Celtic Mythology:
liss
lis
The enclosed ground of an ancient dwelling, including what might have been originally a storage space enclosed by a circular mound or trench or both; more simply, the word describes what is perceived to have been the outer court or garth of an ancient chieftain's fortification. By extension a liss could be a ring-fort, and in oral tradition it becomes one of many words for a fairy fort. First word in innumerable place-names, e.g. Lismore [lios mór, big liss]. See also DÚN; RÁTH.
