with

s on e s . thicket , he , at time , tarted a hare

’ on e s Can t imagine the despair , the ha te , the panic with which he darted around , looking for a small stone , found it , and , in a fraction of a second , sent it whizzing through the air after the fleeing leveret and had the breathless

of . satisfaction seeing him dodge it But Oh ,

- the after thought .

Perhaps that hare was not a hare at all , but a

CHAPTER XIX

M a n a n n a n . en us . E m a r. L c lc O g G oi bn i u . u h

ti n e a n d Crei dn e. De Da n a a n a rti cer fi s .

I ri sh P a Story of E i th n e . ga n i sm comp a ra

ti vely clea n .

“ HE Christian redactions of the Sid

sa on in y that the Brug the Boyne , stead of being appropriated by the

t o E lcm a r - of Dagda , was given , the foster father

Oengus , but that Oengus , assisted by Manan

E lcm a r nan , soon ousted , took possession and is living there ever since .

on Fe He is , Of course , invisible , having the F iada , which , the Christian redactions insist , is the gift of Manannan . The swine the gods ate were also particularly his property , and are always associated with his name , while the ale

nk of they dra was called the ale Goibniu , the smith . Just exactly how these two thin gs came about we cannot clearly understand . The prep aration of the beverage was undoubtedly en trusted to Goibniu . He was a kind of kitchen 1 2 1 1 22 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

od g , somewhat like Hephaestus , who is men

t i on ed in the first book of the Iliad , and who

s was a smith also and erved the gods with drink . ” There i s an Old story called the Fled Goibniu

o r Feast of Goibniu . It describes a jollifica t i on “ ” i c ol or at which the gods were all drinki ng . There is no evidence that anything more substantial than drink was consumed at this feast . The beverage used is , in other texts “ called lind , which is the ancient form of the “ ” “ ” li on n modern leann or , which means ale .

’ This drink , with the swine s flesh , conferred

mm on i ortality the consumers . We may Observe that although there are many ” “ fleds or feasts in ancient Irish literature ,

or the ancient Irish , whether gods people , had no Bacchus and no Bacchanalian orgies . It cannot be denied that they were always ready for a fight ; and if the hero was not recognized at the festive board by the “ hero ’s portion ” in quantity and quality there would be trouble , right there and then , and nothing but blood would atone for the insult . It was not that the hero wanted better things than any of the others . But he was so jealous of his prestige and of the position he had gained by his prowess that he was unwilling to forfeit CHAPTER XIX 1 23

any part of the recognition that the code Of

honor of those times had accorded him . The pagan Irish served the god of war and

combat , but there was no Venus in their pan

’ theon . They were sports to the heart s core ,

but their sport was clean . The modern word corresponding with Goibniu “ ” ow is Goba , pronounced g , a smith . Goibniu was smith to the Tu a t h a De Danaan ; L uch t in e

Crei dn e was their carpenter and , their brazier . The way these three would manufacture a battle spear and fin ish it out would astonish

modern a rt ificers . With three strokes of his hammer Goibniu fashioned out the spear head and at the third stroke it was perfect . With three chippings L uch t in e fitted out the spear handle and at the third chipping it was perfect ,

rei dn e o t and C , the brazier , turned u the rivets with equal rapidity and finish . Then Goibniu picked up the head with his

of pinchers and cast it at the lintel the door, and it stuck there fast , with the socket pro t rudin g ; and L uch t in e at once threw the handle at the head and it stuck in the socket ,

Creidn e a perfect fit ; and , holding the rivets in his hands , cast them as fast as he could throw

on e on e them , by , and they stuck in the holes

CHAPTER XIX 1 25

T ua t h a sh e De Danaan chief , and resented it s o bitterly that her guardian demon fled and

s was replaced by an angel ent by the true God . From that moment she ceased to partake of the enchanted ale and the magic swine ; but her life was miraculously sustain ed by the true

. w a s God Soon , however , this miracle rendered M unnecessary . Oengus and anannan made a voyage to India and brought back two cows

x of that gave an ine haustible supply milk .

of India , being a land righteousness , had nothing

of in it the demoniac character , that tainted the food of the De Da n a a n s . The cows were placed at the disposal of

e . E it hn She milked them , herself , and lived for ages on their milk . Those events are calculated to have happened In the eleventh century before Christ . About fifteen hundred years

Cu rco E it hn e afterwards , g , and her maidens ,

in . among them , went to bathe the Boyne When they returned it was discovered that

E it h n e was not with them . While disrobing

sh e off Fe F or for the bath , had taken the iada

ni b e veil of invis ibility . Her compa ons had

sh e come in visible to her , and sought in vain for the enchanted road that led to the palace . She wandered along the river banks for some 1 26 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

n ot sh e time , knowing where was , and bewildered at the wonderful change that had come over her .

She was no longer a fairy , but had become an ordinary woman . She came upon a walled garden in which there was a house , and at the

of sa t door the house a man , clothed in a robe , such as sh e had never before seen . The house wa s a church and the man a priest . He heard

sh e of re such account as could give herself , ceived her kindly and brought her to Saint

Patrick . He instructed and baptized her . Sometime afterwards she was kneelin g in this same little church near the banks Of the

Boyne , when suddenly she heard a great clamor and great lamentation outside . She could see

h e on e s . no , but could distinguish the voices It was Oengus and Curcog and the maidens

n from the Brug , seeking her , and lamenti g her as lost forever to them . As they were invisible

sh e to her , was invisible to them on account of

f . the influence o Christianity Nevertheless , l they brought back o d memories , some pleasant and some unpleasant . She swooned away ; and on recovering con sci ousn ess it was discovered that an incurable disease had fallen upon her . We cannot help CHAPTER XIX 1 27

surmising that it was consumption . It is a “ ” singular fact that eit i n n e is the Irish word “ ” for phthisis or decline . We do not know its etymology . The disease may have been so called by the Irish after her . At last Saint Patrick himself administered

t o the last sacraments her , and she died in his presence . She was buried in the little church of the priest who had first received her , and “ ’ that church was afterwards called Cill E it h n e s ” il Killin e or ch urch ea s y anglicized Killiney . Such is a syn p osi s of the concluding part of on e of the Christian redactions of the famous “ ” pagan story of the Conquest of the Sid .

CHAPTER XX 1 29

A study of mythology clearly points to One

od of on e G , just as a study philology points to original language . We have already indicated the position of the Dagda in the Irish pantheon . He was the supreme ruler . He was still more distin “

ui sh ed . g in his posterity Dana , the mother ” of . a the gods , was his daughter She was lso

of o known by the name Brigit r Brigid . This word is connected with the old Irish word “ ” “ bargh and the Sanscrit brih , and conveys the idea of power , increase , vigor . The modern “ ” or equivalent is brig , which means strength energy . This goddess was known under slightly different names throughout the entire Celtic world .

There was a Ga‘ulish or Gaelic general named

B ren n os , who burned Rome four hundred years before Christ ; and there wa s another

of general , the same name , who captured

t of Delphi , the innermost sanc uary Greece , about a hundred years later . Their names are supposed by many scholars to be variants Of the name Brigit ; and it is quite probable that Brigantia (Braganza) , the city founded in Spain by the Milesians on their

t o . way Ireland , was na med primarily after her 1 30 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

It was from its towers that B reoga n is said t o “ ” of I n have seen the Island Destiny or i sfa il. ’ Cormac s Glossary says of this goddess

or This is Brigit, the female sage , woman of

wisdom , that is Brigit , the goddess whom poets

adored , because her protecting care was very great and very famous Cormac interprets “ her name as fiery arrow , but this is regarded

as fanciful . Strangely enough her t wo sisters

bore the same name . One of them was the goddess of doctors and

medicine , and the other the goddess of smiths

- and smith work . According to the same author

ity , their father , the Dagda; had the perfection ” “

- Of the human science . He was Ma c na ” - n - son or O n ilile dan , the disciple f all the

s ciences . According to the pagan stories that have

not been tampered with , his wife was Boan ,

with whom he lived at the famous Brug . Ac cording to other stories he was married t o a woman who was known by the three names of

‘ Mea b a l Breg, Meng and , meaning respectively a ” li e , guile and disgrace . Whether thesenames were given to Boan or to some previous or suc ceedi n g wife , we do not know ; but they seem to indicate that his married life was not happy . CHAPTER XX 1 3 1

He himself was a benevolent god , but per haps he married some Irish Xanthippe to try

u his patience . The e hemerists sa y he reigned

of over Ireland eighty years , as King the De

Danaan . There is a story that keeps him alive down to the time Of Christ . It runs thus Hi s s on Oengus had become enamored of a beautiful woman he had seen in a vision . She had played music the like Of which he had “ never heard . It surpassed even the Ceol ” * shee to which he was accustomed . Not being able to discover where she dwelt , he fell sick .

of k n A search the i gdom was made , but to no avail , although the search lasted a whole year .

of nn At last by the advice a cu ing physician ,

“ ‘ ’ the Dagda who was King of the Shee of ” Ireland , was consulted . “ ” o ? Why have y u sent for me said he . Thereupon Boan explained to him the cause ’ Of their son s malady .

What can I do for the lad? said he .

ou I kn ow n o more about that than y do , said sh e . Then the p h ysI CI a n spoke up and as the

of result his advice , Bodb , King of the Munster

- m G eol shee fa iry usic .

