In _Cnoc-an-air_, an Irish poem, there is a description of the treasures of the Finians, which were said to have been hidden under Loch _Lene_ (Killarney), that reminds us of the robes of wool in Finn’s house. The Irishman and the Highlander got the conception probably from the same source:— This is the lake—the fiercest to be seen, That is under the sun truly; Many treasures belonging to the Fians, Are in it doubtless secured this night. There are in the northern side Fifty blue-green coats of mail; There are in the western side Fifty helmets in one pile! And hundreds of swords, “broad” and “glittering,” and shields, and gold and raiment in plenty. The Scottish author, perhaps because his ideas were cast in a more ancient mould, was somewhat more modest in his description of Finian wealth. THE NORSE BALLADS. The Norse ballads constitute another class. The wars between the Féinn and the Lochlins are the theme of many of the ancient Ossianic ballads. It is impossible to say exactly to what age they severally belong. The Vikings, or sea-rovers, began their visits to the Western Isles and Ireland as early as the first century, and continued these visits for more than a thousand years. The name Viking has no connection with King being derived from vic, a bay—vicing, baysman—as Mr Robertson has clearly shown. The erroneous translation _sea-kings_ has been used by several writers. It is the same word as the Gaelic _Uig_, the name of places on the west sides of Skye and Lewis. In English it assumes the form of _Wick_—Inner_wick_. It also means a bay or creek in Gaelic, as found in the words of a poet, “_uigean saile_.” In 794 the Western Isles were ravaged and Iona destroyed. The monastery of Iona was burnt in 802 by these Vikings; and in 806 the family of Iona, sixty-eight in number, were slain. The abbot of Iona then retired to Kells, Ireland, and Iona ceased to be the centre of Gaelic learning, while all relics of Gaelic culture were removed to Dunkeld and other places. The Gaelic people of Albin and Erin call the Danes and the Vikings Lochlins. The Vikings were originally half Celtic, if not altogether a Celtic race. Indeed the substrata of many of the Germanic tribes were originally Celtic. The following ballad probably relates to the wars of the eleventh century:— THE FINIAN BANNERS. The Norland King stood on the height And scanned the rolling sea; He proudly eyed his gallant ships That rode triumphantly. And then he looked where lay his camp, Along the rocky coast, And where were seen the heroes brave Of Lochlin’s famous host. Then to the land he turn’d, and there A fierce-like hero came; Above him was a flag of gold, That waved and shone like flame.