142 DOG 



An t-alt luthaidh fad' on'n cheann 



Meadhon leathanii, leobhar cliabh, 



Uileann fhiar agus speir cham, 



Earball seacli speir, speir mar cliorran, 



Suil mar airneig, cluas mar dliuilleig; 



Sud mar thaghadh Fionn-na-Feinne cuilein cuan. 



Another famous dog was called "Tor," or more properly 

 " Toir," as it meant a dog which would go far and near in search 

 of venison and prey for hiin.self. His owner challenged the 

 Fingalians* dogs to fight "Tor," who (and there are several 

 versions) killed " Tri chaogad chu ; naoi chaogad chu ; aon fhichead 

 deug chaogad chu." Three, nine, or eleven twenty fifties of the 

 Fingalian hounds. Bran, whom we introduce once more, however, 

 tackled the big black dog (which, in due justice, we cannot help 

 thinking must by that time have been somewhat exhausted), and 

 killed it, to the great grief of his owner who had believed him 

 invincible, but Tor's owner wronged his opponent, going some- 

 what out of his way to account for the defeat by blaming Bran's 

 mother, Geola (Smeolan) nan car, " Geola of the wiles," for the 

 fate that had befallen his favourite. We, in common with others, 

 fail to find any reason for this beyond the self-evident fact that if 

 Bran's mother had never existed there would have been no Bran. 

 Bran also is said to have been a female while " Tor " was a male. 



Another famous Celtic dog, somewhat nearer our time, was that 

 mentioned in rhyme by Raol mac Raouil 'ic Iain, one of the 

 Glencoe family : — 



An cu bh' aig RaonuU-mac Raonuill-'ic-Iain 



Bheireadh e sithionn e beinn, 



Ceann leathann eadar 'dha shuil, ach biorach, 



'S bus dubh air gu 'shroin ; 



Uchd gearrain, seang leasrach 's bha 'fhionnadh 



Mar fhriogan tuirc nimheil nan cos ; 



Donn mar airneag bha shuil ; speir luthannach lubta, 



'S faobhar a chnamh mar ghein ; 



An cu sud bh'aig RaonuU-mac-Raonuill-'ic-Iain 



Is trie thug e sithionn e beinn. 



Ronald-son-of-Ronald-son-of-John's good dog 



He could bring venison from the mountain ; 



He was broad between the eyes, otherwise 



Sharp and black-muzzled to the tip of his nose ; 



With a horse-like chest he was small-flanked, and his pile 



Was like the bristles of the den-freqenting boar. 



Brown as a sloe was his eye. 



Supple-jointed (was he), with houghs bent as a bow. 



All his bones felt sharp and hard as the edge of a wedge ; 



Such was Ronald-mac-Ronald mhic John's good dog. 



That often brought venison from the mountain. 



