is the
Manx for ''
little people'', a term used for
fairies in Gaelic lore. The equivalent
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and
Scottish Gaelic are and .
Manx folklore
In
Manx folklore, the are small creatures from two to three feet (600 to 900 mm) in height, otherwise very like mortals. They wear red caps and green jackets and are most often seen on horseback followed by packs of little hounds of all the colours of the rainbow. They are rather inclined to be mischievous and spiteful.
The phrase is borrowed by the
Anglo-Manx
Manx English (Manks English), or Anglo-Manx (Anglo-Manks; gv, Baarle Ghaelgagh), is the historic dialect of English spoken on the Isle of Man, though today in decline. It has many borrowings from Manx, a Goidelic language, and it differs wid ...
dialect to refer to fairies. Belief in fairies is or was formerly widespread in the Isle of Man. They live in green hillsides, more especially ancient tumuli. Anyone straying near these on a fine summer's evening would probably hear delightful music; but he must take care, especially if he is a musician, not to linger lest he should be entrapped. They are visible to people only when they choose. Some of them are benevolent, curing men of diseases and delivering them from misfortune. Others are malevolent, stealing children, even abducting adults, and bringing misfortune.
It was an old custom to keep a fire burning in the house during the night, so that the Fairies might come in and enjoy it. It is said that on dark, dismal and stormy nights, in the mountain parts of parishes, the people would retire earlier to rest, in order to allow to the weather-beaten Fairies the unwatched enjoyment of the smouldering embers of the turf fire. It was also customary to leave some bread out for the Fairies, and to fill the water crocks with clean water for them before going to bed. This water was never used for any other purpose, but was thrown out in the morning. Manxwomen would not spin on Saturday evenings, as this was deemed displeasing to the , and at every baking and churning a small piece of dough and butter was stuck on the wall for their consumption. Both salt and iron were considered efficacious against malevolent charms.
[
]
Manx language education
is the name of a charity on the Isle of Man that operates several Manx language
Manx ( or , pronounced or ), also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Gaelic language of the insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family. Manx is the historical language of the Manx people ...
pre-school playgroup
A pre-school playgroup, or in everyday usage just a playgroup, is an organised group providing care and socialisation for children under five. The term is widely used in the United Kingdom. Playgroups are less formal than the preschool education ...
s and nurseries,
See also
* Language revival
Language revitalization, also referred to as language revival or reversing language shift, is an attempt to halt or reverse the decline of a language or to revive an extinct one. Those involved can include linguists, cultural or community groups, o ...
* Language nest
A language nest is an immersion-based approach to language revitalization in early-childhood education. Language nests originated in New Zealand in the 1980s, as a part of the Māori-language revival in that country. The term "language nest" is ...
* Sleih beggey
References
External links
Mooinjer Veggey website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mooinjer Veggey
Manx legendary creatures
Manx language
Education in the Isle of Man
Celtic medium education
Celtic language advocacy organizations
Fairies