CHAPTER XX 1 33

of Caer , the name the girl , and received a

n wa s response , made k own his suit and accepted .

He , too , was changed into a swan and in that

t o form they flew the palace on the Boyne , where they sang such sweet music that all who heard it fell asleep and did not wake up for three days . We may remark here that ancient Irish music was divided into three great classes according to the effects it produced . There was the “ ” “ ” n ra i e olt ra i e sua t g that caused sleep , the g g “ or that caused lamentation grief , the gean ” t ra ige that caused merriment and laughter .

of This story , which is an example the thor

of oughly pagan class stories , is called the “ ” Ai sli n e Oen usso or of g g Vision Oengus , and has been published in the R evu e Celti qu e.

The name Of Brigit , daughter of the Dagda , is splendidly perpetuated in Christian Ireland f in the great Abbess O Kildare . CHAPTER XXI

a . A a . . B u a n n n n Ai e . l n a Di a n cecht . n C ee

Ai bell. G ri a n .

N L Y a cursory account can be given

of the gods that are now less known .

It will help , in some measure , to rescue them from total oblivion . The fact that their names are mentioned and some account of

or them given in inaccessible manuscripts ,

n ot equally inaccessible printed volumes , does mean that the average reader would ever hear of them or attain to anything like a complete knowledge of the religious character of the ancient Irish mind . T o understand the rapid and thorough con version of the Irish people to Ch ristianity one should know what that was from which they were converted . To understand their unin t errII t ed p loyalty to the Vicar of Christ , it is necessary to study the conservatism and con st a n cy with which they clung t o such religious ideas as they could have gleaned from nature before the light of Christianity illumined their 1 34 CHAPTER XXI 1 35

way . This constancy and conservatism was a solid foundation for the superstructure of divine grace . Our chapters on the ancient paganism would be incomplete without a mention Of the gods we know by name ; but we must pass by for the present , the many legends connected with them . One of the best known of these gods was

Diancecht , the mighty physician and god of medicine . We have seen that there was also a

of goddess medicine , Brigit . And in this connection it will not be out of place to touch on a fact not widely known about the cultivation of medical knowledge by “ the ancient Irish . L a ege is the Scandinavian word for physician at the present day , and “ ” Liag is the Irish word corresponding . It is well kn own that the early Germanic races or

Teutons borrowed words from the Older Celtic . The grammar of their language was already formed when they met the Celts , but , although the structure was pretty well filled in they had room here and there for a brick from

Celtic yards . These loan words were taken principally from the technical language as well as from the current language of polite life , civil government and war , and from the phraseology

CHAPTER XXI 1 37

Danaan , a mountain near Killarney . The name is suggestive Of the maternal nutritive function .

Then there was Aine , who gave her name to Knockainy hill and village in the county

h e . S Limerick ruled , and still rules , that district as fairy queen and banshee . In the

sh e off of second century of our era , cut the ear

ilill Olui m of M . on A , King unster It was this “ ” Olui m O account he was called , from , an ear , “ ” of and lom , bare ; bare one ear . Two others who were at the same time fairy

Cleen a Aib ell queens and banshees were and , or

in Cleen a of Aib n . was the powerful ruler the fairies of South Munster . The Din n sen ch u s tells us that she was a foreigner from fairyland , and that she was drowned in Glandore harbor in South Cock . At the spot where the accident happened there are cliffs rising up from the sea ; and from the caverns in these , a loud melancholy roar issues

’ at times , and is supposed to be the ocean s

’ expression of its grief for Cleen a s tragic death .

It was Often noticed , also , that this roar presaged the death of a M un ster King . The surge that lashes these cliffs has been called

’ Cleen a or Cle n from time immemorial , tonna , e a s 1 38 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

Cleen a waves . lived on as a fairy and has still a magnificent palace at the center of a

of five M great pile rocks miles from allow . Aib ell is the fairy goddess that presides over ' North Munster . Her name is sometimes written “ ” oi inn on A b , which means Happy , and is c “ ” o sidered by some t mean also Beautiful . Her chief occupation among mortals seems t o have ’ of been to take care the O B ri en s . Her efforts ’ t o di ssuade certain members of Brian Boru s family from going t o certain death at Clontarf

o were a credit t her devotedness as a banshee .

of Her palace , two miles north Killaloe , is

Cra lea generally called g , or the gray rock , ’ Cra eevil or Aib ells but is also known as g rock . Although it was a peculiarly suitable home

for . her , she is probably no longer there It was situated in a deep and silent valley , but when the woods that covered it were cut down ,

f T b eree il h e . o V s is said to have left it in a hu f ,

’ or Aib ells of well , still springs from the side the mountain that faces her erstwhile palace . “ G ri a n of Another famous queen , the bright ” of cheeks , holds her court at the top Pallas

G ri a n Green Hill in Tipperary . is the Irish

h e . O s for sun S , if is not named after the sun , the sun is named after her . CHAPTER XXI 1 39

* - - m - Slieve na ban , as its name implies , is a

m m m e t oo . fe Olympus , “ ’ When we think of Cleen a s wave and the beautiful legend connected with it ; when we

nk of on e or of thi any all these beautiful , though pagan , associations , connected with every mountain and hill and beauty - spot of our motherland , we cannot help wondering “ ” n why Tommy Little , otherwise k own as

M I n di a t o Tom oore , should have gone to T

own look for poetical inspiration , when his country , from a thousand fountains and a thousand heights , richer than Parnassus , was giving out that inspiration in inexhaustible draughts , as if craving to be noticed , and looking for consolation to the genius that G od had given t o so many of her children .

of The Melodies , course , redeemed him a little .

h m n n h m en T e ou ta i of t e wo . TT o m Moore him self i n L a lla R ookh ca lls t h e

a a em i n a en e a wa In a . topogr phy of th t po , g r l y , di

CHAPTER XXII 1 41 the dim tradition of the gruesome part played in the battles of ancient Erin by the blood ” thirsty war goblins . The word b weeve is

for still used in Ireland a scolding woman . The badb also took the form of a loathsome

of hag , joyful when the women Ireland were sa d . Her delight consisted in the battle ca rnage that made them widows . One shudders to think Of her , as he would at the thought Of the witches in Macbeth or M eg Merriles in Guy

Mannerin g . At the battle of Clontarf sh e appeared in

of the form a lean , nimble hag , hovering in the clouds over the contending armies , hoppin g on the ground or perched on the swords and spear

of points the warriors . Her shriek was heard

of in anticipation battle , and her foul form seen

of sating herself with the blood the slain . Whitley Stokes describes her in the R evu e “ Celti u e - q as a big mouthed , swarthy , swift , sooty woman , lame , and squinting with her ” Ae f ri ell . d o O left eye , King , in the second

Dub illa or century , had a shield called the g , ” of black servant . It was the feeder ravens , and was so called because it was hardly ever

on . without a war fury , perched its rim The accounts of these deities that have come 1 42 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

w do n to us are very confused . But the follow “ ” ing passage from the Battle of Magh Rath

of gives a good idea their activities . Describing

Suib n e , who was about to engage in battle , this

seventh - century narrative says that fits of m giddiness came over him at the horrors , gri ness

of . and rapidity the Gaels Huge , horrible , aerial phantoms rose up , so that they were in cursed , commingling crowds , tormenting him ;

- and in dense , rustling , clamorous , left turning hordes , without ceasing ; and in dismal, regular,

- fien dlik e aerial , storm shrieking , hovering hosts , constantly in motion , shrieking and howling as they hovered above both armies , in every direction , to cow and dismay cowards and soft youths , but to invigorate and mightily rouse champions and warriors ; so that from the

of of uproar the battle , the frantic pranks the

of of demons , and the clashing arms , the sound the heavy blows reverberating on the points of

of heroic spears , and keen edges swords , and

- the war like borders of broad shields , the noble hero Suib n e was filled and intoxicated with

ficklen ess un tremor , horror , panic , dismay , ,

fli h t i n ess steadiness , fear , g , giddiness , terror

’

P n n . on o a n ublished with a tra sla tio by Dr O D v , fo h e I A e n 42 r t rish rchaeologica l Soci ty i 1 8 . CHAPTER XXII 3 and imbecility ; so that there was not a joint Of a member of him from foot to head which

n ot was turned into a confused , trembling mass ” from the effect of fear and the panic of dismay . “ His legs trembled a s if shaken by the force

Of a storm . His arms and various edged

s weapons fell from him , the power of his hand having been weakened and relaxed around them

o and made incapable f holding them . The doors Of his hearing were quickened and opened

of by the horrors lunacy ; the vigor of his brain ,

of in the cavities his head , was destroyed by the din of conflict ; his speech became faltering from the giddiness of imbecility ; his very soul

fluttered with hallucination , and with many and various phantasms ; for the soul was the f root and true basis o fear itself . “ He might be compared then to a salmon in

or a weir , to a bird caught in the close prison of a cage . But the person to whom these horrid phantasms and spectres of flight and fleeing presented themselves had never before been a coward or a lunatic without valor ; but he was thus confounded because he had been cursed by St . Ronan and denounced by

of the great saints Erin , because he had violated their guarantee (or sanctuary) and slain an

CHAPTER XXII 1 45 around the scene of slaughter or howled with delight in their distant haunts . “ At the Fled Dun na n - ged or Feast of ” F of of the ord Geese two these demons ,

a described as a man and woman from hell , p

e p ea r d and were received hospitably as strangers , ate up all that was on the tables or within reach , and caused the quarrel that led to the

h r great battle of Moyra t o Magh Rath . Some of these demons sided with Cucula i n in ’ on e f on o his attacks Meave s army , and her men were so terrified “ that they dashed against the ’ points of on e another s spears and weapons and on e hundred warriors dropped dead with terror “ ” “ F B ri cren d F of B r In the led , east i cri u

i i n publ shed his Irische Texte by Windisch , we are told that when a di spute arose as to which of L a e a i re the three heroes g , Conall Cea rn a ch

’ or Cucula i n should get the Champion s bit

on e on e as his right , they were sent , by , by

Sa m era decision of , to attack a colony of geniti

lin ni n g that infested a neighbori g valley . Lae gaire started the fight , got the worst of it ,

e or escap d without his armor arms , and with his clothes torn in tatters .

