Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 2

NOTES 277
Feun, the arm, the hand, the hollow of the palm.
Fideag, flute, whistle, whistling.
' Co shinneas an f Iiideag airgid — Who will play the silver flute —
Mac mo righ air tir an Albain ! ' The son of my king ashore in Alban !
Fiudliag, fiodhagach, bird-cherry. The bird-cherry takes the place of the wild
fig-tree in popular lore. The people say that the wild fig-tree is banned
because of the incident of the barren fig-tree. They do not use it for any
structural purpose, but in some districts a decoction of the wood is made for
certain diseases in cattle.
When ' Macmhuirich Mor' seized ' isean na beist,' the young of the beast, the
mother besought him to give her back her young, and that she would perform
for him whatever service he demanded. Never thinking that she could accom-
plish such a thing, 'Macmhuirich Mor' asked the 'beast' to build him a house
of nine couples, and to thatch it with the down and feathers of birds, no two
feathers to be alike.
The ' beast ' was dismayed at the ransom demanded of her, but she set to
work resolutely and completed her task before the old cock crowed. She could
be heard in the midnight air cheerily singing as she flew about to and fro, the
burden of her song being —
' Sgrith ! sgrath ! sgolban ! Turf ! divot ! and splint !
Taobh taigh a chealgair ! ' To the side of the house of tlie rogue !
The ' beast ' would then change the measure of her song, and sing —
'Gach fiodli 's a choill ach iiodhagach. Any tree in the forest save the wild fig-tree,
Gach fiodh 's a choill ach fiodhagach. Any tree in the forest save the wild fig-tree,
Gach fiodli 's a choill ach crithionn crainii, Any tree in the forest save the aspen tree,
Druidhinn dreaiig, iudhar cam us fiod- The thorn of pain, the crooked yew, and
hagach.' tlie wild fig-tree.
Fiolan,^fiollan, feailan, a fly, a worm, an insect, an animal, a parasite, the bot fly.
It is difficult to determine the precise meaning attached to ' fiolan ' in these
incantations. Probably 'fiolan fionn ' is the gadfly; 'fiolan donn,' the ear-
wig; ' fiolan fada,' long insect, the centipede; 'fiolan feoir,' the shrew ; 'fiolan
luachair,' the lizard, ordinarily 'dearc luachrach.'
' Fiolag,' a fly, a flighty person. From the frequent mention of the ' fiolan
fionn,' gadfly, it must have been a common pest among the people. Probably
sleeping much in the open air was conducive to this — the insect depositing its
eggs in the necks and faces of the people, as it deposits its eggs in the backs
and rumps of cattle.
The 'fiolan' moves about 'eadar bian us sithionn,' between skin and flesh,
causing intense pain and suff"ering. The people applied poultices of water-cress
and other plants to the part affected, and rubbed it with honey, hog's lard, and
other specifics.
VOL. II. 2 N