Ulster Folklore

Each story keeps the passage it was read from. Open one to read it as the scan has it, and, where the companion has written its own telling, that too. The passages are read off photographs of the page by machine, so a word here and there comes out wrong; they are kept as the reading produced them, so you can check any of them against the scan.

1. The murder of Dr. Hamilton and Mrs Waller near Fahan

   Fahan · town · Donegal · 1797

   While visiting Dr Waller at the rectory of Sharon near Fahan, Dr Hamilton and his hostess Mrs Waller were murdered when armed men broke into the house, firing shots and dragging Hamilton outside to kill him, an event reported to the Irish House of Commons in March 1797.

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   "As that gentleman (Dr. Hamilton) was sitting with the family in Mr. Waller's house, several shots were fired in upon them, the house was broken open, and Mrs. Waller, in endeavouring to protect her helpless husband by covering him with her body, was murdered. Mr. Hamilton, from the natural love of life, had taken refuge in the lower apartments. Thence they forced him, and as he endeavoured to hold the door they held fire under his hand until they made him quit his hold. They then dragged him a few yards from the house, and murdered him in the most inhuman and barbarous manner."[119]

   From a letter written by Dr. Hall to the _Gentleman's Magazine_ (March, 1797), we learn that the assassins retired unmolested and undiscovered. Nor were any of them ever brought to justice, although popular tradition, among both Catholics and Protestants, says that misfortune dogged their footsteps, and each one of them came to an untimely end. Dr. Hamilton's body remained exposed during the night, and was only removed the following morning, when it was taken to Londonderry and interred in the Cathedral graveyard. Here his name is recorded on the family tombstone; and in 1890 his descendants erected a tablet to his memory in the chancel of the Cathedral.

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 11

   As the companion tells it

   You are coming through Fahan, in Donegal. In 1797 this place was the scene of a notorious double murder. Dr Hamilton was visiting at the rectory of Sharon, the home of Mr and Mrs Waller. He was sitting with the family when several shots were fired in upon them. The house was broken open. Mrs Waller tried to protect her helpless husband, covering him with her body, and was murdered. Hamilton, from the natural love of life, had taken refuge in the lower apartments. They forced him from there. As he tried to hold the door, they held fire under his hand until he quit his hold. They dragged him a few yards from the house and murdered him, in the words of the report, in the most inhuman and barbarous manner. The assassins retired unmolested and undiscovered. None were ever brought to justice, though popular tradition among both Catholics and Protestants says misfortune dogged their footsteps and each came to an untimely end. Hamilton's body remained exposed through the night, removed only the following morning, taken to Londonderry and buried in the Cathedral graveyard. His name is on the family tombstone there, and in 1890 his descendants erected a tablet to his memory in the chancel.

2. Balor imprisons his daughter at Tormore

   Tormore · minor feature · Donegal

   King Balor, fearing a prophecy that his daughter's son would kill him, shut his daughter up in Tormore on Tory Island with twelve ladies to prevent her from bearing children.

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   King Balor, it is true, is not of diminutive stature. I heard much of this chieftain with the eye at the back of his head, which, if uncovered, would kill anyone exposed to its gaze. He knew it had been said in old times that he should die by the hand of his daughter's son, and he determined his daughter should remain childless. He shut her up in Tormore, with twelve ladies to wait on her. Balor had no smith on the island, but at Cloghanealy, on the mainland, there lived a smith who had the finest cow in the world, named Glasgavlen. He kept a boy to watch it, but, notwithstanding this precaution, two of Balor's servants carried off the cow. When the herd-boy saw it was gone, he wept bitterly, for the smith had told him his head would be taken off if he did not bring her back. Suddenly a fairy, Geea Dubh, came out of the rock, and told the boy the cow was in Tory, and if he followed her advice he would get it back. She made a curragh for him, and he crossed over to Tory, but he did not get the cow. The tale now becomes confused. We hear of twelve children, and how Balor ordered them all to be drowned, but his daughter's son was saved. The fairy told the herd-boy that, if the child were taken care of, it would grow up like a crop which, when put into the earth one day, sprouts up the next.

   The boy took service under Balor, and the child was sent to the ladies, who brought him up for three years. At the end of that time the herd boy took him to the mainland, where he grew up a strong youth, and worked for the smith. On one occasion Balor sent messengers across to the mainland, but the lad attacked them and cut out their tongues. The maimed messengers returned to Tory, and when Balor saw them he knew that he who had done this deed was the dreaded grandson. He set out to kill him; but when the youth saw Balor approaching the forge, he drew the poker from the fire and thrust it into the eye at the back of the King's head.

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

3. Finglas drowned in Lough Finn

   near Lough Finn · lake or lakes · Donegal

   In the story of a fight between the giant Fargowan and a wild boar, his sister Finglas, misled by an echo, jumped back and forth across Lough Finn until her hair became entangled and she drowned; her coffin, with boards 14 feet long, was said to have been found when the railway was built.

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   In the tales of the giants we are brought face to face with beings of great strength, but in a low stage of civilization. Balor, we have seen, had no smith on Tory Island, and in a story of the fight between the giant Fargowan and a wild boar, his sister Finglas goes to his assistance with her apron filled with stones. Misled by the echo, she jumps backwards and forwards across Lough Finn until at last her long hair becomes entangled and she is drowned. It is believed that her coffin was found when the railway was being made; the boards were 14 feet long. Sometimes the works of Nature are ascribed to the giants; we have all heard of Finn McCoul as the artificer of the Giant's Causeway, and near Glenties I was shown perched blocks, which had been thrown by the giants. On the other hand, these giants, with all their magic, are often very human; perhaps we are listening to the tales of a small race, who exaggerated the feats of their large but savage neighbours. Writing in 1860, J. F. Campbell, in his introduction to the "Tales of the West Highlands," says: "Probably, as it seems to me, giants are simply the nearest savage race at war with the race who tell the tales. If they performed impossible feats of strength, they did no more than Rob Roy, whose putting-stone is now shown to Saxon tourists ... in the shape of a boulder of many tons."[79] Turning to fairies, the same writer says: "I believe there was once a small race of people in these islands, who are remembered as fairies.... They are always represented as living in green mounds. They pop up their heads when disturbed by people treading on their houses. They steal children. They seem to live on familiar terms with the people about them when they treat them well, to punish them when they ill-treat them.... There are such people now. A Lapp is such a man; he is a little flesh-eating mortal, having control over the beasts, and living in a green mound, when he is not living in a tent or sleeping out of doors, wrapped in his deerskin shirt."[80]

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

   As the companion tells it

   Lough Finn in Donegal carries a story from the tales of giants. These were beings of great strength, but in a low stage of civilization. The giant Fargowan fought a wild boar, and his sister Finglas went to his assistance with her apron filled with stones. Misled by the echo, she jumped backwards and forwards across the lake until at last her long hair became entangled and she was drowned. It is believed that her coffin was found when the railway was being made. The boards were 14 feet long. The tales of giants bring us face to face with beings of great strength but low civilization. Sometimes the works of nature are ascribed to them. Finn McCoul is credited as the artificer of the Giant's Causeway, and near Glenties perched blocks were shown as stones thrown by giants. Yet these giants, with all their magic, are often very human. Perhaps we are listening to the tales of a small race who exaggerated the feats of their large but savage neighbours. Writing in 1860, J. F. Campbell said in his introduction to the Tales of the West Highlands: "Probably, as it seems to me, giants are simply the nearest savage race at war with the race who tell the tales."

4. M'Combridge and the fairy house at Glenravel

   near Glenravel · population centre · Antrim

   A man named M'Combridge from Glenravel went looking for his heifer one evening and found a great house that had not been there before, where fairies killed and cooked his heifer, forced him to drink its broth, and detained him overnight, after which he woke on the grass near his own home.

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   A curious story was told me by an old woman in the Cottage Hospital at Cushendall. A man at Glenravel named M'Combridge went out one evening to look for his heifer, but could not find it. He saw a great house in one of his fields, where no house had been before, and, wondering much at this, he went in. An old woman sat by the fire, and soon two men came in leading the heifer. They killed it with a blow on the head and put it into a pot. M'Combridge was too much afraid to make any objection; he rose, however, to leave the house, but the old woman said: "Wait; you must have some of the broth of your own heifer." Three times she made him partake of the broth, and he was then unable to leave the house. She put him to bed, and the man gave birth to a son. He fell asleep, but was wakened by something touching his ear, and found himself on the grass near his home, and the heifer close to his ear.

   This fantastic story no doubt represents a dream, but does it contain a reminiscence of the couvade, where, after the birth of the child, the father goes to bed? Sir E. B. Tylor, in the "Early History of Mankind," has shown how widespread this custom was both in the Old and the New World.

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 9

   As the companion tells it

   As you pass through Glenravel, there is a story told about a man from here named M'Combridge. One evening he went out looking for his heifer and could not find it. Then he saw a great house standing in one of his fields, where no house had been before. He wondered at it and went inside. An old woman sat by the fire. Soon two men came in leading his heifer. They killed it with a blow on the head and put it into a pot. M'Combridge was too afraid to object. He rose to leave, but the old woman said, "Wait; you must have some of the broth of your own heifer." She made him partake of the broth three times, and after that he could not leave the house. She put him to bed, and the man gave birth to a son. He fell asleep, but was woken by something touching his ear, and found himself lying on the grass near his home, with the heifer close to his ear. The story was told to the recorder by an old woman in the Cottage Hospital at Cushendall. He thought it was no doubt a dream, but wondered whether it held a memory of the couvade, the old custom where the father takes to bed after a child is born.

5. Tragic tale of the heather beer secret at Ballycairn Fort

   Ballycairn · townland · Derry

   Near Ballycairn Fort the story was told of the last of the Danes, where a father chose death rather than reveal the secret of brewing heather beer, even after his son was hanged to force the confession.

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   In a former paper I referred to the lost secret of the heather beer, and the tragic ending of the last of the Danes.[37] As the story was told me near Ballycairn Fort, the father said: "Give my son the first lilt of the rope, and I will reveal our secret"; but when the son was dead the father cried: "Slay me also, for none shall ever know how the heather beer was brewed!"

   In a paper read to this club Mr. McKean[38] mentioned that this story had been told to him in Kerry, where I, too, heard it. It appears to be almost universal in Ulster. When visiting Navan Fort, the ancient Emania, near Armagh, I was told that on this fort the Danes made heather beer. I asked if any heather grew in the neighbourhood, but the answer was, not now. There are variants of the tale. In some parts of Donegal it is wine, not beer, that the Danes are said to have made. As a rule the slaughter is taken for granted, and very little said about it; but a farmer in Co. Antrim gave me a full account of the massacre, how at a great feast a Roman Catholic sat beside each Dane, and at a given signal plunged his dirk into his neighbour's side, until only one man and his son remained alive; then followed the usual sequel.

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

   As the companion tells it

   Somewhere around here, the story was told of the last of the Danes, and the secret they would not give up. Near Ballycairn Fort, the tale went that a father and his son were the last of their people. The father said, "Give my son the first lilt of the rope, and I will reveal our secret." But when the son was dead, the father cried out, "Slay me also, for none shall ever know how the heather beer was brewed!" The story appears to be almost universal in Ulster. It was told in Kerry as well, and Mr. McKean heard it there. At Navan Fort, the ancient Emania near Armagh, the Danes were said to have made heather beer on the fort itself. When asked if any heather grew in the neighbourhood, the answer was, not now. There are variants of the tale. In parts of Donegal it is wine, not beer, that the Danes are said to have made. As a rule the slaughter is taken for granted, and very little said about it. But a farmer in County Antrim gave a full account of the massacre. He told how at a great feast a Roman Catholic sat beside each Dane, and at a given signal plunged his dirk into his neighbour's side, until only one man and his son remained alive. Then followed the usual sequel.

6. Fairy fort destroyed for the Belfast-Ballymena railway at Lenagh

   Lenagh · townland · Antrim · 1848

   About sixty-five years before writing, an old fort with fairy bushes in the townland of Lenagh stood in the way of the Belfast to Ballymena railway line. Workers were unwilling to touch it, one was injured cutting a thorn bush, and the fort was eventually blown up by railway officials, revealing a fine spearhead and other implements underneath.

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   Here we have an instance of the strong belief that to interfere in any way with stone, tree, or fort, belonging to the fairies is certain to bring disaster. About sixty-five years ago, when the railway was being made between Belfast and Ballymena, an old fort with fairy bushes in the townland of Lenagh stood on the intended track, and had to be removed. The men working on the line were most unwilling to meddle with either fort or bushes. One, however, braver than the rest began to cut down a thorn, when he met with an accident which strengthened the others in their refusal. In the end the fort had to be blown up, I believe by the officials of the railway, and underneath it a very fine spearhead and other implements were found.[98]

   A fort near Glasdrumman, Co. Down, was demolished by the owner, but the country-people noted that the man who struck the first blow was injured and died soon afterwards, while the owner himself became a permanent invalid. A woman living near this fort related that in the evening after the work was begun she heard an awful screech from the fort; presumably the fairies were leaving their home.

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 9

   As the companion tells it

   Somewhere close to Lenagh, there was once an old fort with fairy bushes. There was a strong belief that to interfere in any way with stone, tree, or fort belonging to the fairies was certain to bring disaster. When the railway was being made between Belfast and Ballymena, this fort stood on the intended track, and had to be removed. The men working on the line were most unwilling to meddle with either the fort or the bushes. One, however, braver than the rest, began to cut down a thorn, when he met with an accident which strengthened the others in their refusal. In the end the fort had to be blown up, by the officials of the railway, and underneath it a very fine spearhead and other implements were found. A similar fate met a fort near Glasdrumman in County Down, demolished by its owner. The man who struck the first blow was injured and died soon afterwards, and the owner himself became a permanent invalid. A woman living near the fort said that in the evening after the work was begun she heard an awful screech from the fort. Presumably the fairies were leaving their home.

7. The Grey Man's Path at Fair Head

   near Benmore or Fair Head · promontory · Antrim · 1858

   A fissure on the face of Benmore or Fair Head allows a good climber to ascend the cliff, and is associated with the Grey Man, possibly the sea-god Manannan. Near the mouth of the Bush River, two youths reported the Grey Man appearing to them.

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   [49] The Grey Man's Path is a fissure on the face of Benmore or Fair Head, by which a good climber can ascend the cliff. It has been suggested that this Grey Man is one of the old gods, possibly Manannan, the Irish sea-god. In the _Ulster Journal of Archæology_ for 1858, vol. vi., p. 358, there is an account given of the Grey Man appearing near the mouth of the Bush River to two youths, who believed they would have seen his cloven foot had he not been standing in the water. They had at first mistaken the apparition for an ordinary man.

   [50] A place inhabited by fairies, or "gentlefolk."

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

   As the companion tells it

   Somewhere about Benmore or Fair Head, there's a fissure in the cliff face known as the Grey Man's Path. A good climber can get up it. The Grey Man himself has been linked to the old gods, possibly Manannan, the Irish sea-god. Back in 1858, the Ulster Journal of Archaeology carried an account of him appearing near the mouth of the Bush River to two youths. They took him at first for an ordinary man. Then they looked closer and believed they would have seen his cloven foot, only he was standing in the water and it stayed hidden.

8. The seal-man of Arranmore

   near Aran Island · island or archipelago · Donegal

   Islanders of Arranmore refused to attack seals, believing them to be humans transformed by their own witchcraft, illustrated by the tale of a man named Rodgers who wounded a seal in a cave and later met the same being, now a man in Scotland, bearing the scar.

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   A story illustrating the same belief is told by John Sweeney, an inspector of National Schools, who wrote about forty years ago a series of letters describing Donegal and its inhabitants.[82] In his account of Arranmore he says: "Until lately the islanders could not be induced to attack a seal, they being strongly under the impression that these animals were human beings metamorphosed by the power of their own witchcraft. In confirmation of this notion, they used to repeat the story of one Rodgers of their island, who, being alone in his skiff fishing, was overtaken by a storm, and driven on the shore of the Scotch Highlands. Having landed, he approached a house which was close to the beach, and on entering it was accosted by name. Expressing his surprise at finding himself known in a strange country, and by one whom he had never seen, the old man who addressed him bared his head, and, pointing to a scar on his skull, reminded Rodgers of an encounter he had with a seal in one of the caves of Arranmore. 'I was,' he said, 'that seal, and this is the mark of the wound you inflicted on me. I do not blame you, however, for you were not aware of what you were doing.'"

   I fear I have lingered too long over these old-world stories. To me they point to a far-distant past, when Ulster was covered with forests, in which the red deer and perhaps the Irish elk roamed, and inhabited by rude tribes, some of them of dwarfish stature, others tall; but these giants were apparently even less civilized than their smaller neighbours. Wars were frequent; the giant could hurl the unwieldy mass of stone, and the dwarfish man could send his arrow tipped with flint. Even more common was the stealthy raid, when women and children were carried off to the gloomy souterrain. How long did these rude tribes survive? It would be difficult to say; possibly until after the days of St. Patrick and St. Columkill.

