Cleachdadh Calluin – New Year Customs II

Blarmacfoldach

Continuing with the recent theme about New Year customs, here’s more of the transcription recorded by Calum Maclean from John MacDonald of Highbridge on 13 January 1951, the Old New or or an t-Seann Bhliadhn’ Ùr:

 

A nise ’n uair a thigeadh a’ Bhliadhna Ùr a staigh bha iad a’ dol a mach a choimhead có as a bha a’ ghaoth. Agas bha an rann ac(hc)a a leanas:

Gaoth a tuath fuachd is feannadh,
Gaoth an iar iasg is bainne,
Gaoth a deas teas is toradh,

Gaoth an ear fear thar chrannaibh.

Bhiodh iad a’ gabhail beachd a rithist mar a thigeadh na Faoilltich a staigh, sìde fhuar. Agas bha:

Mios Faoilltich ann,
Seachdainn Gearrain,
Seachdainn Feadaig,
Agas tri latha Othaisgean;
Tri latha Sguabaig,
Agas seachdainn Caillich.

Bhiodh an t-side a’ tighinn air adhar^st gu math agas a’ fiar. Bhiodh a’ chailleach a' fal^abh agas slac(hc)an aic(hc)e a’ bualadh an fhiar thall is a bhos ’ga chumail a sìos air son nach fhaigheadh e fàs. Ach ma dheireadh thuir^st i:

Dh’ fhàg e thall mi,
Dh’ fhàg e a bhos mi,
Dh’ fhàg e eadar mo dhá chois mi.

Thilⁱg i a’ slac(hc)an am bun craobh chuilinn agas chan eil fiar a’ fàs ann gus an latha an diugh. Bhiodh iad a' gabhail beachd a rithist mar a bhitheadh na miosan a tighinn air a’ chraobh agas dé a' seòrsa foghmhar a bhitheadh ann. Dh’ aithnigheadh iad air an darach, nam bitheadh e air thoiseach air an uinnsean a’ tighinn fo bhlàth ’s e bhitheadh ann droch-bhliadhna agas droch-gheamhradh. Ach nam bitheadh an t-uinnsean air thoiseach air an darach fo bhlàth, ’s e bhitheadh ann bliadhna mhath. Cha robh calladairean ac(hc)a ach bha iad na speurdairean matha air an aimsir, mar a tha iad an diugh. Agas thàinig iad ro’n t-saoghal cho math ris an fheadhainn a bh’ ann an diugh air an t-seann-dòigh a bh’ ac(hc)a. Is dh’ aithnigheadh iad a rithist ’n uair a bhitheadh Latha nan Coinnlean ann, an darna latha de’n Ghearran. Agas nam bitheadh an latha sin ciùin blàth, theireadh iad: “Tha leth a’ gheamhradh ri tighinn as deadhaidh seo.” Ach nam bitheadh e ’na latha stoirimeil, buaireasach, theireadh iad: “Tha earrach math gu bhith againn.”  Agas cha bu toil leotha a rithist a’ Chàisg a bhith tràth. Earrach fada as deadhaidh tòin Caisg chan eil e math. Bhiodh iad a' gabhail beachd, ’n uair a bhitheadh bliadhna mhath ann, bhitheadh ubh air Inid, Dia Maìr^st Inid, agas ian anns a’ Chàisg: agas a’ fitheach aig nach bidh sin, bithidh am bàs. ’S e sin an droch-shìde, bhitheadh e a’ mar^abhadh nan eòin. Agas cha bhitheadh na fithich na na h-eòin pailt. 

And the translation of the above goes something like this:

Now when the actual New Year came they’d go out to look in which direction the wind was blowing. And they had the follow verse:

North wind, cold and flaying,

West wind, fish and milk,
South wind, heat and produce
East wind, one for the trees.

They’d also take cognisance likewise when the cold weather of January came in. And so:

The Wolftime month,

A week of Cutter,
A week of Whistler,
And three Hog days;
Three days of Sweeper,
And the Carlin’s week.

The weather would then improve and the grass grew. The old woman would go with the stick and strike the grass here and there so that it couldn’t grow. At last she said:

I left it there,

I left it here,
I left it under both my feet.

