438 



[Proc. B.N.F.C., 



character of the latter when annoyed. In Tory Island, it is said, 

 fairies can make themselves large or small ; their hair may be red, 

 white, or black ; but they dress in black, a very unusual colour for 

 the small people to appear in. It may perhaps be explained by 

 remembering that Tory Island, or Toirinis, was a stronghold of 

 the Fomorians, whom Keating describes as " sea-rovers of the 

 race of Cam, who fared from Africa." The inference was drawn 

 that the fairies of lory Island represent a dark race. The tale of 

 King Balor was given, and his dread of being slain by his 

 daughter's son. In the end he is killed by his grandson, who to 

 avenge his father's death thrusts a poker out of the smith's forge 

 into the basilisk eye of his grandfather. Water streamed from the 

 wounded eye and formed the biggest lough in the world, three 

 times as deep as Lough Foyle. Miss Andrews gave the story as 

 told to her in a cottage on Tory Island during the visit of the 

 Field Club Union in last July, and compared it with the 

 narrative given by Dr. O'Donovan in a note to his "Annals of 

 the Four Masters." She stated that the Firbolgs, or Firwolgs, are 

 remembered in Donegal as short, stout people, who cultivated the 

 land near the sea. The Danes, whom she is inclined to identify 

 with the Tuatha de Danann, are the great builders of forts and 

 cashels. Firbolgs, Danes, Finns, and Pechts are all strictly 

 human, and if the fairy has been more spiritualised, many of the 

 traditions show how closely he is allied to ancient and modern 

 Pygmies. Reference was made to the skeletons of Dwarfs found 

 in Switzerland and other parts of Europe ; to the Pygmies of 

 Central Africa, whose photographs had been shown to the Field 

 Club by Sir Harry Johnston ; and to the Dwarfs of New Guinea, 

 described by members of the B.O.U. expedition, who are now 

 investigating that island under many difficulties. It was stated 

 that many traces may be found of the belief that men and women 

 can change themselves into animals. A man who killed a young 

 seal was startled when the mother, weeping, cried out in Irish, 

 " My child, my child." John Sweeny, an inspector of national 



