Irische Texte : mit ersetzungen und Wterbuch

Cóir An maun (Fitness of Names).
Introduction.
What the Dindsenclias does for the names of noteworthy-
places m L-eland, the Coir Anmann, 'Fitness of Names', does
for the nicknames of about three hundred noteworthy Irish
pei-sons, — kings, queens, warriors, -ivizards, projihets, poets,
leeches, elves, werwolves. The et}^ma with which the Coir Anmann,
hke the Dindsenclias, abounds, are, as a rule, absui'd. But a
knowledge of these nicknames is essential to the understanding
of Mddle-Irish hteratiu'e, and their explanations often involve
legends of interest to the student of Irish mythology, folklore,
topogi-aphy, manners and customs. See, for instance, the no-
tices of heathen baptism (no. 251), and incest (55, 62, 66), the
hastening a girl's growth by feeding her on the flesh of other
children (170), the cat-headed god (241), and other heathen
deities (150, 156, 167, 211, 220), amputation of the tip of the
little-finger (170), the transformed hag, (70) a woman bearing a
lamb and a salmon (133), the tabus called gessa (41), lycan-
thropy (215). Interesting, too, are the mentions of magical
practices, such as shape-shifting (149, 205, 215), putting speUs
on wisps (183), producing mist (70) and snow (76), prophecy
and divination (83, 287).
Here also, as in the Dindsenclias, philologists will find
some rare words and grammatical forms. The words are collected
Irische Teste, m. 2. 19