Blair Collection > Treatise on the language, poetry, and music of the Highland clans

OF THE HIGHLAND e'LANS. 55
of the works of the Celtic bards, by the ensiiiies of the independence of the
Celtic clans, Logan believes the Black Book of Caermartlien, written in the
sixth century, to be the oldest Celtic manuscript now in existence. In this,
however, he is mistaken, " Leabhar nan Ceart," &c. being still in existence
in Ireland.
The Druidal orders were, according to Marcellinns, formed into societies,
who devoted themselves to the investigation of matters of divine and hidden
import, and confidently affirmed that the souls of men are immortal. The
different societies referred to by Marcellinus, were the Druids, the Baeds, and
the Edbhatks. These names being descriptive, in accordance with the genius
of the language, supply the place of records, in defining the different depart-
ments of Druid literature. Let us, then, resolve each of these names into its
primitive elements or roots, that we may clearly ascertain its meaning —
for alleged synonymous words, jumped at haphazard, as if it did not signify a
single pin whether they originally meant " preserve" or " kipper," will not do in
an inquiry like this.
Dkuidh is compounded of the roots dru, to absorb or eliminate, and agli^
good, pronounced a. His duty, therefore, was to search for good, and to eliminate
and render it available. Bard is compounded of hitli, life, pronounced hi, and
ard^ high. His duty, therefore, was to elevate the lives of the people. Eubhates
is compounded of cibh, proclaim, pronounced eyv, and aiteas, joy, pronounced
aytes. His duty, therefore, was to proclaim the joyous discoveries of the Druid
to the people. There is no ambiguity or mystery here. The Druid was devoted
to the study of natural science ; and his traditional character in the Highlands
shows that the good he discovered from the study, was faithfully eliminated
and made available for the benefit of the people. " Close as is a flag [stone] to
the earth, is the succour of Covi,"* (the Ai-ch-Druid,) says the proverb. The
correctness of this view is confirmed by Marcellinus, who describes them as
" deeply considering Nature, attempting to discover the highest arcana, and
laying open its most sacred workings ;" and as confidently afiirming, from the
analogies afforded by their researches, that "the souls of men are immortal."
To elevate or exalt the character of the people, as his name implies, was the
duty of the Bard ; and as this could best be done by cultivating their hearts, he
applied to that purpose the most unfailing of all means, poetry and music ; but
as man cannot be exalted in his character unless his morals are cultivated,
fiction was strictly forbid to the Gaelic bard. His subject must be substantially
true, but in the treatment of it he was left to his own feelings and genius. The
Eubhates, or proclaimers of joy, as their name implies, were the preachers among
the Druid orders. The creation, and God's manifest design in the creation, as
indicated by Nature and the laws whereby Nature is governed, w-ere their bible
* Cobhith. pronounced Co-vi, is compounded of the roots, co, who or what, aud hiih (bi') life. The
name implies that Biology was the study of the Arch-Druid. His names for God, the soul, the good,
the bad, show, so far, the success of his researches : he does not represent God as a being of almighty
power, with the passions and failings of a man.