8o 



bheir bainne mo bhb bhuam." (I will pull the bog violet, the- 

 herb blessed by the Church. So long as I preserve the bog violet, 

 theie lives not on earth one who will take my cow's milk from me). 

 These words were spoken whilst pulling the plants on a Sunday,, 

 as a charm against witchcraft (Mackenzie). 



PrIMULACEjE. 



Primula vulgaris — Primrose. Gaelic : sobhrach. Ir. : sobhrbgi 



" A shbbhrach, geal-bhui nam bruachag, 

 Gur fan-ghcal, snuaghar, do ghnuis ! 

 Chinneas badanach, cluasach, 

 Maoth-mhln, baganta luaineach. 

 Bi'dh tu t-eideadh 'san earrach 

 'S each ri falach an sill."— Macdonald. 

 Pale yellow primrose of the bank, 

 So pure and beautiful thine appearance ! 

 Growing in clumps, round-leaved, 

 Tender, soft, clustered, waving ; 

 Thou wilt be dressed in the spring 

 When the rest are hiding in the bud. 

 Early Irish: sbbrach. 



" A befind in raga lim 

 I tir n-ingnad hifil rind ? 

 Is barr sobairche fait and, 

 Is dath snechtu chorp coind." 

 O lady fair, wouldst thou come with me 

 To the wondrous land that is ours ? 

 Where the hair is as the blossom of primrose, 

 Where the tender body is as fair as snow. 

 — From the "Wooing of Etain, an Old Saga." — Dr. Hyde. 



Soradh, soirigh, are contractions ; also samharcan. Irish : sam- 

 harcan (samhas, delight, pleasure). 



" Am bi na sbbhraichean 's neoinean fann." — Old Song. 



'■ Gu trie anns 'na bhuain sinn an t-sbrach." — Munro. 

 Often we gathered there the primrose. 



Manx : sumark. Welsh : briollu — briol, dignified ; allwedd, key.. 

 "The queenly key that opens the lock to let in summer"" 

 (Brockie). 



P. veris — Cowslip. Gaelic : muisean, the low rascal, the devil. 

 "A' choire mhuiseanaich" a dell full of cowslips. Cattle refuse 

 to eat it, therefore farmers dislike it. Brbg na cubhaig (Mac- 

 kenzie), the cuckoo's shoe. Irish : seichearlan, seicheirghin 



