80 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



to the " last Fir Bolg King," Eochaid Garb (placed by others among the 

 Tuatha De), whose wife " Tailltiu " fostered the god Lug. On it the three 

 war goddesses, Badb, Macha, and (Neman) the Morrigii, worked magic against 

 the Fir Bolg at Cnoc gahala na ngiall} 



They were aided by the great gods^ Ogma (the Gaulish Ogmios), Bodb 

 Dearg (the pre-Celtic king-god of Munster), Midir of XJisnech, Diancecht, the 

 grandfather of Lug, and Oengus from the great tumulus of Achad AUdai, at 

 New Grange, in the Brugh cemetery. In a previous paper we have studied 

 the rich folk-lore of the Sid mounds of Slievenaman.^ Those we find there 

 were mounds " of the men " and " of the women" — a suggestive fact, needing 

 cautious elucidation. A cooking hearth, FulacM na Morrigiia, near the Sid 

 of Air Feimhin there, brings the war goddesses again in contact with such 

 mounds,^ and the same may be implied by the royston crows, sacred to 

 Macha and her colleagues, at Sheenafinnoge. 



As to Finn's connexion with such monuments, we have a very illumi- 

 native (if late) story, probably based on immemorial belief. It seems clear 

 that the mound gods, or Sid, were " pre-Celtic " deities to whom the Brito- 

 Gaulish " Tuatha De " were affiliated (like the " pre-Celts " to the " Mile- 

 sians ") before our tradition commences. "We are told hov/ the Tuatha De 

 got a share of the mounds and retired " into the Sidbriig to speak with the 

 Sid underground."^ Also the tumulus of Finn's warrior, Failbe, became an 

 Assembly mount seven years after his death." 



As at Knockainey, and indeed most sacred spots of the " older faith," the 

 Sid mounds used to open on Samhain night (November 1st). Finn had a 

 friend Cethern, who, going to woo a lovely woman (" banshee ") at the Sid 

 of Bri Eli, had been slain by the inmates, and, of course, had to be avenged 

 by his leader. The vendetta began badly, and Finn's friend and poet, 

 Oirchel, was also slain at the mound. The angry warrior went to consult 

 Fiachal mac Conchinn, at Slievemargy, in Queen's County, and was advised 

 to seek vengeance at Da Cich Danainne (" the Paps," visible from Cromwell 

 Hill) " behind Luachair." There were two mounds, " Sid strongholds," 

 perhaps the cairns on " the two breasts " of the mother-goddess, so Finn 



' Leabhar Gabhala (ed. Macalister and MacNeill), i, p. 151. 



2Eevue Celtique, i, p. 40 (MS., T.C.D., H. 2. 17, f. 93). 



^ Supra, xxxiv, p. 152. 



*'Eriu, i, pp. 187-8. For the "Fulachts," the larger were " F. na Morrigna," the 

 leaser " F. Fian." 



^ See Taiii bo Cualnge (ed. Dunn), p. 63 ; Mesca Ulad, p. 1 ; Bruden Da Derga (Rev. 

 Celt., xxii, p. 17); Echtra Nerai (ibid., x, p, 221); and many others; also my note, 

 supra, xixiv. They range from the diac barrow to the lofty chambered tumulus, 



'' Todd Lect. Ser., xvi, p. 55. 