’ P s e a a n s n D a . O Don o n ubli h d with tr l tio by r va . Un e sa me e Ma R a i n 1 842 d r cov r with gh th . 1 46 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

Cea rn a ch Conall tried next , was put to

h i s flight , saved his sword , but left spear and

la i . Cucu n shield with the victors was next , and the redoubtable champion came near going i down , but , ncited by his charioteer , he con

nfl tinn ed the co ict , as if determined to fight

off to the death . He came victorious , but with his clothes all torn , and his body bruised and scratched in many places . It was the most terrible fight he was ever i n ; but the valley ran red with the blood of the

goblins before he got through with them , The reason of the peculiar injuries inflicted in these fights was that these furies fought with

fin their toe nails , ger nails and teeth . The toe nails and finger nails were allowed to grow for purposes of offence and defence . We remember to have read in an Irish wonder “ of or tale , a champion , fighting a hag she demon and finding his spear too short for her

finger nails . Seeing that by fighting at long range he could accomplish nothing , and that close quarters meant certain death , he took refuge behind a tree , hoping to jab at his

oa k t riI n k assailant from either side Of that , three hundred years Old . But to his surprise a n sh e s d dismay , drove her finger nail through CHAPTER XXII 1 47

that tree with perfect ease , driving him from his vantage ground . We remember with satis faction that he finally won out in this apparently

h ow ignoble contest , but he did it, we do not remember .

CHAPTER XXIII 1 49

This legend is beautifully and somewhat amusingly preserved in Christian Ireland . St . Scut i n used to go to Rome every day and come back the next day . The way he did it was by walk ing over the ocean or skimming over it like the wind . One day while thus on F his way to the Eternal City , he met St . inbar of Cork , coming back to Ireland in a ship .

u in St . Sc t is somewhat better known by his

Latin name Scot in us . F The good St . inbar accosted Scot i n us and asked him why he travelled in that peculiar

’ ? Scot in us way , why didn t he go in a ship answered and said that to him it was n ot the “ ” - n sea at all but a vast shamrock bearing plai ,

of and in proof his assertion , he stooped down and picked up a bunch Of flowers and threw

F . them to inbar The latter , still maintaining

n that it was the sea , stooped dow and picked i * up a salmon and threw it to Scot n us .

or How the controversy was settled , whether it was ever settled at all , we do not know . Insignificant and fabulous as the li ttle story

o own is , it d es its little service in illustrating , in the midst of the enormous mass of other

’ Se D J e s S a H s I e a n C a . e r . oyc oci l i tory of r l d, h p , n m Pa ga is . 1 50 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

h ow evidence , completely wrapped up the Christian Irish mind was i n the thought Of

Rome , and how perseveringly and faithfully

of of the face early Christian Ireland , as Ireland at all times , was turned toward the Centre of

Unity .

As for Manannan , any one travelling along the Irish coasts may even yet see his white ” maned steeds . Of course , they are apt to be “ taken for the white - caps that appear on

of the crests the waves in a storm . But this is all a mistake . When the night is dark and a storm raging , all the voyager , or the man

on standing the shore , has to do is to look out

sea over the tossing , and although he may not M see anannan himself , he will see that that

in on god is his glory such a night , and he will see his steeds careering with a certain wild regularity over the face of the deep . One of the islands Of the pagan heaven is “ described as an isle around which sea - horses ” glisten . Manannan differed a little from the rest of the fairies in physical construction . He had three legs ; and , with these , when on land , he rolled along like a wheel , and with such speed that he easily “ caught up with the wind that CHAPTER XXIII 1 51

was ahead of him , while the wind that was back ” of him never caught up with him . His singular anatomy is still commemorated in the

three - legged figure that is stamped on the

- Manx half penny .

He was the Irish Neptune . Neptune carried

c a trident , whi h , we suppose , was a kind of

sceptre , not shaped exactly like a fork , but with the prongs forming the apices of an equilateral

triangle . Manannan dispensed with the use

of a trident , as he was built in that shape

M a cCulli n a n h himself . Cormac was a E u e

merist of the first class . In his Glossary he makes Manannan a mere man . He describes him as a celebrated mer

i n chant who abode the Isle of Mann , and had the distinction of being the best pilot in the west of Europe . He used to know by studying ” the sky , continues the Glossary , the period which would be the fine weather and the bad

t w o weather , and when each of these times would change . Hence the Irish and the Britons “ Of called him the God the Sea , and also ‘ f ’ M a cL i r i . e . o , , Son the Sea , and from the ‘ ’ name of Manannan the Isle Of Mann is so ” called .

An m a n The Coir , however , which is a

CHAPTER XXIII 1 53

is put down in the An n als of Tigern a ch as having been absent or missin g on on e occasion

for seven months . HOW it happened is recorded in an old story entitled T orui gea ch t Cra oib e ” “ Chormaic Mhic Airt , or Seekin g of the

of Ma Ai Branch Cormac c rt . It was one of ’ M a n a n n a n s tricks . One day that Cormac was looking out from

a window Of his palace at Tara , then called

rui m sa w L i a t h d , he a handsome young man in “ fa it ce or n the plain adjoini g the palace . The youth held in his hand a most beautiful branch on which nine golden apples were hang h ing . W en the branch was shaken , these apples bea t against each other and produced music so strange a n d sweet that all wh o heard it forgot

. all pain and sorrow at once and were lulled to sleep . Cormac took a great likin g for the fairy branch and went out and asked the youn g man if it belonged t o him . “ It does indeed , said the young man . ” Wilt thou sell it ? said Cormac . ” I will , said the young man . I never have anything that I would not sell . “ ” What is thy price ? said Cormac . I will give thee anything thou thinkest right . 1 54 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

' And the young man replied Thy wife , ” thy son and thy daughter .

I will give them to thee , said the king . The youth went over to the palace with

Cormac , who told his family about the bargain . They had admired the branch and its musical qualities very much , but when they heard the

for price that was paid it , their expostulations and lamentations were very great indeed . But at the sound of the chimes from the golden apples they forgot it all and went to sleep . The news of their contemplated departure for

or Fairyland , some strange country , passed over

n Ireland and caused u iversal grief , as they were very popular . But the fairy music from the golden apples drowned all sorrow in peaceful slumber .

E it h n e Ca i rb re Ailb h e Soon , and went away with the stranger . The branch and the apples

n remained with Cormac . After o e year had passed he longed to see his wife and children . He set out in the direction in which he had “ seen them going . Soon a ceo dra oid ea ct a or fog of enchantment and invisibili ty enveloped

of him , although he was totally unaware its presence . He was under fairy influence and sa w many things in his journeyings that were utterly incomprehensible to him . CHAPTER XXIII 1 55

on At last he came to a house , which , invita “ ”

of . tion of the woman the house , he entered “ She took him for a distinguished stranger of ” of the men the world , and called for her lord and master who was a tall and handsome man . In fact they were both tall and handsome and

of dressed in garments many colors . The couple said it was an unseemly hour for travel on so foot , and invited Cormac to enjoy their hospitali ty until the morning . The man went out and carried in on his back a huge pig , and in his hand a log . He threw the pig and the log on the floor and divided each into four equal portions . “ ” N ow ou , said he to Cormac , y take a quarter of the log and make a fire with it , and take a quarter of the pig and put it on the fire and then tell us a story and if the story be a true on e the meat will be cooked when it is all ” told . But Cormac maintained that it was not his place , in that presence , to tell the first story , that his host should begin , that the lady should come next , and that the third story would be his turn . Manannan admitted his claim and proceeded

of to tell that he had seven these pigs , and that with them he could feed the whole world ;

CHAPTER XXIII 1 57

That story was true and the quarter of the pig was cooked . Cormac , however, refused to eat in a company of only three , and when asked if he would eat if three others were added , he said he would if he liked them .

s on Thereupon his wife , and daughter were M m brought in , and anannan ad itted that it was he who had carried them away and that his object was to bring Cormac himself to that house . Great was the joy of Cormac . After the host had explai ned to him the meaning of the different wonders he had seen

h i s E it h n e in travels , Cormac and his wife, , and

on a i rb re Ail h his s C , and his daughter b e sa t down to the table and ate heartily . Before them was a tablecloth on which appeared instantly

of of or any kind food they thought desired . M h i And anannan , putting his hand in s

out pocket , pulled a goblet , and explained to them that if a lie were told in the presence of

leces that goblet it would break into four p , but if the truth were told it would come together again , perfectly whole . “ Let that be proved , said Cormac . ”

M . It shall be done , said anannan This woman that I took from thee has had i another husband s nce I brought her with me . 1 58 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

The cup went to pieces . “ Verily my husband hath lied , said Man ’ an nan s wife . This was true and the cup was restored to its original self and looked as if nothing had

ever happened to it .

f nn After a fectionate greetings with Mana an ,

and pledges of eternal friendship , Cormac and

his family retired to their respective couches , and when they woke up they found themselves

L i a t h druim in with the musical branch , the

bountiful tablecloth , and the sensitive cup in

their possession . The language in which we find this tale i s

- modernized from a tenth century text . De

a i n ille Jub v , who is not a cynic and hardly ever “ ' sneers , says I can hardly recognize as ancient ’ the passage referring to the fidelity of Cormac s ”

n ot so . wife . Celtic paganism is chaste We would respectfully remark on this that the very fact that it cann ot be proven unchaste is in itself quite an argument that Celtic mythology , or com at least Irish mythology , was very p a ra t ively clean . CHAPTER XXIV

The L e rech a un . An ci en t re er n e p f e c s to hi m .