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

   As the companion tells it

   Aran Island, off the Donegal coast, held a belief that seals were not animals at all, but human beings changed by their own witchcraft. The islanders would not attack them. John Sweeney, an inspector of National Schools, wrote about this some forty years before the account was published. He said that until lately the people of Arranmore could not be induced to harm a seal. They had a story to back the belief. A man of their island named Rodgers was out alone in his skiff, fishing, when a storm overtook him and drove him onto the shore of the Scottish Highlands. He landed and walked up to a house close by the beach. When he stepped inside, a man he had never seen addressed him by name. Rodgers expressed his surprise at being known in a strange country. The old man bared his head and pointed to a scar on his skull. He reminded Rodgers of an encounter he had once had with a seal in one of the caves of Arranmore. The old man said, "I was that seal, and this is the mark of the wound you inflicted on me. I do not blame you, however, for you were not aware of what you were doing." So the islanders would say. A seal wounded in a cave on Aran Island could walk as a man in Scotland, carrying the scar, and speaking of it without anger.

9. Tragic fairy abduction story told at Armoy

   near Armoy · parish · Antrim

   An old woman at Armoy told a terrible tale of a man's first wife being carried off by fairies; when he attempted to rescue her at midnight as she rode past with the fairy host, his second wife interfered and the woman was dragged off and murdered.

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   A terrible story, showing how the fairies can punish their captives, was told me by an old woman at Armoy, in Co. Antrim, who vouched for it as being "candid truth." A man's wife was carried away by the fairies; he married again, but one night his first wife met him, told him where she was, and besought him to release her, saying that if he would do so she would leave that part of the country and not trouble him any more. She begged him, however, not to make the attempt unless he were confident he could carry it out, as if he failed she would die a terrible death. He promised to save her, and she told him to watch at midnight, when she would be riding past the house with the fairies; she would put her hand in at the window, and he must grasp it and hold tight. He did as she bade him, and although the fairies pulled hard, he had nearly saved her, when his second wife saw what was going on, and tore his hand away. The poor woman was dragged off, and across the fields he heard her piercing cries, and saw next morning the drops of blood where the fairies had murdered her.

   Another woman was more fortunate; she was carried off by the fairies at Cushendall, but was able to inform her friends when she and the fairies would be going on a journey, and she told them that if they stroked her with the branch of a rowan-tree she would be free. They did as she desired. She returned to them, apparently having suffered no injury, and in the course of time she married.

   Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 4

   As the companion tells it

   The old woman at Armoy in Antrim called it candid truth. A man's wife was carried away by the fairies. He married again, but one night his first wife appeared to him. She told him where she was and begged him to release her, promising that if he did she would leave that part of the country and not trouble him any more. But she warned him not to attempt it unless he was confident he could carry it through, because if he failed she would die a terrible death. He promised to save her. She told him to watch at midnight, when she would be riding past the house with the fairies. She would put her hand in at the window, and he must grasp it and hold tight. He did as she said. The fairies pulled hard, but he had nearly saved her, when his second wife saw what was happening and tore his hand away. The poor woman was dragged off, and across the fields he heard her piercing cries. Next morning he saw the drops of blood where the fairies had murdered her. Another woman was more fortunate. She was carried off by the fairies at Cushendall, but was able to tell her friends when she and the fairies would be going on a journey. She said that if they stroked her with the branch of a rowan-tree she would be free. They did as she asked. She returned to them, having suffered no injury, and in time she married.

10. John Friel's fairy bride at Gortnalughoge Bay

    Gortnalughoge Bay · bay · Donegal

    A lad above Gortnalughoge Bay told a variant in which John Friel from Fanad rode with fairies to Dublin, rescued a stolen girl, and kept her at his mother's cottage in Fanad until she was cured and reunited with her parents.

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    During the Field Club Conference at Rosapenna a variant of this story was told me by a lad on the heights above Gortnalughoge Bay. Here the man who rode with the fairies was John Friel, from Fanad. They went to Dublin and brought away a young girl from her bed, leaving something behind, which the parents believed to be their dead daughter. Meanwhile the young girl was taken northwards by the fairies. As they drew near to Fanad, John Friel begged to be allowed to carry her, and quickly taking her to his own cottage, kept her there with his mother. The girl was deaf and dumb, but there was no mention of the magic circle or of the blow from the fairy's hand. At the end of the year John Friel, like Owen Boyle, pays another visit to the fairies, overhears their conversation, snatches the bottle, and a few drops from it restore speech and hearing to the girl. He takes her to Dublin. Her parents cannot at first believe that she is truly their daughter, but the mother recognizes her by a mark on the shoulder, and the tale ends with great rejoicing.[74]

    In these stories we see the relations between fairies and mortals. The fairy man marries a human wife; he appears solicitous for her health, and is willing to pay a high reward to the nurse, but the caution his wife gives to her mother shows her fear of him, and when the latter forgets this warning and speaks to the husband, he effectively stops all intercourse between her and her daughter.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    The bay of Gortnalughoge in Donegal holds a story a lad told during the Field Club Conference at Rosapenna. In his version the man who rode with the fairies was John Friel, from Fanad. They went to Dublin and brought away a young girl from her bed, leaving something behind which the parents believed to be their dead daughter. The fairies took the girl northwards. As they drew near to Fanad, John Friel begged to be allowed to carry her, and quickly took her to his own cottage, where he kept her with his mother. The girl was deaf and dumb. At the end of the year John Friel paid another visit to the fairies, overheard their conversation, snatched the bottle, and a few drops from it restored her speech and hearing. He took her to Dublin. Her parents could not at first believe she was truly their daughter, but the mother recognized her by a mark on the shoulder, and the tale ends with great rejoicing. The story shows the relations between fairies and mortals. The fairy man marries a human wife and appears solicitous for her health, but the caution his wife gives to her mother shows her fear of him, and when the mother forgets the warning and speaks to the husband, he stops all intercourse between her and her daughter.

11. Deaths following the demolition of Glasdrumman fort

    Glasdrumman · townland · Down

    A fort near Glasdrumman, Co. Down, was demolished by its owner; the man who struck the first blow was injured and died soon after, and the owner himself became a permanent invalid. A local woman reported hearing an awful screech from the fort as the fairies apparently left their home.

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    A fort near Glasdrumman, Co. Down, was demolished by the owner, but the country-people noted that the man who struck the first blow was injured and died soon afterwards, while the owner himself became a permanent invalid. A woman living near this fort related that in the evening after the work was begun she heard an awful screech from the fort; presumably the fairies were leaving their home.

    A curious story was told me by an old woman in the Cottage Hospital at Cushendall. A man at Glenravel named M'Combridge went out one evening to look for his heifer, but could not find it. He saw a great house in one of his fields, where no house had been before, and, wondering much at this, he went in. An old woman sat by the fire, and soon two men came in leading the heifer. They killed it with a blow on the head and put it into a pot. M'Combridge was too much afraid to make any objection; he rose, however, to leave the house, but the old woman said: "Wait; you must have some of the broth of your own heifer." Three times she made him partake of the broth, and he was then unable to leave the house. She put him to bed, and the man gave birth to a son. He fell asleep, but was wakened by something touching his ear, and found himself on the grass near his home, and the heifer close to his ear.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 9

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Glasdrumman, a fort stood until its owner decided to demolish it. The country people watched what happened next. The man who struck the first blow was injured, and he died soon afterwards. The owner himself did not die, but he became a permanent invalid. A woman living near the fort told what she heard. In the evening after the work was begun, she heard an awful screech coming from the fort. The fairies, it was presumed, were leaving their home. A curious story was told by an old woman in the Cottage Hospital at Cushendall. A man at Glenravel named M'Combridge went out one evening to look for his heifer, but could not find it. He saw a great house in one of his fields, where no house had been before. Wondering much at this, he went in. An old woman sat by the fire. Soon two men came in leading the heifer. They killed it with a blow on the head and put it into a pot. M'Combridge was too much afraid to make any objection. He rose to leave the house, but the old woman said, "Wait; you must have some of the broth of your own heifer." Three times she made him partake of the broth, and he was then unable to leave. She put him to bed, and the man gave birth to a son. He fell asleep, but was woken by something touching his ear, and found himself on the grass near his home, with the heifer close by.

12. Finn McCoul as builder of the Giant's Causeway

    near Giant's Causeway · population centre · Antrim

    Tradition holds that Finn McCoul was the artificer of the Giant's Causeway.

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    In the tales of the giants we are brought face to face with beings of great strength, but in a low stage of civilization. Balor, we have seen, had no smith on Tory Island, and in a story of the fight between the giant Fargowan and a wild boar, his sister Finglas goes to his assistance with her apron filled with stones. Misled by the echo, she jumps backwards and forwards across Lough Finn until at last her long hair becomes entangled and she is drowned. It is believed that her coffin was found when the railway was being made; the boards were 14 feet long. Sometimes the works of Nature are ascribed to the giants; we have all heard of Finn McCoul as the artificer of the Giant's Causeway, and near Glenties I was shown perched blocks, which had been thrown by the giants. On the other hand, these giants, with all their magic, are often very human; perhaps we are listening to the tales of a small race, who exaggerated the feats of their large but savage neighbours. Writing in 1860, J. F. Campbell, in his introduction to the "Tales of the West Highlands," says: "Probably, as it seems to me, giants are simply the nearest savage race at war with the race who tell the tales. If they performed impossible feats of strength, they did no more than Rob Roy, whose putting-stone is now shown to Saxon tourists ... in the shape of a boulder of many tons."[79] Turning to fairies, the same writer says: "I believe there was once a small race of people in these islands, who are remembered as fairies.... They are always represented as living in green mounds. They pop up their heads when disturbed by people treading on their houses. They steal children. They seem to live on familiar terms with the people about them when they treat them well, to punish them when they ill-treat them.... There are such people now. A Lapp is such a man; he is a little flesh-eating mortal, having control over the beasts, and living in a green mound, when he is not living in a tent or sleeping out of doors, wrapped in his deerskin shirt."[80]

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    The road takes you past the Giant's Causeway, and the old tradition here is that Finn McCoul was its builder, its artificer. The tales of the giants are stories of beings with great strength but in a low stage of civilization. Balor had no smith on Tory Island. In one story, the giant Fargowan fought a wild boar, and his sister Finglas went to his assistance with her apron filled with stones. Misled by the echo, she jumped backwards and forwards across Lough Finn until her long hair became entangled and she was drowned. It is believed her coffin was found when the railway was being made. The boards were 14 feet long. Sometimes the works of nature are ascribed to these giants. Near Glenties, the writer was shown perched blocks said to have been thrown by them. But these giants, for all their magic, are often very human. Perhaps the tales come from a small race who exaggerated the feats of their large but savage neighbours. Writing in 1860, J. F. Campbell, in his introduction to the Tales of the West Highlands, said, "Probably, as it seems to me, giants are simply the nearest savage race at war with the race who tell the tales." If they performed impossible feats of strength, they did no more than Rob Roy, whose putting-stone is now shown to tourists as a boulder of many tons.

13. Massacre of the Danes recounted by an Antrim farmer

    near Antrim · town · Antrim

    A farmer in Co. Antrim gave a full account of a massacre in which a Roman Catholic sat beside each Dane at a feast and, at a signal, plunged a dirk into his neighbour, leaving only one man and his son alive.

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    In a paper read to this club Mr. McKean[38] mentioned that this story had been told to him in Kerry, where I, too, heard it. It appears to be almost universal in Ulster. When visiting Navan Fort, the ancient Emania, near Armagh, I was told that on this fort the Danes made heather beer. I asked if any heather grew in the neighbourhood, but the answer was, not now. There are variants of the tale. In some parts of Donegal it is wine, not beer, that the Danes are said to have made. As a rule the slaughter is taken for granted, and very little said about it; but a farmer in Co. Antrim gave me a full account of the massacre, how at a great feast a Roman Catholic sat beside each Dane, and at a given signal plunged his dirk into his neighbour's side, until only one man and his son remained alive; then followed the usual sequel.

    These short Danes are said to have had large feet, and one man described their arms as so long that they could pick anything off the ground without stooping. Long arms are also a characteristic of the traditional dwarf of Japan, probably an ancestor of the Aino.[39] As I mentioned in a previous paper,[40] large feet are also a traditional characteristic of the Pechts, who are generally said to have been clad in skins or in grey clothes. They have occasionally superhuman attributes ascribed to them. The same man who spoke of the long arms of the Danes said the Pechts could creep through keyholes--they were like "speerits"--and he evidently regarded both them and the fairies as evil spirits. At the same time he said they would thresh corn or work for a man, but if they were given food, they would be offended, and go away.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

    As the companion tells it

    The town of Antrim lies along this road, and it was a farmer in this county who gave a fuller telling of an old story that seems to be almost universal in Ulster. The tale was heard in Kerry as well, and at Navan Fort, the ancient Emania near Armagh, where it was said the Danes made heather beer, though no heather grows there now. In parts of Donegal, it is wine rather than beer that the Danes are said to have made. Most tellers take the slaughter for granted and say very little about it. But this Antrim farmer gave a full account of the massacre. At a great feast, a Roman Catholic sat beside each Dane, and at a given signal plunged his dirk into his neighbour's side, until only one man and his son remained alive. Then followed what the teller called the usual sequel. These Danes were said to have been short, with large feet. One man described their arms as so long that they could pick anything off the ground without stooping. The same man spoke of the Pechts, who also had large feet and were said to have been clad in skins or grey clothes. He said the Pechts could creep through keyholes, that they were like "speerits," and he regarded both them and the fairies as evil spirits. Yet he said they would thresh corn or work for a man, but if they were given food, they would be offended, and go away.

14. The Pedlar's Dream of Treasure at Kinnagoe

    Kinnagoe · townland · Donegal

    A local variant of the Pedlar of Swaffham legend was told of a man named Doherty from Kinnagoe near Buncrana, who dreamt of hearing of treasure on London Bridge. There he met a stranger who unknowingly revealed that treasure was buried at Kinnagoe, leading Doherty to find gold and become wealthy.

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    In "Folklore as an Historical Science" Sir G. Laurence Gomme has given several variants of the story of the Pedlar of Swaffham and London Bridge. Most of these come from England, Scotland, and Wales, but among them there are also a Breton and a Norse version. I have found a local variant in Donegal. An elderly woman told me that at Kinnagoe a "toon" or small hamlet about three miles from Buncrana, there lived a man whose name, she believed, was Doherty. He dreamt one night that on London Bridge he should hear of a treasure. He set out at once for London, and when he came there walked up and down the bridge until he was wearied. At last a man accosted him and asked him why he loitered there. In reply, Doherty told his dream, upon which the other said: "Ah, man! Do you believe in drames? Why, I dreamt the other night that at a place called Kinnagoe a pot of gold is buried. Would I go to look for it? I might loss my time if I paid attention to drames." "That's true," answered Doherty, who now hurried home, found the pot of gold, bought houses and land, and became a wealthy man.

    Whether this story embodies an earlier Irish legend I do not know, but I should say that the mention of London Bridge points to its having been brought over by English settlers. Sir G. L. Gomme tells us that "the earliest version of this legend is quoted from the manuscripts of Sir Roger Twysden, who obtained it from Sir William Dugdale, of Blyth Hall, in Warwickshire, in a letter dated January 29, 1652-53. Sir William says of it that 'it was the tradition of the inhabitants, as it was told me there.'"

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 8

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere around here, a story was told that belongs to a family of legends found across England, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, and Norway. An elderly woman told the folklorist that at Kinnagoe, a small hamlet about three miles from Buncrana, there lived a man whose name she believed was Doherty. He dreamt one night that on London Bridge he should hear of a treasure. He set out at once for London. When he came there he walked up and down the bridge until he was wearied. At last a man accosted him and asked him why he loitered there. Doherty told his dream, upon which the other said, "Ah, man! Do you believe in drames? Why, I dreamt the other night that at a place called Kinnagoe a pot of gold is buried. Would I go to look for it? I might loss my time if I paid attention to drames." Doherty answered, "That's true," and hurried home. He found the pot of gold, bought houses and land, and became a wealthy man. The folklorist thought the mention of London Bridge pointed to the story being brought over by English settlers. Sir G. Laurence Gomme had collected several variants of the Pedlar of Swaffham tale. The earliest version came from the manuscripts of Sir Roger Twysden, who obtained it from Sir William Dugdale of Blyth Hall in Warwickshire, in a letter dated January 29, 1652. Sir William said it was the tradition of the inhabitants, as it was told him there.

15. Fairy spinning-wheel escape story at Camlough

    near Camlough · village · Armagh

    At Camlough near Newry, three fairies visited a woman spinning and were tricked into fleeing when she pretended to see a fire-signal on a fort; one left behind a spinning-wheel said to now be in Dublin Castle.

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    A woman was spinning one evening when three fairies came into the house, each bringing a spinning-wheel. They said they would help her with her work, and one of them asked for a drink of water. The woman went to the well to fetch it. When there she was warned, apparently by a friendly fairy, that the others had come only to mock and harm her. Acting on the advice of this friend, the woman, as soon as she had given water to the three, turned again to the open door, and stood looking intently towards a fort. They asked what she was gazing at, and the reply was: "At the blaze on the fort." No sooner had she uttered these words than the three fairies rushed out with such haste that one of them left her spinning-wheel behind, which, according to the story, is now to be seen in Dublin Castle. The woman then shut her door, and put a pin in the keyhole, thus effectually preventing the return of her visitors.

