MONSTER 189 



A fearful monster is described in an Irish tale as having been 

 seen by Fionn and his heroes when hunting in Glen Smol ; " it 

 was being chased by a red wife (bean ruadh), had four thin legs, 

 a head like a bear (? cullaigh), and long horns on it, the rest of 

 it like a deer (eilit), with a shining moon on each side ; the sea 

 was as easy for it as the land, and no one could overtake it, but 

 Bran got up with it as it fell dead." This beast-monster was no 

 less than the King of the Fir Bolg in that shape. Sraid na hputog 

 was the name of the place this monster or beast started from, and 

 Cill-a-bhei thigh where it fell dead. A decent specimen of the 

 genus monster is thus described : " Beist mhor anagnathach," a 

 big uncanny beast, which would suck in any man, other animal, 

 or creature that came within seven miles of it, and swallow a 

 team of horses, the plough and the ploughman. In an Irish 

 folk-lore tale we read that in Lough Dearg, Ireland, a monster 

 (uilpheist) is said to be seen which is neither more nor less than 

 a certain murderer, Phelim MacGriomh, who was first transmuted 

 into a wolf yjro tem., and subsequently into this form perpetually 

 after the wolf had been slain by one Seaghan of the two sheep. 

 That famous and well-known monster, the water-horse, had no 

 monopoly of the Highlands evidently from its having, what may 

 be termed, a Southern name, viz., Waltron, or Walter's one ; it was 

 supposed to belong more especially to the Borders. 



The river Ness, or neighbouring banks, had at one time an 

 unenviable notoriety for a fearful monster till St Columba exorcised 

 it, the Saint keeping one of his companions, Lugue Mocumin, 

 from being destroyed while swimming across that river. Though 

 perhaps not really a monster, an Irish goblin or spirit called 

 "Puca," which, if we are not mistaken, answers to our Gaelic 

 word " bocan," took various shapes, among them being the dog, 

 horse, ass, and eagle. A certain doughty Irish champion named 

 Muiredach obtained the surname " Cuchongeilt," or the hero of 

 the monster (cu gun geilt, a fearless dog), for slaying one, while 

 the word " torathair " or toraithear is perpetuated in the name of 

 a certain place it is thought near Sligo, called Ros-torathair, the 

 promontory of the monster. The Irish, moreover, call a mermaid 

 Murdachag or ^^ Murduchan," and her song " Samhghulha," 

 perhaps saimh or seimh ghul — gentle weeping. Elsewhere we 

 find this word spelled "Samguba" (i.e., Saimh or seimh-gutha, 

 gentle voice), durd na samguba, the mermaid's melody (W. S.). 

 A sepulchral monument mentioned in the Irish Dindsenchas of 

 Brugh na boine is "Lecc Benn," the flag (stone) of Benn, i.e., 

 the leacht on which the monster was killed, said to have had 

 one hundred and forty legs, and four heads. Another was called 

 " Broicseach," broc sitheach, badger-monster, being amphibious 

 and suddenly appeared in Loch Broicsighe, or Broicseach's loch. 

 County Clare ; it was reputed as being very destructive to cattle, 

 and tried to be exorcised by the ecclesiastics going out against it 



