Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

Ossianic and other Eai-ly Legends. 225
Fion's power to prevent his death by giving him, from a
spring nine ridges away, a draught of water brought in
the hollow of his joined palms. Oscur, Oisin, Caeilte,
Fergus, and Mac Luacha, had hurriedly arrived at the
spot, and loudly and earnestly did the heroes urge Fion
to haste, but he went about the unwelcome work so
leisurely that when the water touched Diarmuid's Hps,
life had departed. Three shouts of indignation were
raised by Oscur and the rest, and only for their binding
vows of loyalty they would have slain their chief on the
spot. In memory of the tragic deed, the place was
thenceforward called the " Mound of the Sword hilt."
Archffiolo|jists find a similarity between this and the legend
of Venus, Adonis, and the boar.
In such importance were held fictional narrations in old
times, that they were carefully classified. The following
were the chief varieties :—Tales of battles, of voyages,
of the taking of forts, of sieges, of deaths of heroes, of
cattle-raids, of courtships, of adventures in caverns, of
land and sea expeditions, of banquets, and of elopements.
Then there were the mere imaginative tales in prose or
verse, of which Fion or some of his friends were the
heroes. The one that follows is a specimen of the class,
of stories relative to flights and pursuits ; it is called
THE FLIGHT OF THE SLUGGARD.
After a great feast held at the palace of Almhuin, the
Fianna betook themselves to Knockany, in Limerick.
There Fion, setting up his tent, despatched his warriors
to search the mountains that lie on the borders of Lime-
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