.Skv:\[i)Uj; — I'lie Book of Aihiin and Ere in Irrlnnd. 129 



decrease the superabundant population {Irish Liber Hymnorum, ii, p. 12). 

 In the second vision of Adamnan both human beings and animals have to 

 make a fast of three days and three nights against the plague {Revue 

 Gdtique, xii, p. 431). 



Cain a true son of the Devil. — A passage in a prose treatise on female 

 genealogies in the Book of Lecan, fol. 3S5a ff., says that Cain was in Eve's 

 womb when she tasted the apple from the tree in Paradise. These passages 

 are influenced by Jewish tradition, viz., that the Devil (Sammael), at the 

 time of the Temptation, seduced Eve, and so became the father of Cain ; and 

 that Adam had intercourse witli Eve in Paradise (Bartoloccii^s i, pp. 74, 75, 

 291 ; Gaster, Chronicle of Jerahmeel, p. 16). 



72 sons and 72 daughters. — 52 sons and 72 daughters {Cod. Pal. Vat., 

 p. 25). 50 sons and 50 daughters iii the Book of Lecan treatise on female 

 genealogies. No numbers in any non-Irisli work I have consulted agree with 

 these. 



Cain kills Abel. — Nothing is said in S with respect to the lethal 

 instrument employed, concerning which there are countless theories. But 

 a passage in the Book of Lecan poem on Creation has the following : — " Cain 

 took in his hand the jaw-bone of a camel, so that he slew Abel. The learned 

 tell us that these stones have not grown since the blood of Abel touched 

 them." The Irish writer has here blundered his original, which appears as 

 follows in the Anglo-Saxon prose Salomon and Saturn (Kemble, p. 187): — 

 " Tell me why stones are not fruitful ? I tell thee, because Abel's blood fell 

 upon a stone when Cain slew him with the jaw-bone of an ass." The same 

 instrument is mentioned in the Master of Oa-ford's Catechism (ibid., p. 219) ; 

 and in the Northumbrian poem, Cursor Mundi (E. E. T. S.), line 1073. 

 According to a passage in the Evcr-neio Tongue {Revue Celtique, xxviii.p. 301), 

 Cain killed his tivo brothers Abel and Paininn. 



Cain's mark, and death. — The " lump " of S represents the horn that grew 

 as a mark out of Cain's forehead, according to some theorists (Hershon, 

 Rabbinical Commentary on Genesis, p. 36 ; Malan, p. 229 ; Issaverdens, 

 pp. 39, 50 ; Heidegger, p. 196). I can iind nothing to illustrate the manner 

 of his death as described in S. According to the earlier legend Cain was 

 killed by the stones of his house falling on him (Fabricius, Codex AjMcr. 

 Vet. Test., i, p. 120) ; the better-known later tradition makes Lamech slay 

 him. A very curious acconnt of Cain's mark and death is found in the Book 

 of Lecan (ti'eatise on genealogies, and poem on Genesis). It is there said that 

 seven lumps grew on Cain, on his feet, hands, cheeks, and one on liis 

 forehead. As he was herding sheep one day Lamech hurled at him an apple 

 as big as a man's fist, which went through the lump on his forehead and 



R.T.A. PROC, VOL. XXXVI, SECT. C. [11] 



