a rubh a - highland village museum · 2013-03-18 · the nova scotia highland village society is...

AnRubhaThe Highland Village Gaelic Folklife Magazine

www.highlandvillage.ca

Vol. 12 No. 2Vol. 12 No. 2

Naidheachd a’ ChlachainThe Village News

Mar Chuimhneachan Beannachd Leibh a Shir Iain

Dèante le làimhHighland Women’s Clothing at the Time of Emigration

An Gàidheal Portmhor High Road To Linton

The Nova Scotia Highland Village Society is pleased to present Stóras na h-Òigridh (Treasures of Youth) - a fund to ensurethat cultural skills based on Gaelic traditions continue to flourish with our youth in Nova Scotia. The purpose of thisfund is to provide financial support and assistance to up-and-coming Nova Scotia youth between the ages of five andtwenty-one, who are keen to advance their skills in the Gaelic tradition including: fiddle, pipes, piano, language, storytelling, song, and step dance.

We invite you to help us with this endeavour by participating in our “Complete the Tune” Campaign. We ask that youpurchase one or more musical notes from “Michael Anthony MacLean’s Birthday” - a march composed by LucyMacNeil.

Sixteenth Note $50 Dotted Eighth Note $100

Quarter Note $200 Eighth Note $500

Half Note $1,000 Treble Clef $5,000

Or

Surprise Us!

The Treasures of Youth fund concept was inspired by the enthusiasm of the late Michael Anthony MacLean fromWashabuck, Nova Scotia, a well-known fiddler who always had a keen interest in assisting youth to further their skills inplaying traditional Cape Breton music, especially the fiddle. The fund has been ignited by the sales of Michael AnthonyMacLean’s “Good Boy M.A.!” CD.

Initially, we are hoping to capitalize the endowment fund with a minimum of $35,000. The intention is to develop anendowment fund, whereby the capital would not be used - rather only the annual earned income - which would then beawarded and disbursed to a successful applicant(s).

We would sincerely like to thank you in advance for your consideration in support of this visionary and worthwhilecause. With your help the Nova Scotia Highland Village Society will continue to foster the Gaelic traditions with theyouth of today and tomorrow.

A downloadable brochure with details and a pledge form is available on our website - www.treasuresofyouth.ca.Donations may also be made online through Canada Helps.

www.treasuresofyouth.ca

Complete the Tune Campaign

Ensuring that cultural skills based on Gaelic arts and traditions continue to flourish with our youth in Nova Scotia.

AnRubha Vol. 12, No. 2 3

AnRubhaAll contents ©2011, the Nova Scotia HighlandVillage Society & the Province of Nova Scotia(unless otherwise noted).

An Rubha (The Point) is published in Iona, Nova Scotia, Canada by ComunnClachan Gàidhealach na h-Albann Nuaidh/NovaScotia Highland Village Society. Comments,suggestions and contributions are welcome.

Contact:4119 Rathad/Highway 223 Sanndraigh/Iona, Alba Nuadh/Nova ScotiaB2C 1A3 - CanadaGuthan/Phone: 902.725.2272Toll Free: 1-866-4GAELICFacs/Fax: 902.725.2227E: [email protected]: www.highlandvillage.ca

Editorial Committee: Rodney Chaisson,Carmen MacArthur, Pauline MacLean,Katherine MacLeod & Seumas Watson

Contributors: Rodney Chaisson, CarmenMacArthur, Donald MacEachern, PaulineMacLean, Katherine MacLeod, VickiQuimby, Dr. Seósamh Watson, SeumasWatson

Layout: Katherine MacLeod

Printing: City Printers Ltd, Sydney

Front cover photo:

Animator Catherine Gillis stands in the feannag(lazy bed) near the taigh-dubh (black house).

Also, on the front is the image for Gaelic NovaScotia. The image is that of a salmon in the shapeof the letter 'G'. The salmon represents the gift ofknowledge in the Gaelic storytelling traditions ofNova Scotia, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle ofMan. The 'G' represents the Gaelic language andthe ripples are the manifestations of the languagethrough its attendant culture: song, story, music,dance, custom and belief system.ISSN # 1914-6043

Mailed under Canada Post Canadian Publi cations Mail Product Sales Agreement#41257540

Inside This IssueFrom the Director’s Desk 4Rodney Chaisson

Mar is Léir Dhomh Fhìn 5Museum Relevance, Community and a Culture of Sustainability - Seumas Watson

Naidheachd a’ Chlachain / The Village News 6The Interpretive Season - Caraman NicArtair

Sgeul ri Aithris / The Story Telling Tradition 7Naidheachd a’ Chlock air a h-aithris le Dòmhnall MacEachairne

Aig Baile: Caisbheart / Footgear 10Mar a Rinneadh Caisbheart na Cloinneadh - Dr. Seósamh Watson & Seumas Watso

Fo na Cabair / Under the Rafters 11Feannag - Efficient Use of Space - Pauline MacLean & Katherine MacLeod

An Rubha Photo Album 1250th Anniversary Quilt Block Competetion

Excerpt from “Mac-Talla” 14Naidheachdan na Seachdaine, April 3, 1897 - Seumas Watson

Dèante le Làimh / Handmade 16Highland Women’s Clothing at the Time of Emigration - Vicki Quimby

Mar Chuimhneachan 18Beannachd Leibh a Shir Iain - Seumas Watson

An Rubha ReviewsSgeulachadan Gàidhlig á Earraghàidheil/Gaelilc Folk and Hero Tales from Argylshire 20Seumas Watson

An Gàidheal Portmhor / The Musical Gael 21High Road To Linton - Seumas Watson & Pauline MacLean

Our People - Acknowledgements & Accolades 22

Mar Chuimhneachan - DedicationThis issue of An Rubha is dedicated to the memory ofKathleen MacLean, of Ottawa Brook, a former HighlandVillage interpreter, who passed away in April. Kathleenworked at the Village from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's.She was one of our three original interpreters, includingAnna "Hector" MacNeil and Rita MacDougall. For manyyears the MacIver-Nash House was known affectionately as Kathleen's House. She is remembered for her great witand love of family and community. Our hearts go out toher family. Her daughter Sadie MacDonald and grand-daughter Patricia Gaudley are current employees of theHighland Village.

Welcome to the Summer/Autumn 2011issue of An Rubha, our Highland

Village Gaelic Folklife Magazine. As withpast issues, this edition features stories,songs and other aspects of Gaelic NovaScotia folklife, as well as updates on thenews and happenings here at the HighlandVillage. An Rubha is an important vehiclefor our communication and communityoutreach. We hope you will enjoy this issueof the magazine and welcome your comments and suggestions for future editions.

This summer, on the heels of the 50thAnniversary of the Nova Scotia HighlandVillage Society, the Highland Villagemarked another significant achievement,the 50th annual Highland Village DayConcert. This was an important milestone,not only because the concert remains as oneof the few and oldest “Scottish” concerts onthe Island, but also because it set in placethe foundation for the Highland Village asits exists today. The funds raised from thatfirst concert in 1962, and all of the concertssince, went into the construction and on-going operation of the site.

The 50th annual Highland Village DayConcert was a great success with one of thelargest audiences in over a decade. Theconcert opened with a special cutting of thecake by Joan Gillis and Bernie Campbell,who danced on the stage for the very firstconcert in 1962. In addition to some of ourregular concert performers, concert pro-ducer Quentin MacDonald assembledsome new faces as well as some faces thathave not performed on the stage in manyyears. Overall it was a wonderful afternoonof celebration.

During the 50 years of Highland VillageDay concerts, many young up-and-comingentertainers got their start on our stage. Inthat spirit, the Nova Scotia HighlandVillage Society launched a new initiative -Stòras na h-Òigridh (Treasures of Youth)Fund. The goal of the fund is to ensure thatcultural skills based on Gaelic traditions(fiddle, pipes, piano, language, storytelling,song, and step dance) continue to flourishwith our youth in Nova Scotia throughfinancial support and assistance. TheTreasures of Youth fund concept wasinspired by the enthusiasm of the lateMichael Anthony MacLean, a well knownfiddler from Washabuck, Nova Scotia whoalways had a keen interest in assistingyouth to further their skills in playing tra-ditional Cape Breton music - especially thefiddle.

Our intention is that Stòras na h-Òigridh (Treasures of Youth) Fund will bean endowment fund, whereby the

The Nova Scotia Highland Village Society(Comunn Clachan Gàidhealach na h-AlbannNuaidh) was incorporated on November 3,1959 under the Societies Act of Nova Scotia.Its purpose was to construct and operate anoutdoor folk museum dedicated to theScottish Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia.

The vision of the Highland VillageMuseum/An Clachan Gàidhealach is to beinternationally acknowledged for advancingresearch, fostering appreciation, learningand sharing authentic Gaelic language andheritage while serving a vibrant Gaelic cultural community.

The mission of the Highland VillageMuseum/An Clachan Gàidhealach, a livinghistory museum, is to research, collect, preserve and share the Gaelic heritage andculture of Nova Scotia and represent it accurately and vibrantly.

The Highland Village Museum/An ClachanGàidhealach is a part of the Nova ScotiaMuseum Family of Provincial Museums,Department of Communities, Culture &Heritage. The Nova Scotia Highland VillageSociety operates the site on behalf of theProvince.

The Society is a member of National Trust ofScotland, CLI Gàidhlig, Gaelic Society ofInverness (Scotland), Association of NovaScotia Museums (ANSM), CanadianMuseums Assoc. (CMA), Heritage CapeBreton Connection, Council of NS Archives(CNSA), Genea logical Assoc. of NS (GANS),Cape Breton Genealogy & Heritage Society,Interpretation Canada, Costume Society ofNS, Assoc. of Living Historical Farms andAgricultural Museums (ALHFAM), AmericanAssoc. for State & Local History (AASLH),Celtic Heart of North America MarketingCooperative, Tourism Industry Assoc of NS(TIANS), Baddeck & Area Business TourismAssoc. (BABTA), Sydney & Area Chamber ofCommerce, Strait Area Chamber ofCommerce, and Cape Breton Partnership.

4 Vol. 12, No. 2 AnRubha

From the Director’s DeskCURRENT INITIATIVES

__________________________

Nova Scotia Highland Village SocietyRodney Chaisson, Director

annual earned income, rather than the capital, would be awarded and disbursedto a successful applicant(s). Our hope is toraise a minimum of $35,000 through our“Complete the Tune” Campaign to begin tocapitalise the fund. The main feature of thecampaign is the sale of musical notes from“Michael Anthony MacLean’s Birthday” - amarch composed by Lucy MacNeil of theBarra MacNeils. More information on thefund, including a downloadable brochure,is available on the fund’s website www.treasuresofyouth.ca. All donors will beprovided with a charitable tax receipt.

One final note from our HighlandVillage Day Celebration - this past springwe received a significant donation of photographs from the estate of the lateHarry Crossman of Halifax. These photographs span two decades ofHighland Village Day Concerts beginningin the late 1960s. The photos have beendigitised. A special DVD has been madefrom a selection of the photos, which isavailable for purchase through our giftshop for a limited time.

The Highland Village Day Concert milestone and launch of Stòras na h-Òigridh were two of the many highlightsof our 2011 season. Our animation program this year was enhanced with theintroduction of first person interpretation,or role playing, as well as hands-on activi-ty stations for children and youth.

With an investment from theDepartment of Canadian Heritage, we arefurther developing the An DrochaidEadarainn website from prototype to fullproduct. This innovative website providesa virtual experience reflecting the socialreality of living Gaelic culture. It will belaunched in February 2012

Highland Village was the location forthe Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere ReserveAssociation’s core celebration event forUNESCO’s designation of the Bras d’OrLake as an international “Man and theBoisphere Reserve.” We are excited aboutthis international designation that recognises the importance of Canada’slargest in-land sea, its watershed, and the communities and cultures that surround it.

In the months ahead, we will continueto advance these and other initiative thatsupport our strategic plans and enable usto achieve our vision as a folklife museumand cultural organisation for Gaelic NovaScotia. We will keep you updated on all ofthese and other activities in future issues ofAn Rubha.�

Mar is léir dhomh fhìnMUSEUM RELEVANCE, COMMUNITYAND A CULTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Off-site conversational encounters onthe subject of Highland Village are

usually brief and centered on perceivedindicators of success. Two of the most com-mon queries are “How are the numbers?”,or “Busy this year?”- casual questions inpassing, understandably benign and polite.Heard less often are queries on how initia-tives bearing on the Highland Village mis-sion have impacted on its cultural con-stituency.

Inside the professional world of museums, however, another conversationhas begun with mounting discussion ofinstitutional purpose and social efficacy inresponse to globalisation, climate changeand other challenges facing humanity. Apause for critical analysis has spurred newthought on the role of museums in bringingordinance to the world chaos affecting theprognosis for our long term future.

Spotlighting a new discourse on muse-um function in public engagement is thework of Canadian Doug Worts (http://douglas-worts.org) and colleagues, who comprise theWorking Group on Museums andSustainable Communities (http://worldviewscon-sulting.org/?page_id=47) Collaboratively, theyhave spent the past decade establishing aphilosophic groundwork for re-positioningmuseums to advance “socially responsi-ble” initiatives for sustaining cultural envi-ronments. Writing for Muse in September2008, Worts challenged for action centeredchange in current museum ideology,

When will museum professionals devel-op a robust set of indicators that will helpidentify the cultural issues of our dayand enable us to better assess the cultur-al outcomes of museum activities? Whenwill we set aside inadequate and inappro-priate economic indicators and institu-tional habits that have been forcing cul-tural organizations increasingly into acul-de-sac of tourism and leisure timeactivity - a glorified niche in the edutain-ment sector? The cultural challenges ofthe coming decades will not be addressedsimply by technological, economic, orpolitical developments - rather a culturalshift will be required. Can museums playa leadership role in this process? I thinkso.

