Carmina Gadelica

[Michele]

Anyone ever heard of this book or read it? Any opinions as to the folk lore behind the Xtianity in the book? I have not read it but am thinking about getting a copy (it's not too pricey on Amazon)...

 

Thanks, M

[Michele]

Both volumes are on Kindle for a mere 2.99 each. I downloaded both and am really looking forward to my lunch break and a chance to peek at them, lol...

 

M

[Mountain Witch]

I have both books - downloaded them from sacred-texts.com (I think - or maybe archive.org). I haven't done a lot of research but there's someone somewhere (a blog post, I think?) that has.

 

Most of the songs/chants are christian-flavored but there are a few scattered that survived without it. The books are an interesting read.

[ettrick]

I think the point to be made on the Christianity is it's just a vehicle for very ancient traditions and practices. If you can get past the Western Scottish/Hebridean Catholicism (much less aggressive than say Irish traditional Catholicism) then there's a wealth of information. Songs to remove the evil eye, prayers for the protection of the traveller, incantations to remove all manner of aliments and mention of the herbs used to preform the "exorcism". If you can get a copy which has both the Scots Gaelic and English translation, even better, but not necessary as the rhythm of the poetry has translated really well and still packs a punch. It's hard to go into much detail where the lore is concerned. Because the book was the efforts of one man (Alexander Carmichael- the book includes his running commentary) and the collection of the lore by mouth was done independently over the later period of his life, there's been scepticism regarding it's authenticity. Personal opinion says it's legitimate. It contains a few stories but mostly invocations, blessings and prayers. I'd say it gives more of an insight into life at the time rather than say much about the origins of the lore. What time is hard to say, as when Carmichael was collecting the poetry much of it was close to extinction but in the minds of a few individuals. 

 

 

Beannachadh Taighe

 

Dhe, beannaich an taigh,

Bho steidh gu staidh, 

Bho chrann gu fraigh

Bho cheann gu saidh, 

Bho dhronn gu traigh,

Bho sgonn gu sgaith, 

Eadar bhonn agus bhraighe, 

Bhonn agus bhraighe.

 

 

 

 

Blessing of House

 

God bless the house, 

From site to stay

From beam to wall,

From end to end, 

From ridge to basement, 

From balk to roof tree, 

From found to summit, 

From found to summit.

 

 

My Scots Gaelic is beginners misery level but I think you can see it translates well into English. You can read it free online with or without Gaelic, so it shouldn't put anyone off reading it just because it's been translated. 

[Lynn]

Is this anything like Carmina Borona? ;)  (Favorite record when I was a kid! Love those radical monks!)

[Michele]

Thanks all = I did find the ones online and they are much fuller than the kindle edition which didn't cross-software well, lol. Anyway, what a wealth of charms, petitions, prayers and invocations. It does need to be de-Christianized, but that is not difficult to do. Many, many wonderful little charms to put on amulets, or even as simple invocatios when one might need them. I will have to find a hard-copy of this book.

 

M

[Michele]

I think the point to be made on the Christianity is it's just a vehicle for very ancient traditions and practices. If you can get past the Western Scottish/Hebridean Catholicism (much less aggressive than say Irish traditional Catholicism) then there's a wealth of information. Songs to remove the evil eye, prayers for the protection of the traveller, incantations to remove all manner of aliments and mention of the herbs used to preform the "exorcism". If you can get a copy which has both the Scots Gaelic and English translation, even better, but not necessary as the rhythm of the poetry has translated really well and still packs a punch. It's hard to go into much detail where the lore is concerned. Because the book was the efforts of one man (Alexander Carmichael- the book includes his running commentary) and the collection of the lore by mouth was done independently over the later period of his life, there's been scepticism regarding it's authenticity. Personal opinion says it's legitimate. It contains a few stories but mostly invocations, blessings and prayers. I'd say it gives more of an insight into life at the time rather than say much about the origins of the lore. What time is hard to say, as when Carmichael was collecting the poetry much of it was close to extinction but in the minds of a few individuals. 

 

 

Beannachadh Taighe

 

Dhe, beannaich an taigh,

Bho steidh gu staidh, 

Bho chrann gu fraigh

Bho cheann gu saidh, 

Bho dhronn gu traigh,

Bho sgonn gu sgaith, 

Eadar bhonn agus bhraighe, 

Bhonn agus bhraighe.

 

 

 

 

Blessing of House

 

God bless the house, 

From site to stay

From beam to wall,

From end to end, 

From ridge to basement, 

From balk to roof tree, 

From found to summit, 

From found to summit.

 

 

My Scots Gaelic is beginners misery level but I think you can see it translates well into English. You can read it free online with or without Gaelic, so it shouldn't put anyone off reading it just because it's been translated. 

 

I love anything related to folklore... because it shows a way of life, a belief system, a view of the world/s that I think for me is the basis of crafting. 

 

M

[Aurelian]

Actually, I use it a lot, have for years, and consider it to be invaluable.... definitely a must have for wort charming.  For whomever was asking about garden magic in another thread, there is a traditional blessing of the seeds, which I was going to mention but forgot...

 

Anyway, two thumbs up from me, at any rate.

[Michele]

Reading some more of this book... happen to be on the prayer for "smooring" the hearth.  Interesting all the little prayers/charms for these things. Today, should the hearth-fire go out whilst we sleep, I doubt any of us or our families would die. The gods of fire are irrelevant to us now, we just write a check to the electric company. And man and man's inventions become the new gods which protect us through the night. These are the thoughts that run through my mind as I read these charms, which became Christianized, and then became prayers.

 

M

[OpheliaRose]

What an interesting little read. Glad I took a glance because $2.99 is an excellent price.