136 DOG 



dog apparently had twined his affections, always stayed his hand 

 by saying, "Coma leibhse, cha d'thainig latha 'choin duibh 

 fhathasd," never you mind, the black dog's day has not yet come, 

 which was, to curtail the tale, the saving of his master from a 

 supernatural being, which the faithful animal did at the expense 

 of his own life. The saying became proverbial, when any 

 apparently lazy or g.)od-for-notliing person, etc., is scorned by the 

 more able or active. In reference to the above, " Fionn " tells us 

 in the Highlajid News that there are several versions of " Comhrag 

 a choin duibh," one in Stewart's Collection, 1804, and several in 

 Leabhar na Feinne ; we also find one in the Scottish Celtic Review. 

 Biorach-mac-buidheag was the name of the one worst dog that ever 

 was among the Feinne. 



Ancient Celts were much attached to their dogs, into whose 

 accounts mythology doubtless entered largely. Some have 

 supposed that the dog was even an object of worship ; certainly 

 animals and things far inferior were so worshipped, though Moses 

 in his code of laws makes the dog an unclean animal. The dog 

 can be and has been traced back to the Neolithic age, its bones being 

 found as among the earliest of all animals. Mr Curry informed 

 Dr MacLauchlan, the able editor of the book of the Dean of 

 Lismore, that the " Concheannaich " or Dog-Iieads were an ancient 

 race who inhabited Magh O'Coin-chinn, now Moygonihy, in Kerry, 

 Ireland. On page 77 of the Dean's book will be found a reference 

 to a dog-headed battalion. The dog appears as the emblem 

 or coat-of-arms of Anubis, while, according to the said Dr 

 MacLauchlan, the greyhound or Mial-chu was the family name 

 given to King Bruidhi, and others of his race, being descriptive of 

 their ability and swiftness in pursuit of their enemies. The rate 

 of speed of a greyhound has been estimated at 2534: metres per 

 second. In the old Ossianic poem " Manos," the names of five 

 dogs are given which were celebrated among the Fingalians for 

 their courage and speed, viz., Seangshlios, Busdubh, Mollach, 

 Form, and Treun, the lines in which these are mentioned being as 

 follows : — 



Latha dhuinn a'n Gleann-a-cheo 

 Deichnear — na bha beo dhe'n Fheinn — 

 Bha caogad chu a'n laimh gach fir, 

 Seangshlios, Busdubh, Mollach, Form a's Treun, 

 Be sud ainm mo chuilean con ; 

 Bu luath, laidir iad ri gaoith, 

 Bu ro mhath an siubhal air leirg, 

 'S air cholg feirg cha robh iad faoin 



A-hunting one day in the Glen-of-mist — 

 Of the Fingalian host were then alive 

 Alas but ten ! — the last of all the race. 

 Of brawny deer-hounds each of us led five. 



