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

N

Naoi, naodh, nine. The number nine often occurs in these and other Gaelic compositions,--three, seven, nine, and occasionally five, being the mystic numbers. The following are some examples of the use of nine:--

In North Uist there is a sandy plain called 'Sail Dharaich,' Oak-log. A beam of oak lay there, from which the people produced the 'tein-eigin,' neid-fire. This was done by 'naoi naoinear ciad ginealach mac,' nine nines of first-begotten sons, these being in the estimation of the people the most sacred and enduring.

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In the Glenlonain cross, which is evidently pre-Christian, there are nine radii from a central ring or boss.

The girdle the fairy girl gave the man was to bring his wife back from death to life, 'ge do bhiodh na naoi bais na beul,' though the nine deaths were in her mouth.

The sword of Connal 'could cut nine nines hither and nine nines thither.'

Luas-lurgan, the sister of Cumhal, taught Fionn the son of Cumhal to swim so well that he could 'swim over the nine waves and be ashore before herself.'

Oscar threatened to send the 'spear of the nine enchantments' through Cairbre.

In a story of great dramatic power dealing with an old belief that seals were metamorphosed human beings, the number nine occurs.

A boat from Uist was 'dorghadh,' 'dorathach,' hand-line fishing, at Cousmal when a sudden storm arose and drove it, according to one version, to Lewis, according to others, to Mull, Tiree, or Scandinavia. The Uist crofters were hospitably entertained and their boat repaired. Their host was a big grizzly-bearded man, whose face, hands, and feet were full of scars and mended bones, as if he had fought his way through some desperate battle. According to Celtic custom the names of the guests were neither given nor asked till they were leaving. When the host heard the name and residence of his leading guest, he pointed to his scars and mended bones and addressed the man:--

'Iogan' (probably a diminutive of 'Iain'--John, possibly an old native name), was struck with terror and remorse, for this was a big seal who, with his wife and children and many other

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metamorphosed seals, had been visiting the homes and graves of their submerged fatherland in the Atlantic, when they were attacked, and some of them slain, by the Uist men, among whom was Iogan. Iogan gave vow and word by his own hand and his father's hands that he would never again kill a seal.

A 'seoltaiche,' cunning man, went about lifting the 'toradh,' substance, from the nine best glens in Scotland. Killinn was the last glen to which he came. He lifted the substance of Killinn on his back, and was moving away, when a man more shrewd than his fellows cut the wizard's withy with his knife, and the luck of the whole nine glens fell to the ground. And that is how Killinn is the most fertile glen in Scotland, flowing with milk and honey.

The Killinn meant is that in Stratherrick, near Lochness.

Nine times nine is the number of straw joints required in the manipulation of 'Eolas nam foineachean,' the charm of the warts, and nine in 'Eolas nam mam,' the charm of the mumps. There are nine orders of angels, and nine choirs of archangels, according to the Christian hierarchy of the Fathers.

The fairies are said to possess nine ages, with nine times nine periods of time in each. These are the periods:

Nathair, serpent, adder. Several terms are applied to the serpent, as 'nathair,' serpent; 'nimhir,' venom; 'beithir,' lightning; 'righinn,' queen; and 'nighean Imhir,' daughter of Ivor, 'dearrais,' perverse. Probably 'nighean Imhir,' daughter of Ivor is a mistake for 'an nimhir,' the serpent, while 'nighean' may be a mistake for 'ruain,' hue, coloured spot.

The serpent is now small and rare, though once large and numerous, in the Highlands. One was killed at Bailemonaidh,

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in Islay, in the early years of the century, measuring nine feet in length and eighteen inches in circumference. Much warm milk was abstracted every night from the milk-cot attached to the summer sheiling. After much searching, traces of milk were found leading to a grassy knoll in the neighbourhood. On the summit of the knoll a serpent lay coiled sunning itself in the summer sun and fast asleep. It immediately awoke, and, poising its head high in the air, hissed and lunged about in great fury. When shot, its enormously distended stomach was found to contain several twites, buntings, pipits, larks, and thrushes, and an incredible quantity of milk.

Only a few years ago a larger serpent than this was killed in a turnip-field in Easter Ross. The presence of the reptile was indicated by the fear and anxiety displayed by a pair of well-trained horses working in the neighbourhood. Nothing could be seen, but the horses trembled violently, and, with nostrils distended and eyes staring, showed symptoms of great fear and could hardly be kept from running away from the men about them. When after some delay and difficulty the serpent was found and killed the horses quieted down, but for some days showed the effects of their fear.

A product called 'clach-nathrach,' serpent stone, is found on the root of the long ling. It is of steel-grey colour, has the consistency of soft putty when new and of hard putty when old, and is as light as pumice-stone, which it resembles. It is of a globular form, and from one to three inches in diameter. There is a circular hole, about a quarter of an inch in width, through the centre. This substance is said to be produced by the serpent emitting spume round the root of a twig of heather. The 'clach-nathrach' is greatly prized by the people, who transmit it as a talisman to their descendants.

There are many sayings dealing with the serpent:--

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'Nead ri beul an uisge,' a nest by the mouth of the water (vol. i. p. 314). The nest of the black-throated diver is that indicated. The black-throated diver is known among the people as 'learg,' diver; 'learg mhor,' big diver; 'learg dhubh,' black diver; 'learg choilearach,' ringed diver; 'learg choilearach dhubh,' black-ringed diver; 'giadh gaob,' rain goose. The last name is in reference to the belief that certain peculiarities in the cry and flight of the bird indicate rain. The bird is familiar in the West of Scotland, although rare or unknown in other parts of Britain.

During development the black-throated diver and the great northern diver are similar, although in maturity dissimilar. In course of incubation nature provides birds with great heat, rendering them liable to great thirst. To obviate absence from the eggs and retardation of hatching, the black-throated diver makes her nest near water, generally on the bank of a lake, occasionally on the edge of a stream. The nest is simply a depression in the moss within reach of the water. Should drought occur, and the water subside below her reach, the bird flies about hither and thither uttering cries of concern. The people have rendered these utterances of the bird into human language:--

These imitations differ more or less in different districts. The preceding imitation prevails in North and South Uist, the following in Harris and Lewis:--

When the reverse occurs, and the risen lake submerges the nest, the cries of the hapless bird, flying hither and thither, are extremely distressing, and strikingly like the unavailing cries of

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a human mother. The people have rendered these cries into the following words:--

Neamh, heaven. Old people pronounce this word 'neamh,' 'neomh,' 'neoph,' 'neob,' 'nof,' 'nef,' and other forms.

Ni, neat, nowt, cattle, extended to flocks and herds of all kinds.

Nō, nōd, nōdh, nōdadh, knowledge, intelligence, information; 'Ni bheil nōdh agam air,' I have no knowledge of him.