Alexander Carmichael

CARMICHAEL, Alexander. b. Lismore, Argyll, 1 December 1832; d. Edinburgh, 6 June 1912. He worked for a time in the customs and excise division of the Scottish Civil Service, with periods in the Highlands and Islands. He married Mary Frances MacBean in 1868, and they lived on South Uist until 1882, when they moved to Edinburgh, where they became the centre of a Celtic revival. Alexander was the compiler of Carmina Gadelica*, first published in 1900, a two-volume collection of verses, including hymns, incantations, work songs, prayers and blessings, which he collected, annotated and translated. The verses address everyday events of private life, such as rising, walking, mealtimes, undressing...