What does “Ommadawn” mean?
Ommadawn is a phonetic spelling of Amadan, the Irish/Gaelic word for “idiot” or “fool”. It was Clodagh Simonds who wrote the words she would chant on the album. Obviously she had to make up some words quickly and the first thing that came into her head was: “The cat is in the kitchen, drinking milk. I am the idiot singing.” When Mike saw or heard what she had sung he was curious about that word written as Ommadawn and then thought it would be a good name for the album. Its working title up until then was Pickles On My Glockenspiel – I bet you’re glad he changed that! Anyway, Ommadawn, strictly speaking, has no meaning unless you know the truth behind the naming of the album. Mike divulged this to only a couple of journalists at the time – the rest of the time he said it was just a nonsense word – it was just one of his ideas to remain mysterious. And just to repeat it: Amadan (with an accent or “Fada” over the last ‘a’, to give the long ‘a’ in the “aw” sound) is Irish/Gaelic for fool.
Ommadawn is a phonetic spelling of Amadan (with an accent or “Fada” over the last ‘a’, to give the long ‘a’ in the “aw” sound), the Irish/Gaelic word for “idiot” or “fool”. The amadan are Irish fairie fools. They should be avoided as, if touched by one, the victim will be paralysed down the side touched, possibly forever. Thus the amadan is sometimes called the stroke lad. He may strike whomever he fancies, but criminals and those who linger by fairie haunts under moonlight are especially vulnerable, and is particularly active during the month of June. The only protection against him is to call upon God. Amadan Mor and Amadan na Bruidne are the best known. It was Clodagh Simonds who wrote the words she would chant on the album. Obviously she had to make up some words quickly and the first thing that came into her head was: “The cat is in the kitchen, drinking milk. I am the idiot singing.” When Mike saw or heard what she had sung he was curious about that word written as Ommadawn and t
