Mòine / Peat-Working

Informant(s)
Name
Flora MacCuish
Age
63
Name
Finlay MacCuish
Age
70 [?]
Location
Harris, Bernera
Date
April 1962
Notes
  • [NOTES: the original title of the list is “Terminology Associated with Peat Cutting”.]
traisgearused for cutting the peats.
iron-monaused for cutting the peats.
cliabhcreel used for carrying the peats. These creels were of various sizes and made of wattle, hazel or willow.
pol-monapeat bank.
sùsagh (a phùil)marking out, with a spade, on the turf the area of peat to be cut. [NOTES: two second hands at work. In black ink: the grave accent in ‘sùsagh’ circled and ‘susadh’ added underneath; in red: ‘phuill’ written above ‘phùil’.]
teannaghremoving the turf.
teanndachturf that had been removed. This turf was laid on the inside of the peat bank, with the grassy side up.
am barfhàdtop peat, just one to be cut, was spread out on top of the peat bank – sgaolteach.
[sgaolteach]
an dara fàdsecond one to be cut, was made into a ‘garradh’ [q.v.].
an caoranlast peat taken out, were [sic] thrown onto the inside of the bank.
an colfhadsecond peat (from the front).
[garradh] The holes in between the peats in the ‘garradh’ were for letting the wind through so that the peats would dry quickly.
[caoirthe]when four or five of the peats in the ‘garradh’ [q.v.] stuck together, the whole group was called the ‘caoirthe’.
togail (na mona)second stage after cutting. ‘Rudhain’ were made. They contained anything from four to eight peats standing together to allow the peats to dry more quickly.
[rudhain][See togail (na mona).]
cruachadha huge stack was made at the house.
griomhadhcovering the top of the stack with turf and having all the sides sloping so that the rain wouldn’t penetrate so much into the middle of the stack.

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