Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian > Volume 2

548 NOTES TO TEMOKA.
" valuable." Tlie scope of the passage here evidently fixes tlie term
as implying sometliing ^vo^tlly of remembrance.
* " His idle shield is bloody in the ball."
It appears from this, and many similar statements tlirougbout tlie
Ossianic poems, that when a -warrior fell in death, the shield vrliich he
had left at home assumed a bloody hue. We have also references to
intimations of the death of a master being given by the howling of his
dogs. And not only in the Ilighlands, but throughout every part of
the world, people believe in various death -omens as superstitious as
those mentioned in Ossian.
DUAN VI.
1 " Grasping Temora's spear as I strode."
" The spear of Temora was that which Oscar had received in a present
from Cormac, the son of Artho, king of Ireland. It was of it that Cair-
bar made the pretext for quarrelling with Oscar at the feast in the first
book."— M.
2 " In my first battle I have fallen
"Without renown or conquest by my spear."
" Gun chliu 'us gun rath air mo lann."
The word mih, which I have translated " conquest," generally means
" prosperity " or " good luck." It is evidently connected with re, rà,
ro (Lat. ro-ta), "a circle," the symbol of completeness ; and I mention
it on account of a singular notion prevailing in some (possibly in all)
parts of the Highlands regarding the lot of every individual in life. It
is said that in the youth of each man a spirit appears to him — whether
corresponding to the character of a guardian spirit, I cannot say — and
asks the very serious question —
" Co tUiitibh 'bhios ngad ealain gun rath.
No rath gun ealain!" —
i.e., "Whctlior wilt thou have talent (genius) without prosperit)', or pro-
.sjKTÌty without talent 1 " And according to the answer given, the man's
fate is fixed either in splendid failure, or in obscure good luck.