THE STORIES 9 



Samoa a similar incident occurs. 1 Flesh-meat is more 

 common as a fecundating substance in North American 

 tradition. 2 It is significant in this connection that the 

 ordinary mode of wooing in many of the North 

 American tribes was by gift of the produce of the 

 chase. 



In Ireland the legends of supernatural birth date 

 back to heathen times although not put into writing 

 until after Christianity had become the dominant 

 religion. We have space only for one or two. In 

 the saga entitled " Bruden da Derga," Etain, the 

 daughter of a more famous heroine of the same name, 

 was married to Cormac, King of Ulaid. Being barren 

 she applied to her mother, who made her some pottage. 

 She ate it ; but the result was not wholly satisfactory, 

 for she gave birth to a daughter, whereas Cormac 

 desired a son. No other child was born ; consequently 

 he forsook her. 3 The births both of Conchobar and 

 his sister's son Cuchulainn were ascribed to their 

 mothers having drunk water and swallowed worms in 

 the draught. 4 Of another sister of Conchobar it is 

 quaintly said that she "suffered from hesitation of 



1 von Bulow, Internat. Arch. xii. 67. 



2 Boas, Kathlamet Texts, 155 ; Kroeber, Univ. Cat. Pub. iv. Amer. 

 Arch. 199, 243 ; Catlin, i. 179 (cf. Will and Spenden, Peabody Mus. 

 Papers, iii. 139, 142). 



s The Sack of Da Derga's Hostel. Translated by Prof. Whitley 

 Stokes, Rev. Celt. xxii. 18. 



* Rev. Celt. vi. 179; D'Arbois de Jubainville, Epopee Celt. 16; 

 both translating MSS. of the fourteenth century now in the library 

 of the Royal Irish Academy; Rev. Celt. ix. 12 ; D'Arbois, op. "/., 

 37, translating Leabhar nah Uidhre (Book of the Dun Cow), MS. 

 dating back to about the year noo. According to one account 

 however, Dechtire, Conchobar's sister, succeeded in vomiting the 

 creature forth "and thus becoming virgin again" She then con- 

 ceived in the ordinary course. 



