When the sin sets in a bank
Wasterly win' ye winna want." (Buckie.)
"If the sin set in a bank,
A westerly ween ye winna want;
If she set clear
An easterly ween is near." (Macduff.)
A variant of the last line is: —
"An easterly ween will seen be here." (Pennan.)
" Fin the sin sets in a clear,
A wasterly win' ye needna fear;
Fin the sin sets in a bank
A wasterly win' ye winna want." (Crovie.)
"A clear in the nor' never hairm nae man," said a Portessie man. It is a common opinion that all the bad weather " makes up" in the south-west (Portessie).
"When it thickens in the wast," said a man of Portessie, "it will be southerly winds in the firth."
Of a summer afternoon the rays of the sun stretch at times down to the horizon. The sun is then said to be "shaftit", and there is a formula:—
"A shaftit sin
That's the sign o' a staanin win'." (Crovie.)
Of a summer afternoon, when the sun is westering, there is at times a peculiar glassy-like glitter on the sea. Some fishermen say that it is an indication of coming stormy weather or of rain (Pittulie).
A halo[1] round the sun is called "a sin-bow", and is regarded as the forerunner of rain. The opening in the halo indicates the point from which the wind is to blow (Pittulie). It indicates foul weather (Rosehearty).
A mock-sun goes by the names of:—Dog (general), falcon (Buckie, Portessie), ferrick (general), sin-ferrick, sin-dog (general). The fishermen of Buckie speak of a
- ↑ D., p. "77, under "Halo".
