J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE BROLLACHAN. 1 93
when he told his friends Myself had burned him, they said, " Ma
s' thu fhin a losg thu f hin bi gad' leigheas f bin thu f hin — If it
was thyself burnt thyself, be thyself healing thyself."
8. I again heard a similar story this year from a gentleman
whom I met in an inn at Gairloch. He had a large knowledge
of Highland tales, and we spent several pleasant evenings to-
gether. He has every right to stories, for one of his ancestors
was a clever doctor in his day, and is now a magician in legend«.
Some of his MSS. are in the Advocates' Library.
Mr. Pattieson points out the resemblance which this bears to
part of the story of Ulysses, and, for the sake of comparison,
here it is from the ninth book of Pope's Odyssey : —
9. Ulysses goes into the cave of the Cyclop with some of his
companions. The Cyclop was a one-eyed shepherd, and his cave
is described as a dairy ; his flocks were goats and sheep, which
he milked when he came home. He shut his cave by rolling a
stone.
" Scarce twenty-four wheeled cars compact and strong
The massy load could bear or roll along."
He was a giant, therefore, living under ground ; and he ate
two of the strangers raw. He spoke Greek, but claimed to be
of a race superior to the Greek gods. He ate two more Greeks
for breakfast, and two for supper. Then got drunk on wine given
him by Ulysses, which was better than his own. Ulysses said,
" No man is my name ;" and the giant promised to eat him last,
as a return for his gift of rosy wine, and went to sleep.
Then they heated a stake in the fire, and drilled his eye out.
The Cyclops assembled at his " well-known roar," asked what was
the matter, and were told —
" Friends, no man kills me, no man in the hour
Of sleep oppresses me with fraudful power.
If no man hurt thee, but the hand divine
Inflicts disease, it fits thee to resign.
To Jove or to thy father Neptune pray.
The brethren cried, and instant strode away."
It seems, then, that the Cyclop was a water-being as well as
the Fuath and water-horse of Gaelic story, and the kelpie. There
is no word in Gaelic that could be corrupted into Kelpie, but
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