M odern con ce ti on s o hi m p f . HERE are very few references to the luch rup a n in our ancient literature ;

but there are some , and they are enough to show that he has a prescriptive right to exist and thrive on Irish soil , and that he is not a creation of medieval or modern M imagination . odern fiction has,indeed , taken

s liberties with his person and habit , which he

“ would certain ly resent if his dignity as a god and a proper sense of personal security had not made him decide to keep himself in retirement . He di ffers from the other gods in his absolute physical helplessness when in the grasp of a “ ” “ ” In morta l . is the Irish for least and “ ” ch ru a n cor a n p is for p , a little body ; hence “ ” his name a wee little body .

le reca wn We find his name generally spelled p , lurri a wn cloori ca wn lurri a g , and sometimes , g

lu erca da n e lou h r m a n dane , p p , and g y , which are

or n a ll corruptions of luch p a . 159

CHAPTER XX IV 1 61

courageous enough to bother him . He is very

Cucula in small ; but Miss Hull , in her Saga , “ ” calling him a brat , is entirely wrong . This is no translation of his name . He comes by his name legitimately , and would not be a true scion Of the ancient and honorable race of

’ lep reca wn s if he wasn t small . The ancient accounts make him about six inches tall . He is well proportioned , and very

on strong for his size . A knock the head from his hammer is something on e would never forget . He has been known to cut a thistle in two , with one blow from his sword , but he rarely carries this .

Notwithstanding what the Libur na h - Uidre

of says about his stature , we are strongly the opinion that it makes him more diminutive F than he really is . rom our general reading we feel that we can add at least three inches more to his height . We believe there is not an Irishman living

n ot or that has at some time another , thought li of him ; and we be eve , furthermore; that there is not an Irishman living who would not like to catch him . But that is where all the trouble comes in . And even if you did catch

ou t o r him , good reader , y would have keep you 1 62 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

on ou eyes fixed him till y had the money ; for ,

ou if y blinked , he was gone and your sudden hopes of sudden wealth would have vanished

with him . He has disappointed many men . “ ” Oh , how many times , says Henry Giles , the famous lecturer of sixty or seventy years “ oh ago , , how many times , in those golden days of youth which are given once to the most wretched , and are never given twice to the most blessed , have I looked for that miniature

on of S the Last, watched for his red cap amidst the green grass of the hill - side spied around to catch the thumb - sized treasure

ui knower , that I might have g neas to buy books ’ to my heart s content , or wealth enough to go , ’ like Aladdin , and ask for the Caliph s daughter .

But I must honestly confess that , though no on e ever looked more diligently than I did for ”

on e . a leprechaun , I never found Such has been the experience of many others . We never met any on e who saw him , but we have met people wh o knew for certain about others who had either seen him or heard him , tapping away

- of at a shoe heel . We Often thought him ourselves in our strollings about the hills and valleys of old Ireland , and wondered if we really would have the courage to grab him if CHAPTER XXIV 1 63

o we sa w him . There is something s uncanny and unearthly in chasing this elusive little being that one would hardly consider it a delightful pastime , even with enormous wealth in View . There is hardly a doubt but that some people

M r have been a little more fortunate than .

Giles . They have seen him , captured him , f made an e fort to secure the treasure , but, as far as we know , they all lost . In fact , he has often been caught , but in every instance he has proved more than a match for the mortal who caught him .

F - Except in the case of ergus Mac Leide , in ancient times , he has never yet been in any predicament that he has not been able to get

of own away from , by the resources his cunning nature .

of He could not , course , have thrived so long on Irish soil without some of his tricks becoming known , and it is well to caution mortals against these . Sometimes when in the grasp of a courageous person he has been known to make the best of the situation by looking cheerful a n d pretending that he is the one really favored . He directs his delighted captor to the place ” where the crock Of gold is hidden , a n d

CHAPTER XXIV 1 65

him , you will notice that his face bears all the

evidence of his extreme Old age . But , of course , he has the power to give it the appearance of

of all the bloom youth when he wishes to do so . Modern writers have told stories about him

n ot which he has taken the pains to contradict . They have made insinuations Of intemperance

of and open charges impertinence against him .

He has been known , according to them , to show a predilection for loitering around houses which

- were possessed of well stocked wine cellars .

of f Oliver Cromwell , with a party his O ficers , came upon such a house somewhere near

Drogheda . They were delighted to discover that there were several casks of excellent wine

in the cellar . But that cellar had been the

for of le reca wn haunt centuries a certain p , who had made himself quite at home with that r ancient family . He knew what C omwell and his officers would first make for ; and so he contrived to remove the wine from the casks

and replace it with salt water .

Cromwell looked at the casks . They were

fair to behold , and the saliva flowed from his

molars . Soon , in rage and disappointment , he

swore , as only Cromwell could swear . He had

tasted salt water instead of wine . 1 66 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

l ou Oh , is that yourse f , y wonderful saint? “ said a thin little voice . I am ashamed to

- hear your saint ship swearing . The great man looked around and saw the

on diminutive figure sitting a cask , his chin resting on his clenched fists and his li ttle eyes glaring defiance . “ F ire at him and defy Satan , shouted

Cromwell . “ F F a ire away , lanag n , said the little fellow , but even if you put your own red nose to the ’ - ol touch hole , you d miss fire , and now , you d ’ depredator , if it isn t a rude question , might a body make bold to ask how much the painting of your nose cost ? I have been a thousand years in the world and so fin e a nose as that I ’ have never looked at before . I didn t think you ’d have the face to show such a nose in thi s ” country . Cromwell turned his eyes toward heaven and

le reca wn of prayed , but the p had no fear him or out or his prayers , but told him to get that he would make an honest and merciful man * out . of him , and thus put an end to his power

’ This s cen e i s a da pted from H a ll s Picturesq ue e n Ir la d . CHAPTER XXV

G i ves a m to la c P a . h Th e ook i s n e p es . Some

o c f hi s tri ks . 0 apparition of the night inspired

more terror than the pooka . He is capricious ; and s ome s a y he is malignant ; but we have never heard that his malignity ever went any further than giving a

are his victim never forgot . And most of the time on e would imagine , from the nature of his

own pranks , that he indulged in them for his amusement simply . We have not seen him referred to as a god particularly , but as he is certainly not quite human , being able to make

V or himself isible invisible at will , he seems to have conquered a place for himself in the Irish pagan pantheon . He is supposed to have been imported by the

Danes . Whether this be so or not his name is associated with so many places in Ireland that it would seem as if the Irish , from time im

a of ° memorial , had pooka their own 1 67

CHAPTER XXV 1 69

All over the country there are such names as

Ah a h ook a or these , and such names also as p ,

’ L i sa h ook a the pooka s ford , and s p and rath

’ pooka or the pooka s fort . All this goes to show how clearly and extensively the pooka has left his footprints on the sands of time in

Ireland . Shakespeare has immortalized him in England

’ and has indicated h i s habits and powers when he makes him describe himself as “ a merry ” “ of wanderer the night , who can put a girdle

round about the earth in forty minutes , and

Charles Lamb , whom we quoted in a former

chapter , describes his tricks more minutely . It would be impossible to give a full account

of all the tricks of the Irish pooka . His villanous

versatility and resourcefulness are marvellous . We shall be content with giving a translation “ of an account of him we find in Si om sa an ” G eim re l , a ittle book giving stories and games that beguile the long winter nights in West

Connaught . “ There are few townlands in Ireland , this “ u s book tells , that have not a hill , a valley or a cliff which takes its name from the pooka ; but what kind of being or animal he is , few , very

n . few indeed , k ow Some poet has said that 1 70 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

the pooka has exis ted from the time of the Flood and that he changes his form many times and in many ways ; that he is a cat or a dog at

i s night , and that he no sooner in that form

of than in the shape an old white horse . “ It is the habit of the pooka to give a ride to

any one he catches out late at night . He has two ways of doing this . When he is in human

on shape , he contrives to lift the traveller to his back by a wrestling trick , known only to himself . The unfortunate wayfarer begins his ’ ride with his head down , his face to the pooka s

