[From Manx Reminiscences, 1911]

CABDIL V

OOASHLEY-NY-GREINEY AS OOASHLEY YN-EAYST

VA Sauin ny Bel Sauin yn jee syrjey jeh ny Gaeljee. Haink ny Gaeljee voish Asia, as yn vun fockle " Sauin" haink veih " saue" as "an," as v’ad dy ye toiggit " kiarkyl yn ghrian." Cha row ad booiagh genmys yn ennym echey ( Bel Sauin) as ren ad genmys ee yn ghrian. Va’n ennym echey myr yn annym echey. V’ad smooinaghtyn dy row eh persoon, son dooyrt ad " t’ee girree," as " t’ee goll dy lhie."

Tra va ny baatyn " ec yn skeddan " er y Vaie Vooar, v'ad genmys yn voayl v’ee girree " Cronk yn Irree Laa."

Cha row ny Gaeljee fo varrynys ayn, son dy chooilley smooinaght ta shin goaill as dy chooilley red ta shin jannoo ta shin ayns lhiastynys da’n ghrian.

CHAPTER V

SUN AND MOON WORSHIP

SAUIN or Baal Sauin was the chief god of the Gauls. The Gauls came from Asia, and the root of the word " Sauin " came from " saue" and " an," and they are to be understood as " Circle of the Sun." They were not willing to name his name (Baal Sauin), and they called it the Sun. His name was as his soul. They thought it was a person, for they said " she gets up " and " she goes to bed."

When the boats were " at the herrings" on the Big Bay, they called the place where it rose the " Hill of the Rising Day."

The Gauls were not under a mistake, for every thought we take and every thing we do, we owe to the sun.

* The sun is feminine in Manx. + At the herring-fishing.

Ta’n irriney jeh shen dy ye fakinit ayns shoh. Myr ta dooinney tayrit ayns ceau sniaghtee, mannagh jinnagh eh cummal shooyl, nee eh coayl yn vhioyr jeh cassyn as laueyn, as hig eh dy chadley, as cha jean eh dy bragh doostey arragh. Cha jean eh smooinaght ny gleashagh. Cha beagh red erbee bio er y theill dy bee dy vel chiass cheet voish yn ghrian. Cha ren ny Hewnyn credjal ayris yn irree-seose jeh ny merriu derrey lurg daue va er ye ayns cappeys, as ren ad gynsagh eh ayns shen voish irree ny ghreiney.


Ren yn ghrian girree seose voish fo halloo ayns yn shiar, as hie ee sheese ayns yn sheear. Cha row ad shickyr nee yn chenn ghrian hairik seose reesht, ny grian noa cheet seose dy chooilley laa, agh hie ad dy chur ooashley j'ee yn chied red ‘sy voghrey, tra ren yn ghriari girree, as t’ad jannoo shen foast ayns yn cheer shen.

The truth of that is to be seen in this. If a man be caught in a fall of snow, if he would not keep walking, he will lose the power (feeling) of his feet and hands, and he will come to sleep, and he will never wake any more. He will not think or move. There would not be anything alive on the world but for the heat coming from the sun. The Jews did not believe in the resurrection of the dead until after they had been in captivity, and they learned it there from the rising of the sun.


The sun rose up from under the ground in the east, and went down in the west. They were not sure that it was the old sun that came up again, or a new sun coming up every day, but they went to worship her the first thing in the morning when the sun rose, and they do that yet in that country.

Ren ny Hewnyn smooinaghtyn dy row yn theill rea goll-rish claare, as va ardjyn er, as va’n thalloo chaglit cooidjagh ayns yn un voayl, as va’n ushtey fo, as fo’n ushtey yn diunid gyn kione. Va slane eaghtyr y thalloo coodit harrish lesh yn aer ny niau, myr coodagh claare, as ayns yn aer va currit yn ghrian, yn eayst, as ny rollageyn, dy chur soilshey, dy reill yn laa as yn oie. Va ny ushtaghyn erskyn yn aer va er ny scarrey veih ny ushtaghyn fo’n aer. Va uinnagyn ayns yn aer, as tra va’d foshlit ren niaghey cheet sheese. Va’d smooinaghtyn dy voddagh ad troggal toor dy roshtyn seose gys niau, as va’d smooinaghtyn dy voddagh aaraghyn roshtyn seose myrgeddin.

