Blair Collection > Galic antiquities

A POEM. 361
liis Ipear, It founded on his fhield like the fcreaming of fowls,
when they prepare to fight the battle of the wing on the watery
ridge. Connan feared ; btit he remembered the eye of his king.
He rufhed on with his fword, and wovmded the gray feather in
the creft of Fuathas. At the flroke the man of Lochlin falls down
with fear. He thought the wound he had received was in the
head. Connan tin-ns to fee if his king beheld. The fword of
Fuathas comes behind, and hews his two ears from his head of
pride. The valley echoes to his cry as back he runs to our hoil.
At the foot of the king he falls. " I bravely die," he faid ; " Fin-
gal, revenge thy hero's death *."
The hoft of Manos came on with all their fleel. Many were
their fliields and fpears ; many their rattling mails and fwords of
light ; many dieir axes of war f to hew down the battle. — The
joy of our people arofe, as flowly we moved to meet them J.
— But
* The heroifm of Connan, unlike all qualities was looked upon as a rare phe-
the reft of Fingal's warriors, lay chiefly nomenon, and branded with fuch marks
in his tongue. For this reafon he is up- of infamy and difgraee. — The name of
on all occafions ridiculed and expofed. Connan is become a proverbial appella-
Perhaps fome mifchiefs too, of which he tion in the Galic, ior a peevifi ill-natured
had been the author, particularly the per/on.
death of Dermid, had helped much to ^ We find no mention of this weapon
draw upon him this odium. In one of among the arms of Fingal. It was pro-
Oflian's poems he is called, Mac mor na bably, peculiar to theScandinavians, and
hha riabh ri olc ; " The heir of all who the fame with the Lochaber-as after-
ever did evil." He is often called Crio- wards adopted by the Caledonians.
nach nam Fiann ; " The blemifli of Fin- '^ 'om^'^ cioidhe 's w iomad rgiith,
gal's heroes." And from the above ad- B' iomad ,rUh le luirkh aigh
1 , . , , . . , ^ B' iomadacli ann clopaide cntaidh
venture he derived his common title of „, . , , , , ^ ,
a lomzidcti Viwn ttiagh cbttm fgath.
Connan maol ; or, " Connan without the
ears."_It is a ftrong proof not only of the t ^ general engagement is fometimes
valour but of the virtue of thefe heroes, related here, but fo defedivc and incor-
ihat A fingle inftance who failed in thefe ""^"^ ^s not to admit of a tranflation.