’ back , his legs doubled over the pooka s shoulders and his shins held tight on e in each hand of the goblin ; and in this way he is carried with awful speed over hills and valleys , lakes and lakelets , up and down hills , and when he is exhausted

set and thoroughly frightened , he is down and let go on his way again . The other way i s when he makes a horse of himself . He comes up behind the unsuspecting t h e ’ wayfarer , thrusts his head between latter s

on legs , throws him up his back , and suddenly assuming unusual height , leaves his human butt the alternative of holding on like a bold rider or sliding down and taking a chance of breaking h i s bones . As a general thing the CHAPTER XXV 1 71

rider holds on with a death - grip and Off goes the pooka whithersoever he pleases , and the

of greater his speed , the tighter the grip the rider on his mane . “ The pooka does not always have it his own way , though . Once in a while , a man comes

i s along to whom this free ride a joy ride indeed . “ There was once a merchant who came t o

Connemara before roads were built there , and

- on . he came horse back He found a lodging , a s there were on e and twenty welcomes for

of the traveller , and the princely hospitality the people of West Connaught was known far

ou and near . He let his horse t through the

fields and went to sleep . When he had slept

o enough , he g t up , ate his breakfast and dressed himself for travel . He knew by the stars that it was earlier than he had at first supposed , and he thought it would be better to be getting the journey over him . He went looking for his horse ; but whom should he meet but the

on . pooka ' This fellow lifted him up his back , and started out at a brisk trot , which he soon increased to a gallop . He went like the wind t hrough bogs , swamps and fields , over hills and glens and across rivers , and was about to let

of the rider down , when all a sudden he changed

CHAPTER XXVI

’

t . P The p ooka n ot a lwa ys to bla m e . S a tri ck s I “ di lom a ti c ta ct . G reek L a ti n a n d ri sh h u p , ”

m a n i ti es .

i s Irish pooka bad enough , but he is not to blame for half the things i laid to h s charge . A case in point is ’ of O R o r the air trip Daniel u k e . An excellent description or report of it w a s M r . w itten by William aginn Daniel , after

hi on cert ain experiences , found mself alone a “ ” dissolute island . How to get out of there and get home was the problem that confronted

’ t o him . An eagle appeared , and , Daniel s l “ ” astonishment , ta ked to him like a Christian , and offered to fly him home .

Dan had some misgivings , but he accepted f f . o the o fer Instead bringing him home , the eagle carried him up to the moon and left him

sh e there , saying was glad to get even with him as he had robbed her nest a few months before .

r i Dan was mystified , chag ined and d sa p

n ot pointed . He did want to betray his feelings fully ; and so he cursed the eagle vigorously in 1 73 1 74 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

i sh e Irish , th nking that would not understand

him .

He knew well that he had robbed the nest , but how the eagle found out that it was he that

did it , he could not understand . But there he

a s on . w , left alone hanging to the moon Soon a door opened ; and it creaked and grated as if it had not been opened before for a “ ” M a n thousand years . The in the Moon

appeared and looked at Dan . He evidently resented the intrusion . He was not accus t om ed to visitors , and felt he did not know how t o take them . He had , all his life , been monarch

of n ot kn all he surveyed , and did ow but that this Irishman might have some designs on his

sovereignty . He thought to himself that an Irishman who would fly to the moon would be enterprising and adventurous enough to attempt

out or ff . SO O anything he kicked Dan , rather , and the latter proceeded towards the earth in

of on e a series somersaults , reminding somewhat of chained lightning . The poor fellow was about to despair of ever reaching Ireland in

of safety , when he met a flock wild geese , flying along under the generalship of a gander from his own bog . He knew that gander well , and the gander knew him and spoke to him , and CHAPTER XXVI 1 75

asked him to hang on to his leg , and that he would take him to the earth safe and sound .

Dan said something to himself in Irish , but the gander did not understand . On account s of his experience with the eagle , he di trusted “ that gander very much . But there was no “ so help , says Dan , I caught the gander by the leg and away I and the other geese flew after him as fast as hops .

Soon , however , he discovered that the geese were flying to Arabia ; and so he prevailed on the gander to drop him some place where he could reach the earth without breaking his

‘ bones .

If we remember rightly he fell into the sea . After some more adventures he woke up at the

of Ca rri a h ooca foot g p , dreaming that he had been tossed about on the crest of a great wave .

of As a matter fact , his poor , disgusted , but devoted wife had been soussin g him with cold water during the whole course of his trip . Wh y he went to sleep at the base of this haunted rock anyone may conjecture ; and although there were reasons enough to account

z do for his wild and ha ardous trip , it would not to let the pooka go without his share of t h e blame .

CHAPTER XXVI 1 77

Tais , pronounced thash , is also Often used

or f spectre , and is found in such names as

’ “ ” or Tobar a Taise The well of the ghost . A most hideous clas s of spectre is the Dulla ghan . He haunts cemeteries , but does not dishonor the dead . He may be seen carrying

or n his head in his hands u der his arm . In

on e of fact , may meet whole troops them , l wa king along in irregular formation , tossing

on e a their heads from to another , s if in * playfulness .

Tom M oore , somewhere in Lalla Rookh , introduces us to a somewhat similar belief in the East , where souls are said to watch in loving vigilance at the graves of the bodi es from whi ch they have been released . Taken altogether it is hard to fin d a country where ancient paganism or mythology has left a more indelible impression than in Ireland . The very face of the country seems to be on e

of great voice , speaking its remote past ; and all this , notwithstanding its grand , indestructible and pure Christianity .

With the well - known reservation that every

sa comparison limps , we may y that as the “ i ” Apostles buried the synagogue w th honor ,

D P e ' I a m es Of P a s J s N e . r . . W . oyc ri h l c 1 78 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE a St . Patrick buried the ncient Irish paganism with honor also . The change he brought about was not a

Violence to the feelings of the people . They

- sa w its reasonable and heaven sent nature , as they went along ; and hence , humanly speaking , the stability and lasting character of the st ru c ture our glorious apostle built . The more on e

of of thinks him , and the work he did , and t how he went about tha work , the more one is impressed n ot only with his ability and forceful ness as a missionary , but also with his perfect tact and Christian prudence .

of The great diplomat , in the best sense the

I n word , speaks in every paragraph , and every line of his Confessions He was truly another

St . Paul in personality as in achievement . He was the very man to face a great and difficult problem . He approached the people with preconceived respect , and although he destroyed their ancient beliefs and pagan practices he made no effort to obliterate these things forever as historic tradi tions . He allowed these humanities to live on ;

of and as a matter fact , is not Europe indebted “ ” to the humanities of Greece and Rome for CHAPTER XXVI 1 79

its education , and very largely for the language in its mouth ? The literature in which ancient Ireland still

i of l ves is indeed literature the purest kind , if literature be what Brother Azarias defines it “ h ? ” to be . W at , then , constitutes literature “ ' says he . Two things first , the subject treated of must be such as appeals to our common hum anity ; second , the subject must be treated in such a style that the reading Of it gives general pleasure .

CHAPTER XXVII 1 81

district as fairy king for the past two thousand

years . And then we have the conspicuous example

n a of Don , who was drowned in the m gic storm raised by the T ua t h a De Danaan to prevent M the ilesians from landing . But this drowning F was simply his passage to Olympus . rom the

top of Knock - fiern a he rules as king over the

of fairies the great Limerick plain . Andrew

M a c of M Curtin , a poet unster , addresses a poem to him , begging for admission to his i shee ; and his great anx ety to be heard is evident from the lines in which he says '

Mun a r boda r t n 0 trom gut n a

t a oide ,

N O m ur b h - fua ra i s b a s m a r ea ch a

Doin n hi ll g .

Un les s thou a rt dea f from t h e hea vy e t h e e voic of tid , Or un less you died like every on e ” s a D e e 0 n n . l , f ir o

D on ca d R u a d M a c There was another poet ,

on m a ra M a N a m a ra C (Red Denis c ) , who , how

s a w . ever , Donn down in the infernal regions Red Denis was born in Clare about the beginning

- of the eighteenth century . In a serio comic , heroic poem on h i s own adventures he tells us 1 82 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

' E evill M II n st er how , the North banshee , brought him down to Hades , where they found Conan of F the ancient enians , and not Charon , in

of - charge the ferry boat across the Styx . Conan made no attempt to disguise himself . Such an attempt would have been useless . Denis recognized him at once from the circumstance that he wore an ewe ’s black ” fleece around his back for clothing . This was

for an article of clothing that Conan , some reason that we now forget , had been unable to separate himself from in this life , and it seems

t o he carried it with him the infernal regions .

ee He was n ot glad to s B evill . He hurled a volley of abusive language at her for her im p uden ce in bringing that poor mortal gawk down to that fearful place . She , however , appeased him and he ferried them across . Red Denis sa w Cerberus and has since put himself on record to show that Virgil was right in what he had said about that dog . It was

r Cerberus himself that was there , su e enough ,

o . and no other d g Denis , and even the banshee , were frightened at the appearance of this

of canine . There was no need a sign for them to look out for the dog . But how were they t o ? get by Conan , who was showing them CHAPTER XXVII 1 83

around , solved this problem . He seized the dog by the throat and held him up in the air such air as there was in that place while

they ran by and in through the gate . The poet was much interested in the splendid “ “ Cla n n G a delus representation the , or chil ” of ua t h a dren the original Gael , and even the T

De Danaan , had down there . When he came

of of M to Donn , the sons iled , he exclaimed to his fair companion '

An b h - fei ci rse D n n sa a n n a r o , l

fa ob h a r,

Ag t eilgea n n Cea n n a n - ga ba l a ” ceile ;

D see D n n a n d h i s a e o you o bl d ,

een - e e k dg d, Tossin g hea ds i n a hea p together?