The Jews thought the world was flat like a dish, and there were points (ends) on it, and the land was gathered together in one place, and the water was under it, and under the water the depth without end (abyss). The whole surface of the earth was covered over with the air or heaven as a dish-cover, and in the air were put the sun, the moon, and the stars to give light, to rule the day and the night. The waters above the air were divided from the waters under the air. There were windows in the air, and when they were opened the rain came down. They thought they could build a tower to reach up to heaven, and they thought that ladders could reach up also.

V’ad genmys yn toor "Babel," ta shen "yn ghiat jeh ny jeeghyn." Ta’n vun fockle "Baal" t’eh mainshter, ny chiarn, ny fer s’lajer, as va dagh cheer as va Baal echey da hene.

Cha row ad dy yannoo caslys erbee jeh’n Chiarn jee, ny caslys jeh red erbee ayns niau heose, ny er yn thalloo wass, ny j eh red erbee fo’n ushtey.

Va ooilley aile cheet voish yn ghrian, as ayns shenn hraaghyn v’ad cliaghtey loshtey ny kirp jeh ny merriu dy chur kied da ny spyrrydyn dy gholl reesht gys yn ghrian.

They called the tower "Babel," that is "the Gate of the Gods." The root of the word "Baal "is master, or lord, or strongest one, and each country had its own "Baal."

They were not to make any image of the Lord God, nor the likeness of anything in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or of anything under the water.

All fire comes from the sun, and in old times they used to burn the bodies of the dead to allow the spirits to ‘go back again to the sun.

Beign da sleih er ye ooashlaghey yn eayst as myrgeddin yn ghrian, son cha bliak lhieu fakin yn eayst noa son yn chied hraa trooid gless. Va’d booiagh argid ye oc ayns nyn phoggaidyn, as dy hyndaa yn argid lesh nyn laueyn ayns ny poggaidyn oc, as jannoo yeearree dy gheddyn palchey argid, as ta’n cliaghtey shen oc ec y traa t’ayn. Harragh ad magh ass y thie son nagh vaik ad yn eayst noa trooid gless, as ta mee er chlashtyn sleih gra tra yin-nagh ad fakin ee, "Bannit dy row yn eayst noa, as bannit dy row mish." Va’d smooinaghtyn tra va sleih goll ass nyn geeayl dy row eh kyndagh rish yn eayst, as ren ad myrgeddin smooinaghtyn dy row ad dy mennick ny smessey ec caghlaa yn eayst. Va’d smooinaghtyn dy row ooilley mraane fo phooar yn eayst, as va’n earish as ny tidaghyn fo.

People must have worshipped the moon and also the sun, for they did not like to look at the new moon for the first time through glass. They were pleased to have money in their pockets, and to turn the money with their hands in their pockets, and wish to get plenty of money, and they have that custom at the present time. They would come out of the house that they might not see the new moon through glass, and I have heard people say when they would see it, "Blessed be the new moon, and blessed be me." They thought that when people went out of their senses it was owing to the moon, and they thought also that they were often worse at the change of the moon. They thought that all women were under the power (influence) of the moon, and that the weather and tides were under it.

Ta chibbyr ushtey ayns Ballalhionney ayns Bradda, enmyssit Chibbyr Bolthane, as ta’n ushtey eck mie son sleih ching. T’ee er mullagh yn Abbey, ayns lhiattee jiass Baie Fleshwick. Ta cronnag combaasit runt mygeayrt lesh claghyn, boayl va’d cur ooashley da’n ghrian ayns shen. Ta Cronk yn Irree Laa shiar jeh mullagh yn Abbey, yn voayl ta’n ghrian girree. Tra va’n ghrian girree va’d cur ooashley j'ee. Ta cronnag elley cheu-mooie, boayl te smooinit va’d geiyrt yn maase, dy reayll ad voish assee er son yn vlein shen.

There is a well of water at Ballalhionney in Bradda, called Chibbyr Bolthane ("Baal’s Well," or the "Well of the Ditch "), and its water is good for sick people. It is at the top of the Abbey, on the south side of Fleshwick Bay. The cairn is surrounded (round about) with stones, a place where they worshipped the sun. Cronk yn Irree Laa ("Hill of the Rising Day ") is east of the top of the Abbey, the place where the sun rises. When the sun rose they worshipped her. There is another cairn outside, a place (to which) it is thought they drove the cattle, to keep them from harm for that year.


 

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HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 1999