INTRODUCTION xix 



venture to think, therefore, that Celtic readers at any rate will 

 not object to a single given line of such, but that they will find 

 it excellent and refreshing, enshrining as our Celtic poetry and 

 proverbs unquestionably do, the wisdom, pure thoughts, beliefs, 

 and inspirations of our ancestors, it being well said "it is the song 

 and the sentiment that makes the deed." 



The last section, as will be seen, consists of Gaelic proverbs, 

 attached and applicable to most of the individual subjects. These 

 have been collected from numerous sources, primarily of course 

 from Nicolson's splendid work, though in regard to this, as well 

 as all the other material, it is impossible to give a list of the 

 various publications or authorities consulted, even so far as these 

 were kept, but the occasion is here taken to express my great 

 indebtedness to the able and indefatigable writers whose works 

 live for ever. 



The friends who kindly assisted me are specially thanked, and 

 grateful acknowledgment is here made to all. It is hoped they 

 may consider this work worthy of the trouble they took in 

 contributing to it, and that not only they, but many others, 

 especially teachers in Highland schools, may consider it worthy of 

 a practical place in their daily life and work. 



In conclusion, I have to express regret that I have been unable 

 to supply an index, but from the nature and arrangement of the 

 contents I believe such will not be much missed, for where doubts 

 exist as to meaning, a reference from one part to the other may clear 

 up the difficulty, and though, as will be seen, repetitions may and 

 do occur, viz., that several of the words are the same for different 

 creatures in both Gaelic and English, these had to be given in 

 every case as found in different sources, in most cases standard 

 works of high authority. Here, it may be remarked, we are not 

 so badly involved as the Chinese for instance, who have some 

 words with forty different meanings, while we find the same 

 word doing duty in French for a roe or doe and a shrimp or 

 prawn. 



Finally, I would take the liberty, my dear fellow-countrymen 

 and women, of reminding you of a simple but beautiful belief of 

 our ancient forefathers and mothers, as found in our Ossianic 

 and other ancient poems, viz., that the ghosts or spirits of their 

 forefathers, etc., flew or floated on clouds and rode on winds, 

 rested together in their caves, and talked of mortal men and 

 women, viewing with approval or disapproval their good or bad 

 deeds ; and that though Christianity has so far altered this belief, 

 a substitute therefor exists in the belief and hope that those of 

 our own more immediate ancestors, who have been taken, still 

 view with a keen sympathy from their "place" the good deeds 

 of those they have loved and left, and the carrying on of the work 

 or works they themselves so ably forwarded while still with us ; 

 and seeing we are thus encompassed by such a cloud of Celtic 