    In this story we have probably an allusion to the signal fires which are believed by the peasantry to have been lit on the forts in time of danger, one fort being always within view of another. These forts, or raths, appear to have been the favourite abode of the fairies. To use the language of the peasantry, these little people live in the "coves of the forths," an expression which puzzled me until I found that coves, or caves, meant underground passages--in other words, souterrains.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    The road brings you near Camlough, a village not far from Newry, and an old story from here tells of a woman spinning one evening when three fairies came into her house. Each one brought a spinning-wheel. They said they would help her with her work, and one of them asked for a drink of water. The woman went to the well to fetch it. When she was there she was warned, apparently by a friendly fairy, that the others had come only to mock and harm her. Acting on the advice of this friend, the woman gave water to the three, then turned to the open door and stood looking intently towards a fort. They asked what she was gazing at, and she said, "At the blaze on the fort." No sooner had she spoken than the three fairies rushed out with such haste that one left her spinning-wheel behind. According to the story, that wheel is now to be seen in Dublin Castle. The woman then shut her door and put a pin in the keyhole, preventing the return of her visitors. The tale probably alludes to the signal fires the peasantry believed were lit on the forts in times of danger, one fort always within view of another. These forts, or raths, were the favourite abode of the fairies. The peasantry say these little people live in the coves of the forths, meaning caves or underground passages, in other words souterrains.

16. Legend of Finn McCoul, the Scotch giant, and the Grey Man of the Path

    Glenshesk · valley · Antrim

    At Glenshesk it was told that a Scotch giant came to fight Finn McCoul and was slain; celebrating this, Finn invited the Grey Man of the Path to a feast and, failing to find enough deer, slew his own dog Brown in anger, an act he later regretted.

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    The following story was related to me on the spot: A Scotch giant came over to fight Finn McCoul, but was conquered and slain. To celebrate this victory Finn invited the Grey Man of the Path to a feast; but as hares and rabbits would have been too small to furnish a repast for this giant, Finn took his dog and went out to hunt red deer. They were unsuccessful, and in anger he slew his dog Brown,[48] which afterwards caused him much sorrow.

    In the Grey Man of the Path we have, doubtless, a purely mythical character, an impersonation of the mists which gather round Benmore,[49] while Finn McCoul, or MacCumaill, is one of Ireland's greatest traditional heroes. According to a well-known legend, he was a giant, and united Scotland and Ireland by a stupendous mole, of which the cave at Staffa and the Giant's Causeway are the two remaining fragments. In Glenshesk he is only a tall man, between seven and eight feet in height. Sometimes he is said to have been chief of the Pechts; sometimes he is spoken of as their master, and it is said they worked as slaves to him and the Fians.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 6

    As the companion tells it

    Glenshesk is a valley the road passes through, and it holds a story of Finn McCoul. A Scotch giant came over to fight Finn, but Finn conquered him and slew him. To celebrate the victory, Finn invited the Grey Man of the Path to a feast. Hares and rabbits would have been too small to feed a giant, so Finn took his dog and went out to hunt red deer. They found none. In anger Finn slew his own dog, Brown, and that act caused him much sorrow afterwards. The Grey Man of the Path is thought to be a purely mythical figure, an impersonation of the mists that gather round Benmore. Finn McCoul is one of Ireland's greatest traditional heroes. A well-known legend says he was a giant who united Scotland and Ireland by a stupendous mole, of which the cave at Staffa and the Giant's Causeway are the two remaining fragments. Here in Glenshesk he is only a tall man, between 7 and 8 feet in height. Sometimes he is called chief of the Pechts, sometimes their master, and it is said they worked as slaves to him and the Fians.

17. The lost town of Bannow buried by sand

    Bannow · townland · Wexford

    The town of Bannow in Wexford was a flourishing borough in the early seventeenth century, but by Hamilton's day the site was marked only by ruins above heaps of barren sand, so that at election time a fallen chimney served as the council table of the ancient corporation.

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    Before this letter was published, Hamilton had accepted the living of Clondevaddock in Donegal, and had taken up his abode amid the wild but beautiful scenery surrounding Mulroy Bay. Here he expected to spend a tranquil life, watching over the education of his large family, and combining with his clerical duties the pursuit of science and literature. In a favourable situation for observing variations of temperature and the action of rain, wind, and tide, he pursued the investigation of a subject which had already engaged his attention before leaving Dublin. In a memoir[118] published after his death he suggests that the cutting down of the forests may have affected a sensible change in the climate of Ireland, and gives several instances of the encroachment of the sea sand on fertile and inhabited land. Perhaps the most striking is that of the town of Bannow in Wexford. It was a flourishing borough in the early part of the seventeenth century, while in his day the site was marked only by a few ruins, appearing above heaps of barren sand, and where at the time of an election a fallen chimney was used as the council table of that ancient and loyal corporation.

    When we read the closing pages of this paper it is difficult to believe that troubled times were so near at hand; and even when he wrote his "Letters on the French Revolution," Hamilton could not have foreseen that he was soon to fall before the same spirit of wild vengeance, which claimed so many noble victims on the banks of the Seine and the Loire.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 11

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Bannow, a town once stood where now there is only sand. The town of Bannow in Wexford was a flourishing borough in the early part of the 1600s. By Hamilton's day, the site was marked only by a few ruins appearing above heaps of barren sand. At the time of an election, a fallen chimney was used as the council table of that ancient and loyal corporation. Hamilton had taken up the living of Clondevaddock in Donegal, and settled amid the wild but beautiful scenery surrounding Mulroy Bay. He expected to spend a tranquil life, watching over the education of his large family, and combining his clerical duties with the pursuit of science and literature. In a favourable situation for observing variations of temperature and the action of rain, wind, and tide, he pursued an investigation that had already engaged his attention before leaving Dublin. In a memoir published after his death, he suggests that the cutting down of the forests may have affected a sensible change in the climate of Ireland, and gives several instances of the encroachment of the sea sand on fertile and inhabited land. Bannow is perhaps the most striking of these. When we read the closing pages of this paper, it is difficult to believe that troubled times were so near at hand. Even when he wrote his Letters on the French Revolution, Hamilton could not have foreseen that he was soon to fall before the same spirit of wild vengeance, which claimed so many noble victims on the banks of the Seine and the Loire.

18. The weeping seal-mother at Glenties

    Glenties · town · Donegal

    At Glenties a story was told of a man who killed a young seal but was startled when its mother cried out in Irish, 'My child, my child!'; he never killed a seal again.

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    Throughout Donegal we find many traces of the primitive belief that men or women can change themselves into animals. At Rosapenna I was told of a hare standing on its hind-legs like an old woman and sucking a cow, the inference being plainly that the witch had transformed herself into a hare. I heard similar stories at Glenties. Here I was told of a man who killed a young seal, but was startled when the mother, weeping, cried out in Irish: "My child, my child!" Never again did he kill a seal.

    A story illustrating the same belief is told by John Sweeney, an inspector of National Schools, who wrote about forty years ago a series of letters describing Donegal and its inhabitants.[82] In his account of Arranmore he says: "Until lately the islanders could not be induced to attack a seal, they being strongly under the impression that these animals were human beings metamorphosed by the power of their own witchcraft. In confirmation of this notion, they used to repeat the story of one Rodgers of their island, who, being alone in his skiff fishing, was overtaken by a storm, and driven on the shore of the Scotch Highlands. Having landed, he approached a house which was close to the beach, and on entering it was accosted by name. Expressing his surprise at finding himself known in a strange country, and by one whom he had never seen, the old man who addressed him bared his head, and, pointing to a scar on his skull, reminded Rodgers of an encounter he had with a seal in one of the caves of Arranmore. 'I was,' he said, 'that seal, and this is the mark of the wound you inflicted on me. I do not blame you, however, for you were not aware of what you were doing.'"

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    Glenties is a town in Donegal where old beliefs about people changing themselves into animals were once common. Throughout the county you find traces of this idea, that men or women could become beasts by their own power. At Glenties a story was told of a man who killed a young seal. He was startled when the mother came weeping over the body and cried out in Irish, words the source gives as: My child, my child. He never killed a seal again. The same belief ran deep among the islanders of Arranmore. Until lately they could not be induced to attack a seal, holding strongly that these animals were human beings metamorphosed by the power of their own witchcraft. They used to repeat the story of one Rodgers of their island, who was alone in his skiff fishing when a storm overtook him and drove him onto the shore of the Scotch Highlands. He landed and approached a house close to the beach. On entering it, he was accosted by name. He expressed surprise at finding himself known in a strange country, and by one whom he had never seen. The old man who addressed him bared his head and pointed to a scar on his skull. He reminded Rodgers of an encounter he had with a seal in one of the caves of Arranmore. The old man said: I was that seal, and this is the mark of the wound you inflicted on me. I do not blame you, however, for you were not aware of what you were doing.

19. Balor of Tory Island and the formation of a great lough

    Tory Island · townland · Donegal

    The great Fomorian giant Balor of Tory Island had an eye at the back of his head that dealt destruction to all who met its gaze. When Balor was mortally wounded, water fell so copiously from his eye that it formed the biggest lough in the world, deeper than Lough Foyle.

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    We have read, too, of how the Shetlander captured the sealskin of the Finn woman, without which she could not return as a seal to her husband.[95] It should also be noted that the fairy ogress is a large woman, apparently a giantess, while her three sons have the red hair so often associated with the fairies. At the end of the tale Finn and his men are saved by Manannan, the Celtic god of the sea, who has given his name to the Isle of Man. In Balor of Tory Island the great Fomorian chief, we have another giant, with an eye at the back of his head, which dealt destruction to all who encountered its gaze. I was told in Tory Island that when Balor was mortally wounded water fell so copiously from his eye that it formed the biggest lough in the world, deeper even than Lough Foyle.[96]

    These giants belonged to an olden time and a very primitive race. They have passed away, and are no longer like the fairies--objects of fear or awe.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 9

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Tory Island, the old tales speak of a Shetlander who captured the sealskin of a Finn woman, without which she could not return as a seal to her husband. They speak of a fairy ogress, a large woman, a giantess, whose three sons had the red hair so often associated with the fairies. And of Finn and his men, saved by Manannan, the Celtic god of the sea, who gave his name to the Isle of Man. But it is Balor, the great Fomorian chief, who belongs here. He was a giant, with an eye at the back of his head that dealt destruction to all who encountered its gaze. The people here say that when Balor was mortally wounded, water fell so copiously from his eye that it formed the biggest lough in the world, deeper even than Lough Foyle. These giants belonged to an olden time and a very primitive race. They have passed away, and are no longer objects of fear or awe, not like the fairies.

20. Black-dressed fairies of Tory Island linked to the Fomorians

    Tory Island · townland · Donegal

    Tory Island inhabitants say fairies there can change size and have hair of red, white or black, but uniquely dress in black, which the author links to Tory's history as a Fomorian stronghold.

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    According to the inhabitants of this island, fairies can make themselves large or small; their hair may be red, white, or black; but they dress in black--a very unusual colour for fairies to appear in. It may perhaps be explained by remembering that Tory Island, or Toirinis, was a stronghold of the Fomorians, whom Keating describes as "sea rovers of the race of Cam, who fared from Africa."[76] I need hardly add that "Cam" is an old name for "Ham." I should infer that the fairies of Tory Island represent a dark race.

    King Balor, it is true, is not of diminutive stature. I heard much of this chieftain with the eye at the back of his head, which, if uncovered, would kill anyone exposed to its gaze. He knew it had been said in old times that he should die by the hand of his daughter's son, and he determined his daughter should remain childless. He shut her up in Tormore, with twelve ladies to wait on her. Balor had no smith on the island, but at Cloghanealy, on the mainland, there lived a smith who had the finest cow in the world, named Glasgavlen. He kept a boy to watch it, but, notwithstanding this precaution, two of Balor's servants carried off the cow. When the herd-boy saw it was gone, he wept bitterly, for the smith had told him his head would be taken off if he did not bring her back. Suddenly a fairy, Geea Dubh, came out of the rock, and told the boy the cow was in Tory, and if he followed her advice he would get it back. She made a curragh for him, and he crossed over to Tory, but he did not get the cow. The tale now becomes confused. We hear of twelve children, and how Balor ordered them all to be drowned, but his daughter's son was saved. The fairy told the herd-boy that, if the child were taken care of, it would grow up like a crop which, when put into the earth one day, sprouts up the next.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere around here is Tory Island, and the people who live there say their fairies can make themselves large or small. Their hair may be red, white, or black, but they dress in black, a colour fairies almost never wear. The author links this to Tory's history as a stronghold of the Fomorians, whom Keating calls "sea rovers of the race of Cam, who fared from Africa." Cam is an old name for Ham, and the author infers that the fairies of Tory represent a dark race. King Balor is part of this island's story. He had an eye at the back of his head, and if uncovered, it would kill anyone exposed to its gaze. Old prophecy said he should die by the hand of his daughter's son, so he shut his daughter in Tormore with twelve ladies to wait on her, determined she should remain childless. Balor had no smith on the island. At Cloghanealy on the mainland lived a smith who had the finest cow in the world, named Glasgavlen. He kept a boy to watch it, but two of Balor's servants carried the cow off. The herd-boy wept bitterly, for the smith had told him his head would be taken off if he did not bring her back. A fairy, Geea Dubh, came out of the rock and told the boy the cow was in Tory. She made a curragh for him, and he crossed over, but he did not get the cow. The tale becomes confused. We hear of twelve children, and how Balor ordered them all drowned, but his daughter's son was saved. The fairy told the herd-boy that if the child were taken care of, it would grow up like a crop which, put into the earth one day, sprouts up the next.

21. Cave of Finn McCoul in Glenshesk

    Glenshesk · valley · Antrim

    The author visited the souterrain known as the cave of Finn McCoul in Glenshesk near Ballycastle, a narrow underground chamber roofed with whinstone slabs, said to extend some twenty perches with several chambers, and reputed as the hero's hiding-place.

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    I was told that this cave was the hiding-place of Finn McCoul. His garden was pointed out to me on rising ground at some little distance, and I was also informed that about fifty years ago his castle stood on the hill; but nothing now remains of it, the stones having been used when roads were made.

    The following story was related to me on the spot: A Scotch giant came over to fight Finn McCoul, but was conquered and slain. To celebrate this victory Finn invited the Grey Man of the Path to a feast; but as hares and rabbits would have been too small to furnish a repast for this giant, Finn took his dog and went out to hunt red deer. They were unsuccessful, and in anger he slew his dog Brown,[48] which afterwards caused him much sorrow.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 6

    As the companion tells it

    Glenshesk holds a cave they call the hiding-place of Finn McCoul. It is a narrow underground chamber roofed with whinstone slabs, said to run some twenty perches with several chambers. On rising ground nearby, they pointed out his garden. About 50 years before the author's visit, Finn's castle stood on the hill, but the stones were taken for road-making and nothing remains. A story was told on the spot. A Scotch giant came over to fight Finn McCoul, but was conquered and slain. To celebrate, Finn invited the Grey Man of the Path to a feast. But hares and rabbits would be too small to feed a giant, so Finn took his dog and went out to hunt red deer. They had no luck. In anger he slew his dog Brown, which afterwards caused him much sorrow.

22. Deafness after fairy encounter near Maghera

    Maghera · parish · Down

    A man at Maghera told how his brother, as a child, was seen surrounded by little dancing men about two feet high; after his father drove them off, the child became deaf for ten years and died at seventeen.

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    In another case deafness followed intercourse with the fairies. An elderly man at Maghera, Co. Down, told me that his brother when four or five years old went out with his father. The child lay down on the grass. After a while the father heard a great noise, and looking up saw little men about two feet in height dancing round his son. He called to them to be gone, and they ran towards a fort and disappeared. The child became deaf, and did not recover his hearing for ten years. He died at the age of seventeen.

    To cut down a fairy thorn or to injure the house of a fairy is regarded as certain to bring misfortune. An old woman also living at Maghera, related how her great-grandmother had received a visit from a small old woman, who forbade the building of a certain turf-stack, saying that evil would befall anyone who injured the chimneys of her house. The warning was disregarded, the turf-stack built, and before long four cows died.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    This parish is Maghera, in Down. A man here told a folklorist about his brother. The brother was four or five years old when he went out with his father. The child lay down on the grass. The father heard a great noise and looked up. Little men about two feet high were dancing round his son. He called to them to be gone. They ran towards a fort and disappeared. The child became deaf and did not recover his hearing for ten years. He died at seventeen. An old woman at Maghera had her own story. Her great-grandmother received a visit from a small old woman who forbade the building of a turf-stack. She said evil would befall anyone who injured the chimneys of her house. The warning was disregarded. The turf-stack was built. Before long four cows died.

23. Robert Bruce's defence of Rathlin castle

    near Rathlin Island · island or archipelago · Antrim

    Hamilton visited Rathlin Island and examined the ruins of the old castle where Robert Bruce is said to have made a gallant defence against his enemies, finding cinders in the mortar showing coal had been used in building the walls.

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    Hamilton was one of the founders of the Royal Irish Academy, and dedicated his "Letters concerning the Coast of Antrim" to the Earl of Charlemont, the first president of that body. The book opens with an account of his visit to the Island of Raghery or Rathlin, where he was charmed with the primitive manners of the people and the friendly relations existing between them and their landlord. He examined the white cliffs, the dark basaltic columns, and the ruins of the old castle, where Robert Bruce is said to have made a gallant defence against his enemies. Here he found cinders embedded in the mortar, showing that the lime used in building the walls had been burnt with coal. This is adduced as a proof that the coal-beds near Fair Head had been known at an early period, possibly at a time anterior to the Danish incursions of the ninth and tenth centuries--a view confirmed by the discovery of an ancient gallery extending many hundred yards underground, and in which the remains of the tools and baskets of the prehistoric miners were found.

