" (_Ossianio Transactions_, vol. ii, p. 107.)
An ancient Irish hero is thus described: "They saw a great hero
approaching them; fairest of the heroes of the world; larger and
taller than any man; bluer than ice his eye; redder than the
fresh rowan berries his lips; whiter than showers of pearl his
teeth; fairer than the snow of one night his skin; a protecting
shield with a golden border was upon him, two battle-lances in
his hands; a sword with knobs of ivory [teeth of the sea-horse],
and ornamented with gold, at his side; he had no other
accoutrements of a hero besides these; he had golden hair on his
head, and had a fair, ruddy countenance." (_The Banquet of Dun na
n-gedh_, translated by O'Donovan, _Irish Archaeological Society_,
1842.)
The feminine ideal of the Italian poets closely resembles that of
those north of the Alps. Petrarch's Laura, as described in the
_Canzoniere_, is white as snow; her eyes, indeed, are black, but
the fairness of her hair is constantly emphasized; her lips are
rosy; her teeth white; her cheeks rosy; her breast youthful; her
hands white and slender. Other poets insist on the tall, white,
delicate body; the golden or blonde hair; the bright or starry
eyes (without mention of color), the brown or black arched
eyebrows, the straight nose, the small mouth, the thin vermilion
lips, the small and firm breasts.
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