Blair Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 2

NOTES 239
Campbell of Lochnell. What became of it at the dispersion of the general's
extensive collection is not known. Some of his things went to the British
Museum. The authorities of the Museum allowed the writer to examine
candlesticks in their possession, some of which had been found in graves, but
they did not know whether the candlestick of St. Moluag was among them.
Cairo, flesh, a person.
Cairde, convenient, suitable, appropriate ; as being of kin.
Catsean-uchd , a strip of skin from the breast of a sheep killed at Christmas, New
Year, and other sacred festivals. The strip is oval, and no knife must be used in
removing it fi-om the flesh. It is carried by the carollers when they visit
the houses of the townland, and when lit by the head of the house it is given
to each person in turn to smell, going- sunwise. Should it go out, it is a bad
omen for the person in whose hand it becomes extinguished.
The inhaling of the fumes of the burning skin and wool is a talisman to
safeguard the family from fairies, witches, demons, and other uncanny creatm'es,
during the year.
Two such strips were placed face to face to form a bag. Probably this was
the ' uilm,' the sacred bag for alms. (Vol. i. p. 126 fi'.)
Cailliris, wake, watch, harass ; the labour required of a crofter holding under a
tacksman.
Throughout the Highlands and Islands the chiefs and proprietors generally
rented out large tracts of land to relatives, connections, and friends. These
were called 'fir gabhail,' gavelkind men, ' fir bade,' townland men, tacksmen,
in Ireland middlemen. The tacksmen retained the best land in their own
immediate possession, sub-letting the remainder to tenants of varying degrees
at exorbitant rents. Besides exacting high rents, the tacksman exacted
labour — so many days from each crofter throughout the year. It would not
be profitable, were it possible, to describe these things here. The reader
interested can find them in Travels in the Western Isles, by the Rev. John Lane
Buchanan, and other works.
The lot of the crofter holding under the proprietor might be hard enough,
but that of the crofter holding under the tacksman was infinitely harder. This
wrung from the hearts of the people many sayings, as, ' Gille ghille is measa na'n
diobhal ' — The servant of the servant is worse than the devil.
' Is don an gabhalacli, Bad is the tenancy,
Ach tha don an donuis But the evihiess of the evil one
Anns au ath-ghabhalach.' Is in the sub-tenancy.
In many extensive districts cleared of people the proprietor was able to say
that he never had crofters in these places. This was true in word but not in
spirit, the crofters having been the sub-tenants, or the sub-sub-tenants, of the
proprietor's tenant.