Scope and Contents

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael containing proverbs; Fenian tales; stories about shipwrecks; Roderick Morison 'An Clàrsair Dall' and his father John Morison tacksman of Bragar; the Beaton family; and about sea-faring; notes about islands in the Sound of Harris; and a small amount of vocabulary.

Scope and Contents Notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael containing songs, poems, tales, names, vocabulary and expressions collected in the Outer Hebrides [Na h-Eileanan an Iar]. The first part of the volume contains transcriptions taken as Carmichael listened to informants in 1877 while the second part appears to be copies of previous transcriptions of material collected by Carmichael and Rev Malcolm MacPhail in 1874 and written into the notebook in 1891. Amongst the material is a version of the lament...

Scope and Contents

Note about 'prac' [church teinds] probably given by John Moireson [John Morison] of Bragar [Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis], which is noted as a rent paid in kind with food. The note states that to get these factors were 'trampling over the poor people with a heart of stone.'

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Poem in Gaelic by John Moireson [John Morison] of Bragar [Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] written when a tyrannical factor 'ignominiously' dismissed his chamberlain, called Dugald, and replaced him with another, a MacAulay. The poem begins 'Chuireadh Dughall fo na phrac' and its English version begins 'Dugald is placed under the prac [tax]'. The poem is composed of four lines.

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Poem in Gaelic by John Moireson [John Morison] of Bragar [Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] about a woman 'whose tongue was ever on the gas' which begins 'Toiseach tus ann/air an-rath' and an English version which begins 'The first sign of strife-misfortune'. The poem and its translation are each somposed of four lines.

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Poem by John Moireson [John Morison] of Bragar [Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] about a dilemma he has in having been asked to do a job in Stornoway [Steòrnabhagh, Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] when he was shearing. The poem begins 'Ma theid me ann' and is noted as being a play on words. It is composed of eight lines. An English version of the poem is given beginning 'If I go'.

Scope and Contents

Poem in Gaelic by John Moireson [John Morison] of Bragar [Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] which he recited while helping a neighbour catch a fish in a caraidh (fish-weir) beginning 'Ma sheallas sinn ris an uailse' and its English version which begins 'If it be to pride we look'. The poem is composed of eight lines which have been arranged into two stanzas.

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Poem recited by John Moireson [John Morison] of Bragar [Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] about a 'voracious' factor, who had died from choking on food, as his grave was filled in. The poem begins 'Cuiribh air! Cuiribh air!' and the English version given begins 'Heap on him! heap on him!'. It is composed of four lines in each version

Scope and Contents

Poem by John Moireson [John Morison] of Bragar [Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] addressed to a factor who Morison had invited to his house for dinner but who left before eating as they had argued. The poem begins 'Dh'fhalbh thu ruin 's cha mhiste liom', the English version of which is given as ' Thou hast left nor sorry am I'. The poem is composed of four lines in each version.

Scope and Contents Story noted as being 'heard from a old man in Shiabost Lewis [Shawbost, Eilean Leòdhais] who spoke all he spoke in sean fhacail' about Iain mac Urach 'ic Ailein [John Morison], Shiabost and a servant girl who went missing having said she was afraid to go to the well alone. He went to the well but was pulled down by a man who told him to go to Stornoway [Steòrnabhagh] and meet with Mac Coinnich Bhra'ain [The Brahan Seer] and ask for Siatar na h-Airde [Shiabost bho Thuath/Shawbost, Eilean...