301 ■t behold from the sea, or desert, ng its head through the cloud. house of my delight! ins, heath, and the rank grass he drop of night. of Selma, after its fall, in of the preceding passage, e present appearance of The fourth line in parts of the walls, and loose down the face of the in the soft marshy e place. the sea as has been the passages which &c. cribed, t Duned Dun ter. e such as d a prosands, will ons. p. 200, v. 9, &c. his bards; hundreds. igh (place). Chualas guth Uillin nan duan, Is cruit Shelma mu 'n cromadh an cuan. Carraigthura, p. 132, v. 509, &c. Translation. The voice of Ullin of songs was heard, And the harp of Selma round which the ocean bends. Co 'n nial a cheil anns an t sliabh Og dhearrsa o Shelma nan tonn ? Cath Loduin, Duan II. p. 28, v. 3, &c. Translation. What cloud has concealed in the hill A Shniobhain as glaise ciabh Gu Selma mu 'n iadh an tonn. Fingal, Duan III. p. 104, v. 41, &c. Translation. O Snivan of the greyest locks, Go to Ardven of hills, To Selma surrounded by the the wave. Fingal, sitting beneath an oak, at the rock of Selma, and having discovered Connal just landing from Ireland, spoke the following lines: "Fo dharaig," so labhair an righ, "Nuair dh'eirich Connal thall o 'n chuan "Le sleagh Charthuinn nan ciabh dubh." Temora, Duan IV. p. 46, v. 1, &c. Translation. "Beneath an oak," thus spoke the king, Supposing Selma to be situate as above described, Connal must have landed somewhere about Dunstaffanage; and that the place was then called Dunlora is highly probable, as will appear hereafter. That Selma was situate on some eminence such as the hill already mentioned, and commanded a prospect of the sea, and of some of the islands, will appear evident from the following quotations. Thainig mi gu talla an righ, Gu Selma nan làn bhroilleach oigh. Gaolnandaoine, p. 200, v. 9, &c. Translation. I came to the hall of the king, To Selma of high-bosomed maids. Fingal the brave came forth with his bards; Bha ghaisgich threin an deigh an righ; Bha fleagh na slige fial 's an aird. Carraigthura, p. 98, v. 27, &c. Translation. His brave heros followed the king; [high place. The feast of the generous shell was in the AIRD, or Mar so mhosgail guth nam bard N'uair thainig gu talla Shelma nan stuadh Mile solus a'losgadh mu 'n aird, Dealadh dealan am meadhon an t sluaigh. Carthon, p. 148, v. 45, &c. Translation. Thus did the voice of the bards awake, When they came to the hall of Selma of waves; Chaidh 'n oiche thairis am fonn; Chunnacas monadh thar liath cheann nan tonn; An gorm chuan fo aoibhneas mòr; Na stuaidh fo chobhar ag aomadh thall Mu charraig mhaoil bha fada uainn. Carthon, p. 160, v. 201, &c. Translation. The night passed away in song; Morning arose in extreme joy; Mountains were seen over the grey tops of the waves; The blue ocean moved in great gladness; It was thought proper to say something here respecting Taura, being so often mentioned in the Poems of Ossian, as one of Fingal's places of residence. The descriptions given of it in these poeins, place it in Cona, on a green hill impending over the sea, where it had a view of the hills of Cona, of the sea and islands. It is not improbable, therefore, that Taura was but another name of Selma; for what Ossian says of the one place, is equally applicable to the other. He had seen it when the generous shell went round, and the voice of the bard sounded in its halls; and had also witnessed its fall, which he imputes to fire. The following passages are descriptive of Taura, and also of Selma: Thaineas o Arda le buaidh, Gu h uallach air steuda nan coigreach, 'S ar gean mar ghathaibh na greine Chiteadh am fè na fairge Mar bhogh na fraois air sleibhte, Dr. Smith's Ancient Poems. Fall of Taura, v. 43, &c. |