Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian, the son of Fingal

362 SUL-MALLA OF LUMON:
We rufhed on either fide of a ftream, which roared
through a blafted heath. High broken rocks were round,
with all their bending trees. Near are two circles of Loda,
with the ftone of power ; where fpirits defcended, by
night, in dark-red (Ireams of fire. There, mixed with the
murmur of waters, rofe the voice of aged men, they called
the forms of night, to aid them in their war.
Heedlefs * I flood, with my people, w here fell the
foamy flream from rocks. The moon moved red from
the mountain. My fong, at times, arofe. Dark on the
other fide, young Cathmor heard my voice; for he lay,
beneath the oak, in all his gleaming arms. Morning
came; we rufhed to fight : from wing to wing in the roll-
ing of ftrife. They fell, like the thillle head, beneath
autumnal winds.
In armour came a ftately form : I mixed my ftrokes
with the king. By turns our fhields are pierced : loud
rung our fleely mails. His helmet fell to the ground. In
brightnefs flione the foe. His eyes, two pleafant flames,
rolled between his wandering locks. I knew the king of
Atha, and threw my fpear on earth. Dark, we turned,
and filent palTed to mix with other foes.
Not fo pafl^ed the ftriving kings f. They mixed in
echoing fray ; like the meeting of ghofts, in the dark
vi'mg of winds. Through either breail rufhed the fpears ;
nor yet lay the foes on earth. A rock received their fall;
and half-reclined they lay in death. Each held the lock
of his foe ; and grimly feemed to roll his eyes. The flream
of the rock leapt on their fliields, and mixed below with
blood.
The battle ceafed in I-thorno. The ftrangers met in
peace : Cathmor from Atha of flreams, and Offian, king
of harps. We placed the dead in earth. Our fleps were
by Runai's bay. With the bounding boat, afar, advanced
a
• From the circuniftance of OlTian not being prefent at tlie rites, defcribecl in
the preceding paragraph, we may luppofe that he held them in contempt. This
difTerence of ientimcnf, with regard to religion, is a fort of argumofit, that tlie
Caledonians were not originally a colony of Scandinavians, as i'ome have ima-
gined. Concerning fo remote a period, mere conjedure muft fiipply the place of
argument and nofitive proofs.
t Culgorm and Suran-dronlo. The combat of the kings and their attitude in
death are highly pii^urefque, and expreflive of that ferocity of manners, whichi
dillinguifhrd the northery nations.