a fairy precinct, now called Trinity Well, into which one could not gaze with impunity, and from which the river Boyne first burst forth, in pursuit of a lady who had insulted it.[1] In point of phonological equivalence, the syllable necht exactly renders in Irish the nept of Neptune's name. One cannot say, however, whether they should be regarded as of the same meaning and origin; nor does this matter for our purpose, since Irish itself has kindred words to show.[2] Whether you associate Necht with Neptune or with the other words, it may be presumed to connect Nuada Necht with the world of waters. As to the other name, Nuada Finnfáil, it would seem literally to have meant Nuada of Finnfál, that is, Nuada of the White Fál. But what did fál mean? One attested signification of the word was that of a wall or enclosure; and according to this interpretation Nuada Finnfáil might be interpreted to mean Nuada of the White Wall, which might be regarded as referring to the sky or the heavens in somewhat the same way as names like Camulos, Nwyvre and others to be discussed in the course of this lecture. Now fál, 'a wall,' is in Welsh gwawl[3] of the same import; but Welsh has also a gwawl meaning radiance or light; and I am inclined to think that the Irish fál in the compound Finnfál had that
- ↑ Bk. of Leinster, 191a; MS. (formerly Lord Ashburnham's) D. iv. 2, in the library of the Royal Ir. Academy, fol. 81d; Book of Rights, p. 9, ed.'s note.
- ↑ For instance, the verb nigim, 'lavo,' negar, 'lavitur,' and other forms (see Stokes' Goidelica, p. 133) of the same origin as the Greek νίζω, 'lavo,' and the A.-Saxon nicor, 'a water-monster,' Mod. Eng. Nick, Ger. Nix, 'the water-spirit.'
- ↑ Gwawl is the name of a solar hero in the Welsh Mabinogi which is called after Manawyᵭan, son of Llyr: see R. B. Mabinogion, pp. 12—16, 57.
