DASG Blog

Aoirean nan Radan

There isn't a creature on earth that the Gaels hate more than the radan [the rat]. Despite their size and the fact that some keep them as pets today the Gaels have a bloody and violent history with rats. Some would try to clear them from the house with tools, devices and weapons as well but did you know about the power of the aoir [satire] against rats?

It is said that nothing is as damaging to a person's reputation than a satire written by a bard; there is a great example in “Táin Bó Culaigne,” "The Cattle Raid of Cooley," where Maeve, the Queen of Connacht, threatened Fear Diad, a close friend of Cù Chulainn, to fight against Cù Chulainn and if he were to refuse a satire would be written about him! The satire would be so damaging to his reputation that three blisters would grow on his face - "Shame," "Stigma" agus "Blot." This is shown in the proverb “Is beò duine an dèidh a shàrachadh ach cha bheò e an dèidh a nàrachadh” ["A man will survive harrassment but he shall not survive shaming."]

It was said that the power of the satire came from a capsule on the bard's tongue that could be used on anyone they liked. In "Irish Superstitions," by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, people used to believe that a bard had two capsules on their tongue, one filled with honey for compliments and another with poison for satires. Everyone had to pay attention to what they said or did to a bard.

In terms of rats though the action was powerful for clearing them, or for encouraging them to leave to another place as well. There are many examples of an aoir written about rats, there's a great example written in Sleat, the Isle of Skye [You can find it on Seanchas Shlèite.] It was written by Neil Cameron from Tokavik at the end of the nineteenth century. Here is a verse from it:

“Luchd nan drumanan glasa is nam fad’ earball
Nam fiaclan stòrach is nan srò[i]n[e]an cocte.
Tha sibh a’ lo[i]dgeadh aig Sabhal Dhòmhnaill
O chionn còrr is seachdain.
Chan eil mìon no ponar nach eil air a mhil[l]eadh is air a spòileadh.
Is chan ith mi grèim le cuid nan trustar.”

There is another example to be found in Lewis, “Aoir an Rodain,” written by Angus "Am Puillean" Campbell from Ness. This example was published by Fuaran, a part of Fèisean nan Gàidheal. You can find it with Fuaran and Bliadhna nan Òran:

“O hò rò rodain ’s na hò hò rò èile
O hò rò rodain ’s na hò hò rò èile
O hò rò rodain ’s na hò hò rò èile
Is gòrach an t-astar gun tàinig tu chèilidh;
O hò rò rodain.
 
A rodain mhic ghobaich tha crostadh san arbhar,
Is dubh ga do chorp ma thèid ‘Topsy’ [a’ chat] a shealg ort;
Cha teàrn do luath chas thu, no idir toll balla,
Gum bi e air d’ amhaich gu grad ga do mharbhadh;
O hò rò rodain.”
 
[“O hò rò rodain ’s na hò hò rò èile
O hò rò rodain ’s na hò hò rò èile
O hò rò rodain ’s na hò hò rò èile
It's silly the distance you travelled to visit;
O hò rò rat.

Oh sharp-sighted rat making mischief in the corn,
I pity your body if 'Topsy' comes hunting for you;
Your swift feet won't save you or the hole in the wall,
He'll be at your neck in a flash and kill you;
O hò rò rat.]

There are plenty of satires to be found in Tobar an Dualchais. Here's a list of them I'd recommend you try listening: “Aoir do Radan” by Duncan Fergusson; “Dh’fhalbh an Radan Binneach” by Rev. William Matheson; “Òran an Radain” by Johnny Park; “Òran nan Radan” by Donald MacInnes; “Radain a tha shuas” by Mrs. MacLeod; “Òran nan Radan” agus “Òran an Radain” le Donald Alistair MacDonald; “Radan a tha Shuas” by Rachel MacLeod; “Òran an Radain” Margeret MacLean; “Òran an Radain” by Norman MacLeod; “Òran an Radain” by Hector Kennedy.

There's a story in Gàidheal, volume 33, p.52, by the Comunn Gàidhealach, by MacLachlann in Rahoy, having found his stackyard ruined by rats he turned to his friend who was a school-master and therefore a bard, and he asked him to write a satire. MacLachlann promised he would give the school-master a horse and a saddle, a horse that would travel to anywhere he wished in that part of the country. The school-master wrote a satire and he recited it at the nook of the stackyard. Immediately after reciting the rats and their offspring cleared from the stackyard and Rahoy as well! Although the rats where cleared from Morvern at the time rats could be found in abundance in Sunart and they needed a satire of their own!

A rat satire was recorded by Alexander Carmicheal from a farmer called Livingstone from Lismore, the first verse went like this:

“Mìle marbhaisg ort, a radain!
A shlaideare nam badan arbhair;
Cha leòr leat sop ach an làn sguab dheth,
Dh’fhàg thu ’m bualadh dhomh neo-tharbhach.
Rinn thu gradan de’m chuid eòrna,
A mhèirlich gur mòr do chàil dheth;
Na’n robh do cheann agam air innean,
’S mise nach tilleadh mo làmh dhìot!”

["A thousand ills befall thee, greedy rat!
Expertest theif that ever yet was born!
In barn and stack-yard, maugre trap and cat,
Sad is the state of all my stock of corn;
Nor does the handful serve thee, shameless thief,
Unblushing rogue, thou claimest the whole sheaf!"]

There's a story that there isn't any rats to be found in Taransay, according to the folklore of the district. It's that the Island just wont accept them at all and they wont endure for some reason. It reminds me of Glentirfergus in Kintyre that is blessed against snakes (You can find the story on one of the blogs we have: “Là Fhèill Phàdraig (2)”). [You can see more about this story on the “Carmichael Watson Project Blog.”]

In "The Poetry of Badenoch," by the Reverend Thomas Sinton, there are two songs written that are 'Rat Satires' and I'll show you the first verse of "A satire by Alexander Cattanach, the red-haired carpenter, when he was driving the mice out of Biallad barn":

"Ma ghabhas sibh mo c[h]omhairl' luchan!
Truisidh sibh oirbh 's bidh sinn falbh.
Ma thèid mise 'ga n-ur aoireadh,
Cha bhi aon agaibh gun chearb.
Cha'n 'eil cat eadar Ruathainn,
'S bràigh Chluainidh nach bi sealg.
'S ann an sabhal Sandy Bàn,
Gheàrr sibh an snàth as a' bhalg."

["Mice if ye take my counsel,
You'll pack up and you'll be off.
If I proceed to satirise you,
There won't be any of you without fault.
There's not a cat between Ruthven
And above Cluny that won't be hunting.
'Twas in fair-haired Sandy's barn,
That you cut the thread out of the leathern bag."]

Now I hope you are now “Cho eòlach ri rodan eaglais” ("As knowledgeable as a church rat") about rat satires (appealing I know...) and that you're prepared if you find any rat, with any hope that day shall never come! Do you have a word, phrase or poetry about an Aoir or a radan? Let us know on facebook, twitter and our own website!