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Story entitled 'A Chaora Bhoidheach Ghlas', c1862

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW112/4

Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'A Chaora Bhoidheach Ghlas' collected from Donnacha Mac Dhiarmaid [Duncan MacDiarmaid] Fearann an letha [Fearann an Leagha/Fernilea, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye] on 7 March 1861 and also from Caristine Nic Cuiean [Christina MacQuien or MacQueen] also from Fernilea. The story is told in a confusing manner as the different episodes of the story have been over-compressed. The story tells of two girls. One girl is born to a sheep, which is onwed by a wealthy man and the other is the daughter of a nurse. The daughter of the sheep loses the skin on her right arm from retrieving one of the sheep's bones from the mouth of a dog and is also made lame. One day, her mother tells her that she is to marry a prince but her nurse makes no attempt to help with the arrangements for the wedding. The princes declares that he is thirsty but the only way his thirst can be quenched is if he puts his finger in the sheep's daughter's mouth. They marry on a ship and the nurse and her daughter are there for the wedding. In the middle of the night the nurse throws the sheep's daughter out to sea and replaces her with her own daughter. When the prince wakes up he finds that his thirst is not quenched by his wife and realises that it is not her and so they separate and he takes to his bed. His herd is out one day when he hears two swans near the beach singing and he tells the prince. The princes then goes to a seanachie, who tells him that he must put an iron stick between the swans to break the spell. This he does and the swans turn into his wife and the other girl. There are annotations and amendments to the text in pencil and in ink including vocabulary notes which read 'Caora Bheannach ghlas. Beannach ie horned, full of horns'; 'Geisi, Swan. Irish MS Mats. page 302'; 'Geasun, Swans ie under bans'.

Dates

  • Creation: c1862

Language of Materials

English Gaelic

Conditions Governing Access

This material is unrestricted.

Extent

From the Series: 183 folios ; 20 x 23.8cm

Physical Location

5.07

Physical Location

folio 14r, line 1 to folio 19v, line 22

Related Materials

Coll-97/CW109/20 - a copy of this item from the same informant

Coll-97/CW109/23 - a copy of this item.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository

Contact:
Centre for Research Collections
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