Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 2

NOTES 341
bhuidhe ' — the year of the yellow snow — 18'29(?). The snow lay so deep and
remained so long on the ground, that it became yellow. Some suggest that the
snow was originally yellow, as snow is occasionally red. This extraordinary
continuance of snow caused much want and suffering throughout the Isles.
The people of North Uist extinguished their own fires and generated a puri-
fication fire at Sail Dharaich, Sollas. The fire was produced from an oak log by
rapidly boring with an auger. This was accomplished by the exertions of ' naoi
naoinear ciad ginealach mac ' the nine nines of first-begotten sons. From
the neid-fire produced on the knoll the people of the parish obtained fire
for their dwellings. Many cults and ceremonies were observed on the occasion,
cults and ceremonies in which Pagan and Christian beliefs intermingled.
' Sail Dharaich,' Oak Log, obtained its name from the log of oak for
the neid-fire being there. A fragment of this log riddled with auger holes
marks a grave in ' Cladh Sgealoir,' the burying-ground of ' Sgealoir,' in the
neighbourhood.
Mr. Alexander Mackay, Edinburgh, a native of Reay, Sutherland, says: — ' My
father was the skipper of a fishing crew. Before beginning operations for the
season, the crew of the boat met at night in our house to settle accounts for the
past, and to plan operations for the new season. My mother and the rest of us
were sent to bed. I lay in the kitchen, and was listening and watching,
though they thought I was asleep. After the men had settled their past affairs
and future plans, they put out the fire on the hearth, not a spark being allowed
to live. They then rubbed two pieces of wood one against another so rapidly
as to produce fire, the men joining in one after the other, and working with
the utmost energy and never allowing the friction to relax. From this friction-
fire they rekindled the fire on the hearth, from which all tlie men present carried
away a kindling to their own homes.
' Whether their success was due to their skill, their industry, their persever-
ance, or to the neid-fire, I do not know, but I know that they were much the
most successful crew in the place. They met on Saturday, and went to church
on Sunday like the good men and the good Christians they were — a little of
their Pagan faith mingling with their Christian belief. I have reason to
believe that other crews in the place as well as my father's crew practised
the neid-fire.'
A man at Helmsdale, Sutherland, saw the 'tein-eigin ' made in his boyhood.
The neid-fire was made in North Uist about the year 182P, in Arran about
1820, in Helmsdale about 1818, in Reay about 18.30.
'I'ciric, hake, herring hake, herring eke or eek. A triangular frame with spikes
upon which herrings are hung up to dry in the smoke within or in the sun
without.
Tc'im, dole, gift, bribe, alms. ' Teom eisg,' dole of fish ; ' teom deora,' alms of
poor; 'teom an t-sionnaich,' bribe of the fox; ' co toinnte ri teom an
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