Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

loS Old Irish ReHq-ions.
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Firbolgs at Tara for three days, until the spell was broken
by the Firbolg magic bearers— Cesara, Gnathach, and
Ingnathach. Spells or charms were always uttered in
verse or song. Another mode of bringing a curse was
through the chewing of thumbs by enchantresses. Fal the
Tuath made use of the Wheel of Light, which, somehow,
got connected with Simon Magus by the Bards, and which
enabled the professor to ride through the air, and perform
other wonders. We hear, also, of a Sivord of Light. The
magic cauldron was known as the Bnidins.
Some of the Tuath Druids had special powers,—as the
gift of knowledge in Fionn ;
a drink, too, given from his
hands would heal any wound, or cure any disease. Angus
had the power of travelling on the wings of the cool east
wind. Credne, the Tuath smith, made a silver hand for
Nuadhat, which was properly fitted on his wrist by Dianceht,
the Irish ^sculapius. To complete the operation, Miach,
son of Dianceht, took the hand and infused feeling and
motion in every joint and vein, as if it were a natural hand.
It is right to observe, however, that, according to Cormac's
Glossaiy, Dianceht meant " The god of curing."
Finn as elsewhere said, acquired his special privilege by
accidentally sucking his thumb after it had rested upon
the mysterious Salmon of Knoivledge. He thus acquired
the power of Divination. Whenever he desired to know
any particular thing, he had only to suck his thumb, and
the whole chain of circumstances would be present to his
mind. The Magic Rod is well known to have been the
means of transforming objects or persons. The children
of Lir were changed by a magic wand into four swans,
that flew to Loch Derg for 300 years, and subsequently
removed to the sea of Moyle between Erin and Alba.
Transformation stories are numerous in the ancient legends
of Ireland. A specimen is given in the Genealogy of Corca