1981 census, 79,303 persons), mostly in the western islands. The census only applies to Scotland, but many thousands of Gaelic speakers are to be found elsewhere. The 1971 Canadian census gave 18,420 “mother tongue” speakers of Scottish Gaelic. The language survived in the Cape Breton Island of Nova Scotia after settlement during the notorious “Highland Clearances.” The language has been considered one of Europe’s most persecuted tongues.

Literary remains date from the eleventh century, but they are sparse though indicative of a greater lost literature. The Reformation certainly destroyed many Gaelic libraries. The first printed book in Gaelic was Form na hOrdaigh, a book of common prayer, in 1567. Scottish Gaelic is heir to a common mythological tradition with Irish.

Scuab Uasáfach

[I] “Terrible Broom.” The name of the battalion of the Fianna commanded by Oscar. It swept the enemy from the battlefield, never giving an inch of ground. Its banner was a broom.

Seanchaidhe

[I] Seanchaí in modern Irish. A storyteller and historian. The word has now been adopted into English in such varying forms as seannachie, seannachy, and sennchie.

Seang

[I] Daughter of the king of Scythia and wife to Milesius. She died, and he left Scythia for Egypt, where he remarried Scota. See Scota.

Searbhán

[I] “The surly.” A one-eyed Fomorii who guarded a magic tree, squatting at its foot all day and sleeping in its branches all night. So terrible was his appearance that none of the Fianna would go near him. During the pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne, Diarmuid made friends with him so that the couple was able to hide in the tree, safe from the pursuing Fianna. All went well until Gráinne grew restless and wanted to eat the magic berries from the tree. Searbhán refused to allow her to do this and Diarmuid slew him.

Sechnasach

[I] Son of Fingen Mac Aedha, whose wife was Mór of Munster. She fled before his birth under the influence of voices prophesying evil.

Segais, Well of

[I] See Nuts of Knowledge.

Ségda Saerlabraid

[I] Son of the king and queen of Tír Tairnigiri, “sinless people,” according to medieval scribes, who never slept