only distinguished the chieftain. The three polished pebbles, as before observed, were probably amulets.

Nothing is known of the history or ancient name of Ballon Hill. I have applied to that generous assistant of every student of Ireland's history and antiquities-Dr. O'Donovan, but in vain. He has never met a notice of the spot, but is of opinion, that, from its proximity to Dunrigh, a royal residence of the kings of Leinster, it may have been the cemetery of the Pagan princes of that district of Ireland.

FOLK-LORE.-No. I.

PORCINE LEGENDS.

BY WILLIAM HACKETT, ESQ.

THE old Irish manuscripts which circulate amongst the better class of our peasantry are generally collected into books bound after a rustic fashion, each volume being supplied with a list of its contents. In examining these lists, the title of one particular composition will frequently meet the eye, and must, therefore, have been highly prized by the transcribers. This is one, which, as it embodies and localizes a section of oral legends which prevail throughout the south of Ireland, may form a suitable introduction to the subject of folk-lore. The tract to which I allude is divided into two parts, of which the first (though sufficiently voluminous) is only an introduction; it is called the "Adventures of Toraliv M'Stairn." The second contains the achievements of the three sons of that hero, and is technically called the "Triur Mac," or the Three Sons. The substance of the whole story is this:-Toraliv was a nephew of the king of Denmark, and having become enamoured of a lovely woman, of whom he caught a casual glance, goes in search of her to various countries, and at length finds her in Ireland, at Tara, in the reign of (our Haroun al Radschid) Cormac Mac Art. She is daughter of a Tuatha de Danann nobleman, and is married to Toraliv, by whom she becomes mother, at one birth, of three sons-Crohan, Sal, and Daltheen. The father and mother go from Ireland in the "good ship" called the Mermaid, formerly the property of Mananan Mac an Lir. Toraliv having conquered many kingdoms and empires, loses his wife, becomes tired of war, and ends his days as a hermit. His wife, Fionabhartagh, dies, having given birth to a daughter in the land of the Amazons. Meantime the three sons are sent to be reared in Kerry, under the charge of the Gruagach of Slieve Mis. When they have finished their elementary course,

the Gruagach looks about for a suitable college; and here begins the mythic portion of the tale. We are told that when the Fir Volgans reigned in Ireland, the land was overrun with pigs, which committed vast depredations. The Tuatha de Dananns on conquering the country extirpated all these animals, except one furious herd which devastated the maritime districts of the county of Clare by day, and retired at night to an island in Malbay, called Muc Inis, now Mutton Island. To root them out of this place of resort, was found beyond the human energies of the Tuatha de Dananns, who at length had recourse to magic, and so raised a violent convulsion of the elements, by which they finally succeeded. For a time, however, one ferocious boar withstood all their efforts; his name was Matal; his abode was on an island, now Mattle rock, almost denuded of earth by the enchantment brought to bear on it, when Matal was swept into the waves. The Tuatha de Dananns having relieved the country of the presence of these dreadful boars, selected their great resting-place as an eligible site for a college, on account of its seclusion, and for other advantages which it possessed. To this college at Mutton Island, all the young noblemen of their race resorted for many ages, and thither went Gruagach of Slieve Mis, with his three pupils. Like all heroes they excelled their school-fellows in the quick acquisition of all natural and supernatural learning; finally they became better informed than their masters. On leaving college, their old guardian of Slieve Mis gave them one strict injunction, which was, that neither of them should attempt any achievement singly; all three should meet danger and glory together. They went in search of adventures, and having travelled (as we perceive by the maps, about nine miles) as far as Bhuaile na Greine, they found a congregation of sun-worshippers offering sacrifice at an altar-the spot indicated by the MS. is exactly where a "leaba Diarmuid" now stands, lower on the mountain than Lough Bhuaile na Greine, which lies between it and the celebrated Ogham inscription on Callan mountain. They appear to have joined in the sacrifice, and whilst so engaged, a huge boar made its appearance, walking slowly up the hill, to his usual haunt on the summit of Slieve Collain (this animal had his den or stye at a place called Poul-Gorm-liath on the north side of the mountain). The day was very warm, and so the animal walked slowly; when he came abreast of where the sacrifice was going on, he perceived the smoke and smelt the blood of the victims. He turned his head in the direction of the assembly, whereupon they were all thrown into utter consternation; but the animal continued his course without molesting them. This was a favourable opportunity for the young heroes to signalize themselves, for the boar was as destructive as any of those already disposed of-they followed, passed him, and turning round confronted him, with their three spears pointed at him. They slew him, and when the sun-worshippers perceived their success, they crowded round the three sons, but were afraid to look at the boar

