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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡LYKE, n. Also like, †leick-, li(c)k-, †leak-; leek (I. and nn.Sc.). [ləik; I.Sc., Cai., Rs. lik]

1. A corpse, an unburied body. Now only as in 1961 quot.Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. 222:
Three likes were ta'en frae the castle away.Sh. 1961:
Calm as a leek — of the sea.

2. (1) A vigil by relatives and friends over a corpse until burial, a wake (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 99; Rs.¹ 1929, leek), often celebrated as an occasion for a jollification; (2) a district and its inhabitants who have a burial-place of their own, and are accustomed to be formally invited to the funeral of one of their number (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928)).(1) ne.Sc. a.1725 Habbyac on A. Ramsay 6:
Well mat thou sing at thy awn Like, My canty Man yet.ne.Sc. 1802 Lord Thomas and Fair Annet in Child Ballads (1956) II. 193:
Ye deal at my love's leak The white bread an the wine.Kcd. 1806 in J. A. Henderson Banchory-Devenick (1890) 251:
A “Like” held on two consecutive nights on the death of a Farmer's wife.ne.Sc. 1874 W. Gregor Olden Time 140:
The body was sedulously watched day and night, more particularly, however, during night. The watching during the night was called the lyke or the waukan.

3. Combs.: (1) lyke-house, leek-, a mortuary; a house where a death has occurred and a corpse is awaiting burial (Cai.⁸ 1934), made the occasion for holding a lykewake; (2) leek-steen, a stone on which a coffin was rested or landed from a boat during a funeral (Sh.¹⁰ 1961); (3) leek-stiggie, a crossing-place or stile in a wall over which a corpse was carried to the churchyard (Sh. 1919–61). Found as a place-name. See Stiggie; (4) lyk(e)-strae, lik-, leek-, the straw of the bed on which one had died, burned during the funeral (Sh. 1881 Williamson MSS., Sh. 1961); (5) lyke-wake, like-, lake-, l(e)ick-, leek-, -wa(a)k, -wauk, -walk, = 2. (1). See also Latewake. Rarely as a v. tr., to hold a vigil over (a dead person). Hence lykewaker, one who keeps watch by the dead.(1) Gsw. 1746 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1911) 250:
£34. 16s. 10d. sterling for the luke [sic] house to the said new kirk.Rs. 1936 C. Macdonald Echoes of Glen 56:
Up till about twenty-five years ago an occasional “lykehouse” was still “kept”.(4) Sh. 1886 G. Temple Britta 130:
“They've been burnin' his bed,” said Malcolm, . . . “Yea, 'tis da lyk-strae.”Sh. 1932 J. M. E. Saxby Trad. Lore 114:
One would recall that a neighbour had died “afore the year was oot,” and “the reek o' the leekstraw” had blown on the sick man's house. It was the custom when the funeral procession left the dwelling and had got a bit on the road that the straw of the dead man's bed was solemnly carried out and burned. If the reek from the fire flew over a house, someone was to die in that house before a year was out!(5) Sc. 1705 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 373:
For a gill of brandie and sugar with m^r Irvine after ad. foulis relicts lickwake . . . £0. 5. 0.Ayr. 1725 Ayr Presbytery Reg. MS. 243:
Dancing with William skeen & David Craig that time when they were in a house at a lykwake.Inv. 1728 Trans. Gael. Soc. Inv. XII. 422:
John McEdward . . . confessed that he had a fiddler in his house at the Leickwake of a dead person, but said he did not think it a sin, it being so long a custome in this country.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xl.:
Your honour, . . . suld send doun something to us for keeping up our hearts at the lyke-wake.Abd. 1867 W. Anderson Rhymes 33:
She had heard coffin-makers and lykewakers speak O' shrouding up fowk lang afore they were sick.Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 16:
An' they had met, wi' drumlie een, To lykewake their auld kindly freen'.Abd. 1881 W. Paul Past & Present 62:
On the occasion of the lyke-wake, a portion of the Bible was generally read and psalms were sung.Ags. 1888 Barrie Auld Licht Idylls xi.:
Tammas . . . determined to treat Christy as dead, and celebrate her decease in a “lyke-wake”. . . . For three days before the burial the friends and neighbours of the mourners were invited into the house to partake of food and drink by the side of the corpse. The dead lay on chairs covered with a white sheet. Dirges were sung and the deceased was extolled, but when night came the lights were extinguished, and the corpse was left alone.Ork. 1912 Old-Lore Misc. V. ii. 69:
Whin ae dae folk war sittan round da fire keepan his leek-waak.