by Edwin Sidney Hartland
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[142] Grohmann, p. 16; Schneller, p. 217.
[143] Thorpe, vol. ii. p. 138; Birlinger, ?Volkst.? vol. i. p. 257 (cf. Bartsch, vol. i, p. 326, where there is no wedding, and curiosity is the lady's motive for venturing into the fairy cavern); ?Celtic Mag.? Oct. 1887, p. 566.
[144] Southey, ?Doctor,? p. 574; ?Y Brython,? vol. iii. p. 111, and Cymru Fu, p. 183; Howells, p. 127; ?Y Llyvyr Coch,? p. 40 (Lady Charlotte Guest's translation, p. 381); Thorpe, vol. iii. p. 297, quoting Wolf; Müller, p. 50 (cf. Jahn, p. 96). The reader will not fail to remark the record-book bound in pigskin as a resemblance in detail to Longfellow's version. Thorpe alludes in a note to a German poem by Wegener, which I have not seen. Nicholson, p. 58.
[145] Luzel, ?Légendes Chrét.? vol. i. pp. 225, 216, 247, 249; ?Contes,? vol. i. pp. 14, 40; cf. Pitré, vol. vi. p. 1; and Gonzenbach, vol. ii. p. 171, in neither of which the lapse of time is an incident. Dr. Pitré says that the tale has no analogues (riscontri) outside Sicily; by which I understand him to mean that it has not been hitherto found in any other Italian-speaking land.
[146] Bartsch, vol. i. p. 282; Müller, p. 46; Powell and Magnusson, vol. ii. p. 37.
[147] Brauns, p. 146.
Transcriber's Note: See Appendix for more detailsOssian in the Tir na n'Og ? The Island of Happiness ? The Mermaid ? Thomas of Erceldoune ? Olger the Dane ? The Sleeping Hero ? King Arthur ? Don Sebastian ? The expected deliverer ? British variants ? German variants ? Frederick Barbarossa ? Nameless heroes ? Slavonic variants.
The stories we have hitherto considered, relating to the supernatural lapse of time in fairyland, have attributed the mortal's detention there to various motives. Compulsion on the part of the superhuman powers, and pleasure, curiosity, greed, sheer folly, as also the performance of just and willing service on the part of the mortal, have been among the causes of his entrance thither and his sojourn amid its enchantments. Human nature could hardly have been what it is if the supreme passion of love had been absent from the list. Nor is it wanting, though not found in the same plenteous measure that will meet us when we come to deal with the Swan-maiden myth?that is to say, with the group of stories concerning the capture by men of maidens of superhuman birth.
We may take as typical the story of Oisin, or Ossian, as told in Ireland. In County Clare it is said that once when he was in the full vigour of youth Oisin lay down under a tree to rest and fell asleep. Awaking with a start, he saw a lady richly clad, and of more than mortal beauty, gazing on him. She was the Queen of Tir na n'Og, the Country of Perpetual Youth. She had fallen in love with Oisin, as the strange Italian lady is said to have done with a poet of whose existence we are somewhat better assured than of Oisin's; and she invited him to accompany her to her own realm and share her throne. Oisin was not long in making up his mind, and all the delights of Tir na n'Og were laid at his feet. In one part of the
