Matheson Collection > Popular tales of the west Highlands > Volume 4

50 QSSIAN — TRADITIONS, WRITINGS, ETC.
It seems that there were Celtic bards then wandering
about as well as the lowland minstrels, who were all
classed with sturdy beggars by an Act of 1457.
Holland, in a stanza (quoted page 181, Hist, of Scotch
Poetry), abuses a bard out of Ireland, and mimics his
language. It is bad Gaelic, written by ear by one who
did not understand more than its general meaning.
" Banachadee " is clearly Beannachadh Dhia, God's bless-
ing, which is a common Highland salutation on entering
a house ; and equivalent to the Irish salutation " God
save all here." Other two lines mean — Said Black Knee
give us a drink — come, me drink. Son of Mary's son,
ach ! great son ! me dry lake. The last lines quoted
are —
O'Deremyne, O'Donall, O'Dochardy droch,
Thir are his Ireland kingis of the Irischerye ;
O'Krewlyn, O'Conocher, O'Gregre, Makgrane,
The Schenachy, the Clarschach,
The Benschene, the ballach,
The Crekery, the Corach,
Scho kennis them ilk ane.
This is a list of names and certain words which
mean "The reciter of old tales;" "The singing woman"
(or the fairy woman) ; " The boy ; " " The spoiling ; "
" The battle ;" and these I take to be a list of current
songs or poems which such hungry, thirsting, black-
kneed, and therefore barelegged, Avandering minstrels
recited, together with the genealogies of kings and
nobles. So here is a glimpse of Celtic dress and poetry,
and it confirms the accounts given of bardic recita-
tions.
William Dunbar, who flourished in the reign of
James the Fourth, and was a churchman who satirized