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HighlandWizard

Celtic and Scottish Lore and Myth

Lore means “teachings,” and Lore Mastery is all about knowing arcane (hidden) secrets and esoteric mysteries known to very few others. It is said that “knowledge is power,” and much of a Wizard’s true power comes from his vast knowledge. Lore particularly concerns myths and legends; a Lore-Master is also a storyteller, who can always come up with a tale to make any point.

The folklore of the Gaels of Ireland and the Highlands, is a vast subject of material, that makes fascinating read for those who are interested in Celtic lore.

A brief look at to some of the more notable aspects of our rich heritage of folk customs and beliefs. The roots of which go back to the pagan, nature religion of our ancestors. While the religious meanings have long since been forgotten by most, yet these ancient rites and customs survive in the 'folk memory' of the Gael. Celtic religion was by nature, tribal and localized. Deities were nature spirits that inhabited rivers, lochs, groves, moorland, mountains and glens. Worship of these places survived long after the Gods themselves had been cast aside through the influence of Christianity. This can be seen in many place names."

DEISEIL: A very common practice is the circling three times deiseil, or sunwise, of a certain place, house etc., to bring good luck and fortune. This is clearly a pagan custom of drawing down the power of the sun, associated with blessings, good health and fortune. For example, fire is carried three times around an infant; boats are rowed three times sunwise before a journey; the sick circle three times around a holy well for health.

QUARTER DAYS: The Quarter Days are the old Celtic festivals of Samhain, Bride, Beltaine and Lughnassad, and much folklore surrounds them. They are considered especially potent days for all types of charms, divinations and so on. Needfires are kindled for the protection and purification of people and livestock; visits to holy wells are made; dedications of bannocks are carried out. These days, are also considered lucky for journeys, new adventures, rovers etc. There are also certain taboos, however. It is considered dangerous to give away fire in the form of a kindling, in case the luck of the house goes with it.
The First Monday of the Quarter, is dedicated to the moon, and is also considered very lucky. A system of divination used in the Highlands, known as The Frith, was carried out on this day, just before sunrise. The seer would go barefoot to stand in the doorway of the house, and the divination would be made from what is seen, particularly of birds and animals.

MOON PHASES: Sowing and planting were always done at the waxing moon. The waning moon was considered good for ploughing, reaping, cutting peat. On the waning moon, hazel and willow were not cut for baskets, nor was wood cut for boats. Everyone once carried a 'peighinn pisich' (lucky penny) which was turned over three times in the pocket at the first sight of the new crescent.

WATER: The magic of water is widely known. Wells, pools, streams are reputed to have healing powers and life preserving properties. Springs are particularly beneficial, as they carry water from the heart of the Earth. At one time, there were over six hundred (600) holy wells all over Scotland; they were originally shrines of local water deities. Before drinking of the well water, you must circle the well three times and 'silver' the water with a silver coin.

THE SEA: Much superstition surrounds this. Certain things must not be given their correct name at sea, even places, for fear of causing offence to the 'Good People'. Certain birds are either good or bad omens if seen at sea. A stranger must not walk over ropes, oars etc. or this would bring bad luck. When rowing a boat you must start from the right hand side. A child born on the ebbing tide was considered to be unlucky, and would probably grow up weak and sickly.

ANIMALS: There is a wealth of folklore concerning animals. The serpent in Scotland symbolizes wisdom and the Earth spirit. Bulls are especially linked with fertility. The most common 'fairy animals' are the selkies, or seal people, and the kelpies, or water horses.

TREES: Certain trees are considered to be under the protection of the 'fairies', and to destroy a 'fairy' tree is a very dangerous act. ROWAN is the supreme tree of protection, and is used for the churn staff, distaff, the pin of the plough and in many other domestic and agricultural implements. It is common to Milk could be charmed from another's cows, but certain plants, plant a rowan near the front door of the house, or near the byre door. As a wandmaker I am very aware of the properties of trees and the care and process in harvesting wand wood. I am working on a wand site that will encompase all of these techniques.

HAZEL: is associated with divination, especially of water. The nuts are embodiments of wisdom and children born in the autumn could have the 'milk of the nut', said to be of great benefit.