Aed R ua d Besides and Donn , there can be no doubt but that many other names of deified M ilesians would have reached us , if the eu h em eri s t s had not done their work so well in

ua depleting the Pantheon . Aed R d and Donn belong to the class of gods that ancient Rome ” s called Divi . Every classical scholar know that there was in Greece and Rome a sharp line Of demarcation drawn between those who

CHAPTER XXVII 1 85

z n i ed by Greece and Rome , the Dei and the “ Divi There were really three classes in

Ireland , including the aboriginal deities ; the Tua t h a De Danaan who were associated with M these , and the adopted ilesian gods . The two original classes have almost come t o be

n O regarded as o e . S profoundly impressed was Am ergin with the Divine character of the

a h a T u t De Danaan , even before their retirement , that he invoked the elements and all the powers of on e od or - sa w the great g , , pan theos , as he it , against them .

Before leaving the peopled Pantheon , to consider other things t o which the ancient

Irish gave religious veneration , we may here bring attention t o a class of monsters or demons that harassed them . These were huge creeping things that St . Pat rick is said to have cast to the deepest depths of some of the lakes and lakelets

of . Ireland They have to remain there , it is

of said , bound in chains , till the Day Judgment .

Every seven years , however , they were allowed

o to come to the surface , and then a clanking f chains and other strange noises were heard i n

the Vicinity . These reptiles were n ot poisonous .

They were voracious , and their favorite morsel ’ wa s a princess or chieftain s daughter . 1 86 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

Some such luckless girl was picked out by

or lot, and bound to a tree post near the spot where the monster was to emerge from the

water . The sacrifice had to be made to avert “ ” a greater calamity , such as the drowning

of the whole island of Erin . Rescue , however ,

of was possible , and also the avoidance the

national calamity , if a champion would , by any

accident , appear , who would have the courage

and the physical strength to fight the monster .

sa n o Needless to y , maiden was ever de

o v ured . The champion was always there . While he is talking to the maiden and learning “ ” O sea f her strange predicament , the becomes agita ted ; soon there is a roaring Of the waves ;

- they are tossed mountain high , and in their mi dst a path is opened for the approaching

reptile . With open jaws it lands its head and a part of its huge neck and body on the

shore . The champion gets in a terrific blow

sea or and the beast drops back into the lake , and the waters become all over red with its

for blood . It returns two consecutive days ,

but has been gradually growing weaker , and

on of the third day , by strategy the champion ,

so is allowed to land its whole length , that its retreat is cut Off ; and it thus falls an easy victim CHAPTER XXVII 1 87

to his lance and is finally cut in small bits .

of The maiden is rescued ; and , course the expected happens . She marries the hero and they live in royal state . This may be taken as a fair sample of this “ ” class of stories . The monster is called a piast , “ ” “ a n d 0 11 in modern Irish peist , sometimes is sufli xed (ollp h ei st ) to bring attention to its

n extraordinary size . The first meani g Of piast “ ” ’

- . i is worm Cormac s Glossary , the n nth cen tury dictionary that has reached us , identifies “ “ ” piast with the Latin bestia . Multitudes of these demons are said in old stories to have

o attempted at times to block the progress f St .

of Patrick in some his journeyings . And as for the tradition that he banished all venomous reptiles from Ireland , and that that is the reason why there are no snakes there , all this

of is due to the credulity Jocelyn , a monk of

Furness who wrote a life of St . Patrick in the f twel th century . There were never any snakes

Ca u s oli n us . S in Ireland j Julius , a geographer who flourished about the middle of the third century , mentions this as an extraordinary thing , and ascribes it to certain qualities i n the air and in the soil .

The Venerable Bede mentions the same thing .

CHAPTER XXVIII

T I i s h i lla ton es h e od T rm . r S ea g e i n us p r s . p k

i n Th L a Fa l a i o ston es . en er t n o g e i i . V f fire a n d wa ter HERE was a god in the Roman pan

theon whose name was Terminus . This name suggested his occupation ; a n d his occupation required that he should be

or singularly and strangely multiplied ; , in other words , that he should be present , at one and the same time , in a great many places . He was simply a pillar stone set t o mark bound N aries and frontiers . uma Pompilius , the

of second King Rome , ordered that these stones be consecrated to Jupiter and receive religious F li veneration . estivals called Termina a were

n i stituted in their honor , and , at these festivals , sacrifice s were Offered t o them . The Irish also had their termini or stone boundary gods .

r r Whethe they were nume ous enough , as in

or ancient Rome , to mark adjacent estates farms we do not quite know ; but they were certainly numerous enough t o mark large divi 1 89 1 90 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

of sions the country . In Ireland as in Rome they were calculated to make people respect ’ each other s property . In fact , this was the

idea Numa Pompilius had in mind . A Terminus guarded his worshipper ’s farm from other men

just as a scare - crow guards the sown grain

from the crows . In Ireland they were called

cloch a a dra da or of , stones adoration ; that is , stones that were the object of adoration or of

religious veneration of some kind . They some times served as oracles and were in consequence called clocha lowri sh (la b ra i s) or speaking stones . Dr . Joyce tells us that there is a

cloc lowri sh a famous still standing at Stradb lly , a village distant about two miles from Water ford . This stone has been silent for over a th ousand years . A woman once appealed to it to support her in a lie she was telling . The stone split in two and never spoke again . No wonder the Irish have such a horror of lies and liars . Similar stones existed in Wales ; and we have G i ra ldus Ca m b ren si s for authority ‘ ’ that they were called lec lawar or speaking

of com stones . Cloe is a stone any kind ; lec,

t o . mon Irish and Welsh , is a flat stone

F or The Lia ail , stone of Destiny , brought

T ua h a into Ireland by the t De Danaan , was CHAPTER XXVIII 1 91

the most remarkable of all these stones . When

l i a n sa t on a King of pure hI i es blood it , it invariably roared . Keating tells us that when F the Irishman , ergus , was about to be made Kin g of Scotland or rather of the Irish Colony 03 A . D . 5 in Scotland , in he sent to Ireland for

n on this stone that he might be crow ed it . Although there is no doubt of the Scotic purity

of F Of the blood ergus , we find no record that the Lia Fail gave its accustomed roar or cheer f sa t on . o when he it Keating , the words whose “ of Gaelic History Ireland we follow closely , “ goes on to tell us that that Stone is now in the chair in which the Kin g of England is inaugurated , it having been forcibly brought from Scotland out of the Abbey of Scone ;

F of and the irst Edward , King England , brought it with him so that the prophecy of that stone

n in i n has bee verified the k g we have now ,

F i n namely , The irst K g Charles , and in his father , the King James who came from the ” Scotic race . Keating quotes Hector Boetius , the hi storian Of Scotland and other authorities as sayin g that in whatever country that stone “ t o of happened be , there also a man the Scotic

i s M of nation , that , of the seed of iled Spain , ” would be in the sovereignty . There seems t o

CHAPTER XXVIII 1 93 disciples baptized people in them or consecrated F their waters for baptismal purposes . rom being sacred to the pagan gods they became

of of sacred to the God the Christians . Some them were even regarded as deities . St . Patrick

- a s found a deity well in Connaught . It w called “ Slan ” because its waters imparted l health and safety . It was a veritable hea ing F fountain in pagan Ireland . ire also received divine honors ; but , by some , it was regarded as a demon . A druid had himself buried in a ffi “ ” stone co n under the waters of the well Slan . His idea was that the waters would keep his bones cool and make it impossible for fire to get at them ; for he had always adored water ” and hated fire as an evil thing .

“ Sla n a k n L a n s a n us s n sa e a n i to ti , ou d, f d

ea et c . h lthy, CHAPTER XXIX

l. h n r The G od B a a T e bo e. Worshi p of fire . fi

l m en ta l oa th . Wea on Th e elem en ts . E e p

I morta li t . Th e I ri sh el si um . m worshi p . y y

a m r ho i s Metemp sychosi s . M et o p s

I R CHI U of . U , in his life St Patrick , tells u s that on one occasion the Saint challenged the drui ds to throw their sacred books into the water and that he would also throw his into the same pool at the same time to see which set would come out uninjured . But they had seen him baptizing and therefore declined the challenge on the

- ground that he was a water worshipper . He then wanted both sets of books thrown into the

fire but they declined this also , because there was some evidence that he worshipped fire . In fact he had been accused of this by on e of ’ King Leary s druids ; and the charge was prob ably founded on the propensity the Saint showed for lighting fires at times when pagan festivities forbade such conduct . At certain t i i n imes in the year , the dru ds , with great 1 94 CHAPTER XXIX 1 95 ca n t a t i on s s , lighted fire and while these fires were burning all other fires had to be covered or extinguished . These fires were lighted gen era ll Ui sn ea ch la ch t a y at Tara , , or T g . They r eceived divine honors , and were also made the occasion and the means of honoring t h e Sun

od . g , Baal Sacrifices were offered to him while they were burning , but these s acrifices “ ” in consisted merely assigning , or making sacred to him the first li n gs of all flocks and

s . s herd Baal , promiscuou ly written Bel , Bial “ ” and Beal , and supposed to be the Beel in the

1 Hebrew word Beelzebub , s a semitic word that would give the idea of a supreme god or a

r . sup eme demon Beal , the god , was worshipped M by the Assyrians , Arabians , esopotamians ; O and , among many thers , by the Phoenicians . The Irish notions of him are so like the Ph oen i ma n , that even writers who deplore the amount of nonsense that i s written about the connection

s between the ancient Iri h and the Phoenicians , are constrained to admit that the Irish Baal is an immigrant from Phoenicia . That the Irish

sun worshipped the under its Irish name ,

G ri a n , is well known ; and it is not improbable that they confusedly identified G ri a n with

Baal . Something like this had happened to

CHAPTER XXI X 1 97

Of . ritual the pagan Irish They expected , and prayed for , real benefits from their gods . The

Mid - summer fire festival happened on the

24 h of of t June , which coincides with the feast

n St . Joh ; and the custom still flourishes in f many parts o Ireland . A bonfire is built on that night with turf ” contributed by the whole

suffi village . When the night has darkened ci en t l y , the fire is lighted , and the people gather around it and engage in pleasant conversation , poking fun at each other , the practical jokers

or looking for a chance to throw , rather pretend ’ “ ” to throw each other s caps or ca wb een s into

A oss oon it . s a matter of fact no g places i l of mp icit confidence in any his fellows , as far

on as this prank is concerned , but holds care

- fully to his head dress . The people attach no religious significance whatever to the bonfire .

