Editing Imbolc (section)

==Name==
The etymology of ''Imbolc'' or ''Imbolg'' is unclear. A common explanation is that it comes from the [[Old Irish]] {{lang|sga|i mbolc}} (Modern Irish: {{lang|ga|i mbolg}}), meaning 'in the belly', and refers to the pregnancy of ewes at this time of year.<ref name="Chadwick1" /> [[Joseph Vendryes]] derived it from Old Irish {{lang|sga|imb-}} (intensive prefix) and {{lang|sga|folc}} ('wash, cleanse'), linking it to {{lang|sga|folcaim}} ('to wash/cleanse oneself') and suggesting it referred to a [[ritual purification|ritual cleansing]].<ref>Vendryes, J., "Imbolc", ''[[Revue Celtique]]'' 41 (1924). pp.241–244.</ref><ref name="Patterson">Patterson, Nerys. ''Cattle Lords and Clansmen: The Social Structure of Early Ireland''. University of Notre Dame Press, 1994. p.129</ref> [[Eric P. Hamp]] derives it from a [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] root meaning both 'milk' and 'cleansing'.<ref name="Hamp">{{Cite journal |last=Hamp |first=Eric |year=1979–1980 |title=Imbolc, Óimelc |journal=Studia Celtica |issue=14/15 |pages=106–113 |author-link=Eric P. Hamp}}</ref> The early 10th century [[Sanas Cormaic|Cormac's Glossary]] has an entry for {{lang|sga|Oímelc}}, calling it the beginning of spring and deriving it from ''oí-melg'' ('ewe milk'), explaining it as "the time that sheep's milk comes".<ref>Meyer, Kuno, ''Sanas Cormaic: an Old-Irish Glossary compiled by Cormac úa Cuilennáin, King-Bishop of Cashel in the ninth century'' (1912).</ref> However, linguists believe this is a [[folk etymology]]; the writer's respelling of the word to give it an understandable origin.<ref>Kelly, Fergus. ''Early Irish Farming: A Study Based Mainly on the Law-texts of the 7th and 8th centuries AD''. School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1997. p.460</ref>

The 12th century [[Book of Leinster]] version of the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'' ('Cattle Raid of Cooley') indicates that Imbolc (spelt ''imolg'' and ''imbuilg'') is three months after the 1 November festival of Samhain.<ref>Ó Cathasaigh, Tomás (1993). "Mythology in Táin Bó Cúailnge", in ''Studien zur Táin Bó Cúailnge'', p.123</ref> In the [[Stowe manuscripts|Stowe]] version, a 14th century modernisation of the same text, Imbolc is changed to ''Fél Brigde'' (St Brigid's Feast), which suggests that St Brigid's Day replaced or absorbed Imbolc.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Torma |first1=Thomas |title=Imbolc, Candlemas and The Feast of St Brigit |journal=Cosmos: The Journal of the Traditional Cosmology Society |date=2002 |volume=18 |page=80}}</ref> Another Old Irish poem about the ''Táin'' in the ''[[Metrical Dindshenchas]]'' says: "''{{lang|sga|iar n-imbulc, ba garb a ngeilt}}''", which [[Edward Gwynn]] translates "after [[Candlemas]], rough was their herding".<ref name="Hamp" /> Candlemas is the Christian holy day which falls on 2 February and is known in Irish as {{lang|ga|Lá Fhéile [[Muire]] na gCoinneal}}, 'feast day of Mary of the Candles'.<ref name="Mackillop1">{{Cite book |last=MacKillop |first=James |title=Dictionary of Celtic mythology |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-19-280120-3 |location=Oxford |page=270}}</ref>

In a 17th century manuscript of the story ''[[Agallamh na Seanórach]]'', Imbolc is spelled ''Iomfhoilcc''.<ref>Williams, Éimear, "Bealtaine and Imbolg (oimelc) in Cormac’s Glossary", ''[[Studia Celtica]]'' 39 (2005): pp.123–143.</ref>

Peter O'Connell's Irish-English dictionary (1843) identifies ''Oimelc'' or ''Imbulc'' with ''Féil Brighde'', the Feast of Saint Brigid.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Joyce |first1=Patrick Weston |title=A Social History of Ancient Ireland |date=1920 |publisher=Longmans, Green & Company |page=388}}</ref>