From the Working Group’s standpoint,museums are cultural organisations whichcan significantly contribute to attitudes,thinking and life skills that will forge aworldwide communal view predicated onnew sensibilities for stewardship of theenvironmentand“ethnosphere.”(http://www.ted.com/talks/wade_davis_on_endangered_ultures.html.) In this forum, according toWorts, the criteria for museum endeavorsdiverges beyond normal conventions froma...

traditional discipline-based, object cen-tered framework of institutionalisedactivities (including curatorial, educa-tion, collections management, conserva-

tion, etc.), to one based on the culturaldynamics of people, communities, andtheir relationships to larger systems...

Continuing, he posits that all pillars ofdominant society, be they educational,political or economic, are in need of trans-formation if mankind is to have the capaci-ty for addressing overwhelming issues ofecological and social degradation.

Expecting museums to assist in solving the systemic challenges of today’sworld seems outside their routine charge. Itis highly arguable, however, that museumsare, indeed, exceptionally well-placed foridentifying the causal elements of historicaldissolution while serving to inform actionsfor resolution. The Working Group advo-cates for purposeful innovation in...


Seumas Watson

�A pause for critical

analysis has spurred newthought on the role of museums in bringing

ordinance to the world chaosaffecting the prognosis for

our long term future.

�

focusing efforts on engaging the museumcommunity in Canada in a process ofawareness, reflection, learning, knowl-edge-sharing, capacity-building, andaction related to their role in creating aculture of sustainability.

Qualifying museum relevance is carriedout by the group’s evaluation toolMeasuring Museum Meaning: A CriticalAssessment Framework - http://worldviews-consulting.org/wpcontent/uploads/2009/06/caf-08.pdf. The function of evaluation is toapprise museum professionals of their sur-rounding community’s culture and experi-ences. Information gathered throughapplying the tool can better guide mean-ingful formulation of public programs. Theframework focuses on three prioritizedareas: the individual, the community andthe museum.

Sometimes at odds with the receivedwisdom of established conventions, Wortsand colleagues raise salient perspectives onmuseum function in present-day settings.As visionaries often do, pressing for inno-vation has introduced a degree of discom-fort to some adherents of the status quo. Inlight of progressive revelations, however,the Village’s charge is at ease in reflecting asimilar approach to community conscious-ness in times of social flux.

Highland Village draws from a deeppool of intangible assets and history of rural adaptation. Its mission is crystallized by Nova Scotians committed tocultural continuity and social develop-ment. As a mature institution come of agewith its fiftieth birthday, we are well posi-tioned in the framework for MeasuringMuseum Meaning and the struggle for asustainable planet. �

Mar is léir dhomh fhìn (My Own Viewpoint) isa regular feature. Seumas Watson is theHighland Village’s Manager of Interpretation.

GaELiC WEathEr ProVErb

Samhradh breac riabhach, foghar geal grianach. - A bright, sunny fall follows unsettled (wet and cold) summer weather.

Contributed by Martha Ramey and Theresa Burke (nìgheannan Pheadair Mhóir Steabhain Mhìcheil) during Stòras a' Bhaile 2011


Throughout the winter months staffkept busy honing interpretive and Gaelic language skills. Monthly staff meetingsfocused on Gaelic immersion trainingand the continuing development of cultural knowledge. In addition to ouryearly staff training, animation staff participated in an first person interpretation workshop with PeterPacey, heritage interpreter and educator.Peter, who has a wealth of experience intheatre and working with living historysites, spent four days working with ani-mation staff to develop role playing per-sonas to be applied to everyday anima-tion and special programming. We lookforward to working with Peter again aswe improve our representations of theNova Scotia Gaelic story.

In other interpretive developments,Katherine MacLeod was busy this winterdesigning new interpretive panels whichwere erected this spring. The six mainpanels give an introduction to the eras represented bythe Village’s various historic buildings.There are also four smaller panels whichoffer additional information relevant tothe story of Gaelic Nova Scotia. The panels are in Gaelic and English and include samples of a Gaelic versereflecting the culture and history of theGaels as expressed through song. Thepanels are an attractive and informativeaddition to the site.

In order to make the site more engag-ing and interactive for visitors, Katherinealso developed hands-on brochures.Specifically designed for youth and parents, the brochures provide a map forthe activities that young visitors canengage in throughout the site.

Gaelic programming continued thisyear via immersion events for the public.To create more opportunities to hear anduse Gaelic during the winter months, thevillage hosted a monthly caidreabh,meaning fellowship. Gaelic fellowshipwas enjoyed by all during gatheringswhere Gaelic speakers joined for asrùbag, conversation and a song or two.Thanks to everyone who attended andespecially to the native speakers whogenerously shared their knowledge andwisdom. We look forward to hostingmore caidreibh when this year’s season

comes to a close. FurtherGaelic programmingincluded, “Chun a Rubha”a tour of the site whichwas conducted entirely inGaelic by Manager ofInterpretation SeumasWatson. As well, for itsfourth consecutive year,the popular programStòras a’ Bhaile providedan opportunity for Gaelicspeakers and learners tocome together and partic-ipate in an immersionfolklife school.

Carding Mill Day washeld in June for the third consecutiveyear and featured a number of demon-strations pertaining to wool production.Sarah Nettleton of Arichat joined usagain this year and gave an engagingpresentation on sheep shearing.Nettleton sheared two sheep, demon-strating the process of shearing with bothhand and electric shears.

In addition to her demonstration,Cash’s Carding Mill was in operation,and several members of the Cash familywere on site to talk to the public aboutthe history of the mill. The day wasrounded off with a spinning demonstra-tion and a natural dye workshop.Participants in the workshop learned todye a hand spun skein of yarn usingplants gathered from the local area. Fromsheep to skein, Carding Mill Day provid-

Thus far, 2011 has been an exciting year for interpretative innovation and Gaelic development at the Highland Village. Animation activities representing the Gaels’ traditions and material culture continued this year as we further developed role playing as our

fundamental approach to interpretation. Gaelic language training was emphasised during off-season staff training, reflecting the HighlandVillage’s commitment to developing and promoting the Gaelic language on site and in the community.

Naidheachd a’ Chlachain - The Village NewsTHE INTERPRETIVE SEASON OF 2011 AT HECTOR’S POINT

ed visitors with the opportunity to learnabout every step of producing yarnready for the loom.

This season we welcomed new animation staff and summer students.Colin Watson and Colette Thomas werehired as permanent animators. Theyboth have had a long association with theHighland Village and bring with them avariety of Gaelic language and culturalskills. Our summer students this yearwere Laura and Rachael MacNeil, whojoined the staff on the hill; KatieMacDougall, who worked on a digisa-tion project; and Rachel Redshaw, whocreated a directory of field work on oraltraditions to support interpretation. KateLanghorne, a student at the University ofAberdeen, joined us for a volunteer workexperiece to research Gaelic Cape Breton.All of the students made a great contri-bution to our summer season throughtheir hard work and dedication. We wishthem all the best in their future endeav-ours.

As always, we would like to acknowlege staff and volunteers whooften go above and beyond the call ofduty in their dedication to HighlandVillage and its mission to preserve andshare Nova Scotia’s unique Gaelic culture. Tapadh leibh-se gu mór! �

Naidheachd a’Chlachain (The Village News)is a regular feature. Caraman NicArtair isthe Highland Village’s Chief Interpreter.

Caraman NicArtair

Caidreabh na Tì - Afternoon Gaelic conversation in the visitors centre

Aig gàradh a’ bhuntàta - Learning about potatoes fromMickey John H. MacNeil Stòras a’ Bhaile

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Nuair a thànaig Catrìona NicDhòmhnaillanall o`n t-seann dùthaich a dh’ionn-saidh Chanada, cha robh i ach naoidhbliadhn’ deug a dh’aois. `S ann guAcarsaid Bhaile Shudnaidh a thànaig ambàta air a robh i.

Agus nuair a rànaig àd tìr ann aSudnaidh, dh’fhoighneachd fear a bha`na mharsana dhe na soithichean, `s dhena bàtaichean a bha tighinn astaigh `s a’ falbh ás an arcasaid. Bha e cuibheasach math dheth co dhiubh, `sbha e `g iarraidh nighean a bhiodh a’cuideachadh na bean aige le obair antaigh. Agus dh’fhalbh Catrìona còmhlaris agus chaidh i còmhla ris an teaghlacha bha sin, teaghlach dhe ̀ n ainm Ros. Bhaàd `nan ship-chandlers mar a chanadhàd.

Agus fhuair i air n-adhart glé mhatha’s an taigh a bha seo, agus fhuair i beagan do dh’eòlas air na rudan a bha ùr`s a’ bhail’ ùr `s a robh i. Dh’fhuirigh iann a’ shin fad dà bhliadhna ag obaircòmhla ri muinntir Ros, agus an uair sinchoinnich i mo shin-sheanar, EòghannMacBhathrais agus phòs àd. Chaidh i `nuair sin do bhothan beag do thaigh a’s a’Bhéigh an Ear far a robh àd ri taobh nabeinn’, taigh beag logaichean. Thòisichan teaghlach ás a’ sin. Bha ochdnar do theaghlach aca uile gu léir, a h-uile gin dhiubh air am breith a’s an taigh-logaichean a bha seo.

Ach co dhiubh, nuair a dh’fhàs na gillean na bu shine, beagan do dh’aois,thòisich ̀ ad air taigh ùr a thogail. Bha ̀ ada’ snaidheadh fiodh agus a’ sàbhadhbùird leis an t-sàbh mhór. Bha trì na ceithir dhiubh ag obair air an taigh. Thogàd an taigh co dhiubh `s bha àd deiseilairson a dhol ann anns a’ bhliadhna 1872.Chaidh an taigh a thogail - bha i deiseilairson daoine a dhol innte - a’ bhliadhnamu na thachair an August Géil Mhór.

Co dhiubh, air a bha àd ’fuireach a’san taigh ùr treis mhath, thànaig fear muncuairt a bha `creic clocks, uaireadairean.Cha n-eil Gàidhlg agam air clock . Chachuala mi Gàidhlig air clock riamh.Canaidh sinn uaireadar ri watch, ach `s e

`n clock a bha mi `cluinntinn fad na h-ùine. Bha fear a bha seo, co dhiubh, a’creic clocks, agus chunnaig Catrìona clockfar a robh i `g obair agus bha a’ fear sin a’bruidhinn Beurla agus bha Beurla aice-secuideachd. Bha fhios aice dé bha e`bruidhinn mu dheidhinn.

O, ghabh i meas air a’ chlock co dhiubh. Na clocks a bh’ac’ an uair ud, bhaàd anull mu dhà throigh a dh’àird’ ’s

mi `smaointeann gur e cóig dolar deug,neo fichead dolar, a bha air.

Cha robh àd fada sam bith air a’chlock fhaighinn nuair a fhuair àd litirbho fhear- lagh thall air a’ Bhàr, ann aNorth Sydney, agus dh’inns e dhaibh gurobh a leithid seo do làithichean aca airson a’ chuid eile dhen a’ chlock aphàigheadh. Mara robh e pàight’ aca, thami cinnteach gur e am prìosan a bha àda’ coimhead air an uair sin. Cha n-eilfhios a’m dé b’fheudar dhaibh ... dé ambeathach, mart neo damh, neo rud airchoireginn, a chreic ’ad airson airgead adheanamh airson an clock a phàigheadh.Agus leis a-sin, chuireadh a h-uile sìon abh’ann neart do mhìobhadh orra. Ach,co dhiubh, bha àd measail air a’ chlockagus bha an clock a’ bualadh a h-uile uaira là `s do dh’oidhche. Sin mar a bha anclock ag obrachadh. Cha n-e spring abh’ann idir, ach dà chudtrom dodh’iarainn a bha `ga chumail air falbh.Agus bha e aca roinn mhór do bhliadhnaichean ach, mu dheireadhthall, stad an clock. Cha n-eil fhios dé bhaceàrr, ach cha b’urrainn dhaibh faighinna chur air dòigh co dhiubh.

Agus `s aon àm, bha an t-seann té,Catrìona, a’ sin-seanmhathair a’ fàs suasan aois cuideachd, agus mu dheireadhthall bha i a’ chuid a ̀ s mutha dhe ̀ n ùine`s a’ leabaidh. Bha mo sheanair airpòsadh beagan roimhe sin `s a’ bhean ùraige `s an taigh, agus bha is’ ag obair anna Boston. Nuair a thànaig i dhachaidh,bha clock beag aice. Cha robh e `bualadhidir, ach theireadh e `n uair co dhiubh.

