RHUMSAA, ELLAN VANNIN SKYWATCH

Yes this is still RAMSEY DAILY PHOTO .Don't recognise the language in the title. Actually it's three languages. What it says is "Ramsey, Isle of Man skywatch." Thought we should start having a daily Manx word. We'll start that properly tomorrow. Today I'll tell you about Rhumsaa and Ellan Vannin.

Rhumsaa we have covered before. Remember those Viking post? Rhumsaa(Ramsey) takes it's name from the Norse for "wild Garlic river."This is the popular theory and the one that you will find in most literature and offered by the Isle Of Man itself. The lesser theory is it actually means "Raven's Isle." It is a smaller school of thought, but when you consider the coat of arms contains a Raven, the Ramsey swimming team is called the "Ravens" and Ramsey Grammar School has a Raven house you could be drawn towards the "Raven's Isle" theory. Ravens or wild garlic river, either way, it's a Norse derivative.

Elllan Vannin is quite simply the Isle of Man in Manx. Ellan Vannin though is not just the Manx name of the island. It's name is attached to pubs, hotels, ships, gaelic football many things in fact, but most famously a poem/song by Eliza Green.

When the summer day is over

And the busy cares have flown,

Then I sit beneath the starlight

With a weary heart. alone,

And there rises like a vision,

Sparkling bright in nature's glee,

My own dear Ellan Vannin

With its green hills by the sea.

Then I hear the wavelets murmur

As they kiss the fairy shore,

Then beneath the em'rald waters

Sings the mermaid as of yore,

And the fair Isle shines with beauty

As in youth it dawned on me,

My own dear Ellan Vannin

With its green hills by the sea.

Then mem'ries sweet and tender

Come like music's plaintive flow,

Of someone in Ellan Vannin

That lov'd me long ago,

So I give with tears and blessings,

And my fondest thoughts to thee,

My own dear Ellan Vannin

With its green hills by the sea.

Ellan Vannin is also the unofficial National Anthem of the Isle Of Man, the peoples choice. Ever heard of the Bee Gees? Yes they were born here and recorded a version of the Song with slightly alternative lyrics. If you click the words BEE GEES the song will magically appear on You Tube.

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The concept was Dot's, the next host WIGGERS WORLD the guardians of skywatch now are Tom, Imac and Sandy