Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 2

NOTES 331
times. His friends assured me that night became a terror to this man, and tliat
ultimately he would on no account cross the threshold after dusk. He died, they
said, from the extreme exhaustion consequent on these excursions. When the
spirits flew past his house, the man would wince as if undergoing a great mental
struggle, and fighting against forces unseen of those around him. A man in
Lismore suffered under precisely similar conditions. More than once he dis-
appeared mysteriously from the midst of his companions, and as mysteriously
reappeared utterly exhausted and prostrate. He was under vows not to reveal
what had occurred on these aerial travels.
I took down several stories of persons who went with the 'hosts.' Here
is one of the stories of the ' hosts ' summarised : — The beautiful daughter of
a king of France was taken up by the ' hosts,' and carried about in the air,
over lands and seas, continents and islands, till they came to the little island
of Heistamal, behind Creagorry, in Benbecula, where they laid her down in
such an injured state that she died from the hard treatment; not, however,
till she had told about the lands to which she had been carried, and of the
great hardships she had endured while travelling through space. The people of
the island buried the princess where she was found.
The 'sluagh'are supposed to come from the west; and therefore, when a
person is dying, the door and the windows on the west side of the house are
secured to keep out the malicious spirits. In Ross-shire, the door and windows
of a house in which a person is dying are opened, in order that the liberated soul
may escape to heaven. In Killtcirlity, when children are being brought into the
world, locks of chests and of doors are opened, this being supposed, according
to traditional belief, to facilitate childbirth.
Smeoim, arrow-head, arrow-point, the destructive end of the arrow. The ' smeoirn '
is mentioned in several Gaelic tales and poems.
' Mis an gaisgeach guu ghioraig — am has, I am the hero without panic — death,
Leis an coingeis an slau uo'm breoit, To wliom is indifferent the whole or the frail,
A thilgeas an gath nach teid eama no Who will throw the dart that will not bend
cearr, nor stray,
Co cinuteach ri earr na smeoirn." [gais Ascertain as the end of the arrow-head, [point
' Bogha dh'iubhar Easragain, Bow of the yew of Easragan,
Ite fireiu Loch Treige, Feather of the eagle of Loch Treig,
Ceir bhuidhe Bhaile nan gailleau. The yellow wa.x of Baile-nan-gaillean,
Smeoirn o'n cheard Macpheaidirean.' Arrow-head from the artisan Macpheaidirean.
Another version says : —
' Bogh a dh'iuthar Easragain, Bow of the yew of Easragan,
Sioda na Gaillbhinn, Silk of Gallvinn,
Saighead a bheithe an Doire-dhuinn, Arrow of the birch of Doire-donn,
Ite firein Loch Treige.' Feather of the eagle of Loch Treig.
' Doire-donn,' brown grove, is in Glenorchy.