Part 2 (1/2)

[Footnote 23: ”_Fianaibh ag Sithcuiraibh_”]

[Footnote 24: ”_Dan an Fhir s.h.i.+cair”; Leabhar na Feinne_, pp. 94-95.]

[Footnote 25: _Folk-Lore Journal_, vol. vi. 1888, pp. 173-178.]

[Footnote 26: _The Fians_, 1891, p. 64.]

[Footnote 27: _Ibid._ p. 33.]

[Footnote 28: _The Fians_, p. 172. The Fairy Hill referred to is ”a hillock, in which there is to be seen a small hollow called the armoury”

(p. 174).]

[Footnote 29: _Ibid._ pp. 12-13, 166, &c.]

[Footnote 30: _Ibid._ pp. 3-4. Glenorchy is said to have teemed with Fenian traditions about the early part of this century (_Proceedings_ of Soc. of Antiq. of Scotland, vol. vii. pp. 237-240).]

[Footnote 31: See my _Testimony of Tradition_, London, 1890, pp. 146-8; and Pennant's ”Second Tour in Scotland” (Pinkerton's _Voyages,_ London, 1809, vol. iii. p. 368).]

[Footnote 32: _Proceedings_ of Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol.

vii. p. 294, _note_.]

[Footnote 33: See, for example, an article on ”Scottish Customs and Folk lore,” in _The Glasgow Herald_ of August 1, 1891.]

[Footnote 34: _The Fians_, pp. 78-80.]

[Footnote 35: _Scottish Celtic Review_, 1885, pp. 184-90: _The Fians_, pp. 175-184.]

[Footnote 36: _The Heimskringla_: Dr. Rasmus B. Anderson's 2nd ed.

(1889) of Mr. Samuel Laing's translation from Snorre Sturlason: chap.

lx.x.xiii., _Of Little Fin_.]

[Footnote 37: _Leabhar na Feinne_, p. 34.

[SUBSEQUENT NOTE.--To be very accurate, one ought to say that, in the pedigree referred to, Fin's grandfather (Trenmor) is stated to have married a Finland woman.]]

[Footnote 38: Mr. W.G. Black's _Heligoland_, 1888, chap. iv.]

[Footnote 39: With this Fin of Frisian tradition may be compared Fin, a North-Frisian chief of the fifth century, mentioned in _Beowulf_ and _The Gleeman's Tale_, and whose death is recorded in _The Fight at Finnsburk_.

[SUBSEQUENT NOTE.--A suitable companion to the dwarf Fin of Frisian tradition is mentioned in Harald Hardradi's Saga:--”Tuta, a Frisian, was with King Harald; he was sent to him for show, for he was short and stout, in every respect shaped like a dwarf.”--Quoted by Mr.

Du Chaillu at p. 357 of vol. ii. of ”The Viking Age.”]]

[Footnote 40: In this connection it is worth noting that Sir Walter Scott, in referring to the aboriginal or servile clans in 1745, whom he describes as ”half naked, _stinted in growth_, and miserable in aspect,”

includes among them the McCouls, Fin's alleged descendants, who ”were a sort of Gibeonites, or hereditary servants to the Stewarts of Appin.”

(Waverley, ch. xliv.)]

[Footnote 41: For example, the late Rev. J.G. Campbell, Tiree, says of ”the Great Tuairisgeul” that he was ”a giant of the kind called _Samhanaich_--that is, one who lived in a cave by the sea-sh.o.r.e, the strongest and coa.r.s.est of any” (_Scottish Celtic Review_, p. 62). That this term was one of contempt, given by Gaelic-speaking people to those ”giants” (and apparently based upon their malodorous characteristics), will be seen from Mr. Campbell's further observation (_op. cit._ pp.

140-141):--”It is a common expression to say of any strong offensive smell, _mharbhadh e na Samhanaich_, it would kill the giants who dwell in caves by the sea. _Samk_ is a strong oppressive smell.” McAlpine defines _Samk_ as a ”bad smell arising from a sick person, or a dirty hot place”; and he further gives the definition ”a savage” (quoting Mackenzie). The word _Samhanach_ itself is defined by McAlpine as ”a savage,” and he cites the Islay saying:--”_chuireadh tu cagal air na samhanaich_,” ”you would frighten the very savages.” From these definitions it will be seen that a word translated ”giant” by one is rendered ”savage” by another (though neither of these terms expresses the literal meaning). Mr. J.G. Campbell also practically regards it as signifying ”cave-dweller,” or perhaps a certain special caste of cave-dwellers. With this may be compared McAlpine's ”_uamh_, _n.f._, a cave, den; _n.m._, a chief of savages, terrible fellow ... '_cha'n'eil ann ach uamh dhuine_,' 'he is only a savage of a fellow.'” Islay has also another word to denote a Hebridean savage. This is _ciuthach_, ”pr.