Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland, Second Series

ie, and went out into the little court of the house. And he had hardly gone out when the life went from Brito. And Columcille

gave thanks to Christ, the Judge, because the winning angels have carried to heaven the soul of this stranger that is the firs

rmit lying therein all clad in his vestments, and his hands crossed upon his breast, and he had life in him yet, but he was nigh his end, being at the point of death.... The King departed and so returned back into the little house, and sate him down on a seat whereon the hermit wont to sit. And he heareth the strife and the noise begin again within the chapel, and the ones he heareth speaking high and the others low, and he knoweth well by the voices that the ones are angels and the others devils. And he heareth that the devils are distraining on the hermit's soul, and that judgment will presently be given in their favour, whereof make they great joy. King Arthur is grieved in his heart when he hea

r strength on his side, and I had been shown here and there a house where such a fight had taken place. In the old days it was a king or saint who saw and heard this unearthly battle; but now it is not those

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them, and my aunt." And he drove them away and used the devil's name and cursed them. And she was left quiet that night, but the next day she said "I'll be destroyed altogether tonight with them." And he said he'd keep them out, and he locked the door of the house. And towards midnight he heard them coming to the door and trying to get in, but he kept it locked and he called to

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sick in the room. And when she turned away her head for a minute the cake was gone. And that happened the second day

ng the house these three nights when I knew there was some one sick in it. And you never heard such a fight as there was for her last n

Sm

came to it, the night she died there was a noise heard, that all the village thought that every wall of ev

eard a great noise of fighting in the castle he was passing by, and no one living in it and it open to the sky. And he turned in and was going up the sta

e one day were we fighting down at our place, for

arm

s heard in the air the sound of an army marching, and the drums beating, and it stopped over the house where she was lying sick. And they

s not among the faeries Johnny Casey is. Too old he

if your children die, for it's well to have them there before you. And when a person is dying the friends and the others will often come about the house and will give a great chall

ot

days ill, and the night he died they could hear fighting around the house, and they heard voices bu

ighting as went on within the house. And there was blood splashed high up on the w

teke

re she went. But one time the sister brought her to Kilfenora, and when they were crossing a bog near to there, she pointed out a house in the bog, and she said "It's there I was last night." And the sister asked did she know any one she saw in it, and she said "There was one I know, that is my mother's cousin," and she told her name. And she said "But for her they'd have me ill-treated, but she fought for me

ran

at is what we call "the fighting of the friends" for we believe it

ere was blood on the threshold, and the clothes of those that slept on the floor had

the night about the door. And she said: "If it hadn't been for Michael and John being drowned, you'd have lost Martin last night. For