The Scottish Celtic review

TIte Muileartach. 115case), O.H.G. hr4o, A.S. hr^aiu (carcase). Cr^abh (body) is cognatewith Goth, hraho, A.S. hre'aw. The Indo-Europ. stem iskrav (blood), from root kru (to bruise, to make sore, to make orbecome hard). Of. Fick's Wort. i. .52, and Curt. Gr. Etym. pp.154, 155. Cf. W. craio (blood). Corn, croiu (blood).(To be continued.)THE MUILEARTACH.*This tale has been selected as a fair specimen of talcs at one timecommon in tlie Western Islands and Highlands of Scotland, andstill to be occasionally fallen in with. It relates, as almost alltlie popular tales of the Scottish Celts do, to Ireland. Copies inprint of the tale, or parts of it, are to be found in Campbell's WestHighland Tales, iii., 122; several versions in Leabhar na Fe'inne,by the same excellent collector ; and one in Gillies' Collection. Ofthe version here given. Part I. has never appeared in print. Itwas written many years ago from the dictation of DuncanM'Fadyen, Caolas, Tiree, and has been compared with other oralversions ; and Part II. from Duncan Cameron, constable, Tiree,in 1S71.In the translation, " Fin-Mac-Coul " is adopted as a betterrendering of Fionn Mac Cunihail than the more familiar andeuphonious Fingal, a name which had its origin with Maciiherson.Similarly, "Fians" is adopted for Felnne, a collective noun, andFiantan, a plural noun, instead of Fingalians or Fenians, nameswhich have other ideas now associated with them. "Fin-Mac-Coul"has more of the ludicrous idea attached to it than belongs to theGaelic name. It is as old as Barbour, who uses it in the poem of"The Bruce" (circ. 1880).Historically, this tale is worthless, as it cannot be accepted as amemento of, or in any way relating to, a sea fight between Norsemenand Celts. It is, however, of considerable interest to thestudent of history, as showing personification at work, and themanner in which the creations of fancy harden into acceptance ashistorical facts. The tale is a myth, in the true sense of* The name of the principal character in this tale"is pronounced iudifi'erently , andby the same reciters, Muireartack and Muileartach, and is construed by themsometimes as a masculine, but most conunonly as a feminine"noun. There is nodifficulty in deriving it from Muir larlach, the Western Sea.