Co dhiubh, bha an t-seana-bhean `s a’leabaidh air a’ là a bha seo agus an fheadhainn eile ag obair air an fheur. (A’san àm ud, dh’fheumadh a h-uile duin’ abha staigh treis a thoirt air an fheur achuir air dòigh, `ga thionndadh agus adheanamh tioram agus a chuir astaighdha `n t-sabhal.) Agus bha àd uile agobair amuigh air an fheur agus an t-seana-bhean `s a’ leabaidh. Fhads a bha àd ag obair amuigh, thuirt mo sheanmhair ri nighean, Seònaid - a bhaàd fhéin a’ togail - a dh’fhalbh astaigh a

Sgeul ri Aithris / The Story Telling TraditionNAIDHEACHD A’ CHLOCK AIR A H-AITHRIS LEDòMHNALL MACEACHAIRNECollected from Donald MacEachern by Seumas Watson

ceithir oirlich deug a leud, agus bhualadh àd a h-uile uair eadar aon uairagus dà uair dheug. Agus sin a’ rud abha ise `cuir toileachadh air, an clock a bha `bualadh a h-uile uair mar seo. Agus a’ fear a bha `gan creic, neo-ar-thaing mar a thuirt mi roimhe,math gu bruidhinn, bruidhinn Beurla codhiubh, agus bha e `g ràdh riuth’dh’fhaodadh an clock a bha seo a bhi acaairson cóig dolar. Cha robh ac’ ach anainm a chur air a’ phaipear a bh’aige anna sheo `s gheobhadh àd an clock. Sinmar a thuig àd co dhiubh. Cha robhfhios ac’ an uair sin air sian mu dheidhinn payments, neo a leithid sin, achairson an aon phàigheadh, bha dùil acagu robh sin mar a bha e. Ach cha n-ann mar sin a bha e idir. `S ann air aninstallment plan a bha àd a’ ceannach a’chlock. Cha n-eil cuimhn’ agam co dhiubh dé `phrìs a bh’air uile gu léir. Tha

�Ach, co dhiubh, bha àd

measail air a’ chlock agus bha an clock a’ bualadh a h-uile uair a’ là `s do dh’oid-

hche. Sin mar a bha an clockag obrachadh...Agus bha

e aca roinn mhór do bhliadhnaichean ach, mudheireadh thall, stad an

clock.”�

Manadh (forerunner) stoires tell of experiences with portents of death. In Highland districts, harbingers of doom appear in a variety of forms such as the rattling of tools heard in coffin makers’ workshops, dogs howling from the direction where a death will soon

occur, or the presence of lights prior to a passing. Forerunner stories remain commonly heard in Nova Scotia’s Highland communities, bothin Gaelic and English. The following account is from the recitation of the late Donald MacEachern (Dòmhnall mac Jonaidh Dhòmhnaill Òig)of Northside East Bay (Taobh a Tuath Ceann a’ Bhéighe), Cape Breton County. Donald was an exceptional tradition bearer. His paternalantecedents immigrated to Prince Edward Island from Lagan, Arasaig district in the late 18th century, before removing to Cape Breton.


choimhead air, mar a chanadh àd,Gamaidh, “Thall’ a ghaoil astaigh `sbheir sùil air Gamaidh feuch a bheil i allright.”

Chaidh Seònaid astaigh co dhiubhagus nuair a thànaig i air n-ais, amuigh,thuirt i gu robh Gamaidh all right, achrud ait a bh’ann, bha a’ seann clock a’falbh. Thuirt i nuair a bha i `dol astaighgu robh i `cluinntinn clock a’ bualadh `sgun do chùnnt i buillean a’ chlock `s gundo bhuail e deich tursan agus bha e`bualadh nuair a bha i `dol staigh. Cha n-eil fhios dé a bhuail e.

Uell, chuir sin ioghnadh oirnn an clockud a bhi falbh arithist, ach nuair a chaidhàd astaigh treis as deaghaidh sin, bha anclock sàmhach mar a b’abhaist dha. Charobh e `g obrachadh idir. Bha àd anuairsin a’ smaointinn dé seòrsa rud abh’ann nuair a thòisich an clock a’ bualadh. Agus mu dheireadh thall, bhaàd a’ smaointinn, “O feumaidh gu bheilrudeigin a’ dol a thachair.” Agus thachairsin cuideachd. An ceann seachdain nadhà, dh’eug an t-seana-bhean, agus bhaàd a’ smaointinn gur e seo a’ rud a bha‘n clock a dh’innse dhaibh, gu robh bàs a’dol a bhi `s an taigh.

Co dhiubh, biodh sin mar a bha e. Bhaan t-seann chlock air an sgeilp a rinn iadnuair a fhuair àd e - a’s a’ chisdsin air an t-seann sgeilp a bha seo. Cha dobhean àd idir e ann a shin fad na bliadhnaichean,’s e `fuireach sàmhach.Agus, o, bliadhnaichean as deaghaidh

bha mo mhàthair shios agus chuala is’ anclock a’ bualadh cuideachd.

O, treis as deaghaidh sin, dh’fhaoidhte gun deach mìos seachad, `s mifhìn a chaidh gu oifis a’ phost a là bhaseo, `s fhuair mi litir á Gloucester, litir `sseòrsa do rim dubh air, edged in black, mara chanadh àd. Thug mi `n litirdhachaidh agus nuair a dh’fhosgail àdseo...a’ rud a bh’ann, bàs Eòis, brath airmo sheanar, fear eile dhe na gillean.

As deaghaidh dha sin a thachair, bhaeagal orm a dhol dha `n leabaidh shuasair a’ lobhta. Bha eagal orm a dhol suas tuilleadh agus an clock air an taobh eiledhe `n bhalla agus gu robh e `dol a startadh. Thug mi fhìn is Russell ammionach as co dhiubh agus shad sinn airfalbh e. Agus sin a chuir crìoch air a’chlock, co dhiubh.

Sin naidheachd a’ chlock.

The Clock StoryENGLish traNsLatioN

When Catherine MacDonald came overfrom the Old Country to Canada, shewas only nineteen years old. The shipshe was on arrived in Sydney Harbour.

When they landed in Sydney, a merchant associated with boats andships going in and out of the harbourmade an inquiry. He was fairly well offand he was looking for a girl to help hiswife with the house work. Catrìona wentwith him and settled in with that family,

sin, as deaghaidh dhuinn-ne a dhol suasan deaghaidh bàs m’athar, chaidh sinn adh’fhuireach còmhla ri m’sheanair,athair mo mhàthar. Agus `s ann asdeaghaidh an uairsin, dhùisg momhàthair oidhche agus bha mo sheanairair dùsgadh cuideachd. Chual’ àd a’seann chlock a’ bualadh, bhuail i dà uairdheug. Ghabh àd seòrsa do dh’eagal,agus làr-na-mhàireach chuir mo sheanmhair an clock shuas air a’ lobhta.

Bha àit’-obrach aca shuas air a’ lobhtaagus chuir i an clock thall a’ sin miosg nadraoidhneachd a bh’ann. Cha robh guthtuilleadh air a-sin, ach fhuair àd fios lelitir á Gloucester gu robh RaghnallMacBhairis, bràthair mo sheanar aireugachdainn. Agus bha àd a’smaointinn gur e seo...seòrsa dreag abh’ann an clock ag innse dhaibh bàs eil’ abhi `s an teaghlach, agus as deaghaidhsin, chuir àd an clock a falach `s a’ lobht.

Bha mise, agus gill’ a bha àd a’ togailcuideachd, Russell an t-ainm a bh’air,Russell MacGill-Eain. Bha e cóig bliadhna na `s sine na mise. Bha sinn a’cadal còmhla air a’ lobht a bha seo agusan clock air an taobh eile dha `n bhalla,balla car tana. Uell, bha e all right. Bha esàmhach ann a shin. Ach an oidhch’ abha seo, o, bliadhnaichean as deaghaidhdhi a bhi ̀ bualadh roimhe, dhùisg Russellmise agus thuirt e, “Listen to the clock.”Agus chuala mi seo, mi fhìn, an clock a’bualadh dà thuras. Thuirt esan gu robh e`bualadh mu `n do dhùisg mise, agus

Dòmhnll Mac Jonaidh Dhòmhnaill Oig agus a phiuthar Catrìona Donald MacEachern with his sister Kaye Bryden

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night. That’s the way the clock worked. Itdidn’t have a spring at all, but twoweights that kept it going. They had it formany years, but, at last, the clockstopped. Who knows what was wrong,but they couldn’t get it going again.

At the same time, the old lady,Catherine, the great-grandmother, wasgetting old too. At last she was mostlystaying in bed. My grandfather had married a little before that and his newwife was in the house, and she wasworking in Boston. When she camehome, she had a little clock. It wasn’t astriker, but it nevertheless told the time.

Anyhow, the old lady was in bed onthis certain day, and the rest were working at haymaking. (At that time,everyone at home had to give some timeto putting the hay in good stead, turningand drying it and putting it in the barn.)They were all outside working on thehay and the old lady was in bed. While they were outside working, my grandmother said to a girl called Janet

a family called Ross. They were, as theywould say, ships’ chandlers.

She got along very well in this houseand became somewhat familiar with thethings in the new town she was in. Fortwo years, she lived and worked for theRosses, and then she met my greatgrandfather, Hugh MacVarish, and theywere married. She then moved to abothy, a log cabin, in East Bay where theywere next to the mountain side. The family began there. There were eightchildren and every one of them was bornin that log cabin.

Anyway, when the oldest boys got alittle older, they began building a newhouse. They were hewing timber andsawing out boards with the pit saw.Three, or four, of them were working onthe house.

In any event, they got the house builtand in 1872, the year before the greatAugust Gale, they were ready to movein. Anyway, after they were in the housefor a good while, a fellow turned up whowas selling clocks, watches. ( I don’t havea Gaelic word for clocks. We call watchesuaireadairean, but clock is what I alwaysheard). Anyway, this fellow was sellingclocks, and Catherine had seen onewhere she was working and the fellow was speaking English andCatherine also had English. She couldunderstand what he was talking about.

Oh, anyway, she took a liking to theclock. The clocks they had at that timewere about two feet in height and fourteen inches wide. They would soundthe hour upon the hour between one andtwelve o’clock. That’s what delightedher: a clock like this that struck everyhour. And, as I said before, the other fellow was certainly good to talk, inEnglish anyway, and he said that theclock could be theirs for five dollars. Allthey had to do was sign the paper he hadthere. That’s the way they understood itanyway. They had no inkling in thosedays about payments, or the like, just theone payment and they thought that wasthe whole thing. However, that wasn’tthe case at all, they were buying the clockon an installment plan. I don’t recall theactual price. I suppose it was fifteen, ortwenty dollars.

They weren’t long after getting theclock when they got a letter from alawyer’s office in North Sydney informing them they had so many daysto pay off the clock. If it wasn’t paid...I’mcertain that they were looking at jail timeback then. I don’t know what animal, acow, or an ox, or something else they hadto sell to get money to pay off the clock.All things considered, it was a consider-able bother.

Anyhow, they were fond of the clockand the clock struck every hour, day and

�They were fond of the clockand the clock struck every

hour, day and night. That’sthe way the clock

worked...They had it formany years, but at last the

clock stopped...�- who they were raising themselves - togo inside and check on “Gammey” asshe was called, “Go inside dear and see ifGammey is all right.”

So Janet went in and when shereturned outside she said “Gammey”was all right. But the queerest thingabout it was that when she went insidethe clock was going. She counted thestrikes and that the clock struck tentimes. She said that it was striking whenshe went in the house. Who knows howmany time it struck!?

Well, we were dumfounded that theclock was going again. But when wewent home shortly after that, the clockwas silent as usual. It wasn’t working atall. They were considering what kind ofbusiness this was when the clock startedstriking. Finally, they were thinking, “Ohsomething is going to happen.” And itdid happen. After a week, or two, the oldlady died, and they figured this waswhat the clock was telling them, therewas going to be a death in the house.

In any event, that’s the way it was.The old clock was on the shelf that theymade when they got it, in the kitchen onthis old shelf. They didn’t touch it afterall those years. It stayed silent. Oh, yearsafter that, when we went up (to thehouse), after my father died, we went tolive with my grandfather, my mother’sfather. After that, my mother and grandmother were woken one night andthey heard the old clock striking. Theyheard it strike twelve times. They gotkind of frightened and the next day mygrandmother put the clock up in theattic. There was a work space up in theattic and she put the clock over therewith the other junk. There was nothingmore about it. But then they got a letterfrom Gloucester saying that RanaldMacVarish, my grandfather’s brother,had died. They thought that the clockwas a kind of forerunner that was tellingthem there was to be another death in thefamily. After that they hid the clock in theloft.

There was myself and another fellowthey were raising, his name was RussellMacLean, and he was five years olderthan me. We slept together in the atticand the clock was on the other side of thepartition, which was quite thin. Well,that was fine. It (the clock) was soundlessin there. But on this particular night, ohyears after the last time it had struck,Russell woke me up and said, “Listen tothe clock.” I heard it myself, the clockstriking twelve times. Russell said that itwas striking before I woke up and mymother was downstairs and she heard ittoo.

A little while later, maybe a monthhad passed, I went to the post office onthis day and I got a letter fromGloucester with sort of a black rim on it,“edged in black” as they would say. Itook the letter home, and they opened itand found out about Joe’s death, my grandfather’s brother, one of the boys.

After that, I was afraid to go to bed upon the loft. I was afraid to go up thereany more, because the clock was on theother side of the wall and going to startup. So, Russell and I took the gears out ofit and threw them away and that put afinish on the clock.

That’s the clock story.�

Told by Donald MacEachern (Dòmhnall macJonaidh Dhòmhnaill Òig). © Collected, tran-scribed and translated by Seumas Watson.


