Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 2 1884.djvu/73



FRAGMENT of mediæval Irish bird-lore has been preserved for us in a vellum MS. of the fifteenth century, now in the library of Trin. Coll. Dublin, marked H. 3, 17, col. 803. Unfortunately the transcriber has not thought it worth while to copy the whole, and has left off with a tantalising et cætera.

If the raven croaks above the bed framed together (com-dluthta) in the middle of the house, an eminent hoary visitor or cleric is coming to thee. But there is a difference between them. If it be a lay clerk the raven says "bacach." If it be a man in orders (fer graidh) it cries "gradh, gradh," and "fo do do ló." If the visitor be a youth or a satirist it cries "gracc, gracc," or "grob, grob," and the side behind where it cries is the quarter whence the visitors are coming. If it cries "gracc, gracc," the young people to whom it cries are assisted (?) (fordhighthir). If a woman is coming it cries "foda." If it cries from the north-west quarter of the house, thieves are coming to steal the horses. If it cries at the door of the house, strangers or hireling-soldiers are coming. If it cries above the door, satirists or visitors belonging to the king's retinue are coming. If it cries above the bed of the good man, the place where his weapons are, and he is going on an expedition, he will not return safe; and, if this is not the case, he will become unwell. If the wife is to die, it cries above the pillow. If it cries at the feet of the husband's bed, a son, or brother, or son-in-law, will come to the house. If it cries on the threshold of the kitchen-closet, the place where the food is, there will be increase of victuals, such as flesh or the first milking of the cows, in the quarter from