DASG Blog

Duain na Callainne

I wrote in a previous blog about Christmas Odes but we will have a look at Hogmanay Odes in this blog.

In the Etymological Dictionary of Scottish Gaelic by Alexander MacBain the word “Callainn” means “New Year’s Day”, similar to the word “Calláin,” in Irish Gaelic, coming from the word “Calandae,” in Latin, meaning “the first day of the month.” With that there are many variations of the word in many different places, with “A’ Challainn, A’ Chollainn (Argyll and Easter Ross), A’ Challaig (North Uist, Benbecula & Barra), A’ Chollaig (South Uist & Eriskay), A’ Chullaig, A’ Challaing (Middle Sutherland), A’ Chollaing (Arran), A’ Bhliadhna Ùr (West Lewis), Oidhche nam Bannag (North Lewis), An Nollaig Bheag, etc.” These words were recorded in Dwelly’s dictionary and our website too.
 
I would like to show you two Hogmanay Odes from “Carmena Gadelica (1)”, written by Alexander Carmicheal, with “Blessing of the New Year” and “Hogmanay”:
 
Blessing of the New Year
God bless to me the new days,
Never vouchsafed to me before;
It is to bless Thine own presence,
Thou hast given me this time, O God.
 
Bless Thou to me mine eye,
May mine eye bless all it sees;
I will bless my neighbour,
May my neighbour bless me.
 
God give me a clean heart,
Let me not from sight of Thine eye;
Bless to me my children and my wife,
And bless to me my means and my cattle.
 
Hogmanay
“We have come to the door,
To see if we be the better of our visit,
To tell the genrerous women of the townland
That tomorrow is Calandae Day.
 
After saying this verse the guisers, who would say recite a Hogmanay verse at each house of the community, would go clockwise the house, reciting –
“May God bless the dwelling,
Each stone, and beam, and stave,
All food, and drink, and clothing,
May health of men be always there.
 
If the guisers weren’t happy with the hospitality they recieved, they would go anti-clockwise the fire before they left the house, where they built a cairn close to the door of the house with the name “Cairn of malison” and “Cairn of Scaithing”. Thereafter they would say –
“The malison of God and of Hogmanay be on you,
Of the boar, of the badger, and of the ‘brugha,’(?)
Of the hipped bear and of the wild wolf,
And the scath if the foul foumart.”
 
The Isle of Man has a great verse, mentioned in "The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man," by A.W. Moore. Here's a translation of it:
["A merry Christmas, and a very good year to you;
Luck and health to the whole household,
Life, pleasantness and sprightliness to you together,
Peace and love between  men and women;
Goods and riches, stock and store.
Plenty of potatoes and herring enough;
Bread and cheese, butter and beef.
Death like a mouse in a barn baggart,
Sleeping safely when you are in bed,
Undisturbed by the flea's tooth, sleeping well."
"]

I hope that you enjoyed the blog and I hope you all have a happy and fun Hogmanay. Do you know any other Hogamanay Odes? Let us know on facebook, twitter and our own website!