Blair Collection > Gaelic names of beasts (mammalia), birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, etc

U2 DOG
An t-alt luthaidh fad' on'n cheann
Meadhou leathann, leobhar cliabli,
Uileann fhiar agus speii* cliam,
Earball seach speir, speir mar chorvan,
Suil mar aimeig, cluas mar dhiuUeig ;
Slid mar thaghadh Fionn-na-Feiiine cuilein cuan.
Another famous dog was called "Tor," or more properly
" Toir/' as it meant a dog which would go far and near in search
of venison and prey for himself. His owner challenged the
Fingalians' dogs to fight "Tor," who (and there are several
versions) killed " Tri chaogad chu ; naoi chaogad chu ; aon f hichead
deug chaogad chu." Three, nine, or eleven twenty fifties of the
Fingalian hounds. Bran, whom we introduce once more, however,
tackled the big black dog (which, in due justice, we cannot help
thinking must by that time have been somewhat exhausted), and
killed it, to the great grief of his owner who had believed him
invincible, but Tor's owner wronged his opponent, going some-
what out of his way to account for the defeat by blaming Bran's
mother, Geola (Smeolan) nan cai-, " Geola of the wiles," for the
fate that had befallen his fjivourite. We, in common with others,
fail to find any reason for this beyond the self-evident fact that if
Bran's mother had never existed there would have been no Bran.
Bran also is said to have been a female while " Tor " was a male.
Anotiier famous Celtic dog, somewhat nearer our time, was that
mentioned in rhyme by Raol mac Raouil 'ic Iain, one of the
Glencoe family : —
An cu bh' aig Raonull-mac Raonuill-'ic-Iain
Bheireadh e sithionn e beinn,
Ceann leathann eadar 'dha shuil, ach biorach,
'S bus dubh air gu 'shroin ;
Uchd gearrain, seang leasrach 's bha 'fhionnadh
Mar fhriogan tuirc nimheil nan cos ;
Donn mar airneag bha shuil ; speir luthannach lubta,
'S faobhar a chnamh mar ghein ;
An cu sud bh'aig Raonull-mac-Raonuill-'ic-Iain
Is trie thug e sithionn e beinn.
Ronald-son-of-Ronald-son-of-John's good dog
He could bi'ing venison from the mountain ;
He was broad between the eyes, otherwise
Sharp and black-muzzled to the tip of his nose ;
With a horse-like chest he was small-flanked, and his pile
Was like the bristles of the den-freqenting boar.
Brown as a sloe was his eye.
Supple-jointed (was he), with houghs bent as a bow,
All his bones felt sharp and hai'd as the edge of a wedge ;
Such was Ronald-mac-Ronald mhic John's good dog,
That often brought venison from the mountain.