Aig Baile: Caisbheart / Footgear MAR A RINNEADH CAISBHEART NA CLOINNEADHDr. Seósamh Watson with introduction and translation by Seumas Watson

An interesting description of the Gaels’method for covering their feet was

provided by Highland priest John Elder ina letter written to England’s Henry VIII in1543. Its original text is quoted by FrankAdams in The Clans, Septs and Regiments ofthe Scottish Highlands,

please it Youre Majesty to understande,that we of all people can tollerat, suffirand away best with cold, boithe somerand wynter (except when the froast ismost vehemente) goynge alwaies bair-leggede and barefootide; our delite andpleasure is not onely in huntynge offredd deir, wolfes, foxes and graines,whereof we abounde and have great plen-tie, but also in rinnynge, leapinge,swymminge, shootynge and thrawing ofdartis... in wynter, whene the froest ismooste vehement (as I have saide), whichwe cannot suffir barefootide so weill assnow, which can never hurt us when itcomes to out girdills, we go a huntynge,and after that we have slayne redd deir,we flaye the skin bey and bey, and settingof our bair foote on the inside thereof...we play the sutters, compasinge andmeasuring so much therof as shall retcheup to our ancklers, prycynge the upperpart thereof with holis that the watermay repas when it entres and stretchideup with a strounge thwang of the same,meitand and above our said ancklers, so,and pleas your noble Grace, we make outshoois... therefor usynge such manner ofshois, the roghe, hairie side outwart...

I.F. Grant notes in the early nineteen-sixties that the practice of primitive footwear persisted in Sutherlandand the Hebrides into recent times, “Theywere made of untanned calfskin wornhairy side out, roughly shaped to fit thefeet, the edges of the heels and toes weredrawn together by overcasting, holes werepunched along the tops and laces threadedthrough.”

The latter description of foot covering isstill remembered in rural Cape Breton andcalled “shanks.” (Gaelic-speaking inform-ants have remarked on the shanks odourdetracting from romantic enterprise duringthe courting years.)

The late Mary Anne Cameron (MàiriAnna n’in Iain Shandaidh`ic Ailein `ic Iain), aLochaber decedent, was born at AlpineRidge, Inverness County in 1902. Raised ona farm with eleven siblings, there was nolack of work to be done during the dailyand seasonal round of chores. At the time

of butchering, little went to waste.Interviewed by Dr. Seósamh Watson, whilehe engaged in a survey of Cape BretonGaelic dialects, Mary Anne recalled howher father would save a cowhide to makeshoes for the family’s children. Mary Annelived to the age of 102. (For more transcrip-tions of field recordings made on Mary Anne’sseanchas and recollections of life, see AmBràighe, summer issue 2002.)

Mar a Rinneadh Caisbheart na Cloinnead

Uill, bhiodh m’athair… bheireadh e an t-seiche dhen mhart, bha e ’glèidheadh sin …bhiodh e ’dèanamh brògan dhan fhead-hainn a b’òige. Chosg mi fhìn ’s mobhràthair iad ’dol dhan sgoil agus – dar a –bhiodh a’ bhùidseireachd air a dhèanamhbha e ’ glèidheadh na seiche. Bha e ’doldhan choill’ an uair sin agus bha – chan eilfhios ’am dè seòrs’ craoibheadh a bh’ ann,ach – bhiodh fhios aige fhéin agus bhiodhfhios aige air an àm. Bha i furast’ ri ghear-radh, agus ghearradh e … ’chairt air antaobh, agus thigeadh sin dheth mar siod –na dhà phìos – pìos air an taobh seo ’s pìosair an taobh eile.

Feireadh e sin dhachaigh ’s bha barailleaige anns an t-sabhal, agus chuireadh e aolanns a’ bharaille ’s salann ’s uisge. Agusbha an uair sin bòrd aig’ a rinn e fhèin, agusbha sgian (’s e sgiana-tharraing a bheireadhiad ris) agus chuireadh e – bha ’n t-seiche’dol anns an uisge agus an salann ’s an t-aolfad, dh’fhaoidte, seachdain no leith[id] sin.’S bha fhios aige an uair sin, bhiodh e’cumail sùil air agus dar a rachadh aigepìos dhen fhionndadh thoirt às bha i deiseil ’s chuireadh e e – air a’ bhòrd seo.Agus thòisicheadh e an uair sin ’s bhaàpran mór aig’ a rinn mo mhàthair dhadhen leathar. `S chuireadh e sin air – ’son achumail tioram agus thòisicheadh e an uairsin.

Agus bha sgian ’o leathann siud a’ tigh-inn anuas… Dar a bheireadh e dhachaigh –na – rudan ’ bha e toir’ far na craobhan bhae gan sgaoileadh a-mach air an t-sabhal. –’Se cnogain a bheireamaid ris an uair sin. –’Sa chuile là, mun rachainn ’s mo bhràthairdhan sgoil: ‘Thigibh a-mach ’s tionndaibhna cnogain a-nis!’ Bha ’ghrian air tighinn a-mach. Thigeamaid dhachaigh às sgoil isbhiodh na cnogain ri thionndadh an rathadeile gus am biodh iad … cho cruaidh ricreag… ’S dar a bhiodh an t-seiche deiseilbha [na] cnogain aigesan agus a’ sgian-tharraing agus… bha e dìreach mar gumbiodh tu ’ gearradh pumpkin. Agus bha...sin

na cnogain tioram ’s bha iad ’ tuiteam sìosanns an uisg’ còmh’ ris an t-seich’. Bha sin’ dol ann ’s bha ’n uimhir s’ do dh’ùine anuair sin ’s bheireadh e ’n t-seiche às ’s… gurobh i deiseil.

Thòisich e ’n uair sin air a sgrìobadh.Bha leathar aige an uair sin. ’S bha àite aige– air fear dhe na saibhlean, ’s chuireadh ean t-seiche air [na] saibhlean ’s chuireadh etàirnge annd’ ’s bha an urad as [so] dodh’ùine aig an t-seich’ ri thiormachadh ’sbha leathar aige an uair sin. Ach bhaleathar…na laogh ri ghlèidheadh airsoniallan ’son nam bròg –. Bha sin aige fad nah-ùine is dhèanadh e fhèin na h-iallan àssin dar a gheobhadh e an t-seiche deiseil,tioram. (Mary Ann Cameron)

ENGLish traNsLatioNThe Making of Childrens’ Footwear

Well, my father would... he would takethe hide of the cow and save it. He wouldmake shoes for the youngest ones. (Mybrother and I wore them when we weregoing to school.) When he did the butcher-ing, he kept the hide. Then he went to thewoods and - I don’t know what kind of treeit was - he knew himself and the time to getit. It was easy to cut and he would cut it ...the bark on a side, and that would come offlike this - in two pieces: a piece on this sideand a piece on the other side. He wouldtake that home and he had a barrel in thebarn in which he would put lime, salt andwater.

Then he had a knife ( they called it adraw knife) and he would put ... The hidewas going into the water, salt and lime for,maybe, around a week. He would knowthe right time and he would keep an eye onit. When he could remove a swatch of thebristles, it was ready and he would put iton a table and he would begin. He had abig apron that my mother made for him outof leather. And he would put that on tokeep dry and then he would start. Therewas a knife, oh about this width, comingdown.

When he brought home those things hewas taking from the trees, he would spreadthem on the barn - we called them cnogain(husks?). Every day, before my brother andI would go to school, “Come out and turnthe cnogain - now!” The sun had appeared.

We would come home from school andthe crogain would have to be turned theother way, until they would be, oh, hard asa rock. When the hide would be ready, hehad the cnogain and the draw knife wastaken down. It was just as though he was

continued on page 19


Before 1745, land was commonly sub-divided in the runrig system. Strips ofland 20 to 40 feet wide were held by indi-viduals while the grazing pasture washeld in common by all on the farm. Thearable land was of different quality and,to avoid disputes, the lots were chosen atrandom before the beginning of each sea-son. The strips of land were called fean-nag in Gaelic and is defined in Dwelley’sGaelic to English Dictionary as a “rig, aridge of ground… used for growingpotatoes…the seed being laid out on thesurface and covered with earth dug outof trenches along both sides. The termlazy-bed applied to it in English is mere-ly a southern odium on the system offarming in Gaeldom…”

The cas-chrom or crooked spade wasone of the most ancient tools used by theGaels. Martin Martin reported the use ofa ‘crooked spade’ in 1698. I.F. Grant givesa description of the method of farmingusing the cas-chrom. The farmer wouldplace a thick layer of sea weed on theground where planting was to takeplace. The strip of manure was about fivefeet wide. Using the cas-chrom, groundon each side of the seaweed strip wasturned over on top of it. Another rowwas made beside this one with a two footditch between them to provide a drain.James MacDonald as well outlines the“ridging” of the fields.

In peat-mosses or bogs, and on the firstturning up of deep waste lands, theHebridian practice of forming narrowridges with a ditch on every side and ateach end of the field, is very judi-cious...The workman makes a straightfurrow with his cas-chrom…fromright to left. He continues it for a hun-dred yards or perhaps the length of theproposed field. At the distance of fromfour to six feet from this furrow hedraws another in a parallel direc-tion…he draws a second and athird…leaving the two feet for theditch as before.

The field followed the contours of theland, winding through the arable piecesof soil. When the farmer encountered a

large stone which was in the way of therow, he used the cas-chrom to leaver it outof the patch. Again, Samuel Johnsondescribes how this was done. “When thefarmer encounters a stone which is thegreat impediment of his operations, hedrives the blade under it, and bringingthe knee or angle to the ground, has inthe long handle a very forcible lever.”

The ditches between the rows providedrainage for the boggy soil while the sea-weed nourished the soil. Fencing wasnot necessary for these patches as theanimals were sent to the high pasturesduring the growing season and boys andgirls watched the animals to keep themon the land assigned. Photos show onlythe ridges and hollows of the bed.

Alexander Fenton, in his work onagriculture in the Highlands, describesthe feannag;

They lay sea ware on the green swardin winter. In February they dig trench-es, and cast out the earth, on each side,upon the beds. When it is perfectlydry, in the beginning

of May, they sow their bear, and thenharrow it with a hand harrow… like a garden rake withwooden teeth.

Once the bed was planted it wasignored till the fall harvest as the familywas involved with other chores.�

Footnotes:(1) I.F.Grant, Highland Folk Ways, 41.(2) Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands ofScotland, 180.(3) Robert Mathieson, The Survival of the Unfittest: TheHighland Clearances and the End of Isolation, 63.(4) Alexander Carmichael, Grazing and Agrestic Customsof the Outer Hebrides, 466-467.(5) Edward Dwelley, Dwelley’s Illustrated Gaelic-EnglishDictionary, 422.(6) Alexander Fenton, “Early and Traditional CultivatingImplements" 302.(7) Grant, Highland Folk Ways, 9.(8) MacDonald, General View of the Agriculture of theHebrides, 183.(9) Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland,180.(10) Fenton, “Early and Traditional CultivatingImplements, 302.

A section of this article was taken fromRannsachadh Taisbeanaidh a’ ChlachainGàidhealaich - Vol. 1 An Taigh Tughaidh.

Pauline MacLean & Katherine MacLeod

Fo na Cabair/Under the Rafters THE FEANNAG – EFFICIENT USE OF SPACE

Much of the Highlands and Islands have limited amounts of fertile ground. These small patches of ground suitable for planting are interspersed with bogs, stones or hills. When on his trav-

els in Scotland in the late 1700s, Samuel Johnson spoke about methods of tilling the land and that farmswere divided in long lands and short lands. Long lands were patches that could be worked with the ploughand short lands could only be turned by a spade as there was not room to use a plough.

Aerial photos on the SCRAN website show the ridges and furrows of the feannagan snaking throughthe landscape. Geodha na Glaic Bàine, meaning 'inlet of the white hollow', is situated on the west coastof Scotland. This photo taken in 1944 clearly shows the ridges and furrows of the lazy-bed methodof farming and how the farmers took advantage of all the available land. This ingenuity continued inNova Scotia as Highland settlers, when clearing land, planted their potatoes around the burnedstumps making use of available space.

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An Rubha Photo Album: 50th Anniversary Quilt

The Nova Scotia Highland Village Society recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. This milestone was marked by a year longprogram of activities celebrating the language, passion for life and creative abilities of the Gael in Nova Scotia. In tribute to

the craft tradition, we held a quilt block competetion to create a 50th anniversary quilt. Our Gaelic speaking ancestors could notpurchase blankets for bed coverings in the early years of settlement, so left-over cloth, or worn clothing, were used to make bedcoverings. Over time, the creative abilities of women brought variations to the patterns and colours as new materials and pack-aged dyes became available. The blocks were to be constructed based on the quilter’s interpretation of the historical life of theGael in Nova Scotia. The theme was based on the Society slogan: “Leanaibh dlùth ri cliù bhùr sinnsir - Remember the ways of yourancestors”. All of the blocks received are shown here and will be included in the final quilt. We want to thank all the talentedquilters who submitted these colourful and creative entries and congratulate the top three entrants. The quilt blocks were votedon by Highlland Village staff who assigned a points value to each block. The highest ranking blocks were choosen as the winners. The top three winners received a gift card from Michaels.

Debbie Doyle / Elsie BuckPipers Cove, NS

First Place Winner

Lorna MacLean Sydney, NS

Second Place Winner

Sister Harriet MacNeil Sydney, NS

Third Place Winner


Anne Morrell RobinsonMargaree, NS

Carolyn HudsonBrierly Brook, NS

Anne Morrell Robinson Margaree, NS

Betty RobertsBaddeck, NS

Debbie DoylePipers Cove, NS

Carol DziubekSydney, NS

Barb MacIntyre Port Hawkesbury, NS

Denise J WhiteScotsburn, NS

Anne Morrell RobinsonMargaree, NS

All contestants who entered the quilt competition were given a Membership Plus for the year to the Highland Village.

