Carmina Gadelica: Hymns & Incantations

Carmina Gadelica is an anthology of poems and prayers from the Gaelic oral tradition, the most comprehensive ever collected. They came from communities all over the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, were often shared or performed at the evening ceilidh and thereby passed from generation to generation.Alexander Carmichael compiled the collection in the second half of the nineteenth century, and in doing so created a lasting record of a culture and way of life which has now largely disappeared. In his introduction, Carmichael recounts with great warmth and evident pleasure the hospitality which he received from the people whose songs and stories he was anxious to record.Carmina Gadelica quickly became an invaluable resource for those wishing to study and understand Gaelic culture, and those wishing to experience the beauty and wisdom of its oral literature.