    In a later letter a history is given of the Giant's Causeway, and of the various opinions which have been held regarding its origin. Beginning with the old tradition[110] that the stones had been cut and placed in position by the giant, Fin McCool or Fingal, when constructing a mighty mole to unite Ireland to Scotland, Hamilton alludes to the crude notions exhibited in some papers published in the early Transactions of the Royal Society. He criticizes severely "A True Prospect of the Giant's Causeway," printed in 1696 for the Dublin Society, showing how the imagination of the artist had planted luxuriant forest-trees on the wild bay of Port Noffer, and transformed basaltic rocks into comfortable dwelling-houses. The two beautiful paintings made by Mrs. Susanna Drury in 1740 are referred to in very different language, and anyone who has seen engravings of these will endorse his opinion, and feel that this lady has depicted, with almost photographic accuracy, the Causeway and the successive galleries of basaltic columns, which lend a weird and peculiar grandeur to the headlands of Bengore.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 11

    As the companion tells it

    Rathlin Island lies off the Antrim coast, and among its white cliffs and dark basaltic columns stand the ruins of an old castle. Hamilton, one of the founders of the Royal Irish Academy, visited the island and wrote of it in his Letters concerning the Coast of Antrim, which he dedicated to the Earl of Charlemont, the first president of that body. He was charmed with the primitive manners of the people and the friendly relations between them and their landlord. He examined the ruins of the old castle, where Robert Bruce is said to have made a gallant defence against his enemies. In the walls he found cinders embedded in the mortar, showing that the lime used in building them had been burnt with coal. This he took as proof that the coal-beds near Fair Head had been known at an early period, possibly before the Danish incursions of the ninth and tenth centuries. That view was confirmed by the discovery of an ancient gallery extending many hundred yards underground, in which the remains of the tools and baskets of the prehistoric miners were found. So the castle ruins on Rathlin carry two stories at once: the gallant defence of Robert Bruce against his enemies, and the evidence of coal being used to burn lime for the walls, reaching back to miners who worked the ground long before written records on the island began.

24. Woman rescued from fairies at Cushendall

    Cushendall · townland · Antrim

    At Cushendall, a woman carried off by the fairies managed to inform her friends of a journey she would take with them, and by being stroked with a rowan-tree branch as instructed, she was freed and later married.

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    Another woman was more fortunate; she was carried off by the fairies at Cushendall, but was able to inform her friends when she and the fairies would be going on a journey, and she told them that if they stroked her with the branch of a rowan-tree she would be free. They did as she desired. She returned to them, apparently having suffered no injury, and in the course of time she married.

    This story was told me by a man ninety years of age, living in Glenshesk, in the north of Co. Antrim. He spoke of the fairies as being about two feet in height, said they were dressed in green, and had been seen in daylight making hats of rushes. In Donegal I was also told that the fairies wore high peaked hats made of plaited rushes; but there, as in most parts of Ulster, and indeed of Ireland, the fairies are said to wear red, not green. In Antrim the fairies, like their Scotch kinsfolk, dress in green, but even there are often said to have red or sandy hair.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 4

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Cushendall, a woman was carried off by the fairies. She was more fortunate than others, because she was able to inform her friends when she and the fairies would be going on a journey. She told them that if they stroked her with the branch of a rowan-tree she would be free. They did as she desired. She returned to them, having suffered no injury, and in the course of time she married. The story was told by a man 90 years of age, living in Glenshesk, in the north of County Antrim. He spoke of the fairies as being about 2 feet in height, dressed in green. He said they had been seen in daylight making hats of rushes. In Donegal it was also told that the fairies wore high peaked hats made of plaited rushes. But there, as in most parts of Ulster and indeed of Ireland, the fairies are said to wear red, not green. In Antrim the fairies, like their Scotch kinsfolk, dress in green, but even there are often said to have red or sandy hair.

25. Finn McCoul and Goll at Lough Salt

    near Lough Salt · lake or lakes · Donegal

    On the banks of Lough Salt in Donegal, a legend was told of the giant Finn McCoul hiding in a baby's cradle out of fear of the bigger giant Goll; his wife deceived Goll into believing the disguised Finn was merely his infant son, causing Goll to flee in fear of Finn's true size.

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    In the stories of giants we no doubt often have traditions of a tall race, who are sometimes represented as of inferior mental capacity. At other times we appear to be listening to an early interpretation of the works of Nature. The Donegal peasant at the present day believes that the perched block on the side of the hill has been thrown by the arm of a giant. In the compact columns of the Giant's Causeway and of Fingal's Cave at Staffa primitive man saw a work of great skill and ingenuity, which he attributed to a giant artificer; and Finn McCoul is credited with having made a stupendous mole, uniting Scotland and Ireland. This Finn McCoul has many aspects. He does not show to much advantage in the following legend, which I heard on the banks of Lough Salt in Donegal: Finn was a giant but there was a bigger giant named Goll, who came to fight Finn, and Finn was afraid. His wife bade him creep into the cradle, and she would give an answer to Goll. When the latter appeared, he asked where was Finn. The wife replied he was out, and she was alone with the baby in the cradle. Goll looked at the child, and thought, if that is the size of Finn's infant, what must Finn himself be? and without more ado he turned and took his departure.[91] This Finn had an eye at the back of his head, and was so tall his feet came out at the door of his house. We are not told, however, what was the size of the house.

    [Illustration: PLATE XI. [_R. Welch, Photo._

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 8

    As the companion tells it

    Lough Salt in Donegal is a lake the road passes near. The stories of giants told around here may carry memories of a tall race of people, sometimes said to be simple in mind. At other times they seem like an early way of explaining nature itself. The Donegal peasant believes the great stone perched on the hillside was thrown there by a giant's arm. In the columns of the Giant's Causeway and Fingal's Cave at Staffa, primitive man saw work of great skill and credited it to a giant artificer. Finn McCoul was said to have made a stupendous mole joining Scotland and Ireland. But the tale heard on the banks of this lake does not show Finn to advantage. Finn was a giant, but there was a bigger giant named Goll, who came to fight him, and Finn was afraid. His wife bade him creep into the cradle, and she would give an answer to Goll. When Goll appeared he asked where Finn was. The wife replied he was out, and she was alone with the baby in the cradle. Goll looked at the child, and thought, if that is the size of Finn's infant, what must Finn himself be, and without more ado he turned and took his departure. This Finn had an eye at the back of his head, and was so tall his feet came out at the door of his house. The story does not tell us the size of the house.

26. Grogach threshing tale at Ballycastle

    near Ballycastle · town · Antrim

    At Ballycastle a man was said to leave out bundles of corn each night for a Grogach to thresh; when he once forgot and threw his flail on the stack instead, the Grogach attempted the whole task and was found dead the next morning, mourned by the farmer and his wife.

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    I was told at Ballycastle of one man who always laid out at night the bundles of corn he expected the Grogach to thresh, and each morning the appointed task was accomplished. One night he forgot to lay the corn on the floor of the barn, and threw his flail on the top of the stack. The poor Grogach imagined that he was to thresh the whole, and set to work manfully; but the task was beyond his strength, and in the morning he was found dead. The farmer and his wife buried him, and mourned deeply the loss of their small friend.

    Clough-na-murry Fort is said to be a "gentle"[50] place, yet an old man living near it told me he did not believe in the Grogachs; he thought it was the Danes who had worked for the farmers. He said these Danes were a persevering people, and that when they were in distress they would thresh corn for the farmers, if food were left out for them. Others say that the Danes were too proud to work.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 6

    As the companion tells it

    Near the town of Ballycastle in Antrim, there was a man who always laid out bundles of corn at night for the Grogach to thresh, and every morning the work was done. One night he forgot to lay the corn on the barn floor, and threw his flail on top of the stack instead. The poor Grogach thought he was to thresh the whole stack, and set to work manfully. But the task was beyond his strength, and in the morning he was found dead. The farmer and his wife buried him, and mourned deeply the loss of their small friend. An old man living near Clough-na-murry Fort said he did not believe in the Grogachs. He thought it was the Danes who had worked for the farmers. He said the Danes were a persevering people, and that when they were in distress they would thresh corn for the farmers, if food were left out for them. Others said the Danes were too proud to work.

27. Herd-boy silenced after entering fairy dwelling near Buncrana

    Buncrana · town · Donegal

    A herd-boy near Buncrana crept through a cleft in rocks and found a fairy woman spinning with her children; after his sister called him out, he was never able to speak again.

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    I have heard several similar stories, and have not found that any evil consequences were supposed to follow from partaking of food brought by the fairies. Men have been carried off by them, have heard their beautiful music, seen them dancing, or witnessed a fairy battle without bringing any misfortune on themselves. On the other hand, according to a story I heard at Buncrana, Co. Donegal, a little herd-boy paid dearly for having entered one of their dwellings. As he was climbing among the rocks, he saw a cleft, and creeping through it came to where a fairy woman was spinning with her "weans," or children, around her. His sister missed him, and after searching for a time, she too, came to the cleft, and looking down saw her brother, and called to him to come out. He came, but was never able to speak again.

    In another case deafness followed intercourse with the fairies. An elderly man at Maghera, Co. Down, told me that his brother when four or five years old went out with his father. The child lay down on the grass. After a while the father heard a great noise, and looking up saw little men about two feet in height dancing round his son. He called to them to be gone, and they ran towards a fort and disappeared. The child became deaf, and did not recover his hearing for ten years. He died at the age of seventeen.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    Coming through Buncrana now, in Donegal. A story was told here about a little herd-boy who paid dearly for entering one of the fairies' dwellings. The teller had heard several similar stories, and had not found that any evil consequences were supposed to follow from partaking of food brought by the fairies. Men had been carried off by them, had heard their beautiful music, seen them dancing, witnessed a fairy battle, all without bringing any misfortune on themselves. But this herd-boy's case was different. He was climbing among the rocks, and he saw a cleft. Creeping through it, he came to where a fairy woman was spinning, with her weans, her children, around her. His sister missed him, and after searching for a time, she too came to the cleft. Looking down, she saw her brother, and called to him to come out. He came, but was never able to speak again. In another case, deafness followed intercourse with the fairies. An elderly man at Maghera, County Down, told the collector that his brother, when four or five years old, went out with his father. The child lay down on the grass. After a while the father heard a great noise, and looking up, saw little men about two feet in height dancing round his son. He called to them to be gone, and they ran towards a fort and disappeared. The child became deaf, and did not recover his hearing for ten years. He died at the age of seventeen.

28. Runic inscription found in the souterrain at Greenmount

    Greenmount · townland · Louth

    The souterrain at Greenmount appears to have been inhabited by medieval Danes, evidenced by a Runic inscription engraved on a bronze plate discovered there, the only one yet found in Ireland.

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    The use of the souterrains was not confined to prehistoric times. The one at Greenmount appears to have been inhabited by the medieval Danes, as a Runic inscription, engraved on a plate of bronze, has been discovered in it, the only one as yet found in Ireland. In 1317 every man dwelling in an ooan, or caher's souterrain, was summoned to join the army of Domched O'Brian.[35] The French traveller, Jorevin de Rocheford, speaks of subterranean vaults where the peasants assembled to hear Mass,[36] and in still more recent times the smuggler and the distiller of illicit whisky found them convenient places of concealment.

    In a former paper I referred to the lost secret of the heather beer, and the tragic ending of the last of the Danes.[37] As the story was told me near Ballycairn Fort, the father said: "Give my son the first lilt of the rope, and I will reveal our secret"; but when the son was dead the father cried: "Slay me also, for none shall ever know how the heather beer was brewed!"

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Greenmount, a souterrain was used long after prehistoric times. Medieval Danes appear to have lived in it. A Runic inscription engraved on a plate of bronze was discovered there, the only one as yet found in Ireland. The souterrains had other uses across the centuries. In 1317 every man dwelling in an ooan, or caher's souterrain, was summoned to join the army of Domched O'Brian. The French traveller, Jorevin de Rocheford, spoke of subterranean vaults where peasants assembled to hear Mass, and in still more recent times the smuggler and the distiller of illicit whisky found them convenient places of concealment. A story is told near Ballycairn Fort about the lost secret of heather beer and the tragic end of the last of the Danes. The father said, "Give my son the first lilt of the rope, and I will reveal our secret." When the son was dead the father cried, "Slay me also, for none shall ever know how the heather beer was brewed!"

29. The Souterrain beneath Donaghmore Glebe House and Cross

    near Donaghmore · parish · Down

    A souterrain runs under the Glebe House at Donaghmore, with its main entrance lintel formed by the base stone of an old Celtic cross. Tradition claims a rich old vicar once fashioned the passage's end into a wine-cellar, while an older tradition says it was the dressing-room of the 'small Danes' en route to an underground church chamber.

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    Another widespread tale is that of the fairy woman who comes to the peasant's cottage, sometimes to beg that water may not be thrown out at the door, as it comes down her chimney and puts out the fire; sometimes to ask, for a similar reason, that the "byre," or cowhouse, may be removed to another site. In some tales it is a fairy man who makes the request. If it is refused, punishment follows in sickness among the cattle; if complied with, the cows flourish and give an extra supply of milk. In one instance the "wee folk" provided money to pay a mason to build the new cowhouse. We may smile, and ask how the position of the cowhouse could affect the homes of the fairies; but if these small people lived in the souterrains, as tradition alleges, we may even at the present day find these artificial caves under inhabited houses. At a large farmhouse on the border of Counties Antrim and Londonderry I was told one ran under the kitchen. At another farm near Castlerock, Co. Londonderry, the owner opened a trapdoor in his yard, and allowed me to look down into a souterrain. At Finvoy, Co. Antrim, I was shown one of these caves over which a cottage formerly stood. A souterrain also runs under the Glebe House at Donaghmore, Co. Down. The following extract is from a work[84] in preparation, by the Rev. Dr. Cowan, Rector of the parish, who, in describing this souterrain, writes: "The lintel to the main entrance is the large stone which forms the base of the old Celtic cross, which stands a few yards south of the church. Underneath the cross is the central chamber, which is sixty-two feet long, three feet wide and upwards of four feet high, with branches in the form of transepts about thirty feet in length. From these, again, several sections extend ... one due north terminating at the Glebe House (a distance of two hundred yards) underneath the study, where, according to tradition, some rich old vicar in past times fashioned the extreme end into the dimensions of a wine-cellar."

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 8

    As the companion tells it

    As you travel through Donaghmore, there is a souterrain running beneath the old Glebe House. The Rev. Dr. Cowan, rector of the parish, described it in a work he was preparing. The lintel of the main entrance is the large base stone of the old Celtic cross that stands a few yards south of the church. Underneath that cross lies the central chamber, sixty-two feet long, three feet wide, and upwards of four feet high. From it run branches shaped like transepts, about thirty feet in length. From those transepts, several sections extend further. One runs due north and terminates at the Glebe House, two hundred yards away, underneath the study. There, tradition says, a rich old vicar in past times shaped the far end of the passage into something like a wine-cellar. The wider belief about souterrains connects them to the wee folk, the small people of folklore. In houses across Antrim and Londonderry, people have found these artificial caves beneath kitchens and yards and cottages. At one farmhouse on the border of the two counties, a souterrain was said to run under the kitchen. At another near Castlerock, the owner opened a trapdoor in his yard to show one. At Finvoy in Antrim, a cottage once stood over one of these caves. The tales say the fairy folk would come to a peasant's cottage and ask that water not be thrown out at the door, because it came down their chimney and put out the fire. Sometimes they would ask that the byre be moved. If the request was refused, the cattle fell sick. If it was granted, the cows flourished and gave extra milk. In one tale, the wee folk provided money to pay a mason to build the new cowhouse.

30. Ancient coal mining traces near Fair Head

    near Benmore or Fair Head · promontory · Antrim

    Hamilton argued that cinders found embedded in the mortar of Rathlin castle proved the coal-beds near Fair Head had been known at an early period, possibly before the Danish incursions, supported by discovery of an ancient underground gallery with the remains of prehistoric miners' tools and baskets.

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    Hamilton was one of the founders of the Royal Irish Academy, and dedicated his "Letters concerning the Coast of Antrim" to the Earl of Charlemont, the first president of that body. The book opens with an account of his visit to the Island of Raghery or Rathlin, where he was charmed with the primitive manners of the people and the friendly relations existing between them and their landlord. He examined the white cliffs, the dark basaltic columns, and the ruins of the old castle, where Robert Bruce is said to have made a gallant defence against his enemies. Here he found cinders embedded in the mortar, showing that the lime used in building the walls had been burnt with coal. This is adduced as a proof that the coal-beds near Fair Head had been known at an early period, possibly at a time anterior to the Danish incursions of the ninth and tenth centuries--a view confirmed by the discovery of an ancient gallery extending many hundred yards underground, and in which the remains of the tools and baskets of the prehistoric miners were found.

