in scottish folklore, sunwise or sunward (clockwise) was considered the âprosperous courseâ, turning from east to west in the direction of the sun. the opposite course was known in scotland as widdershins (lowland scots), or tuathal (scottish gaelic, lit. northerly), and would have been counterclockwise. it is perhaps no coincidence that, in the northern hemisphere, "sunwise" and "clockwise" run in the same direction. this is probably because of the use of the sun as a timekeeper on sundials etc., whose features were in turn transferred to clock faces themselves. another influence may also have been the right-handed bias in many human cultures. this is descriptive of the ceremony observed by the druids, of walking round their temples by the south, in the course of their directions, always keeping their temples on their right. this course (deiseal) was deemed propitious, the contrary course, tuathal, fatal, or at least, unpropitious. from this ancient superstition are derived several gaelic customs which were still observed around the turn of the twentieth century, such as drinking over the left thumb, as toland expresses it, or according to the course of the sun. wicca uses the spelling deosil, which, however, violates a gaelic orthography principle. martin says: : âsome of the poorer sort of people in the western isles retain the custom of performing these circles sunwise about the persons of their benefactors three times, when they bless them, and wish good success to all their enterprises. some are very careful when they set out to sea, that the boat be first rowed sunwise, and if this be neglected, they are afraid their voyage may prove unfortunate. i had this ceremony paid me when in islay by a poor woman, after i had given her an alms. i desired her to let alone that compliment, for that i did not care for it; but she insisted to make these three ordinary turns, and then prayed that god and maccharmaig, the patron saint of the island, might bless and prosper me in all my affairs. when a gael goes to drink out of a consecrated fountain, he approaches it by going round the place from east to west, and at funerals, the procession observes the same direction in drawing near the grave. hence also is derived the old custom of describing sunwise a circle, with a burning brand, about houses, cattle, corn and corn-fields, to prevent their being burnt or in any way injured by evil spirits, or by witchcraft. the fiery circle was also made around women, as soon as possible after parturition, and also around newly-born babes. these circles were, in later times, described by midwives, and were described effectual against the intrusion of âdaoine-sÃ¬thâ or âsÃ¬thicheanâ, who were particularly on the alert in times of childhood, and not infrequently carried infants away, according to vulgar legends, and res
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