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SCANDINAVIAN ANTIQUITIES OF DUBLIN. 83
In A.D. 254, Cormac Mac Art drove some of the BOOK ir.
CHAP '
Cruithne, or Irish Picts, from Ulster into the Isle of
j)lacc him about the beginning of
the fifth century. They pretend
lie was the son of a king of Ulster,
ami brother to Fergus II., who
founded the kingdom of Scotland,
A.D. 422" (recte 503). Johnson*
adds, " That the Manks in their
ancient records call him (Manannan)
a payniin, and that at his pleasure
he kept by necromancy the land of
Man in mists, and to an enemy
could make one man appear one
hundred."
In Irish historical legends we
find four Manannans, three of
whom are thus noticed "Manannan,
the son of Alloid," "Manannan,
the son of Athgus," and
" Manannan, the son of Lir."
Of the last, that is Manannan
MacLir, the Book of Fermoy says,
that he was a pagan, that he was a
law-giver among the Tuatha De
Danann, and that he was a necromancer
(a Druid), possessed of
power to envelope himself and
others in a mist "
(or Feth Fiadha"),
so that they could not be seen by
their enemies. (Druids were supposed
to possess the power of raising
mists. See Todd's "Life of
St. Patrick," p. 425.)
Of Manannan, the son of Alloid
(also a Druid), it is saidf that his
real name was Orbsen that he was
a skilful seaman, and traded between
Ireland and Britain, being com-
monly called Manannan Mac Lir
Manannan, from his commerce with
the Isle of Man, and MacLir, that
is "son of," or "sprung from
the sea," from his skill in navi-
gation. The Yellow Book of
Li-ran J adds "that he was killed in
the battle of Cuilleann, and buried
in Connaught, and that when his
grave was dug Loch Oirbsen burst
over the land, so that it is from
him Loch Oirbsen (now Loch
Corrib) was named."
Of the other Manannan the
Yellow Book of Lecan says, "That
Manannan, son of Athgus, King
of Manain (Man) and the islands
of the Galls (the Hebrides, &c.),
came with a great fleet to pillage
and devastate the Ultonians, to
avenge the children of Uisnech,"
an Ulster chieftain. These children
of Uisnech when compelled to fly
" from Erinn " had sailed east-
wards, and conquered " what was
from the Isle of Man northwards of
Albain," and " after having killed
Gnathal, king of the country,"
were induced to return to Ireland
under a pledge of safety from
Conchobhar, King of Ulster. The
sons of Gnathal, who also sought
the protection of Conchobhar,
'' killed the sons of Uisnech," in
consequence of which Gaiar, the
grandson of Uisnech, banished
Conchobhar to the Islands of Ore
and Cat (the Orkneys and Caith-
ness), and Gaiar having reigned
over Ulster for a year, went into
Scotland with Manannan, and died
there.
In these Manannans we find a
* Jurisprudence of the Isle of Man: Edin., 1811, p. 3.
t Ogygia, P . 17'.'. J MS. T. C. Dubliu. tbti.
o 2