    In a later letter a history is given of the Giant's Causeway, and of the various opinions which have been held regarding its origin. Beginning with the old tradition[110] that the stones had been cut and placed in position by the giant, Fin McCool or Fingal, when constructing a mighty mole to unite Ireland to Scotland, Hamilton alludes to the crude notions exhibited in some papers published in the early Transactions of the Royal Society. He criticizes severely "A True Prospect of the Giant's Causeway," printed in 1696 for the Dublin Society, showing how the imagination of the artist had planted luxuriant forest-trees on the wild bay of Port Noffer, and transformed basaltic rocks into comfortable dwelling-houses. The two beautiful paintings made by Mrs. Susanna Drury in 1740 are referred to in very different language, and anyone who has seen engravings of these will endorse his opinion, and feel that this lady has depicted, with almost photographic accuracy, the Causeway and the successive galleries of basaltic columns, which lend a weird and peculiar grandeur to the headlands of Bengore.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 11

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere about Benmore or Fair Head, there are traces of coal mining older than written memory in this country. Hamilton, one of the founders of the Royal Irish Academy, came this way in his study of the Coast of Antrim. He visited Rathlin, where he examined the white cliffs, the dark basaltic columns, and the ruins of the old castle where Robert Bruce is said to have made a gallant defence against his enemies. In the walls of that castle he found cinders embedded in the mortar, showing that the lime used in building them had been burnt with coal. He took this as proof that the coal-beds near Fair Head had been known at an early period, possibly before the Danish incursions of the ninth and tenth centuries. That view was confirmed by the discovery of an ancient gallery extending many hundred yards underground, in which the remains of the tools and baskets of the prehistoric miners were found. So the coal beneath this headland was worked long before any modern mine was sunk. Hamilton's book opened with this visit, and he dedicated it to the Earl of Charlemont, the first president of the Royal Irish Academy. In a later letter he turned to the Giant's Causeway, and the old tradition that the stones had been cut and placed by the giant Fin McCool, building a mole to unite Ireland to Scotland. He criticised papers in the early Transactions of the Royal Society, and a prospect printed in 1696 for the Dublin Society, whose artist had planted forest-trees on the wild bay of Port Noffer and turned basalt into dwelling-houses. He praised instead two paintings made by Mrs. Susanna Drury in 1740, saying she had depicted with almost photographic accuracy the Causeway and the galleries of basaltic columns on the headlands of Bengore.

31. Fairy warning over turf-stack at Maghera

    Maghera · parish · Down

    An old woman at Maghera related how her great-grandmother was warned by a small old woman not to build a certain turf-stack near a fairy dwelling; the warning was ignored, and four cows subsequently died.

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    To cut down a fairy thorn or to injure the house of a fairy is regarded as certain to bring misfortune. An old woman also living at Maghera, related how her great-grandmother had received a visit from a small old woman, who forbade the building of a certain turf-stack, saying that evil would befall anyone who injured the chimneys of her house. The warning was disregarded, the turf-stack built, and before long four cows died.

    I was told that when a certain fort in Co. Fermanagh was levelled to the ground misfortune overtook the men who did the work, although, apparently, they were only labourers, many of them dying suddenly. It was also said that where this fort had stood there were caves or hollows in the ground into which the oxen would fall when ploughing. An attempt to bring a fort near Newcastle under cultivation is believed to have caused the sudden death of the owner.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    The parish of Maghera in Down carries an old story about fairies and what happens when their warnings are ignored. An old woman living there related how her great-grandmother once received a visit from a small old woman, who forbade the building of a certain turf-stack. The small old woman said that evil would befall anyone who injured the chimneys of her house. The warning was disregarded, and the turf-stack was built. Before long, four cows died. To cut down a fairy thorn or to injure the house of a fairy was regarded as certain to bring misfortune. The small old woman's warning about her chimneys and the turf-stack went unheeded, and the four cows were the result.

32. Fort of Dunglady near Culnady

    Dunglady · townland · Derry · 1902

    The author visited the great Fort of Dunglady near the village of Culnady, described by Dr. O'Donovan as one of the most interesting forts, with a triple rampart 330 feet in diameter and once a burial ground for the Society of Friends.

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    This fort was visited in 1902 by the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, when a very interesting paper, written by Miss Jane Clark of Kilrea, was read. She mentions that Dr. O'Donovan considered this fort one of the most interesting he had met with; not so magnificent as the Dun of Keltar at Downpatrick, but much better fortified, and states that a map of the time of Charles I. represents Dunglady Fort as a prominent object, and shows three houses built upon it, one of considerable size. Quoting from an unpublished letter of Mr. J. Stokes, she refers to the triple rampart, which makes the diameter of the whole to be three hundred and thirty feet. There was formerly a draw well in the middle of the fort, and at one time it was used as a burial-ground by members of the Society of Friends. Miss Clark also referred to a smaller fort at Culnady, which had been demolished. The two mounds in the centre of this rath had been formed of earth on a stone foundation.

    A rapid drive brought me back to Maghera in time for a short visit to the ruins of the Church of St. Lurach, popularly known in the district as St. Lowry. There is a curious sculpture of the Crucifixion over the west doorway, which is shown in the sketch of this doorway by Petrie in Lord Dunraven's "Notes on Irish Architecture."[14]

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 3

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Dunglady there is a great fort, one Dr. O'Donovan counted among the most interesting he ever met. He thought it not so magnificent as the Dun of Keltar at Downpatrick, but much better fortified. In 1902 the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland visited the place, and a paper by Miss Jane Clark of Kilrea was read. She noted that a map from the time of Charles the First shows Dunglady Fort as a prominent object, with three houses built upon it, one of considerable size. Miss Clark quoted an unpublished letter from a Mr. J. Stokes describing the triple rampart, which gives the whole fort a diameter of 330 feet. There was once a draw well in the middle of it, and at one time members of the Society of Friends used the fort as a burial ground. Miss Clark also spoke of a smaller fort at Culnady, which had been demolished. The two mounds in the centre of that rath had been formed of earth on a stone foundation.

33. Friendly fairy reveals a crock of gold near Dungiven

    near Dungiven · town · Derry

    Near Dungiven, a fairy disguised as an old woman visited a poor couple's cottage and told the wife to lift a stone at the foot of the table, where they found a crock of gold.

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    According to one legend, the fairies were angels who had remained neutral during the great war in heaven. They are sometimes represented as kindly, but often as mischievous. Near Dungiven, in Co. Derry, I was told of a friendly fairy who, dressed as an old woman, came one evening to a cottage where a poor man and his wife lived. She said to the wife that if the stone at the foot of the table were lifted she would find something that would last her all her days. As soon as the visitor was gone, the wife called to her husband to bring a crowbar; they raised the stone, and under it was a crock of gold.

    The old man who related this story to me had himself found in a bog a crock covered with a slate. He hoped it might be full of gold, but it only contained bog butter, which he used for greasing cart-wheels.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    Dungiven is a town the road passes through or near. The old stories here say the fairies were angels who stayed neutral in the great war in heaven, and that they can be kindly or mischievous. Near this town, a friendly fairy came one evening to a poor couple's cottage, dressed as an old woman. She told the wife that if the stone at the foot of the table were lifted, she would find something that would last her all her days. When the visitor had gone, the wife called to her husband to bring a crowbar. They raised the stone, and under it was a crock of gold. The old man who told this story had himself once found a crock in a bog, covered with a slate. He hoped it held gold, but it only contained bog butter, which he used for greasing cart-wheels.

34. Heather beer brewed by Danes at Navan Fort

    near Navan · monument · Armagh

    At Navan Fort (the ancient Emania) near Armagh, tradition held that the Danes made heather beer there, though no heather now grows in the vicinity.

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    In a paper read to this club Mr. McKean[38] mentioned that this story had been told to him in Kerry, where I, too, heard it. It appears to be almost universal in Ulster. When visiting Navan Fort, the ancient Emania, near Armagh, I was told that on this fort the Danes made heather beer. I asked if any heather grew in the neighbourhood, but the answer was, not now. There are variants of the tale. In some parts of Donegal it is wine, not beer, that the Danes are said to have made. As a rule the slaughter is taken for granted, and very little said about it; but a farmer in Co. Antrim gave me a full account of the massacre, how at a great feast a Roman Catholic sat beside each Dane, and at a given signal plunged his dirk into his neighbour's side, until only one man and his son remained alive; then followed the usual sequel.

    These short Danes are said to have had large feet, and one man described their arms as so long that they could pick anything off the ground without stooping. Long arms are also a characteristic of the traditional dwarf of Japan, probably an ancestor of the Aino.[39] As I mentioned in a previous paper,[40] large feet are also a traditional characteristic of the Pechts, who are generally said to have been clad in skins or in grey clothes. They have occasionally superhuman attributes ascribed to them. The same man who spoke of the long arms of the Danes said the Pechts could creep through keyholes--they were like "speerits"--and he evidently regarded both them and the fairies as evil spirits. At the same time he said they would thresh corn or work for a man, but if they were given food, they would be offended, and go away.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere about Navan stands Navan Fort, the ancient Emania. When the writer visited, he was told that on this fort the Danes made heather beer. He asked if any heather grew in the neighbourhood, and the answer was, not now. The story appears almost universal in Ulster, and it had been told to him in Kerry as well. There are variants. In parts of Donegal it is wine, not beer, that the Danes are said to have made. As a rule the slaughter is taken for granted, and very little is said about it. But a farmer in County Antrim gave a full account of the massacre. At a great feast, a Roman Catholic sat beside each Dane, and at a given signal plunged his dirk into his neighbour's side, until only one man and his son remained alive. Then followed the usual sequel. These Danes are said to have been short, with large feet. One man described their arms as so long they could pick anything off the ground without stooping. The same man said the Pechts could creep through keyholes, that they were like "speerits," and he regarded both them and the fairies as evil spirits. He also said the Pechts would thresh corn or work for a man, but if they were given food, they would be offended and go away. The Pechts are generally said to have been clad in skins or grey clothes.

35. Priest surrounded by fairies between Clonmany and Ballyliffan

    Clonmany · town · Donegal

    In Inishowen it was told that a priest walking between Clonmany and Ballyliffan was surrounded by fairies anxiously asking if they could be saved; he offered to answer if they caught his breviary, but they fled at the sight of it.

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    The Irish fairy never appears as a Christian.[56] He is regarded by the peasant as a fallen angel, and no Church holds out to him the hope of salvation. I was told in Inishowen that a priest walking between Clonmany and Ballyliffan was surrounded by the "wee folk," who asked anxiously if they could be saved. He threw his book towards them, bade them catch it, and he would give them an answer; but at the sight of the breviary they scattered and fled.[57]

    The Protestant Bible and hymn-book are equally dreaded by them, and are used as a spell against their influence. I was told in the North of Antrim of a woman who was nearly carried off by the fairies because her friends had omitted to leave these books beside her. Luckily her husband, who was sleeping by the fire, awoke in time to save her. A pair of scissors, a darning-needle, or any piece of iron, would have been efficacious as a charm, so would the husband's trousers, if thrown across the bed.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 6

    As the companion tells it

    Up ahead is Clonmany, a town in Inishowen in Donegal. In this part of Ireland, the fairy was never seen as Christian. The people regarded him as a fallen angel, and no Church held out to him the hope of salvation. The story goes that a priest was walking between Clonmany and Ballyliffan when he was surrounded by the wee folk. They asked him anxiously whether they could be saved. He threw his book towards them and bade them catch it, and he would give them an answer. But at the sight of the breviary they scattered and fled. The Protestant Bible and hymn-book were equally dreaded by them, and used as a spell against their influence. In the north of Antrim it was told that a woman was nearly carried off by the fairies because her friends had omitted to leave these books beside her. Her husband, sleeping by the fire, awoke in time to save her. A pair of scissors, a darning-needle, or any piece of iron would have served as a charm. So would the husband's trousers, thrown across the bed.

36. The Giant's Causeway as the Work of a Giant Artificer

    near Giant's Causeway · population centre · Antrim

    The compact basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway were seen by primitive people as the work of a giant artificer, with Finn McCoul credited with building a stupendous mole joining Scotland and Ireland.

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    In the stories of giants we no doubt often have traditions of a tall race, who are sometimes represented as of inferior mental capacity. At other times we appear to be listening to an early interpretation of the works of Nature. The Donegal peasant at the present day believes that the perched block on the side of the hill has been thrown by the arm of a giant. In the compact columns of the Giant's Causeway and of Fingal's Cave at Staffa primitive man saw a work of great skill and ingenuity, which he attributed to a giant artificer; and Finn McCoul is credited with having made a stupendous mole, uniting Scotland and Ireland. This Finn McCoul has many aspects. He does not show to much advantage in the following legend, which I heard on the banks of Lough Salt in Donegal: Finn was a giant but there was a bigger giant named Goll, who came to fight Finn, and Finn was afraid. His wife bade him creep into the cradle, and she would give an answer to Goll. When the latter appeared, he asked where was Finn. The wife replied he was out, and she was alone with the baby in the cradle. Goll looked at the child, and thought, if that is the size of Finn's infant, what must Finn himself be? and without more ado he turned and took his departure.[91] This Finn had an eye at the back of his head, and was so tall his feet came out at the door of his house. We are not told, however, what was the size of the house.

    [Illustration: PLATE XI. [_R. Welch, Photo._

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 8

    As the companion tells it

    Not far from here is the Giant's Causeway. The stories of giants may often be traditions of a tall race, sometimes shown as people of lesser wit. But they also seem to carry an early reading of nature itself. The Donegal peasant still believes a perched block on a hillside was thrown there by a giant's arm. In the compact columns of the Giant's Causeway, and of Fingal's Cave at Staffa, early people saw great skill and ingenuity. They gave the credit to a giant artificer. Finn McCoul is the one named for building a stupendous mole that joined Scotland and Ireland. This Finn McCoul has many sides. He does not show to much advantage in a legend told on the banks of Lough Salt in Donegal. Finn was a giant, but there was a bigger giant named Goll, who came to fight him. Finn was afraid. His wife told him to creep into the cradle, and she would deal with Goll. When Goll appeared, he asked where Finn was. The wife said Finn was out, and she was alone with the baby. Goll looked at the child and thought, if that is the size of Finn's infant, what must Finn himself be? He turned and left. This Finn had an eye at the back of his head, and was so tall his feet came out at the door of his house. We are not told the size of the house.

37. The Grogach of Glenariff

    near Glenariff · village · Antrim

    A story told in Glenariff described a naked, child-sized Grogach who herded a farmer's cattle each day; when the farmer's daughter made him a shirt, he mistook it for a dismissal and left crying, abandoning the shirt.

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    A Grogach herded the cattle of a farmer, and drove them home in the evening. He was about the size of a child, and was naked. A fire was left burning at night so that he might warm himself, and after a time the daughter of the house made him a shirt. When the Grogach saw this he thought it was a "billet" for him to go, and, crying bitterly, he took his departure, and left the shirt behind him. As I pointed out on a former occasion,[87] in many respects the Grogach resembles the Swiss dwarf. The likeness to the Brownie is also very marked. At Ballycastle I was told the Grogach was a hairy man about four feet in height, who could bear heat or cold without clothing.

    Patrick Kennedy has described a Gruagach as a giant, and states that the word "Gruagach" has for root _gruach_--"hair," giants and magicians being "furnished with a large provision of that appendage."[88] This Gruagach was closely related to the fairies, and, indeed, we shall find later in a Donegal story a giant ogress spoken of as a fairy woman. In Scotland, as well as in the South of Ireland, the name is Gruagach, but in Antrim I heard it pronounced "Grogach." I was also told near Cushendall that the Danes were hairy people.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 8

    As the companion tells it

    Glenariff is a village in Antrim, and a story told here describes a creature called the Grogach. A Grogach herded the cattle of a farmer and drove them home in the evening. He was about the size of a child, and he was naked. A fire was left burning at night so that he might warm himself. After a time, the daughter of the house made him a shirt. When the Grogach saw this, he thought it was a "billet" for him to go, and crying bitterly, he took his departure and left the shirt behind him. The Grogach resembles the Brownie, and in many respects the Swiss dwarf. At Ballycastle, he was described as a hairy man about 4 feet in height, who could bear heat or cold without clothing. Patrick Kennedy described a Gruagach as a giant, and said the word has for root gruach, meaning hair. This Gruagach was closely related to the fairies. In Scotland and the south of Ireland, the name is Gruagach, but in Antrim it was pronounced Grogach. Near Cushendall, people said the Danes were hairy people.

38. Danes encamped and disturbed on a farm

    Ulster · province

    An elderly man recounted that Danes had once encamped on his grandmother's farm in small doorless huts; when his uncle investigated smoke rising from the site and stirred a boiling pot, a red-haired man and woman rushed in angrily and threw a plate after him as he left.

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    The building of the forts and souterrains is ascribed by the country people to the Danes, a race of whom various traditions exist. They are said to have had red hair; sometimes they are spoken of as large men, sometimes as short men. One old woman, who had little belief in fairies, told me that in the old troubled times in Ireland people lived inside the forts; these people were the Danes, and they used to light fires on the top as a signal from one fort to another. I heard from an elderly man of Danes having encamped on his grandmother's farm. Smoke was seen rising from an unfrequented spot, and when an uncle went to investigate the matter he found small huts with no doors, only a bundle of sticks laid across the entrance. In one of the huts he saw a pot boiling on the fire, and going forward he began to stir the contents. Immediately a red-haired man and woman rushed in; they appeared angry at the intrusion, and when he went out threw a plate after him.

