WHITE CATTLE: AN INQUIRY INTO THEIR ORIGIN, ETC. 425 
“ Long had they strove for the spotless bull that lowed on Golbun’s 
echoing heath ;” and again, “ I went and divided the herd, one 
snow white bull remained. I gave that bull to Cairbar.” Here 
two things are to be noted—first, a spotless bull was much desired ; 
and secondly, snow white bulls were found in herds, not wild. 
Much, I think, could be learnt from a study of old Irish or Celtic 
texts. In the Irish epic of the Tain bo’ Cuailgne, there is 
recorded a contest between two bulls. One is the East Doun or 
brown (dark) bull of terrific size and strength, and the other the 
Finnbennach or white horned. The latter is described as— 
‘© An ox was this white-headed, white footed, 
Savage, red, blood-red, 
As though he were dyed in red, 
As though he were bathed in blood, 
As though he were rubbed in crimson.” 
Again, in the Folk Lore Record for 1893 we read of a County 
Tyrone tradition of a terrible wild roan bull, called the “ Roan 
bull of Orange.” In fact, as far as I am aware, none of these 
traditional terrible bulls are ever stated to be white in colour. 
That my view of the use of white cattle is not a new one, I may 
note that Dr. R. C. Maclagan, of Edinbnrgh, in sending me some 
valuable notes (Appendix IV.), writes—‘ To explain my position, 
I took the view which I see you favour, that white cattle were 
kept for a religious purpose, and hoping some day to propose this 
theory, I made some notes.” 
As I have already mentioned the sacrificial instinct up to a 
recent date has existed in this country. About 1864 we learn 
that, in Morayshire, when a herd was attacked with murrain, 
one of them was sacrificed by being buried alive as a propitiatory 
offering. In Cornwall also, about 1800, farmers sacrificed living 
animals to appease ‘“‘the wrath of God.” Forlong, in the Rivers 
of Life, states that Sir James Simpson told the Society of 
Antiquaries of Scotland in 1861 that he had personal knowledge 
of a cow being burned alive within twenty miles of Edinburgh as 
a sacrifice to the “ field-deities.” 
_ Another example of the old sacrificial custom is seen in the 
custom of roasting whole, on a wedding day, bullocks with gilt horns. 
The employment of white oxen seems to be common in 
ceremonials in all parts of the world. At the Great Ploughing 
