1 The words Elfin and Fairy are, in these pages, used indifferently as equivalents of the Gaelic names, sÌth (or shi) people, etc.

2 These virtues it is to have only thrice, and it has been already unfurled twice. Many of the common people wanted it brought out at the time of the potato failure.

3 Fairy motion, i.e. not rising and falling on the waves, but gliding smoothly along.

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6 Few villages in the Highlands of Scotland are without a shÏ-en in their neighbourhood, and often a number are found close to each other. Strontian, well known to geologists from the mineral which bears its name, is SrÒn an t-sÌthein, “the nose of the Fairy hillock.”

7 Bonnach beag boise, gun bhloigh gun bhearn, Eirich ’s big sinne a stigh, i.e. Little cake, without gap or fissure, rise and let us in, is the Elfin call.

8 In the north of Ireland the band was taken off the spinning wheel to prevent the Fairies spoiling the linen.

9 Similarly, in Dorsetshire fossil belemnites are called colepexies’ fingers, and in Northumberland a fungous excrescence, growing about the roots of old trees, is called Fairy butter. So in Ireland, the round towers are ascribed to them.

10 Campbell’s West Highland Tales, ii. 46.

11 The use of some kind of mill, generally a hand mill, is as universal as the growth of grain, and the necessity for reducing the solid grain into the more palatable form of meal no doubt led to its early invention. The Gaelic meil (or beil), to grind, the English mill, the Latin mola, and the Greek ???, show that it was known to the Aryan tribes at a period long anterior to history. The handmill mentioned in Scripture, worked by two women, seems the same with that still to be found in obscure corners in the West Highlands.

An instrument so useful to man in the less advanced stages of his civilization could not fail to be looked upon with much respect and good feeling. In the Hebrides it was rubbed every Saturday evening with a wisp of straw ‘for payment’ of its benevolent labours (sop ga shuathadh ris a bhrÀ ga pÀigheadh). Meal ground in it is coarser than ordinary meal, and is known as gairbhein.

12 Other charms used on the occasion were the taking of the woman to be delivered several times across the byre-drain (inne), the opening of every lock in the house, and ceremonies by means of

These practices seem to have been known only to the very superstitious, and to have been local. The first belonged to Ross-shire, the second to the north-west mainland of Argyllshire, and the last to Tiree.

13 Carleton (Tales and Stories, p. 74) mentions an Irish belief of a kindred character connected with oatmeal. When one crossed fair gurtha, or hungry grass (Scot., feur gorta, famine grass), a spot on which the Fairies had left one of their curses, he was struck with weakness and hunger, but, “if the person afflicted but tasted as much meal or flour as would lie on the point of a penknife, he will instantaneously break the spell of the Fairies, and recover his former strength.”

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18 DÌomaich is mi-bhuaidh air an fhear a dh’iarr oirnn crann mÒr luinge fada dheanadh de mhaide bhola liÒn.

19 Cuir an fhallaid anns’ a bhalgan, agus snÌomh an toban mara chriomas a chaora an tom.

20 Beannachd dhuit-sa ach mollachd do bheul t’ ionnsachaidh.

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22 Am bi thu mar sin daonnan, a bhuineagag?

23 The man in Flodigarry got rid of his Fairy assistants by telling them to bale out the sea.

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26 The natives preserve the true name of the place when they call it “The Lairgs.”

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29 “Is glas do leanamh.” “Is glas am fiar ’s fÀsaidh e.” “Is trom do leanamh.” “Is trom gach torrach.” “Is eutrom do leanamh.” “Is eutrom gach saoghaltach sona.”

The first two lines of this quatrain occur also in a song on the deceitfulness of women, by a young man, whose first love had forsaken him. She “killed him with a stony stare,” and merely asked, “whence comes the sallow stripling?” (“Co ar tha’n corra-ghille glas?”)

30 Ma tha tÙr aig marbh, nach bi thu oidhche dhÌth do leabaidh.

31 My informant could not say whether this was seed-time (mÀrt cur an t-sÌl) or harvest (mÀrt buain); probably the former (cf. Campbell’s West Highland Tales, ii., p. 98).

32 It may interest the reader that the man (a shrewd enough person in ordinary life) from whom this story was heard, adduced it as proof of the existence of Fairies, of which he said there could be no doubt; he had heard the story from his father, who knew the weaver.

33 Iarr air choÌr e, ’s gun agam ach mi fhÌn.

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36 Tha e na each bagais aig na sÌthchean an cÀrn na Sleabhach, agus gad seillich na bhialthaobh.