though dead-he must have been as hideous an object as the Erymanthean boar. They soon so far recovered that they all joined in bringing the dead body to the altar, and making of it an offering to the sun. The three sons soon heard of another nuisance which infested the country. This was a frightful dragon, whose den was on an islet in the lake called Doo-Lough, south of Bhuaile-na-Greine. They also destroyed this frightful monster, an ollaphiast, with sixty legs at each side of her body. Her name was Farbagh: she was one of the three sister dragons, whose names were Dabran, Farbagh, and Cathach, the offspring of the all-devouring sow; their father having been gate-keeper of the infernal regions. The red demon of the west of Ireland was their nurse. This Farbagh had been placed at Doo-Lough, by a Fir Volgan druid, to guard an enchanted palace in the bottom of the lake, then inhabited by a king, his family, and a large concourse of courtiers. (There is a Dun Farbagh on the Arran islands). The elder sister dragon was a guardian round Leim Cuncullion, now Loop Head, of whom hereafter. The youngest sister, Cathach, had her abode. on an island in the Shannon, named from the dragon Inis Cathig, now Scattery Island. The three heroes are now called upon to free the country from another dreadful scourge, the wild cat of Craig-na-Seanean, near Doo-Lough. This animal had across its forehead a figure of the moon, at the extremity of its tail was a sharp nail; it devoured hundreds of human beings, whose bones formed a mound outside the den. When the three sons appeared beneath the cliff in which the den was, the cat, on smelling them, looked down, and, determined on killing them, precipitated herself from the height, and was received by the heroes on the points of their spears. They then brought the body to the ground, and cut it into small particles. The congregation, judging of the success of the champions, repaired to the spot and burnt the fragments of the wild cat, for fear of a plague. They all return in happiness to Bhuaile-na-Greine, where the heroes remain to partake of the hospitality of the people. Meantime their fame spreads through all Ireland and reaches even the cars of the monarch. The three sons now determine to visit their grandfather, who resides in the island of Cove; the first night they rested at the island of the Calf, now called Ennis, passing across the Ballyhoura mountains they arrived at the seat of their maternal ancestors. Here they meet with a most joyful welcome, and are visited by all the Tuatha de Danann nobility. After some time it was agreed upon by all parties that the heroes should travel in search of their parents. They took shipping in the enchanted vessel already mentioned, and, after many exploits, returned to Ireland loaded with riches, and bringing with them, from the Amazons, their sister, who was named Aonmna (recte Aonbhean, the only woman). They go to a great meeting at Tara, where Aonbhean is seen by Diarmuid O'Duibhne, who, as was his wont, falls in love with her. The Tuatha de Danann race have horror of the Fenians, and the young heroes determine on concealing

a

their sister from his pursuit. For this purpose they repair to the south-west point of the county of Clare, and here they erect three forts, one for each brother, and another for the sister, to whose protection they mean to dedicate their lives; and, still further to secure her, they place the dragon, Dabran, round her abode, so as that no one could land without being devoured by it. Meantime, Diarmuid, not being able to meet with the fair Aonbhean, falls into a state of despondency, and repairs for comfort to Aongus, of the banks of the Boyne, the great philosopher and necromancer of the age, who anticipates his tale of woe, prescribes a remedy, informs him where the object of his love is concealed, gives him a ring and a square wax candle, tells him to go to Brandon Head, in Kerry, opposite the Leim Concullion, where the lady's fort is built, tells him to watch the ring day and night, shows him a precious stone of a red colour set in the ring, tells him of the danger of encountering the serpent, and charges him not to venture on his enterprise of abduction until he shall see the colour of the ring change froin red to green.