The finished quilt will be on display during the 2012 season.


NaidheachdanBho Mhac-Talla Vol. 5 No. 39,

Sidni, C.B.Di sathairne April 3 1897

Tha an t-sìde a bh'ann bho chionn che'-la-deug glé mhi-fhallain, agus chaochail

móran. Aon là air an t-seachdain seo, Di-mairt, bha trì torraidhean anns a' bhaile.

Tha carbad a tha ruith eadar Sidni 's Sidni-a-Tuath anise, oir tha 'n deigh air fàsdona. Leanaidh e air ruith gus am fosgailan acarsaid 's am faigh na bàtaicheancothrom ruith. Tha a' chuid a 's fheàrr de 'ngheamhradh seachad agus mar a 's luaithethig an samhradh 's ann na 's fheàrr.

Thuit fear Henry Newton anns a' bhaile Di-sathurna s' a chaidh. Thàinig e do 'nbhaile o chionn treis a bhliadhnaichean airais còmhla ri cuideachd chleasaichean.Dh'fhàg e iad agus bha e on uair sin a' creicstuth làidir. Chan eil teagamh nach b' e ant-òl a dh'aobharaich a bhàis. Thatar ag ràdhgu robh a chuideachd glé mheasail agusmath air an dòigh, ged a chaidh esan a dholaidh mar siod.

Aon là air an t-seachdain s' chaidh, thachairdithis dhaoine oirnn a chuir beagan annaisoirnn. A' cheud fhear, tha e ag giùlan ainmGàidhealach ach is e ban-Éireannach a bha‘na mhàthair. Am fear eile, 'se bana-Ghàidheal a bha 'na mhàthair, ach 'seSpàinn teach a b'athair dha aig nach robhGàidhlig na bu mhotha na bha i aig màthairan fhir eile. Ach ged a bha sin mar sin, thaan dithis dhaoine seo 'nan cainnt 's nan cleachdaidhean cho Gàidhealach ri duine atha leughadh Mhic-Talla.

Là na Sàbaid s' chaidh, aig Leitche's Creek,chaochail Mòr, bantrach DhòmhnaillDhòmhnallaich, an déidh dhi aois ceud bliadhna 's a' seachd a ruigheachd. Rugadhi 's an t-Seann Dùthaich 's a' bhliadhna1790, agus thàinig i air imrich do 'ndùthaich seo 's a'bhliadhna 1827. Bha acuimhne cho math 's a bha e riamh gus ùineghoirid mun do chaochail i. Bha a fradhrarccho math 's gun cuireadh i snaithlean annan snathaid bhig gun ghlaineachan.Dh'fhàg i sianar chloinne beò, trì fichead 'sa dhà de dh'oghaichean, agus a h-aon deugair fhichead de dh'iar-oghaichean. Bha a fear-pòsda ceithir fichead 's a dhà nuair achaochail e.

Ann an siorrachd Richmond, chan eilIoseph Mathanach (Lib.) a bha 's a' phàrlamaid a' dol a dh'fheuchainn idir. ThaMacFhionnlaigh a' ruith 'na àite. Bha buill Cheap Breatuinn air an roinn gucothromach anns a' phàrlmaid seo, ceathrarair gach taobh: siorrachdan Inbhirnis a' curchonservatives innte, agus siorrachdVictoria 's Richmond liberals. Tha am Màrtair falbh ach tha 'n t-sìde fuar, greannach guleòr fhathast.

Bha ar caraid "A.S." á Amaguadies Pond,'gar coimhead an là roimhe. Cluinnidh sinnuaithe an ùine ghoirid. 'S toigh leinn daonnan ar càirdean a thadhal againn 'nuair a thig iad a stigh do 'n bhaile.

Chaidh Ioseph Handley a thug ionnsuidhair duine mharbhadh ann a Halifax ochionn beagan nam mìosan, fhaotainnciontach air an t-seachdain s' a chaidh, agusfhuair e deich bliadhna anns an tigh-obrach.

Tha ceannaichean Halifax an déidh mórantì a cheannach an dùil gum bi cìs air a curoirre air an earrach seo. Thathar ag ràdh gubheil de thì anns a' bhaile na chumas ris a'mhór-roinn fad bliadhna gu leth.

B' e Di-ardaoin Latha nan Amadan, no mara their cuid Latha na Gògaireachd. 'Siomadh duine 's bean, nighean us gille asan d' thugadh an car air an latha sin; nambiodh againn ris gach aon a chaidh a churair turus gògaireachd a chur sios siaramadan, cha mhór daoine glice a bhiodhagainn 'san dùthaich. Ach chan e h-uileduine as an gabh an car toirt a dh' fhaodara mheas 'na amadan.

Tha cath an Taghaidh air tòiseachadh. Tha'n dà phàirtidh an déidh an cuid dhaoin' ainmeachadh, agus a' cur rompa spàirnchruaidh a dheanamh chum am faotainnair an taghadh. Cho fad 's is aithnedhuinne, cha 'n eil eadar-dhealachadh gunsealltuinn ri pàirtidh idir, ach an duine 'sfhearr a chur astigh, ge b'e taobh de 'mbheil e. An duine tha ceart agus ònarach aigan tigh, 's e 's dòcha gu 'm bi e mar sin annsa phàrlamaid, ach an duine nach eil ceart, no ònarach aig an tigh, agus ris nach earbadh duine a ghnothuch fhèin, creideadh e nach bi e mar bu chòir ann antigh na pàrlamaid. "Am fear a bhios carrach'sa bhaile seo, bidh e carrach 'sa bhail' udthall.

"Aig na Forks, maduinn na Sàbaid s’ a chaidh, chaochail Ruairidh MacFhionghain, fear de na daoine bu shine 'sansgireachd. Rugadh e an Uidhist a chinn aTuath 'sa bliadhna 1815, agus bha e mar sinceithir fichead bliadhna 's a dhà a dh' aois.

Each issue of AN RUBHA features an excerpt from Eòin Aonghais Chaluim - Jonathan G. MacKinnon’s MAC-TALLA (Echo) withtranslation. MAC-TALLA, published in Sydney, Nova Scotia, was the longest running Gaelic weekly (ending as a bi-weekly)1892-1904. MacKinnnon, born in Dunakin in 1869, published his first issue at 22 years of age. He was a life-long promoter ofGaelic and was involved in other publications including Gaelic translations of English literature. Digital copies of MAC-TALLA

can be found on the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website at: http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/Foghlam/Leabharlann/Mac-talla/index_en.html

MaC-taLLa: the longest running Gaelic weekly now on-lineSabhal Mòr Ostaig has digitised Mac-Talla ("Echo"), Nova Scotia’s weekly Gaelic newspaper/maga-

zine published - later bi-weekly - between May 28, 1892, and June 24, 1904, around 540 issues in all.Its store of news, local, national and international, letters to the Editor, Gaelic proverbs, poetry/song,stories, translations and articles are a repository of Gaelic cultural ideas. Mac-Talla can be found at:

http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/en/leabharlann/mactalla/

Tapadh leibh-se gu mór

The Nova Scotia Highland Village Society gratefully acknowledges the support of itsgovernment partners. In addition to our core funding from the

Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture & Heritage (Nova Scotia Museum),support has also been received from:

Province of Nova scotiathrough the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation & Infrastructure Renewal,

Economic & Rural Development & Tourism, and the Office of Gaelic Affairs;

Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation &

Service Canada;

Municipality of Victoria County through District 1 and the Recreation & Tourism Dept.


Dh' fhag e bantrach, ceathrar mhac us triùirnighean. Bha e 'na dhuine math air an robhmór-mheas aig na fhuair eòlas air. Bha e 'naeildeir an eaglais St. Andrew; b'e fear de nacheud fheadhain a bha air an taghadh rilinn an Dotair Mhic Leòid. Chaidh an corpa thìodhlachadh anns a chladh airHardwood Hill. Bha e 'n toiseach air athoirt astigh do 'n eaglais, far an robh seirbheis ghoirid air a cumail. Bha móransluaigh a làthair, agus lean a' chuid mhordhiubh an giùlain do'n chladh, mar sin a'taisbeanadh an urraim agus an gràidh dha-san a bha mar athair anns an eaglaisagus an sgireachd.

the NewsFrom Mac-Talla Vol. 5 No. 39

Sydney, C.B.Saturday, April 3, 1897

The weather for the past fortnight hasbeen very unhealthy, and many have

died. One day this week there were threefunerals in the city of Sydney.

There is a coach running between Sydneyand North Sydney at this time on accountof the ice being unsafe. It will continue torun until the harbor opens up and gives theboats an opportunity to operate.

One Henry Newton fell in town lastSaturday. He came to Sydney a few yearsago with a troupe of actors. He left themand since then has been selling liquor.There is no doubt that drink was the causeof his death. It is reported that his familybackground was very respectable andupright, though he went to the dogs in thisway.One day last week, we met two interestingpeople. The first one had a Highland surname, but his mother was Irish. Thenext fellow’s mother was a Gael, but hisfather was Spanish and didn’t have a wordof Gaelic anymore than the other man’smother did. Nevertheless, they are both asHighland in there speech and manners asanyone who reads MacTalla.

Last Sunday, at Leitches Creek, Sarah,Donald MacDonald’s widow, died at theage of one hundred and seven. She wasborn in Scotland in 1790. She immigrated tothis country in 1827. Her memory was perfect until very close to the time of herdeath. Her eyesight was so good thatshe could thread a small needle withoutglasses. She leaves behind six children, 62grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.Her husband was 82 when he died.

In Richmond County, Liberal in parliamentJoseph Matheson won’t be re-offering at all.Duncan McKinley is running in his place.Cape Breton members of this parliamentwere evenly divided with four from each

party. Inverness County contributed theConservatives with Richmond and Victoriasending the Liberals. March is gone but theweather remains cold and raw.

Our friend A.S. from Amaguadies Pondwas in to see us the other day. We’ll behearing from him soon. We like our friendsto stop by when they’re in town.

Joseph Handley, who assaulted and killed aman in Halifax a little more than a monthago, was found guilty last week and sentenced to 10 years hard labour. Merchants in Halifax have bought largequantities of tea in expectation of it beingtaxed this spring. It is reported that there isenough tea in Halifax to do the province fora year and a half.

Thursday was April Fools’ Day. Many isthe man and woman, and boy and girl whowere fooled on that day. If we called all thatwere sent on a silly mission fools, wewould hardly have a wise person in thecountry. However, not everyone that gotduped could be considered a fool.

The election campaign is beginning. The two parties have named their represen-tatives and are engaged in a vigorous effort

to get them elected. As far as we know,there’s little difference in the parties. Put inthe best man, regardless of what side he’son. The person who is just and honest athome will likely be the same in parliament.He who is not and can’t be trusted by a per-son around his own affairs, be sure that hewon’t do right in parliament. (As theproverb says, “The man who is devious inthis village will be the same in the next.”)

Rory MacKinnon died last Sunday morning at Sydney Forks. He was one ofthe oldest people in the parish. He wasborn in North Uist in 1815, and so he was82 years of age. He leaves behind a widow,four sons and three daughters. He was wellregarded among his friends. He was anelder of St. Andrew’s Church and one ofthe first to be elected during the era ofDoctor MacLeod. The body was buried inthe Hardwood Hill cemetery. At first hewas brought into church where a shortservice was held. There was a large crowdon hand and most followed the remains tothe graveyard to show their love andrespect to him who was like a father to thechurch and parish.�

Translated by Seumas Watson


Clothing will always be determined bythe conditions of life and the environmentin which one is living. By understandingthat Highland life is a study in contrasts - awealthy few living amongst a populationstruggling against all odds to survive, tonourish and clothe themselves, sometimeswith the most primitive of tools - we mightbegin to imagine how those women whoultimately arrived on the shores of NovaScotia might have appeared as they werepoised to leave the Old Country and thelives they had known.

Although we may tend to think only of the Gaels as tenants or sub-tenants, therewere, in fact, other classes in Highland society, from the landlords (often aristo-crats), to gentlemen farmers,tacksmen,merchants, and business owners. Thenthere were the servants of the gentry, ten-ants, the cottars, and even the destitute.The class to which a woman belongs willlargely determine her mode of dress. As J.T. Dunbar states in his History of HighlandDress:

I doubt very much if the trend of fashionhas changed over the centuries. The gen-try have nearly always spent a great dealon clothes and the middle classes haveusually attempted to imitate theirextravagances, whilst the peasants havemade do with what they could afford.

Wives and daughters of the landownersdid dress extravagantly, in imported silks,velvets, damasks, and lace. Dress wasimportant to their families to demonstratetheir wealth and social standing. However,their everyday garments tended to bemade by local trades people. Some weaversand tailors were employed exclusively bythe family. Their women servants’ dutiesincluded spinning the threads to make theclothing (and household linens) for theiremployers. Attention was paid to the pro-duction of high quality linens and finewoolens in these households, and the cloth-ing was carefully styled after the fashion of the day.

Women of lesser standing, yet still considered “women of means”, made aneffort to dress in similar styles, but with

quality of their clothing varied with thesematerials and their own skill levels. Fromthe 1790’s Statistical Account of Harris:

Of spinsters and weavers, the number isalmost equal to that of householders,among the lower class of people, whosewives and daughters both spin andweave their wool into coarse cloths forthe use of the family, and a few blanketsfor sale.

