The Project Gutenberg eBook, Elves and Heroes, by Donald A. MacKenzie

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Title: Elves and Heroes

Author: Donald A. MacKenzie

Release Date: November 15, 2003 [eBook #10089]

Language: English

Chatacter set encoding: US-ASCII

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ELVES AND HEROES

BY

DONALD A. MACKENZIE.

1909

TO

Miss YULE, of TARRADALE.

PREFACE.

THE ELVES.

The immemorial folk-beliefs of our native land are passing away, but
they still retain for us a poetic appeal, not only on account of the
glamour of early associations, but also because they afford us inviting
glimpses of the mental habits and inherent characteristics of the men
and women of past generations. When we re-tell the old tales of our
ancestors, we sit beside them over the peat-fire; and, as we glory with
them in their strong heroes, and share their elemental joys and fears,
we breathe the palpitating air of that old mysterious world of theirs,
peopled by spirits beautiful, and strange, and awe-inspiring.

The attitude of the Gael towards the supernatural, and his general
outlook upon life in times gone by, was not associated with unbroken
gloom; nor was he always an ineffectual dreamer and melancholy fatalist.
These attributes belong chiefly to the Literary Celt of latter-day
conception--the Celt of Arnold and Renan, and other writers following in
their wake, who have woven misty impressions of a people whom they have
met as strangers, and never really understood. Celtic literature is not
a morbid literature. In Highland poetry there is more light than shadow,
much symbolism, but no vagueness; pictures are presented in minute
detail; stanzas are cunningly wrought in a spirit of keen artistry; and
the literary style is direct and clear and comprehensible. In Highland
folklore we find associated with the haunting "fear of things
invisible,