FOOTNOTES:

FOOTNOTES:1In Gaelic, the name of Lir’s daughter isFionnghuala, and is variously given in English as Fionula, Fionnuola, Finoola, and Finola.2Now Loch Derravaragh, in West Meath.3That is, between the north-east of Ireland (the Giant’s Causeway) and the south-west of the Scottish Highlands (the Mull of Cantire).4The Tailcen: a name given by the early Irish to St. Patrick.5Coineag, Gaelic for “rabbit.” The common English equivalent, Bunny, is a Gaelic derivative, fromBun, a stump or tail.6St. Patrick. (Druidic name.)7With the advent of St. Kemoc, the story comes within historical times. Lairgnen and Finghin were kings of Connaught and Munster, who flourished in the seventh centuryA.D.8It was the wont among the early Celtic peoples to bury their dead erect, particularly in the case of kings, and great warriors, and sons and daughters of kings.9i.e., from the north of Norway to the coasts of Denmark.10Probably Isberna is Hispania (Spain), and the apples the golden apples of the Hesperides.11Alba.That is, Gaelic Scotland, and in particular Argyll.12Naoisin the old Irish Gaelic.13Ulster.14This song, adapted to Macha, is founded upon a portion of the poem by Coel O’Neamhain, in honour of a beautiful queen named Crede, as translated by Professor Sullivan and others.15Given as in the Gaelic:ciugear agus tri fichead agus tri chead. Large numbers are in Gaelic invariably built up thus (instead of, for example, as here, four hundred and sixty). In an old Irish-Gaelic version the particular number here is given as “five and three score above six hundred and one thousand” (i.e., 1,760).16In old Irish Gaelic,Derdriu, thenDeirdrê, sometimesDarethra. In Scotland,Dearduil(pronounced Dart’weel, Darth-uil, or “Darthool,” whence Macpherson’s “Darthula,” who rather loosely says the name isDart’huile, a woman of beautiful eyes). The oldest name is said to signify alarm.17The Gaelic original isBeanchaointeach (Banchainte) Conchubhar fein, etc., and means literally Concobar’s Conversation-woman, which perhaps might be rendered as “gossip.”18I have adopted here, as more euphonious, the name given to the eldest of the sons of Usna (Uisneach) by Macpherson in “Darthula.” The old spelling isNaoise.Ainnle(Ailne, Ailthos) means “beautiful,” andArdan, “pride.”19The Cruithne, or Picts, had their chief stronghold at Beregonium, overlooking the Bay of Selma, not far from the mouth of Loch Etive, below the Falls of Lora, in West Argyll.20To this day, the Highlander of Western Argyll and of Inverness-shire is familiar with the Fort of the Sons of Usna, above one of the lochs which constitute what is now known as the Caledonian Canal.21Western India.22This is a free paraphrase of the original as given by Dr. Cameron in theReliquiæ Celticæ. The original consists of nine short quatrains. In the second, the names mentioned are Dun Fiodha, Dun Fionn, Innis Droighin, and Dun Suibhne. In the following quatrains the old and modern names are practically identical. The modern Glendaruel was formerly Glendaruay (Gleann da Ruadh), the Glen of the Two Roes, or Glennaruay (Gleann na Ruadh), the Glen of the Roes. Innis Droighin is again alluded to in the last verse. It is now called Innis Draighneach, meaning the Island of Thorns, and is situate in Loch Awe.23Literally “O d’chuala Feargus sin, do rinneadh rothnuall corcra dhe O bhonn go bathas.” (When Fergus heard this, he became a crimson mass from the foot-sole to the face.)24This sentence is literal after the old Gaelic as translated by Dr. Cameron. Apropos of the mention of the chessboard in the next sentence (as once before), it may be added that the ancient Celtic kings and lords had a passion for chess.25Agus d’ibh deoch, agus tainigh amach aris, etc., “and he drank a drink,” etc.26Scandinavia.

1In Gaelic, the name of Lir’s daughter isFionnghuala, and is variously given in English as Fionula, Fionnuola, Finoola, and Finola.

2Now Loch Derravaragh, in West Meath.

3That is, between the north-east of Ireland (the Giant’s Causeway) and the south-west of the Scottish Highlands (the Mull of Cantire).

4The Tailcen: a name given by the early Irish to St. Patrick.

5Coineag, Gaelic for “rabbit.” The common English equivalent, Bunny, is a Gaelic derivative, fromBun, a stump or tail.

6St. Patrick. (Druidic name.)

7With the advent of St. Kemoc, the story comes within historical times. Lairgnen and Finghin were kings of Connaught and Munster, who flourished in the seventh centuryA.D.

8It was the wont among the early Celtic peoples to bury their dead erect, particularly in the case of kings, and great warriors, and sons and daughters of kings.

9i.e., from the north of Norway to the coasts of Denmark.

10Probably Isberna is Hispania (Spain), and the apples the golden apples of the Hesperides.

