DASG Blog

Mìosachan nan Gàidheal: An Samhradh (Pàirt 3)

Welcome back (again)! As we had a look at fayres ("fairs" if you prefer), holy days and features of the weather – or the changes in the weather – in the Gaels’ world, in the blogs before this one (“Mìosachan nan Gàidheal: An Samhradh (Pàirt 2)”), we shall have a look at what we can expect in summer, looking at the third, and the last, month, of summer: July.

An t-Iuchar/Mee s’jerree yn touree/Mee-wuigh
“Mìos Crochadh nan Con” [“Month of Hanging Dogs”] is a nickname for this time of July. This is said as it can be awfully difficult to those struggling financially, with the stores of the harvest running low and the harvest to come hasn’t started yet, with the chance of a “hungry summer.” Therefore the dogs are hung in order to eat them! This is just oral lore of it but it is likely that the name came from “Dies Caniculares” where the Dog-Star “Sirius” rises and sets with the sun from 03/07 to 11/08. More can be found about it by “Dog Days.”

From the start of this month “mòine” is not cut anymore for the year according to what I heard.

05/07 – “Laa Tinvaal” [Tynwald Day] and “Shenn Laa’l Ean Bashtey” [“Old St John the Baptist’s Day” – This day is celebrated in Man only where you decorate yourself with the “Bollan Bane” (“White Wort”) to protect yourself against the “Mooinjer Veggey,” (“The Little Folk” to us). The Manx used to celebrate this day at Summer Solstice, “Là Fhèill Naomh Eòin” (“Saint John’s Day”), before the change of the calendars.

13/07 – Saint German’s Day/Laa’l Carmane – This day is celebrated in Man in the German’s town Cathedral.

15/07 – Laa’s Sushin (St Swithin’s Day) – This is the same day as “Là Màrtuinn Builg.” There are many reasons for having a different name of a saint on this day, more can be read about it in the blog “Là Màrtuinn Builg” we have.

16/07 – Là Màrtuinn Builg (St Swithin’s Day) – We have written a blog already about Là Màrtuinn Builg already. “Ma bheir am fiadh a cheann tioram gus an laigh a’ ghrian air Latha Màrtainn Builg, bidh am foghar tioram,” [“If the deer keeps his head dry until the sun sets on Martin of Bullion's Day, the harvest will be dry,”] is said marking the changing of the weather. This is true because we have “Mìl an Iuchair” and the saying “Trì làithean de’n Fhaoileach ’san Iuchair, is trì làithean de’n Iuchair ’san Fhaoileach” [“Three days of January in July, and three days of July in January”] in “Fieldwork.”

22/07 – Laa’l Moirrey Malane (St Mary Madgelene’s Day) – This day is celebrated in Man.

25/07 – Laa Noo Yams (St James the Great’s Day) – This day is celebrated in Man.

It is said that that milk and dairy would be kept from April for making “Ìm an Iuchair.”

31/07 – Lùnastal/Laa Maghal Toshee/Feoffi Machold Toshee (Chief/First Feast Day of Maughold) – The Manx Gaels celebrate this day. This is the eve of “Lùnastal” but I shall leave the rest of the lore about it for the next time.

Now, we have reached the end of the summer in this blog. We shall continue though next month with the start of the next month: Autumn. We shall have a look at holy days fayres of the first month of Autumn: Autumn. There must be some days and fayres that I haven’t mentioned but do you have a holy day or fayre that you know that I didn’t mention. Let us know on facebook, twitter and our own website!