Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 2

232 NOTES
' La Bhrath/ Day of Conflagration. The ' Clacha Brath ' of lona were put round,
and as long as they continued to move the Day of Judgment would not come.
Bràlh, a quern, handmill, anything round, anything that has no end. ' Bonnach
brathain,' a round bannock; 'bradan brathain,' a round salmon, turbot ; 'liabag
bhrathain,* round flounder.
Breideag, hreideachag, little woman of the kertch ; from 'breid,' kertch, 'breideach,'
kertehed.
Breun, sour, acid, fermented, putrid. ' Bainne breun,' soured milk, fermented milk.
Travellers in Greece, Palestine, Syria, and other pastoral countries of the East,
speak of the soured, fermented milk used by the people of those lands. The
traveller in Uist may probably be offered milk similarly affected, but may not be
able to take it. Seeing this, the kindly woman will say, ' Cha toigh leibh bainne
breuin ? ' — ' You do not like soured milk ? Our men prefer it sour, and the
more sour the more they like it.'
Throughout the Shetland Isles whey is soured and used as a beverage under
the name of ' bland.' Cf. the ' koumiss ' of other countries.
Brian, briain, angel, archangel, god, divinity, hence god of evil ; a term of exclama-
tion. 'A bhriain ! ' thou god! 'a bhriain Mhicheil!' thou god Michael!' 'a
bhriain Choibhi ! ' thou god Coivi ! ' a bhrian dhonais ! ' thou demon god ! Cf.
Gaulish Brennos, also Brian, one of the ' tri dee dana,' three gods of fate. See
Rhys' Hibberl Lectures.
Biianain, Breannan, Brendan. St. Brendan was a voyager going long journeys west
and north in his missionary zeal. According to Matthew Arnold's short poem on
St. Brendan, the Saint saw Judas Iscariot sitting on an iceberg in the far north.
On inquiry he found that on account of his having given his cloak to a beggar,
Judas was allowed an hour's respite from burning pain, and selected an iceberg
as likely to be the most comfortable place.
Malcolm Maclean, smith, Ceanntangval, Barra, said that Brendan asked
to be buried beside his beloved ' anam-chara,' soul friend, Moluag in Lismore,
and that this was done. Malcolm Maclean, who was a man of quiet wit, natural
intelligence, and independence of mind, told me the following story : —
A man called ' Domhull Dubh,' sometimes ' Domhull Dubh Mor,' dwelt at
Baile-na-creige, near St. Brendan's church and burial-place in Barra.
Domhull Dubh had opinions of his own about Saints and Saints' Days,
in consequence of which he and the priest of St. Brendan had occasional rubs,
sometimes bordering on anger. The man was neighbourly and industrious, but
some said sceptical and irreligious, barely observing the Sunday, and hardly
even the Feast Day.
On the day of the holy Brendan, when others becomingly went to morning
mass, Domhull Dubh went away to plough. He chose a hollow out of sight,
where he thought he might work unseen and unmolested of man, or of woman.