11Alba.That is, Gaelic Scotland, and in particular Argyll.

12Naoisin the old Irish Gaelic.

13Ulster.

14This song, adapted to Macha, is founded upon a portion of the poem by Coel O’Neamhain, in honour of a beautiful queen named Crede, as translated by Professor Sullivan and others.

15Given as in the Gaelic:ciugear agus tri fichead agus tri chead. Large numbers are in Gaelic invariably built up thus (instead of, for example, as here, four hundred and sixty). In an old Irish-Gaelic version the particular number here is given as “five and three score above six hundred and one thousand” (i.e., 1,760).

16In old Irish Gaelic,Derdriu, thenDeirdrê, sometimesDarethra. In Scotland,Dearduil(pronounced Dart’weel, Darth-uil, or “Darthool,” whence Macpherson’s “Darthula,” who rather loosely says the name isDart’huile, a woman of beautiful eyes). The oldest name is said to signify alarm.

17The Gaelic original isBeanchaointeach (Banchainte) Conchubhar fein, etc., and means literally Concobar’s Conversation-woman, which perhaps might be rendered as “gossip.”

18I have adopted here, as more euphonious, the name given to the eldest of the sons of Usna (Uisneach) by Macpherson in “Darthula.” The old spelling isNaoise.Ainnle(Ailne, Ailthos) means “beautiful,” andArdan, “pride.”

19The Cruithne, or Picts, had their chief stronghold at Beregonium, overlooking the Bay of Selma, not far from the mouth of Loch Etive, below the Falls of Lora, in West Argyll.

20To this day, the Highlander of Western Argyll and of Inverness-shire is familiar with the Fort of the Sons of Usna, above one of the lochs which constitute what is now known as the Caledonian Canal.

21Western India.

22This is a free paraphrase of the original as given by Dr. Cameron in theReliquiæ Celticæ. The original consists of nine short quatrains. In the second, the names mentioned are Dun Fiodha, Dun Fionn, Innis Droighin, and Dun Suibhne. In the following quatrains the old and modern names are practically identical. The modern Glendaruel was formerly Glendaruay (Gleann da Ruadh), the Glen of the Two Roes, or Glennaruay (Gleann na Ruadh), the Glen of the Roes. Innis Droighin is again alluded to in the last verse. It is now called Innis Draighneach, meaning the Island of Thorns, and is situate in Loch Awe.

23Literally “O d’chuala Feargus sin, do rinneadh rothnuall corcra dhe O bhonn go bathas.” (When Fergus heard this, he became a crimson mass from the foot-sole to the face.)

24This sentence is literal after the old Gaelic as translated by Dr. Cameron. Apropos of the mention of the chessboard in the next sentence (as once before), it may be added that the ancient Celtic kings and lords had a passion for chess.

25Agus d’ibh deoch, agus tainigh amach aris, etc., “and he drank a drink,” etc.

26Scandinavia.

TRANSCRIBER NOTES:There are a number of blank pages in the original text of this book. To conserve space, especially for handheld devices, blank pages have been left out of this ebook.This book contains Scoto-Gaelic variants. To retain the intended flavor of the book, spelling and punctuation in dialect text have not been altered.Spelling of non-dialect wording in the text was made consistent when a predominant preference was found in this book; if no predominant preference was found, or if there is only one occurrence of the word, spelling was not changed, unless noted below.Single, oddly spelled words that could not be confirmed as typographical errors were left unchanged. On page 159, “slao” was considered to be a typographical error and changed to “slay”, which fits the context.Original punctuation has been retained.Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved with the following exception: Page247— chess-board was changed to chessboard. All seven other occurrences of the word chessboard that were not end-of-line hyphens did not have a hyphen.The name “Ae” is used twice and “Aé” used once within the text. The name “Taillken” was used once in the text and “Taillkenn” used twice. No change was made in either because it could not be confirmed that they were typographical errors.

TRANSCRIBER NOTES:

There are a number of blank pages in the original text of this book. To conserve space, especially for handheld devices, blank pages have been left out of this ebook.

This book contains Scoto-Gaelic variants. To retain the intended flavor of the book, spelling and punctuation in dialect text have not been altered.

Spelling of non-dialect wording in the text was made consistent when a predominant preference was found in this book; if no predominant preference was found, or if there is only one occurrence of the word, spelling was not changed, unless noted below.

Single, oddly spelled words that could not be confirmed as typographical errors were left unchanged. On page 159, “slao” was considered to be a typographical error and changed to “slay”, which fits the context.

Original punctuation has been retained.

Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved with the following exception: Page247— chess-board was changed to chessboard. All seven other occurrences of the word chessboard that were not end-of-line hyphens did not have a hyphen.

The name “Ae” is used twice and “Aé” used once within the text. The name “Taillken” was used once in the text and “Taillkenn” used twice. No change was made in either because it could not be confirmed that they were typographical errors.

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