Blair Collection > Celtic researches, on the origin, traditions & language, of the ancient Britons

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Should I be called upon to adduce, from our British
vocabulary^ those identical words, which, in Greek, have
been rendered Boreas, and Boreadee, I could answer, that,
of Celtic mythology, we know but little.
But the language at least of that race will afford π per-
tinent similitude of terms, from which I shall extract, chr
select a few, without presuming to decide upon their claim?.
From Bard, the character in which Druidisin originated,
the system was called Barddas, and the most familiar teini
for Druid in their Triads, was Mab Bardd, a son of the
Bard.
Por-Jas, or Borias, is Lord of the pervading blast, or
of inspiration. As Bar, whence Bardd is derived, sig-
nifies a relatively high situation. Ar-varydd, may equally
import Chief Bard, or Druid, or Ilj/perborean.
So, in Irish, the North being regarded as the highest
region, has the name of Tuath, or Tuadh ; but the term
also indicates fame, renown, a lordship, dominion, Sec.
Hence, Ard-Tuathach is literally llifperburcan, or su-
perior lord, and regulator.
The fanciful, and careless Greeks, as it has often hap-
pened, may have translated a Celtic term in the Avrong
acceptation, and thus be mislead into the corollary, that
Hi/perhoreans were those Λνΐιο resided beyond the north
wind, or under the very pole.
The rotemporarios of Ilerodotushüd a confused idea, that
Jli/perboreans were to be found somewhere upon the