Rune Before Prayer

October, Outlander, Alexander Carmichael, and the “Carmina Gadelica”

October is liminal; hearts and minds are changing, with the comings and goings of the geese, the leaves. We remember those who have passed, cherish those who are here, and feel our own phases shift, like the waxing and waning of the moon. What lies ahead this winter? For those long ago, winter was daunting, grueling and unyielding, those around the hearth fire may not be there when spring rose anew. A fact that hasn’t changed today. With the change, a moment opens to step through the doors of culture, faith, and history, and examine the threads woven by a King’s loving hands that work all things for good, even when it surpasses the reckoning of the human mind.

But first, Outlander.

DANCE OF THE DRUIDS (The Summoning)

Composed by Bear McCreary for the show Outlander on a Gaelic prayer transcribed by Alexander Carmichael in his “Carmina Gadelica” (1900) entitled “Duan na Muthairne” (Rune of the Muthairn).

"A Rígh na gile"
Thou King of the brightness (light),

"A Rígh na gréine"
Thou King of the sun,

"A Rígh na rinne"
Thou King of the planets (or moon),

"A Rígh na réulta"
Thou King of the stars,

"A Rígh na cruinne"
Thou King of the globe (earth/universe),

"A Rígh na spéura"
Thou King of the sky,

"Is álainn do ghnúis"
Oh! Lovely Thy countenance,

"A lúb éibhinn"
Thou beauteous Beam (or radiant curve).

Dance of the Druids” is the opening number for the well-loved historical fantasy book series and show, Outlander. Curious about the Gaelic lyrics in the song, I was amazed to find that the words are a song entirely to the King of Creation. This discovery led me to a treasure trove of wisdom and wonder and to the man behind the original text: Alexander Carmichael. As said before, October is a time to look behind, ahead, to the future — the past, here and not yet.

History, yours, mine, ancestors, and enemies. It’s easy to cherry-pick, romanticize, generalize, and even reimagine, rewrite. I tread carefully, knowing history reveals countless accounts of those claiming to come in the name of Christ yet maiming, raping, pillaging, and destroying. Dark and tragic wrongs—terrible things humans have done to one another in the name of God. Many wrongs, too, have been committed in the name of greed, wealth, and fame. For in truth, we all serve and worship something—whether it be a relationship, God, gods, ourselves, the hustle, power, reputation, promotion, or any other thing we’ve erected in our lives to pay homage to. An altar is always calling.

Ages past hold wrongs too numerous to count, and so it continues. Scars mark hearts, bodies, and minds; it doesn’t take long for the pangs to come to mind. Humans always have a choice—the propensity and capability to produce right or wrong based on our beliefs and the actions we take from them, even in that dark place. Somewhere within lies some beauty—there’s always a choice. You cannot love without a choice; you scar by the same action. In the choosing, we are made, set free, or bound and gagged.

The intersection of culture and ‘Christianity’ has always been complex, nuanced, and violent—though I’d dare to say the waypoints that lead a heart to Christ are less so. But I am not a historian, and history is as much an art as it is a story—most truths are left to the pen and pencil and perspective. Most, I say, because there is one text that survives as a Spirit and human hybrid, a deep wonder. On that topic, one thought arises: God must have some guts to guide the pen and hearts of men to tell His story, and to have faith in His fickle and frail creation to see it. Apart from the Inspired Word, men and women have always been adding in and singing a song, each one different and beautiful.

Shall we strive to tell of the wonder and hope and pain and curse found here?

Here’s such a man.

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Alexander Archibald Carmichael (Alasdair Gilleasbaig MacGilleMhìcheil in his native Scottish Gaelic; born 1 December 1832 in Taylochan, Isle of Lismore – died June, 6 1912 in Barnton, Edinburgh) was a Scottish exciseman (tax-collector), folklorist, antiquarian, and author. Deeply committed to both preserving the ancient traditions of the Scottish Highlands and his Christian faith, Carmichael’s work reflects a unique blend of cultural preservation and spiritual devotion.

Between 1860 and his death, Carmichael collected an extraordinary wealth of folklore, local customs, natural history observations, and material artifacts, especially from the southern Outer Hebrides, where he lived with his family between 1864 and 1882. His profound respect for the Highland way of life, alongside his belief in the Trinity, shaped his approach to gathering and documenting this material, capturing both the spiritual practices and everyday lives of Gaelic-speaking communities during a time of significant social and cultural transformation.

Carmichael is best known for his landmark work, Carmina Gadelica, a six-volume anthology published between 1900 and 1971. This collection, filled with traditional prayers, blessings, hymns, and poetry, reflects both the deep-rooted Christianity of the Highlands and the ancient Celtic spiritual traditions. His devotion to Christianity is evident in how he recorded the Gaelic prayers, intertwining Christian prayers and liturgy, older tradition, thus preserving the unique fusion of faith, the wonder of nature and folklore in Highland culture.