ELDER: The bourtree is also a protective tree and features a great deal in folklore.

WILLOW and ALDER: Are especially beloved of water spirits. Thorn trees are said to be sacred to the fairies, especially if three are found growing together.

IVY is protective of milk. Ivy, woodbine and rowan are combined in wreaths and placed over the lintels of cow houses. Many plants are said to have magical properties, such as Saint John's Wort, pearlwort, vervain, yarrow, woodbine, foxglove and many others. such as pearlwort, could be used to counteract this.

STONES: Many standing stones are reputed to have healing powers. Stones with holes through them are especially good for 'curing' barren women. Small healing stones, sometimes shaped like different parts of the body, were used in the Highlands. The sick person would wash the affected part and then rub it with the appropriate stone.

'ELF BOLTS'- the name given to small flint arrowheads, were also considered lucky if found. Cattle were given water to drink in which an elf bolt had been dipped.

THE KNOCKING STONE - a large lump of stone, hollowed out, in which corn was bruised. It was closely associated with the daily bread and therefore with the 'luck of the house'.

FAMILY CHARM STONES these were stones handed down through families that were said to have supernatural powers. The most famous charm stone was that of the Brahan Seer, Kenneth MacKenzie, who lived in the 17th century. It was a small white stone with a hole in the centre; when he looked through it he could 'see' into the future.

THE FAIRIES: One of the most important aspects of Gaelic folklore is the preservation of the 'Fairy Tradition' in story and song. The belief in fairies was widespread until very recently in Celtic countries. In Scotland, the most famous incidents involving the taking of mortals to Fairyland are of Thomas the Rhymer, Tam Lin and the Rev. Robert Kirk, author of the remarkable book 'The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies'. There are several schools of thought as to the origin of the belief in fairies:
1) Some say the fairies are a folk memory of a former race of people (such as the Fir Bolgs), slightly smaller and stockier than us in stature, who lived underground in mound-like dwellings.
2). Others see the fairies as 'Fallen Angels', who were denied a place in Heaven through some misdeed or other. This is obviously a later, Christianized explanation.
3). Many people see the fairies as a non-human race of nature spirits, and also as the spirits of the Departed. Most fairy hills would seem to be associated with ancient burial places.
4). The fairies are also said to be the Gods of an older, Earth based religion who have diminished in stature only as a result of the bias against their worship by the Church.

FAIRYLAND: This is the magical dwelling place of the fairy folk, which is in essence the same as the Celtic Otherworld. Glimpses of the Otherworld can be had through the 'Second Sight'. Entrances to this land are often 'over the sea' to an island beneath the waves, or subterranean as in caves, mounds, etc. Fairy women often come in boats to take mortal men away to these lands, hence it is considered unlucky for seafaring men to see a woman before setting out on a journey by boat.

FAIRY GIFTS: Many folk stories tell of fairies giving gifts to mortals, for example gold, but this often turns to withered leaves or muck. Other gifts to various Scottish clans are fairy flags and fairy chanters

THE CHANGELING: The fairies would sometimes take away young babies (especially new born) and leave a sickly child of their own in its place, which would soon wither and die.

THE BAN SIDH: (Banshee) - this means a fairy woman, but is usually used to mean the spirit of a dead ancestress, the guardian spirit of one of the old Irish families. In the Highlands she was known as the Glaistig Uaine, the Green Lady. When any great misfortune (such as a death) was about to happen in the family, her cries could be heard.

THE GRUAGACH: a fairy warrior who guarded livestock, especially at night, but expected a daily offering of milk for his work. Libations were poured on 'gruagach stones' (especially in Skye).

BAN NIGH: The Washer of the Ford, a gloomy figure seen in the dark of night, washing the shroud of someone about to die.

THE CAILLEACH: the old woman, the night mare; many place names are named after her.

URUISG: spirits of the forest, half human, half goat, with ragged, hairy appearance. They are wild and savage, and it is possible to establish friendships with them. Uruisgs will help households that they attach themselves to, and work for little reward, but they are easily offended. They are similar to the Brownies of the Lowland areas.

