Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

56 Irish Drinds.
Spiritualism, in all its forms, appears to have been practised
by the Irish and Scotch Druids. Dr. Armstrong's
Gaelic Dictiona7y has
Toghairm, once a noted superstition
an account of the Divination of the
among the Gaels, and
evidently derived from Druid-serving ancestors. The socalled
prophet " was wrapped in the warm, smoking robe of
a newly slain ox or cow, and laid at full length in the
wildest recess of some lonely waterfall. The question was
then put to him, and the oracle was left in solitude to
consider it." The steaming body cultivated the frenzy for
a reply, although " it was firmly believed to have been
communicated by invisible beings."
Similar traditions are related by Kennedy, in Fictions of
the Ii'ish Celts. One of the tales is of ScuUoge, who spent
his father's gold. While out hunting he saw an old man
betting his left hand against hi's right. At once he played
with him for sixpence, but won of the ancient Druid a
hundred guineas. The next game won, the old fellow was
made to rebuild the Irishman's mill. Another victory
brought him as wife a princess from the far country. But
Sablna, when married, besought him to have no more to do
with old Lassa Buaicht of the glen.
Things went on well a good while, till the man wanted
more gold, and he ventured upon a game. Losing, he was
directed to bring the old Druid the Szvord of Light. Sabina
helped her husband to a Druidic horse, that carried him to
her father's castle. There he learned it was held by another
brother, also a Druid, in an enchanted place. With a black
steed he leaped the wall, but was driven out by the magic
sword. At last, through Fiach the Druid, the sword was
given to Lassa Buaicht. The cry came, Take *' your Sword
of Light, and off with his head." Then the un-spelled wife
reappeared, and the couple were happy ever after.
Conn of the Hundred Battles is often mentioned in