45 



wrath, fury, hunger. '■'■ Laoc/i l>ii g/iarg fraoth" (Ull.), a hero 

 of the fiercest wrath. '■'■ Fraoch !'" fury, the war-cry of the 

 M'Donalds. 



E. vagans — Cornish heath. Celtic : goonclcg (Dr Hooker), 

 the bee's resort. 



E. cinerea — Smooth-leaved heath. Gaelic : fraoch hhadaiii, 

 the tufted heath. 



" Barr a.nj7iraoch bhadanaich." — Old SoNr,. 

 The top of the tufted heath. 

 " Gur badanach caoineil niileanta 

 Cruinn mopach, mln cruth, inongoineach 

 Fraoch groganach, dii dhonn gris dearg. " — M'Intvre. 

 Literally — 



That heatl) so tufty, mellow, sweet-lipped, 

 Round, moppy, delicate, ruddy. 

 Stumpy, brown, and purple. 



Fraoch an dearrasain, the heath that makes a rustling or buzzing 

 sound. 



The badge of Clan M'Donald. 



Calluna vulgaris — Ling heather. Gaelic : fraoch. Heath or 

 heather is still applied to many important domestic purposes, 

 thatching houses, &c., and " the hardy Highlanders frequently 

 make their beds with it — the roots down and the tops upwards 

 —and formerly tanned leather, dyed yarn, and even made a 

 kind of ale from its tender tops." Langa (M'Kenzie), ling. 



Arbutus uva - ursi — Red bearberry. Gaelic : graitinseag, 

 small, grain-like. It has small red berries, which are a favourite 

 food for moorfowl. Braoileag nan con, the dogs' berr}'. 



A. alpina — The black bearberry. Gaelic : grainnseag dhnhh, 

 the black grain-like berry. 



A. unedo — Strawberry-tree. Irish: caithne (O'Uonovan). 

 Caithiin, I eat or consume. 



Vaccinium myrtillus — Whortleberry. Gaelic: Ins nan dearc, 

 the berry plant {dearc,^ a berry). Gearr-dhearc, sour berry. 

 Fraochan, that which grows among the heather. The berries 

 are used medicinally by the Highlanders, and made into tarts 

 and jellies, which last is mixed with whisky to give it a relish for 

 strangers. Dearcati-fithich, the raven's berries. 



V. vitis • idaea — Cowberry ; red whortleberry ; cranberry. 



^ Originally from dearc, the eye ; Sansk., dare, to see. The dark fruit 

 resembling the pupil of the eye — hence the frequent comparisons of the eye 

 {shil) to this fruit (dearcng) in Gaelic poetry. 



