Song entitled 'An Fhideag Airgid' and accompanying story, 21 May 1869
Scope and Contents
Song entitled 'An Fhideag Airgid' [The Silver Whistle] collected from Donald MacPhee, blacksmith, Brèibhig/Breivig, Barraigh/Isle of Barra beginning 'Co sheineas an fhideag airgead, Hi uill uill o'. The song is composed of twelve lines and the text has been scored through in ink. Written transversely across the text in ink is ''B[ook] p[age] Trans[cribed] June 16 1869 A[lexander] A[rchibald] C[armichael]' while written transveresely in pencil is 'Mor nin Iain ic Dhonuil bhain'. The accompanying story tells how McPhee heard the song from the Dall Mòr and that it was composed for Bonnie Prince Charlie. A Barraman called Peter Campbell went to Loch nan Uagh for timber. Grain was scarce on the Isle of Barra at the time, so they set up a pot 'in a nook' to boil beef. At that point a large vessel arrived and Peter went to meet it in his boat. A gentleman came ashore and he Peter was asked to take swords and guns ashore too. Asked what he would charge for his trouble, Peter said that if they had any grain he would accept that. The boat was loaded with flour and biscuits 'till he told them that they would sink his boat'. This is when Prince Charlie landed in the islands. The story concludes that the pot Peter had set up is still there.
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 5r, line 2 to folio 5v, line 14
Subject
- Surname-Unknown, c1850 (bard and catechist) (Person)
- MacPhee, Donald, c1816-1869 (Person)
- Stuart, Charles Edward Louis Philip Casimir, Prince, 1720-1788 ('Bonnie Prince Charlie' | 'The Young Pretender') (Person)
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
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Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk