Page:Poems of Ossian.djvu/54

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INTRODUCTION.

to by Ossian both in Scotland and Ireland. Some of these localities were quite unknown to Macpherson, and his suppositions regarding others have been shown to be wrong. Further, the study of Ossian has led within the last few years to the discovery of antiquities which would otherwise have remained underground.

The language of the Highlands itself contains many memorials of its great bard. Phrases like Ossian dall, blind Ossian; fiountachk, as ancient as Fingal; Ossian an deigh na feinne, Ossian the last of his race, are familiar enough even at the present day. The association, too, of Ossian's name and the names of the heroes he celebrates with numerous spots in the north has been immemorial. Tourists through Glencoe, the Cona of the poems, have pointed out to them the cave dwelling of the bard high up in the mountain side; and visitors to Killin on Loch Tay are familiar with the castle built by the Breadalbane Campbells at Finlarig, Fingal's Pass.

The late Dr. Angus Smith, in his interesting book, Loch Etive and the Sons of Uisnach, draws attention to the connection between the poem of "Darthula" (the Irish Deirdre) and many of the localities around Loch Etive. Eitche itself, or Etive, is the Etha of Macpherson's translation, while the name of the vitrified fort on the shore of