r (mentioned in LA) which had formerly
inhabited it, and which Senan had slain or charmed away. There are
obvious pagan elements in the legends of this saint, and there can be
little doubt that the unknown hermit who founded the monastery,
of which the remains are still to be seen, has entered into the
inheritance of the legends of an ancient deity, most likely worshipped
on the island. This deity was probably the god of the Shannon river:
and the name of the saint is clearly reminiscent of the name of the
river. In their present form the two names are not philologically
compatible: the name of the saint may be explained as an arbitrary
modification, designed to _differentiate_ the Christian saint from
the pagan river-god. That pagan names should survive (modified or
otherwise) in ancient holy places re-consecrated to Christianity is
only natural.

There may be some foundation in fact for apparently supernatural
knowledge such as Senan displays in this incident of the personality
of a coming guest. In reading documents such as this, we are not
infrequently tempted to suspect that we have before us the record of
actual manifestations of the even yet imperfectly understood phenomena
of hypnotism, telepathy, "second sight," and similar psychical
abnormalities.

The story of the cloak is told again in the Life of Senan (LL, 2388).
From the version there contained, we learn that Ciaran gave his cloak
to _lepers_. There is another version of the visit of Ciaran to Senan
in the metrical Life of the latter saint (CS, 750). According to this
story, Ciaran was not travelling alone, but with his disciples; and
they had no means of transport to the island except an oarless boat
woven of osiers. Trusting themselves to this doubtful craft (as Cybi
voyaged in a skinless coracle, _Cambro-British Saints_, pp. 186, 499),
they were ferried over in safety, no water finding its way into the
boat. Then follows the episode of the cloak, omitting, however,
Senan's jest of carrying it secretly. A glossator has added in LA
the marginal note "Priests formerly wore cowls." There are slight
discrepancies between the versions as to the precise garment given by
Ciaran and restored by Senan.

Another episode connecting Ciaran and Senan is narrated in the
metrical Life of Senan (though the passage is absent from the CS copy;
it will be found in the Bollandist edition, March, vol. ii, p. 766).
Briefly, this tale is to the effect that Ciaran and Bren