Song beginning 'Hu ru o na hi oro' and accompanying story, 21 May 1869
Scope and Contents
Song collected from Donald MacPhee, blacksmith, Brèibhig/Breivig, Barraigh/Isle of Barra, beginning 'Hu ru o na hi oro, Na nam faite Seathain ri fhuasgla[dh]' [Seathan Mac Rìgh Èireann] composed of fifteen lines. The story tells how the song was composed by an aunt of MacLeod of Harris to MacNeill Dhun an t-Sleibh [Dùn an t-Sleibh, Barraigh/Isle of Barra], her husband. She alleged that a priest had tried to take advantage of her in the confessional the response to which was that the priest drowned a candle at mass to show she was excommunicated and her husband angry about this, argued with her causing her to leave home. She took up with a former lover but MacNeill went to get her back. He left the Catholic Church and at a time when the church had banned parties his son made sure he held them to spite the church and the priest. The story concludes that Lady MacNeill left Ciosmal [] and went to Lag fhliodh, near Doirlin at Tangasdal [Caisteal Chiosmuil/Kisimul Castle, Lag Fhliodh, Doirlinn and Tangisdale all Barraigh/Isle of Barra], where 'the women would come with the fish' [as payment for rent]. The text has been scored through in ink and written transversely across part of the text is 'B[ook] 2 p[age] [-] Tra[nscribed] 17 June [18]69 A[lexander] A[rchibald] C[armichael]'. The text contains a number of amendments in pencil.
Dates
- Creation: 21 May 1869
Language of Materials
Gaelic English
Conditions Governing Access
This material is unrestricted.
Extent
From the Series: 64 folios ; 17 x 20.3 cm
Physical Location
5.07
Physical Location
folio 3v, line 14 to folio 4v, line 18
- Disputes
- Doirlinn Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Family
- Fishing
- Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Kisimul Castle Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Lag Fhliodh Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Marriage
- Parties (social gatherings)
- Payment
- Placenames
- Priests
- Seathain | mac Rìgh Èirinn
- Songs
- Tales
- Tangasdal Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Waulking songs
Subject
- MacNeil, Gilleonan Roderick Murchadh, fl1427 (Person)
- MacNeil, Lady, fl1427 (Person)
- MacPhee, Donald, c1816-1869 (Person)
- Catholic Church. Roman Catholic Church (c100-) (Organization)
- MacLeod (of Harris) (Family)
- MacNeil (of Barra) (Family)
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
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk