Gaelic Proverbs

By Alexander Nicolson

Reviewed by Sharma Krauskopf and rated

Proverbs are universally thought to embody the wit and wisdom of the ages, and this classic 19^th century anthology contains the largest and best-known collection of Gaelic Proverbs in the world.

Taking as his base an earlier and smaller work by Donald Macintosh, Alexander Nicolson, one of the finest scholars of his day, gathered together a wide ranging collection covering such diverse topics as women and marriage, wise mean and fools, friendship and courage, and poverty and wealth. As Nicolson remarks in the Preface, 'these sayings come from thatched cottages and not baronial and academic halls', and they reflect keen intelligence and a distinct sense of humour.

The proverbs appear in Gaelic along with Nicolson's own English translations, carefully preserving the pith of the original. This is a comprehensive new edition of an important collection, with modernised spelling and revised index. The foreword by Ian MacDonald of the Gaelic Books Council includes a biographical account of Nicolson,

Alexander Nicolson (1827 -93) was a native of Skye. He was educated at Edinburgh University and later followed a career as a lawyer. He was also a poet and translator, and is still remembered for his exploits as a mountaineer.

I have given this book two thistles because I found it hard to find things in it and reading pages and pages of proverbs was difficult. It would make a good reference place for any time you need a Gaelic proverb.