Worse off yet was the cottar (sgalag) andhis family. John Buchanan (Travels in theWestern Hebrides) observes in the 1780’s:“The scallag… procures for himself a few

rags, either by what little flax or wool hecan raise; or by the refuse or coarser partsof these articles furnished by his master…”

Adverse climate, scanty soil, overpopu-lation, and a rise in rents were some of thefactors contributing to the poverty of somany. Scarcity of clothing is a problemthroughout this entire time period. Thereare Statistical Account references to the pop-ulation being scantily clad and even, inBarra, “destitute of bed-clothes”. Andchurch attendance in Tiree and Coll wasaffected: “Scantiness of clothing also detersmany from attending public worship.”

In spite of these hardships, most womenhad access to some raw materials withwhich to manufacture cloth. Linen wasneeded for undergowns, neck kerchiefs,mutches and head kerchiefs. To supplythese needs, flax was grown in many areasof the Highlands, or small amounts couldbe purchased from a merchant. If a youngwoman had attended one of the spinningschools financed by the Scottish Society forPropagating Christian Knowledge, or abenevolent landlord’s wife (for example,Mrs. MacKenzie of Seaforth, in Lewis in the1790’s), she might be the owner of a spin-ning wheel with which to spin her linen.But many of these efforts to introducewheels failed, and the majority of womenin the Hebrides continued to spin with thespindle and distaff until well into the nine-teenth century.

Sheep were all around, and wool wasavailable to all but the poorest, who werereduced to begging for small amounts ofwool. Although the larger Lowland breedswere beginning to be introduced into manyareas of the Highlands by the late 1700’s,most women still preferred to use the woolfrom the smaller traditional type of sheep.The seana chaoirich bheaga (little old sheep)breed could be a dull yellow or ambercolour (lachdann), bluish-gray (gorm), whiteor black. In Harris:

They are so diminutive a size… that 16fleeces go to a stone (14 pounds) of wool.The wool is generally short, but veryfine… All the wool is spun and manufac-tured in the parish. A few fine, lightstuffs are made, which are worn by the

Dèante le làimhHIGHLAND WOMEN’S CLOTHINGAT THE TIME OF EMIGRATION: PART ONEBy Vicki Quimby

So closely identified is the clothing of the Highland male with the idea of Scottish culture today, thatreams of information are available on tartan, the féileadh beag, and military dress of the late eighteenth

to mid-nineteenth centuries. But what were women wearing? Comparatively little detail was recorded, butwith the help of eyewitness accounts and some knowledge of the conditions of everyday life, we may be ableto piece together a picture of women’s dress throughout this period - a time of upheaval and emigration formany.

less imported cloth and more locally manufactured and tailored clothing. Theywere able to purchase the services of themore skilled weavers, and employed servants of their own. Women servants ofthe upper classes were partially paid inclothing - sometimes cast-offs - and shoes.

Of course, the majority of women werethe wives and daughters of tenant farmers.They made their own clothing of home-spun wool and linen with whatever toolsor raw materials they had at hand. The

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first rank of the inhabitants; the lowerranks get their wool manufactured intocoarse, but decent clothing for them-selves.

Women, of course, enjoyed clothingwith color, either dyed a solid colour - indi-go-dyed blue was very common - or woveninto patterns of stripes, checks, or plaids.While many colours could be dyed withlocal plants such as bedstraw roots, waterlily roots, heather or lichens, some import-ed dyes such as cochineal for reds, or ‘oldfustic’ for yellow, and indigo for blue gavebrilliant colours generally unequaled bylocal dyestuffs. And certainly many of thesurviving fabrics of the period show thebright reds, greens and blues as predomi-nant colours. The dyeing was either donein the home, or sometimes, by the localweaver. Although the nobility and gentrymay have been importing their ready-made, exotic fabrics from agents inEdinburgh, the standard four-post loomswere everywhere throughout theHighlands and some weaving was of avery high quality. The Statistical Accounts ofthe Hebrides show numerous weavers inevery parish - mostly men, but a high num-ber of women working as weavers as well.The weavers were not necessarily paidwith cash; meal might be given as paymentinstead. Other accounts imply that someless-well-off women did their weaving intheir own homes. Some looms were crude,as in Mull (Nielson Report): “…I found aLoom or two made of sticks and boundtogether with Ropes and Twigs, and inevery respect such clumsey machines that Icould not have believed (had I not beenassured by good Authority) that any kindof Cloath could be made with them.”Homes with no looms took their spunyarns to a local weaver.

As the majority of women at the periodof emigration were not “women of means”,it is safe to assume that most of the clothingwas manufactured in the home with whatever flax, or wool, was at hand.Fashions varied with time, location, certainly with class, and there was always acontrast between the dress of older andyounger women.

The late 1700’s were a time of greatsocial and economic change. An initial period of emigration had already occurredin the 1770’s. It came mostly from the west-ern Highlands, with a scattering of othersfrom the Islands. Proscription had comeand gone, but fashion had changed any-way. The long traditional plaids, earasaid,were no longer being worn. They had beenadmired for their fine quality, but criticizedby some the seventeenth century puritani-cal churchmen for the wearer’s ability tohide under her plaid and sleep during thechurch service. They had now beenreplaced by plaids of a much shorter

length, as well as the guailleach (shouldershawl), and cloaks, both long and short.

Even with the demise of the earasaid,there are many references into the nineteenth century as to “plaiding” beingworn by women. “Plaid” has always hadmany meanings, from body covering, tobed blankets. It could also refer to the clothitself - a strong woolen cloth, identified bysome as “flannel”. But its more usualmeaning was as a shawl worn over awoman’s clothes. It could be made of silk,fine wool lined with silk, or all wool,depending upon your means. As well, itcould be a solid colour, or checked, striped,or even what we now know as a plaid pattern. For the impoverished, of course,plaids were not only shawls, but also covered up a lack of clothes and served astheir bed-clothes.

A description by Buchanan from 1790tells us that the women of the Hebrideswear “long or short gowns”, with a waistcoat and two petticoats, “mostly ofstripes or tartan… except the lower coat(undergarment) which is white.” The longgown was either of thigh- or knee-length -

there, at the bodice and sleeves. This wasgenerally made of linen. Linen was alsoused for the “napkins or handkerchiefs”some women were beginning to wear ontheir necks, in lieu of the guailleach. Thesecould be of coloured, or patterned silk, forwomen of means; white linen for everyoneelse.

He also tells us that, “The breid, or cur-tah, a fine linen handkerchief fastenedabout married women’s heads, with a flaphanging behind their backs above theguilechan (guailleach)” is no longer much inuse, having been replaced by “the caps ofvarious fashions”. Many descriptions anddrawings of the period show an assortmentof head coverings - from linen headscarvestied about their chins, to long head-dresses.Old women were sometimes described aswearing woolen hoods with very coarselinen under them, fastened below the chinwith a pin. Headwear was conferred upona woman, usually at her marriage, but alsoupon the birth of a child, or when sheachieved a certain age.

There were differences in headwear(and hair styles) between young womenand wives. Buchanan states: “The marriedwomen wind up their hair with a large pininto a knot on the crown of their heads,below their linens; and the unmarried …gobareheaded, with their hair bound up withribbons, or garters.” They might also bindtheir hair with a fillet or snood (stìom), asElizabeth Grant recorded in her Memoirs ofa Highland Lady: “…No Highland girlever covered her head; the girls wore theirhair neatly braided in front, plaited up inGrecian fashion behind, and bound by thesnood, a bit of velvet, or ribbon placedrather low on the forehead and tiedbeneath the plait at the back.”

Sundays and holidays were for dressingas well as one could. In St. Kild: “The menand women dress in the same form that theHebrideans do, and are possessed of anequal share of pride and ambition ofappearing gay on Sundays and holidays,with other people.” Buchanan continues,with a description of the Hebrideans:“They often wear linen caps, called mutches, particularly on Sabbaths. Manyof the more wealthy appear at church witha profusion of ribbons and head-dresses,with cloaks, and high-heeled shoes. Thosewhose circumstance cannot admit of that,must appear with one of their petticoats,either tartan, or of one colour, around theirshoulders, on Sundays, as well as on weekdays.” �

Part two will appear in the next An Rubha.

Vicki Quimby is a textile consultant and ani-mator at the Highland Village. Déante la làimh(handmade) is a regular feature of An Rubhathat explores various aspects of textiles and craftproduction in Gaelic Nova Scotia.

a loosely fitted outer gown or light coat; theshort gown was more fitted. And: “Themarried wives wear linen mutches, or caps,either fastened with ribbons of variouscolours or with tape straps, if they cannotafford ribbons. All of them wear a smallplaid, a yard broad, called guilechan (guail-leach), about their shoulders, fastened by alarge broach.” The broaches were round,made of silver or, more generally, brass.

A long or short gown with a waistcoatwas standard - often wool - along with theundergown, or undergarment, normallydescribed as white, peeking out here and

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Mar Chuimhneachan BEANNACHD LEIBH A SHIR IAINSeumas Watson

ag Còmhradh le sir iain Noble

Seumas Watson: Cà 'n do rugadh sibh?

Sir Iain: Uell, rugadh mise ann a Berlin.Chaidh mi bhaisteadh anns a' Roimh aguschaidh mi 'n uairsin dha 'n sgoil ann aShang Hai agus ann a Buenos Aires agus anuair sin ann a Sasuinn. Bha m'athair agobair anns a' Diplomatic Service. Bha e a'dol mun cuairt siod 's a seo. Co dhiubh, 'sann á Earraghàidheal a bha an teaghlachagam, agus bhithinn a' cur seachad, 'sdòcha, mìos na dhà gach bliadhna còmh-la ri mo pharantan thall thairis. Bha miann an sgoil ann a Sasuinn an uairsin bhoaois aon deug air adhart. Bhithinn-sa doldhachaidh a dh'Earraghàidheal airsonnan saor-làithean còmhla ri bràthairm’athar.

SW: Dé bha 'gur tarraing dha 'n Ghàidhligan toiseach?

SI: Well, iomadh rud leis an fhìrinn... Bhaùidh agam. Bha i ceangailte ri Alba. Achan uair sin, chaidh mi dha na h-EileananFaró, far a bheil cànan aca fhéin, agus bhami 'tuigsinn gu robh e a's a' chridhe aca,gun dug e misneachd dhaibh, agus bros-nachadh, nuair a bha an cànan aca a' tigh-inn air ais. Thàinig mi dha 'n Eilean annan naoidh ceud deug trì fichead 's a' dhàdheug, bho chionn naodh bliadhn' airfhichead anise.

SW: Tha sibh as deaghaidh roinn dodh'iomairtean a chuir air adhart on uair sin.Gu dé bhiodh annda sin?

SI: Nuair a bha mi 'fuireach o thùs a's anEilean, a' cheud ochd bliadhna, bha mi'cur seachad seachdain an Obair-dheathainn gach mìos. Bha ann com-panaidh a chaidh a chur air bhonn airsona' Chuain-a-Tuath: companaidh a bha'ruith bhàtaichean amach dha narigichean. An uairsin, ann an 1980, bha mia sàs ann an cùisean ann an Dùn Éideann,gu h-àraidh a thaobh, mar a chanas 'ad 'sa' Bheurla, “merchant banking”, saoghal anairgid. Bha mi ris a' sin gus an do retire mi'n uiridh. Ach tha mi fhathast a' cumail a'dol le companaidh beag 's cùisean.

SW: Chaidh sibh amach dha 'n EileanSgìathanach anns na '70s. Gu dé a' cheudiomairt a bh'agaibh a' sin agus ciamar a bhana h-oidhirpean sin 'gan leudachadh amachtro' na bliadhnaichean?

SI: Nuair a thòisich mi, bha mi air a bhisàs ann an saoghal an airgid ann an DùnÉideann. Thòisich mi companaidh air abheil Noble Grossart. Tha iad caran ainmeilan diugh a thaobh merchant banking annan Dùn Éideann, a' cheud chompanaidhdhiubh a bha ann an Alba.

Nuair a rànaig mi 'n t-Eilean, bha mi'smaoineachadh 's dòcha gum bu chòirdhuinn feuchainn ri iomadh seòrsa rud achur air bhonn. Thòisich sinn air an ias-gach. Thànaig bàt'-iasgaich á Scalpaigh lesgiobair Scalpaigh, duin' uamhsachlaghach, Dòmhnall MacSuain. Thòisichsinn air fighe cuideachd. Bha muileann-figh' againn Muileann Beag a' Chrotail ant-ainm a bh'air. Dh'obraich e 's madh'fhaoidhte gur e deich bliadhna a bhaiad a' dol.

Bha tuathanas éisg againn, airsongreiseag, a bha air a chur air bhonn. Bhasin math gu leòr. Rinn e uamhasach mathairson seachd bliadhnaichean. Tha e annfhathast an diugh, ach le daoin' eile. Bhasinn ri tuathanasachd cuideachd.

Air an taobh eile, bha an taigh-òsdaann, a tha cumail a' dol gus a' là an diugh.A bhon-raoir, fhuair an taigh-òsda dùaisbho fhear dhe na leabhraichean airsonluchd-turais, Relais Routiers, a tha caranainmeil ann am Breatunn anise. 'S ann ása’ Fhraing a thànaig 'ad 's a' cheud dolamach. Fhuair sinn dùais mar an taigh-òsd' a 's fheàrr ann an Alba. Agus, còmh-

la ri taigh-òsda ann a Sasuinn, bha sinneadarainn an dà thaigh-òsda a b’ fheàrrann a Breatunn. Bha sin glan, nach robh?

