CONTENTS
CHAPTERIThe FairiesPAGENames Given to Fairies3The Size of Fairies9Fairy Dwellings11Fairy Dresses14The Defects of Fairies15Their Occupations15Seasons of Festivity16Fairy Raids18Circumstances under which Fairies are seen21Fairy Food21Gifts Bestowed by Fairies22The Giving and taking of Loans24Eddy Wind24Rain and Sunshine, Wind and Rain26Fairy Arrows26Cattle27Horses30Dogs30Elfin Cats32Fairy Theft32Stealing Women and Children36Changelings38Deformities39Nurses40The Men of Peace40The Bean Nighe, or Washing Woman42The Song of the Fairy Woman44The Glaistig as distinct from the Banshi44Elfin Queen45Protection against Fairies46CHAPTERIITales Illustrative of Fairy SuperstitionLuran52The Cup of the Macleods of Raasa57The Fairies on Finlay’s Sandbank57Pennygown Fairies59Ben Lomond Fairies60Callum Clark and his Sore Leg60The Young Man in the Fairy Knoll61Black William the Piper65The Harris Woman and her Baking66Lifted by the Fairies68Fairies Coming to Houses73The Lowland Fairies76Fairies Stealing Women and Children78Ready Wit Repulses the Fairies85Kindness to a Neglected Child86The Bridegroom’s Burial86The Crowing of the Black Cock87Throwing the Arrow88The Woman Stolen from France90Changelings90Taking away Cows and Sheep92The Dwellings of the Fairies93Fairy Assistance96The Battle of Trai-Gruinard100Duine Sith, Man of Peace101Bean Shith, Elle Woman, or Woman of Peace102Donald Thrashed by the Fairy Woman105Iona Banshi107Tiree Banshi108Macphie’s Black Dog109The Carlin of the Spotted Hill122Donald, Son of Patrick123The Wife of Ben-y-Ghloe125Fairy Women and Deer126O’Cronicert’s Fairy Wife127The Gruagach Ban132Deer Killed and conveyed home at Night133Fairies and Goats134Fairies and Cows134Fairy Cows135The Thirsty Ploughman137The Fairy Churning137Milk Spilt by Dairymaids138Fairy Music138MacCrimmon139Fairy Dogs (‘Cu Sith’)141What happens to Dogs Chasing Fairies144Fairies and Horses146Fairies and the Handmill149Fairies and Oatmeal150Fairies and Iron152Name of the Deity153Fairy Gifts153Struck by the Fairy Arrow Spade154CHAPTERIIITutelary Beings(I)The Glaistig155At Glenduror162At Sron-Charmaig162At Inverawe House164At Dunstaffnage Castle164In Tiree165At Sleat, Skye165In the Island of Coll166At Dunolly Castle166At Mernaig Castle166In Strathglass167At Lianachan168In Glenorchy171M‘Millan of Knap stabbing the Glaistig172At Craignish173On Garlios, Morvern173At Ardnadrochit, Mull175On Baugh, Tiree176At Strontian177On Hianish, Tiree177In Ulva178In Iona179In Ross, Mull179In Corry-na-Henchor180Mac-Ian Year181At Erray, Mull183(II)The Gruagach184(III)Brownie186Gunna189The Old Man of the Barn190CHAPTERIVThe Urisk, The Blue Men, and The MermaidThe Urisk195The Blue Men199The Mermaid201CHAPTERVThe Water-HorseFarmers and Water-Horses204Mac-Fir Arois205The Talking Horse at Cru-Loch207Island of Coll208The Nine Children at Sunart208Killing the Raasay Water-Horse209The Water-Horse at Loch Cuaich210The Water-Horse at Tiree211Water-Horse and Women212The Water-Horse at Loch Basibol, Tiree214The Kelpie215The Water-Bull216The