Gàidhlig / English
Seacanaich na Samhna

Seacanaich na Samhna

Posted by Kate on 27th of August 2015.

We are very fortunate to have had a period of calm at the end of the summer here in Glasgow, as we were melting happily for a few days. Perhaps then, we could hope that it would be just as hot in a few month’s time, at the end of autumn. It is seacanaich or rodhanaich na Samhna that they would say for this in Lewis and South Uist. This is described in Facal bhon t-Sluaigh-our fieldnote archive-as an Indian summer. As you will read, this describes a period of heat and sun quite unusual for that particular time of year. This describes the time when houses would be thatched, most often in the month of November, and you could expect that only a gentle breeze would be felt while you were out working.

There are many words in addition to seacanaich and rodhanaich that could be used to describe a period of beautiful, warm, calm weather. The weather might also be described as soinnein, soinneanach or soinneanta. The last word was described to me once as “serene weather.” You might yet feel the calm of a “fèath” (a word that was recorded in Argyll and Harris) in amongst periods of wild weather or “sòlan.” The word sòlan was recorded in Nethy Bridge. Have a look at the proverb on DASG, which tells you that the weather promises to be calm for a little longer than it would between periods of wild weather. Isn’t the second saying beautiful?! This one compares a calm period in January to like a sweet lovely maid. It is important to remember that it is not often that such calm, warm weather does not often come without wet and stormy weather after it!

A bradag may be seen on a hot and hazy day, or even a sèill, a haze on the sun itself. It’s greagarra, or a greigh that you say for the unexpected heat of the sun as it emerges from behind the clouds.

Perhaps we will feel a seacanaich or rodhanaich na Samhna yet this year, you could then say:

“Chaidh mo chlàbhadh leis an teas/ I was overcome (couldn’t move) with the heat.”

Get in touch on Facebook and Twitter, perhaps with a proverb or another saying, or with any additional thoughts.

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