ortal; hence freedom from
such an accident naturally characterises the people of the divine land.
But, as in other mythologies, that immortality is more or less dependent
on the eating or drinking of some food or drink of immortality. Manannan
had immortal swine, which, killed one day, came alive next day, and with
their flesh he made the Tuatha De Danann immortal. Immortality was also
conferred by the drinking of Goibniu's ale, which, either by itself or
with the flesh of swine, formed his immortal feast. The food of Elysium
was inexhaustible, and whoever ate it found it to possess that taste
which he preferred. The fruit of certain trees in Elysium was also
believed to confer immortality and other qualities. Laeg saw one hundred
and fifty trees growing in Mag Mell; their nuts fed three hundred
people. The apple given by the goddess to Connla was inexhaustible, and
he was still eating it with her when Teigue, son of Cian, visited
Elysium. "When once they had partaken of it, nor age nor dimness could
affect them."[1271] Apples, crimson nuts, and rowan berries are
specifically said to be the food of the gods in the tale of _Diarmaid
and Grainne_. Through carelessness one of the berries was dropped on
earth, and from it grew a tree, the berries of which had the effect of
wine or mead, and three of them eaten by a man of a hundred years made
him youthful. It was guarded by a giant.[1272] A similar tree growing on
earth--a rowan guarded by a dragon, is found in the tale of Fraoch, who
was bidden to bring a branch of it to Ailill. Its berries had the virtue
of nine meals; they healed the wounded, and added a year to a man's
life.[1273] At the wells which were the source of Irish rivers were
supposed to grow hazel-trees with crimson nuts, which fell into the
water and were eaten by salmon.[1274] If these were caught and eaten,
the eater obtained wisdom and knowledge. These wells were in Erin, but
in some instances the well with its hazels and salmon is in the
Other-world,[1275] and it is obvious that the crimson nuts are the same
as the food of the gods in _Diarmaid and Grainne_.

Why should immortality be dependent on the eating of certain foods? Most
of man's irrational ideas have some reason in them, and probably man's
knowledge that without food life would come to an end, joined to his
idea of deathlessness, led him to believe that there was a certain food
which produced immortality just as ordinary food supported life. On