cailleach

/ ˈkæljəx /

noun

1. an old woman

Word History and Origins

Origin of cailleach¹

Gaelic

Example Sentences

During the transfer, Mr Hendry had managed to reach the ladder on the floating salmon feed structure, Sea Cap, from the moving boat called Beinn na Cailleach.

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We see James whittling a log, a Cailleach, this season that he says is tradition for his family to burn on Christmas night.

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The unique ritual has deep roots in folklore: after the Cailleach and her family were offered shelter during a snowstorm, she was so grateful that she left their likeness in stone with the promise that, as long as they were well cared for, the glen would remain fertile.

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She is the Cailleach: a seasonal deity in Gaelic mythology who bestrides the winter months, known variously as an earth-shaper, wise woman, storm-raiser and mistress of deer.

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I set off on the dirt road along Loch Lyon’s northern shore, heading west on the five-mile hike to the Cailleach’s glen.

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