Suidheachan Fhinn Gairloch (parish) Ross and Cromarty Scotland
Biography
Language
Placenames
Poems
Songs
Tales
Description
Transciption notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael. The inside front cover is inscribed in ink with 'Bought at Wadebridge Cornwall Dec[ember] 1 1864 p 1/6 A A Carmichael' and the opposite page has 'A A Carmichael' written on it in pencil. The notebook contains Fenian songs or tales mainly collected in Uibhist a Deas/South Uist and Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula, some of which are repeated in full or in part. These include 'Laoidh na Muileartaich', 'Duan an Deirg' and 'A' Bhraoin Chaorain'. There are stories relating to 'Righ Eirinn' [the King of Ireland] such as 'An t-Og Chraobh' which is repeated and a version of 'Torac na Taine' from the Ulster Cycle. There is also an account of part of the conflict at Sheriffmuir and notes from the informant, Alexander MacKenzie, Uisgebhagh/Uiskevagh, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula, about the poet Uilleam Ros/William Ross who wrote a poem about his mother, Mary MacKenzie. There are a number of vocabulary notes scattered throughout the volume, usually accompanying a song or story. Some pages contain text which has been written over with transverse writing and so may be difficult to read.
