Macalistkr — Temair Brcg : Remains and Traditions of 'Vara. 24B 



seems to have been in the valley of the Boyne; and [ am inclined to suspect 

 that the " monument of Mata " at Temair was originally in some way asso- 

 ciated with this creature. In a more rationalistic age the story of the 

 monster became dim, and somehow became mixed up with the tale of Conall 

 Cernach and the youths who desecrated the head of Cu-Chulaind. Finally, 

 Mata became a warrior, and, like most of the traditions hovering round 

 Temair, was assigned to the time of Cormac mac Airt. 



A suggestion may be hazarded as to the origin of the legend of the Mata, 

 or, rather, as to the reason of its localization in the Boyne valley. The 

 monster was closely associated with the great cemetery of Brug na Boinne, the 

 most conspicuous monument in which is the mound now called New Grange. 

 One of the most noteworthy features of New Grange is the great stone that 

 lies in front of the entrance, bearing an elaborate serpentine pattern of spiral 

 scrolls. Is it too much to suggest that this sculpture helped to fix in 

 Brug na Boinne the tradition of a mighty dragon? The stone of Mata at 

 Temair may possibly have borne similar sculpture. This is the more pro- 

 bable on account of the intimate connexion which appeal's to have existed 

 betwen Temair and New Grange, as we hope to show in a later section. 



The adjective mor-glondacli is applied in the Dind-shenchas of Bri Leitli 1 

 to the s/d-])vmce Midir, in a story which, at least indirectly, connects that 

 personage with Temair and with a certain Liath. We shall find this latter 

 name figuring in the early legendary history of Temair. How far it is 

 possible to see here some trace of a confusion one can hardly undertake to 

 say; the two names, Mata and Midir, are obviously too remote from one 

 another in form and in sound to have any radical connexion. But I confess 

 myself unable to believe that the rules of the philologists are of the mathe- 

 matical inflexibility claimed for them, when proper names are concerned, and 

 when we have to deal with the folklore of illiterate or semi-literate peoples. 

 In a folk-tale from Co. Leitrim the expression "Bull of Norroway" has 

 become corrupted to "Bull of Oranges "—a familiar word being substituted 

 for one unknown to the narrators. 5 In the face of this we may be prepared 

 for almost any perversion of proper names. 



5. R&ith liiij 



Raith Big 3 "is beside Raith Loeguiri to the north" (PD 9). Its identi- 

 fication with the enormous enclosure on the summit uf the ridge is lu-yuml 

 dispute. Only one rampart can be traced; it is possible that there was an 



1 Revue celtique, xvi, 78. 



- Folk-lore, iv, pp. 193, 194. 



3 Almost always written thus, without the definite article preceding rig. 