King Otter216Biasd na Srogaig217The Big Beast of Lochawe218CHAPTERVISuperstitions about AnimalsLamprey—Sea Serpent—Gigelorum—Lavellan—Bernicle Goose—Eels—Whale—Herring—Flounder—Lobster—Serpents—Rats and Mice—Cormorant—Magpie—Beetles—Emmet—Skip-Jack219-228CHAPTERVIIMiscellaneous SuperstitionsGisvagun, Eapagun, Upagun229The Right-Hand Turn (Deiseal)229Rising and Dressing230Clothes231Houses and Lands231Baking232Removal Cheese (Mulchag Imrich)234Leg Cake (Bonnach Lurgainn)234Giving Fire out of the House234Thunder235Theft236Salt236Combing the Hair236Bird Nests237Hen’s First Egg237Euphemisms237Boat Language239Fresh Meat240Killing those too long alive240Funerals241The Watch of the Graveyard (Faire Chlaidh)242Cill Challum Chille242Suicides242Murder243The Harvest Old Wife (a Chailleach)243La u Bhrochain mhòr (Big Porridge Day)244Fires on Headlands244Stances244Names245Delivery of Cattle and Horses245Trades246Iron246Empty Shells247Protection against Evil Spirits247Misnaming a Person248Gaining Straw (Sop Seile)248Propitious Times248Unlucky Actions249CHAPTERVIIIAuguryAt Outset of a Journey253Unlucky to look back255CHAPTERIXPremonitions and DivinationPremonitions (Meamna)258Trial (Deuchainn)259Divination (Fiosachd)262Shoulder-blade Reading (Slinneineachd)263Palmistry (Dearnadaireachd)266Divination by Tea, or Cup-reading (Leughadh Chupaichean)266CHAPTERXDreams and PropheciesDreams (Bruadar)268Prophecies (Fàisneachd)269The Lady of Lawers274CHAPTERXIImprecations, Spells, and the Black ArtImprecation (Guidhe)277Spells (Geasan no Geasaibh)281The Black Art285CHAPTERXIIThe DevilCard Playing292Red Book of Appin292Coming for the Dying295Making the Devil your Slave296Coming Misfortune298The Gaïck Catastrophe (Mort Ghàthaig)300The Bundle of Fern303The Pig in the Indigo Pot303Among the Tailors304Taghairm, or “Giving his Supper to the Devil”304Glas Ghairm—Power of Opening Locks311
Names Given to Fairies
The Size of Fairies
Fairy Dwellings
Fairy Dresses
The Defects of Fairies
Their Occupations
Seasons of Festivity
Fairy Raids
Circumstances under which Fairies are seen
Fairy Food
Gifts Bestowed by Fairies
The Giving and taking of Loans
Eddy Wind
Rain and Sunshine, Wind and Rain
Fairy Arrows
Cattle
Horses
Dogs
Elfin Cats
Fairy Theft
Stealing Women and Children
Changelings
Deformities
Nurses
The Men of Peace
The Bean Nighe, or Washing Woman
The Song of the Fairy Woman
The Glaistig as distinct from the Banshi
Elfin Queen
Protection against Fairies
Luran
The Cup of the Macleods of Raasa
The Fairies on Finlay’s Sandbank
Pennygown Fairies
Ben Lomond Fairies
Callum Clark and his Sore Leg
The Young Man in the Fairy Knoll
Black William the Piper
The Harris Woman and her Baking
Lifted by the Fairies
Fairies Coming to Houses
The Lowland Fairies
Fairies Stealing Women and Children
Ready Wit Repulses the Fairies
Kindness to a Neglected Child
The Bridegroom’s Burial
The Crowing of the Black Cock
Throwing the Arrow
The Woman Stolen from France
Changelings
Taking away Cows and Sheep
The Dwellings of the Fairies
Fairy Assistance
