With some
other Irish matter of the same description they constitute, says Mr
Alfred Nutt, "the oldest body of gnomic wisdom" extant in any European
vernacular. (_FOLK-LORE_, Sept. 30, 1909.)
The story of Cormac's adventures in Fairyland has been published with
a translation by Standish Hayes O'Grady in the _TRANSACTIONS OF THE
OSSIANIC SOCIETY_, vol. iii., and is also given very fully by d'Arbois
de Jubainvilie in his CYCLE MYTHOLOGIQUE IRLANDAIS. The tale is found,
among other MSS., in the BOOK OF BALLYMOTE, but is known to have been
extant at least as early as the tenth century, since in that year it
figures in a list of Gaelic tales drawn up by the historian Tierna.
The ingenious story of the _Judgment concerning Cormac's Sword_ is
found in the BOOK OF BALLYMOTE, and is printed with a translation by
Dr Whitly Stokes in _IRISCHE TEXTE_, iii. Serie, 7 Heft, 1891.
Pronouncing Index
The correct pronunciation of Gaelic proper names can only be learned
from the living voice. It cannot be accurately represented by any
combination of letters from the English alphabet. I have spared the
reader as much trouble as possible on this score by simplifying, as
far as I could, the forms of the names occurring in the text, and if
the reader will note the following general rules, he will get quite as
near to the pronunciation intended as there is any necessity for him
to do.
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