the mystic prophet power: he could foresee, and he could denounce. And no
man could escape from the judgment pronounced by a poet over one he
desired to injure; for the poet had the knowledge of all mysteries and was
Lord over the secrets of life by the power of The Word. Therefore poets
were ernphaticallv called the tribe of Duars, that is, THE MEN OF THE
WORD; for by a word the poets could produce deformities in those they
disliked, and make them objects of scorn and hateful in the sight of other
men.
FAIRY NATURE
THE Siodh-Dune, or the Mount of Peace, is a favourite resort of the
fairies. It is an ancient, sacred place, where the Druids in old time used to
retire to pray, when they desired solitude: and the fairies meet there every
seven years to perform the act of lamentation and mourning for having been
cast out of heaven.
Earth, lake, and hill are peopled by these fantastic, beautiful gods of
earth; the wilful, capricious child-spirits of the world. The Irish seem to have
created this strange fairy race after their own image, for in all things they
strangely resemble time Irish character.
The Sidhe passionately love beauty and luxury, and hold in contempt all
the mean virtues of thrift, and economy. Above all things they hate the
close, niggard hand that gathers the last grain, and drains the last drop in
the milk-pail, and plucks the trees bare of fruit, leaving nothing for time
spirits who wander by in the moonlight. They like food and wine to be left
for them at night, yet they are very temperate; no one ever saw an
intoxicated fairy.
But people should not sit up too late; for time fairies like to gather round
the smouldering embers after the family are in bed, and drain the wine-cup,
and drink the milk which a good house-wife always leaves for them, in case
the fairies should come in and want their supper. A vessel of pure water
should also be left for them to bathe in, if they like. And in all things the
fairies are fond of being made much of, and flattered and attended to; and
the fairy blessing will come back in return to the giver for what-ever act of
kindness he has done to the spirits of the hill and the cave. Some unexpected
good fortune or stroke of luck will come upon his house or his children; for
the fairy race is not ungrateful, and is powerful over man both for good
amid evil.
Therefore be kind to the wayfarer, for he may be a fairy prince in
disguise, who has come to test the depth of your charity, and of the
generous nature that can give liberally out of pure love and kindliness to
those who are in need, and not in hope of a reward.