The Irish are Not Celts

[cmacq]

Whence comfort seemed to dwell,
discomford no sooner swelled,
so go Gallowglasses and skippy Kerns,
both compelled...

to trust their heels?



I've always thought that the use of Gallowglass/Gallóglaigh by the Scotts and Irish as being 'foreign-Infantry,' was initially derived from their word for the Guals. We have Gall- from Gallus, meaning Gaul, and gal meaning valour, war, or might. Additionally, og-, óc-, or óac- young; and -laoch, -laigh or -lach, warrior. Then, those with some understanding of the subject will note the Old Irish word 'cruithnecht,' meaning wheat (literally; that which is 'cut' or 'harvested). Thus, the word Cruithne (Cruithni) most likely meant something like '[those] that harvest' or 'farmers?'

Also, there is a very old family tradition about a personage called the Muirannach or 'Sea Rover' and a lady from the far south called Gríanach or 'Sunshine.' This tradition has something to do with seasonal change and concludes that the clan was directly descendant from the above union by day, and by night the seal (you know Phoca vitulina). I believe a number of other clans from Scottland's western isles and some from parts of Ireland have similar traditions. And then there is the symbolic Salmon, as the clan totem and all of what that entails, and it goes on and on. I wonder if the Sunshine story was a adaptation of the Egypt story?




CmacQ