ON GREENLAND AT DUCK-FLIGHT. 39 



mournful, supernatural chorus to which the 

 peasantry refer. Cauthleen na Keenthehaun 

 (Kate of the Keening, Kate the Keener), who 

 lives with an idiot son within sight of Green- 

 land, holds firmly to the weird faiths. Cauth- 

 leen is a picturesque hag who sends her poor 

 bird-witted lad begging over the parish, where 

 he is known as a sort of institution. Poor Cuck 

 is a boy-man with light blue eyes, great 

 shambling limbs, and is the happiest creature 

 in the world. He whoops and runs over the 

 sands, prances and chatters to the waves, 

 gallops or trots like an unbroken colt to the 

 neighbouring town, and is invaluable to a wild- 

 fowl shooter as a retriever. Cuck is looked on 

 by the people as sacred from harm or punish- 

 ment ; it is thought lucky to be a favourite of 

 his ; it is dangerous to vex him, for he has 

 who knows what influence with uncanny beings 

 who have power over the prospects of butter, 

 of harvest, of health. Cauthleen's profession is 

 to cry over the dead. She is one of the last of 

 a curious race. Her keening is thought to be 

 unusually eloquent and touching. She is 

 regularly employed for a "wake'' on the 



