Taboo words in Tiree and actions on land and at fishing.

Original Track ID

SA1968.245

Original Tape ID

SA1968.245

Summary

Taboo words in Tiree and actions on land and at fishing.

The contributor is asked whether there were any words which were taboo in Tiree, as in the Isle of Man, where they would not say the word 'rat', calling it 'the four legged creature' instead. There were similar sayings in Tiree. Fishermen were especially superstitious. No sailor would ever eat an egg before going to sea as there was nothing in the world that could carry as much evil as an egg. Both his father and his uncle had believed this. If fishermen were met by an unlucky person on their way to the boat, they would believe that the fishing would be bad. They would never whistle at sea, as it would bring the wind. Also, if a boy said, "Let's turn the boat," the other sailors would reply, "You turn your mother when you go home, but leave the boat as it is," as to turn the boat would mean to capsize it. Boats were always turned sunwise for luck. The contributor's uncle had a charm to prevent drowning that he had learned from an old woman. He carried it with him everywhere.

Recording Location

Item Location

Language

English

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good