    The traditions in regard both to Danes and fairies are very similar in different parts of Ireland. In Co. Cavan the country people spoke of the beautiful music of the fairies, and told me of their living in a fort near Lough Oughter. One woman said they were sometimes called Ganelochs, and were about the size of children, and an old man described them as little people about one or two feet high, riding on small horses.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    The road takes you through Ulster, where the country people have long ascribed the old forts and souterrains to the Danes. They say the Danes had red hair. Sometimes they are spoken of as large men, sometimes as short. One old woman with little belief in fairies told how, in the old troubled times in Ireland, people lived inside the forts, and those people were the Danes. They would light fires on the top of one fort as a signal to the next. An elderly man spoke of the Danes encamping on his grandmother's farm. Smoke was seen rising from an unfrequented spot on the land. When an uncle of his went to investigate, he found small huts with no doors, only a bundle of sticks laid across the entrance. In one of those huts a pot was boiling on the fire. He went forward and began to stir the contents. Right away a red-haired man and woman rushed in. They were angry at the intrusion, and when he turned and went out, they threw a plate after him. The traditions regarding both Danes and fairies are very similar across different parts of Ireland. In County Cavan the country people spoke of the beautiful music of the fairies, and told of their living in a fort near Lough Oughter. One woman said they were sometimes called Ganelochs, and were about the size of children. An old man described them as little people, about 1 or 2 feet high, riding on small horses.

39. Ancient coal-mine galleries at Ballycastle attributed to Danes

    near Ballycastle · town · Antrim

    Rev. William Hamilton described very ancient mining galleries with supporting pillars at Ballycastle, discovered some twelve years before he wrote; locals attributed them to the Danes, though he argued they predated the medieval Viking era.

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    This double use of the name Dane seems at times to have perplexed the older writers. The Rev. William Hamilton, in his "Letters on the North-East Coast of Antrim," published towards the end of the eighteenth century, gives a description of the coal-mines of Ballycastle[33] and of the very ancient galleries, with the pillars, left by the prehistoric miners, supporting the roof, which had been discovered some twelve years before he wrote. He tells us that the people of the place ascribed them to the Danes, but argues that these were never peaceable possessors of Ireland, and that it is not "to the tumultuary and barbarous armies of the ninth and tenth centuries ... we are to attribute the slow and toilsome operations of peace." He mentions how the stalactite pillars found in these galleries marked their antiquity, and ascribes them to some period prior to the eighth century, "when Ireland enjoyed a considerable share of civilization."

    In the same way John Windele, writing in the _Ulster Journal of Archæology_ for 1862, speaks of the mines in Waterford having been worked by the ancient inhabitants, and adds: "One almost insulated promontory is perforated like a rabbit-burrow, and is known as the 'Danes' Island,' the peasantry attributing these ancient mines, like all other relics of remote civilisation, to the Danes."[34]

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

    As the companion tells it

    As you pass through Ballycastle, there are coal-mine galleries so old that no one could say who first cut them. The Rev. William Hamilton described them in his Letters on the North-East Coast of Antrim, published towards the end of the 1700s. The galleries had been discovered about 12 years before he wrote, with pillars left by the prehistoric miners still holding up the roof. The people of the place ascribed them to the Danes. Hamilton argued against this. He said the Danes were never peaceable possessors of Ireland, and that it is not, in his words, "to the tumultuary and barbarous armies of the ninth and tenth centuries" that one should attribute "the slow and toilsome operations of peace." He pointed to stalactite pillars in the galleries as evidence of great age, and placed the mines in some period before the 8th century, when, he wrote, Ireland enjoyed a considerable share of civilization. The habit of calling any ancient work Danish was common. John Windele, writing in the Ulster Journal of Archaeology in 1862, noted the same thing about old mines in Waterford, where the peasantry attributed them to the Danes too.

40. Deaths of labourers who levelled a fairy fort in Fermanagh

    near Fermanagh · county · Fermanagh

    In County Fermanagh, levelling a fort was believed to have brought misfortune, with many of the labourers involved dying suddenly; hollows where the fort stood reportedly caused oxen to fall while ploughing.

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    I was told that when a certain fort in Co. Fermanagh was levelled to the ground misfortune overtook the men who did the work, although, apparently, they were only labourers, many of them dying suddenly. It was also said that where this fort had stood there were caves or hollows in the ground into which the oxen would fall when ploughing. An attempt to bring a fort near Newcastle under cultivation is believed to have caused the sudden death of the owner.

    The fairies are celebrated as fine musicians; they ride on small horses; the women grind meal, and the sound of their spinning is often heard at night in the peasants' cottages. The following story is related as having occurred at Camlough, near Newry.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    In Fermanagh, there is a story about a fort that was levelled to the ground. The men who did the work were only labourers, but misfortune overtook them. Many of them died suddenly. Where the fort had stood, there were caves or hollows in the ground. When oxen were ploughing there, they would fall into those hollows. The people who told this story believed that levelling the fort brought the trouble on those men. The land itself seemed to hold what had been taken away, leaving gaps in the ground that caught the working animals. It is a story about what happens when something old and guarded is pulled down.

41. Fairy-boat protects an old friend near Culdaff

    Culdaff · townland · Donegal

    An old man at Culdaff told of a fishing-boat nearly overwhelmed at sea when a fairy-boat appeared and a voice, belonging to a man believed dead but carried off by fairies, protected his old friend's boat from harm.

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    An old man at Culdaff told me another tale of the sea. A fishing-boat was nearly overwhelmed, when a fairy-boat was seen riding on the top of a great wave, and a voice from it cried: "Do not harm that boat; an old friend of mine is in it." The voice belonged to a man who was supposed to be dead; but he had been carried off by the fairies, and would not allow them to injure his old friend.

    If the Irish fairy has power over the waves, the Swiss dwarf can divert the course of the devastating landslip. I was told by an elderly man in the Bernese Oberland of the destruction of Burglauenen, a village near Grindelwald. All the cottages were overwhelmed by a landslip except one poor hut, which had given shelter to a dwarf, who was seen, seated on a stone, directing the moving mass away from the abode of his friends. A similar story is told of the destruction of Niederdorf, in the Simmenthal.[53] One Sunday evening a feeble little man clad in rags came to the village; he knocked at several houses, praying the inmates to give him, for the love of God, a night's shelter. Everywhere he was refused--one hard-hearted woman telling him to go and break stones--until he came to a poor basket-maker and his wife, who gave him the best they had, and when he left he promised that God would reward them. A week later the village was destroyed by a terrible landslip, but here also the dwarf saved the dwelling of those who had befriended him.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 6

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Culdaff, an old man once told a tale of the sea. A fishing-boat was nearly overwhelmed out there, when a fairy-boat was seen riding on the top of a great wave. A voice from it cried out: "Do not harm that boat; an old friend of mine is in it." The voice belonged to a man who was supposed to be dead. But he had been carried off by the fairies, and he would not allow them to injure his old friend. The old man's story echoes others from far beyond Ireland. If the Irish fairy has power over the waves, the Swiss dwarf can divert the course of a devastating landslip. An elderly man in the Bernese Oberland told of the destruction of Burglauenen, a village near Grindelwald, where all the cottages were overwhelmed by a landslip except one poor hut. That hut had given shelter to a dwarf, who was seen seated on a stone, directing the moving mass away from the abode of his friends. A similar story is told of the destruction of Niederdorf in the Simmenthal. One Sunday evening a feeble little man clad in rags came to the village and knocked at several houses, praying the inmates to give him, for the love of God, a night's shelter. Everywhere he was refused. One hard-hearted woman told him to go and break stones. At last he came to a poor basket-maker and his wife, who gave him the best they had. When he left, he promised that God would reward them. A week later the village was destroyed by a terrible landslip, but the dwarf saved the dwelling of those who had befriended him.

42. Killelagh Church and Cromlech near Maghera

    near Killelagh · parish · Derry · 1912

    The author visited the Cromlech and the old Church of Killelagh outside Maghera, guided by Daniel McKenna. The worn doorstep and strong walls of the church were noted, with a tradition that the mortar had been cemented with the blood of bullocks.

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    My guide pointed out that the doorstep was much worn, doubtless by the feet of those who during many centuries had passed over it; he showed me, too, the strong walls, and said the mortar had been cemented with the blood of bullocks. This probably recalls an ancient custom, when an animal--in still earlier times it might be a human being[8]--was slain to propitiate or drive away the evil spirits and secure the stability of the building. A similar tradition exists in regard to Roughan Castle, the stronghold of Phelim O'Neill, in Co. Tyrone.

    Leaving Killelagh Church, we continued our walk, and I asked my guide about the customs and traditions of the country. He told me that on Hallow Eve Night salt is put on the heads of children to protect them from the fairies. These fairies, or wee folk, are about three feet in height, some not so tall; they are of different races or tribes, and have pitched battles at the Pecht's graveyard. This is a place covered with rough mounds and very rough stones, and is looked on as a great playground of the fairies; people passing through it are often led astray by them. The Pechts, or Picts, were described to me as having long black hair, which grew in tufts; they were small people, about four feet six inches in height, thick set, nearly as broad as they were long, strong in arms and shoulders, and with very large feet. When a shower of rain came on, they would stand on their heads and shelter themselves under their feet. Some years ago I was told a similar story in Co. Antrim of the Pechts lying down and using their feet as umbrellas.[9]

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 3

    As the companion tells it

    As the road passes through the parish of Killelagh, there is an old church and a cromlech near Maghera that Daniel McKenna showed to a visitor in 1912. The doorstep was much worn by the feet of those who over many centuries had passed over it. The walls were strong, and the guide said the mortar had been cemented with the blood of bullocks. This recalls an ancient custom, when an animal was slain to propitiate or drive away evil spirits and secure the stability of the building. In still earlier times it might have been a human being. A similar tradition exists about Roughan Castle, the stronghold of Phelim O'Neill in County Tyrone. Leaving the church, the visitor asked his guide about the customs and traditions of the country. On Hallow Eve night, salt is put on the heads of children to protect them from the fairies. These fairies, or wee folk, are about three feet in height, some not so tall. They are of different races or tribes, and have pitched battles at the Pecht's graveyard, a place covered with rough mounds and very rough stones, looked on as a great playground of the fairies. People passing through it are often led astray by them. The Pechts, or Picts, were described as having long black hair that grew in tufts. They were small people, about four feet six inches in height, thick set, nearly as broad as they were long, strong in arms and shoulders, and with very large feet. When a shower of rain came on, they would stand on their heads and shelter themselves under their feet. A similar story was told in County Antrim of the Pechts lying down and using their feet as umbrellas.

43. Man punished for taking stones from a fort cave

    near Antrim · town · Antrim

    A farmer in Co. Antrim told of a man taking stones from a souterrain in a fort who was warned by a stranger who then vanished, revealing him as no ordinary mortal; the man believed he was cursed to remain poor for disturbing the ancient building.

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    A farmer in Co. Antrim told me that once when a man was taking stones from a cave in a fort, an old man came and asked him would it not be better to get his stones elsewhere than from those ancient buildings. The other, however, continued his work; but when the stranger suddenly disappeared, he became convinced that his questioner was no ordinary mortal. In after-life he often said sadly: "He was a poor man, and would always remain a poor man, because he had taken stones from that cave." The cave was no doubt a souterrain.

    An elderly woman in Co. Antrim told me that when a child she one evening saw "a little old woman with a green cloak coming over the burn." She helped her to cross, and afterwards took her to the cottage, where her mother received the stranger kindly, told her she was sorry she could not give her a bed in the house, but that she might sleep in one of the outhouses. The children made Grannie as comfortable as they could, and in the morning went out early to see how she was. They found her up and ready to leave. The child who had first met her said she would again help her across the burn--"But wait," she added, "until I get my bonnet." She ran into the house, but before she came out the old woman had disappeared.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 4

    As the companion tells it

    Around the town of Antrim, a farmer once told of a man who was taking stones from a cave in a fort. An old man came to him and asked would it not be better to get his stones elsewhere than from those ancient buildings. The man went on with his work. But when the stranger suddenly disappeared, he became convinced that his questioner was no ordinary mortal. In after-life he often said sadly, he was a poor man, and would always remain a poor man, because he had taken stones from that cave. The cave was no doubt a souterrain. An elderly woman in the same county told of when she was a child she one evening saw a little old woman with a green cloak coming over the burn. She helped her to cross, and afterwards took her to the cottage, where her mother received the stranger kindly. The mother said she was sorry she could not give her a bed in the house, but that she might sleep in one of the outhouses. The children made Grannie as comfortable as they could. In the morning they went out early and found her up and ready to leave. The child who had first met her said she would again help her across the burn, but added, wait until I get my bonnet. She ran into the house, but before she came out the old woman had disappeared.

44. Burial of Dr Hamilton in Londonderry Cathedral

    Derry · townland · Derry · 1797–1890

    Dr Hamilton's body was taken to Londonderry and interred in the Cathedral graveyard, his name recorded on the family tombstone, with descendants erecting a memorial tablet in the chancel in 1890.

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    From a letter written by Dr. Hall to the _Gentleman's Magazine_ (March, 1797), we learn that the assassins retired unmolested and undiscovered. Nor were any of them ever brought to justice, although popular tradition, among both Catholics and Protestants, says that misfortune dogged their footsteps, and each one of them came to an untimely end. Dr. Hamilton's body remained exposed during the night, and was only removed the following morning, when it was taken to Londonderry and interred in the Cathedral graveyard. Here his name is recorded on the family tombstone; and in 1890 his descendants erected a tablet to his memory in the chancel of the Cathedral.

    Hamilton obtained the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1794, and shortly before his death he was elected a Corresponding Member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. We have seen how he was cut off in the full vigour of mind and body--his last memoir unprinted--and surely we may echo the lament of his contemporaries, and feel that he was one who had conferred honour on his native land. Yet, while they mourned his loss as a public calamity, his friends would recall his words, and remember that to him death was but the entrance to a new life--the casting away of a covering which formed no part of his true self.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 11

    As the companion tells it

    Close to Derry, in the Cathedral graveyard, Dr. Hamilton was laid to rest. His body had lain exposed through the night after he was cut down, and was only removed the following morning, brought to Londonderry and buried there. His name was recorded on the family tombstone, and in 1890 his descendants put up a tablet to his memory in the chancel of the Cathedral. He had taken his Doctor of Divinity in 1794, and not long before his death he was elected a Corresponding Member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was struck down in the full vigour of mind and body, his last memoir left unprinted. The letter from Dr. Hall to the Gentleman's Magazine tells us the assassins retired unmolested and undiscovered, and none of them was ever brought to justice. Yet popular tradition, among both Catholics and Protestants, says misfortune dogged their footsteps, and every one of them came to an untimely end. His contemporaries mourned his loss as a public calamity, and felt he was one who had conferred honour on his native land. His friends would recall his words: that to him death was but the entrance to a new life, the casting away of a covering which formed no part of his true self.

45. Grey Man's Path at Fair Head

    near Benmore or Fair Head · promontory · Antrim

    The Grey Man of the Path is associated with Fair Head, interpreted as a mythical personification of the mists gathering round Benmore.

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    In the Grey Man of the Path we have, doubtless, a purely mythical character, an impersonation of the mists which gather round Benmore,[49] while Finn McCoul, or MacCumaill, is one of Ireland's greatest traditional heroes. According to a well-known legend, he was a giant, and united Scotland and Ireland by a stupendous mole, of which the cave at Staffa and the Giant's Causeway are the two remaining fragments. In Glenshesk he is only a tall man, between seven and eight feet in height. Sometimes he is said to have been chief of the Pechts; sometimes he is spoken of as their master, and it is said they worked as slaves to him and the Fians.

    According to tradition, the Pechts were very numerous, and must have carried the heavy slabs for the roof of Finn McCoul's cave a distance of several miles. Although usually looked on as strictly human, supernatural characteristics are sometimes attributed to them. Like the Swiss "Servan," both they and the Grogachs have been known to thresh corn or do other work for the farmers.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 6

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere about Benmore or Fair Head, the Grey Man of the Path is a purely mythical character, an impersonation of the mists that gather round Benmore. Finn McCoul, or MacCumaill, is one of Ireland's greatest traditional heroes. A well-known legend says he was a giant who united Scotland and Ireland by a stupendous mole, of which the cave at Staffa and the Giant's Causeway are the two remaining fragments. In Glenshesk he is only a tall man, between seven and eight feet in height. Sometimes he is said to have been chief of the Pechts, sometimes their master, and they worked as slaves to him and the Fians. By tradition the Pechts were very numerous, and must have carried the heavy slabs for the roof of Finn McCoul's cave a distance of several miles. Though usually looked on as strictly human, supernatural characteristics are sometimes attributed to them. Like the Swiss Servan, both they and the Grogachs have been known to thresh corn or do other work for the farmers.

46. Pecht cave entrance in Drumcrow townland

    Drumcrow · townland · Antrim

    An old man living in the townland of Drumcrow, Co. Antrim, showed the author the entrance to an artificial cave (souterrain) and described the Pechts as low-set, heavy-made people broad in the feet who could shelter under their own feet from rain.

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    The Pechts are spoken of as low, stout people, who built some of the "coves" in the forts. An old man, living in the townland of Drumcrow, Co. Antrim, showed me the entrance to one of these artificial caves, and gave me a vivid description of its builders. "The Pechts," he said, "were low-set, heavy-made people, broad in the feet--so broad," he added, with an expressive gesture, "that in rain they could lie down and shelter themselves under their feet." He spoke of them as clad in skins, while an old woman at Armoy said they were dressed in grey. I have seldom heard of the Pechts beyond the confines of Antrim, although an old man in Donegal spoke of them as short people with large, unwieldy feet.

