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An Fhìdeag Airgid

Date 12 March 1938
Track ID 43229
Part 1
Part 2

Track Information

Original Track ID

CDC.7.4

Original Tape ID

box_07_D04-A

Summary

This is a waulking song with some Jacobite references. The song contains a number of formulaic passages:

1. The king's son is coming to Scotland in a ship with a golden helm, two silver masts and a well of wine. Some of the chiefs who will welcome him are named.
2. Clan Donald will celebrate when the king comes.
3. Love is expressed for a person who is not named.
4. The appearance and generosity of "Young Norman" is praised.
5. A skilful hunter is praised.
6. This section tells of a man who has been murdered. The speaker wishes for a knife.
7. The poetess wishes to leave her present abode and go to Harris, where she spent her youth.

Item Notes

37 lines sung plus choruses. This is the first electrical recording ever made in the field in the Outer Hebrides.

See:
'Hebridean Folksongs' vol. 3 (Campbell/Collinson) p. 220
'Scottish Tradition (3) - Waulking Songs from Barra' (The School of Scottish Studies, 1972)

Recording Location

County - Inverness-shire

Parish - Barra

Island - Barra

Village/Place - Castlebay

Language

Gaelic

Genre

Song

Collection

Canna

Source Type

Disc

Audio Quality

Fair