HIGHLAND SECOND SIGHT: The Highlanders are famed for this gift, but few will speak openly about it, for they have such a superstitious fear of it. Visions usually come to the seer uninvited, and often against the will of the person. Seeing a person's double, or seeing the death shroud about someone, meant that their death was imminent. Those with Second Sight can also see events happening to living people who are great distances away at that particular time.

INVOCATIONS: Traditional invocations play an important part in Highland life, and are recited on all significant occasions. They bear a thin surface of Christian influence, below which can be seen the old pagan deities. Examples: Invocation of the Graces, Invocation for Justice, and many others.

THE EVIL EYE: The 'Droch shuil' - this is a very potent Highland belief, which clearly has its origins in the Celtic legend of the Fomorian God 'Balor of the Evil Eye'. It is believed that certain people have the ability to blight things on which they cast their gaze; this unfortunate gift can also be possessed by people with no evil intent, and consider themselves cursed by it. Stale urine is a powerful antidote for the Evil Eye. Another way to combat this is to drink three mouthfuls of water which has been poured over silver

In historic Scotland Myth and tales make up a big part of their religion, or did before Christianity came on the scene. Here is a little something about one particular favorite character.

In the Highlands of Scotland (ALBA, - Scotland), the Cailleach Bhéara (pronounced cal'yach vare' ah) "Veiled One", is the Maiden, Woman Warrior, blue-faced hag who personifies winter.

She "existed from the long eternity of the world." Her great age was venerable, a sign of power, and proverbially: "As old as the Cailleach Bhéara." She was an ancestral mother who outlived many husbands, "so that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were peoples and races." Folk memory connects her to megalithic sanctuaries, and names many after her.

The Cailleach was said to have built some of these Neolithic monuments in "one night's work." Often she carried the stones in an apron, which came undone, scattering them across the land. She also hurled boulders from hilltop to hilltop. Certain landscape features were her creation, as when she turned a prize bull into a sea rock by striking him with her magic staff.

In the Highlands of Scotland, her cult was particularly widespread. She brings all weather. According to tradition, she comes out on Feb. 1st to gather firewood. If the weather is good, she collects all the firewood she needs for the coming cold summer. If the weather is bad, she stays indoors, and has no firewood. Therefore, she has to make the summer warm.

Although typically a Hag Goddess, she may have the ability to transform into a beautiful woman. She was seen as excessively strong, and could carry mountains in her apron.

Her symbols include mountains, standing stones, bad weather, large birds, holly trees, the gorse bush, and the winter sun. Deer, cattle, goats, wolves, and pigs are also her animals.

In Celtic tradition, there were two suns: the big (summer) sun, which appears between Beltaine and Samhain, and the little (winter) sun, which appears the rest of the year. The little sun was called Grainan, and so The Cailleach was sometimes called the daughter of Grainan.

There is one story of her that denotes her cruelty. She appears in a village as a weak old woman looking for farm help. She makes a deal with many young, healthy men that they will be paid only if they can outwork her. Judging from her frail appearance, this seems an easy task. However, the men soon found out that she was no frail old woman, and many men went to their deaths from exhaustion trying to outwork her.

There is one legend that she was the guardian of a well at the top of Ben Cruachan. Every night she placed a boulder over it to stop it from overflowing. However, one night she forgot to do this, and the water flowed down the mountain in to the valley where every creature and person was killed. The Cailleach tried to stop the flood, but couldn't, and the valley became Loch Awe. She was so horrified by what she had done that she turned to stone.

There is also a story that she appeared at the door of Diarmuid, who agreed she could warm herself by the fire against the objections of Oisin and Fionn. Later, she climbed into his bed. He didn't object to this, but tried to keep on sleeping. To his surprise, she then turned into a beautiful woman.

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Mystic Scotland

A land of snow-topped mountains and dark mysterious glens, of lonely loch and sparkling burn, of empty road and twisting track, where every corner is steeped in history, myth and legend. It's a land, too, at ease with tales of the supernatural, where the spoken word still survives comfortably alongside the written account.

