Ossian Collection > Fragments of ancient poetry

[ iv ]
ment of clanfhip in the northern part
of Scotland, which is itfelf very an-
cient ; for had clans been then formed
and known, they muft have made a con-
liderable figure in the work of a High- J<
landBard; whereas there is not the leaft
mention ofthem in thefe poems. It is re-
markable that there are found in them
no allufions to the Chriftian religion or
worfliip ; indeed, few traces of religion
of any kind. One circumftance feems
to prove them to be coeval with the very
infancy of Chriftianity in Scotland. In
a fragment of the fame poems, which */--
thetranflatorhasfeen,aCuldeeorMonk
is reprefented as defirous to take down
in writing from the mouth of Ofcian,
who is the principal perfonage in feveral
of the following fragments, his warlike
atchievements and thofe of his family.
B at Ofcian treats the monk and his reli-
gion with difdain, telling him, that the
deeds of fuch great men were fubj ects too
high