150 Proceedings of the Roijal Irish Academy. 



appointed to allocate the holy mounds among the two divine races. He gave 

 the gods magic food and drink which kept them young 1 like the apples of 

 Iduna, He, like Nuada, was broken into different personal forms — (1) " the 

 son of Allot, the splendid wizard of the Tuatha D6 Danann " ; s (2) Gaer; 

 (3) Oirbsen of Aran, killed by a grandson of Nuada: Loch Oirbsen (Loch 

 Corrib) broke out of his grave ; 3 (4) the son of Cerp and king of the Isle of 

 Man, in the time of Conaire the king : (5 the son of Lir, the famous merchant 

 of the [do of Man. and (6] the son of Athngo, who avenged the sons of 

 Uisnech. He was, under the name "Oirbsen," divine ancestor of the 

 Ciarrhaig 8 rry, and, under the names "Luguid" and " Conmac," of the 

 Conmaicne of Con maic)nemara. 4 The renowneil Mongan in the seventh 

 century was bis bod by a mortal mother. 9 



There was a sinister aspect (as became a personification of the lovely but 

 deadly ocean) in Manannan. He could not bear victim.- to be rescued from 

 him. I am told that the father of the late Lord Munis and his sons had 

 difficulties in preventing Borne fishermen on Galway Bay (usually the best- 

 natured men i from forcing the survivors of a wreck back into the waves — 

 man would have lmk that tried to save them." Morses with naked 

 yonng men on their ' re driven into tin- -aim' bay on Garland Sunday 



ith.- day of the questionable Crom Dubh, 1 perhaps the malignant god to whom 

 1 human victims), hut they were allowed to return from the 

 realms of thi t Perlwpshii like those of " the pitiless Teutates, 



the horrible Esus and TaraniB" (denounced by Lucan were "no milder 

 khan tb the Tauric Artemis. In a Welsh tale Manawyddan builds a 



fortress of human bones and mortar, and a beehive structure of many cells; 

 thi- - - myths.' 



v .. , ; 386; I, M, - R I Acad.), i, p. 46; Agahamh, ii, p. 116. 



I i Gabb., p. 

 l, 272), Dind S. (Ibid., wi. p. 276. 



,in " in Voya I Kran. i. p] 

 \; H M ,- . ed this interesting (tory. There is a prejudice 



ijecl blown into tin- Be», on the same bay, as lias 

 n noticed. There is much evidence f"r human sacrifice in ancient Ireland : on 

 building a f..n (Emu, Dim Kmrys, cf. pig sacrifice at Donfidhne) ; or for Harvest 

 (Tailti an.l T B - Antt. Ir.. xln . Ir. Myth. Cycle, pp. 59 63; 



g^r Crnaieh, &t (Metr. l>ind S.. \. p. 276, Voyage ol Bran, Appendix, 



The king » men to die ; he ia perhaps a priest of the mound 



| Braden Da Derga, Bev. < - I have myself, as s child, " passed through 



Limerick. The Dindsenchas of Tailti 

 mentions " the burning of the Erst-born, " as well as cattle sai 'lie < lenach till 



•k forbade it. Sin'. I, and their blood mixed with the soil of 



Tara to ensure good harvests I Brio, vol. ii, p. 1- 



