[ [115] Dunscaich, a stronghold in the Isle of Skye, on the coast of Sleat, of which the ruins still exist.
[ [116] Cuchullin, or the hound of Cullin, was a famous Celtic warrior, whose fame is celebrated both in Scotland and Ireland. The name is a curious one, and is thought by some critics to indicate the existence of Anubis worship, or the worship of the dog, among the ancient Celts. There is a Cullin in Skye, and another in Ireland. From which of these the name was taken it is difficult to say. Certainly the Skye mountain is by far the more magnificent natural object, and Dunscaich is unquestionably in Skye.
[ [117] Dundalgin is said to be the modern Dundalk.
[ [118] Cuchullin’s wife is said to have been unwilling that he should engage Conlach.
[ [119] Cù is a dog or hound. The “red branch” heroes were the knights of Ulster, the most famous of the Irish military orders. Cuchullin is often called “Cù nan con,” or The hound of hounds.
[ [120] The Isle of Skye.
[ [121] The touching incident in this story is the death of the son by the hand of his own father. It is said that Conlach’s mother, in revenge for Cuchullin’s forsaking her, had laid her plans for securing this object, and had sent her son into Ireland under vow never to disclose his name until overcome in battle.
[ [122] The author of this composition is altogether unknown, nor is it easy to decipher even the name accurately. In the original it is distinctly “in keich o cloan.” According to the Dean’s usual orthography, this should be “An caoch O’Cluain,” which means the blind O’ Cloan, or the blind man from the green mound. Some of the readers of the MS. have made it out to be the name of a woman. We have given the form of the name most likely to be accurate. The composition itself is usually called “Bàs Fhraoich,” or the death of Fraoch.
[ [123] “Caiseal chrò,” usually translated bier, is a curious term. “Caiseal” means a castle or stronghold, “crò,” a fold or pen; so that the word really means the stone pen, or fortified pen. Is not this in all likelihood the stone coffin, with which we are so familiar in ancient Celtic sepulture?
[ [124] It is not easy identifying the topography of this poem. It is generally believed in Perthshire that the scene of Fraoch’s death was in Glen Cuaich, a valley lying between those of the Tay and the Almond. We have a Loch Fraoch there, but I have not been able to identify Carn Fraoich, or Carn Laimh. Cruachan is spoken of as lying to the east, which goes rather in favour of the opinion, that the scene of the poem was in Argyleshire, Ben Cruachan being to the east of the locality so designated in that part of the country. I cannot find any lake in Scotland now called Loch Mai, although Loch Fraoch may have been so called.