    The traditions regarding the Danes vary; sometimes they are spoken of as a tall race, sometimes as a short race. There is little doubt that the tall race were the medieval Danes, while in the short men we have probably a reminiscence of an earlier race.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 4

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere around here, an old man once showed a visitor the entrance to an artificial cave, one of the structures people called Pecht coves. He had a vivid picture of the people who built them. The Pechts, he said, were "low-set, heavy-made people, broad in the feet—so broad that in rain they could lie down and shelter themselves under their feet." He spoke of them as clad in skins. A woman over at Armoy gave a different detail: she said the Pechts were dressed in grey. These stories seldom turn up beyond the bounds of Antrim, though one old man in Donegal also spoke of the Pechts as short people with large, unwieldy feet. The Pechts are remembered as low, stout folk who built some of the coves in the forts. Whether any of that traces back to real builders of these underground passages, nobody can say for certain. What stayed was the image: small, heavy people, so broad in the feet they could use them as a roof against the rain.

47. Rush crosses of St. Bridget's Eve at Maghera

    near Maghera · town · Derry

    At Maghera, children pull rushes on St. Bridget's Eve to make crosses which are sprinkled with holy water and hung over doors and beds for good luck, following a supper of pancakes or sowans.

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    While we were resting I asked about rush crosses, which are put up in many cottages at Maghera, and, gathering some rushes, Daniel McKenna showed me how they were made. He told me that on St. Bridget's Eve, January 31, children are sent out to pull rushes, which must not be cut with a knife. When these rushes are brought in, the family gather round the fire and make the crosses, which are sprinkled with holy water. The wife or eldest daughter prepares tea and pancakes, and the plate of pancakes is laid on the top of the rush cross. Prayers are said, and the family partake of St. Bridget's supper. The crosses are hung up over doors and beds to bring good luck. In former times sowans or flummery was eaten instead of pancakes. I have heard of similar customs in other places. At Tobermore those who bring in the rushes ask at the door, "May St. Bridget come in?" "Yes, she may," is the answer. The rushes are put on a rail under the table while the family partake of tea. Afterwards the crosses are made, and, as at Maghera, hung up over doors and beds.[10]

    This custom probably comes to us from pre-Christian times. The cross in its varied forms is a very ancient symbol, sometimes representing the sun, sometimes the four winds of heaven. Schlieman discovered it on the pottery of the Troad; it is found in Egypt, India, China, and Japan, and among the people of the Bronze Period it appears frequently on pottery, jewellery, and coins.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 3

    As the companion tells it

    The town of Maghera holds a custom for St. Bridget's Eve. On January 31, children are sent out to pull rushes, and these must not be cut with a knife. When the rushes are brought in, the family gather round the fire and make crosses, which are sprinkled with holy water. The wife or eldest daughter prepares tea and pancakes, and the plate of pancakes is laid on top of the rush cross. Prayers are said, and the family partake of St. Bridget's supper. The crosses are then hung up over doors and beds to bring good luck. In former times, sowans or flummery was eaten instead of pancakes. A man named Daniel McKenna showed how the crosses were made, gathering some rushes to demonstrate. At Tobermore, not far from here, the custom has an extra piece. Those who bring in the rushes ask at the door, "May St. Bridget come in?" The answer comes back, "Yes, she may." The rushes are put on a rail under the table while the family partake of tea, and afterwards the crosses are made and hung up as they are at Maghera. The book this comes from says the custom probably reaches us from pre-Christian times. The cross in its varied forms is a very ancient symbol, sometimes representing the sun, sometimes the four winds of heaven. It has been found on the pottery of the Troad, and in Egypt, India, China, and Japan, and among people of the Bronze Period it appears on pottery, jewellery, and coins.

48. The harvest 'luchter' and churn custom at Maghera

    near Maghera · town · Derry

    At Maghera, the last handful of oats, called the 'luchter,' was plaited and reapers threw sickles at it; whoever cut it was exempt from paying his share of the harvest feast, followed by dancing and the wearing of harvest knots.

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    The harvest knots or bows are connected with another old custom which was, until recently, observed at Maghera. When the harvest was gathered in, the last handful of oats, the corn of this country, was left standing. It was plaited in three parts and tied at the top, and was called by the Irish name "luchter." The reapers stood at some distance, and threw their sickles at the luchter, and the man who cut it was exempt from paying his share of the feast. Daniel McKenna told me he had seen some fine sickles broken in trying to hit the luchter. It was afterwards carried home; the young girls plaited harvest knots and put them in their hair, while the lads wore them in their caps and buttonholes. A dance followed the feast. The knots, with the ears of corn attached, are, I am told, the true old Irish type, while it is thought that the smaller ones were made after a pattern brought from England by the harvest reapers on their return home. I heard of the same custom at Portstewart and also in the Valley of the Roe, where the last sheaf of oats was called the "hare," and the throwing of the sickles was termed the "churn." In some places the last sheaf itself was called the "churn," but by whatever name it was known the man who hit it was regarded as the victor, and was given the best seat at the feast, or a reward of some kind. An old woman above ninety years of age repeated to me a song about the churn, or kirn, and she and many others remember well the custom and the feast which followed, when both whisky and tea were served.

    In some districts the last sheaf is termed the "Cailleagh,"[11] or old wife.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 3

    As the companion tells it

    Maghera in Derry kept an old harvest custom until not so long ago. When the oats were nearly all gathered in, the last handful was left standing in the field. It was plaited in three parts and tied at the top, and given the Irish name "luchter." The reapers stood back at a distance and threw their sickles at it. The man who cut the luchter was excused from paying his share of the harvest feast. Daniel McKenna told the writer he had seen fine sickles broken in the effort to hit it. Afterwards the luchter was carried home. The young girls plaited harvest knots and put them in their hair, while the lads wore them in their caps and buttonholes. A dance followed the feast. The knots with the ears of corn still attached are said to be the true old Irish type, while the smaller ones were thought to follow a pattern brought from England by the harvest reapers coming home. The same custom was known at Portstewart and in the Valley of the Roe, where the last sheaf of oats was called the "hare" and the throwing of the sickles was called the "churn." In some places the last sheaf itself went by that name. By whatever name it was known, the man who struck it was the victor, given the best seat at the feast or some other reward. An old woman above ninety years of age repeated a song about the churn, or kirn, and she and many others remembered the custom well, and the feast that followed, when both whisky and tea were served. In some districts the last sheaf was called the "Cailleagh," the old wife.

49. Underground dwelling near Portstewart with limpet shells

    near Port Stewart · town · Derry

    An old farmer near Portstewart described an underground dwelling he had once entered, hollowed by man with several rooms connected by narrow holes, in one of which limpet-shells were found; some said Danes built it, others said clans made it as refuge.

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    One was on the land of an old farmer eighty-four years of age. He told me he had been in this cave, but no one could get in now. It had been hollowed out by man, but the walls were not built of stones. There were several rooms; you dropped from one to another through a narrow hole. The rooms were large, but low in the roof; in one of them a quantity of limpet-shells were found. He added that some said that the Danes had built these caves, others that the clans made them as places of refuge. He added that the Danes of those days had sandy hair and were short people; not like the sturdy Danes of the present day. These are well known to the seafaring population of Ulster, and we sometimes find the old Danes spoken of as a tall, fair race; probably this is a true description of the medieval sea-rovers. The short Danes I should be inclined to identify with the Tuatha de Danann, and I believe that, notwithstanding the magical portents which abound in the tales that have come down to us, we have here a very early people who had made some progress in the arts.

    This double use of the name Dane seems at times to have perplexed the older writers. The Rev. William Hamilton, in his "Letters on the North-East Coast of Antrim," published towards the end of the eighteenth century, gives a description of the coal-mines of Ballycastle[33] and of the very ancient galleries, with the pillars, left by the prehistoric miners, supporting the roof, which had been discovered some twelve years before he wrote. He tells us that the people of the place ascribed them to the Danes, but argues that these were never peaceable possessors of Ireland, and that it is not "to the tumultuary and barbarous armies of the ninth and tenth centuries ... we are to attribute the slow and toilsome operations of peace." He mentions how the stalactite pillars found in these galleries marked their antiquity, and ascribes them to some period prior to the eighth century, "when Ireland enjoyed a considerable share of civilization."

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

    As the companion tells it

    Near Portstewart there is an underground dwelling that an old farmer, eighty-four years of age, once entered. He said no one could get in now. It had been hollowed out by man, but the walls were not built of stones. There were several rooms, and a person dropped from one to another through a narrow hole. The rooms were large but low in the roof. In one of them a quantity of limpet shells were found. The farmer said some people believed the Danes had built these caves, while others thought the clans made them as places of refuge. He added that the Danes of those days had sandy hair and were short people, not like the sturdy Danes of the present day, who were well known to the seafaring population of Ulster. The old Danes were sometimes spoken of as a tall, fair race, probably a true description of the medieval sea-rovers. The author of the account thought these short Danes might be identified with the Tuatha de Danann, an early people who had made some progress in the arts. This double use of the name Dane perplexed older writers. The Reverend William Hamilton, in his Letters on the North-East Coast of Antrim, published towards the end of the eighteenth century, described the coal mines of Ballycastle and ancient galleries with pillars left by prehistoric miners, discovered some twelve years before he wrote. The people there also ascribed them to the Danes. Hamilton argued the Danes were never peaceable possessors of Ireland, and that it was not, in his words, "to the tumultuary and barbarous armies of the ninth and tenth centuries" that such slow and toilsome works should be attributed. He noted that stalactite pillars marked the galleries' antiquity and placed them before the 8th century, when Ireland enjoyed a considerable share of civilization.

50. Ballycairn Fort built by short, stout Danes

    Ballycairn · townland · Derry

    Ballycairn Fort overlooking the Bann near Coleraine is said to have been built by short, stout Danes with sandy or red hair who carried earth in leathern aprons for lack of wheelbarrows.

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    Fairies are not the only race connected with raths and souterrains. We have two others, Danes and Pechts. It is generally believed that the Danes built the forts; hence we find many of them called "Danes' forts." I will describe one named from the townland in which it is situated, Ballycairn Fort. It stands on a high bank overlooking the Bann, about a mile north of Coleraine. The entire height is about twenty-six feet; at perhaps twelve feet from the ground a flat platform is reached, and at one end of this the upper part of the fort rises in a circular form for about fourteen or fifteen feet. I was told the Danes who built it were short, stout people, and as they had no wheelbarrows they carried the earth in their leathern aprons. Here we seem to come in contact with a very primitive people, probably wearing the skins of wild animals, and who are said, like the fairies, to have sandy or red hair.

    As far as is known no souterrain exists in Ballycairn Fort, although I was shown a stone at the side which my guide said might be the entrance to a "cove"; it appeared to me to be simply a piece of rock appearing above the sod, or possibly a boulder. There is a tradition of fairies living in this fort, as it is said that in "long ago" times the farmers used to threaten their boys if they were not doing right, that the fairies would come out of the fort and carry them away.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Ballycairn there is a fort said to have been built by Danes. It stands on a high bank overlooking the Bann, about a mile north of Coleraine. The whole thing rises about 26 feet. Roughly 12 feet from the ground you reach a flat platform, and at one end of that the upper part of the fort rises in a circle for another 14 or 15 feet. The Danes who built it were said to be short, stout people. They had no wheelbarrows, so they carried the earth in their leathern aprons. It seems a very primitive people left this behind, probably wearing the skins of wild animals, and said, like the fairies, to have had sandy or red hair. No souterrain is known in Ballycairn Fort, though the writer was shown a stone at the side that his guide said might be the entrance to a cove. To him it looked like a piece of rock above the sod, or possibly a boulder. There is a tradition of fairies living here too. In long ago times, farmers used to threaten their boys, if they were not doing right, that the fairies would come out of the fort and carry them away.

51. Fairy battles at the Pecht's graveyard

    near Maghera · town · Derry

    Near Maghera, the Pecht's graveyard, a place covered with rough mounds and stones, was described as a playground of the fairies where different fairy tribes had pitched battles, and travelers were often led astray there.

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    Leaving Killelagh Church, we continued our walk, and I asked my guide about the customs and traditions of the country. He told me that on Hallow Eve Night salt is put on the heads of children to protect them from the fairies. These fairies, or wee folk, are about three feet in height, some not so tall; they are of different races or tribes, and have pitched battles at the Pecht's graveyard. This is a place covered with rough mounds and very rough stones, and is looked on as a great playground of the fairies; people passing through it are often led astray by them. The Pechts, or Picts, were described to me as having long black hair, which grew in tufts; they were small people, about four feet six inches in height, thick set, nearly as broad as they were long, strong in arms and shoulders, and with very large feet. When a shower of rain came on, they would stand on their heads and shelter themselves under their feet. Some years ago I was told a similar story in Co. Antrim of the Pechts lying down and using their feet as umbrellas.[9]

    I regretted we had not time to visit a large fort we passed on the way to Ballyknock Farmhouse. Here we left the road, and, passing through some fields, came to the old Sweat-house. As you will see from the photograph kindly given to me by Mr. Lytle of Maghera, the entrance is on the side of a bank. It is a much more primitive structure than those at the Struel Wells, near Downpatrick. No mortar has been used in its construction, and I should say it is an old souterrain, or part of a souterrain. The following are rough measurements:

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 3

    As the companion tells it

    As the road takes you through or near Maghera, there is a place nearby called the Pecht's graveyard, a stretch of ground covered with rough mounds and very rough stones. It was looked on as a great playground of the fairies. The fairies, or wee folk as they were called, were said to be about 3 feet in height, some not so tall, and they belonged to different races or tribes. These tribes fought pitched battles at the Pecht's graveyard. People passing through the place were often led astray by them. The Pechts, or Picts, were described as small people, about 4 feet 6 inches tall, thick set, nearly as broad as they were long, strong in arms and shoulders, with very large feet. They had long black hair that grew in tufts. When a shower of rain came on, they would stand on their heads and shelter themselves under their feet. A similar story was told in County Antrim of the Pechts lying down and using their feet as umbrellas. On Hallow Eve night, salt was put on the heads of children to protect them from the fairies.

52. Fire at Dunree blamed on angry fairies

    Dunree · townland · Donegal

    A fire at Dunree on Lough Swilly was attributed by locals to fairies angered because military construction of a modern fort encroached too near the fairy rock.

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    The fairies are quick to revenge an injury or an encroachment on their territory. A fire which occurred at Dunree on Lough Swilly was attributed to the fairies, who were supposed to be angry because the military had carried the works of their modern fort too near the fairy rock. In some places the raths have been cultivated, but, as a rule, this is looked upon as very unlucky, and sure to bring dire misfortune on the man who attempts it. On the other hand, there appears to be no objection to growing crops on the top of a souterrain. Many are, it is true, afraid to enter these dark abodes, and others consider it unwise to carry anything out of them. I have never heard them spoken of as tombs, and the fairies are regarded, not as ghosts, but as fallen angels, to whom no Church holds out a hope of salvation. Only in one instance did a woman tell me that as fairies were good to the poor, she thought there would be hope for them hereafter. The Irish fairy remains a pagan; the ancient well of pre-Christian days may be consecrated to the Christian saint, and patterns held beside it, but no pious pilgrim prays on the rath or below the fairy rock.

    We may now ask ourselves the meaning of these legends. The rath and souterrain are undoubtedly the work of primitive man, yet here we have the Sidh, inhabited by the fairy and the Tuatha de Danann. In the "Colloquy of the Ancients"[42] we are told it was out of a Sidh, Finn's chief musician, the dwarf Cnu deiriol came, and from another Sidh came Blathnait, whom the small man espoused. It was fairy music which Cnu taught to the musicians of the Fianna. It was out of a Sidh in the south that Cas corach, son of the Olave of the Tuatha de Danann, came to the King of Ulidia.[43]

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 5

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere around here, at Dunree on Lough Swilly, a fire broke out, and the people here blamed it on the fairies. The fairies, they said, were angry because the military had built the works of their modern fort too close to the fairy rock. The belief was that the fairies are quick to revenge an injury or an encroachment on their territory. This was not an unusual way of thinking. In many places, people would not cultivate the raths, because it was looked on as very unlucky and sure to bring dire misfortune on anyone who tried. Growing crops on top of a souterrain was another matter, and there seemed to be no objection to that. But many were afraid to enter those dark abodes, and others thought it unwise to carry anything out of them. The fairies were not spoken of as ghosts. They were regarded as fallen angels, to whom no Church held out a hope of salvation. Only one woman told the writer that as fairies were good to the poor, she thought there might be hope for them hereafter. The Irish fairy remains a pagan. An ancient well of pre-Christian days might be consecrated to a Christian saint, with patterns held beside it, but no pious pilgrim prays on the rath or below the fairy rock. The rath and souterrain are the work of primitive man, yet they are spoken of as the Sidh, inhabited by the fairy and the Tuatha de Danann. In the old Colloquy of the Ancients, Finn's chief musician, the dwarf Cnu deiriol, came out of a Sidh, and from another Sidh came Blathnait, whom the small man espoused. It was fairy music that Cnu taught to the musicians of the Fianna. And it was out of a Sidh in the south that Cas corach, son of the Olave of the Tuatha de Danann, came to the King of Ulidia.

53. Ointment story variant at Portstewart

    near Port Stewart · town · Derry

    An old woman at Portstewart told a variant of the fairy midwife tale in which the woman gains fairy-sight by accidentally rubbing ointment across her eye while tending a fairy infant.