There are a number of genres in his works—

• Runes: In Carmina Gadelica, "runes" refer to short, rhythmic invocations or charms rather than the ancient runic script. These were often recited for protection, healing, or blessing daily tasks, such as milking cows or weaving.

• Work Songs and Incantations: These include rhythmic verses sung during labor-intensive tasks, such as rowing, weaving, or milling. The work songs were essential for creating rhythm and unity during communal work and often included spiritual or protective elements.

• Hymns: Hymns in Carmina Gadelica are often adaptations of traditional Christian liturgy but reflect a Gaelic worldview, incorporating the beauty of the natural landscape and cosmic elements as symbols of God’s provision.

• Poems: The poems in Carmina Gadelica often express deep spiritual devotion and connection to the natural world. They are marked by vivid, poetic imagery and sometimes invoke elements of creation, like the sun, moon, and stars.

• Liturgy: Many pieces Carmichael collected can be considered liturgical, reflecting the deeply rooted Christian faith of the Highlanders. These include blessings for morning, bedtime, childbirth, journeys, and even for the protection of livestock. Christian saints, particularly Mary and Michael, are invoked frequently, worship that maintained a strong sense of Gaelic identity.

In some of the entries, there would be introductory paragraphs where he collected a memory or noted something about what he observed within the culture of the Highlands.

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A few selections for a month like October, as well as inspiration for the Way

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RUNE RANN ROMH URNUIGH - RUNE BEFORE PRAYER:

Carmichael notes:

OLD people in the Isles sing this or some other short hymn before prayer. Sometimes the hymn and the prayer are intoned in low tremulous unmeasured cadences like the moving and moaning, the soughing and the sighing, of the ever-murmuring sea on their own wild shores.

They generally retire to a closet, to an outhouse, to the lee of a knoll, or to the shelter of a dell, that they may not be seen nor heard of men. I have known men and women of eighty, ninety, and a hundred years of age continue the practice of their lives in going from one to two miles to the seashore to join their voices with the voicing, of the waves and their praises with the praises of the ceaseless sea.¹

I AM bending my knee
In the eye of the Father who created me,
In the eye of the Son who purchased me,
In the eye of the Spirit who cleansed me,
     In friendship and affection.
Through Thine own Anointed One, O God,
Bestow upon us fullness in our need,
           Love towards God,
           The affection of God,
           The smile of God,
           The wisdom of God,
           The grace of God,
           The fear of God,
           And the will of God
To do on the world of the Three,
As angels and saints
Do in heaven;
     Each shade and light,
     Each day and night,
     Each time in kindness,
     Give Thou us Thy Spirit.

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BEANNACHADH BLIADHNA UIR - THE BLESSING OF THE NEW YEAR

GOD, bless to me the new day,
Never vouchsafed² to me before;
It is to bless Thine own presence
Thou hast given me this time, O God.

Bless Thou to me mine eye,
May mine eye bless all it sees;
I will bless my neighbour,
May my neighbour bless me.

God, give me a clean heart,
Let me not from sight of Thine eye;
Bless to me my children and my wife,
And bless to me my means and my cattle.

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BEANNACHADH BEOTHACHAIDH — BLESSING OF THE KINDLING

Carmichael notes: THE kindling of the fire is a work full of interest to the housewife. When 'lifting' the fire in the morning the woman prays, in an undertone, that the fire may be blessed to her and to her household, and to the glory of God who gave it. The people look upon fire as a miracle of Divine power provided for their good--to warm their bodies when they are cold, to cook their food when they are hungry, and to remind them that they too, like the fire, need constant renewal mentally and physically.

I WILL kindle my fire this morning
In presence of the holy angels of heaven,
In presence of Ariel of the loveliest form,
In presence of Uriel of the myriad charms,
Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,
Without fear, without terror of any one under the sun,
But the Holy Son of God to shield me.
     Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,
     Without fear, without terror of any one under the sun,
     But the Holy Son of God to shield me.

God, kindle Thou in my heart within
A flame of love to my neighbour,
To my foe, to my friend, to my kindred all,
To the brave, to the knave, to the thrall,
O Son of the loveliest Mary,
From the lowliest thing that liveth,
To the Name that is highest of all.
     O Son of the loveliest Mary,
     From the lowliest thing that liveth,
     To the Name that is highest of all.

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You can explore the works of Carmichael HERE, and I hope they prompt your imagination, prayer life and bring you closer and more formed to Jesus, for:

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.³

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Psalm 19:1-6

1. Page 2 from the Carmina Gadelica, Volume 1, by Alexander Carmicheal, [1900]

2. "Vouchsafed" is a somewhat formal or archaic English term meaning granted, given, or bestowed, usually in a gracious or condescending way. It implies that something has been offered or allowed by someone in a position of power or authority.

3. A passage from the Gospel of John in the New Testament — John 1:1-5