The wild country that makes up the county of Sutherland in the northern part of the Highlands is a good place to start looking for eerie stories and tales of the unknown - if you've the nerve.

Of course here, during the last century, the land was cleared of its people to make way for the more profitable sheep. Much of that tragic period in Highland history, known as the Clearances, was centered on this area, which accounts for its strange emptiness today. It was also here that the last witch to be burnt in Britain met her agonizing fate. Does that perhaps say a lot about the area?

Second Sight
The ability of some people to see spirit creatures,future events and even coming death - the curse or gift of "Second Sight" as it's known - is accepted as part of the 'old Highland way' of life, even though frowned upon by the Church. Many of the stories old and new which abound, told and retold and changed in the telling no doubt, have that psychic element to them and a seeming preoccupation with death.

The Black Stagecoach
Take the black stagecoach pulled by four black horses seen on a number of occasions at tiny Kilmote, near Portgower. The phantoms race down a hill and vanish at the gates of the nearby cemetery. Local people know their appearance means someone in the area is shortly to die.
Or what about the crofter returning home from the field and, passing a neighbor's house, hears a strange rumble, like the sound of falling stones. He thinks a wall has collapsed so he checks the drystane dykes, but everything seems fine. The strange noise leaves him feeling uneasy so he tells his wife when he gets home. Next day they're shocked to learn the neighbor has been drowned.

Strange Little Man
Strange lights, lots of them! The strange dancing lights, for example, seen at a cross-roads at the spot where a short time later a young lad on top of a hay cart falls and breaks his neck. Of course, the lights are never seen again.
Then there are the sightings of a strange little man, again a warning of either death - or an eviction. He was described as being about the size of a large doll, wearing a jacket and a red hood and sometimes a red cloak!
Then there are many stories of strange half-human creatures, such as the water kelpie...

I was told by: A Man on the Height near Dun Conor:

It's said there's everything in the sea the same as on the land, and we know there's horses in it. This boy here saw a horse one time out in the sea, a grey one, swimming about. And there were three men from the north island caught a horse in their nets one night when they were fishing for mackerel, but they let it go; it would have broke the boat to bits if they had brought it in, and anyhow they thought it was best to leave it. One year at Kinvara, the people were missing their oats that was eaten in the fields, and they watched one night and it was five or six of the sea-horses they saw eating the oats, but they could not take them, they made off to the sea.

And there was a man on the north island fishing on the rocks one time, and a mermaid came up before him, and was partly like a fish and the rest like a woman. But he called to her in the name of God to be off, and she went and left him.

There was a boy was sent over here one morning early by a friend of mine on the other side of the island, to bring over some cattle that were in a field he had here, and it was before daylight, and he came to the door crying, and said he heard thirty horses or more galloping over the roads there, where you'd think no horse could go.

Surely those things are on the sea as well as on the land. My father was out fishing one night off Tyrone and something came beside the boat, that had eyes shining like candles. And then a wave came in, and a storm rose of a moment, and whatever was in the wave, the weight of it had like to sink the boat. And then they saw that it was a woman in the sea that had the shining eyes. So my father went to the priest, and he bid him always to take a drop of holy water and a pinch of salt out in the boat with him, and nothing would harm him.

A Galway Bay Lobster-Seller:
They are on the sea as well as on the land, and their boats are often to be seen on the bay sailing boats and others. They look like our own, but when you come near them they are gone in an instant
My mother one time thought she saw our own boat come in to the pier with my father and two other men in it, and she got the supper ready, but when she went down to the pier and called them there was nothing there, and the boat didn't come in till two hours after.
There were three or four men went out one day to fish, and it was a dead calm; but all of a sudden they heard a blast and they looked, and within about three mile of the boat they saw twelve men from the waist, the rest of them was under water. And they had sticks in their hands and were striking one another. And where they were, and the blast, it was rough, but smooth and calm on each side.

There's a sort of a light on the sea sometimes; some call it a "Jack O'Lantern" and some say it is sent by them to mislead them.

There's many of them out in the sea, and often they pull the boats down. It's about two years since four fishermen went out from Aran, two fathers and two sons, where they saw a big ship corning in and flying the flag for a pilot, and they thought she wanted to be brought in to Galway. And when they got near the ship, it faded away to nothing and the boat turned over and they were all four drowned.