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    Variants of this story were told to me by an old woman at Portstewart, and by a man whom I met near Lough Salt during the Rosapenna Conference of Field Clubs. In these versions there is no mention of the red-haired boy, nor of the old woman being the mother of the fairy man's wife; she is simply called in to attend to her. When rubbing ointment on the infant, she accidentally draws her hand across one of her eyes and acquires the power of seeing the fairies. Shortly afterwards she meets the fairy man at a market or fair, and inquires for his wife. He is annoyed at being recognized, asks with which eye she sees him, blows upon it, and puts it out.[73]

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    At Portstewart, an old woman told a version of the fairy midwife tale. In her telling, a woman is called in to attend a fairy's wife. There is no red-haired boy in this version, and the woman is not the mother of the fairy man's wife. She is simply summoned to help. While rubbing ointment on the fairy infant, she accidentally draws her hand across one of her eyes, and from that moment she can see the fairies. Shortly afterwards she meets the fairy man at a market or fair and asks after his wife. He is annoyed at being recognized. He asks her which eye she sees him with. She tells him. He blows upon that eye and puts it out.

54. Owner's sudden death after cultivating fort near Newcastle

    near Newcastle · town · Down

    An attempt to bring a fairy fort near Newcastle under cultivation was believed to have caused the sudden death of its owner.

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    I was told that when a certain fort in Co. Fermanagh was levelled to the ground misfortune overtook the men who did the work, although, apparently, they were only labourers, many of them dying suddenly. It was also said that where this fort had stood there were caves or hollows in the ground into which the oxen would fall when ploughing. An attempt to bring a fort near Newcastle under cultivation is believed to have caused the sudden death of the owner.

    The fairies are celebrated as fine musicians; they ride on small horses; the women grind meal, and the sound of their spinning is often heard at night in the peasants' cottages. The following story is related as having occurred at Camlough, near Newry.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    Near Newcastle, there was a fort in the ground that someone tried to bring under cultivation. People believed that attempt killed the owner. He died suddenly, and the blame fell on the fort. A similar story was told of a fort in County Fermanagh. When that fort was levelled to the ground, misfortune overtook the men who did the work, even though they were only labourers. Many of them died suddenly. Where the Fermanagh fort had stood, there were caves or hollows in the ground, and oxen would fall into them when ploughing. The Newcastle story is shorter, but the warning in it is the same. You did not touch these places without cost.

55. Red-haired fairy sighting in the Mourne Mountains

    near Mourne Mountains · mountain or mountain range · Down

    A farmer in the Mourne Mountains reported seeing little creatures with red hair, about the size of children, on a stormy night, insisting they could not have been ordinary children out in such weather.

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    A farmer living in one of the valleys of the Mourne Mountains said he had seen one stormy night little creatures with red hair, about the size of children. I asked him if they might not have been really children from some of the cottages, but his reply was that no child could have been out in such weather.

    An old woman living near Tullamore Park, Co. Down, described vividly how, going out to look after her goat and its young kid, she had heard loud screams and seen wild-looking figures with scanty clothing whose hair stood up like the mane of a horse. She spoke with much respect of the fairies as the gentry, said they formerly inhabited hills in Tullamore Park, and that care was taken not to destroy their thorn-bushes. She related the following story: As a friend of hers was sitting alone one night, a small old woman, dressed in a white cap and apron, came in and borrowed a bowl of meal. The debt was repaid, and the meal brought by the fairy put in the barrel. The woman kept the matter secret, and was surprised to find her barrel did not need replenishing. At last her husband asked if her store of meal was not coming to an end; she replied that she would show him she had sufficient, and lifted the cover of the barrel. To her astonishment it was almost empty; no doubt, had she kept her secret, she would have had an unlimited supply of meal.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    The Mourne Mountains are a place the road passes through, and the folklore of these valleys runs deep. A farmer living in one of the valleys said he saw, on a stormy night, little creatures with red hair, about the size of children. When asked whether they might have been children from some of the cottages, his reply was that no child could have been out in such weather. He was certain of what he saw. Not far away, an old woman living near Tullamore Park in County Down told her own story. She said that going out to look after her goat and its young kid, she heard loud screams and saw wild-looking figures with scanty clothing, whose hair stood up like the mane of a horse. She spoke of the fairies with respect, calling them the gentry, and said they once inhabited hills in Tullamore Park. People took care not to destroy their thorn-bushes. She told of a friend who was sitting alone one night when a small old woman in a white cap and apron came in and borrowed a bowl of meal. The debt was repaid, and the meal the fairy brought was put in the barrel. The woman kept it secret and was surprised the barrel never seemed to need replenishing. At last her husband asked if her store of meal was not coming to an end. She said she would show him she had sufficient, and lifted the cover. To her astonishment it was almost empty. Had she kept her secret, she would have had an unlimited supply of meal.

56. The Danish cashel with souterrain above Dungiven

    near Dungiven · town · Derry

    The author visited a cashel above Dungiven attributed to the Danes, beneath which there is a souterrain, and identified these short, red-haired Danes with the Tuatha de Danann.

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    To the Danes are ascribed the kitchen-middens on Rosguill, and the lad I met above Gortnalughoge Bay, told me they lived and had their houses on the water, I should infer after the fashion of the lake-dwellers. He could not tell me the height of these Danes, but those who built the forts and cashels have often been described to me as short and red-haired. As I have stated on former occasions, I should be inclined to identify these short Danes with the Tuatha de Danann. I visited one of their cashels above Dungiven, under which there is a souterrain, and I also went to one on a hill above Downey's pier at Rosapenna. I believe it is the Downey's Fort marked on the Ordnance Survey map. It appeared to be regarded as an uncanny spot; treasure is said to be hidden under it, and I had a difficulty in getting anyone to take me to it. A little girl, however, acted as guide, and a young farmer, who had at first refused, joined me on the top. I took some very rough measurements of this cashel. From the outer circumference it was about 60 by 60 feet; the walls had fallen inwards, so it was impossible to say how thick they had been originally, but the space free from stones in the centre measured about 25 by 25 feet.

    The young farmer told me of some rocks at a place he called Dooey, on which crosses were inscribed. I believe that near Mevagh, in addition to the spiral markings, which were visited by many members of the Conference, there is another rock on which crosses are also inscribed.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    Near Dungiven in Derry, there is a cashel attributed to the Danes, with a souterrain beneath it. The writer of Ulster Folklore records that the Danes are also ascribed the kitchen-middens on Rosguill. A lad he met above Gortnalughoge Bay told him they lived and had their houses on the water, after the fashion of the lake-dwellers. The lad could not tell him the height of these Danes, but those who built the forts and cashels have often been described to him as short and red-haired. He was inclined to identify these short Danes with the Tuatha de Danann. He visited one of their cashels, under which there is a souterrain, and he also went to one on a hill above Downey's pier at Rosapenna. He believed it to be the Downey's Fort marked on the Ordnance Survey map. It appeared to be regarded as an uncanny spot. Treasure is said to be hidden under it, and he had difficulty getting anyone to take him there. A little girl acted as guide, and a young farmer who had at first refused joined him on the top. He took rough measurements of this cashel. From the outer circumference it was about 60 by 60 feet. The walls had fallen inwards, so it was impossible to say how thick they had been originally, but the space free from stones in the centre measured about 25 by 25 feet. The young farmer told him of some rocks at a place he called Dooey, on which crosses were inscribed. Near Mevagh, in addition to the spiral markings visited by many members of the Conference, there is another rock on which crosses are also inscribed.

57. The Hairy Grogach of Ballycastle

    near Ballycastle · town · Antrim

    At Ballycastle, the Grogach was described as a hairy man about four feet tall who could endure heat or cold without wearing clothing.

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    A Grogach herded the cattle of a farmer, and drove them home in the evening. He was about the size of a child, and was naked. A fire was left burning at night so that he might warm himself, and after a time the daughter of the house made him a shirt. When the Grogach saw this he thought it was a "billet" for him to go, and, crying bitterly, he took his departure, and left the shirt behind him. As I pointed out on a former occasion,[87] in many respects the Grogach resembles the Swiss dwarf. The likeness to the Brownie is also very marked. At Ballycastle I was told the Grogach was a hairy man about four feet in height, who could bear heat or cold without clothing.

    Patrick Kennedy has described a Gruagach as a giant, and states that the word "Gruagach" has for root _gruach_--"hair," giants and magicians being "furnished with a large provision of that appendage."[88] This Gruagach was closely related to the fairies, and, indeed, we shall find later in a Donegal story a giant ogress spoken of as a fairy woman. In Scotland, as well as in the South of Ireland, the name is Gruagach, but in Antrim I heard it pronounced "Grogach." I was also told near Cushendall that the Danes were hairy people.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 8

    As the companion tells it

    Near the town of Ballycastle in Antrim, people told of a creature called the Grogach. A Grogach herded the cattle of a farmer and drove them home in the evening. He was about the size of a child, and he was naked. A fire was left burning at night so he might warm himself. After a time the daughter of the house made him a shirt. When the Grogach saw the shirt, he thought it was a "billet" for him to go. Crying bitterly, he took his departure and left the shirt behind him. At Ballycastle the Grogach was described as a hairy man about four feet in height, who could bear heat or cold without clothing. The word Gruagach has for its root gruach, meaning hair. Giants and magicians were said to be furnished with a large provision of that appendage. In Scotland and in the south of Ireland the name is Gruagach, but in Antrim it was pronounced Grogach. Near Cushendall it was also said that the Danes were hairy people.

58. Danish kitchen-middens on Rosguill

    Rosguill · electoral division · Donegal

    The kitchen-middens found on Rosguill are ascribed to the Danes, who were said to have lived and had their houses on the water in the manner of lake-dwellers.

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    To the Danes are ascribed the kitchen-middens on Rosguill, and the lad I met above Gortnalughoge Bay, told me they lived and had their houses on the water, I should infer after the fashion of the lake-dwellers. He could not tell me the height of these Danes, but those who built the forts and cashels have often been described to me as short and red-haired. As I have stated on former occasions, I should be inclined to identify these short Danes with the Tuatha de Danann. I visited one of their cashels above Dungiven, under which there is a souterrain, and I also went to one on a hill above Downey's pier at Rosapenna. I believe it is the Downey's Fort marked on the Ordnance Survey map. It appeared to be regarded as an uncanny spot; treasure is said to be hidden under it, and I had a difficulty in getting anyone to take me to it. A little girl, however, acted as guide, and a young farmer, who had at first refused, joined me on the top. I took some very rough measurements of this cashel. From the outer circumference it was about 60 by 60 feet; the walls had fallen inwards, so it was impossible to say how thick they had been originally, but the space free from stones in the centre measured about 25 by 25 feet.

    The young farmer told me of some rocks at a place he called Dooey, on which crosses were inscribed. I believe that near Mevagh, in addition to the spiral markings, which were visited by many members of the Conference, there is another rock on which crosses are also inscribed.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 7

    As the companion tells it

    Rosguill, in Donegal, is a place the road passes through. The kitchen-middens found here are ascribed to the Danes. A lad the author met above Gortnalughoge Bay told him these Danes lived and had their houses on the water, after the fashion of the lake-dwellers. He could not say how tall they were, but those who built the forts and cashels have often been described as short and red-haired. The author was inclined to identify these short Danes with the Tuatha de Danann. He visited one of their cashels above Dungiven, under which there is a souterrain, and he also went to one on a hill above Downey's pier at Rosapenna. He believed it to be the Downey's Fort marked on the Ordnance Survey map. The spot was regarded as uncanny. Treasure is said to be hidden under it, and he had difficulty getting anyone to take him there. A little girl acted as guide, and a young farmer who had at first refused joined him on the top. He took rough measurements of this cashel. From the outer circumference it was about 60 by 60 feet. The walls had fallen inwards, so it was impossible to say how thick they had been originally, but the space free from stones in the centre measured about 25 by 25 feet. The young farmer told him of some rocks at a place he called Dooey, on which crosses were inscribed. Near Mevagh, in addition to spiral markings visited by many members of the Conference, there is another rock on which crosses are also inscribed.

59. Exploration of Ballymagreehan souterrain near Castlewellan

    Ballymagreehan · townland · Down

    The author explored the souterrain at Ballymagreehan Fort near Castlewellan on the Newry Road, describing a narrow entrance leading to passages about forty feet long, three feet wide, built of round stones with a flat-slab roof.

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    Ballymagreehan Fort is a short distance from Castlewellan, near the Newry Road. It is a small fort, and on the top we saw the narrow entrance to the souterrain. Passing down through this, we found ourselves in a short passage, or chamber, which led us to another passage at right angles to the first. It is about forty feet in length and three feet in width; the height varies from four to five feet. The roof is formed of flat slabs, and the walls are carefully built of round stones, but without mortar. At one end this passage appeared to terminate in a wall, but at the other it was only choked with fallen stones and débris, and I should think had formerly extended farther.

    Herman's Fort is another small fort on the opposite side of Castlewellan, in the townland of Clarkill. Climbing to the top of it, we came to an enclosure where several thorn-bushes were growing. The farmer who kindly acted as our guide showed us two openings. One of these led to a narrow chamber fully six feet high, the other to a passage more than thirty feet in length and about three feet wide, while the height varied from three and a half feet in one part to more than five feet in another. I was told that water is always to be found near these forts, and was shown a well which had existed from time immemorial; the sides were built of round stones without mortar, in the same way as the walls of the passage.

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 2

    As the companion tells it

    Somewhere close to Ballymagreehan, there is a small fort a short distance from Castlewellan, near the Newry Road. On the top of it, the explorers found a narrow entrance to a souterrain. Passing down through it, they came into a short passage or chamber, which led to another passage at right angles to the first. That passage was about 40 feet long and 3 feet wide, with the height varying from 4 to 5 feet. The roof was formed of flat slabs, and the walls were carefully built of round stones but without mortar. At one end the passage appeared to terminate in a wall, but at the other it was choked with fallen stones and debris, and the author thought it had formerly extended farther. On the opposite side of Castlewellan, in Clarkill, there is another small fort called Herman's Fort. Climbing to the top, the explorers came to an enclosure where several thorn-bushes were growing. A farmer who acted as guide showed them two openings. One led to a narrow chamber fully 6 feet high, the other to a passage more than 30 feet long and about 3 feet wide, with the height varying from 3 and a half feet in one part to more than 5 feet in another. They were told that water is always to be found near these forts, and were shown a well that had existed from time immemorial, its sides built of round stones without mortar, the same way as the walls of the passage.

60. Skiough bush resists cutting in Glenshesk

    Glenshesk · valley · Antrim

    In Glenshesk some men attempted to cut down a Skiough (fairy) bush but their hatchet broke repeatedly and they gave up; another transplanted bush was said to return of its own accord during the night.

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    To leave these weird apparitions, it will be seen that the ordinary fairy, the Grogach, the Pecht, and the Dane, all inhabit underground dwellings, although the fairy and Grogach are regarded more in the light of supernatural beings. To cut down a fairy or a "Skiough" bush is to court misfortune, sometimes to attempt an impossible task. In Glenshesk some men tried to cut down a Skiough bush, but the hatchet broke; after several failures they gave up, and the bush still flourishes. Another bush was transplanted, but returned during the night.

    To the Danes and Pechts the building of all the raths and souterrains is ascribed, and in North-East Antrim the Pechts are said to have been so numerous that, when making a fort, they could stand in a long line, and hand the earth from one to another, no one moving a step. A similar story is told of the Scotch Pechts by the Rev. Andrew Small in his "Antiquities of Fife" (1823).[59] Speaking of the Round Tower of Abernethy, "The story goes," he says, "that it was built by the Pechts ... and that while the work was going on they stood in a row all the way from the Lomond Hill to the building, handing the stones from one to another.... That it has been built of freestone from the Lomond Hill is clear to a demonstration, as the grist or nature of the stone points out the very spot where it has been taken from--namely, a little west, and up from the ancient wood of Drumdriell, about a mile straight south from Meralsford." According to popular tradition in Scotland, these Pechts or Picts were great builders, and many of the edifices ascribed to them belong to a comparatively late period. Mr. MacRitchie suggests that in the erection of some of these the Picts may have been employed as serfs or slaves.[60] He believes the Pechts to be the Picts of history. Mr. W. C. Mackenzie, on the other hand, has suggested that they are an earlier dwarf race, the Pets or Peti, who have been confused by the peasantry with the Picts.[61] This is a matter I must leave to others to decide; but I may remark in passing that in an ancient poem on the Cruithnians, preserved in the book of Lecan, we have a suggestion that these Cruithnians or Picts were a smaller race than their enemies, the Tuath Fidga. We are told how

    Project Gutenberg #37187, Chapter 6

    As the companion tells it

    As the road takes you through the valley of Glenshesk, there are stories here of the fairy folk and their bushes. A Skiough bush was one no one dared cut. Some men in Glenshesk tried. Their hatchet broke. They tried again, and it broke again. After several failures they gave up, and the bush still flourishes. Another bush was transplanted, but returned during the night. The people of this country say the Danes and the Pechts built all the raths and souterrains. In North-East Antrim, the Pechts were said to have been so numerous that, when making a fort, they could stand in a long line and hand the earth from one to another, no one moving a step. A similar story is told of the Scotch Pechts by the Reverend Andrew Small in his "Antiquities of Fife" from 1823. He speaks of the Round Tower of Abernethy, built by the Pechts, who stood in a row all the way from the Lomond Hill to the building, handing the stones from one to another. The tower was built of freestone from the Lomond Hill. Mr. MacRitchie suggests the Picts may have been employed as serfs or slaves in the erection of some of these buildings, and believes the Pechts to be the Picts of history. Mr. W. C. Mackenzie has suggested they are an earlier dwarf race, the Pets or Peti, confused by the peasantry with the Picts.