Chapter XVI: The Story-Teller at Fault

_Source._--Griffin's _Tales from a Jury-Room_, combined with Campbell, No. xvii. _c_, "The Slim Swarthy Champion."

_Parallels._--Campbell gives another variant, _l. c._ i., 318. Dr. Hyde has an Irish version of Campbell's tale written down in 1762, from which he gives the incident of the air-ladder (which I have had to euphemise in my version) in his _Beside the Fireside_, p. 191, and other passages in his Preface. The most remarkable parallel to this incident, however, is afforded by the feats of Indian jugglers reported briefly by Marco Polo, and illustrated with his usual wealth of learning by the late Sir Henry Yule, in his edition, vol. i., p. 308 _seq._ The accompanying illustration (reduced from Yule) will tell its own tale: it is taken from the Dutch account of the travels of an English sailor, E. Melton. _Zeldzaame Reizen_, 1702, p. 468. It tells the tale in five acts, all included in one sketch. Another instance quoted by Yule is still more parallel, so to speak. The twenty-third trick performed by some conjurors before the Emperor Jahangueir (_Memoirs_, p. 102) is thus described: "They produced a chain of 50 cubits in length, and in my presence threw one end of it toward the sky, where it remained as if fastened to something in the air. A dog was then brought forward, and being placed at the lower end of the chain, immediately ran up, and, reaching the other end, immediately disappeared in the air. In the same manner a hog, a panther, a lion, and a tiger were successively sent up the chain." It has been suggested that the conjurors hypnotise the spectators, and make them believe they see these things. This is practically the suggestion of a wise Mohammedan, who is quoted by Yule as saying, "_Wallah!_ 'tis my opinion there has been neither going up nor coming down; 'tis all hocus-pocus," hocus-pocus being presumably the Mohammedan term for hypnotism.

_Remarks._--Dr. Hyde (_l. c._ Pref. xxix.) thinks our tale cannot be older than 1362, because of a reference to one O'Connor Sligo which occurs in all its variants; it is, however, omitted in our somewhat abridged version. Mr. Nutt (_ap._ Campbell, _The Fians_, Introd. xix.) thinks that this does not prevent a still earlier version having existed. I should have thought that the existence of so distinctly Eastern a trick in the tale, and the fact that it is a framework story (another Eastern characteristic), would imply that it is a rather late importation, with local allusions supperadded (_cf._ notes on "Conall Yellowclaw," No. v.).

The passages in verse from pp. 149, 153, and the description of the Beggarman, pp. 149, 154, are instances of a curious characteristic of Gaelic folk-tales called "runs." Collections of Conventional epithets are used over and over again to describe the same incident, the beaching of a boat, sea-faring, travelling and the like, are inserted in different tales. These "runs" are often similar in both the Irish and the Scotch form of the same tale or of the same incident. The volumes of _Waifs and Strays_ contain numerous examples of these "runs," which have been indexed in each volume. These "runs" are another confirmation of my view that the original form of the folk-tale was that of the _Cante-fable_ (see note on "Connla" and on "Childe Rowland" in _English Fairy Tales_).