Blair Collection > Gaelic names of beasts (mammalia), birds, fishes, insects, reptiles, etc

HERON 295
Black-bellied egret, boomer ; Craigie, crane, crawn, crue ;
Egret ; Frank (Suffolk) ; Gray night-heron ; Haigrie, hahnser,
hahnsej, hancer, handsaw, hansa, hanser, hansey, harn, harnsa,
harnsee, harnser, harnsey, hayron (A. S.), hearnshaw or shrew,
heerringseugh, heerinsew, heggrie, hegrie, hegrils-skip, herald,
herle, hern-ci'an or crane, hei'ne, hernshaw-sho-shrew or sue,
herny, heronseugh-sew-sue or sueff, heronshaw-sheugh-shew-
shrew or shuf, hernseugh-sew-sey or shaw, herrensue, herring-
sew-shaw-sho or sue, herrinsue, heyrune (A. S.), hornsey, hurie,
huron ; Ibis ; Jack-hern, jammy, jammy-crane. Jemmy long-
legs or neck, Jennycrow or heron, Joan, John-na-ma-crank or
ci'oak ; Krean, kren, kron ; Lang-craiget heron, longie crane,
long-necked heron (Warw.) ; Molhern, mollern, moUerne, moll-
hern, mollj-ern, molly-hern, mollyheron (female) ; Night-heron
or raven; Siege (covey); Tammie-herl ; Willick (young); Yron.
The above are only a few of numerous names found in old
works on hawking and articles thereon, etc. The word is said
literally to mean a screamer or laugher, from old root " Kar," to
scream, to laugh ; the Gaelic "corr-gribheach," etc., is said to be
derived from its having feathers on the legs.
This is a well known and much discussed bird, very lonely
and patient ; its patience indeed is proverbial, it waits for the
fish to come to it as a rule. In Ireland the fat of a heron slain
at full moon is said to be a good cure for i-heumatism ; in the
North it is supposed to wax and wane with the moon. Eels are
its choicest diet, to which it is devoted, and spares no trouble in
endeavouring to keep down, swallowing the same one industriously
several times.
A projihecy runs " When the heron leaves the tree, the laird
of Gight shall landless be." Whether this is, or was, true cannot
be vouched for, but in 1785 it is said certain falcons, to which
bird the prophecy was said to apply also, actually left the district —
or were destroyed.
Athais an darna curra air a chorr eile.
The reproach of the one heron against the other. Both
the same.
Cha shuaicheantas corr air cladach.
A heron on the shore is not peculiar — lit. not an ensign or
escutcheon. This is worth the attention of the Lyon
Office.
Is sealgair mhath a mharbhas corr.
He is a good sportsman who kills a heron. One of three
particularly wary birds.
Mhealladh e 'n t-ubh bho'n chorra-ghlais, ge d' bhiodh a da
shuil a' coimhead air.
He would cheat the heron of her egg, though her two eyes
were fixed on him. A keen, grasping, and greedy man.