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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GYRE, n., adj., v. Also g(e)yar, gyr, güir, gør, gear; g(e)yro (Ork.) and gy-, guy-, gäi(Sh.). [Sc. ′gəi(ə)r, but Sh. g(j)ør, I.Sc., †Fif. + ′gai]

†I. n. 1. An ogre, a fabulous monster (Ork. 1929 Marw., gyre, geyar), a hobgoblin; “a powerful and malignant spirit” (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 218); a giantess, an unusually tall, masculine woman (Sh. 1908 Jak., gør, 1914 Angus Gl., güir). Deriv. geyral. Now obs. except in place-names.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 129:
A' his folk began tae pray, An' teuk him for the Gyre.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
She's a great muckle geyral o' a lass.

2. Specif.: a boy masked and dressed to represent a hobgoblin who chased children in the streets on a festival night in February.Ork. 1923 P. Ork. A.S. I. 70:
Each of the smaller boys got a long bundle of simmans and got it lit and so had a torch. This was to entice the “gyros,” the hobgobblins. Then we generally kept in pairs. . . . Sometimes we formed into a procession, but the procession soon broke up when the “gyro” got after us. The “gyro” was just one of the bigger boys with a mask on.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
A figure was dressed up as a geyro or bugbear, who chased children, and hit them with a piece of rope or “tangle.” The geyro had something about his head to serve as a mask, but on his body some woman's garment was necessary.

Hence g(e)yro night, a festivity held formerly in Papa Westray on an evening in February, prob. corresponding to Shrove Tuesday (Ork. 1923 P. Ork. A.S. I. 70).

3. Comb.: gyr(e)-carl(in, g(u)y-, -kerl, a supernatural being of any kind, a witch, an ogre(ss) (Ork. 1845 Stat. Acc.² XV. 96, geyar-carl, 1929 Marw., gy(re)karline, gey(a)rkarl(in); Sh. 1954); a giant (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.); “a tall, stout woman” (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Arch. Also in n.Eng. dial.Abd. 1755 R. Forbes Jnl. from London 28:
An auld, wizen'd, haave coloured carlen . . . as bauld as ony ettercap . . . you wou'd na' kent fat to mak' o' her, unless it had been a gyr-carlen.Kcb. 1793 R. Heron Journey II. 228:
On Hallowe'en and on some other evenings, they and the Gyar-Carlins are sure to be abroad, and to stap those they meet and are displeased with, full of butter and beare awns.Fif. 1808 Jam.:
Superstitious females, in Fife, are anxious to spin off all the flax that is on their rocks, on the last night of the year; being persuaded that if they left any unspun, the Gyre-carlin, or as they also pronounce the word, the Gy-carlin, would carry it off before morning.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. iii.:
Wha was to hae keepit awa the worriecows, I trow? Aye, and the elves and gyre carlings frae the bonny bairn, grace be wi' it?Slk. 1828 Hogg Poems (1832) 318:
Oh, then, that gyre Carle was never his lane.Cai. 1842 J. T. Calder Sketches 223:
There was a sort of nondescript being, called the Gyrecarline, that cut a considerable figure on the stage of our northern superstition. She assumed the appearance of an old woman, and paid her visits only at a certain season of the year — namely, between Candlemas and “Fasterneen.”Ork. 1867 Pref. to G. Barry Hist. Ork. xxxii.:
The tumulus [Maeshow] . . . in the legendary traditions of the district . . . was regarded with awe as the ancient abode of a gyrcarline.Sh. 1888 Edmonston & Saxby Naturalist 184:
I geed me gate lavin him lukin as deskit as if da Guy-kerls had been flitten pates apa him au neicht.Cai. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.:
A fisherman who returns with empty basket is said to go home with the Gear-Cairlin, i.e. to have been bewitched. [Cf. Carline, n., 4. ]

II. adj. 1. Weird, repulsive (Mry.¹ 1911–25). Also gyre-leukin', having an odd, foolish or impish look, ugly (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 72, 1880 Jam.).

2. Of garments or colours: odd, gaudy, glaring (Abd.⁶ 1913).Abd. 1867 A. Allardyce Goodwife 8:
I fear ye'll think the colour gyre: They're jist a blawirt blue.Abd. 1900 E.D.D.:
“What kin' o' a cap is that ye're wearin'? It's owre gyre for you.” “I wadna hae painted that wi' sic gyre colours.”

III. v. Found only in ppl.adj. gyrin, gaudy, bright-coloured.Abd. 1900 E.D.D.:
She's dressed in gyrin garments.