Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

108 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[132]He embarked with ninety warriors, and took land at Corcadyna,in the south-west. In connexion with this episode I may quote apassage of great beauty and interest from de Jubainville's “IrishMythological Cycle”: 104“According to an unknown writer cited by Plutarch, who diedabout the year 120 of the present era, and also by Procopius, whowrote in the sixth century A.D., ‘the Land of the Dead’ is thewestern extremity of Great Britain, separated from the easternby an impassable wall. On the northern coast of Gaul, says thelegend, is a populace of mariners whose business is to carry thedead across from the continent to their last abode in the island ofBritain. The mariners, awakened in the night by the whisperingsof some mysterious voice, arise and go down to the shore, wherethey find ships awaiting them which are not their own, 105 and,in these, invisible beings, under whose weight the vessels sinkalmost to the gunwales. They go on board, and with a singlestroke of the oar, says one text, in one hour, says another, theyarrive at their destination, though with their own vessels, aidedby sails, it would have taken them at least a day and a night toreach the coast of Britain. When they come to the other shorethe invisible passengers land, and at the same time the unloadedships are seen to rise above the waves, and a voice is heardannouncing the names of the new arrivals, who have just beenadded to the inhabitants of the Land of the Dead.“One stroke of the oar, one hour's voyage at most, suffices forthe midnight journey which transfers the Dead from the Gaulishcontinent to their final abode. Some mysterious law, indeed,brings together in the night the great spaces which divide thedomain of the living from that of the dead in daytime. It was thesame law which enabled Ith one fine winter evening to perceive104 Translation by R.I. Best.105 The solar vessels found in dolmen carvings. See Chap. II. p. 71 sqq. Notethat the Celtic spirits, though invisible, are material and have weight; not sothose in Vergil and Dante.