The original of this rhapsody is also in the Rosg metre—it is a kind of rhymed or half rhymed utterance. The language of the poem is, Dr. Hyde says, very old; it is known to have been current in the seventh century and it was then ascribed to Saint Patrick. It is called the “Lorica” and also “The Deer’s Cry.” According to tradition, St. Patrick Uttered it while on his way to Tara, where he was for the first time to confront the power of the Pagan High-King of Ireland. Assassins were in wait for him and his companions, but as he chanted the hymn it seemed to the hidden band that a herd of deer went by.
