ETYMOLOGY OF THE HEATHER. 



are related G. x"/""; ^o. haims, O. N. heimi, and 

 our home." Then follows this explanation : "When 

 the north of Europe was a forest, open land was 

 naturally preferred for the site of dwellings ; the heath 

 was the only open land, and thus acquired a name 

 that has been used to designate a field or homestead." 



It is the association of the Heather with the word 

 "home" that makes Prior's explanation so agreeable 

 to the Scottish heart. Earliest recollections cluster 

 around this "flower of the wild;" and as a writer 

 beautifully puts it: "To many a mountain child, the 

 purple hillside is the only flower garden he knows ; 

 but what a garden ! Reaching from horizon to ho- 

 rizon, it is the best of bedding plants, requiring no 

 care or expenditure; the greener after the worst of 

 storms; when August's sun blisters most fiercely, only 

 more purple and luxuriant ; the home of all that is 

 purifying in heart and taste." 



Heath and Heather are common in combination 

 with other words. For instance, we have, among 

 moorland birds, heath or heather-bill, heath or heather- 

 cock, heather-lintie, heather-pippit, heather-peeper. 

 Then we have heather-ale, heather-beer, heather-bred, 

 heather-legged, heather-besom, heather-cowe, heather- 

 reenge, heather-rope, etc. 



A Galloway bard, almost unknown, named David 

 Davidson, speaks of Burns, who was his contempo- 

 rary, and who shortly before had passed away, as 

 "heather-headed" : 



iS 



