Story about Calum Cille [St Columba] and his travels around the islands of Scotland and Blàr na Cuigeal, September 1872
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/131
Scope and Contents
Story about Calum Cille [St Columba] and his travels around the islands of Scotland probably collected from James Campbell, fisherman, Ceanntangabhal/Kentangval, Barraigh/Isle of Barra. The story notes that the castle on Loch Tangasdail was built by St Clair [Dùn Mhic Leòid, Loch Tangasdale, Barraigh/Isle of Barra], that St Clair married a woman from Kintail [Ceann Tàile, Ros is Cromba/Ross and Cromarty] and that he had eight hundred men who fought for him, although none of the men were from Vatersay [Bhatarsaigh]. The story tells of a battle at Hornaig [Bàgh Chornaig] on Vatersay in which an Irish captain set his dog to fight MacNeil of Barra's dog but MacNeil's dog killed it and the captain vowed revenge within the year. A year later MacNeil saw the sea was full of skiffs and sent all his men and women with stones and 'cuigeal cholach' to protect the island. The cuigeal was a staff blessed by Calum Cille. The tale tells how Calum Cille decreed that no seaweed should leave the country except in women's hands and that Pabbay [Pabaigh] was the first island he reached after leaving Carrickfergus [Northern Ireland]. He did not like Pabbay and commanded that no rats would ever live there, which is the case. The informant states that rats die when they touch earth from Pabbay. The story describes how Calum Cille and his brother Oran [sometimes Odhran or Dòbhran] arrived at Lismore [Lios Mòr] and Oran cut his foot on a stone when he jumped out of the boat. He took a dislike to the island and on seeing another island [Ì Chaluim Chille/Iona] at daybreak they decided to go there and begin churches instead. Oran's last words are quoted and the story tells how Calum Cille buried Oran at the first church he built, which was Roilig [Reilig Oran/St Oran's Chapel, Ì Chaluim Chille/Iona], where sixteen kings were buried. Calum Cille was buried in the sand and the kist was discovered later by a cow and subsequently buried in Ireland. The story then returns to the battle on Vatersay, when women fought the Irish with the cuigeal gholach [a staff with three prongs]. The cuigeal gholach was said to make men impotent so when the Irish raiders turned their backs to the women presenting their cuigeal gholach, they were killed. The story concludes by telling how, a year and a day after they were killed, the Irishman's sister came to the island and 'knew his bones' and took them back to Ireland to his mother. Some text relating to 'Blàr nan Cuigeal' has been written transversely over other text on folio 54v.
Dates
- September 1872
Language of Materials
English,Gaelic
Conditions Governing Access
This material is unrestricted.
Extent
From the Series: 72 folios ; 12.7 x 20 cm
Physical Location
5.07
Physical Location
folio 52v, line 18 to folio 56r, line 6
Bibliography
Carmichael, Alexander, Carmina Gadelica, vol. IV (Edinburgh, 1971), p. 55
Banks, M. Macleod, 'A Hebridean Version of Colum Cille and St Oran', Folklore, vol. 42, no. 1 (march 31, 1931), pp. 55-60.
McDonald, Fr. Allan, 'Calum Cille agus Dòbhran a Bhràthair', The Celtic Review, vol V (1908-1909), pp. 107-109.
Banks, M. Macleod, 'A Hebridean Version of Colum Cille and St Oran', Folklore, vol. 42, no. 1 (march 31, 1931), pp. 55-60.
McDonald, Fr. Allan, 'Calum Cille agus Dòbhran a Bhràthair', The Celtic Review, vol V (1908-1909), pp. 107-109.
- Campbell, James, c1806-1876 ('Seumas Chailein' | fisherman | Kentangaval | Isle of Barra)
- Carrickfergus County Antrim Northern Ireland
- Church Buildings
- Cill Choinnich Tiree Argyllshire Scotland
- Columba, Saint, c 521-?597 (monastic founder | Calum Cille)
- Death
- Disputes
- Family
- Iona Argyllshire Scotland
- Ireland
- Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Kentangaval Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Kintail Ross and Cromarty Scotland
- Lismore Argyllshire Scotland
- Loch Tangasdail Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- MacNeil (of Barra)
- Pabbay Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Saints
- Tales
- Tiree Argyllshire Scotland
- Vatersay Inverness-shire Scotland
- Vatersay Inverness-shire Scotland
- Voyages and Travel
- War
Creator
- From the Fonds: Carmichael, Alexander, 1832-1912 (Excise officer | folklorist and antiquarian | Edinburgh | Scotland) (Person)
- From the Fonds: Watson, William John, 1865-1948 (Professor of Celtic) (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Contact:
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk