A Year of Late Cornish Day 292

Dew Cansves Dedh Pajer Ügens ha Dewdhek

De Sadorn, ügensves mis Hedra.

Saturday, 20^th October.

De Sadorn eus passyes me eth dhe “Skians” ha de Merher eus passyes me eth dhe vagas art. E’n dhew guntellyan e veu cows adro dhe liwyow, ha lebmyn thera vy o pedery adro liwyow ewedh. Pandr’ew liw? Golow “gwydn” dhort an howl ew gwres a wolowow a nebes liwyow. An liwyow ell boas radnys gen glaw en cabmdhavas. Fraga endelha? Ma dhe bub liw todnhes deffrans. Cabmys ens gen glawednow ha mowns o toas mes ales. Ma dhe dodnhes berr nerth ûhel ha ma dhe dodnhes hir nerth isella. Agan lagajow ell gweles todnhesow deffrans, etho nei ell gweles liwyow. Na ell lies brodnek gweles liwyow; dall ens dhe liwyow. 

Bes ma odhom dhe nei a henwyn rag liwyow. Pe hanow ew golow gen todnhes hir ha nerth isel? Ma golow pecar’a hedna o tastewydnya dhort gooj, horn coth ha mor/greun kelyn. En Kernôwek “cogh” ew an ger rag liw a wooj. Horn coth, oxîdyes dhe liw gooj, ew “gossen”. Heb mar, ma horn o rei an liw dhe wooj. 

Geryow erel ew “rüdh” ha “roos”. Kevys ew an re ma en henwyn teller, rag sampel “Wheal Reeth”, “Zawn Reeth” ha “Goonreeve”. Ma gwers en Curl Sent Dey:

4. Greun rüdh eus dhe’n kelyn, ’ga rüdh ’vel an ros,

Ha Maria dheg Jesus a dhassorras e’n nos.

Last Saturday I went to “Skians” and last Wednesday I went to an art group. In both meetings there was a discussion about colours, and now I am thinking about colours as well. What is colour? “White” light from the sun is made of lights of several colours. The colours can be parted by rain in a rainbow. Why so? Each colour has a different wavelength. They are bent by raindrops and they come out apart. Short wavelengths have high energy and long wavelengths have lower energy. Our eyes can see different wavelengths, so we can see colours. Many mammals cannot see colours; they are blind to colours. 

But we need names for colours. What’s the name of light with a long wavelength and low energy? Light like that reflects off blood, old iron and holly berries. In Cornish “cogh” is the word for the colour of blood (blood red or scarlet). Old iron, oxidized to blood colour, is “gossen” (rust). Of course, iron gives the colour to blood. 

Other words are “rüdh” and “roos”. These are found in place names, e.g. “Wheal Reeth” (red mine), “Zawn Reeth” (red chasm) and “Goonreeve” (red downs). There is a verse in the St Day Carol:

The holly has a red berry, as red as the rose,

And Mary bore Jesus who rose in the night.