Alasdair used to say the men of the present day were very small compared to their ancestors, and to prophecy with his teetotum, they would continue growing smaller and smaller, till at last it would take six of them to pull a wisp of hay.

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38 “MÀrt a threabh mi, mÀrt a chuir mi, mÀrt a bhuain mi; Fhir a dh’Òrduich na trÌ mÀirt, na leig na bheil san rÒp’ uamsa.” “LÀmh t’athar ’s do sheanar ort, bha feum agad labhairt.”

39 Gregory’s West Highlands and Islands, p. 285.

40 Tradition is pretty uniform that Sir Lachlan was killed by the arrow of a little man, and the above is probably only a superstitious version of the real circumstances. The story of powerful warriors, however, struck in the forehead by the arrows of little men, like the stories of Tell and the apple, and Alfred and the cakes, is told of too many persons to be above the suspicion of being a popular myth.

The natives of one of the villages in Tiree are known by the nickname of “Clann Du-shith” and “SÌthbheirean.” The assertion that Du-sÌth was the ancient name of Duncan is incorrect, as one of those from whom the village nickname was derived was called Donnchadh mÒr mac Dhu-shÌth. The little man, who killed Lachunn Mor is also known as an t-ochdarann bodaich, the eighth part measure of a carle.

41 It is often observable in popular tales that articles of modern use are ascribed to those who lived before their invention. Anachronisms are not heeded in popular lore.

42 This DÒ’il MacJain is probably the DÒ’il du beag Innse-ruithe, a celebrated bowman and follower of Cameron of Locheil, and, as his name denotes, a person of small stature, who, according to tradition, shot the arrow that nailed the hand of Big Angus Macian (Aonghas MÒr Mac’ic EÒin) of Ardnamurchan, one of the most stalwart men of his day, to his forehead, in Coir Ospuinn, in Morvern, circ. A.D. 1596. Others say Jain du beag (little black John) was the hunter whose arrow struck the hind. Another (perhaps the same) celebrated Lochaber archer was Jain beag a bhuilg bhÀin (little John of the white bag) from Coiruanain.

43 Several versions of the song will be found in Campbell’s Leabhar na Feinne, p. 198. According to the Skye tradition, the secret of Oisian’s birth was not known till notice was taken of his never eating venison like the rest of the host. On being questioned, he said, “When everyone picks his mother’s shank bone, I will pick my own mother’s slender shank bone.”

44 This version was originally taken down in Gaelic from the recitation of Malcolm Sinclair, Balefuill, Tiree. The tale was known in Ireland, and the reputation of it still survives very extensively throughout the Highlands.

45 This rendering of the popular incantation differs somewhat from that given by Mr. Campbell himself. The Gaelic version is the best the writer has been able to fall in with. Var. An laogh maol carrach is miosa na ainm, “the polled-scabbed calf, that is worse than its name, take off your head,” etc.

46 This version of the story is from Skye. A version from Uist is given in Campbell’s Tales of the West Highlands, ii. 68. It varies merely in representing the thirsty man as a traveller, who, in consequence of refusing from the Fairy the drink for which he had wished, was drowned at the next ferry.

47 This creature, haunting the pastures of the cattle, partakes more strongly of the character of the Glaistig, afterwards to be described, than of the Fairy women.

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49 The same incident is related of the Sron-Charmaig Glaistig.

50 Both names have the same meaning, being derived from a kind of head-dress (ceann-eididh, cuaraig) peculiar to the clan.

51 The last two lines suggest this to be a modern composition, and not a popular tradition. Supernatural beings do not go away in flames in Highland superstition.

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53 Bheir mise mo bhriathrun, nach d’ thÉid mis’ air na sgÀlun ciadna rithis.

54 It was said of Dougall, that when he wanted a sheep he drove a whole flock through a particular gap in the rocks, while his wife stood in waiting to catch the animal fixed upon. Once she allowed this sheep to pass, and Dougall asked her what she meant. “How,” she said, “could I take the sheep of my own godfather?” (goistidh). Dougall replied, “The man might be your godfather, but the sheep was not your godfather.”

55 This story of Glaistig officiousness is an appropriation of a floating tale that had its origin long previous to Mac Ian Year’s time.

56 In olden times a wall (of turf) was commonly built to separate the crop land from the hill ground, and was known as GÀradh brÀgh’d, or Upper Wall. The ground above the GÀradh brÀgh’d was known as the Eirbhe.

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58 The trews went into the shoe, close-fitted to the legs, and was fastened with a buckle at the waist.

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60 Such was the terror inspired a few years ago by a report that the Water-horse of Loch Meudaidh had made its re-appearance that the natives would not take home peats that they had cut at the end of the loch by boat (the only way open to them), and the fuel was allowed to go waste.