There were two brothers of my own went to fish for the herrings, and what they brought up was like the print of a cat, and it turned with the inside of the skin outside, and no hair. So they pulled up the nets, and fished no more that day. There was one of them lying on the strand here, and some of the men of the village came down of a sudden and surprised him. And when he saw he was taken he began a great crying. But they only lifted him down to the sea and put him back into it. Just like a man they said he was. And a little way out there was another just like him, and when he saw that they treated the one on shore so kindly, he bowed his head as if to thank them.

Whatever's on the land, there's the same in the sea, and between the islands of Aran they can often see the horses galloping about at the bottom [4].
There was a sort of a big eel used to be in Tully churchyard, used to come and to root up the bodies, but I didn't hear of him of late - he may be done away with now.

There was one Curran told me one night he went down to the strand where he used to be watching for timber thrown up and the like. And on the strand, on the dry sands, he saw a boat, a grand one with sails spread and all, and it up farther than any tide had ever reached. And he saw a great many people round about it, and it was all lighted up with lights. And he got afraid and went away. And four hours after, after sunrise, he went there again to look at it, and there was no sign of it, or of any fire, or of any other thing. The Mara-warra (mermaid) was seen on the shore not long ago, combing out her hair. She had no fish's tail, but was like another woman.

John Corley:
There is no luck if you meet a mermaid and you out at sea, but storms will come, or some ill will happen.

There was a ship on the way to America, and a mermaid was seen following it, and the bad weather began to come. And the captain said, "It must be some man in the ship she's following, and if we knew which one it was, we'd put him out to her and save ourselves." So they drew lots, and the lot fell on one man, and then the captain was sorry for him, and said he'd give him a chance till tomorrow. And the next day she was following them still, and they drew lots again, and the lot fell on the same man. But the captain said he'd give him a third chance, but the third day the lot fell on him again. And when they were going to throw him out he said, "Let me alone for a while." And he went to the end of the ship and he began to sing a song in Irish, and when he sang, the mermaid began to be quiet and to rock like as if she was asleep. So he went on singing till they came to America, and just as they got to the land the ship was thrown up into the air, and came down on the water again. There's a man told

me that was surely true.
And there was a boy saw a mermaid down by Spiddal not long ago, but he saw her before she saw him, so she did him no harm. But if she'd seen him first, she'd have brought him away and drowned him.

Sometimes a light will come on the sea before the boats to guide them to the land. And my own brother told me one day he was out and a storm came on of a sudden, and the sail of the boat was let down as quick and as well as if two men were in it. Some neighbor or friend it must have been that did that for him. Those that go down to the sea after the tide going out, to cut the weed, often hear under the sand the sound of the milk being churned. There's some didn't believe that till they heard it themselves.

Interviews by Carmichael
From Carmenia Galadica
Presented by Scone, Nancy MacCorkill
Author, Poet, Historian of the Ancient Clans of Scotland

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Brownie
Good-natured, invisible brown elves or household goblins who live in farmhouses and other country dwellings in Scotland. While people are asleep, they perform their labors for them. They are known to be protective creatures and they become attached to a certain place of family. Even if the family should move to another continent, the brownies will accompany them in their migration. If offered payment for their services or if they are treated badly, they disappear and are never seen again.
The little hairy brownies, with their flat faces and pinhole nostrils, are not very attractive, but their happy smiles and extrovert characters makes up for that. The innocent nature of children allows them to see the brownies, but disbelieving adults will never get a glimpse of them. This however does not prevent the brownies from helping adults in countless minor ways.

Ghillie Dhu
The Ghillie Dhu is a solitary Scottish elf who lives in birches. His clothes are woven from leaves and moss.

Celtic Halloween
The history of Halloween begins with the ancient Celtic religious celebration of Samhain (summer's end). One of the two greatest Druidic festivals (Beltane is the other), Samhain marked the end of the light half of the year and the beginning of the dark half.

