Chapter I: Preface

The object aimed at in the following pages is to put before the reader a statement, as complete and accurate as the writer can attain to, of the Superstitions and Antiquities of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. In other words, the writer has endeavoured to gather full materials relating to that subject, and to arrange them in a form that may prove of some scientific value.

In pursuit of this object, it has been deemed advisable to derive information solely from oral sources. Books have been purposely avoided as authorities, and a rule has been laid down, and strictly adhered to, not to accept any statement in print regarding a Highland belief, unless also found current among the people. In the few books there are, having any reference to Gaelic lore, the statements have been so frequently found at variance with popular beliefs that this rule has been a necessity. There are a few honourable exceptions, but in general what is to be found in print on this subject is not trustworthy.

A want of acquaintance with the Gaelic language or with Highland feelings and modes of thought, is usually the cause of error. The writers think in English, and are not careful to eliminate from their statements thoughts derived from English or classical literature, or to keep from confusing with Celtic beliefs ideas derived from foreign sources, and from analogous creeds existing elsewhere. This gives an unconscious tinge to their statements, and (what is more to be regretted) sometimes makes them fill up with extraneous and foreign elements what seems to them gaps or blanks in beliefs they but imperfectly understand.

The writer’s information has been derived from widely separated districts in the North, West, and Central Highlands, and from the Islands. Naturally, the bulk of the information was obtained in Tiree, where the writer had most opportunity of making inquiries, but information from this or any other source has not been accepted without comparison with the same beliefs in other districts. The writer has not been able personally to visit all parts of the Highlands, but his informants have spent their lives in districts far apart. The reader will fall into a mistake who supposes that the whole information is within the belief, or even knowledge, of any one individual, or of any one district.

The beliefs of one district do not differ essentially from those of another. In one or two cases several versions of a tale are given to show to some extent the nature of the variations of popular tradition.

The writer has thankfully to acknowledge, and he cannot but remember with pleasure, the readiness and courtesy, and in very many cases the great intelligence with which his inquiries have been answered. Some of his informants have shown a quickness and retentiveness of memory which he could not but envy, and an appreciation of, and an acquaintance with ancient lore that seemed to him to indicate in those who were strangers to the world of letters powers of mind of a high order.

The objection to books and print as authorities has also been extended to written correspondence. No doubt much that is additional and interesting could be obtained through these channels, but if the account given is to serve any purpose higher than that of mere amusement, strict accuracy is of such importance that all these sources of possible error have been avoided; they cannot be sifted by cross-examination and further inquiry so readily or thoroughly as information obtained by word of mouth. The whole has thus passed through the writer’s own hands directly from what he has found current among the people. Care has been taken that no statement be made conveying an idea different in the slightest from what has been heard. A popular Gaelic saying can be quoted as applicable to the case: “If it be a lie as told by me, it was a lie as told to me” (_Ma’s breug bh’uam e, is breug dhomh e_). It is as free to another as it has been to the writer, to draw his inferences from the statements given, and it is thought no genuine tale or oral tradition will be found to contradict the statements made in the following pages.

In the translations given of Gaelic, the object aimed at has been to give the corresponding English expression, that is, one conveying the same meaning to the English reader that the Gaelic expression conveys to the Gaelic reader. Accuracy has been looked to on this point rather than grace of diction. Where there is anything striking in the Gaelic idiom the literal meaning is also given. In poetry there is consequently a baldness, to which the original is a stranger; but this, it may be urged, is a fault inherent in all translations, however carefully executed. The transference of ideas from one language to another weakens the force and beauty of an expression; what is racy and witty, or musical and expressive in one, becomes tame and insipid in another. This trite observation is made to deprecate unfavourable opinions being formed of the genius and force of the Gaelic language from the translations given.

