II. OF THE WONDERS OF ERI HERE ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF GLEN-DA-LOCHA.

i. Inis-Gluair in Irrus Domhnann; this is its property, that the corpses that are carried into it do not rot at all, but their nails and hair grow, and every one in it recognises his father and grandfather for a long period after their death. Neither does the meat unsalted rot in it.

ii. Loch n-Echach; its property is: a holly tree that is placed in it for seven years, the part of it that sinks into earth will be stone, the part that remains in the water will be iron, and the part that remains above water will be wood.

iii. The well of Loch Con in Connaught; its property is, with regard to the lake that is near it, there are five feet in difference of height between them at all times. Whether the lake swells or shrinks the well imitates it in each change continually.

iv. The well of Gabhal Liuin in Oirghialla; its property is, that human hair upon which it is poured will become immediately grey.

v. The well of Sliabh Bladhma: its property is, if any one gazes on it, or touches it, its sky will not cease to pour down rain until mass and sacrifice are made at it.

vi. The well of Rath Both in Tir-Conaill: its property to every one who seeks it is, that if his life is to be long it rises up against him, and salutes him with a great murmur of waves. If his life is to be short it sinks down suddenly to the bottom.

vii. A well of sweet water in the side of the Corann; the property of that well is, it fills and ebbs like the sea, though it is far from the sea too.

viii. The carn of the strand of Eothail. It is not the less seen when the tide is full than when it is at low ebb, and notwithstanding that the tide rises over the large rocks on the beach around it to and fro.

ix. A stone in Loch na n-Onchon, in a mountain near Glenn-da-Loch; its property is, if it be struck with a wand by way of assault, rain will ensue, and sunshine after.

x. These are the three wonders of Teamhar, viz.: a youth of seven years of age begetting children; and the grave of the dwarf which measured five feet for every one, whether small or large; and the Lia Fail, i.e. the stone which shouted under every king whom it recognised in the sovereignty of Teamhar.

xi. There is a mill-pond at Cluain-fearta Molua; its property is, the people who bathe in it at the neck of the pond become lepers: it injures not if entered in any other place.

xii. The grave of Mac Rustaing at Rus-Ech, in Cailli Follamhain, in Meath, no woman has power to look at without an involuntary shriek, or a loud, foolish laugh.

xiii. The children of Cailli Fochladh, viz., two daughters, Crebra and Lesra were their names; they spoke from the wombs of their mothers, and what they said was, ‘Come, O Saint Patrick! and save us.’

xiv. The descendants of the wolf are in Ossory. They have a wonderful property. They transform themselves into wolves, and go forth in the form of wolves, and if they happen to be killed with flesh in their mouths, it is in the same condition that the bodies out of which they have come will be found; and they command their families not to remove their bodies, because if they were moved, they could never come into them again.

xv. Great thunder happened in the time of Donogh, son of Donall, son of Murrough, king of Ireland, which killed one thousand and ten persons in the territory of Corco Baiscinn, and divided Inis-Fithi into three parts.

xvi. Three wonders at Clonmacnois. A man without a head during the space of seven years. Inte Bucuc was his name, i.e. Maltamain. The blind man who used to dive into the Shannon and bring forth an eel in each of the forks of his hands and feet. The grave which was dug in Cluain, and it was not known or heard that there was an interment there, and there was a great-bearded man found in it, covered with drops of red blood, and a covering of green birch brooms about him. Fifteen feet long was he, and there were thirty feet of earth over him.

xvii. Loch Laigh, in the territory of Umaile, in Connaght, ran off into the sea, so that nothing of it remained but its place.

xviii. Loch Leibinn changed into blood during nine days, so that it became sods of blood like unto parboiled entrails.

xix. A shower of blood was shed in the time of Hugh, son of Niall, so that sods of blood were found about Cianacht, at Dumha Dessa.

xx. The infant boy who spoke at Craebh Lasre in a month after his birth, and who disclosed many tidings.