Samhain is the Celtic new year celebration. Beginning on the evening of October 31 (the Celts counted their days from sunset to sunset, just as the bible does), the festival would last three days (perhaps longer).
As with other holidays of the Celtic year, October 31 marked a mystical time when the usual barriers between our world and the Otherworld thinned and stretched allowing contact between human beings and the fairy folk and/or the spirits of the dead.

Many of the celebratory elements, such as playing pranks, originated in the notion that at this time the world was turned inside out prompting people to act with abandon against the usual social strictures.
Fire is a central element in all the Druidic celebrations. All hearthfires were put out and new fires lit from the great bonfires. In Scotland, men lit torches in the bonfires and circled their homes and lands with them to obtain protection for the coming year.

Later, Christian elements came into play, as All Hallows' Day (all Saints' Day) and All Souls' Day contributed their own unique traditions to the core, such as trick or treating (collecting "soul cakes" on All Souls' Day) and dressing up in frightening costumes as protection against evil spirits.

At no time, either in the druid religion nor in the Christian, was Halloween history connected with the devil or devil worship. Modern satanists have appropriated a holiday that is not their own.

Once Halloween (name corrupted from All Hallows' Eve) came to America from Ireland and Scotland, other cultures have added their own elements to the modern American celebration - vampire lore, werewolves, etc.

"Hogmanay" Celebrating a Classic Hogmanay

Rise up, guid wife, an' shake your feathers, Dinna think that we are beggars: We are bairns come out to play, get up and gie's our Hogmanay!
The pagan Celts got some things right. When the grey monotony and darkness of a Scottish winter enveloped the land, the natives punctuated the frigid season with the fire festivals and the great feasts. Today's Scottish festival of Hogmanay has ancient origins in the winter solstice, when the sun gradually returned after the shortest day, bringing with it warmth and the renewal of spring.

Before the reformation of the 16th century put a damper on people's communal celebrations, Scottish society, rich and poor alike, indulged in the 12 days of mid-winter "bacchanalia". Called "Daft Days," the revelry can be traced to Rome's Saturnalia and the Norse festival of Yule. During these Daft Days, society was turned upside down: profane songs were sung in churches, nobles were mocked, and drinking and feasting prevailed. The fun ended with the festival of Uphalieday on the Twelfth Night of Christmas.

The Scots still manage to do their ancestors proud with Hogmanay, the great New Year's Eve festival. In days gone by, bonfires were lit and gifts were exchanged (the word Hogmanay is possibly related to an old French dialect word meaning a gift at new year, or may be derived from "au geux menez", which means "bringing games").

Hogmanay in Scotland is a festival of renewal, an opportunity to cast off bad luck and hardship, to renew friendships and hope. In more recent times, all debts were paid off, borrowed articles were returned before the New Year, and homes were thoroughly cleaned.

The rituals and ceremonies of Hogmanay have continued for thousands of years. There are still fire festivals in some Scottish communities. And although much of the celebrating takes place in Scottish homes, it is still the custom in towns and cities to gather at the mercat (market)cross to publicly welcome the New Year at midnight. Flasks of whiskey are passed around and New Year's greetings are exchanged after the bells have struck. Auld Lang Syne is sung, and the crowd disperses for the ritual of the first-footing: bringing in the New Year with friends and family, and sharing a dram (or two) from their bottle of whiskey.

Nancy MacCorkill, F.S.A. Scot USA
Author, Poet,
Historian of the Ancient Clans of Scotland,
Researcher in Dept of Celt

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CELTIC CULTURE THE HEARTH FIRE
From Samhain to Bride, the winter solstice, Celtic referred to it as the 'period of the little son'' we can appreciate that they had a special reverence for the hearth. Fewer daylight hours, and the days became cold, frosty wintry. To work outdoors was not a treat and the cold storms battering the home, and the land around them makes on understand why they had special significance for the hearth.

Spending time around the fire which gave them light and warmth, warm food and a pleasant place to conjure up the stories that the Celtic people seem to love to tell. It would become a special place for a Bard to tell his stories or recite poetry, and in general entertain as well as teach the family. He would recite the good deeds of people they knew, and inform them of past experiences. It was a good audience, happy to listen to these recountings to break the monetary of the cold weather and learn the stories themselves.

