444 The Ancient Hym7t-C harms of Ireland.
God be in my track : the knowledge (or spell ?) which Mary- made for her Son {i.e. in seeking Christ). Brigit breathed through her palms, knowledge of truth, without knowledge of falsehood : as she obtained (her quest), so may I too see the semblance of that which I am myself in quest of" *^
In olden times the study of divination, the casting of horoscopes, and the elaborate rites for gaining illumination or knowledge of the future through an ecstatic trance formed one of the regular subjects of study in the advanced grades of the Bardic schools ; and the ' knowledge that enlightens * was put into practice on every important occasion, such as the choice of a chief, the undertaking of a battle, or the going forth on a cattle-raid. In the tract dealing with the courses of instruction and the laws of Irish metric in the Book of Ballyviote are allusions to various other charms to be studied during the ninth year of the course, charms for an alehouse, charms to track a thief or cow-stealer, charms to prevent a horse from stumbling, and charms for luck on entering a new house, or for guidance during a journey made on horse-back, and also one for long life in which, among other things, " The Seven Daughters of the Sea who weave the threads of the Sons of Long Life " are invoked, evidently a Norse charm.*^
The directions for exercising the teinn-laeghdJia and inibas-forosfiai, {i.e. the rites for securing a " trance of fore- knowledge"), are preserved. We meet also with other lesser rites, such as blowing through the palms of the hands, watching the wind blowing the twigs of a tree,*^ etc. Fionn macCumhail gained his magical powers by biting his thumb.
^^ E. Henderson, loc. cit., p. 73.
- ^ /rische Texte, vol. iii., Pt. i., 2nd Text, Sees. 95, 96, 97, pp. 51-53.
^^ Cf. an old Welsh poem given by Stephen, Literature of the Cymry, pp. 331-2, where a similar method of augury seems to be referred to, — " If I had known as now I do How clearly the wind blows on the sprigs of the waving wood, I should not have done what I did."
