Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Blese, Bleis(e, n. Also: bles, bleys(se, blease. [Northern ME. blese (Cursor M.), late OE. blese, bleose, obscurely related to OE. blase, blæse, blaze.]

1. A blaze; a bright flame or fire. Freq. a blese of fire. (Cf. fire-blese.)(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 723.
A blese of fyre as brynstane bla c1420 Wynt. vii. 233.
Tha saw … A bles of fyre lemand lycht 1513 Doug. i. iv. 36.
Quhil al in flambe the bles of fyre vpbradis Ib. xiii. x. 12.
Ane huge bleys of flambis 1596 Dalr. II. 387/20.
Than was seine a bleis of fyre, and a comete 1689 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 436.
Makeing signes some tymes by the lighted candles, sometymes by bleises of fyre(2) 1375 Barb. iv. 129 (E); Ib. 138.
The fyr owt syne in blesis brast a1400 Leg. S. ii. 810; Ib. iii. 61.
Thai gert Rowme bryn vpe in a bles c1420 Wynt. v. 3119.
The comete … is a starne wyth blesys schyre c1475 Wall. x. 876.
Crawfurd on loft thair saill brynt in a bles 1513 Doug. vii. i. 109.
Hir gay clething … Gan … birn vp in a bles Ib. xiii. iv. 65; etc.
The bald flammys and brym blesys stowt 1531 Bell. Boece I. 243.
Thay ran al togidder in ane gret bleis 1535 Stewart 56278.
He brint the toun sone efter in ane bleisfig. 1533 Boece ii. i. 58.
We sall … kendill ane bleis of debate and discorde 1596 Dalr. II. 151/14; Ib. 412/19.
This fyrie bleis … quhilk was lyke to kendle the hail realme

2. A blazing brand or torch; a bonfire or beacon fire. c1420 Wynt. iii. 243.
Thai wyld bestys … throucht thai feldys rane, Wytht thai blesys Ib. v. 4879.
Wyth blesis lycht and gret tortys c1475 Wall. vii. 424.
In euir ilk nuk thai festnyt blesis bald 1513 Doug. iv. x. 89.
The feirful brandis and blesys of hait fyre Ib. v. xi. 85.
Hir rycht hand rasyt, the blesys in to cast 1535 Stewart 10482.
Sa mony bleises … Of pik and tar, of brintstone and of lynt Ib. 24519.
Full mony fagald … Birnand in fyre, and mony bleis withall 1544 Ayr Common Good Acc. (MS).
Ane turs of heddir to mak ane bleis vpoun the hillis 1579 Acts III. 147/2.
Slayers of reid fische … be bleisis, casting of wandis [etc.] 1595 Crim. Trials II. 331.
Sum with bleasis, quha brunt him … in the back and brest 1596 Dalr. I. 10/14.
Thir Mersemen … kendle bleises in tour heidis or heicher places Ib. II. 380/5.
Scho commandet to kendle fyres and bleises throuch al tounes in sygne of blythnes to all