Beinn a' Cheathaich

DESCRIPTION: Scots Gaelic. (The singer, gathering sheep, looks out and sees) (McNeil's) galley head for Kismul. (Those aboard are listed). The ship (survives a rough passage to) arrive at the castle, where there is joy and feasting
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1909 (Kennedy-Fraser/MacLeod-SongsOfTheHebrides)
KEYWORDS: foreignlanguage ship food storm sheep
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Hebr))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland 2, "Beinn a' Cheathaich (The Misty Mountain") (1 text+English translation, 1 tune)
Kennedy-Fraser/MacLeod-SongsOfTheHebrides I, pp. 80-83, "Kishmul's Galley (A' Bhirlinn Bharrach)" (1 text+English translation, 1 tune)
RECORDINGS:
Flora MacNeil, "Beinn a' Cheathaich" (on FSB6)
NOTES [80 words]: N. A. M. Rodger's The Safeguard of the Sea, p. 290, links this song to events of the reign of Elizabeth I: "Ruari Og MaNeill of Barra made a career of piracy... Throughout Elizabeth's reign the 'Galleys of Kisimul' (still celebrated in Gaelic folksong) raided the length of the Irish Sea as far south as the Bristol Channel."
I can see no hints of this in either the Kennedy-FolksongsOfBritainAndIreland or Kennedy-Frasier versions, though the two versions are very distinct. - RBW
File: K002

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