She threw the stick into the roots of a holly tree and grass doesn’t grow there to this day. They used to observe the change over the months on the fruits of the trees to find out what kind of autumn was most likely. They would recognise that if the oak blossomed before the ash then it marked a bad year and also a bad winter. But if the ash blossomed before the oak then this marked a good year. They didn’t use calendars but rather the stars for weather forecasting just as they to do nowadays. And they came through this world just as well and those today using the old methods they had. And they’d likewise recognise Candlemas, the second day of February and if the day was calm and warm then they’d say: “The second half of winter has yet to come after this.” But if it was a stormy, blustery they’d say; “We’re going to have a good Spring.”

And they didn’t like Easter to be early. A long Spring after the end of Easter was not good.

They used to observe, that when there was a good year, there’d be an egg at Shrovetide, on Shrove Tuesday, and a bird at Easter: And if the raven was not present at that time, there’d be death. That meant bad weather that used to wipe out the birds. And so the ravens would not be plentiful and so too with the other birds.

References:

SSS NB 10, pp. 952–54

Image:

Blarmacfoldach, Lochaber. Traditionally the last place to have kept up observing the Old New Year in Lochaber.

Cleachdadh Calluin – New Year Customs

John MacDonald of Highbridge

The following short anecdotes concerning New Year customs were recorded by Calum Maclean from John MacDonald of Highbridge and transcribed by him on 13 January 1951, the very day that marks New Year’s Day old style. It was probably the case that the Old New Year was still within living memory at this time for it used to be kept in some if not many parts of the Highlands. One of the last places where it was said to have been kept was in nearby Blarmacfoldach (or Blàr Mac Faoilteach), lying in the Mamore Hills just outside Fort William:

Seann-chleachdadh a bha ac(hc)a aig a’ Challainn, aig a’ Bhliadhna Ùr, mar a their iad. Bhiodh iad a’ dol a choimhead air a chéile, na coimhearsnaich, agas chan fhaigheadh duine a staigh do thaigh mur a gabhadh e rann aig an dorust. Bhiodh an duine air cùl an doruis agas theireadh e riutha: “Gabh do rann ma faigh thu a staigh” agas badan de chuileann aige. Is a chuile duine mar a bha a’ gabhail an rann is a’ dol a staigh, bha e ’ga bhualadh air ’s na luirignean. Agas mar a tigeadh fuil as theireadh iad:

“Cha bhidh an duine ad fada beò.”

Agas seo agat pàir^st do na rannan a bhitheadh iad a’ gabhail:

“Gobhar mhór a bh’ againn Oidhche Choille
Chan fhàgadh i braighdean air gamhainn,
Chan fhàgadh i coinneal an coinnlear,
Is chan fhàgadh i broin an cailleach.
Chan ’eil gaol agam air ìm,
Is chan ’eil gràdh agam air càis,
Ach an rudan beag a tha ’s’ bhuideal
Tha mo shlugan air a thì.”

Seo fear eile dhiubh:

“Thaine mi a seo gun sireadh
Bho bhun an t-sreachda aig Beinn Nibheis –
Cuideachd òìgridh uallach, aoidheil, suairce
Aig am biodh na cruachan feòir ’s’ gheamhradh
Mar chruachan mòine a’s t-samhradh.
Siuthadaibh, illean, òlaibh uile,
’N uair a theirigeas seo, gheibh sinn tuillidh.
Tarrainn do bhogha fad’, fhìdlear,
Is dannsaidh sinn cho fad is a chì sinn.”
 

And the translation goes something like this:

 

An old custom they had at Hogmanay, at the New Year, as they’d say, they would go to visit one another, the neighbours and no one could gain entrance to a house if they didn’t recite a verse at the door. The man would stand behind the door and he’d say to them: “Recite your verse before you get in” and he had a bunch of holly in his hand. And everyone who who recited the verse as they went in would be struck on the calf and if no blood was drawn then they’d say:

“That man hasn’t long to live.”

And here you have part of a verse that they used to recite:

The big goat (i.e. wind?) we had on New Year’s Eve

It wouldn’t leave a stirk tethered
It wouldn’t leave the candle on a stick
It wouldn’t leave the old woman’s belly (perhaps a reference to the harvest maiden?)
I’ve no love for butter
I’ve no love for cheese
But a little bit from the cask
My throttle is in quest of.”

And there is another one of them:

“I came here without seeking

From the snowy base of Ben Nevis –
Young affable, kind, gallant company
Who would make haystacks in wintertime
Just like peat-hags in summer,
Go on lads, have a drink,
When this is finished, we’ll get more.
Draw your bow long, fiddler,
And we’ll dance as far as we can see.”

References:

SSS NB 10, pp. 951–52

Image:

John MacDonald of Highbridge, courtesy of the School of Scottish Studies Archives.