xxi. On a certain day the poet Mac Coisi was at the Boyne, where he perceived a flock of swans; whereupon he threw a stone at them, and it struck one of the swans on the wing. He quickly ran to catch it, and perceived that it was a woman. He inquired tidings from her, and what had happened unto her, and what it was that sent her thus forth. And she answered him: ‘In sickness I was’, said she, ‘and it appeared to my friends that I died, but really it was demons that spirited me away with them’. And the poet restored her to her people.

xxii. There are two wells in Airthera, to the eastward of Ardmacha. He who tastes of the one of them is immediately dead. If the other well is gazed upon three times, it immediately swells, and drowns the person who so gazes. Hence it is that people dare not touch them, except wretches i. e. the desperate alone.

xxiii. Congalacha, son of Mailmithigh, was at the fair of Taillten on a certain day, and he perceived a ship in the air. He saw one of them the crew cast a dart at a salmon. The dart fell down in the presence of the fair, and a man came out of the ship after it. When his head came down it was caught by a man from below. Upon which the man from above said, ‘I am being drowned’, said he. ‘Let him go’, said Congalach; and he was allowed to come up, and he went away from them, swimming in the air, afterwards.

xxiv. A certain pilgrim of the Gaedhelians happened to arrive at Torinis of Martin, on his way from Rome. There he saw his mother distributing milk and flesh meat to the poor of the Lord. He took away from her the cover of the muidh vessel which contained the milk, and she was looking for it in his presence. And the mother had not gone thither at all, but it was in Ros Ailither she made her distribution at home. And it was in honour of Martin she made it. And it was Cantighern, mother of Ua Dangal, son of Baethamhnas, that made the distribution. And he shewed the cover of the vessel to his mother in a year after his coming home, and she recognised it, and it fitted exactly her own muidh. So that it is manifest from this that every distribution of alms that is made in Martin's Cave is as effectual as if distributed at Toirinis of Martin.

xxv. The couple man and wife who are alive to the east of Clonard. Bablu and Biblu are their names.

xxvi. There is a stone in a church in Ulster whose practice it is to shed blood three days previous to a plunder of the church.

xxvii. The lake of Suidhe Odhrain, in Sliabh Guaire, migrated and went into the Fabhal.

xxviii. A great stone cross which was on the green of Slaine, in Bregia, was taken up into the air, and was shattered in the air, so that its shreds and fragments were carried to Tailten, to Tara, and to Finnabhair abha.

xxix. The well of Maell-Gobhann, in Leinster. The Deach-Fleseach the wand transformer is its name. Over the River Liffey it is. Its property is: the ash wand that is put into it is immediately made into a wand of hazle; and if it be hazle that is thrown into it, it will be ash at coming out of it.

xxx. A belfry of fire which was seen at Ross Dela, during the space of nine hours, and black birds, without number, coming out and going into it. One great bird was among them, and the smaller birds used to nestle in his feathers when they went into the belfry. And they all came out together. And they took up dogs with them in their talons, and they let them drop down to earth and they dead. The birds flew away from that place afterwards, and the wood upon which they perched bent under them to the ground. And the oak upon which the said great bird perched was carried by him by the roots out of the earth, and where they went to is not known.

xxxi. The island of Loch Cre, in the territory of Eile. No female bird, or female animal, whether beast or man, dare enter upon it. And no sinner can die on it, and no power can bury him on it.

xxxii. The mill of Cille Cess in Osraighibh. It will not grind on the Lord's day, except for guests. And it will not grind even a handfull that has been stolen. And women dare not come into it.

xxxiii. The ducks of the pond of Seanboth of Colman. Though they were put by mistake of night, with the water of the pond, into a pot upon a fire, and although all the woods of the earth were burned under that pot, they would not be injured, nor would the water become hot.

xxxiv. There live not then, toads nor serpents in all Eri, and even though they be brought from other places unto it they die immediately; and this has been tested. Except the mouse, the wolf and the fox, there has not been, and there shall not be, any noxious animal in it. And it is temperate of heat and cold. The sea will come over it seven years before the day of Judgment. Finit. Amen. Finit.