The Gaels and Celtic peoples saw the circle as representing the cycle of life, and the hearth of fire, like the heart of a person, was considered the centre of life and therefore belonged in the centre of the home.

We see this repeated in the design of crannogs and round houses, and in summer the Celts picked out the best round hills for their meetings, story telling and learning. They used the hills for appeasing their Gods, and tended to always go up on the hills, whether to be seen or heard better, or whether it was a form of outdoor Cathedral for them, we are not sure. We are sure they used them for their form of worship, and also used hills as burial mounds. Sometimes they built the hills, upon the graves, and continued until the hill was quite high.

Even their forts or raths which contained their community and they were round houses within the circular fort. So we can understand that the circle had special significance for them in many ways.

The hearth was always placed in the center of the home, which was usually round. They felt the circle was like the life cycle. The fire was also sacred and associated with Brighid or Bride. Her name means 'fiery arrow' and she was their Goddess of poetry. She was also the Goddess of healing. During the Fire Rite of Beannachadh na Cuairle, or the Blessing of the Circle, during the healing process the person is passed through a hoop of fire (again a circle), She is also know as 'the flame in the heart of all women'.

In later history there was the perpetual fire of Kildare which was tended by nine maidens and kept alight in honor of St. Bride.

In the Welsh tradition there is also the tale in which the fire heats the cauldron, of the head of Annwfn is kindled by the breath of nine maidens. These associations of femininity, the cauldron of nourishment and the sacred fire, can also be seen in the daily life of the people.

The home and the hearth always belonged to the woman of the house and as such it was her responsibility to ensure that they were sufficiently maintained and a house of any standing had to have at least one bronze cauldron which was used as the main cooking pot. The image reflected in the bronze cauldron was the image of the bountiful Earth Mother who is nouriser and provider to her children. All these powerful images are round, and the significance is not lost on the student of the Celts.

The woman of the house had a separate place in the house situated in the sunny area of the home known as Grianan or sun house.

We are reminded that the Celtic people had feminine, as well as masculine deities of the sun. The 'realms of the sun and the moon' in which both the masculine and feminine principles reside.

The fire of the hearth, held such importance, on all levels, to our ancestors. Many customs necessitated observance to ensure the continued blessing of the flame. For example, if the hearth fire when out, it was considered extremely unlucky, with the exception of the two festival periods of Samhain and Beltaine when the hearth fires were extinguished and re-kindled from the central festival fire. Each night the fire was covered over or 'smoored' so that it would smolder overnight without going out.

I have among my papers, a ritual blessing that was said as the fire was 'smoored', I found the blessing and will print it below. The blessing was extremely important in their ritual and had to be done a special way. The blessing was recited over the fire as it was being smoored. The title of the blessing I have is simply 'Smooring.'

Other blessing varied from area to area but one which proved to be very popular was recorded by Carmichael in his book 'Carmina Gadelica'. Translation runs as follows: The Sacred Three To Save To Shield To Surround The Hearth The House The Household This Eve This Night Oh, this Night And Every Night Each Single Night. A similar blessing was given when the fire was opened up each morning.

The old Scots saying: "Lang may your lum reek wi' ither folks coal" comes from the custom of giving some fuel for the fire when visiting someone else's house. In some areas this custom is still recognised by people when they go 'first footing' at New Year. It was considered lucky to give and receive fuel for the fire but it was extremely unlucky to give kindling or light from your own fire to someone whose fire had gone out. In giving away your kindling or flame you were also giving away your blessing leaving yourself unprotected.
Bride and her association with fire, made the ritual at the festival a particularly important affair, and great attention was paid to the hearth fire. During the day it was kept particularly fuelled to welcome her arrival and great care was taken over the smooring of the fire at night when a rowan rod was placed in the heart of the fire.

The following morning, before it was opened up, the fire was checked for the signs of a blessing from Her. If a mark was found, there was an extremely fortunate time ahead for the family.

You can see by the article that the fire was a grave responsibility for the lady of the house.