If they give the matter any thought at all , they wonder how it is that St . John happens to be honored in this way . In the present age of enlightenment regarding Gaelic matters , many of the people have learned , no doubt , that all this is a survival of the ancient pagan rite . But they will not abandon it , because it gives a chance for a brief Village reunion ; and boys are delighted with it because they may be 1 98 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE allowed to remain out later than usual and have a good time . The custom of carrying burning sods of turf away and throwing them into the fields for “ ” luck is fast dying away ; and probably has n ot been taken seriously for centuries . The bonfire is to the Irish t o - day what it is to most

of other peoples , merely a way expressing joy .

or All the elements , , to be more precise , all di the vinities supposed to reside in the elements , were given religious veneration . All did not

of on e unite in worship any element , but all ” on felt that an oath taken the elements , that i s , an oath in which the elements were given as

of a guarantee good faith , was inviolable and that the one who broke such an oath was sure f to meet with some dread ul misfortune . King Leary had made an unsuccessful attempt

’ to levy the Borromean tribute . He fell into the hands of the Leinster men . To secure his ran “ som , he swore by the Sun and Moon , Water ” a n d Air , Day and Night , Sea and Land , that he would never again seek to recover that tribute from the Leinster men . But in spite of a ll this he again invaded their province for

e - the s lf s ame purpose, and the result was that “ ” of on the elements passed a doom death him, CHAPTER XXIX 1 99

to wit , the earth to swallow him up , the sun t o burn him and the wind to depart from him ,

o su n s that the and wind killed him , because ” he had violated them ; and we are solemnly “ told that no on e durst violate them in those days .

The ancient Irish worshipped their weapons , and swore by them ; and it may go without saying that such an oath was strictly executed . It was no uncommon thing to hear a sword talk in those days and tell what had been achieved by it . It was demons that spoke in those weapons ; and we are told in a manuscript , published by Dr Whitley Stokes in the R evue

lti u e Ce q , that the reason why demons used to speak from weapons w a s because weapons were ” then worshipped by human beings . A most remarkable thing about ancient

Ireland is that , while it had such a tremendous

s pantheon , there seem to have been no di tinct

i s ideas regarding heaven . What left of our literature tells of no heaven to which all might

. re re aspire Such heaven as there was , is p sented as being a kind of monopoly Of the

. N O on e fairies dared enter it , or could enter

Off n n it , unless they carried him ; willi gly or u

on . h e n ot willingly , his part And if did get

CHAPTER XXIX 2 01

The fairy heaven is sometimes referred to as

of s ea or being at the bottom the , under lakes

or . and wells , in the fairy mounds In fact ,

of every fairy mound was a sort heaven . There

s was a tradition , and perhaps the trongest and

of s most beautiful all such tradition , that there was a vast heaven situated somewhere in the

. V western ocean It was isible from Arran , in

o i the evening . It was the phant m c ty that “ ” ffi sa w Gerald Gri n in turreted majesty riding . Poets are the only people who ever see it any

or more . It seemed to ride dance on the waves ; and if one got near enough to throw “ ” fire into it he would thereby fix it . This has been accomplished , but the Aerial City did not remain fixed as long as might be desirable . In keeping with many of our hopes and aspira tions , it is very elusive . The Irish heaven is known by very many

a s N - O or beautiful names , such Tir Na g , Land of M - of the Young ; Tir Na Beo , Land the

L i vI n or B resa l B resa l g ; Hy Brazil , I , Land of ;

M M M M on agh eala , Plain of Honey ; agh ,

of Plain Sports , in other words , Happy Hunting

Grounds ; Tir Na Sorcha , Land Of Lights , and

T a i rn i re Tir g , or Land of Prophecy or Promise , a name evidently suggested by the old Testa 202 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

ment and found by Zeuss in eighth - century glosses . ‘ A belief in the imperfect sort of immortality that may be found in Metempsychosis was not

. was su general , either This sort of rebirth p posed to have been the privilege of certain

u culla i n heroes only . C was a reincarnation of ” Lugh of the long arms , the De Danaan hero

M Da lri a da god ; and ungan , King of , in the s of eventh century , was a rebirth the great

Finn M a cCool. A species of metamorphosis is known to have been practiced in Ossory . It is not in any way

o related to metempsychosis , strictly s called ; but it is taken s o seriously and described s o graphically and put forward as such a great wonder by G era ldus Ca m b ren si s that on e would f think he believed every word o it . A certain class of people changed themselves at will into ’ wolves and devoured their neighbor s flocks .

When sated , they resumed their proper human f “ forms . This change was e fected by dra oide ” a ct or magic , and was very convenient at times , especially if the price of mutton were

on e high and did not mind eating it raw . CHAPTER XXX

ur dd n um bers . a T n i n Dei si ol. g O G e s a . The

vi l The rdea l. e eye . o HE Irish also attached a superstitious

importance to certain movements , to

um i n certain n bers , and to certain

junctions called gea s a . Deas is the Irish word for right ; and hence turning from left to “ ” or - - s w a s dei si ol right , right hand wi e called , and as it was the same as turning in the direction

sun in which the goes , it was considered the

lucky thing to do . It was a move in the right direction . We are told that when St . Patrick was given the land on which he built his church at Armagh he walked around it three times

- - right hand wise to consecrate it . It would be absurd t o think that he would yield to the superstition associated with the act , but as there was nothing bad in the movement itself , he may have shown respect for the ancient custom .

We are told also in ancient writings , that when a horde of British pirates landed on the eastern

Fi n h u . dc a coast , St , a born soldier , who was

o then at Tara , advised the national forces t 903

CHAPTER XXX 205

A remarkable practice among the Irish was the imposing of injunctions or prohibitions

ea sa . called g The geis (gesh) , which is the

of ea sa singular g , tied a man , hands and feet . As a matter of fact we seldom find geis in the

ea ancient literature ; it is almost always g sa . They went in bunches ; and there was little or

no protection against them . They had a kind Of preternatural sanction that made their tyranny inexorable ; and the on e who violated his gea sa was sure to meet with a great mis

M en fortune of some kind . were Often placed under gea sa by people asking for some favor and appealing to them in some such phrase as “ this ' I place you under heavy gea sa which n o true champion would break and then would follow a list of things which the champion

must , or must not , do till he grants the request . If the request was in any way just or reasonable it was considered highly dishonorable to refuse

r of it , ir espective altogether the consequences

n of that might follow the breaki g the gea sa . Sometimes these gea sa were very sensible rest ri c tions . The King of Emania was forbidden ever , when alone , to attack a wild boar in his M den . ost men would refrain from this kind of ea sa sport , even without being under g , 206 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE unless indeed they were armed with the high

- firin n ot power , rapid g rifles that could be had f in those ancient times . Some o the gea sa were penal and oppressive laws . It was forbidden to the King of Ireland to let the sun - rise catch

0 him lying in his bed at Tara . N reasons can be assigned for some gea sa . We do not under stand them . Some of them are clear enough as statutory prohibitions of the strictest obliga

of tion . On the day of the celebration King

’ ni Leary s festival at Tara , no one in the vici ty ’ dared light a fire till Leary s fire was burni ng .

r of The d ead sitting at table with thirteen , at the present day , is of the same nature as the

i h o terror inspired by the ge s r gea sa . One superstition is no more foolish than the other . ” The etymology of the word gei sh is unknown ; but it is used so abundantly in our ancient literature that it is impossible not to know precisely from the context what it means . Another Object of terror in ancient Ireland was the evil eye ; and even to this day it is

of supposed , in remote parts the country , that certain people have a strange power to blight or injure a person or thing by a glance of the

ch olo i eye . This would make a wonderful p sy g

of cal study . Of course , some definite attitude CHAPTER XXX 207 mind must go with the baleful glance ; and yet it does n ot seem that the person with the evil eye can a lways prevent the evil that

or comes from its glance , is ever a willing party

o of to it . The eye seems t act independently hi the volition of its owner . T s superstition is common to the Irish with many other peoples .

