Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 2

254 NOTES
harper, or the glen of the kingfisher. (' Cruitein,' crouched one ; ' biora cruitein,'
water crouched one ; and ' bior an iasgair/ fisher point, are the Gaelic names of
the beautiful kingfisher.) In Colonsey there is a place called ' Lag a chruitear,'
hollow of the harper; and in Loch Roag, Lews, a place called 'An Cruitear,'
the harper.
Cruth, form, feature, symmetry. The old Highlanders placed much value upon form,
not only in woman but in man. They said that the father gave form, tlie mother
mind, to the child. There are many proverbs among the people bearing upon
these physiological matters.
' Tus ratha rogha dealbh. The beginning of prosperity choice form,
Uirigliill mhaith us deagh labhraidh. ' Good speech and good delivery.
Cruthach, placenta of mare.
Citanal, flocks, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats ; generally the younger generations.
Cuart, circuit ; ' cuart claidh,' circuiting the burying-ground ; ' cuart Mhicheil,'
Michael circuiting, the circuit made round the burying-ground on St. Michael's
day ; ' cuart cladaich,' shore circuit ; ' cuart time,' time circuit ; ' cuart duine,'
man's time. (Vol. i. p. 200 §.)
Cuarlachadh, circuiting, encompassing, surrounding, making a sanctuary. ' Cuar-
tachadh a chlaidh,' circuiting the burying-ground; ' cuartachadh cladh nan
athraichean,' circuiting the burying-ground of the fathers. This is done on
St. Michael's day, and is probably a remnant of ancestor-worship, while ' del
deiseil a chlaidh,' going sunwise round the burial-groun'd, represents sun-
worship. ' Cuartachadh teaghlaich,' encompassing the family. This is the
term used for family worship in the counties of Ross, Cromarty, Sutherland, and
Caithness. ' Cuartachadh baile,' circuiting the townland. Being tenants at
will, and liable to eviction, the crofters erected no fences round their fields ;
consequently when the crops were in the ground they had to guard them by
night and by day from their own and their neighbours' herds. During the
day the townland herdsman tends tiie animals and keeps them from the crops,
but by night the townland is patrolled by a man from each of two families taken
in rotation. These men are called 'cuartaiche,' circuiters. If the townland
be a large one this duty coming at long intervals is not much felt, but in a
small townland the night watching becomes oppressive. In crofting townlands
adjoining deer forests, geese, duck, or other game resorts, the men patrol their
crops all night to safeguard them, and kindle fires where incursions are most
feared. Should damage result through the remissness of these two men, the
two families represented are responsible and make reparation. The damage
done is appraised by men set apart and sworn for the purpose.
The security of land tenure given by the recent Crofters Act is putting an
end to the necessity for circuiting the townland crops, as already fences, houses,
drains, and other land improvements are rapidly progressing.