Ossian Collection > Poems of Ossian

X INTRODUCTORY NOTE
any rate, in Scotland— carries the most weight is that of
the late Mr Campbell of Islay. In the fourth volume of
his invaluable " Popular Tales of the West Highlands,"
there is an elaborate, conscientious, and, within its limits,
satisfactory essay on the whole Ossianic controversy.
In "The Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition," Mr
Alfred Nutt has given a beautiful and admirable
synopsis of the best opinions on the development of
the Fenian or Ossianic saga. Again, in the fourth volume
of the Argyllshire Series, the late John Gregerson
Campbell has a great deal to say upon the traditionary
Scottish Lore of the Fians ; and in the same volume is
an elaborate series of remarks by Mr Alfred Nutt,
criticising the theory of the famous specialist Professor
Zimmer, respecting the proper place of the Fenian
stories in the history of Irish literature. Dr Douglas
Hyde has a short chapter, entitled "Who were the
Fenians," in his little book, "The Story of Early Gaelic
Literature." Rather than direct the reader to those
texturally invaluable but otherwise inconclusive and
often misleading volumes of the Ossianic Society of
Dublin, I will specify only one other recent book on
a subject which already has quite a library by itself:
Mr Bailey Saunders' "Life of James Macpherson,"
published two years ago.
To take these in reverse order. Mr Saunders' inter-
esting and carefully compiled record of Macpherson's
life and literary doings has the demerit of leaving the
reader in as great uncertainty as to the partial authen-
ticity of the Ossianic poems as he probably felt when he
took up Mr Saunders' book. Otherwise, it is an indis-
pensable volume for all who would study the subject.
Dr Douglas Hyde, in his chapter on the subject, gives
all the different theories in regard to Finn— as the name
of the great Celtic hero, Fionn, is most commonly
given in early Gaelic literature. It may be added here
that Fian or Finn is never called Fingal in any of those