Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

120 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[145]the house was a little church or oratory. He beckoned her in, andwhen she had told her story to him he brought her to St. Patrick,who completed her adoption into the human family by giving herthe rite of baptism.Now comes in a strangely pathetic episode which reveals thetenderness, almost the regret, with which early Irish Christianitylooked back on the lost world of paganism. As Ethné was oneday praying in the little church by the Boyne she heard suddenlya rushing sound in the air, and innumerable voices, as it seemedfrom a great distance, lamenting and calling her name. It washer Danaan kindred, who were still seeking for her in vain. Shesprang up to reply, but was so overcome with emotion that shefell in a swoon on the floor. She recovered her senses after awhile, but from that day she was struck with a mortal sickness,and in no long time she died, with her head upon the breast ofSt. Patrick, who administered to her the last rites, and ordainedthat the church should be named after her, Kill Ethné—a namedoubtless borne, at the time the story was composed, by somereal church on the banks of Boyne. 114Christianity and Paganism in IrelandThese, taken together with numerous other legendary incidentswhich might be quoted, illustrate well the attitude of the earlyCeltic Christians, in Ireland at least, towards the divinities of theolder faith. They seem to preclude the idea that at the time ofthe conversion of Ireland the pagan religion was associated withcruel and barbarous practices, on which the national memorywould look back with horror and detestation.[146]114 It may be mentioned that the syllable “Kill,” which enters into so manyIrish place-names (Kilkenny, Killiney, Kilcooley, &c.), usually represents theLatin cella, a monastic cell, shrine, or church.