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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture >From: Rod McCaslin <[log in to unmask]> >Are you saying that the term was not used >outside of Gaelic? Would you qualify this by pointing out that many Scots >traditions are simply a transfer of traditions from Ireland as a result of >the migrations to Scotland from Ireland in the 5th century and after? What I *meant* to suggest was that the word was not used outside the Irish tradition and its derivatives--which you rightly identified as Gaelic (Irish, Scots, and Manx--and I'd add Nova Scotian). I was rushing and didn't qualify my statement to the extent that I should have. For example, while Samain and Samhain were once used in some areas of Scotland, before the Irish and Scots languages diverged enough to be considered two languages, later the word evolved into Samhuinn among gaidhlig speakers with an additional meaning (assembly), a change often not mentioned or glossed over in Scottish folklore books. I was trying to emphasize that the word Samhain was not a pan-Celtic usage (so many books, popular and scholarly, tend to say that Samhain was a "Celtic" feast when actually, it's not clear that there was a beginning of winter feast in all Celtic-speaking areas, and it's not clear what any such feast was called outside of Ireland and other Gaelic areas). I don't feel comfortable speaking of Scottish traditions as "transfers from Ireland" since comparing customs suggests that customs that originated in Ireland almost always evolved and changed over time in Scotland, often mixing with Norse traditions (several Highland clans were a thorough mix of Gaelic and Norse--for example, look at the placenames at the southeastern end of Skye where my family originated). And in some places, the Norse were more numerous as settlers than the giadhlig-speakers. Similar evolution (including mixing emigrant Irish and Norse traditions) took place on the Isle of Man. So, while some traditions can be said to have originated in Ireland, I wouldn't see them simply as transfers. Seamas O/ Catha/in's _Festival of Bridget_ includes detailed study of the Norse influence on Scottish Gaelic birth customs. If you can't find it via ILL in the States, try www.booksforshcolars.com (Tennessee). It's almost impossible to get in the U.S. unless you bump into it by luck (which I did--I found my copy in an Irish import shop while I was on vacation in Seattle a couple of years ago), so you may want to try amazon.uk or an Ireland-based book service like ReadIreland or Kenney's. Francine Nicholson _________________________________________________________________ Broadband? Dial-up? Get reliable MSN Internet Access. http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/default.asp ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html