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

How Fionn fo2ind his Missing Men. 193
Fionn then went on, and found the missing men
playing Tailcasg, in the middle of a mountain (vieadlion
monaidJi). [The Taileasg seems to have been a game
like draughts, if not actually the same, or a game akin
to it ; it may have been chess.] A long-haired Chief
{GriiagacJi) came and offered hospitality {aoidheachd)
in the Little Hut of Talkativeness {an BotJian Beag na
BrtddJine). [The name GruagacJi is derived {xova gruag, a.
wig, and denotes a person wearing plenty of hair. It is
in this way that Gruagach denoted a Chief, it being the
privilege of freemen to wear long hair, as bondsmen
were compelled to have short hair {gearr fhaltacJi) ;
hence, also, supernatural beings, like the GruagacJi of the
Isle of Skye are represented as having the appearance of
a gentleman, even to the extent of wearing a chimney-
pot or beaver hat. GruagacJi, at present, is a common
name for a young woman.] Goll said they would wait
for their master. When Fionn came, the Chief {GruagacJi)
returned and offered meat and drink {biadJi 's dcocJi).
Fionn and his men went with the Chief, and on arriving
were put sitting on oaken benches, but no meat was
given them. The Chief was out and in, and told
Fionn that the Big Son of the King of Seana wanted
speech and talk till morning {'^TJia Mac Mor RigJi o
SJteanaidJi 'g iarraidJi cainnt 's cracaireacJid gu mad-
uinn"). Fionn told him to bring him in. " You better
bring him in," he said, "as I cannot keep him out."
Then it was told that the middle son {Mac MeadJt-
onacJi) of the King of Seana {RigJi o SJieanaidJt), with
sixteen men, similarly wanted admittance and conversa-
tion. They were shown in after the same preliminary
talk. Then the younger son, and sixteen more, came
in, in the same way. After that the King of Seana's
daughter, with sixteen attendant maidens, came in and
sat beside Fionn.
Fionn said, " You know well it was I slew your
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