Page:Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland (Curtin).djvu/353

 Iron-back-without-action (Ton iaran gan tapuil).

Knock an Ár, "hill of slaughter," a mountain near the mouth of the Shannon in Kerry.

Lun Dubh MacSmola, "blackbird," son of thrush.

Mal MacMulcan. Mulcan in this name is evidently Vulcan, substituted for some old Gaelic myth-power.

Oisin. In the Gaelic of Ireland this name is accented on the last syllable; in that of Scotland on the first, which gives in English Ossian, the poet made known to the world by Macpherson. The poems of Ossian are of course nothing more nor less than the ballads of Fin MacCumhail and the Fenians of Erin, taken from Ireland to Scotland by the Gael when they settled in the latter country, and modified in some degree by Macpherson. Oisin is pronounced Ushéen in Ireland, u sounded as in but.

Ri Fohín (Ri fo thuinn), "king under the wave."

Sean Ruadh, "John the Red," pronounced Shawn Roo.

Tisean (pronounced Tishyán; an as in pan), "envy." Son of King Tisean means "Son of King Envy."

Urféist. This word is made up of Ur and péist. Ur is kindred with the German Ur, and in a compound like this means the "original" or "greatest." Péist–"worm," "beast," "monster"–is changed to féist here, according to a rule of aspiration in Gaelic grammar.

THE END.