Gàidhlig / English
Bèarnan-brìde

Bèarnan-brìde

Posted by Kate on 16 June 2016
The sun has come out in Glasgow. It seems appropriate, therefore, that we might use a flower as small and jolly as the dandelion, or bèarnan-brìde, to tell the time. In Harris, the head of the dandelion is known as uaireadair-grèine, or sun-dial, which was used by children when the seed was ready to be blown off and scattered. According to an informant from Scalpay, he and his contempories would pluck the bèarnan-brìde, blow on it and count up from one until none of the fluffy seed was left. Whatever the number called out when all the seed had been scattered from the head, this was the time of day.

Faclair Beag gives us a few more words for the dandelion from different regions of the Highlands and Islands. Gathan-gobhainn may be translated as “the smith’s fiery rays,” caisearbhan nam muc, or “the pig’s bit” as well as fiacaill leomhainn, or lion’s tooth. The latter is thought to be derived from the French word dent-de-lion. There are more available in the Fieldwork Archive: sithean a’ phuinnsean (the poisonous mound), sithean-a’ chait-fhiathaich (the wild-cat’s mound) or even sithean cachd-a-choin (dog-faeces mound!) The còsalach is the casing that encloses the seed and, according to Scalpay folk, the choimhiteach is the fluffy part, or the sail, if you will, that allows the seed to fly in the breeze.

I will leave you with a riddle, although I fear I may have given you the answer already:

“Tobar òir air cùl na beinne;
Cùl òir oirr’ ’s beul gloine.”
 
“A golden well behind the mountain;
A golden back and mouth of glass.”
 
If you would like to add anything to our conversation here about the bèarnan-brìde, then please get in touch or leave a comment below.
 
 
 
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