Thòisich sinn air an uisge-bheatha anna 1976, ‘s tha e a’ fas fhathast. Tha anòigheachd fhéin a' deanamh meadhonachmath cuideachd. 'S mar sin, faodaidh tu aràdh gu bheil gnothaichean a' tighinn airadhart.

SW: Dar a thòisich sibh air brosnachadh naGàidhlig ann a Sléibhte, bha beachd agaibh gurobh ceangal cudtromach ann eadar culturslàn 's leasachadh na coimhearsnachd. A'bheil sibh 'ga chreidinn sin fhathast?

SI: Tha gu mór, agus tha mi 'smaoin-eachadh gu bheil e ‘tachairt ann aniomadh àite. Gu neònach, tha e ’tachairtam miosg Frangaich Chanada cuideachd.Tha mi 'tuigsinn gu robh cuid mhath dhena Frangaich ann a Canada o chionn, 'sdòcha, fichead bliadhna, na barrachd,'nam biodh iad comasach, bhiodh iad a'dol astaigh dha 'n eaglais, no bhiodh iada' teagasg. Glé ainneamh a bhiodh iad a'dol astaigh ann a gnìomhachas. Ach andiugh, on a thànaig Levesque agus acharaidean, tha iad anise dol astaigh dhana' ghnìomhachas agus “entrepreneurship”agus tha iad a' deanamh glé mhath.

Tha sin a' sealltainn mar a tha sin agobair. Nam biodh a' Ghàidhlig a' tighinnair ais gu math làidir, beò ann a CeapBreatunn, tha mi cinnteach gum biodhcùisean a' coimhead na 's fheàrr ann aCeap Breatunn. Bhiodh iomadh duine'toiseachadh le proisectan ùra a'siod 's a'seo. Bhiodh ceangal na bu làidire eadarCeap Breatunn 's Alba, 's dòcha. Tha mi

Achampion of growing vigorous communities on a solid foundation of their native tongues, Sir Iain Noble provided a model for the world through hisown initiatives: combining pride of place, language and culture with economy building enterprises. A supporting voice calling for Gaelic renewal in

Nova Scotia, Highland Village regrets the death of Sir Iain, who succumbed after a long illness on Christmas day, 2010 at the age of 75. The following is anextrapolation from an interview with Iain Noble originally appearing in the 2002 spring issue of Am Bràighe. The conversation took place on a blusteryNovember afternoon standing on Purdy’s Wharf during Sir Iain’s visit in Halifax to promote his company's Gaelic-labelled whisky products. Sir Iain was afluent learner of Gaelic and a visionary founder of Sabhal Mór Ostaig.

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'smaoineachadh nam biodh aon chasagad ann an eachdraidh, bhiodh an té eile's an ùin' a tha romhad. Cha n-urrainndhut coiseachd ach le aon chas a bhi 's andeireadh agus a' chas eile air thoiseach.

SW: Gu dé am beachd a bh'agaibh nuair achaidh Colaisde Ghàidhlig an t-Sabhal Mhóira chur air bhog?

SI: Tha cuimhn' agam air nuair a thòisichSabhal Mór Ostaig. Bha sinn a' feuchainnri chanail ris a' riaghaltas gum bu mhathleinn gnìomhachas, stiùireadh, man-aidearachd 's a leithid a theagasg. Agusbhiodh iad a' foighneachd ann an DunÉideann 's gu h-àraidh aig a' riaghaltas,ma tha thu `dianamh seo, dé an obair abhios aca nuair a bhios iad deiseil? Bhamise cumail amach nach robh e gu diofardé seòrs' obair a bhiodh aca. Nam biodhiad ag obair ann an garaid 's dòch’ anceann fichead bliadhna ... ma tha comasaca 's inntinn aca gum biodh companaidhann an engineering aca a' fàs gu mór. Agusnam biodh iad a' dol gu taigh-òsda, gumbiodh 'ad a' ruith nan taighean-òsda, matha iad comasach agus ceann aca.

Conversation with sir ian Noble

SW: Where were you born?

SI: Well, I was born in Berlin. I was bap-tized in Rome and then I attended schoolsin Shang Hai, Buenos Aires and then inEngland. My father worked for theDiplomatic Service. He traveled abouthere and there. In any event, my familywas in Argyll, and I would spend, per-haps, a month or two each year with myparents. I was at school in England fromthe age of 11 onward, and I would gohome to Argyll for my holidays with myuncle.

SW: What attracted you to Gaelic in the firstplace?

SI: Well, to tell the truth, many things. Iwas simply interested. The language wasconnected to Scotland. So, then I went tothe Faroe Islands where they have theirown language. I realized that their lan-guage was in their hearts, that they wereinspired and encouraged when their lan-

guage became renewed. Well, I came tothe Island (Skye) in 1972. It’s 29 yearssince then.

SW: You have initiated a number of enterpris-es since then. What would those be?

SI: Well, when I lived in the Island at first,the first eight years, I spent a week inAberdeen every month. There was a com-pany there established for the North Sea(oil development), a company that ranboats out to the rigs. But at the time, I wasinvolved in affairs in Edinburgh, especial-ly in what we would call merchant bank-ing, the financial world. I pursued thatuntil I retired last year, but I still keepgoing with a small company and otherthings.

SW: You went out to the Isle of Skye in the1970s. What was your first enterprise thereand how has that grown over the years?

SI: When I started out, well, I wasengaged with the financial world inEdinburgh. I founded a company calledNoble-Grossart They are somewhatfamous today in Edinburgh in the line ofmerchant banking, being the first compa-ny of them in Scotland. When I arrived inthe Island, I thought perhaps we shouldtry and establish a variety of things. Webegan with the fishing. A boat came fromScalpay with a Scalpay skipper, DonaldMacSween - an awfully nice man.

We initiated weaving too. We had aweaving mill called Muileann Beag a’Chrotail. It was successful and carried onfor, maybe, 10 years. We established a fishfarm which went for a while. That was allright. It’s still going today, but with differ-ent people. We were also involved in agri-culture.

On the other side of things, there wasthe hotel (Eilean Iaramain) which contin-ues at present. Last night the hotelreceived a prize from one of the tourismpublications, somewhat well know inBritain these days, called Releis Routiers.We were given a prize for being the besthotel in Scotland. Along with anotherhotel in England, we were declared thebest two inns in Great Britain. Wasn’t thatwonderful?

And then we started on the whisky

business in 1976, and that is still growing,and the estate is doing fairly well.

SW: In your work advancing Gaelic languagein Sleat, you believe that there is an importantlink between a healthy culture and communi-ty development. Did you still believe this to betrue?

SI: Absolutely, and I think that this is thecase in a lot of places. Interestingly, this isevident among French Canadians too. Iunderstand that, perhaps, 20 years ago, ormore, many skilled French Canadianswent into the church or teaching. Theyvery seldom entered into the field of busi-ness.

But today, since the advent of Leve-sque and his colleagues, they are goinginto business and entrepreneurship anddoing very well. That demonstrates theway it works. I’m sure that if Gaelic wasto return strong and vibrant in CapeBreton, the (economic) situation wouldlook much better. There would be a lot ofpeople starting up new projects here andthere. The (Cape Breton) connectionwould, perhaps, be a lot stronger withScotland and the United States. I thinkthat you have to have one foot in historyand the other in the future. You can walkonly if one foot is behind and one in front.

SW: What was your idea for launching SabhalMór Ostaig as a Gaelic college?

si: I remember when Sabhal Mór Ostaigstarted up. We were trying to tell the gov-ernment that this would be worthwhileand that we intended to teach enterprise,leadership, management and those kindsof things.

In Edinburgh, and especially from thegovernment, the question arose, whatemployment will they (the students) havewhen they're finished? I maintained,what difference is it what work they do?Supposing they worked in a garage, per-haps in twenty years, if they are compe-tent and savvy, they would have foundedan engineering company that was grow-ing well. Or, if they were working at aninn, they could be operating hotels,should they be capable and shrewd. �

Transcribed and translated by Seumas Watson.

cutting a pumpkin. And then the dried cno-gain were dropping into the water with thehide. That went into it (the mixture.) It setfor a period of time. He would take thehide out and it was ready.

He would begin scraping it and then hehad leather. He had a place on one of thebarns and he would nail it up on thebarn(s). It would take a certain length of

time for the leather to dry and then it wasready for him. Calf leather was saved forshoe laces. It something he always had onhand and he made the laces himself whenthe hide dry and all ready. �

*Other than being derived from an unidentifiedtree, seemingly with curative properties, a specific meaning for the word cnogain is unsure

Mar a Rinneadh Caisbheart Na Cloinneadh Continued from page 10...

in our transcription. An Rubha invites readersto help us with an appropriate definition.

© Collected and transcribed Dr. SeósamhWatson, a recently retired Professor of ModernIrish at University College Dublin. Author ofnumerous articles and books on Gaelic languagetopics, he has collected folklore and samples ofdialect in the field throughout Cape Breton.


An Rubha REVIEW

SGEULACHADAN GàIDHLIG á EARRAGHàIDHEILGAELIC FOLK AND HERO TALES FROM ARGYLSHIREA book review by Seumas Watson

With an extensive stock of books,CDs and DVDs, Sìol Cultural

Enterprises has been Nova Scotia’s main-stay for distribution of Gaelic relatedmatter over many years. The company’scatalog listings are eclectic with booktitles of Gaelic interest that include chil-dren’s materials, textbooks, songs andpoetry, traditions and fictional reading.As well, Sìol has returned a number ofimportant Gaelic publications to com-munity domain, which would otherwisebe left to archival sources. Significantamong these are re-edited editions of Ant-Òranaiche, O Cheapaich nan Craobh and anew volume of Gaelic Folk and Hero Talesfrom Argyllshire / Sgeulachdan Gàidhlig áEarraghàidheil.

The ten tales contained in theArgyllshire collection first appeared in 1891. Their oral source was Ardna-murchan native Alexander Cameron, aroadman in the districts lying betweenDuror and Ballachulish. Collector, editorand translator of his stories was theCraignish born Reverend JamesMacDougall (1833 - 1906), minister atDuror in 1871. A contemporary duringan active time for gathering Gaelic folk-lore in the Highlands and Islands,MacDougall shared his interest withother celebrated collectors such asAlexander Carmicheal and Iain Òg Ile.He first published his work on old talesin Archibald Campbell’s Waifs and Straysof Celtic Tradition.

MacDougall’s own forward says thathis collaboration with Alexander Cam-eron took place between 1889 and 1890over sessions varying from roadsidelocations to convening in the Reverend’sown home. As a discerning collector,MacDougall notes that other informantspossessing the same stories were alsoavailable to him nearby. He assessedCameron’s settings, however, as thosemost complete and giving the best avail-able representations. The methodologyfor taking down Cameron’s stories wasalso meticulous, described by Mac-Dougall as a process of first rehearsingthe stories followed by scribing them inpencil as they were repeated and finallycommitting them to pen when satisfiedthat versions were comprehensive.

The ten tales reported here are truesgeulachdan, that is - in the Cape Bretonsense of the word - the older, long stories.Five of them are Fenian tales. The

remaining five are of the hero tale variety. Their presentation is in the orderof Gaelic text preceded by its Englishtranslation. Attendant notes at the book’sback pages provide scholarly clarifica-tion on each story’s more obscure details.Included are such explanations as mean-ings for rare words, character back-ground, mythological significance, local-isms in pronunciation and comparisonsto story settings gathered from otherareas of the Highlands.

The late nineteenth-century collectionof Gaelic stories by the Reverend JamesMacDougall, and others, formed thevanguard of interest in recording theHighlands’ folklore and oral literaturefor posterity. Their actions were forwardlooking at a time when social and educational changes, promulgated by anEnglish school system, were hasteningretraction of the Gaels’ traditional aes-thetics - especially in mainland environs.It is worth considering, however , that thecurrency of long tales as popular Gaelicentertainment did not end entirely at theturn of the twentieth century.Storytellingcontinued in the Hebrides - with coun-terparts in Cape Breton - to the years pre-ceding the Second World War: a survivalthat has made it possible to record storiesover multiple genres with modern-recording devices to the present.

Exemplars recorded of Nova Scotia’sGaelic storytelling in the late twentiethcentury have appeared in Am Bràighemagazine (and this publication) alongwith three excellent books Sgeul gu Latha,Luirgean Eachainn Nìll and Na Beann-taichean Gorma.

Whither the future of Gaelic story-telling as a medium of cultural expres-sion is difficult to predict. As Nova Scotiaprogresses in Gaelic language renewaland cultural restoration, the place for sto-rytelling, along with song, music anddance should seem evident. In additionto transcribed stories appearing in publi-cations, modern technology renders thetradition accessible on-line to listeners atsites like Scotland’s Tobar an Dualchaisproject http://www.tobarandualchais.co.ukand Nova Scotia’s Sruth nan Gàidhealhttp://gaelstream.stfx.ca, where the voicesof storytellers at their craft can be heard.

