{"id":335,"date":"2010-08-07T15:14:40","date_gmt":"2010-08-07T15:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=335"},"modified":"2010-08-09T15:22:43","modified_gmt":"2010-08-09T15:22:43","slug":"more-lughnasa-customs-and-a-quiz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/more-lughnasa-customs-and-a-quiz\/","title":{"rendered":"More Lughnasa Customs (and a Quiz!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lughnasa customs could be observed over a two-week period, depending on the local community.\u00a0 Some sources and written memoirs refer to the second Sunday as August as the date, other communities held their observances on the last Sunday of July.\u00a0 Whichever date was traditional for a given area, one of the customs that figured significantly at Lughnasa was berry-picking.\u00a0 One berry in particular seemed to dominate (see below) but others might also be picked if they were in the area and ripe.<\/p>\n

Test your knowledge of berries that grow in Ireland, and their names in Irish!<\/p>\n

1.. Which berry is referred to in Brien Friel\u2019s play, Dancing at Lughnasa<\/em>, and most commonly associated with the traditional festivities:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>a) s\u00fa craobh\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b) s\u00fa tal\u00fan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 c) m\u00f3n\u00f3g\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 d) fraoch\u00f3g<\/strong><\/p>\n

2.. Which of the following were not<\/em> traditionally picked at Lughnasa?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>a) cuir\u00edn\u00ed dearga\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b) cuir\u00edn\u00ed dubha\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 c) sp\u00edon\u00e1in\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 d) sp\u00edon\u00e1in mhara<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Where did 27 members of an Irish Meetup.com group recently have a bilberry pancake feast, complete with camp stoves and maple syrup?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>a) Cloch\u00e1n na bhFomh\u00f3rach\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b) an tEaragal \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 c) Sceilig Mh\u00edch\u00edl\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>d) Rocal\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0e) Binn Uamha\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 f) \u00a0Binn \u00c9adair<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Which of the following is not an Irish word for \u201cbilberry\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>a) fraoch\u00f3g\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b) fraoch\u00e1n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 c) fraochra<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. Which Irish word means \u201cberry\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>a) sm\u00e9ar\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 b) s\u00fa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 c) caor\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 d) all of the above\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 e) none of the above<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Freagra\u00ed: <\/strong><\/p>\n

1.. d. fraoch\u00f3g; <\/strong>The other three answers are: s\u00fa craobh <\/strong>[soo kreev] raspberry (lit. berry of branches),\u00a0 s\u00fa tal\u00fan <\/strong>[soo TAL-oon] strawberry (lit. berry of earth\/ground); and m\u00f3n\u00f3g<\/strong>, cranberry or bogberry<\/strong><\/p>\n

2.. d. sp\u00edon\u00e1in mhara <\/strong>[SPEEN-aw-in WAH-ruh], sea-gooseberry..\u00a0 This is actually a small sea-creature, that looks a bit like a gooseberry with tentacles, so it would not be traditionally \u201cpicked\u201d at all.\u00a0 The other answers are cuir\u00edn\u00ed dearga <\/strong>[KIRzh<\/sup>-een-ee DJAR-ug-uh, note the three syllables of \u201cdearga<\/strong>\u201d] red currants; cuir\u00edn\u00ed dubha <\/strong>[KIRzh<\/sup>-een-ee DUV-uh or DOO-uh] black currants; and sp\u00edon\u00e1in [SPEEN-aw-in, <\/strong>note the \u201cbroad\u201d pronunciation of \u201csp\u201d even though followed by a slender vowel], gooseberries.\u00a0 This pronunciation exception is found in other words starting with \u201csp\u201d such as \u201csp\u00e9ir\u201d<\/strong> [spayr], <\/strong>the Irish for \u201csky,\u201d and \u201csp\u00e9isi\u00fail\u201d [SPAYSH-oo-il], \u201cinteresting.\u201d<\/p>\n

3.. e. Binn Uamha <\/strong>[bin OO-uh-vuh] Cave Hill, Co. Antrim.\u00a0 The hill is also known as Binn Mhadag\u00e1in or Beann Mheadag\u00e1in.\u00a0 \u201cCnoc\u201d <\/strong>[knuk, with the initial \u201ck\u201d sound pronounced] is the most basic Irish word for \u201chill\u201d and you\u2019ve probably seen it anglicized as \u201cKnock,\u201d where, ironically, the initial \u201ck\u201d is no longer pronounced.\u00a0 \u201cBinn\u201d <\/strong>or \u201cBeann\u201d <\/strong>has a variety of meanings, including \u201cpeak,\u201d \u201ccliff,\u201d and \u201cedge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The group is the Belfast Hills Walking Dynamos.\u00a0 For more details about the group\u2019s activities, see http:\/\/www.meetup.com\/belfasthillstours-com\/<\/p>\n

