Chapter X: Part 10

[15] It appears, unfortunately, that all classes of our Irish politicians alike agree in their treatment of the language in which all the past of their race—until a hundred years ago—is enshrined. The inaction of the Parliamentarians, though perhaps dimly intelligible, appears, to me at least, both short-sighted and contradictory, for they are attempting to create a nationality with one hand and with the other destroying, or allowing to be destroyed, the very thing that would best differentiate and define that nationality. It is a making of bricks without straw. But the non-Parliamentarian Nationalists, in Ireland at least, appear to be thoroughly in harmony with them on this point. It is strange to find the man who most commands the respect and admiration of that party advising the young men of Gaelic Cork, in a printed and widely-circulated lecture entitled: “What Irishmen should know,” to this effect:—“I begin by a sort of negative advice. You all know that much has been written in the Irish language. This is of great importance, especially in connection with our early history, hence must ever form an important study for scholars. But you are, most of you, not destined to be scholars, and so I should simply advise you—especially such of you as do not already know Irish—to leave all this alone, or rather to be content with what you can easily find in a translated shape in the columns of Hardiman, Miss Brooke, Mangan, and Sigerson.” So that the man whose most earnest aspiration in life is Ireland a nation, begins by advising the youth of Ireland _not_ to study the language of their fathers, and to read the gorgeous Gaelic poetry in such pitiful translations as Hardiman and Miss Brooke have given of a few pieces. The result of this teaching is as might be expected. A well-known second-hand book-seller in Dublin assured me recently that as many as 200 Irish MSS. had passed through his hand within the last few years. Dealers had purchased them throughout the country in Cavan, Monaghan, and many other counties for a few pence, and sold them to him, and he had dispersed them again to the four winds of heaven, especially to America, Australia, and New Zealand. Many of these must have contained matter not to be found elsewhere. All are now practically lost, and nobody in Ireland either knows or cares. In America, however, of all countries in the world, they appreciate the situation better, and the fifth resolution passed at the last great Chicago Congress was one about the Irish language.

[16] Flash, in Irish, _lochán_, _i.e._, little lake, or pool of water. Most story-tellers say, not, “I got the _lochán_,” but the “_clochán_,” or stepping-stones.

[17] Tint, means a drop, or small portion of liquid, amongst English speaking persons in Connacht and most other parts of Ireland.

[18] Gual.

[19] This is an idiom in constant use in Gaelic and Irish; but to translate it every time it occurs would be tedious. In Gaelic we say, my share of money, land, etc., for my money, my land.

[20] In Irish, _geasa_—mystic obligations.

[21] Geasa, pronounced _gassa_, means “enchantment” in this place.

[22] Or “the King of N’yiv.”

[23] An ordinary Connacht expression, like the Scotch “the noo.”

[24] “Oh, Mary,” or “by Mary,” an expression like the French “dame!”

[25] To “let on” is universally used in Connacht, and most parts of Ireland for to “pretend.” It is a translation of the Irish idiom.

[26] _i.e._, this quarter of a year.

[27] forenent, or forenenst = over against.

[28] Narrow spade used all over Connacht.

[29] Untranslatable onomatopæic words expressive of noises.

[30] These names are not exactly pronounced as written. To pronounce them properly say _yart_ first, and then _yart_ with an _n_ and a _c_ before it, _n’yart_ and _c’yart_.

[31] That means “It was well for yourself it was so.” This old Elizabethan idiom is of frequent occurrence in Connacht English, having with many other Elizabethanisms, either filtered its way across the island from the Pale, or else been picked up by the people from the English peasantry with whom they have to associate when they go over to England to reap the harvest.

[32] Rath or fort or circular moat.

INDEX OF INCIDENTS.

[I use the word “incident” as equivalent to the German _sagzug_, _i.e._, as connoting not only the separate parts of an action, but also its pictorial features.—A.N.]

Ball, guiding, of silver, 132.

Belore of the Evil Eye, 144.

Besom riding, 85.

Blast of wind from giant’s nostrils, 146.

Blind wise man, 129.

Blood drops incident, 19.

Boat out of thimble, 137.

Bones gathered up and revivified, 152.

Bran, colour and swiftness of, 15.
death of, 17.

Bran’s daughter, 17;
catches wild geese, 17-19;
killed, 19.

Broth-swallowing match, 11.

Brother, of welcoming hags, 132.
helps hero across stream, 133;
restored to youth by hero, 135.

Cap of darkness, 29.

Cat, white, 130. (= old hag?)

Coach, enchanted, with two fawns, 139.

Cross-roads, separation at, 129.

Curse of the 24 men, 154.

Damsel, encouraging, in red silk, 131.
gives hero thimble as boat, 137.

Daughter prevents father re-marrying after first wife’s death, by
cutting grass on mother’s grave, 167.

Dead man haunting house, 158.

Destruction of king’s court by night, 3.

Doctoring instrument, 148.

Dog, black, catches bullets in mouth, 162;
strikes exorcising priest dumb, 163;
father of hags, 163.

Dog, big black, son of weasel hag, 79.

Dumbness caused by fairy blow, 116.

