MacNeil, Roderick, c1790-1875

Archaeological notes about Totachain Ghreotais, 1867

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/70

Scope and Contents

Archaeological notes about Totachain Ghreotais [possibly at Rubha Greòtach, Pabaigh/Pabbay] probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay, describing them as about sixteen yards in circumference 'On the side of a hill facing the sea S[outh] E[ast]. The found[ations] visible only on lower side...about 2 feet.' Also described are sheilings built over and behind the remains.

Dates: 1867

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, 1864 to

Series

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114

Scope and Contents Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, noted as being 'Bought at St Columb, Cornwall, 30 Nov[ember] 1864 pr[ice] 2/3'. The back inside cover contains a note probably collected as part of excise duties which reads 'Rod[erick] MacPhie Mast of boat 21.8 [-] 1.2½ [-]'. The notebook contains one insertion. The majority of the notebook contains lore relating to Miùlaigh/Mingulay mostly collected from Roderick MacNeil, crofter, aged 88, known as Ruairidh an Rùma. Roderick MacNeil also...

Dates: 1864 to

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, c1868 to 16 June 1876

Series

Identifier: Coll-97/CW150

Scope and Contents Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael containing primarily songs and stories collected in Miùghlaigh/Mingulay, Barraigh/Barra, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist and Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis. The main informants are Roderick MacNeil or Ruairidh an Rùma from Mingulay and Penelope MacLellan of Ormacleit/Ormaclete. The bulk of the material from MacNeil relates to the southernmost islands of the Hebrides and covers topics such as bird-fowling, the island way of life, place-names,...

Dates: c1868 to 16 June 1876

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection

Notes and story about Naomh Moire [Maol-ruibhe], Naomh Brian[ain] and associated archaeological sites, 1867

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/74

Scope and Contents Notes and story about Naomh Moire [Maol Rubha], Naomh Brian[ain] [Brendan] and associated archaeological sites probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay. The notes describe Tobar Chal[uim] Chille [St Columba's Well] as a muddy spring in a small gully east of the lighthouse [Barra Head, Beàrnaraigh/Berneray] and how St Maol Rubha's day was celebrated on Berneray 'as long as any of the old friamh had rel[atives] buried in the Cladh.' St Maol Rubha had a...

Dates: 1867

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Notes and story about the Lochlannaich [Vikings], 1867

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/71

Scope and Contents Notes and story about the Lochlannaich [Vikings] probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay telling how they lived on Fuda [Fuidheigh/Fuday] and were killed there by Mac an Amhrais, an illegitimate son of MacNeil of Barra to prove, at MacNeil's request, that he was his son. The informant states, 'The Lochlannaich at one time owned all these islands,' and had a king called Barp 'who was the embodi[ment] of al that was fierce cruel and murderous'. When he...

Dates: 1867

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Place-name story for Sloc na Beiste, 1867

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/44

Scope and Contents Place-name story for Sloc na Beiste [Sloc na Bèiste, Beàrnaraigh/Berneray] probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay, telling how when Berneray was uninhabited, the crew of a boat came ashore for water but left behind a young man called MacGillecharra who had fallen asleep. Finding himself he went to Ciosamul [Kisimul Castle, Barraigh/Isle of Barra] and met MacNeil of Barra's wife who happened to be a MacLean and of the same kin. She gave him a wife and...

Dates: 1867

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Song about Uamh-an-Oir, accompanying story and notes, 1867

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/42

Scope and Contents Song about Uamh-an-Oir probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay beginning 'Na minn bheaga na minn bheaga/theaga, Dol eir creagan dol sna creag' composed of thirteen lines. Uamh-an-Oir is described as starting at Cliata cliff and going under Barra to Gearragaal east of Orasay [Uamh an Òir, Cliaid, Orasaigh, Barraigh/Isle of Barra]. The story tells how five men went into the cave with dogs but only the dogs returned and they were hairless. 'The smith of...

Dates: 1867

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Song beginning 'A Sheum ic Eoin horo ghiulan' and accompanying story, 22 May 1869 and 16 June 1869

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW150/22

Scope and Contents Song beginning 'A Sheum[ais] ic Eoin horo ghiulan, Is gorach [th]u horo ghiulain' collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 94 years, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay. The song is composed of eighteen lines. The accompanying story tells how Seumas mac Eoin ic an Ollamh Ilich or Seumas Sasunach fell in love with a married woman on Mingulay and poisoned her husband. An old woman saw him out one day in great distress and on being questioned he told her that a cloud was passing which was full of plague and would...

Dates: 22 May 1869 and 16 June 1869

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about Captain Scott on Isle of Barra and Mingulay, 1867

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/72

Scope and Contents Story about Captain [Caroline] Scott probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay. Described as 'notorious', the story states how Scott and his soldiers who carried themselves 'most ferociously' hanged a big, strong man named Iain mac Fhearchair ic Mhurachaidh ic Neill with out a trial or a judge. The story tells how the soldiers 'amused them[selves] by flaying the cattle of the people alive and allowing them to run mad about the island.' One man wisely...

Dates: 1867

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about Mac a Chreachain, 1869

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/59

Scope and Contents Story about Mac a Chreachain probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay. In it Mac a' Chreachain prophesies that Ciosmaol [Caisteal Chiosmuil/Kisimul Castle, Barraigh/Isle of Barra] will be 'na garrai beiste dugh' [a cave for a black beast] and is sent to Maol donaich [Maol Dòmhnaich] as a punishment. He threw a stone into the sea and later caught a fish which had swallowed the same stone. He predicted that Barrai [Barraigh/Isle of Barra] would be full of...

Dates: 1869

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

Found in 11 Collections and/or Records:

Archaeological notes about Totachain Ghreotais, 1867

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, 1864 to

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, c1868 to 16 June 1876

Notes and story about Naomh Moire [Maol-ruibhe], Naomh Brian[ain] and associated archaeological sites, 1867

Notes and story about the Lochlannaich [Vikings], 1867

Place-name story for Sloc na Beiste, 1867

Song about Uamh-an-Oir, accompanying story and notes, 1867

Song beginning 'A Sheum ic Eoin horo ghiulan' and accompanying story, 22 May 1869 and 16 June 1869

Story about Captain Scott on Isle of Barra and Mingulay, 1867

Story about Mac a Chreachain, 1869

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