BULL 71 



sacred by the Hindoos, as also a white bul], which, being indulged, 

 become nuisances to all the neighbourhood. The ancient Egyptians 

 and Assyrians paid divine honours to the bull, raising him even to 

 the skies as "Taurus" among the heavenly signs. The bull is the 

 " coat-of-arms " of Joseph. In the North bulls are famed in 

 fable, etc., a fairy bull is called "stiallaire" or "stiallaire ban," 

 the great one or the great white (striped) one ; it always lived in a 

 loch. The most famous cattle raid, as Professor MacKinnon 

 relates, is of Irish legend and called the " Tain bo chuailgne." 

 It originated in a dispute between Queen Meave and her then 

 spouse regarding the value of their respective goods and chattels. 

 The property of each was found to be exactly equal, with the 

 exception of a handsome bull, which belonged to the husband, the 

 animal disdaining to belong to or be owned by a female. The 

 queen heard that there was a still handsomer bull in Ulster, and 

 the steps taken to obtain possession of the Donn chuailgne, as this 

 animal was called, the subject of the romance. See Fingal, Duan I., 

 page 577, as to a white bull; also see page 110 of Literature of 

 the Celts, by Magnus Maclean for a vivid description of the fight 

 between the two rivaKbulls in Queen Meave's country — Fionn- 

 bheannach and Donn-chuailgne. 



To dream of a bull is the sign of " Cobhair a teachd " (coming 

 help, especially to MacLeods). 



The word "colpach," as applied to bullock, is used in the 

 following lines (Ross Salm LI., 9). 



" 'N sin bheirear colpaich dhuitse suas. 

 Air t-altair naoimh gach toisg." 

 Then bullocks shall be offered up to Thee on Thy holy altar, 

 each proper season. 



Cha'n 'eil adharc cho cruaidh 's tha 'langan ard. 



His horn is not so hard as his roar is loud. 

 Is tu fein a thoisich an toiseach mar 'thuirt an t-amadan ris an 

 tarbh. 



You began it yourself, as the fool said to the bull. 

 Thuit an tarbh-coill' orra. 



The forest-bull fell on them. This perhaps should have 

 been under " monster." 



Reference is here made to Campbell's Tales, Vol. III., for a tale 

 of the conversation in Gaelic between two bulls representing 

 Scotland and England ; and a stone near Loch Lomond called 

 Clach nan tarbh, records the victory of the Scottish over the 

 English bull. 



A Celtic saying is, " Theid baile, gun fir-fearanin na tarbh bun 

 OS ceann." 



A town without a landlord or a bull goes topsy turvy. 



In the Isle of Man the water-bull or " theroo-ushta " is a spectre 



