The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Gaelic Incantations. 159
mercy"—and among these there is the permission to bring
a cow to a bull (iaj-bh trcun), no matter how far the
distance.
An old man in the parish of Ardnamurchan, who pro-
fesses to know much about cattle, informs me that he
learned a different method from a north country Aireach,
who was known as "Murchadh nan Gobhar." He does
not believe in orrachcDi, or incantations. I describe his
alleged method in his own words, and without any comment
of mine. " Na'm bitheadh beathach 6g agam," he
said, " nach bitheadh a' gabhail an tairbh, so mar a chuirinn
a dhair i, ach cha bu toil leam neach eile 'bhi coimhead
orm :— A' chiad bho a chithinn a' dol a dhair, sheasainn ri
'taobh agus cho luath 's a sguireadh an tarbh dhi bhleoth-
nainn i, a's bheirinn am bainne—blath as a h-iigh—do 'n
bheathach 6g. Chuirinn an sin an cii ris a' bheathach
6g, 's an ceann la no dha bhiodh i dhair agam.
"
Is iomadh
uair a rinn mi e !
The foregoing may appropriately be followed by an
incantation which was said when a cow calved—
RAXN AN UAIR A BHEIREAS MART LAOGH.
The ceremony was after this fashion :—The dairymaid
sat beside the cow, and blowing her breath through her
hands towards the cow repeated this incantation three
times :
—
Translated
—
" Mart a sid air breith," ars a Peadar.
" Tha mi 'faicinn gu'm beil," ars a Pal.
" Mar a thuiteas an duilleach o'n chraoibh
Gu'n tuiteadh a sile gu lar."
" A cow newly calved," said St Peter.
" I observe that," said St Paul.
Both— " As the leaves fall from the trees
May her milk freely flow."