190 MONSTER 



Mrith book, bell, and crozier in vain. It was eventually chained 

 to the bottom of its own loch by Saint MacCreiche. (See 

 O'Curry's Customs of Ancient Irish, Vol. III.) Other monsters 

 were named or termed Fuaig ; Fomor (fo mara), man of the sea ; 

 Bocanachs, Bananachs, etc. Boca, a monster, is just the Irish 

 pooke or puca, whence " bocan " ; it is said to take various 

 shapes, such as a goat or horse or even a bird of prey. But the 

 " Monster of Monsters " is that described in Revue Celtiyue as 

 somewhat of this description, viz. ; " One hundred necks upon 

 him, and one hundred heads upon each neck, and five hundred 

 teeth in each head ; one hundred hands upon him, and one hundred 

 palms in each hand, and one hundred nails on every j)alm." For 

 monsters of a kind see Revue Celtique, Tome IX., p. 471, et seq., 

 Voyage of Mael Duin. Another term for a monster, hobgoblin, 

 or devil, is " Kobold " ; another for monster, apparition, or phantom, 

 is Ealpaid, ealpait, or elpoid. Another is called the " Mata," 

 which — or who — had seven score feet, and seven heads (in 

 another account only four), another (or giant), had seventeen 

 heads upon him, was higher than any oak tree, fifty cubits in his 

 fork, and twenty-five in his shoulder-blades (VV. S.) ; one sea- 

 monster was called " Ruisheadan " (Ir. ruiseda), which was 

 amphibious. The Rosualt (Ross-ualt) seems to have been 

 a species of plague, in guise of a monster, which visited Ireland, 

 and brought a plague on land, in air, and in the sea. The 

 etymology is not discernible unless it be akin to " Rosal," a 

 judgment, a visitation. In Vol. III. of Campbell's Tales mention 

 is made of a female monster called the yellow Muileartach, and 

 reference is made to another, or goblin, called a "Fuath." A 

 word " Fachach," a giant, may also be included under monsters, 

 and on page 362 we are introduced to a venomous (horned) 

 creature entitled " Beannach-nimhe," horned poison. The 

 monster termed "Sianach" was a deer-monster. The 

 "Arachd" or " Fuath-arrachd " was a spectral monster, also 

 simply called the " Biast " in the tale of the Muileartach or 

 Muireartach, which it represented. In Reliquice Celticce he, she, 

 or it is called Tarrach, likely an t-arrachd, as shortly after it 

 is referred to as Arrachd eitidh. The description of this 

 monster as there given is : — 



An Tarrach eitidh athuU crom 

 'S e b' ainm do 'n fuath nach raibh fann, 

 A Muileartach claon ruadh manntach, 

 Bha aodan dughlas air d breach guail, 

 Bha dheud carbadach claon ruadh, 

 Bha aon suil ghlogach 'n a cheann 

 'S bu luaithe e na rionnach maothair ; 

 Bha greann glas dubh air a cheann 

 Mar dhroch choille chrionaich air chrith. 