The Battle of Trai-Gruinard
Duine Sith, Man of Peace
Bean Shith, Elle Woman, or Woman of Peace
Donald Thrashed by the Fairy Woman
Iona Banshi
Tiree Banshi
Macphie’s Black Dog
The Carlin of the Spotted Hill
Donald, Son of Patrick
The Wife of Ben-y-Ghloe
Fairy Women and Deer
O’Cronicert’s Fairy Wife
The Gruagach Ban
Deer Killed and conveyed home at Night
Fairies and Goats
Fairies and Cows
Fairy Cows
The Thirsty Ploughman
The Fairy Churning
Milk Spilt by Dairymaids
Fairy Music
MacCrimmon
Fairy Dogs (‘Cu Sith’)
What happens to Dogs Chasing Fairies
Fairies and Horses
Fairies and the Handmill
Fairies and Oatmeal
Fairies and Iron
Name of the Deity
Fairy Gifts
Struck by the Fairy Arrow Spade
(I)The Glaistig
At Glenduror
At Sron-Charmaig
At Inverawe House
At Dunstaffnage Castle
In Tiree
At Sleat, Skye
In the Island of Coll
At Dunolly Castle
At Mernaig Castle
In Strathglass
At Lianachan
In Glenorchy
M‘Millan of Knap stabbing the Glaistig
At Craignish
On Garlios, Morvern
At Ardnadrochit, Mull
On Baugh, Tiree
At Strontian
On Hianish, Tiree
In Ulva
In Iona
In Ross, Mull
In Corry-na-Henchor
Mac-Ian Year
At Erray, Mull
(II)The Gruagach
(III)Brownie
Gunna
The Old Man of the Barn
The Urisk
The Blue Men
The Mermaid
Farmers and Water-Horses
Mac-Fir Arois
The Talking Horse at Cru-Loch
Island of Coll
The Nine Children at Sunart
Killing the Raasay Water-Horse
The Water-Horse at Loch Cuaich
The Water-Horse at Tiree
Water-Horse and Women
The Water-Horse at Loch Basibol, Tiree
The Kelpie
The Water-Bull
The King Otter
Biasd na Srogaig
The Big Beast of Lochawe
Lamprey—Sea Serpent—Gigelorum—Lavellan—Bernicle Goose—Eels—Whale—Herring—Flounder—Lobster—Serpents—Rats and Mice—Cormorant—Magpie—Beetles—Emmet—Skip-Jack
Gisvagun, Eapagun, Upagun
The Right-Hand Turn (Deiseal)
Rising and Dressing
Clothes
Houses and Lands
Baking
Removal Cheese (Mulchag Imrich)
Leg Cake (Bonnach Lurgainn)
Giving Fire out of the House
Thunder
Theft
Salt
Combing the Hair
Bird Nests
Hen’s First Egg
Euphemisms
Boat Language
Fresh Meat
Killing those too long alive
Funerals
The Watch of the Graveyard (Faire Chlaidh)
Cill Challum Chille
Suicides
Murder
The Harvest Old Wife (a Chailleach)
La u Bhrochain mhòr (Big Porridge Day)
Fires on Headlands
Stances
Names
Delivery of Cattle and Horses
Trades
Iron
Empty Shells
Protection against Evil Spirits
Misnaming a Person
Gaining Straw (Sop Seile)
Propitious Times
Unlucky Actions
At Outset of a Journey
Unlucky to look back
Premonitions (Meamna)
Trial (Deuchainn)
Divination (Fiosachd)
Shoulder-blade Reading (Slinneineachd)
Palmistry (Dearnadaireachd)
Divination by Tea, or Cup-reading (Leughadh Chupaichean)
Dreams (Bruadar)
Prophecies (Fàisneachd)
The Lady of Lawers
Imprecation (Guidhe)
Spells (Geasan no Geasaibh)
The Black Art
Card Playing
Red Book of Appin
Coming for the Dying
Making the Devil your Slave
Coming Misfortune
The Gaïck Catastrophe (Mort Ghàthaig)
The Bundle of Fern
The Pig in the Indigo Pot
Among the Tailors
Taghairm, or “Giving his Supper to the Devil”
Glas Ghairm—Power of Opening Locks