Myths and legends ; the Celtic race . red up and down the banks of the river seekingin vain for her companions and her home. At lastshe came to a walled garden, and, looking through thegate, saw inside a stone house of strange appearanceand a man in a long brown robe. The man was aChristian monk, and the house was a little church ororatory. He beckoned her in, and when she had toldher story to him he brought her to St. Patrick, whocompleted her adoption into the human family bygiving her the rite of baptism. Now comes in a strangely pathetic episode which reveals the tenderness, almost the reg
Myths and legends ; the Celtic race . red up and down the banks of the river seekingin vain for her companions and her home. At lastshe came to a walled garden, and, looking through thegate, saw inside a stone house of strange appearanceand a man in a long brown robe. The man was aChristian monk, and the house was a little church ororatory. He beckoned her in, and when she had toldher story to him he brought her to St. Patrick, whocompleted her adoption into the human family bygiving her the rite of baptism. Now comes in a strangely pathetic episode which reveals the tenderness, almost the regret, with which early Irish Christianity looked back on the lost world of paganism. As Ethn6 was one day praying in the little church by the Boyne she heard suddenly a rushing sound in the air, and innumerable voices, as it seemed from a great distance, lamenting and calling her name. It was her Danaan kindred, who were still seeking for her in vain. She sprang up to reply, but was so overcome with emotion that she fell in a swoon144. Ethne hears Voices 144 CHRISTIANITY AND PAGANISM IN IRELAND on the floor. She recovered her senses after a while,but from that day she was struck with a mortal sickness,and in no long time she died, with her head upon thebreast of St. Patrick, who administered to her the lastrites, and ordained that the church should be namedafter her, Kill Ethne—a name doubtless borne, at thetime the story was composed, by some real church onthe banks of Boyne.^ Christianity and Paganism in Ireland These, taken together with numerous other legendaryincidents which might be quoted, illustrate well the atti-tude of the early Celtic Christians, in Ireland at least,towards the divinities of the older faith. They seem topreclude the idea that at the time of the conversion ofIreland the pagan religion was associated with crueland barbarous practices, on which the national memorywould look back with horror and detestation. * It may be mentioned that the syllable Kill,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectcelticl, bookyear1910
