Hay, I love that tongue of heroes,
Everywhere in far or nigh lands.
Considerable activity was shown in the beginning of this century in collecting the floating mass of poetry then extant in the Highlands. Celtic patriots who dreaded the immediate decease of the ancient language of Albin set themselves in praiseworthy fashion to the task of rescuing this popular literature from the devouring jaws of time and change. A brief survey of the various publications which were the practical outcome of this happy determination will exhibit no unworthy results. These results, in many cases achieved at great self-sacrifice, are more deserving of notice when it is remembered how expensive it was then to publish bulky volumes, especially in the Gaelic language, and how limited was the constituency to whose support the persistent patriots appealed. Their devotion to their venerable mother-tongue, supposed to be on her death-bed, deserves our gratitude; and if their ghosts occasionally revisit in the glimpses of the moon, the scenes of their self-denying labours, they must be gratified to hear still the echoes of their much-loved tongue resounding as of yore through the glens and by the seashore as well as in crowded halls in our large centres of population. Peace be [to their names]! and long may the torch of Gaelic enthusiasm, which they kept lighted, and handed down to us, be preserved a burning power in the bosoms of our Highland countrymen.
It is not proposed to do here much more than the mere enumeration of some of these collections of poetry. This itself will be sufficient, along with the array of Gaelic bards that have already passed in review before us, to show further how unfounded is the general dictum that there is no Gaelic literature—no books in the language of the Highlander.
Some popular songs of this period are—“Mairi Dhonn” and “Mairi Ghreannar,” by Kenneth Mackenzie of Lochbroom; “’Scanail m’Aigne,” and “Soraidh Slàn do’n Ailleagan,” [by the brothers] William and Alexander Mackenzie, of Lochcarron; “An Làr Dhonn,” by Murdoch Mackenzie, of Achilty, Ross-shire; “Thug mi’n Oidhche raoir san Airidh,” by John Macgillivray; “Gaor nam Ban Muileach,” by Margaret Maclean of Mull; “O’n tha mi fo Mhuladh air m’Aineol,” by the Rev. Charles Stewart, D.D., of Strachur; “Nighean Donn na Buaile,” by the Rev. Duncan Macfarlane, latterly of Perth; “Gu ma slàn a chì Mi,” by Hector Mackenzie, an Ullapool sailor; “A Nighean Bhui Bhan,” by Donald Macinnes; “Mo run geal Og,” by Christina Ferguson, of Contin; “Thainig an Gille Dubh,” by Lady Malcolm Raasay; “A Mhairi Bhòidheach,” by a North [Uist schoolmaster]; “Moladh Caber-Féidh,” by Norman Macleod of Assynt, whose two sons, Professor Macleod of Glasgow and the Rev. Augus Macleod of Rogart, were well known last century.
Anonymous pieces are many: “An Gille Dubh ciar Dubh,” “Mo Nighean Chruinn Donn;” “Fear a’ Bhàta;” “Cuir a Chinn Dìleas;” “An Nochd gur faoin mo Chadal domh;” “Och mar tha Mi;” “Ho-ro Eileinich, Ho-gu” (the three last being evidently composed by Islaymen); “Tha Tigh’n Fodham” (MacDhughail, ’ic Lachuin?), a verse of which Boswell boasted of being able to sing when he was with Johnson on his tour in the Hebrides. The popular collections of songs will supply many more.
Since 1812 the following collections of miscellaneous pieces of poetry have appeared:—P. Macfarlane’s (1813); in this volume was first published a part of MacLachlan’s translation of Homer (the 3rd Book). P. Turner’s (1813), mostly culled from the works of the well-known heroic bards. H. and J. MacCallum’s (1816), principally Ossianic or heroic ballads. J. MacLean’s (1818), containing much original matter. Inverness collection (1821, Fraser); James Munro’s Ailleagan (1830), which has maintained its popularity all along. Other small things appeared early in the century—Eoin Bheag nan Creagaibh Aosda (1819); Ceilleirean Binn nan Creagan Aosda (1819), and a choice collection of Scotch Songs with Gaelic translations (Inverness, 1829). “The Harp of Caledonia,” “An t-Aosdana,” “The Mountain Songster,” “An Duanaire,” have been published more recently, and are still in circulation. The most valuable of all the collections is “The Beauties of Gaelic Poetry”—a magnificent volume, on which much labour was spent, by John Mackenzie. The productions of many of the Gaelic bards are given in this work, along with biographical notices, and much critical and explanatory matter. Mackenzie, who was a native of Wester Ross, was a man of great talent and industry; but his æsthetic and moral tastes not being of a high order, he allowed many pieces of an [immoral tendency] to appear, which somewhat marred the work. It is the magnum opus of Gaelic literature. The “Oranaiche,” by Archibald Sinclair (1879) is another large and excellent work, which does great credit to the compiler and publisher. With the exception of the “Beauties,” which is of a different sort, there is no collection in Gaelic like Sinclair’s, whether we regard the variety, the extent, and the quality of the contents.
