History of Christian Names Book

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This is an OCR edition with typos.
Excerpt from book:
59 CHAPTER m. GADHAELIC NAMES. Section I.—Scottish Colonists. The strange and wild beliefs that prevailed regarding the original settlement of ancient Ireland, have left strong traces on the names still borne by the population, both there and in Scotland. We need not go back quite to Adam's great grandson, and the wicked race that sprang from him, and all perished, except one giant, who took up his abode in a cave, and there lived till he was baptized by St. Patrick; nor to Fin tan, who was changed into a salmon during the time that the flood prevailed, and afterwards gave rise to the proverb, ' I could tell you many things were I as old as Fintan.' A bard, so called, was said to have existed, and a poem is attributed to him, which gives a very queer account of the first settlers, though he does not there claim quite such a startling experience. Fomorians, Fir Bolg, men dwelling in caves, or, more probably, ravaging men, and Tuath De Danan, t. e., chiefs, priests, and bards, are all conducted in turn to Erin by tradition and poetry ; but none equal in fame or interest the tribe called Milesian, from whom the purest Irish blood is supposed to descend. The favourite legends start this famous colony from the East, where Phenius, the head of the family, was supposed to have taught the Phoenicians letters, and left them his name ! His son, Niul, not to be behindhand with him, named the Nile, having been sent on an embassy to Egypt,where he married Pharaoh's daughter ! Whether her name wasScota or not, authorities are not agreed; but all declare that it was her father who was drowned in the Red Sea, and that a subsequent dispute with the Egyptians caused either Niul or his son to migrate to Spain. It is this Niul, or Neill, to whom the whole legion of Neals are to ...