Carmina Gadelica Vol. 2: Notes: I

Carmina Gadelica, Volume 2, by Alexander Carmicheal, [1900], at sacred-texts.com

Iodh, corn, food. 'Iodh' is obsolete as a simple term, but current in compounds, as 'iodhlann,' corn enclosure, stackyard, from 'iodh,' corn, and 'lann,' an enclosure; 'iodhlan,' a small strip of land under corn. The words 'iodhlach' and 'iodhlachadh' are applied in Skye to all handling of corn, from cutting to stacking. 'Tireadh,' 'tiriodh,' drying corn on a kiln.

Tiree, 'Tir-iodh,' cornland, was the grange of the religious community of Iona, as Trotarnis was the grange of the Macdonalds of the Isles, and as Lismore was the grange of the kings of 'Barra-gobhan,' Latinised 'Beregonium.' The name 'Tir-Iodh,' land of corn, is singularly applicable to this low-lying, fertile island, which is spoken of as 'Tir iosal an eorna'--low land of barley. Other popular sayings about Tiree are:--

'Tir na mine mine, Chuireadh sith air geocair.'		The land of the fine meal, That would bring peace to a glutton.
'Tir na mine matha, Chuireadh gean air cocair.'		Land of the good meal, That would give joy to a cook.
'Bheireadh Tir-iodh an da bharr Mur bhi eagal an da mhail.'		Tiree would give the two crops Were it not the fear of the two rents.

[paragraph continues] The word occurs in place-names in some other districts of the Highlands, and in several places in the county of Sutherland. All of these are good corn lands. Rob Donn, the Reay bard, being asked his name, said:

'Dar bhitheas mi ’n Tiriodh is Gordanach mi,
Dar bhitheas mi ’n Asaint is Leodach mi,
Dar bhitheas mi ’n Cataibh is Sutharlach mi,
Dar theid mi dhachaidh is Caoidheach mi.'

'When I am in Tiriodh I am a Gordon,
When I am in Assynt I am a Macleod,
When I am in Cataibh I am a Sutherland,
When I go home I am a Mackay.'

The different places represent the districts of the clans named, and are all in the county of Sutherland.

Iol, iola, a fishing-rock on shore, a fishing-bank at sea; in Uist, fishing with rod or line in a boat 'air chruaidh,' at anchor, in contra-distinction to 'maghar,' moving about. In Shetland, 'iola,' 'eila,' means fishing with a feather, whether moving or stationary.

'Iola' is a frequent place-name in the Western Isles. A fishing-bank near Barra is called 'Iola-nam-bodach,' fishing-bank of the cods; a townland in North Uist is called 'Iol-airidh,' fishing-bank of the sheiling. Near Polltil, in Skye, is a place called 'Iola-Phadruig,' the fishing-bank of Patrick, and 'Iola-geoghamhna,' the fishing-place of the creek of the stirk; while in the near neighbourhood is a precipice called 'Iolagag.' This rock is mentioned in an old dance song:

'A Phara bhig a mhic Iain Bhruis,
Nach robh thu ann an Iolagaig!'

Little Patrick, son of John Bruce,
Would thou wert in Iolagag!

[paragraph continues] The island of Rockal, perhaps the mythic submerged 'Rocabarraidh' of the Barra people, is called 'Iola nam miola mora,' the fishing-bank of the great creatures; 'Iola nam muca mara,' the fishing-bank of the sea-pigs, whales.

'A chiad Di-mairt dh’an t-solus ur
Di-mairt Inid,
Seachd seachdainean o breith gu bas
Eadar Casg is Inid.'

The first Tuesday of the new moon,
Tuesday of Shrove,
Seven weeks from birth to death,
Between Easter and Shrove.

Isean. In some places 'isean' is applied to the young of birds only, and in some to the young of all creatures, as in Uist, 'isean roin,' the young of the seal, and in Lewis, 'isean eich,' the young of the horse.

Iūchd, iūc, nook, angle, recess, slit, scallop, fissure. 'Earc iuchd,' slit-eared cows, ordinarily called 'torc chluasach,' notch-eared, or 'crodh mara,' sea-cows. A cliff in Benderloch is called 'Creagniuchd,' evidently a corruption of 'creag an iuchd,' rock of the angle or recess, a descriptive name.

Iūchd, Iūc, was the name of one of the four children of Tuirenn. The name is mentioned in the touching lament of their father, who died waiting and watching for them when the ill stepmother had put them under druidism in the form of swans.

'A chleirich a chladhaich an uaigh,
Cuir Iachaidh is Conn cruaidh ri mo thaobh,
Cuir Iuchd mo ghraidh eadar mo dha lamh,
’S a chleirich aigh cairich rium Aodh'

Thou cleric who didst dig the grave,
Put Iachaidh and Conn hard by my side,
Place Iuchd of my love between my two arms,
And gracious cleric lay close to me Aodh.