Diarmuid takes his departure, retires with one companion, an attendant, watches for the usual space of a year and a day at Brandon Head, the ring changes colour, he betakes himself to a small skiff, crosses the Shannon, lands on a rock, now called Diarmuid and Grainne's Rock, lights his square wax candle, whereupon, according to Aongus' prophecy, the serpent falls asleep; the brothers are absent on an expedition against certain remnants of the Fir Volgans; he surprises Aonbhean, whom he seizes and bears to his skiff, bringing with him the magical missile of Lughadh Lamhfada, which, like the boomerang, returned to the hands of the person throwing it. When half-way across the Shannon's mouth the square wax candle burns out, Dabran the ollaphiast awakes and pursues him, he throws the magical ring into her yawning throat, which, as Aongus foretold, deprives her of one-third of her strength; still she pursues-he wounds her repeatedly with the magical missile, and, finally, she is killed, and her enormous corpse extends along the ocean, a prey to multitudes of sea birds. The dragon sister at Scattery perceiving that Dabran had been killed, proceeds to lay waste the country on both sides of the Shannon from the sea to where Limerick now stands, and for a whole year no boat or ship dare venture on the Shannon. When Crohan, Sal, and Daltheen returned in triumph from their expedition against the Fir Volgans, they found what had happened, and such was their grief that they walked down from the cahir of Aonbhean and precipitated themselves into the sea over the cliffs.

Such is the tragical finale of the three sons. Nothing is said of the subsequent career of Diarmuid, after this episode, in his biography, nor do we know how long his attachment to Aonbhean lasted; or how soon after these events the prophecy was fulfilled which had been uttered at the time of his birth, namely, that he would be killed by a boar. It is scarcely necessary to point out to the Irish archæologist

the coincidence in the particulars of the deaths of Adonis and of Diarmuid, each killed by a boar, contrary to the injunctions of his goddess or lady love.

If any interest is found in the story of the three sons, it is necessary to explain that one fact connected with its authorship is calculated to dull its archæological effect. A correspondence with a clergyman in the county of Clare shows that this celebrated romance was written not more than one hundred years since, by a Mr. Comyn, of Milford, in that county. This information is conveyed in a letter from a learned antiquary, the Rev. E. P. Barry, P.P. of Kilmurry.

The foregoing sketch is, however, divested of any incidents which are not in some measure corroborated by their similarity with well known oral legends of other places, from which it may be concluded that this romance is formed from the folk-lore of the county of Clare. The topographical terms, at least, exactly correspond at this day, as may be seen in all instances, and, particularly, in the names of Čahir Crohan, Cahir Saul, Lis Doon Dalheen, and Cahir-na-heanmna, as they appear in Sheet No. 71 of the Ordnance Survey Map of the county of Clare. These forts, and the other places named, were probably associated in oral tradition with some fables similar to those wrought into Mr. Comyn's story. The stories of the boar, the dragon, and the cat prevail all over Ireland, in the main features identical with the details in the "Three Sons." One instance suggests itself, of which the following is a brief sketch: There was once a king whose name was Olioll oll mucaid, that is, Olioll of the great pigs (he could not have been a monarch, as we have not the name in our chronological list, though we have Engus Ollmucka); the reason why this king was so called, was, that in his reign there prevailed all over Ireland a remarkably large breed of pigs, which remained for many ages, "till at long last" the people got tired of them, and they were driven out from every place but Imokilly (this barony runs west from Youghal Bay to Cove Harbour, having the ocean in the south). Imokilly is said to have been called "Gorm Liathain" (which would remind one of the Poul Gorm Liath, the den of the Sliabh Collain boar). Some seannchaidhes say its right name was Ibh Muck Olla, a name given it by the people of other parts of Ireland, because it was the only place where the great pigs were preserved (a kind of Irish Boeotia, where the preservation of the sacred ox seems to have elicited the ridicule of Greece, the "learned Thebans" being residents of the city of the heifer). The first of the great pigs that came to Imokilly gave name to the glen through which he came from Ibh Liathain, it is called Glen O'Leihe, which we are told is the glen of the liath or boar. In the course of ages all the great pigs were at last driven out of Imokilly, except two sows and a hog. One sow had her lair or stye at a place thence called Crobally (cro, a stye), the hog resided at a hill called Cnock-an-Chullaig (from collach, a hog), a road is pointed out by which he walked every day to meet the sow at a spot