While the “Beauties” contain the best productions of the principal bards during the last three hundred years, the “Oranaiche,” gives us the better known songs of the present century, many of the lyrics being the compositions of living writers, from whom Mr Sinclair, often at very considerable trouble to himself, obtained the manuscripts, and took down the words at the author’s or others’ dictation. There are two hundred and ninety songs in this handsome volume, many of them very long—a general characteristic of Gaelic songs—and not a few, it must be admitted, more of the nature of poems than of lyrics. The songs in this collection are of all sorts—humorous, patriotic, satiric, and sentimental. The latter class predominates; indeed, it constitutes three-fifths of the whole. In considering the range of poetic culture discernible in this volume, it is remarkable to note the almost total absence of martial songs. The bards of this century would appear to have been baptised in the perennial stream of the tender passion of which they sing with such evidently luscious delight. This is the one great theme which they take up with the devotion of their whole being. Another subject which here and there gives a tinge of sadness to the book is the depopulation of the Highlands, which is so fitted, like the troubles of a jilted and suffering lover, to elicit, in all its intensity, the melancholic element in the Celtic nature. Mac-na-bracha (Son of Malt) also comes [in for frequent] and hearty praise, drinking Deoch-slainte being capable at all times of invoking in many Highland bosoms the purest and most generous feelings and sympathies. It ought to be observed, however, as Sheriff Nicolson suggests in his excellent volume of Gaelic proverbs, that although usqueba is so much identified with the failings of the modern Highlander, this exhilarating beverage was almost unknown to the Gael until last century, the drink known till then being mostly “fion dearg na Frainc,” the red wine of France. It has been remarked above, that this volume does not present us with many martial lyrics. This fact reminds us of the great change that has come over the Highlands. The obvious explanation is that the warlike ardour which was wont to flow forth in battle incitements has been toned down by the altered circumstances of the people since the day of Culloden, and runs now into the natural stream of the tender passion. On the other hand, if we go back to the days of Finian chivalry we find a martial element in all the productions of the bards; and this continued largely to prevail as long as the Gael habitually carried about with him his claymore, ready to fight for his person or follow his chief to the field.
One of the best, and the only genuine martial song in the “Oranaiche,” is the first in the volume, Buaidh leis na Seoid, by Alexander Macgregor, schoolmaster at Dull. It contains sixteen stanzas of four lines of twelve syllables in length, and having a chorus takes a long time to sing it; but the martial enthusiasm it breathes, along with many suggestive historical references, are such that audiences sit frequently spellbound till the whole piece is rehearsed. Of the humorous pieces in the volume mention may be made of The Dun Horse, The Minister and the Bailie, and The Advent of an Escaped Irish Balloon on the shore of one of the Hebrides. The author of the last-mentioned represents the whole island as in commotion when the monster approached the shore—old men and old women taking for granted that this could be no less a personage than the devil himself, who came at last to claim his own.
There are upwards of fifty names of composers in the “Oranaiche,” many of whom are still living, and who are not known on the pages of another book. With this fact before us surely it cannot be affirmed that the race of bards is gone. I was once present at a meeting of a Highland Association in Glasgow, where I was informed there were no less than six bards, authors of published, well-known songs. It is difficult to conceive how so many of the irritable genius could work in harmony or dwell together in unity and in poetic brotherhood. Among the fifty above-mentioned occur the following less known Celtic names:—Lady D’Olyly D. Orr, MacMurchie, MacPhail, Macroy, MacLugas, MacAffer, Wilkinson, etc. etc. Let us now glance at some of the best-known songs.