perhaps, to the settlement of the Cael of Caledonia, and the Hebrides, in Ulster. From the sequel, it appears that the Fir-bolg were, by much, the most powerful nation; and it is probable that the Cael must have submitted to them, had they not received succours from their mother country, under the command of Conar. P. 334. v. 126. Bha Colgar gun bheud r'a thaobh, &c.] Colgar, fiercely-looking warrior. He was the eldest of the sons of Trathal: Comhal, who was the father of Fingal, was very young when the present expedition to Ireland happened. It is remarkable, that, of all the ancestors of Fingal, tradition makes the least mention of Comhal; which, probably, proceeded from the unfortunate life and untimely death of that hero. From some passages concerning him we learn, indeed, that he was brave, but he wanted conduct. P. 336. v. 151. “Cholgair mhic Trathail thuirt Fillean, &c.] The poem begins here to mark strongly the character of Fillan, who is to make so great a figure in the sequel. He has the impatience, the ambition and fire which are peculiar to a young hero. Kindled with the fame of Colgar, he forgets his untimely fall. From Fillan's expressions in this passage, it would seem, that he was neglected by Fingal, on account of his youth. P. 338. v. 168. Mar sin a sheas cara nan daimh, &c.] Cathmor is distinguished by this honourable title, on account of his generosity to strangers, which was so great as to be remarkable even in those days of hospitality. P. 338. v. 173. Fonnar.] The man of song. Before the introduction of Christianity, a name was not imposed upon any person, till he had distinguished himself by some remarkable action, from which his name should be derived. P. 340. v. 196. Mar eas Bhrumo tuiteam an toirm, &c.] Brumo was a place of worship (Fing. b. 6.) in Craca, which is supposed to be one of the isles of Shetland. It was thought, that the spirits of the deceased haunted it, by night, which adds more terror to the description introduced here. The horrid circle of Brumo, where often, they said, the ghosts of the dead howled round the stone of fear. P. 340. v. 201. "An sòlas do Fholdath" thuirt an righ, "Dortadh fola an stri na hoiche.] From this passage it appears, that it was Foldath who had advised the night attack. The gloomy character of Foldath is properly contrasted to the generous, the open Cathmor. P. 342. v. 217. B'fhuasach ge hiosal an treun, &c.] By this exclamation Cathmor intimates that he intends to revenge the death of his brother Cairbar. P. 342. v. 224. Cha robh bard do righ Eirinn air uaigh.] To have no funeral elegy sung over his tomb, was, among the Celta, reckoned the greatest misfortune that could befal a man; as his soul could not otherwise be admitted to the airy hall of his fathers. P. 344. v. 269. Sheas coigreach nam beus o chuan.] By the stranger is meant Sulmalla, the daughter of Conmor, king of Inis-huna, the ancient name of that part of South Britain which is next to the Irish coast. She had followed Cathmor in disguise. Her story is related at large in the fourth book. P. 346. v. 277. "Thuinidh Crothar," thuirt am bard, "An Atha nan alda gorma &c.] Crothar was the ancestor of Cathmor, and the first of his family who had settled in Atha. It was in his time that the first wars were kindled between the Firbolg and Cael. The propriety of the episode is evident; as the contest which originally rose between Crothar and Conar subsisted afterwards between their posterity, and was the foundation of the story of the poem. P. 346. v. 279. Le mile craobh o shlios nan carn Dh'eirich tolla nan ard chuirm, &c.] From this circumstance we may learn, that the art of building with stone was not known in Ireland so early as the days of Crothar. When the colony were long settled in the country, the arts of civil life began to increase among them, for we find mention made of the towers of Atha in the time of Cathmor, which could not well be applied to wooden buildings. In Caledonia they began very early to build with stone. None of the house of Fingal, excepting Ti foirmal, were of wood. Ti-foirmal was the great hall where the bards met to repeat their compositions annually, before they submitted them to the judgment of the king in Selma. By some accident or other, this wooden house happened to be burnt, and an ancient bard, in the character of Ossian, has left us a curious catalogue of the furniture which it contained. The poem is not just now in my hands, otherwise I would lay here a translation of it before the reader. It has little poetical merit, and evidently bears the marks of a later period. P. 346. v. 287. Laoch cliuthar Alnecma nan sliabh, &c.] Alnecma, or Alnecmacht, was the ancient name of Connaught. Ullin is still the Irish name of the province of Ulster. To avoid the multiplying of notes, I shall here give the signification of the names in this episode. Drumardo, high ridge. Cathmin, calm in battle. Con-lamha, soft hand. Turloch, Cormul, blue eye. man of the quiver. P. 354. v. 282. Ghluais Crothar an còmhrag, an treun ; Theich Alnecma fo bheud o leirg, &c.] The delicacy here, with regard to Crothar, is proper. As he was the ancestor of Cathmor, to whom the episode is addressed, the bard softens his defeat, by only mentioning that his people fled. Cathmor took the song of Fonar in an unfavourable light. The bards being of the order of the Druids, who pretended to a foreknowledge of events, were supposed to have some supernatural prescience of futurity. The king thought, that the choice of Fonar's song proceeded from his foreseeing the unfortunate issue of the war; and that his own fate was shadowed out, in that of his ancestor Crothar. The attitude of the bard, after the reprimand of his patron, is picturesque and affecting. We admire the speech of Cathmor, but lament the effect it has on the feeling soul of the good old poet. P. 358. v. 459. C'uim a thiondaidh's tu co dorch Mhic Borbair nan colg fiar?"] Borbar-duthul, the surly warrior of the dark-brown eyes. That his name suited well with his character, we may easily conceive, from the story delivered concerning him, by Malthos, toward the end of the sixth book. He was the brother of that Colculla, who is mentioned in the episode which begins the fourth book. P, 360. v. 472. Cha 'n eil m' fheirg dol na dheigh san àir, &c.] This reply abounds with the sentiments of a noble mind. Though, of all men living, he was the most injured by Cairbar, yet he lays aside his rage as the foe was low. How different is this from the behaviour of the heroes of other ancient poems. Cynthius aurem vellit. P. 360. v. 490. Co e sud o Lubar thall O thruscan nan gleann de cheo, &c.] The morning of the second day, from the opening of the poem, comes on. After the death of Cuthullin, Carril, the son of Kinfena, his bard, retired to the cave of Tura, which was in the neighbourhood of Moi-lena, the scene of the poem of Temora. His casual appearance here enables Ossian to fulfil immediately the promise he had made to Cathmor, of causing the funcral song to be pronounced over the tomb of Cairbar. This book takes up only the space of a few hours. END OF VOL. II. Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. |