Gaelic Folk and Hero Tales is evocativeof the céilidh house - and other impromp-tu locations - serving as a hall of letterswhere nonreading artists delivered theirstories to critical audiences informed intheir native literature: the salient pointbeing that illiteracy and unlettered arenot same in meaning. The introductionto Sgeulachadan Gàidhlig á Earraghàidheil/Gaelic Folk and Hero Tales from Argylshirewas written by Alfred Nutt, English folklorist and Celticist (1856 - 1910). Hisestimation of the book’s tales, writtenmore than a hundred years ago, continues to ring a pertinent note, “Tothe student and lover of folklore, be hisinterest, his aims, what they are, volumessuch as these, which present trustworthymaterial, are the first requisite. Butindeed their interest is not confined tothe folklorist. I venture to think that nolover of the speech and fancy of the Gaelcan afford to overlook these tales.”

The reading public can be grateful toSìol Enterprises for its commitment tokeeping these stories in circulation. �

Seumas Watson is the Highland Village’s man-ager of interpretation.

Sìol Cultural Enterpriseshttp://www.gaelicbooks.com/

An Gàidheal Portmhor / The Musical GaelHIGH ROAD TO LINTONSeumas Watson & Pauline MacLean

Image scanned from The Athole Collection of The Dance Music of Scotland. MacLachlan & Stewart, 1883


“O, seann phort math a bh’ann co dhiubh -Bodachan a’ Mhìrein. Bhiodh m’athair a’ can-tail... `S e a bhiodh aige...”

“Oh it was a good old tune anyway,Bodachan a’ Mhìrein. My father used tosay...he sang it like this....”

Am bodach a mhill Anna, mhill Anna, mhill Anna,Bodach a mhill Anna,bhiodh e air an daoraich x2

Am bhiodh e air an dealanaich, an dealanaich, an dealanaichBhiodh air an dealanaich `s barrachd air an daoraich x2

The old man spoiled by Anna,spoiled by Anna, spoiled by AnnaThe old man spoiled by Anna, he would get drunk x2

He would be on the moonshine, the moonshine, the moonshine He would be on the moonshine and get even drunker“ x2

“Sin mar a bha e aige-san.”“That’s the way he had it.”

The High Road to Linton is certainlyone of the most recognized reels

played in Cape Breton’s Scotch music cor-pus. A small village in the ScottishBorders, Linton was historically an activecentre through which passed the drovetrade in cattle coming down from theHighlands. The on-line website FiddlersCompanion http://www.ibiblio.org/fid-dlers/HIGH.htm points out that the tune isclaimed to have been composed by anative Linton resident, one James Dickson(1827-1908). Settings are reported inRobert MacIntosh’s A Third Book of Sixty-Eight New Reels and Strathspeys,Edinburgh (1796), and in McLashan’s col-lection published in 1798.

A Lowland Scot’s air, The High Roadto Linton is sung in a number of Gaelicmouth tune versions with varying words.Perhaps the better know of these are theoft printed Bodachan a’ Mhìrein andDòmhnall Beag an t-Siùcair. An Irish set-ting, sung in English, is titled Kitty Got aClinking Coming from the Races. The fol-lowing Gaelic Cape Breton variant wasrecorded from the recitation of Boisdaleresident Joe Peter MacLean who learnedit from his father Charles (Teàrlach macEòis ìc Pheadair ìc Theàrlaich ìc Coinnich)a Gaelic style fiddler who didn’t readmusic. Remarking on learning tunes fromhis father at home Joe Peter said,

The MacLeans, from MacAdam’s Lake(Locha Màiri Eamainn), are of South Uistdescent, tracing their family line back toCoinneach (Kenneth) - in Joe Peter’spatronymic, who arrived in Cape Bretonin the early nineteenth century with sonTeàrlach (Charles) and others of the family.Their district of origin was Frobost.

A similar setting, collected from anAgnes Currie, North Boisdale, South Uist,is reported by Margaret Fay Shaw in herbook Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist(pg. 182.) Notation here for The HighRoad to Linton is taken from The AtholeCollection of The Dance Music of Scotland. Itcan also be found in several other bookswhich are part of the Highland Village’sJoe MacLean Collection.�


Our PeopleaCkNoWLEDGEMENts& aCCoLaDEs

taPaDh LEibh-sE Gu Mór

The Nova Scotia Highland Village Societygratefully acknowledges the support ofmany individuals and organisations:

ProjECt PartNErsBras d’Or Lake Biosphere ReserveAssociation, Cape Breton University, CelticColours Festival Society, Celtic Heart ofNorth America Cooperative, DestinationCape Breton, Eskasoni First Nation,Highland Heights Inn, Municipality ofVictoria County, Musique Royale, NSCADUniversity, Nova Scotia Department ofAgriculture, Nova Scotia Office of GaelicAffairs, Sages Voices Society, St. FXUniversity (Centre for Regional Studies &Angus L. Macdonald Library), and SgoilMhic Fhraing a’ Chaolais/Rankin School ofthe Narrows.

FarM ProGraM PartNErsDell Corbett, Grand Mira (“Mira Jean”Clydesdale horse); Doug & SusanMacDonald, Ottawa Brook (Highland cat

tle); Truman and Laurinda Matheson, St.Andrews (Soay sheep); Brooke and KateOland, Middle River (Berkshire pig); andJohn Philip Rankin, Mabou (horse training).

DoNatioNs

Brenda Barclay, Pat Bates, Robert LatimerDavid MacLean, Susan MacLean, Vincent &Natalie MacLean, Vince MacLean, JamesMatheson, Gloria Dawn Munro, River &Lakeside Pastoral Charge, and Larry &Marge Sondler.

artEFaCts & arChiVaL DoNatioNs

John MacKinnon per Peter Jack MacLean,Claudette Chaisson, Geneva Landry &Carol Law.

CoNGratuLatioNs-To Hon. Rodney MacDonald on his appoint-ment as the CEO of the Gaelic College. -To Tracey Dares-MacNeil on her appoint-ment as the director of education and pro-gramming at the Gaelic College.-To Gaelic tradition bearer Theresa Burke onher 90th birthday.

Board of Trustees (Elected June 2011) - Kathleen MacKenzie, Antigonish (President); Hector MacNeil, Sydney River (Vice President); Hugh MacKinnon,Benacadie (Secretary); Susan Cameron, Antigonish (Treasurer); Donald Beaton, Little Narrows; Charlene Ellis, Little Narrows; Catherine Ann Fuller, Baddeck;Madeline Harvey, Estmere; Pam MacGillivray, Shunacadie; Hector MacNeil, Iona; Walter MacNeil, Sydney/Grand Narrows; Hugh Webb, Antigonish; PaulWukitsch, Shunacadie; and Daniel Chiasson, Baddeck (Legal Advisor)

Staff (as of September 2011) - (Administration) Rodney Chaisson, Director; Janet MacNeil, Administrative Assistant; (Interpretation) Seumas Watson,Manager; Carmen MacArthur,Chief Interpreter; Colleen Beaton, Animator; Marie Chehy, Animator; Catherine Gillis, Animator; Jamie Kennedy, Blacksmith;Mary Jane Lamond, Animator/Gaelic Tutor; Hoss MacKenzie, Blacksmith; Aileen MacLean, Animator; Beth MacNeil, Animator; Debi MacNeil,Animator/Costume Coord.; Jean MacNeil, Animator; Kaye Anne MacNeil, Animator; Sandy MacNeil, Farm Hand; Colette Thomas, Animator; Vicki Quimby,Animator/Textile Consultant; Colin Watson, Animator; (Collections, Archives & Genealogy) Pauline MacLean, Manager & Katherine MacLeod, Assistant;(Visitor Centre Services/Gift Shop) Gerry MacNeil, Senior Visitor Centre Clerk & Sadie MacDonald, Visitor Centre Clerk; (Operations) James Bryden, Manager;Tim MacNeil, Maintenance; David MacKenzie, Groundskeeper & Patricia Gaudley, Custodian

Volunteer Programmers - Quentin MacDonald, HV Day Producer & James O. St.Clair, Candlelight Tour Guide

Commun Clachan Gàidhealach na h-Albann Nuaidh/Nova Scotia Highland Village Society

-To Lewis MacKinnon executive director,Office of Gaelic Affairs, who was named PoetLaureate for the Royal Scottish Mod.-To board member Hector MacNeil for hisappointment as Gaelic teacher at Sgoil MhicFhraing a’ Chaolais/Rankin School of theNarrows. -To board member Walter MacNeil andFlorence on their 50th Wedding Anniversary. -To Highland Village volunteer and formerboard member Pat Bates and PatriciaFricker on their marraige.

syMPathiEs-To families of Highland Village friends whohave passed away in the past severalmonths: Ellen “Dan Rory” MacNeilKathleen MacLean, Murdock MacNeil, NeilMacLennan, Kaye “Caddie” MacNeil,Michael “Shorty” MacNeil. - To Cynthia and Hoss MacKenzie on thepassing of her mother, Constance Brooks. -To Rhonda Walker (Nova Scotia Museum,

Director of Sites) on the passing of herbrother Rev. Joseph Walker. Our hearts goout to all their families for their loss. �

We would like to thank our students for all their hard work over the summer months and we wish them much success with their future endvours.

Pictured left to right: Laura MacNeil, Rachel Redshaw, Katie MacDougall and Rachael MacNeil.

Kate Langhorne a student at theUniversity of Aberdeen in

Scotland traveled to Cape Bretonto conduct research for her

upcoming thesis.


Help us preserve & share Nova Scotia’s Gaelic

language and heritage by joining the

NS Highland Village Society!Join us and support the preservation and sharing of Nova Scotia’s Gaelic

language and folk life traditions by becoming a member of the Nova Scotia

Highland Village Society. We are an incorporated non-profit Society and

registered charity. We are made up of a membership which elects a Board

of Trustees (from their ranks) to operate the Society on their behalf.

Members can attend meetings; elect the Board; sit on committees; receive

and approve annual reports including audited financial statements; receive

An Rubha, our Gaelic Folklife Magazine; receive notices for events; and feel

a sense of pride in contributing to Nova Scotia’s Gaelic Culture.

Membership is open to anyone.

General Memberships:

Individual: $15.00* per year. Family: $25.00* per year (one household).* Income tax receipts are issued for general memberships.

Membership Plus:

Individual: $25.00* per year. Family: $40.00* per year (one household).

in addition to general membership privileges, Membership Plus

members get:

• free admission to the Museum (excludes special events & programs)

• 10% discount in the Highland Village Gift Shop

* Membership Plus fees are not tax deductible and include 15% HST.

Mem

bership – ballrachd

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Co

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nn

Cla

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àid

hea

lach

na

h-A

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Ainm/Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seòladh/Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Cathair/Baile/City/Town:_______________________________________________________________________________________

Cód a’ Phuist/Postal/Zip Code:____________________________ Dùthaich/Country:____________________________________

Fón na Dachaidh/Home Phone: ____________________________ Fón Àite na h-Obrach/Work Phone: _____________________

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Check type: General Membership ❑ Individual ❑ Family Membership Plus ❑ Individual ❑ Family

Return to Highland Village, 4119 Hwy 223, Iona, NS B2C 1A3 | Fax: 902.725.2227 | E: [email protected]

Eachdradh, Cànan, Nòs is Dualchas – History, Language, Tradition and Heritage

�Dé as ùr? What’s new in our Gift Shop? �

Just released!Eileanan mo Ghaoil

Isles of my LoveCatriona Parsons

$19.95 each

Check out some of the other great titles,

history titles: Charles Dunn’s Highland Settler,Keith Branigan’s From Clan to Clearance arts & Culture titles: Effie Rankin’s As a’ Bhràighe, John Shaw’s The Blue Mountains and other Gaelic Stories from Cape Breton, Sìols reprint and CD - An T-ÒranaicheGenealogy titles: All Call Iona Home, Mabou Pioneers Volume 1, To the Hill of BoisdaleFiction: A Forest for Calum by Frank Macdonald, No Great Mischeif by Alistair MacLeod

And Many More! Check out our website for a more complete listing.

Taigh nan Annasan

Gift Shop

Just released!Stepping Stones Anita MacDonald

$19.95 each

The Fiddle Tree

Otis Thomas$30.00

Everyday Gaelic

Morag MacNeil$27.95 each

One of our best Sellers!

Yes! We ship what we sell!

Phone us at 902.725.2272Email us at [email protected]

41257540

Highland Village Online Gaelic Resources

Check out our newly redesigned website!Event calendar, news, cultural content, genealogy

resources, back issues of An Rubha, links to other NovaScotia Museum sites and resources, and much more...

www.highlandvillage.ca

Coming Soon !!This is a conceptual design mockup of the

forthcoming An Drochaid Eadarainn website,currently being developed by

Patrick Foster Design.

Céilidh air Cheap BreatunnA multimedia exhibit on the our

Gaelic culture Part of Virtual Museum of Canada.

www.capebretonceilidh.ca

Anull Thar nan Eilean

From Island to IslandFrom the Island of Barra to the Island of

Cape Breton, we tell the story of the Barraimmigrants leaving Scotland and theirlife in Cape Breton. Part of the Virtual

Museum of Canada’s CommunityMemories Program.

www.virtualmuseum.ca

Cainnt mo Mhàthar

My Mother’s TongueUnique audio and video recordingsof Nova Scotian tradition bearers forGaelic learners. Features clips fromHighland Village’s Nòs is Fonn and

Mar bu Nòs Collections. A project of Comhairle na Gàidhlig www.cainntmomhathar.com

AN RUBHAThe Highland Village Gaelic Folklife Magazine

4119 Highway 223, Iona, Nova Scotia B2C 1A3, Canada

Rathad 223, Sanndraigh,Alba Nuadh, B2C 1A3, Canada

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