Page:The Mythology of All Races Vol 3 (Celtic and Slavic).djvu/187

Rh it would be restored; and to prove this, he informed Cormac that his lost wife had had a new husband, whereupon the cup broke. "My husband has lied," cried the goddess, and at her words the cup was repaired. Manannan then said that tablecloth, cup, and branch would be Cormac's and that he had wrought magic upon him in order that he might be with him that night in friendship. In the morning, after a night's sleep, Cormac and his family found themselves no longer in the divine land, but in their own palace of Tara, and beside him were the cup, branch, and table-cloth which had covered the board of the god.$5$ Cormac's recognition of the god through his swine shows knowledge of the myth of the gods' food—the Mucca Mhanannain, "to be killed and yet to be alive for evermore."$6$

A story told of Mongan has some resemblance to that of Cormac. He commiserated a poor bardic scholar, bidding him go to the síd of Lethet Oidni and bring thence a precious stone of his, as well as a pound of silver for himself and a pound of gold from the stream beside the síd. At two síd on his way a noble-looking couple welcomed him as Mongan's messenger, and a similar pair received him at the síd of Lethet Oidni, where was a marvellous chamber. Asking for its key, he took thence the stone and silver, and from the river he took the gold, returning to Mongan, who bestowed the silver upon him.$7$ Another story of Mongan relates how he, his wife, and some others, entering a mysterious house during a storm, found in It seven "conspicuous men," many marvellous quilts, wonderful jewels, and seven vats of wine. Welcome was given to them, and Mongan became intoxicated and told his wife his adventures, or "frenzy," from the telling of which he had formerly asked a respite of seven years. When they woke next morning, they found that they had been in the house a full year, though it seemed but a night.$8$ In this instance, however, the house had not disappeared. Examples of beautiful places vanishing at daybreak are found in Flonn