Seals (Animals)

Scope and Contents

Story in which Mac Uistean was too old to go seal hunting on Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker] and in the stormy weather walked around the house repeating 'Slainri gun fheum an taobh taigh Mhic Uist[ean] an nochd Slanri & noc'. Also, a band of tinkers accustomed to seal-hunting had not had success for several seasons but after a ball on St Michael's Night they left and got 80 seals that night.

Scope and Contents

Story about seals killed in An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye which reads 'Seal killed at Portree [Port Rìgh] blue like Hooded seal. Anoth[er] Skye man had a spliucan + he saw the seal had been Killed on an Afri[can] river.' Text has been scored through in pencil as if transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents

Story about Taogai MacCuinn [MacQueen] probably collected from Ranald MacDonald, sheep farmer, Tarasaigh/Taransay, that he lived in Trotarnish, Skye [Tròndairnis/Trotternish, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye] and that it is from him that all the MacQueen families in Skye and Uibhist/Uist descend. He is described as having been litigious and once put in a plea about corn which was damaged and he got off the charge by saying that the damage was done by seals rolling on the corn.

Scope and Contents

Story about tinkers and seal hunting on Hasgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker/Monach Isles] describing how once tinkers came from Leothas [Eilean Leodhais/Isle of Lewis] and stayed on Heisker for the summer. As long as they were there there were no seals but as soon as they went the seals returned.

Scope and Contents Story and traditions about seals under the heading 'Roin' collected from Major James A Macrae of Valley and Griminish, North Uist [Bhàlaigh/Vallay Griminis, Uibhist a Tuath]. The story tells how Odar was a Viking warrior who raided the west coast after the Norsemen had been expelled by MacDonald, Lord of the Isles. MacDonald put up a reward for whoever brought him Odar's head, dead or alive. Mac Uistean [Mac Uisdean] captured Odar at Caisteal Odar and decapitated him and took MacDonald...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Ron' [Ròn or Seal] probably collected from John MacInnes, aged 70 years, Stadhlaigearraidh/Stilligarry, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist. The story tells how a farmer noticed that someone was eating bread from his kiln. He hid in the kiln waiting to see who the culprit was and discovered it was a big seal and a large seal. The seals are eating when the little one says that it can hear a noise but the big seal dismisses it as as the sound of a mouse. However, the noise was the man...

Scope and Contents Story under the heading 'Roin' about Mac Iain 'ic Uistean and a mute man. The story tells how Mac Iain 'ic Uistean was at sea in an eight-oared boat when he saw a man in a grey cloak on a rock. He insisted that the man come with them and so took him home and tied him to a bench. The man was mute. There was a man working for Mac Iain 'ic Uistean who got a new pair of shoes as his first wages. He did not like the shoes so he threw one of them out the door and complained that they were wearing...

Scope and Contents Story under the heading 'Roin' about Mac Uistean and Odar, the Lochlannach [Viking] robber. The story tells how Odar was a ferocious robber and that Ma'g'Onuil Nan Eileanann [MacDonald of the Isles] put up money for whoever would kill Odar. Mac Uistean Ghrimininis, a friend of MacDonald's eventually caught Odar and chopped off his head. As a reward, MacDonald of the Isles gave MacUistean Griminis and rights to Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker/Monach Isles] seals. Odar's head was buried in...

Scope and Contents Story under the heading 'Roin' about Odar and an archaeological dig collected from Niell MacCuiein [Neil MacQuien or MacQueen], crofter and tailor, Middlequarter, North Uist [Ceathramh Meadhanach, Uibhist a Tuath]. The story tells how Odar requested that half of the Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker/Monach Isles] seals should be buried with his head and the other half divided amongst the eight pennylands in Scolpeig and Chill a Pheadair [Scolpaig, Cille Pheadair/Kilpheder] noting that some of the...

Scope and Contents Story under the heading 'Roin' telling how a crew from Howgearraidh [Hogha Gearraidh/Hougharry, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] were hunting on Cousmal [Causmal] and caught a lot of seals. A farmer took a load of them home and put them at the end of the house so that they would stay cold. in the house was a nurse who was looking after a baby and heard a big seal coming to life and saw it kiss a small seal and singing a song beginning 'Spòg Spaidrich òig, Spog mo Chaidhich choir'. The song...