Westropp — The Earthworks, Sfc, of S. E. Co. Limerick, 167 



venomous blood of the banshee. Thus we have a complete evolution in 

 the 'Aine legends, in which she appears as goddess, princess, banshee, and 

 poisonous monster; 1 but to the peasantry only the first stage remains. The 

 euhemerists were discounted, and 'Aine remained beautiful, gracious, helpful, 

 and deathless, as when the five Firbolg tribes adored her, before the coming 

 of the Dal Cais. 



The Knockainey Legends. — There was no standard of pagan orthodoxy, 

 and every tribe seems to have had its own recensions and divergent tales 

 of the parentage and acts of the gods. Our study of Nuada, and W. M, 

 Hennessy's study of the war goddesses, 2 make this very plain. The tendency 

 to make triads of the gods, even breaking up one into three gods, began early; 

 the Gaulish carvings show the three birds of the war goddesses. The stories 

 are kaleidoscopic, the same names and events reappearing in different 

 combinations. 



In the 'Aine legend 3 there were evidently two variants, one an inland 

 version (perhaps of the Mairtene and Dergthene), making her and her relations 

 children of Eogabal ; the other a coast version (perhaps of the Corca Laegde), 

 where the sisters were children or connexions of the sea gods. 1 



(1) The Knockainey tales tell how Eogabal and his brother and family 

 come from Uisnech ; the outrage of Oilioll Aulom and revenge of Fer Fi ; the 

 magic yew tree, and the semi-historic battles of Cenn Febrat and Magh 

 Mucrinia. In one 'Aine is perhaps the wife of Dubthach, on Cenn Febrat, 

 and her sister Aife, wife of Cain, on that hill. The earliest trace is circa 

 a.d. 886, in Sanas Chormaic. "'Aine's History " has an early tinge ; the others 

 recognize the gods as wonder-workers, but liable to violence and death ; the 

 latest reduce them to fiends. 



(2) 'Aine, Aife, Fer Fi, and Aillen of Sid Eogabail appear, so there can be no 

 question of identity. The ladies are, however, daughters of Manannan, or his 

 ollamh, or Ins father Ler, or his son Aillen, of Etar, or of Gailian ; Etar is son (or 

 grandson) of Etgath. (a) One of the latter gods, usually Aillen or Fer Fidail. 

 desires Manann tin's wife. 'Aine gives herself to Manannan, and obtains his 



1 " Poisoned people " and weapons often appear, but perhaps metaphorically (Atlantis, 

 iv, Coir. Anin., p. 307, and Wars of Gaedhil, p. 159). 



2 Proc. III. Acad., x, p. 425 ; Hib. Lect. iv. p. 43 ; Rev. Archeol, xvii, p. 425 ; Prof. 

 Anwyl (Celt. Rev., iii, p. 26) ; Dublin University Mag., Oct., 1834, p. 403 ; Rev. Celt,, i, 

 p. 39. 



3 Supra, xxxiv, p. 55, and descriptions of Knockainey, p. 61, and Clogher, p. 03. 



4 For this table (1) Silva Gad., vol. ii, p. 725; Metr. Dind., x, p.229. (2) Battle of 

 Ventry, Notes, p. 14. Dnanaire Finn, p. 119. Introd. Feis tighe Chonain (Manannan 

 and Aife) Dnanaire Finn, p. 197 ; Gailian, p. 119, the ollamh : Rev. Celt., xv, p. 331, Etar. 

 Exchange of 'Aine forwife of M., Silva Gad., p. 196 ; slaying of Fer Fi, Dnanaire. p. 118 : 

 Rev. Celt, xvi, p. 152 ; Erin iii, p. 151, Becuuia. 



K.I. A. PKOC, VOL. XXXIV, SECT. 0. [25] 



