I 



Falkiner — Notes upon a Rath Souterrain at Gurteen. 215 



these numerous earthworks have invariably been known, contains the 

 fossilized story of their origin. 



" Danish " forts or raths they are universally called, and Danish 

 they doubtless are, but not of those later Danes who come within the 

 range of true history, but Danish from the Danans, or " Tuatha de 

 Danans," who, once the masters of this island, were conquered by the 

 great Milesians — conquered but not exterminated, or even banished or 

 expelled — vanquished as kings and owners, but permitted to remain 

 as deities — driven from such loi'dly sites as Tara's Halls, and com- 

 pelled to dwell in green hills mid caves of the earth — deprived of tem- 

 poral but invested with supernatural powers — magicians, soothsayers 

 irom the first. The direct ancestors of Deena-Shee and Banshee — 

 the originals of fairies, "good people," and " Damii/ men,^^ et hoc 

 _ffenus omne. 



So speak the legends, traditions, folk-lore, and superstitions of our 

 country, supported by the existence on all sides of these venerable 

 and venerated green mounds, " Danish Raths," with their ancient 

 thorn trees, and hidden and mysterious souterrains, the treasure 

 chambers, last refuges, or laloratories of a conquered race of reputed 

 magicians. 



