Bilberry Sunday
Jul 31
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
“Will ye go, lassie, go to the braes of Balquhidder,
Whare the Blaeberries grow ’mong the bonny blooming Heather?”
~Traditional
Huckleberry dancing friends, will you collect bilberries on Bilberry Sunday? Bilberry Sunday is a day traditionally set aside during the festival of Lughnasadh (to mark the beginning of the harvest season) to gather bilberries. Related to the blueberry, this fruit is known by a spectacularly long list of names: wimberry, whinberry, winberry, windberry, bilberry, fraughan, hurtleberry, whortleberry, blaeberry, black-heart (famously mentioned in Thomas Hardy's novel, "The Return of the Native") and myrtle berry! Generally speaking, the Welsh call them wimberries, the Irish call them fraughans, the English say bilberries, and the Scots use the word blaeberry, although there are many derivations of the word and regional differences. In the USA, for example, they can be known as huckleberries, a derivation of the word hurtleberry, used by English settlers in the 17th century. Interested in a post-dance recipe for a "Huckleberry Hurtleberry Whortleberry Bilberry" cobbler made with almond flour? Grab your bilberry bucket! 🫐🪣
Whortleberry
Bilberry Sunday is a day traditionally set aside during the festival of Lughnasadh to gather bilberries.
Related to the blueberry, this fruit is known by a spectacularly long list of names: wimberry, whinberry, winberry, windberry, bilberry, fraughan, hurtleberry, whortleberry, blaeberry, black-heart (famously mentioned in Thomas Hardy's novel, "The Return of the Native" and myrtle berry!
Generally speaking the Welsh call them wimberries, the Irish call them fraughans, the English say bilberries and the Scottish use the word blaeberry, although there are many derivations of the word and regional differences.
In the USA, they are known as huckleberries, a derivation of the word hurtleberry, named by English settlers in the 17th century.
Both the juniper and the red whortleberry (Lus nam Braoileag) are associated with Clan MacLeod of Lewis as their plant badge.
Check out cobbler recipe titled "HOW TO MAKE A WHORTLEBERRY HURTLEBERRY HUCKLEBERRY COBBLER" for a dish that is sure to be delicious, whatever you call it.
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
