Ossian Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 1

196
AIMSIRE
LA-FEILL MOIRE
[70]
The Feast- Day of Mary the Great is the 1 5th day of August. Early in the morning
of this day the people go into their fields and pluck ears of corn, generally here, to
make the ' Moilean Moire.' These ears are laid on a rock exposed to the sun, to
dry. When dry, they are husked in the hand, winnowed in a fan, ground in a
quern, kneaded on a sheep-skin, and formed into a bannock, which is called
' Moilean Moire,' the fatling of Mary. The bannock is toasted before a fire of
fagots of rowan, or some other sacred wood. Then the husbandman breaks the
bannock and gives a bit to his wife and to each of his children, in
order according to their ages, and the family raise the ' Iollach
Mhoire Mhathar,' the Pa-an of Mary Mother who promised to shield
A feill Moire cubhr,
Mathair Buachaille nan treud,
Bhuain mi beum dhe'n toradh ur,
Chruadhaich mi e caon ri grein,
Shuath mi e gu geur dhe 'n rusg,
Le mo bhasa fein.
Mlieil mi e air brath Di-aoine,
Dh' fhuin mi e air era na caoire,
Bhruich mi e ri aine caorain,
S' phairtich mi e'n dail mo dhaoine.
Chaidh mi deiseil m' fhardrach,
An ainm Mhoire Mhathar,
A gheall mo ghleidheadh,
A rinn mo ghleidheadh,
A ni mo ghleidheadh,
Ann an sith, ann an ni,
Ann am fireantas cri,