cailleach

/ (ˈkæljəx) /

Scot an old woman

Word Origin for cailleach

Gaelic

According to Gaelic lore, this wind demon of spring is the "Cailleach" (old wife).

Myths of Babylonia and Assyria |Donald A. Mackenzie
Perhaps it is merely a corruption of the Irish cailleach, old woman, learned from the Irish costermongers in London.

The Shakespeare-Expositor: An Aid to the Perfect Understanding of Shakespeare's Plays |Thomas Keightley
"I cannot render you any help," said the Cailleach, "until you name the duais" (reward).

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry |William Butler Yeats
In the second incident that happened to the Cailleach there appears to be a reminiscence of Sindbad the sailor.

Legends of Saints & Sinners |Douglas Hyde

If the reaping finishes after Hallowmas the last corn cut is called the Cailleach (old woman).

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 1 |Various