CONTENTS

_CHAPTER I_

The Fairies
PAGE
Names Given to Fairies 3

The Size of Fairies 9

Fairy Dwellings 11

Fairy Dresses 14

The Defects of Fairies 15

Their Occupations 15

Seasons of Festivity 16

Fairy Raids 18

Circumstances under which Fairies are seen 21

Fairy Food 21

Gifts Bestowed by Fairies 22

The Giving and taking of Loans 24

Eddy Wind 24

Rain and Sunshine, Wind and Rain 26

Fairy Arrows 26

Cattle 27

Horses 30

Dogs 30

Elfin Cats 32

Fairy Theft 32

Stealing Women and Children 36

Changelings 38

Deformities 39

Nurses 40

The Men of Peace 40

The Bean Nighe, or Washing Woman 42

The Song of the Fairy Woman 44

The Glaistig as distinct from the Banshi 44

Elfin Queen 45

Protection against Fairies 46

_CHAPTER II_

Tales Illustrative of Fairy Superstition

Luran 52

The Cup of the Macleods of Raasa 57

The Fairies on Finlay’s Sandbank 57

Pennygown Fairies 59

Ben Lomond Fairies 60

Callum Clark and his Sore Leg 60

The Young Man in the Fairy Knoll 61

Black William the Piper 65

The Harris Woman and her Baking 66

Lifted by the Fairies 68

Fairies Coming to Houses 73

The Lowland Fairies 76

Fairies Stealing Women and Children 78

Ready Wit Repulses the Fairies 85

Kindness to a Neglected Child 86

The Bridegroom’s Burial 86

The Crowing of the Black Cock 87

Throwing the Arrow 88

The Woman Stolen from France 90

Changelings 90

Taking away Cows and Sheep 92

The Dwellings of the Fairies 93

Fairy Assistance 96

The Battle of Trai-Gruinard 100

Duine Sith, Man of Peace 101

Bean Shith, Elle Woman, or Woman of Peace 102

Donald Thrashed by the Fairy Woman 105

Iona Banshi 107

Tiree Banshi 108

Macphie’s Black Dog 109

The Carlin of the Spotted Hill 122

Donald, Son of Patrick 123

The Wife of Ben-y-Ghloe 125

Fairy Women and Deer 126

O’Cronicert’s Fairy Wife 127

The Gruagach Ban 132

Deer Killed and conveyed home at Night 133

Fairies and Goats 134

Fairies and Cows 134

Fairy Cows 135

The Thirsty Ploughman 137

The Fairy Churning 137

Milk Spilt by Dairymaids 138

Fairy Music 138

MacCrimmon 139

Fairy Dogs (‘Cu Sith’) 141

What happens to Dogs Chasing Fairies 144

Fairies and Horses 146

Fairies and the Handmill 149

Fairies and Oatmeal 150

Fairies and Iron 152

Name of the Deity 153

Fairy Gifts 153

Struck by the Fairy Arrow Spade 154

_CHAPTER III_

Tutelary Beings

(I) The Glaistig 155

At Glenduror 162

At Sron-Charmaig 162

At Inverawe House 164

At Dunstaffnage Castle 164

In Tiree 165

At Sleat, Skye 165

In the Island of Coll 166

At Dunolly Castle 166

At Mernaig Castle 166

In Strathglass 167

At Lianachan 168

In Glenorchy 171

M‘Millan of Knap stabbing the Glaistig 172

At Craignish 173

On Garlios, Morvern 173

At Ardnadrochit, Mull 175

On Baugh, Tiree 176

On Hianish, Tiree 177

At Strontian 177

In Ulva 178

In Iona 179

In Ross, Mull 179

In Corry-na-Henchor 180

Mac-Ian Year 181

At Erray, Mull 183

(II) The Gruagach 184

(III) Brownie 186

Gunna 189

The Old Man of the Barn 190

_CHAPTER IV_

The Urisk, The Blue Men, and The Mermaid

The Urisk 195

The Blue Men 199

The Mermaid 201

_CHAPTER V_

The Water-Horse

Farmers and Water-Horses 204

Mac-Fir Arois 205

The Talking Horse at Cru-Loch 207

Island of Coll 208

The Nine Children at Sunart 208

Killing the Raasay Water-Horse 209

The Water-Horse at Loch Cuaich 210

The Water-Horse at Tiree 211

Water-Horse and Women 212

The Water-Horse at Loch Basibol, Tiree 214

The Kelpie 215

The Water-Bull 216

The King Otter 216

Biasd na Srogaig 217

The Big Beast of Lochawe 218

_CHAPTER VI_

Superstitions about Animals

Lamprey—Sea Serpent—Gigelorum—Lavellan—Bernicle
Goose—Eels—Whale—Herring—Flounder—Lobster—Serpents—Rats
and Mice—Cormorant—Magpie—Beetles—Emmet—Skip-Jack
219-228

_CHAPTER VII_

Miscellaneous Superstitions

Gisvagun, Eapagun, Upagun 229

The Right-Hand Turn (Deiseal) 229

Rising and Dressing 230

Clothes 231

Houses and Lands 231

Baking 232

Removal Cheese (Mulchag Imrich) 234

Leg Cake (Bonnach Lurgainn) 234

Giving Fire out of the House 234

Thunder 235

Theft 236

Salt 236

Combing the Hair 236

Bird Nests 237

Hen’s First Egg 237

Euphemisms 237

Boat Language 239

Fresh Meat 240

Killing those too long alive 240

Funerals 241

The Watch of the Graveyard (Faire Chlaidh) 242

Cill Challum Chille 242

Suicides 242

Murder 243

The Harvest Old Wife (a Chailleach) 243

La u Bhrochain mhòr (Big Porridge Day) 244

Fires on Headlands 244

Stances 244

Names 245

Delivery of Cattle and Horses 245

Trades 246

Iron 246

Empty Shells 247

Protection against Evil Spirits 247

Misnaming a Person 248

Gaining Straw (Sop Seile) 248

Propitious Times 248

Unlucky Actions 249

_CHAPTER VIII_

Augury

At Outset of a Journey 253

Unlucky to look back 255

_CHAPTER IX_

Premonitions and Divination

Premonitions (Meamna) 258

Trial (Deuchainn) 259

Divination (Fiosachd) 262

Shoulder-blade Reading (Slinneineachd) 263

Palmistry (Dearnadaireachd) 266

Divination by Tea, or Cup-reading (Leughadh
Chupaichean) 266

_CHAPTER X_

Dreams and Prophecies

Dreams (Bruadar) 268

Prophecies (Fàisneachd) 269

The Lady of Lawers 274

_CHAPTER XI_

Imprecations, Spells, and the Black Art

Imprecation (Guidhe) 277

Spells (Geasan no Geasaibh) 281

The Black Art 285

_CHAPTER XII_

The Devil

Card Playing 292

Red Book of Appin 292

Coming for the Dying 295

Making the Devil your Slave 296

Coming Misfortune 298

The Gaïck Catastrophe (Mort Ghàthaig) 300

The Bundle of Fern 303

The Pig in the Indigo Pot 303

Among the Tailors 304

Taghairm, or “Giving his Supper to the Devil” 304

Glas Ghairm—Power of Opening Locks 311