CABDIL VI

YN OUYR

VA’N ennym er jee arroo Lug, ny Luan, as va’n feailley echey freaylt er Laa Lhuanys. Dy yannoo yn thalloo ny sassey dy chuir rass as dy vuinn yn arroo, ye rheynnit ayns immyr aghyn, red beg smoo na daa stundayrt, as yn chied hreagh ren yn cheeaght jannoo va enmyssit yn foshley, ny " bai," as yn chreagh s’jerree va enmyssit yn " chiash."

Va shoh jannoo eh n’sassey dy chuir, son nagh beagh balkyn erbee jeant. " Ny jean balk jeh thalloo mie," va shenn raa-cadjin.

Tra va mheil veayneeyn goll stiagh ayns y vagher, va daa veaynee er dagh immyr, as yn chied er, ny reih beaynee, va enmyssit yn " furriman," as yn fer s’jerree va er y ghart.

CHAPTER VI

THE HARVEST

THE name of the corn god was " Lug," or " Luan," and his feast was kept on Lammas Day. To make the land easier to sow seed and to reap the corn, it was divided into butts, a little more than two yards, and the first furrow the plough made was called the opening, or " bye," and the last furrow was called the " clash."

This made it easier to sow, for there would not be any " misses." " Do not make a miss of good ground " was an old common saying.

When a band of reapers went into the field, there were two reapers on each butt, and the first man, or best reaper, was called the " furri man," and the last one was on the " gart."

Va dagh beaynee as corran echey, as lurg da v’eh er ghiarrey lane-doarn dy arroo, ren eh cur cront er nyn ghing, as myr shen jannoo queeyllagh, as eisht hug eh yn wheeyllagh er y thalloo, as cur beamyn jeh’n arroo er yn wheeyllagh derrey veagh dy liooar echey dy yannoo bunney. Tra veagh shen ye jeant yinnagh eh jannoo queeyllagh elley. Veagh pyagh elley cheet geiyrt orroo, as kiangley ny bunneeyn, as eisht soiaghey seose ny bunneeyn ayns sthook.

My yogh yn ghart trooid yn oght echey hoshiaght roish yn furrirnan v’eh grait dy chur losh da’n furriman.

Ayns mean yn astyr veagh ad geddyn pynt dy ihune, ny bainney as arran as eeym, as va shen enmyssit " mrastyr beg."

Each reaper had a sickle, and after he had cut a handful of corn, he put a knot on their heads, and thus made a band, and then he put the band on the ground, and put handfuls of corn on the band until there would be enough at him (he had enough) to make a sheaf. When. that would be done he would make another band. Another person would come after them, and tie the sheaves, and then set up the sheaves in a stook.

If the " gart " would get through his portion first before the " furriman," he was said to give a " blow " to the " furriman."

In the middle of the afternoon they would get a pint of ale, or milk and bread and butter, and it was called the " little dinner."

Tra va’n arroo ooilley giarrit, va’n meer s’jerree currit lesh thie, as ny cassyn chianglt as feeit, as ye freaylt son oural gys Jee yn Arroo. Ve enmyssit " yn vheillea." Hie yn vheil dy veayneeyn thie, as chur jeu eaddagh obbree, as eisht chur orroo yn eaddagh share, dy heet gys shibber ny mheillea.

Lurg shibber veagh daunsin, as viol cloieder oc dy reayll traa rish yn daunsin.

Tra va’n laad s’jerree currit lesh thie, v’eh enmyssit " sthook y brimmin," as my va ghaa ny three dy chartyn ayns y vagher cooidjagh veagh ad streeu rish y cheilley quoi veagh hoshiaght, er yn oyr nagh row ad laikal ye enmyssit yn sthook y brimmin. Va drogh haghyrt ayns yn streeu shoh gys dooinney aeg ren tuittym jeh kart as brishey eh shleeast echey tra v’eh geiyrt tessen clash, va shoh yn oyr dooys dy ye fer lhee.

When the corn was all cut, the last piece was carried home, and the stalks tied and plaited, and it was kept for an offering to the Corn God. It was called the " mheillea." The band of reapers went home, and put off their working clothes, and then put on better clothing, to come to the supper of the "mheillea."

After supper there would be dancing, and a fiddler at them (they would have a fiddler) to keep time with the dancing.

When the last load was brought home it was called the "stook of brimmin," and if there weie two or three carts in the field together they would strive with one another which would be first, because they did not like to be called the " stook of brimmin." It was an accident in this strife to a young man who fell off a cart and broke his leg when he was driving across a clash that was the cause of my being a doctor.

Ren eh tuittym jeh’n chart tra ye anmagh er yn astyr, as v’eh currit lesh thie, as ren mee soiaghey yn chraue. Laa ny vairagh hie mee son yn charrey ayms Illiam Clugaish, yn Strang, fer dy hoiagh craueyn jeh foaynoo mooar. Ren eh cur coyrle da my yishig dy chur mee gys Hospital Guy, Lunnon, as hie mee yn un chiaghtyn as va’n dooinney aeg son geddyn ass y lhiabbee.

Ren yn sleih goll er yn chied ghoonaght jeh’n ouyr, ny yn chied laa jeh’n chied vee jeh’n ouyr, dy yannoo lhiasaghey da Lug, ny Luanys, jee yn arroo. Hie ad gys Baroole, yn clieau syrjey, dy hymsagh banganyn dy choinney freaie as berrishyn freoaghane-ghorrym. Ta’d shooyl gys Baroole foast dy gheddyn ny berrishyn, agh nagh vel fys oc cre hon aght ta’d jannoo eh.

He fell off the cart when it was late in the afternoon, and he was carried home, and I set the bone. On the morrow I went for my friend William Clucas, The Strang, a bonesetter of great repute. He advised my father to send me to Guy’s Hospital, London, and I went the same week that the young man was for getting out of bed.

People went on the first Sunday of harvest, or on the first day of the first month of harvest, to make an offering to Lug or Luan, the Corn God. They went to Baroole, the highest mountain, to gather branches of heather and bilberries. They walk to Baroole still to get the berries, but they do not know what for (why) they do it.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 1999