152 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academ//-. 



man being in the chief and oldest territory of the conquering Dergthene, 

 as their special goddess, Aibinn, became chief banshee of Minister in later 

 days. He was at least affiliated i<> the great gods of the Boyne, being "son 

 of Aengi of tin- Brugh, called the Dagda"; but this was a confusion, as the 

 Dagda, " Eochaid Ollathair, greyer than the grey mist," was evidently his 

 reputed grandfather. There seems reason to believe that Oengus was a 

 pre-Celtie god, unknown t<> Gaul and Britain, whose vast chambered cairn of 

 Newgrange, the noblest monument of the Bronze Age in Ireland, impressed 

 tin- early conquerors with reverential awe. Invading polytheists were ready 

 pi and bring into their own pantheon any local god. Even Israel took 

 over the Bails, along with the vineyards and tillage of their worshippers; 

 ami the lion-worried in Samaria, ami the townsmen of Gezer, took 



over th'' worship of Jahveh. A local god "understood the country," and 

 .voi ih winning as a friend. 



A- Bodb and the I divided the holy mounds among the gods, ] each 



was evidently a "commissioner" for a different divine race. Others said 



that Bodb was "son i garbh, son of Duach temen, son of Bress, son 



■ Elathan,' which ha- this much in its favour, that the predominance of 



la in the Dergthene beliefs may have brought his successor, Bress, into 



prominence, and, as we know B is celebrated in the legends of C'enn 



Febrat. A I 1 Sfof ppean among tin- Tuatha De" al Magh 



Tured, 1 ami. in ■ abends, the Dagda not Bodb allots the mounds, and 



in tin- ownership of the Brug mna Elcmair by Elcmair 



ami his wife.' 



Bodb, ovei the - MunBter," dwelt on the stately dome of 



.■Hainan, in southern Co. Tipperary, probably in the 'aim on its summit. 5 

 It l ond 'aim. an acknowledged Sid, on Knockshegowna, 



,,i,,. of tl of tin- hill, which bears the same nam.- as another famous 



fairy hill, farther north, in Ballingarry parish. The greal 'aim is about 

 round, and 9 feet high. Close to I aech) are remarkable 



natural ag upon it. and called "Finn's table," 



v :; feet thick; and. farther south, 



1 lr. MS. Serii -. EL 1. \<-.i<l.. i. p. 16. We also find Bodbfa Derg and the god Mi. In 

 presidinu at a council meeting "f thy Tuatha De", Silva Gadelica, ii, p. llii. 

 lad., ii, p. 622. 



' 1 .ii L ." ].. 90) ; see also " Cath Finntragha," 

 pp. 13, - Aniii'iiiM." iii. I.-. 2, p. 235 



•a Chonai It., xv, p. 478 ; Book of Fermoy (lr. Texts, R. I. 



Nilgiri Hills in Southern India each deity was associated with a peak on 

 which . arrow, ..r cairn. 



