Míol Mór
Míol Mór (Big Animal)
Míol Mór Dronnach (Humpback)
Míol Mór Gorm (Blue Whale)
Míol Mór Eiteach (Fin Whale)
Míol Mór Mince (Minke Whale)
Caisealóid (Sperm Whale)
Cráin Dubh (Killer Whale)
Fíormhíol Mór na Bioscáine (Northern Right Whale)
Bleidhmhíol (Monstrous Creature)
At least 35 whales species are found in Canadian waters, including the killer, right, grey, blue, bowhead, sperm, humpback, beluga and fin whales. All commercial whaling ended in Canada in 1972.
Whales were seen as great monsters that brought both benefit or harm. In Gaelic mythology, the first harp ever was made after a whale carcass rotted on a beach in Ireland and the wind blew through the skeleton, making a lovely sound. The wife of the local chieftain heard this wonderful sound and collected the baleen, using it as the strings on the whale-bone harp.
Béaloideas - Folklore
Ó Phádraig Ó Máille, Co. Maigh Eo
Bhí long ag dul go Meiriceá uair amháin agus nuair a bhí sí tamall ar an bhfarraige chonaic na paisinéirí míol mór ag teacht ina ndiaidh. Bhí faitíos ag teacht ar an gcaptaen agus chaith sé amach cathaoir. Shlog an míol mór í, ach ní raibh sé sásta. Chaith sé amach gabhar; shlog an míol mór é ach níor imigh sé. Ansin chaith sé amach naigín; shlog an míol mór é ach níor imigh sé. Ar dheireadh chaith sé amach buachaill an Chabáin. Shlog an míol mór é agus d'imigh sé. Nuair a bhí an long ag teacht i dtír i Meiriceá chonaic an captaen go leor daoine thíos ag an gcladach agus céard a bhí ann ach an míol mór agus é marbh. "Oscail é" arsa an captaen. D'oscail siad é agus cad a fuair siad ann ach an buachaill ina shuí ar an gcathaoir agus é ag bleán an ghabhair isteach sa naigín. Bhí oiread iontas ar an gcaptaen gur bheag nár thit sé marbh.
“The Schools’ Collection, Volume 130, Page 164” by Dúchas © National Folklore Collection, UCD is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Seanfhocail - Proverbs
Seacht scadáin deoladh an bhradáin, seacht mbradáin deoladh na muice mara, seacht muca mara deoladh an mhíl mhóir - Seven herrings is the nourishment of a salmon, seven salmon is the nourishment of a porpoise, seven porpoises is the nourishment of a whale
Míol mór a dhéanamh de mhíoltóg - a whale to make of a midge (making a mountain out of a molehill)
