Yn Mheillea / Harvest Home Manx Phrases

Yn Mheillea

Yn Mheillea / Harvest Home is called "Yn Mheillea" in Manx.

Yn Mheillea is the Manx harvest home, the celebration at the end of the harvest. Below are the words for the feast, the corn dolly at its centre, and the harvest itself.

Useful words

meailley

harvest home

The dictionary also gives the spelling mhellia.

babban ny Mheilley

corn dolly

The doll made from the last sheaf. Culture Vannin spells it Babban ny Mheillea.

fouyr

harvest

The season and the work.

fouyr trome

a bounteous harvest

Trome means heavy.

Rehollys Vooar yn Ouyir

the Harvest Moon

Literally "the great moonlight of the harvest"; rehollys is moonlight.

The history of Yn Mheillea

Culture Vannin describes harvest in the Isle of Man as a time of celebration and tradition, with music and dance. At the centre of the Manx fouyr (harvest) customs is the Babban ny Mheillea, the "harvest baby": a small doll made from the last sheaf of corn, cheered in the field and then given pride of place at the Mheillea celebrations. It is kept on the chimney piece for luck until it is replaced the following year.

Common questions

What is the Mheillea?

The Manx harvest home. Its centre is the Babban ny Mheillea, a doll made from the last sheaf of corn.

Further reading

Irish vs Scottish Gaelic: how the Goidelic languages compare→The 6 Celtic Languages: how they are related, how they compare→About learning Manx on blas.→

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Manx phrases for the year ahead

Hop tu Naa

31 October

Christmas

25 December

New Year

1 January

Valentine's Day

14 February

Easter

Easter Sunday (March or April)

May Day

1 May

Tynwald Day

5 July (or the Monday after, if it falls at a weekend)

Laa Luanys / Lammas

1 August

Manx phrases for everyday occasions

Happy birthday

Congratulations

Good luck

Thank you

Welcome

Cheers

Good morning

Good night

Sources

Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.