The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #3789   Message #47336
Posted By: Antaine
30-Nov-98 - 10:31 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Add: Blue Tar Road & other songs (Liam Weldon)
Subject: RE: Blue tar road
A 'fraughan' is a type of berry, a mulberry I think. The following description of Balor is taken from 'Myth, Legend and Romance' An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition by Dr.Daithí Ó hÓgáin ISBN 0-13-275959-4 Balor/Balar : A Mythical tyrant 'He had a single eye in his forehead, a venomous fiery eye. There were always seven coverings over this eye. One by one Balar removed the coverings. With the first covering the bracken began to wither, with the second the grass became copper-coloured, with the third the woods and timber began to heat, with the fourth smoke came from the trees, with the fifth everything grew red, with the sixth it sparked. With the seventh they were all set on fire, and the whole countryside was ablaze!' All the best.