Ossian Collection > Carmina gadelica > Volume 1

204 AIMSIRE
into a 'mogan/ footless stocking, and dusted over the flocks on the following day
— being the Day of Michael — to bring them ' piseach agus pailteas agus pronn-
tachd,' progeny and plenty and prosperity, and to ward from them 'snileachd
agus ealtraidh agus dosgaidh,' evil-eye, mischance, and murrain. Occasionally the
' fallaid ' is preserved for a year and a day before being used.
On the morning of the Feast of Michael all within reach go to early mass.
They take their struans with them to church to be blessed of the 'pears eaglais,'
priest. At this festal service the priest exhorts the people to praise their guardian
angel Michael for his leading and their Father God for His corn and wool, fruits
of the field and fruits of the flocks, which He has bestowed on them, while the
foodless and the fatherless among them are commended to the fatherhood of God
and to the care of His people.
On returning from mass the people take the ' biadh Micheil,' Michael food,
' biadh maidne Micheil/ Michael morning food. The father of the family places
the struan ' air bord co gile ri cailc na fuinn no ri sneachda nam beann ' — on a board
as white as the chalk of the rock or the snow of the hill. He then takes
' Sgian gheur, ghlan, A knife keen, true,
Gun smal, gun smur, Without stain, without dust,
Gun sal, gun sur, Without smear, without flaw,
Gun mhur, gun mlieirg,' Without grime, without rust,
and having made the sign of the cross of Christ on the tablet of his face, the man
cuts the struan into small sections, retaining in the parts the form of the whole.
And he cuts up the lamb into small pieces. He places the board with the bread
and the flesh on the centre of the table. Then the family, standing round, and
holding a bit of struan in the left hand and a piece of lamb in the right, raise the
' Iolach Micheil/ triumphal song of Michael, in praise of Michael, who guards and
guides them, and in praise of God, who gives them food and clothing, health, and
blessing withal. The man and his wife put struan into one 'ciosan/ beehive
basket, and lamb into another, and go out to distribute them among the poor of the
neighbourhood who have no fruits nor flocks themselves. Nor is this all. ' Ta e
iumachaidh gu'n toireadh gach tuathanach aims a bhaile La na Feill Micheil peic
mine, ceathramh struain, ceathramh uanail, ceathramh caise agus platar ime dha
na buichd, agus dha na deoiridh, agus dha na diolacha-deirce truagha, agus dha
na diblidh agus dha na dilleachdain gun chli, gun treoir, cruthaichte ann an cruth
an Athar shiorriudh. Agus tha an duine a toir so seachad air mlliodh Mhichcil
mar nasga deirce do Dhia treun nan dul a thug dha ni agus ciob, ith agus iodh,
buaidh agus pais, fas agus cinneas a chum agus gu'm bi e roimh anam diblidh
truagh an trath theid e null. Agus togaidh na buichd agus na deoiridh agus na
diolacha-deirce truagha, agus na dilleachdain gun chli, gun treoir, agus togaidh na
truaghain an Iolach Micheil a toir cliu agus moladli do Mhichcil min-glical nam buadh
agus do'n Atliair uile-bheannaichte, uile-chunihachdach, a beannachadh an duine
agus na innatha n' am mic agus n' an nighean n' an ciud nan cliu n' an crannachar n' an