EEL 359 



eeleite, eelen (young), eel fare (brood), eelver, eely-eely-ator, 

 elevene, elver (young), eve, evil-eel (conger), ey-eel ; Fansen, 

 fausen, fazen (very young) ; Giddack (sand), gill-towal, gloat, glut, 

 glutinous hag, gorb, grig ; Haaf, heawe, heevil (conger), hornel, 

 horner, hunter ; Kinger, kornel ; Lance, launce-eel or fish ; Milwel, 

 milwyn, myxine ; Needle-fish, neele, nele; Oliver (Devon); 

 Pintill-fish, pipe-fish ; Saan', sand, sandele, sand or sandy-geedack 

 giddack giddick giddock or lance, scaffling, sea-adder (Cornw.), 

 seaner (young), sing, skull, smuggar, smuggart; Tammy-yaa or 

 yea, tangle-fish ; Wattie, whifFer, whufFer ; Yel, yelver (young), 

 yle, etc. 



The term "gill-towal" is a corruption of deal-thoU, general 

 term for leech. "Collach" or " cullach," is used most in Ireland 

 and south-west Argyllshire, and is said to mean wicked hunter 

 — lit., boar. 



A " band " of eels is 250, a "stick," 25. 



The conger has no scales and takes the colour of its habitat or 

 surroundings, being black among rocks, and white or ash-coloured 

 among sand. Its digestion is powerful, and it rapidly dissolves an 

 iron or steel hook. Its movements, as a rule, are speedy in the 

 extreme, rotating rapidly on its own axis. Soup of its flesh is said 

 to be an efficient cure for many internal complaints, while a piece 

 of the skin tied round the leg or arm is, or used to be, 

 thought a specific against cramp when bathing, though possibly 

 any other ligature might be equally efficacious. The skin applied 

 even is said, however, to cure the most stubborn cramp, while the 

 oil is a sovereign remedy for many ills. The conger is familiarly 

 known as the " true " eel, and is very sensitive to cold. In some 

 parts of the Highlands the belief that eels can be generated from 

 horse hairs, still lingers — a hair freshl}' pulled from a mare's tail 

 for preference. In Shakespeare, Antomj and Cleojmtra, we find the 

 term " courser's-hair," which meant that a "courser's" or horse's 

 hair dropped into corrupted (.^) water will turn into an animal. It is 

 said in Eriskay to be dangerous to eat the head of an eel, as this 

 fish is at times subject to madness, which is contagious. They are 

 said not to be in season when beans are in flower. At one time it 

 was supposed there were no males, eels being spoken of as the 

 " female race." 



An easgunn ag ith' a h-earball fein. 



The eel eating her own tail. Speaking evil of one's own 

 relations. 

 Is sleamhain an greim air an easgunn a h-earball. 



A slippery hold on the eel is the tail. 

 La Fheill Math-Cheasaig bidh gach easgunn torrach. 



On St Kessock's day every eel is pregnant. (See note by 

 Nicolson.) 



EEL-POUT (see Whistle-fish). 



