Celtic and Norse
combined. Manx fairies too dwell in the middle world, since they
are fit for neither heaven nor hell. Even now Manx people think
they see circles of light in the late October midnight, and little
folk dancing within.

Longest of all in Man was Sauin (Samhain) considered New Year's
Day. According to the old style of reckoning time it came on
November 12.

"To-night is New Year's night.
Hogunnaa!"
_Mummers' Song._

As in Scotland the servants' year ends with October.

New Year tests for finding out the future were tried on Sauin. To
hear her sweetheart's name a girl took a mouthful of water and two
handfuls of salt, and sat down at a door. The first name she heard
mentioned was the wished-for one. The three dishes proclaimed the
fate of the blindfolded seeker as in Scotland. Each was blindfolded
and touched one of several significant objects--meal for
prosperity, earth for death, a net for tangled fortunes.

Before retiring each filled a thimble with salt, and emptied it out
in a little mound on a plate, remembering his own. If any heap were
found fallen over by morning, the person it represented was
destined to die in a year. The Manx looked for prints in the
smooth-strewn ashes on the hearth, as the Scotch did, and gave the
same interpretation.

There had been Christian churches in Britain as early as 300 A. D.,
and Christian missionaries, St. Ninian, Pelagius, and St. Patrick,
were active in the next century, and in the course of time St.
Augustine. Still the old superstitions persisted, as they always do
when they have grown up with the people.

King Arthur, who was believed to have reigned in the fifth century,
may be a personification of the sun-god. He comes from the
Otherworld, his magic sword Excalibur is brought thence to him, he
fights twelve battles, in number like the months, and is wounded to
death by evil Modred, once his own knight. He passes in a boat,
attended by his fairy sister and two other queens,

"'To the island-valley of Avilion;
Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow,
Nor ever wind blows loudly; but it lies
Deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard-lawns
And bowery hollows crown'd with summer sea----'"

TENNYSON: _Passing of Arthur._

The hope of being healed there is like that given to Cuchulain (q.
v.), to persuade him to visit the fairy kingdom. Arthur was
expected to come agai