PREFACE
In
the
eleventh
century
Sigurd
,
Earl
of
the
Orkney
Islands
,
went
with
a
fleet
of
ships
and
a
considerable
body
of
troops
into
Ireland
,
to
the
assistance
of
Sictryg
with
the
silken
beard
,
who
was
then
making
war
on
his
father-in-law
Brian
,
King
of
Dublin
:
the
Earl
and
all
his
forces
were
cut
to
pieces
,
and
Sictryg
was
in
danger
of
a
total
defeat
;
but
the
enemy
had
a
greater
loss
by
the
death
of
Brian
,
their
King
,
who
fell
in
the
action
.
On
Christmas-day
(
the
day
of
the
battle
)
,
a
native
of
Caithness
in
Scotland
saw
at
a
distance
a
number
of
persons
on
horseback
riding
full
speed
towards
a
hill
,
and
seeming
to
enter
into
it
.
Curiosity
led
him
to
follow
them
,
till
looking
through
an
opening
in
the
rocks
he
saw
twelve
gigantic
figures
resembling
women
:
they
were
all
employed
about
a
loom
;
and
as
they
wove
,
they
sung
the
following
dreadful
song
;
which
when
they
had
finished
,
they
tore
the
web
into
twelve
pieces
,
and
(
each
taking
her
portion
)
galloped
six
to
the
north
and
as
many
to
the
south
.