DEER 123 



multitude saw (was on ?) the plain, and a wolf killing them (the 

 deer ?) ; also Fer selgca oss ocus elta (fear sealg os agus eilide), a 

 hunter of stags and does. A word "congna" is also given for a 

 deer's horn or antler. "Sed-greigh" is a term used also for deer, 

 i.e., "a herd of red cattle/' while in connection therewith we find 

 the words ^'seghainn, seguin (sed guin)/' a slayer of red cattle 

 (deer), a deerslayer. 



In 1744 £20 Scots was laid on by the Skye lairds as a fine for 

 killing a deer "without permission from the heritors." In the 

 island of Arran a fine of ,£20 stg. was at one time imposed on 

 the slayer of a deer. Glengarry's seal, at one time, was a large 

 circular shield, with a large deer covering it. In the tale of 

 "Dearg" reference is made to Oisein's mother having been 

 enchanted, wooed and won under form of a deer, and in regard 

 to this the late Rev. John Forbes of Sleat, Skye, mentions in some 

 of his notes in connection with his, as yet, unpublished translation 

 of Ossian's poems, that he, in 1858, interviewed at Kirivig (?) 

 Callanais, Isle of Lewis, one Murdoch McKay, aged 96, who 

 recited to him the tale of Ossian being born of a doe ; in addition 

 to numerous pieces introducing Fionn, Oscar, Caoilte, Diarmad, 

 etc. He (McKay) also said, the belief in his day was that the 

 Lochlannaich built Dun Carloway. The following is a verse 

 recited, inter alia, by this old man : " Ossian an deigh nam Feinn, 

 's fhada mo (illegible) an deigh chaich 'm aghaidh anns an aird 

 an iar 's uillinicean fodha sgiath an sas." He had the story of 

 Fionn coming to St Patrick's house and his starvation there. N.B. 

 The notes, being in pencil, are mostly illegible after the lapse of 

 forty years. 



Oisein's song to his mother, Graidhne, as a deer or hind under 

 spell (Ossen is said to mean "little fawn"), is as follows : — 



'' Cha chluinn mo leannan mo ghuth 

 Ma's tu mo mhathair gur fiadh thu 

 Ma's tu mo mhathair gur fiadh thu 

 Faiceal ort o ghniomh nan con," etc. 



My love will not hear my voice. 

 If thou art my mother, a deer thou 

 If thou art my mother, a deer thou 

 Be on guard from deeds of dogs. 



In the " Gesto " collection of Highland music, etc., the 

 following version of the above is given : — 



Ma's tu mo mhathair, 's gur fiadh If thou art my mother, a deer thou, 

 thu I'll sing me o ho rann o ho ; 



Bheir mi o ho rann o ho. Be early up before the sun rise, 

 Eirich moch mu'n eirich grian I'll sing me o ho rann o ho, 



Bheir mi, etc.. Eh ho ree, ree, eev ak, o ho 



Eho i ri, ri ibhag, o ho Ohee, oho, ho ro, 



Ohi, oho, ho ro I'll sing me o ho rann, o ho. 



Bheir mi o ho rann, o ho. 



