Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER III: THE IRISH INVASION MYTHS 79Dun Cow,” a manuscript of about the year A.D. 1100, and isentitled “The Legend of Tuan mac Carell.”St. Finnen, an Irish abbot of the sixth century, is said to havegone to seek hospitality from a chief named Tuan mac Carell,who dwelt not far from Finnen's monastery at Moville, Co.Donegal. Tuan refused him admittance. The saint sat down on [98]the doorstep of the chief and fasted for a whole Sunday, 75 uponwhich the surly pagan warrior opened the door to him. Goodrelations were established between them, and the saint returnedto his monks.“Tuan is an excellent man,” said he to them; “he will come toyou and comfort you, and tell you the old stories of Ireland.” 76This humane interest in the old myths and legends of thecountry is, it may here be observed, a feature as constant as it ispleasant in the literature of early Irish Christianity.Tuan came shortly afterwards to return the visit of the saint,and invited him and his disciples to his fortress. They asked himof his name and lineage, and he gave an astounding reply. “I ama man of Ulster,” he said. “My name is Tuan son of Carell. Butonce I was called Tuan son of Starn, son of Sera, and my father,Starn, was the brother of Partholan.”“Tell us the history of Ireland,” then said Finnen, and Tuanbegan. Partholan, he said, was the first of men to settle in Ireland.After the great pestilence already narrated he alone survived, “forthere is never a slaughter that one man does not come out of it totell the tale.” Tuan was alone in the land, and he wandered aboutfrom one vacant fortress to another, from rock to rock, seekingshelter from the wolves. For twenty-two years he lived thusalone, dwelling in waste places, till at last he fell into extremedecrepitude and old age.75 See p. 48, note 1.76 I follow in this narrative R.I. Best's translation of the “Irish MythologicalCycle” of d'Arbois de Jubainville.