61 A Water-horse was killed in Skye, where the stream from Eisgeadal falls into Loch Fada, at the foot of Storr, by sticking a knife into it. It had previously killed a man.

62 Corc-chluasach is also applied to calves the ears of which are in any way naturally marked, as if with a knife, slit in the points, serrated in the upper part, or with a piece out of the back.

63 The big beast of Scanlastle in Islay was one of this kind. It devoured seven horses on its way to Loch-in-daal. A ship was lying at anchor in the loch at the time, and a line of barrels filled with deadly spikes, and with pieces of flesh laid upon them, was placed from the shore to the ship. Tempted by the flesh, the ‘loathly worm’ made its way out on the barrels and was killed by the spikes and cannon.

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65 “Is mise nach d’Éirich air mo lÀimh dheis an duigh.”

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67 Leagadh-iochd is the remission of arrears of rent, lit. a merciful letting down.

68 Manadaireachd.

69 The Bait-stone (Clach shuill) was a stone on which to break shell-fish, potatoes, etc., to be thrown into the water to attract fish. The broken bait was called soll, faoire.

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73 Tom-na-h-iubhraich, the Boat Mound, probably derives its name from its resemblance to a boat, bottom upwards. Another popular account makes it the abode of the FeinnÉ, or Fin Mac Coul and his men. There is a huge chain suspended from the roof, and if any mortal has the courage to strike it three times with his fist, the heroes will rise again. A person struck it twice, and was so terrified by the howling of the big dogs (donnal na con mÒra) that he fled. A voice called after him, “Wretched mischief-making man, that worse hast left than found” (Dhuine dhon a dhÒlaich, ’s miosa dh’fhÀg na fhuair).

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76 “Bi sia baintighearnun diag as deigh an aon tÀilleir chrÙbaich.”

77 “Meair thig an cro bÀn do BhlÀr, cuirear seachd cuir de chuibhle mhuilinn BhlÀir le fuil sluaigh.”

78 “Cuiridh claigionn na caorach an crann ’s fheum, no an crann araidh air an fharadh;

79 “Olaidh am fitheach a shÀth, bhar an lÀir, air mullach clach Àrd an Uig.”

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81 This stone is about ten ft. high, and is one of the three fragments into which a larger stone, used by an old woman of former days as a hammer to knock limpets off the rocks (Òrd bhÀirneach), was broken. Of the other two, one is in Uigh an du tuath, and one in Tarnsa Islet. At a spot from which these three fragments can be seen, there is hidden an urn of silver and an urn of gold (croggan Òir ’s cr. airgid). It is easy to find a place whence one can see two, but when about to see the third, one of the first two disappears. Five or six yards make all the difference. A herdsman once found the spot, but when digging for the treasure he happened to see a heifer that had fallen on its back in a stream. He ran to its rescue, and never could find the place again.

82 CÀth, prob. a step path in a rock.

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84 Does this refer to excommunication? A candle was then extinguished in water.

85 Perhaps this means burial with the face downwards. The mother of an illegitimate child, which died in infancy, and the paternity of which was denied, declared if she had known that would be the case, she would have buried the child with its face downward. This was said to be in Tiree, but all the writer’s inquiries failed to find any one who had ever heard of such a thing being done. It is a saying “a down mouth to women if they are not to be found everywhere” (Beul sÌos air na mnathan, mar faighear ’s gach Àit iad).

86 “Nach faicear toradh ad Ìm, no Ìm ann ad bhainne.”

87 “Is tric a bha mise ’g imlich na mias agus a’ lomadh nan cnÀmh an tigh t’ athar.”

88 “Ged thug mi biadh ’us cÀise ’s uibhean duit, air do dhÀ lÀimh, Iogain ’ic Iogain, chuir thu ’n gad roi mo dhÒrn.”

89 The Mull doctor passed a house from which loud sounds of talking proceeded. He remarked that in that house were either twenty men or three women.

90 This was Nial na Buaile, who lived in a house alone several miles from any other house. The hollow is called Sloc-an-tÀilisg.

91 See page 304.

92 ’S Àrd mharcaich thu ’n raoir a MhÌcheil. Seall air do chois chlÌ. Ceil orm ’s ceilidh mi ort.

93 Fiacaill storÀch means a buck tooth.

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96 Allan was a native of Lochaber, the most notorious district in the Highlands for cattle-lifters, and derived his name from having lifted a creach “for every year of his life, and one for every quarter he was in his mother’s womb.” He died at the age of 34.