Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

LEGENDS OF THE ''GOOD PEOPLE."
All our superstitions, and a great part of our legendary
lore, have descended to us from our pagan ancestors.
Aphrodite and Artemis selected lovers from among
mortals ;—Melusina, Viviana, Morgana, and other beau-
tiful and celebrated fairies, followed their example in
enthralling Christian knights. The Lianhan Sighe (Fairy-
love) still attaches herself to some favoured mortal, who
is thenceforward lost to human affection, and becomes
what in pagan times would have been called a Nympho-
lept. Juno and the three Fates assisted at the births
of mortals—so do the fairies. The inflexible destinies
were called the Parcce (merciful) ;—the timorous cottager
propitiates the fairies by addressing them as the Duine
Matha, " The Good People." Heph^estion, and his
swart Cyclops, forged impregnable armour for favoured
heroes ;—the dwarf workers in the Northern mines did
the same for the terrible sea-kings. In the penetralia, at
each side of the fire, were the Lares and Penates to keep
blessings about the abode of the master. The Kobolds