“I invoke the land of Eriu! The shining, shining sea! The fertile, fertile hill! The wooded vale! The river abundant, abundant in water! The fishful, fishful lake!” In such strain runs the original incantation, one of those magic formulas whose power was held by ancient, and still is held by savage, races to reside in their exact consecrated wording rather than in their meaning. To us it sounds nonsense, and so no doubt it did to those who put the old Irish mythical traditions into literary shape; for a later version expands and explains it as follows:[151]— “I implore that we may regain the land of Erin, We who have come over the lofty waves, This land whose mountains are great and extensive, Whose streams are clear and numerous, Whose woods abound with various fruit, Its rivers and waterfalls are large and beautiful, Its lakes are broad and widely spread, It abounds with fountains on elevated grounds! May we gain power and dominion over its tribes! May we have kings of our own ruling at Tara! May Tara be the regal residence of our many succeeding kings! May the Milesians be the conquerors of its people! May our ships anchor in its harbours! May they trade along the coast of Erin! May Eremon be its first ruling monarch! May the descendants of Ir and Eber be mighty kings! I implore that we may regain the land of Erin, I implore!” The incantation proved effectual. The Land of Ireland was pleased to be propitious, and the druidical wind dropped down. But success was not quite so easy as they had hoped. Manannán, son of the sea and lord of headlands, shook his magic mantle at them, and hurled a fresh tempest out over the deep. The galleys of the Milesians were tossed helplessly on the waves; many sank with their crews. Donn was among the lost, thus fulfilling Eriu’s prophecy, and three other sons of Milé also perished. In the end, a broken remnant, after long beating about the coasts, came to shore at the mouth of the River Boyne. They landed; and Amergin, from the shore, invoked the aid of the sea as he had already done that of the land. “Sea full of fish! Fertile land! Fish swarming up! Fish there! Under-wave bird! Great fish! Crab’s hole! Fish swarming up! Sea full of fish!” which, being interpreted like the preceding charm, seems to have meant: