Ossian Collection > Waifs and strays of Celtic tradition > Volume 4

Ossian after the Fians. 85
Fingalians were quite able to take care of themselves
against all comers, especially God, of whom Patrick was
everlastingly talking. In a poem called " Ossian after
the Fians" (" Ossian an dcigh tia Feitute"), said by Mac-
Nicol to have been composed in modern times by a
smith, who was called the second Ossian,^ the word
cJnibJial occurs in the discussion between Ossian and
Patrick. Ossian lost temper over the statements of
Patrick about hell, and the Fians being confined there.
The bard could not understand how, if the Fians were
there, they did not make themselves masters of the
place, and be free from any control over them. It was
then that Patrick said :
" Though little you think of the humming of a fly,
Or the mote in the sunbeam.
Without the leave of the Almighty King,
Not one crease would be in the fold of thy shield."
" Ge beag orts' chubhal- chronanach
'S monran na greine
^ See Highland Society's Report on Ossian.
2 The word cuileag is now the form of the word chub/ui/, to
denote a fly, as eibhleag is used instead of cab/ial, a burning
peat, which survives in the saying :
" A burning peat on the cheek —
Women fuHing and tailors."
" Eabhal air gruaidh —
Mnathan luadh 's taillearan."
A red spot on the cheek produced by inability to supply sufficient
food to the workers. This is illustrated in the question asked by
Fionn (see Stewart's Collection^ p. 545) :
" What is hotter than fire .?"
" De 's teotha na 'n teine V
" The face of a good man when people come
And he has not meat for them."
" Gnuis duine mhaith gus an tigeadh aoidhean
Gun bhiadh aige dhoibh."