Ossian Collection > Thoughts on the origin and descent of the Gael

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" 6. What do we see in that chariot? There
sits in that chariot the hero, the skilful marks-
man, powerful, eloquent, polished, brightly con-
spicuous, eminently graceful. His eye-beam is
seven-sighted ; we ween good is his sight. Six
great boned fingers are on each hand, that from
his shoulders issue. Seven kinds of fair hair
adorn his head. Brown hair covers the promi-
nencies of his head; red sleek hair above, and
yellow hair of golden colour, adjusted by rings
on the top. His name is Cuchullinn, the son of
Semv Sualti, the son of Ui, the son of Ai, the
son of another Ui. His countenance is like the
burning fire. Speedy upon the open field, like
the driven clouds of the hills, or the rustling
flight of a flock of birds, or as a hare on the
tributary plains, very numerous, very swift, very
stately, the horses are approaching towards us.
As the drifting snow from the sides of the
mountains, are the snorting and tossing of the
liorses hither directing their course."
It will be observed, that in the poetical com-
position describing the cars and horses of Cu-
chullinn, as above transcribed, there is no parti-
cular description of the car of Cuchullinn. His
own personal appearance is represented, but
nothing occurs in it to support the description
given of Cuchullinn's car by the translator of
Ossian's Poems. We find from the aiBdavit of