i s n ow In fact , it a tradition rather than a “ of superstition . It dates probably from Balor

Tua t h a the Evil Eye , the De Danaan hero god . Through a chink in the door he had ’ surreptitiously watched his father s druids while ’ e they were ngaged , like Shakespeare s wit ches ,

f o in concocting sorcery . A whi f f the poisonous steam from the cauldron struck him in the eye . He never again opened that eye by his own ex

ert i on s . . wo He never could It took four men , t on of each side him and using powerful hooks ,

t o . raise the lid But when the eye was open , the poor wretch on whom on e ray of its li ght rested was doomed . A glance from it enf eebled an army drawn up in battle array and made its li d defeat inevita ble . But Balor had its raised o t oo Mo nce often . At the second battle Of y

ur of t a , Lug the long arms , his grandson ,

d for watche its opening , and before its evil

nfl e o h im a i uenc c uld reach , he let fly hard ball

CHAPTER XXX 3 209

What a pity that collar was lost . Guilt or

or l innocence , truth falsehood were a so deter “ ” ra nn ch ur hi mined by C , w ch , as the name ”

of . Coirefir implies , was a casting lots The ” or of . Cauldron truth was another test This , ” n as Wi disch tells us in his Irische Texte , was l filled with boi ing water , and the person accused plunged his hand into it . If he were in n ocent it did n ot burn h im . CHAPTER XXXI

’ i l o l Mult p i ci ty f I ri sh gods . Ju i us Ca esa r s

G a u li sh a I I ri sh ru a n d ri sh druids . d i ds n d

thei r a c a M i ca l a rt . r ti ces . s Di vi a ti n p g n o .

Ki n Da thi The D i d Du a g . ru bbt ch .

HE old Romans did n ot surpass the Irish in the number and variety of

their gods , and it is safe enough to sa y that they had n o god which wa s n ot rep re sented in the Irish pantheon . The Roman gods fitted well in Rome ; but they were for

t . s z eigners here They were imply naturali ed .

1n 1 a ll They were borrowed p r c p y from Greece . The Irish gods fitted so well in Ireland that on e

o would think they had grown n the soil . There is no doubt that a vast number of them Were brought in by the earliest colonists ; but we

of s may say , without fear exaggeration , that thi m ust have happened not only before the dawn of of history , but even before the dawn fable .

- N s These imported gods , like the Angle orman “ of e s a th e later days , beca me mor Iri h th n ” Irish themselves . CHAPTER XXXI 2 1 1

The sacred people of the ancient Irish were

the Druids . These stood between them and

for the gods . They could influence the fairies good or evil and had th e power to protect people from any deity or demon that was evil

disposed . The Irish gave the name of druids to t h e

sacred men of all other nations . Julius Caesar tells us distinctly that the Germanic peoples

u had no dr ids ; but he describes at length , in

of the sixth book his Gallic War , the great

druidic system he found in Gaul . He tells us the druids and knights were the people of highest rank in that country ; that the druids

on e of were thoroughly organized , having their number presiding over all the others ; that they had all to do with the sacrifices or public func tions of reli gion ; and that to be interdicted by them from these functions was the worst form

' of . ostracism They were teachers and tutors .

t o They were counsellors the great , settlers of

s of disputes for all , and administrator justice . ’ They Oflered human sacrifices ; sometimes in whole hecatombs . He concludes by stating

a that the system c me from Britain , and that people wh o wanted t o study it thoroughly went

o i t that country t o do so . He says noth ng

CHAPTER XXXI 2 1 3 incantations and scared away the fairies by the quicken tree . The druid was n ot tied down to any par

i cula r or t god gods , or to any particular form of worship or sacrifice ; neither was any other

Irishman . Although all revered the druidical character , everyone selected his own particular

of kind of paganism , and hence the religion the ancient Irish is better expressed by the word paganism than by druidism , as it is Often incorrectly called . The Irish druid was a wiz ard and a learned man rather than anything else . He combined

own ffi of in his person the O ce historian , poet , prophet , brehon and even physician ; but in the course of time these offices were filled by as many distinct men . The druids were the f sole men o learning . They were also great magicians . The Irish word for magic is still “ rui ea d d ct , which literally means druidism , showing that druidism and magic were regarded by our fathers as identical things . The druids could direct the course of the wind . They

on sea could raise a storm land or at , but they could n ot always quell it . They could bring down showers of fire or blood from the clouds . They could drive a person insane by flinging 2 1 4 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE

” h a magic wisp i n is face . It is a remarkable “ ” thing that St . Patrick , in his famous lorica ,

n o for sung o his way t Tara , asks the divine

of of protection against the spells women , smiths and of druids . These women were the

or . pythonesses , druidesses , whom St Patrick

on e of later on mentions in his canons , where he warns Christian Kings against consulting them . Certain princes had continued far into Christian times to be influenced by the druids ; so much so that we find on e chi ef asking a druid to put a “ protecting fence ” around his army when he was marching to battle . This

of fence , course , had to be invisible and self

n moving . It was merely a spell pronou ced by the druid while walking or running aroun d the

e i army . The druids pronounc d mal gn incanta tions that enervated whole bodies of fighting men . They administered draughts that made

or ulla in people forget grief joy . When Cuc F fell in love with the fairy and , and his wife

Emer naturally got jealous , they gave drinks to the hero and to his wife that made h im for get his infatuation and her her jealousy . The “ ” druid was also a fait Q a t i n Vates) or prophet . He foretold things by observation of the stars a n d n clouds , by artificial rites and by studyi g CHAPTER XXX I 2 1 5

of the operation natural causes , which can hardly be called prophecy . But natural causes that were quite clear to the druid were occult

N en n i us to others . In the Irish translation Of “ we are told that the Irish druids ta ught druidism , sorcery , idolatry , how to write bright poems , and how to forecast the future from the

of s way people sneezed , from the voices bird

fin d out and other omens , and how to when

or or there would be good bad weather , lucky ” days for entering on any enterprises . The croakin g Of the raven and the chirping of the l wren were considered very ominous . The litt e wren was considered very wise ; and for that “ ” dra oi - n ca n or reason was called na , , the ” druid of the birds . We read nowhere of divination by the blood or the entrails of V f ictims o fered in sacrifice , such as was practised in ancient Rome . There are very few references t o or astrology proper , divination by the stars ; but there are very many references to reading of Da t hi i of the clouds . When , the high k ng

hi s fin d out Ireland , asked druid to what was “ ” in fate for him as a king , the druid betook himself to the top of a hill and remained there “ all night reading the clouds of the men of ” Da h i Erin . Approaching t next morning he

CHAPTER XXXI 21 7

on e closed and arm extended . Glam is i n ’ ” t erp ret ed in Cormac s Glossary as Clamour “ ” of or outcry . The words malediction were pronounced in a loud voice . The Fomorians coming into Ireland to oust or conquer the

h lon i a n s Pa rt e , presented themselves in this

for way , some malign purpose ; and certain historians , unable to interpret the words in

i s which the posture described , have represented

of on e on e them as monsters possessed only leg ,

e arm and on eye . A party of druids tried the “ ” ill a i n . Glam di ch en n on St . C The posture they assumed seemed entirely unworthy of their august character . They proceeded

on . towards him all fours He , however , straightened them out and changed them into standing stone pillars . Before leaving the druids we may mention the respect in which they were held and the

of i influence they wielded in the halls K ngs . The latter undertook no great enterprise without consulting them ; and were careful to see that F lm their children were educated by them . ede a

E it hn e of i and , the daughters K ng Leary ,

n boarded at Cruachan , in Con aught , with the

i d l m kille dru who taught them ; and St . Co u b himself began his education under a druidic 2 1 8 IRELAND ’S FAIRY LORE M teacher . The esca Ulad informs us that it

i sh for of was ge , prohibition , any the Ultonians

t o at their assemblies speak before their King ,

a r i Con cob , had spoken , and that it was ge sh

for him to speak before his druid . And on on e

Con cob a r t o occasion when had stood up speak , it occurred to him that his druid had not yet

spoken , so he remained standing in silence till the druid uttered something which he inter

p ret ed as a sign that he could go on and speak . As Christianity approached the druids con cei ved a terror of the Christians and Of the ’ G od Christians ; and , as a feeble means Of f o fsetting the influence of the Christian priests , they affected the wearing of a tonsure and the

of administration a gentile baptism . By this latter they had hoped to dedicate the rising

f t o generation more e fectively the pagan gods . We read that when Conall Cea rn a ch was born “ the druids came to baptize the child and they sang the heathen baptism (B a it h i s G ein t lide) ” n over the child . It is impossible to accou t for the presence of a baptism of any kind among E “ them except on the theory that they borrowed the idea from Christians and wanted to use it

in opposition to Christianity .

e of u Nin druids , dressed in robes immac late CHAPTER XXXI 2 1 9

white , which was the color Of their ordinary

on e outer garment , tried at time to waylay St .

Patrick and kill him . The astounding thing is that these men did not succeed in hampering his progress more than they did . They must have seen their power departing forever as the M of . light Christianity spread any , very many of them , embraced the new faith ; and it is a significant thing that the first convert made by ’ D . ubb t a ch St Patrick at Leary s Court was , ’ “ the king s Arch - druid?

’

See D . P . . J e s S a H s I e n r W oyc oci l i tory of r la d, on n sm chap ter Pa ga i .