Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 8, 1897.djvu/420

 384 Miscellanea.

ing. ^^^hiIe he was thrashing him he nicknamed himself " Mi- fein 'us Mi-fein " (Myself and Myself). The young " Each Uisge " went back to his father roaring with pain. The old "Each Uisge" asked him who had been at him. He replied: " Mi-fein 'us Mi fein " (Myself and Myself). The old " Each Uisge " said: " Nam' be duine eile gu'n deanadh is misi gu'n dioladh " ( " If another one had done it, I would revenge it"). This threatening reply of the old " Each Uisge " is a common Lewis proverb, with the addition " Mar a thubhairt an Each Uisge " ( " As the water-horse said.")

This legend is ethnologically interesting as having remarkable points of contact with the story of Ulysses and Polyphemus, Odyssey, Book ix. lines 365—410.

VI. — A Alhaideann-mhara. (The Mermaid.)

The sea-cattle — so says the legend — came ashore at Shawbost once upon a time. The mermaid followed them. When the people of the district saw them ashore, they hastened to get between them and the sea to sprinkle the landing-place with (Maighstir) urine. (Gun so a' dheanainh cha b' urrainn iad a bhi air an gleidheadh air tir.) Without performing this ceremony they could not be kept ashore. They then brought them to be housed at the nearest farmsteading. The mermaid followed them. They were kept ashore about a week. The mermaid was particu- larly reticent during her stay. She broke silence only once ; the occasion was her observing the woman in whose house she stayed cleaning newly-caught fish. She said to her : " Nigh' us glan gu maith an tiasg a's ioma beast a tha 'sa mhuir " ( " Wash and clean well the fish, there is many a monster in the sea"). These words are in frequent use as a proverb, with the addition " i\Iar a thub hairt a' mhaid-eann-mhar " ("As the mermaid said.") To prevent the sea-cattle running away to their native element it was a si7ie qua noil to sprinkle them with (Maighstir) urine every morning before letting them out to graze. One morning, however, this ceremony was neglected by the herd. The mermaid observed his mistake and her chance. She immediately ran down to the sea and began to call the sea-cattle by their several names, as follows :

" Ho ! gu'n tig ' Sitheag.' Ho ! gu'n tig ' Sebthag.' Ho ! gu'n tig ' Crbm-an-taoid ' " (the Bend of the Rope). " Ho ! gu'n