Scottish Legends Calendar

8/8/2019 Scottish Legends Calendar

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15

22

an t-Samhainn ( ~ tav-inn) f.

Di-domhnaich Di-luain

2

SAMllAlNN

'-..

8. - - - - / '- ./

-...... /" .....

9

16

23

309

ANDEHMAS

Di-mairt Di-ciadairi Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-sathurna

3 7 5 6o

10 11 12 13 14((

17 18 19 20 21

•24 25 26 27 28

2)

SAMHAlNN (NOVEMBER) is th e beginning of winter, th e first of tw o Scottish

seasons. Celebration of th e Samhainn actually occupied several days on either side

of th e main event, including the kindling of sacrificial fires to propitiate th e

Cailleach Bheur (G. bear-woman), a goddess of winter, on the eve of this great

feast. Roughly translated Samhainn means "assembly hill", bu t it connotates agathering for ritual sexual meetings to honour th e ancient "horned-one", whose

na me is best left unspoken.



an Dudlachd ( ~ n d 5 0 d - l a £ h k ) f.

Di-domhnaich Di-luain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-sathuma

DUDLACHD (DECEMBER) is

the "cast-off" month. The Daft

Days ar e particularly licentious,

somewhat after the fashion of

the Roman Saturnalia. "Daft"

meant "frolicsome, merry".

1 2 3 4 50

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13(r 14 15 16 17 18 19

20

•21

III,ID-WINTER

SOLSTICE

22 23 24

BEGINNING

DAFT DAYS

25

CHRISTEflMAS

26

272)

28 29 30 31

HOGMANAY

"Nollaig" (G . knoll-egg) was the

pagan name for December 25th,

th e word having reference to th e

activities of th e pagall fertility-

cult of earlier days.



am Faoilteach ( ~ f o e u I - c h ~ c h ) m.

Di-domhnaich Di-luain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-sathurna

FAOILTEACH (G. sea-coming) is January. The early days of this month used to

share the "wild, loitering, negligent, lax, wanton, and lewd reputation of December,

the daft days finally terminating with the Night of the Bean, when the King of

Bean was named by lo t and driven from the community. Auld Hansel Monday is

still a day during which the Scots distribute small presents to mark the undertaking

of a new enterprise, e.g. marriage or occupation of a new home. The word meansto close a bargain by means of a handshake., a Scandanavlan habit.

1 2

3 II ~ BANE OR II 116 1/7 118 1f9

AULD HANSEL II 12TH NIGHT

END OF

10

DAFT DAYS~ 1111 1(12

JL,(13 1114 1115 II 16

17 18 19 20 221 23

24 25 26 27 28 309

31



an Gearran ( ~ g e r - ~ n ) m.

Di-domhnaich Di-luain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-sathuroa

7

1

BnIGIT'S DAY

' - - - - - - - 8

2

9

3

10

4

11

5

12

6

13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

'---.

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 GERRAN in addition to naming th e month otherwise known as February,

is the Gaelic verb, "complain ". Disassembled th e word could also beinterpreted as th e month when bread is short. Brigit was th e Mi1esiangoddess of hearth, home, and poetry, the latter a good diversion for

this cold month. The Christians preempted this daughter of the great

Dagda, claiming her as Saint Brigid the compatriart of St. Patrick.



am Mart ( ~ maarst) m.Di-domhnaich Di-Iuain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-baoine Di-satbuma

MAllT (MAllCH) is the month of 1the c o \ ~ . a t ime when the

Scots were restricted to eating

sailed meat. which is another

meaning of the word "mart" .

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22SPnING

EQUINOX

23 24 25LADY DAY

26

27 28 29

)

30 31Mart also refers to the yearlv

tribute in kind. always impused

at this t ime of year. I t can

alternately identify beef meantfor slaughter.



an Giblean ( ~ gep-lin) m.

Di-dOrnhnaich Di-luain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-sathurna

GILEAN (APRIL) was a thin month for the Scot. a time when taxes and winter had

robbed him of al l his resources. "Gib" literally meant to gut, while "lean" waswanting in fullness, richness and productivity; deficient in quality and content;

slender, scant, barren and mean. Fortunately it was also th e last month of winter.

with th e Winter Hag almost ready to throw her hammer beneath th e mistletoe, to

become reincarnated as th e spring Morri-gan.

2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30



an ceitean ( ~ kaych-en) m.

Di-dombnaicb Di-luain Di-mairt . Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-baoine Di-satburna

1

BELTANE

2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31 CEITEAN (MAY) marked the beginning of summer with the

Beltane, the second great fire-festival of the year. The

Beltane means "fire-hill" and refers to the sacrificial fires

built to add to th e increasing powers of the bel, or sun. Theashes of victims were spread on th e fields to assist the

regenerative forces of the Morri-gan.



an t-Og-mhios ( ~ t a w k - v ~ s ) m.

Di-dombnaich Di-luain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-satburna

OG-MHIOS (JUNE). Og's month honours the

god of politicians. He is part icularly

remembered fo r the invention of Ogham, a"riddle-tongue" open to various interpretations.

1 2 3 4

5 6

13

7 8 9

ST. COLUMBAS

10 11

12 14 15 16 17 18

19 20

{27

21SUMMER

SOLSTICE

22 23 24 25

26 28 29 30



10

17

an t-Iuchar ( ~ c h i i c h - ~ r ) m.

Di-domhnaich Di-Iuain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-sathurna

"._.-

1 2T-IUCHAR (JUNE) is the month known as "the key" probably because the

productivity of the land is tied to the weather experienced in this month. I t is the

month of the summer Nartinmas. formerly known as the Feast of the Nart. a t ime

when fairs and markets were held across Scotland.

' .....

3 4 5 8 9

FEAST OF

ST. tvlAHTIN

12 131 14 15 16

18 209 221 23

'-

25 26 27 28 29

31

24 30



an LunasdaI ( ~ r i ' l o o n - ~ s - d ~ l ) f.

Di-domhnaich Di-Iuain Di-mairt Di-ciadain Di-ardaoin Di-haoine Di-salhurna

1LUGNASAD

on

LUNASTAIN

2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31LUNASDAL (AUGUST) The god Lugh is honouredin a quarter-season f ire-festival, the mid

summer equivalent of the daft days. A great craftsman and athlete, bu t an indifferent conversation

alist, Lugh is responsible fo r the Highland Games.



an t-Sultainn ( ~ n . tool-tinn) f.


T-SULTAINN (SEPTEMBER) is the month of the "sun-hill"

or "eye-hil l". Michaelmas was the festival of the arch

angel Michael. a Christian overlay on the Scottish month.

September 29th was one of the quarter days in England.

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18

ST. !.UKES

19 20 21 22

FALL EQUINOX

23 24

25 26 27 28 29

MICHAELMAS

30 31



an Damhar · ( ~ n daV-dr) m.


DAMHAR (October)

1DAMHAR (OCTOBER) is the month of the high-ox, or tall-stag, a pointed reference

to the Nathair, or "horned-one", the Scottish Jarl of the North Star, and their

penult imate god of evil, sometimes slighting called the Auld Trow, the Auld Coot,

or Auld Reekie, or even the Auld Man. In some regions, Martinmas was the legal

t ime fo r rent-paying. "The devil take the hindmost."

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9

16

10

17

11

MARTINMASIN WINTER

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12

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14

21

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22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

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Scottish Legends Calendar