Note.--This "legendary romance" is based upon the ancient and still current (though often hopelessly contradictory) legends concerning Brighid, or Bride, commonly known as "Muime Chriosd," that is, the Foster-Mother of Christ. From the universal honour and reverence in which she was and is held--second only in this respect to the Virgin herself--she is also called "Mary of the Gael." Another name, frequent in the West, is "Brighde-nam-Brat," that is, St. Bride of the Mantle, a name explained in the course of my legendary story. Brighid the Christian saint should not, however, as is commonly done, be confused with a much earlier and remoter Brighid, the ancient Celtic muse of Song. ST. BRIDE OF THE ISLES SLOINNEADH BRIGHDE, MUIME CHRIOSD Brighde nighean Dùghaill Duinn, 'Ic Aoidth, 'ic Arta, 'ic Cuinn. Gach la is gach oidhche Ni mi cuimhneachadh air sloinneadh Brighde. Cha mharbhar mi, Cha ghuinear mi, Cha ghonar mi, Cha mho dh' fhagas Criosd an dearmad mi; Cha loisg teine gniomh Shatain mi; 'S cha bhath uisge no saile mi; 'S mi fo chomraig Naoimh Moire 'S mo chaomh mhuime, Brighde. THE GENEALOGY OF ST. BRIDGET OR ST. BRIDE, FOSTER-MOTHER OF CHRIST. St. Bridget, the daughter of Dùghall Donn, Son of Hugh, son of Art, son of Conn. Each day and each night I will meditate on the genealogy of St. Bridget. [Whereby] I will not be killed, I will not be wounded, I will not be bewitched; Neither will Christ forsake me; Satan's fire will not burn me; Neither water nor sea shall drown me; For I am under the protection of the Virgin Mary, And my meek and gentle foster-mother, St. Bridget. I Before ever St. Colum came across the Moyle to the island of Iona, that was then by strangers called Innis-nan-Dhruidhneach, the Isle of the Druids, and by the natives Ioua, there lived upon the southeast slope of Dun-I a poor herdsman, named Dùvach. Poor he was, for sure, though it was not for this reason that he could not win back to Ireland, green Banba, as he called it: but because he was an exile thence, and might never again smell the heather blowing over Sliabh-Gorm in what of old was the realm of Aoimag.