University of Toronto Schools - Twig Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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THE TWIG Irish Legends and Folklore JOHN STIRLING OWHERE is there a country so rich in its legends and folklore as lreland. No- where is there a nation which has so pre- served its ancient literature that the individual can produce tables of his descent, and designate with certainty, even in the darkness of prehistoric ages, the race from which he has sprung. This folklore is a strange conglomeration of reality, supersti- tion and humour. Every rock, every lake and every ruin has its own particular history. Many legends have their setting 'in beauti- ful Killarney. ln my estimation there is no more exquisite piece of scenery than the three lakes viewed from the Windy Cap. They lie far below nestling in the heart of the mountains, diamonds inlaid in a setting of emerald. One could believe it was Fairyland. And it is Fairyland. For below Killarney, the legend states, lies the Land of eternal Youth. In ancient days when O'Donaghue owned all this land, he dived headlong into the water from the tower of Ross Castle to reclaim his lost youth. Muckross Abbey, a beautiful vine-clad ruin, stands on the shore of the middle lake. It was built almost a thousand years ago by Saint Francis and a group of monks. The Devil became alarmed at the good the abbey was doing and decided to destroy it. He took a huge bite of rock out of a mountain and flew towards Muckross with it in his mouth. Saint Francis hearing of his coming went out to meet him. He struck Satan with such force that he dropped the rock into the lake and fled. To-day a solitary island lies in the middle lake. ln line with it is Muckross Abbey, and a huge bite in the skyline of the mountains. Within the abbey stands an old yew tree which is reported to be as old as the abbey itself. It is said that if this tree is cut or damaged it will bleed and the person who inflicted the injury will die within the year. A strong iron railing protects the tree from the vandalism and disbelief of tourists. Beyond Muckross Abbey lies Buckeen Bridge- bridge of the little trout. lt is a common belief that the person who bathes his feet in its waters will never have tooth- ache. The person who bathes his elbow will never suffer from backache. Everywhere one runs across similar superstitions. At Ardmore on the south-east coast is Saint Declan's holy stone. It is a huge boulder weighing several tons, set up between two stones. The tide keeps this hollow full of water. Each year hundreds of pilgrims, completely clothed, crawl beneath this stone through the water, hoping to be cured ot rheumatism. The legend tells us that Saint Declan possessed a holy bell which had been blessed by the Pope. About a thousand years ago, when he set sail to establish a mission, he discovered he had left his bell behind. A few days later he found it float- ing on top of a huge stone, following the ship. Saint Declan vowed to set up his mission where the great stone beached. He followed it to Ardmore, where it stands to-- clay. Another famous lrish saint was Saint Kelvin. He was forced to live the life of a hermit on account of the amorous attentions of a maid Kathleen. Eventually, the legend relates, Saint Kelvin was forced to push the young lady into the lake. Her ghost is said to appear on a huge stone every night. Tragedy is a favourite subject of the lrish legend. The Colleen Bawn Rock in Kil- larney is a vivid reminder of one dark stormy night, when a lunatic was hired by a man to drown his former sweetheart from this rock. At Blarney Castle, five miles north of Cork, each year thousands of tourists kiss the Blarney Stone. No one knows the origin of the custom. Even how the word