358 Proceedings of the Royal Irhh Academy. 



Cromm Cruaich is called, in the various well-kuown versions of St. Patrick's 



encounter with him, " King-idol of adoration.'' If, as seems likely from the 



foregoing comparisons, we are to equate Cromm to Fal, this expression will 



become more intelligible; for, as we have already seen, "king" is one of 



the meanings which the glossators attach to the word Fal. That he ever 



seriously bore the name Cromm Cruaich I greatly doubt. The translation 



of the name is uncertain, depending on whether we are to adopt Cruaich or 



mi of the second word In the former case, "crooked one of 



the mound," rm of the mound," might be the meaning: in the latter 



-gory," or _ f-worm," might be intended. 1 In either case, 



the name is more probably a nickname given to the god in contempt. The 



two variants ' \ck, seem to survive in 



llection in "Kaw-head" and "Bloody-bones" (turning Cromm 



wo nursery bogies of a less refined past generation. This would 



mr the •■ B - . •■ : on the other hand, the form of 



the name which we find in two late Ossianii poems is in favour of the 



"mound a These are ' ' ne* 



I that though it wa . tten that "Crom" was a god — 



- in his honour continued down to the last century on Garland Sunday. 



Clare' — yet efforts were made 



A - nd in th< • Lismore* and in the 



mi a man. who from the day of his birth 



humble servant - in all sin and bad manners, 



but whose bouI at his death ■ From their clul - Patrick. 



A modern folk-t . 175) makes him a servanl 



rupare tl II. ,' SfiiuU and Sinncm. 



An . I the references to it mis- 



undi ■■ in folk-memory. Dr. Haddon 1 tells of how a 



D - rated to a rustic I 



in, who told him ■ was meddling with 



a the Bull-roarer in 



iat has been drawn between Cenn Cruaich and the Brythonic Penno- 

 crue 116 • uic doubtful. It assumes an identical f>>mi 



of worship among the Bryth"iiic tribes, which must first be proved. 



i iiere the god appears as a monster in Greece 



>w>rt, ed. Skene, text j> 

 1 T<sl> Brian,' I I. 1 A. II. n. p. L'lio. 



->'s catalogue of the contents of that ms. prefixed to his 

 edition of the Lira of tht Saints: HO "b 1 of O'Longan's transcript of the Ms. in the 

 R.I.A. Li ■ 



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