If \u201cbilberry walking\u201d seems like an unusual activity, might I simply point out that this Meetup group has a healthy 381 members at last count.\u00a0 Of course, not all their walks focus on bilberries!<\/p>\n

A quick glance at their previous activities include walks at Duibhis, Sliabh gCuilinn, <\/strong>and Sliabh na Cloiche, <\/strong>as well as liaisons with the Belfast Hills Partnership http:\/\/www.belfasthills.org\/home_page.php<\/a>), <\/strong>with whom they held an Evening Bilberry Walk\u201d on Divis Mountain last year on August 6, just in time for Lughnasa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The other answers are, in order, Giant\u2019s Causeway, Errigal, Skellig Michael, Rockall (the sea rock whose ownership has been disputed, due more to the sea trough underneath it rather than the rock itself), (Cave Hill), and Howth, whose Irish name, Binn \u00c9adair, literally means \u201cpeak of \u00c9tar, a Tuatha D\u00e9 Danann chieftain.<\/p>\n

4.. c. fraochra, <\/strong>which means \u201cheath\u201d itself and which a typical habitat for \u201cfraoch<\/strong>\u201d (heather); fraoch\u00e1n <\/strong>and fraoch\u00f3g <\/strong>both mean \u201cbilberry.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cFraoch\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d is sometimes anglicized as \u201cfraughan.\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

5.. d<\/strong>) all of the above.\u00a0 The word for \u201cberry\u201d varies according to the specific berry.\u00a0 \u201cSm\u00e9ar\u201d <\/strong>is primarily used on its own or in the phrase \u201csm\u00e9ar dhubh,\u201d <\/strong>both meaning <\/strong>\u201cblackberry\u201d (that\u2019s the edible type, of course, not the gl\u00e9as boise). \u201cS\u00fa\u201d <\/strong>looks like two other words in Irish, \u201cs\u00fa\u201d <\/strong>(juice, sap, soup) and \u201cs\u00fa\u201d <\/strong>(suction, occlusion) but can also mean \u201cberry,\u201d specifically for raspberry and strawberry, as shown above.\u00a0 Examples with \u201ccaor\u201d <\/strong>include \u201ccaor aitil\u201d <\/strong>(juniper-berry) and \u201ccaor chaorthainn\u201d <\/strong>(rowanberry).\u00a0 So, in short, the word for \u201cberry\u201d depends on the type of berry involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for some \u201cberry interesting\u201d notes (sorry, couldn\u2019t resist) on other berries, berry habitats, and uses of berries in Ireland in an upcoming blog.\u00a0 There\u2019s way too much material for blag amh\u00e1in.\u00a0 <\/strong>Meanwhile, if you\u2019re in Ireland, maybe you could start planning a bilberry walk for next year.\u00a0 Or join up with the existing groups.\u00a0 In the U.S., blueberries would be the closest equivalent, and they certainly could provide the focus of a revival \u00a0Lughnasa festival.\u00a0 If any of you have family memories of \u201cFraughan Sunday\u201d or any such equivalent, I\u2019m sure other readers of this blog would be interested, so please send them in.<\/p>\n

N\u00f3ta\u00ed: Duibhis <\/strong>[DIV-ish] Divis; gl\u00e9as boise <\/strong>[glayss BWISH-eh, just a reminder that \u201cboise\u201d<\/strong> is not as in Idaho; \u201cboise,\u201d <\/strong>the possessive form of \u201cbos,\u201d <\/strong>literally means \u201cof a palm\u201d and is used to mean \u201chandheld\u201d], <\/strong>handheld device; Sliabh gCuilinn <\/strong>[SHLEE-uv GW<\/sup>IL-yin] Slieve Gullion, meaning either steep-slope mountain, mountain of holly, or Cuilinn\u2019s mountain (!); Sliabh na Cloiche <\/strong>[SHLEE-uv nuh KLIH-hy<\/sup>eh], Slievenacloy, lit. Mountain of the Stone (a bit curious, that \u2013 just one stone?\u00a0 Bar\u00fail ag duine ar bith c\u00e9n f\u00e1th?)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lughnasa customs could be observed over a two-week period, depending on the local community.\u00a0 Some sources and written memoirs refer to the second Sunday as August as the date, other communities held their observances on the last Sunday of July.\u00a0 Whichever date was traditional for a given area, one of the customs that figured significantly…<\/p>\n

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