IXTRODUCTIOX. xv 



the present day among the people of Ircland and Scotland the same old 

 stories still ahve, though in a more or less altercd and disguised form. 



Thus, to quote one of the most remarkable instanccs, thcy have to the 

 prcsent day preserved that old Indo-European tale of the father killing 

 the son, so famous in its Pcrsian and Tcutonic shape. Ever since the 

 first mention of this story in Irish hterature by the poet Cinaed ua 

 Artacain, who died in 975 (sce Jubainvillc, Cataloguc, p. 17), \vc can 

 follow it through the MSS. from century to century, until we comc to 

 its latcst shape in Campbcirs Tales, iii. p. 184, where, though the old 

 hero-story has almost sunk down to a nursery tale, yet many of the minute 

 particulars are presei-ved, such as Cuchulaind leaving a ring for his son, 

 the mother making her son swear never to tcU his name till forced, the 

 combat in the sea (a reminiscence of the wcU-known custom of Irish 

 heroes fighting in fords), the ' caih builg, &c.' ^ Let us hope that bcfore it 

 is too late somc one who has a thorough philological training and knows 

 well the whole domain of Celtic languagcs and hterature, may think 

 it worth his while to take down from the mouth of the people these 

 interesting relics of a mcmorable past. 



In conclusion, I shall here insert the translation of those two passages 

 which are missing in Rawl., and which I havc taken from the Egerton 

 version. The first takes up the narrative at 1. 286. 



While Abartach is fighting in single combat with thc king of the 

 Cathcads, Lir answers the challenge of the king of the Dogheads. But 

 after a short time he is overwhelmcd. When Bodb Derg sccs this he 

 crics out : ' Sad to me is the phght in which Lir is, and let some of you 

 arise and help him.' Then Ilbrec, the son of Manannan, went to his 

 rescue, but without a\-ai]. the king wounding him also. Then Sigmall, the 



' It was only the other day that I asked my friend Mr. T. J. 0'Loghlen, an Irish 

 gentleman, whether he had ever heard of Ctichulaind. He said he thought he remem- 

 bered the name, having heard his father tell about him. I then related to him the 

 Teacht Cojilaoich go h-Eirint!, and had just come to the parting words of the dying 

 Conlaoch, when Mr. 0'Loghlen, interrupting me, recited the following lines that had 

 suddenly come back to his memory : 



^A Chnchulaind, athair glic, 



ca fdth fidr aithnighis vic ? 



'nuair do chaithinn-se tne in t-sleagh go fann, 



is teann teanti do chaited ine ! ' 



