with the island Elysium, these being regarded as synonymous—the goddess with whom Connla elopes is of the áes'síde, yet she comes from the island overseas. The confusion may be due to the fact that the gods were supposed to have various dwelling-places, not necessarily to the priority of one belief over the other. On the other hand, the Mesca Ulad, or Intoxication of the Ulstermen, says that after their defeat the Tuatha Dé Danann went underground to speak with the síde,2 although this may be only the confused notion of an annalist who knew of the síde, yet regarded the Tuatha Dé Danann as human.
The mingled romantico-annalistic view was that the Tuatha Dé Danann retired to the síd. An early text, The Conquest of the Síd (De Gahail int'sída), tells how Dagda apportioned the síd among them, his son Oengus, who was absent, being omitted. This story is clearly based upon an earlier myth which narrates how the chief god divided their various spheres among the divinities, as the Babylonian Marduk prepared the mansions of the deities and made them inhabit these as their strongholds. Of Dagda's' síd another document says:
"Behold the síd before your eyes,
It is manifest to you that it is a king's mansion
Which was built by the firm Dagda;
It was a wonder, a court, an admirable hill."3
This was the Brug na Boinne. Oengus Mac Ind Óc, or "Son of the Young Ones," viz. Dagda and Boann, was then with his foster-father Midir, but soon claimed his abode as Esau did his blessing. The claim, however, could not be granted, whereupon Oengus asked to spend the night in Dagda's palace, to which his father agreed, granting him also the next day. When this had elapsed, Oengus was bidden to go, but refused, because, time being composed of day and night, his tenancy must be perpetual. Thus Dagda was dispossessed; and the síd, passing to Oengus, took his name, Brug Maic Ind Óc.4
In another version of this story from the Book of Fermoy, in-
