MacaUsTKK — Teiwiir Breg : Remains ami Traditions of Tara. 329 



Mael-Ruain of Tallaght. who was inspired with knowledge of his unlearnt 

 lesson by sleeping on the knee of Oengus, the author of the FtiUre? 1 1 is 

 tempting to ask whether a story originally told of the deified hero, Oengus 

 of the Brug, may not have been transferred to his saintly namesake, with 

 such modifications as were necessary to adapt ii to a monastic background: nil 

 the more so as we are told immediately before that Oengus was so diligent in 

 his labours in the monastic corn-store that " the corn-blades grew through his 

 hair." This looks like an idea suggested' by some picture of the Corn -spirit. 

 To return, however, from these speculations to the subject before us. we 

 learn next that the king, thus selected, had to pass through certain rites, 

 which are enumerated in a tract called Be Shtl Ohonairi Moir. 1 Tt is not 

 strictly correct to call these rites "ordeals," which would imply that they 

 were primarily means of selection. If the new king failed to fulfil all the 

 conditions of the rites, he would naturally be rejected, and as they are 

 described in the text before us this would appear to be their main purpose. 

 But it is evident that the primary intention of the rites was initiation. 

 The king, having been already chosen by the incubation process just described, 

 was now to be inducted to office. The ceremonies of initiation were four in 

 number, and as described in the text quoted were as follows : — 



(1). The candidate mounted on a chariot, which tilted under him if he were not 

 legitimate, and the horses, which were new to harness, sprang at him. 



(2). The candidate put on a mantle, which would be too big for him if he were 

 rejected. 



(3). The candidate drove in the chariot to the stones Blocc and Bluicue (Moel 

 is not mentioned in the text) : these opened out wide enough to let him through if 

 he were accepted, but closed before him if he were rejected. 



(4). The candidate, having passed these tests successfully, was led up to Fal, 

 which uttered a shriek against the chariot-wheel if he were accepted, and was 

 silent if he were rejected. 



But surely all this impossible magic belongs to the region of fairy-tales! 

 Who ever beard in real life of screaming and moving stones, of knowledgeable 

 horses, of elastic mantles ? Avery reasonable criticism this, mi the list of 

 rites as they are set forth in the text before us. But the difficulty lies, not in 

 the rites, which are simple and commonplace enough in themselves, but in the 

 fact that the author who has transmitted the record of them to US was 

 completely in the dark as to what they meant. If we are more fortunate than 

 he was, the reason is because we have a large body of records of savage life 

 and ceremonies at our disposal. In the corroborees of the aborigines of 

 Australia, a country unknown to the ancient writer, lies the clue to the 



1 Feilirt <>eit<jnsso, Bnulslmw od., [>. I-. 



- Edited l>y Mr. Lucius Gwynn in i'liu, vi, I'M. 



15*] 