Eagle guarding stream, 133.
slain by hero, 134.

Elder brothers fail, 140.

Enchanter helps mortal, 93.
passes him off as dead, 95.

Fairest maid, description of, 112.

Fairies baffled by cross, 115.

Fairies carry off princess, 107, _et seq._
require a mortal’s help, 89, 107.
meet annually on November night, 122.

Fairies turn into flying beetles, 89.

Fairy help to mortal withdrawn, 142.

Fairy dwelling filled with smoke and lightning, 143;
hill opens, 87.

Fairy horses unspelled, 115.
host, noise of, 105;
takes horse, 106.
king and queen, 87.
hurling match, 87.

Fairy spits fire, and frightens Pope, 110.

Father, cruel, cuts hands and feet off daughter, 168.
punished, and healed by daughter, 169.

Fearless hero, 156, _et seq._,
sleeps with corpse, 158.

Feather supporting house, 131.

Finn’s mother a fawn, 17.

Flea killed by valiant tailor, 2.

Football players in haunted house, 158.

Fox, hiding-place for, 5.

Geasa run, 21.

Ghost denouncing murderer, 159.

Ghost laying by fortune distributing, 159.

Giants, two, crushed by stone, 9, _et seq._

Giant outwitted by lying reports, 29.

Giant slits himself up, 11.

Goblin, headless, in cellar, 81, 157.
drinks and plays music with hero, 83;
bagpipes for fairies, 85.

Grateful dead, 21, 23, 153.
beggar, 156;
robin, 165.

Guarding monsters, 134.

Hags, enchanted, turn vultures, 163.
condemned for father’s crime, 164.
turned into swans at end of enchantment period, 166.

Hag turned into weasel, 79.
welcoming, sister to hero’s nurse, 131.

Hair turns into ladder, 140.

Hare magic, 162.

Haunted house, 81.

Healing well, 129.

Helping servant, 148.
saves ungrateful master, 157.

Herb for blood-stopping, 149.

Herb of healing, 165.

Hero, grown rich, visits home, 161.
joins fairy host, 106.

Heroine and attendant maidens made pregnant in their sleep, 135.
seeks father of children, 139.
recovers magic gifts abandoned by hero, 139, _et seq._
tests false claimants, 140.
full up of serpents banished by first embraces, 45.
under spells, 37.

Horse, swift as lightning, 132.
talking, 2.
hiding-place for, 3.

Husband, not to re-marry till grass be foot high on dead wife’s
grave, 167.

Incurable sore foot, 129.

Inexhaustible milk-can (fairy gift), 142.
water and bread, 134.
purse, 91.

Kiss, first, from heroine, claimed by helping servant, 45.

Lion, ploughing, 7;
guarding, 134.

Magic gifts abandoned by hero, 139.

Mary’s shamrock (? four-leaved), 142.

Murderer revealed by ghost, 160.

Mutilated (hands and feet) heroine married, 168;
restored after birth of triplets, 168.

Night entertainment run, 29.

Nonsense ending, 15, 128.

November night for fairy gatherings, 122.

One-eyed supernatural being, 144.

Pin of slumber, 39, 43.

Piper in haunted house, 158.

Poison, King of, 39.

Pole of combat, 27, _et seq._
of combat run, 27.

Pope compelled to reinstate priest, 110.

Priest refuses to exorcise, 143;
exorcises bewitched hags, 163.

Princess, ill to death, cured by taking head off her, 149.
promised to task performer, 2.
released from fairies, 115.

Purse that empties not, 91.

Purses bestowed by supernatural being, 91, 144.

Quest for healing water, 129.

Recognition of hero by heroine, 141.

Robin grateful, brings herb of healing, 165.

Safety token (stone), 129.

Servant’s wage, 23.

Silence bespelling removed, 168.

Skilful companions, gunner, listener, runner, blower, stone-breaker,
23-27.

Sleep, magic, 147;
of enchanted queen over in seven years, 134.

Slumber pin in horse’s head, 43.

Smelling giant, 27.

Speech restored by herb, 125.

Spikes crowned with skulls, 39.

Step-mother (hag) accuses step-daughter, 168.

Stone-breaker crushes sharp stones, 45.

Swift runner and hag race, 43.

Swiftness, slippers, 33.

Sword that leaves leavings of no blow behind it, 37.

Sword of light, 135.

Tailor, valiant, 2.

Taboo on telling about fairy gifts, 142.
broken and punished by loss, 143.

Threefold entertaining by hags, 130.

Three sons start for healing water, 129.

Travellers’ seat in wood, 131.

Unwashed feet of hero, 104.

Wages, half of what is earned, 148.

Wages of help servant refused, 150.

Weasel brings money, 73;
attacks despoiler, 75;
kills cow, 77;
turns into hag, 77.

Well of healing balm, 41.
of healing water, 129.

Workmen’s wages, 7.

Witch released by Masses, 79.

Witch’s hut to be burnt after death, 79.

Youngest son succeeds, 138;
envied by elder brothers, 138, _et seq._;
made a scullion, 139.

Youth, restoration to, 135.