Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 27, 1916.djvu/131

 Collectanea. 103

throws his body over the side of " Doon Donald." The body is buried by unseen hands, where two stones mark the grave. ^ The chief tires of the lady, and determines to go to his paternal home. She insists on going with him, but as they cross the flooded Munhin river on a single plank the lady falls in and is changed to a crane. I almost hesitate to cite Otway,^ as he confessedly only adapts Miss Knight's story. In his account of " Dundonnell" and Glencashel he describes the grave of "Donald Doolwee," and adds, " The Doon of this glen has its legends," without saying how far he altered them. Donald was a giant, " as all Danish kings were," and was rendered unconquerable by a witch from the ocean isles. Another northern giant takes his forts of "Dooncarton" and "Doon- keegan," and fights him at Inver. Doolwee's wife, " Munhanna," sees the hostile chief and loves him, betrays her husband (though sworn on a skull by the sorceress), the fated sword knot is cut, Donald slain and thrown over the wall. The northern chief flings his mistress off his horse into the swollen river from Carrowmore Lake, and she becomes a crane. If Otway's version is taken accurately from Miss Knight, then her brother treated the tale very freely, for Otway, so to speak, renders it into Norse.

O'Donovan collected a simpler but kindred tale, and fortunately gives it as the local people told it. The hero Fergus plunders Erris, then ruled by the giant " Donell Doolwee," " whose wife was in collusion with him " (Fergus). She gives the enemy her hus- band's enchanted sword. " Donell," finding that he was betrayed, goes to another giant, Carton of "Duncarton," for aid, and finds that he is out in a boat. He shouts to " Carton" to take him away, but is refused, and hurls a rock at him. The boat sinks, and " Carton " is struck or drowned and buried at Gortmalle, near " Trakirtaan " strand, where an oblong enclosure of stones marks the grave. " Donell," in desperation, returns and is slain by Fergus at Dun- donnell. The victorious hero, with " Munchin," sets off" for his home. They reach the stream from Carrowmore Lake (Munhin), and as they cross on a foot stick he throws the lady into the river, where she is drowned. Fergus then marches gaily round

^ They were 30 feet apart, but one was removed soon after Otway's visit, about 1839.

2 Erris and Tyrawly, p. 39. He is indebted to Miss Knight, p. 42.