Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/96

88 Britain than in the smaller Isle of Man; and we, failing ourselves to escape the pervading influences of those profounder changes, become an instance of the comprehensive truth of the words,


 * Prof. Rhys is right in stating that the ash-tree may be referred to the great ash-tree of Scandinavian mythology; that it symbolizes the Universe, as described in Eddaic days. The well, whose water is exceedingly pure, reminds us of the fountains that lie at the root of the Scandinavian ash-tree, and in the Edda it is said that it is as pure and white as the shell of an egg.

If I have rightly understood Prof. Rhys, a sacred thorn-bush is also mentioned. That would remind us of the worship of the thorn-bush in Teutonic literature. The thorn-bush is very much used among the Teutons for crematory purposes. No one was allowed to clip or go near them. Brand, in his Popular Antiquities, mentions such a thorn-bush in Scotland.

The well-worship was a familiar worship of our Scandinavian ancestors. It is easily understood why it should prevail very much in the Isle of Man.

As to the red-haired man: this refers to the Scandinavian conquerors of the older people of Iberian descent in the Isle of Man. These aborigines had still a fear of the red-haired man who had conquered them. The Isle of Man is full of names corresponding to Scandinavian. The people afterwards became Celticised in speech, but very often examples occur with the Germanic type.

Prof. Rhys says that the superstition about red-haired men may be found further back than the Scandinavian conquest of the Island. I have no doubt whatever that in very ancient times there has been wave after wave of Teutonic migration and emigration along the shores of Scotland. There are no doubt traces in