Tuesday, May 13, 2008

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More Celtic Fairy Tales

XXXIV. Morraha

Sources.- The second story in Mr. W. Larminie's West Irish Folk-tales, pp. 10 - 30. The framework was collected from P. McGrale of Achill Island, Co. Mayo. The story itself was from Terence Davis of Rendyle, Co.

Galway. There is evidently confusion in the introductory portion between Niall's mother and wife.

Parallels.- Carnpbell's No. I has a very close parallel to the opening. Mr. Larminie refers to a similar tale collected by Kennedy. Another version from West Munster has been recently published in the Gaelic Iournal iv. 7, 26, 35.

The evasion of the promise to give up the sword at the end seems a favourite incident in Achill folk-tales ; it occurs in two others of Mr. Larminie's stories. On the framework, see note on "Conal Yellow claw" (Celtic Folktales, v.). I have there suggested that the plan comes from the East, ultimately from Buddha.