Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/270

 262 centre of the top there is a green spot, said to be the entrance to it, on which the natives would be afraid to stand. About fifteen years ago there was a man in the village had a cow and a newly-born calf, and the cow died. But after it was dead, cut up, and salted, at night they used to hear a cow in the barn, while the calf throve well, although it would take no food that was offered it. At first every one was afraid to go near the cowhouse at night to see what was going on; but at last the man took courage and went, and to his great astonishment he found his cow alive and suckling the calf. When it saw him it tried to rush out of the door; but as it passed he seized it by the tail, and was pulled by it to the fairy mound and into a brightly lit-up room, in which were assembled the queen and her court. The queen asked, "What do you want?" To which he answered, "In the name of God, my cow." To which she replied, "Take it," and the cow immediately went with him, the name of God destroying the spell. My informant, one of the innumerable Joyces, offered to swear he had seen the cow alive; afterwards dead, cut up, and salted, and had even eaten part of it, yet afterwards he saw it alive. A rag tied round the tail of a newly-calved cow keeps away the fairies.

On the east of Lough Corrib, near Castle Hackett, is Knockmaa, or the hill of the plain, which is a great fairy haunt; and at times of an evening great flights of the "good people" pass over Connemara to the gathering at it. When they are passing is easily known, as you feel a rush of warm wind passing you, accompanied by a rustling noise. Fairies should always be called "good people," as fairies is a term of disrespect. When throwing water out of a door you must say, "By your leave," lest one of the "good people" was outside, and you might chance to wet it. A lighted coal of turf, carried on a stick or in a tongs, after dark, keeps away the fairies.

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The highest group of hills in Connemara, or the Twelve Pins or Stacks, are called Bennabeola, after a giant of that name. Beola seems to have been a person of importance, as Great Man's Bay is said to be also called after him, and his earn was at Toombeola, but was taken away by the monks to build an abbey; and the latter was