Carmichael took great care in writing down all the notes from the elder people in the Western Isles. He, was one of the first to realize that the habits and rituals of the Celts was dying out with each new generation and that is why he went to talk with the elder people. He interview (talked) with them for hours, and many days of the week. He took copious notes on what they told him and his is one of the greatest tools to help us understand the people who had only the oral tradition. Without Carmichael, we would not know much of the traditions and rituals, the blessings and the religion of the Celts.

Still today, the circle is of great importance to some Scots and they probably don't realize why, thinking it is a tradition handed down they do it, but the premise of why they do it? most do not know. What a wonderful gift Carmichael gave us.

Nancy MacCorkill, F.S.A. Scot USA
Author, Poet,
Historian of the Ancient Clans of Scotland

CELTIC CULTURE THE HEARTH FIRE PART II
CUSTOMS OF THE HOME

Customs practiced in daily life concerning the home. After all, what is custom but the practices, or habits which are carried out on a regular basis and the home is the centre of regular daily living.

Incidentally, the Gaelic for custom is GNATHS (pronounced 'Graah') which comes from the old Celtic GNATO-S. It is from this that we also have such words in the Gaelic as GNATH EOLAS - experience, and GNATHFHACAL - wise saying, which does tend to give other indications as to how important the Gaelic-Celtic peoples viewed customs.

The first custom:
The building of the home itself. If a house was built during the period of a day and a night, and the smoke of a fire could be seen coming from the chimney at dawn the next day, then the occupants had won the right to live there. This custom was still practiced until comparatively recently in Ireland.
Lighting the fire in the hearth at dawn is a reflection of the essence of the completion of the house with all the elements in the right order, This provided the foundation around which daily life could take place. The protection of the house and its occupants from unseen forces was also of great concern to the people. Rowan trees were either planted just outside the house or small pieces of rowan were placed on all the doorways and openings of the house to ensure protection.

The rowan was seen as a favorite of the Sidhe (the unseen beings of the otherworld) and so they would look kindly on places where the rowan could be found.

Getting back to the customs, the fire, this provided light, warmth and a means of cooking food to the family, in essence the basic necessities of life, thus it should come as no surprise that numerous customs concerning the upkeep of the fire still remain. Apart from certain quarter (festival) days, the fire was never allowed to go out. If it did go out it was considered an ill omen and a sign that the good luck of the house was being lost. To prevent the fire going out the folk had a way of settling the fire down at night so that it would remain smoldering without burning away too much precious fuel. This was known as 'smooring' the fire. Different parts of the country had their own chants and blessings which were recited as the 'smooring' of the fire was carried out, to ask protection for the house, the hearth and the folk within. This information may seem very familiar if you have read the importance of the hearth and the lighting and smooring of it, in one of my other articles.

The night was always considered a dangerous time as it was then that the Sidhe were out and about and great care had to be taken not to offend them. It was thought that if the Sidhe were offended then they could and would cause all sorts of havoc for the house and household. For this reason the likes of ashes from the fire and dirty water had to be deposited outside before dark so as to avoid covering the 'Good People' with the household refuse. In many places it was also the custom to leave gifts of milk and cheese outside the house for the Sidhe to encourage their goodwill.

Great care was also taken to ensure that the house was properly closed at night for if the Sidhe gained entrance they could cause major upset to the general order of the house. This was also the reason why - if a visitor knocked at the door of the house after dark they were not greeted with the customary "thig a steach" (come in); instead the occupants would first enquire as to who the caller was and wait for a suitable reply. It was also thought that the night was a time for 'those of the dead'' to be about and apart from the festival of Samhain, they were not really welcome amongst 'those of the living'.

Source: Carmenia Galladica
Presented by
Nancy MacCorkill
Author, Poet,
Historian of the Ancient Clans of Scotland

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"Gaelic and Celtic Tradition"
All culture developed from the people's relationship with the the land they live on. Today, culture is as important as it ever was, for it gives us an expression of being which is in harmony with the land, other people of like mind and the forces of the natural world. Culture is a way of life; there is still a thriving cultural tradition within the Gaidhealtachd.
The social structure of Bronze Age Celtic society was highly developed. It was, nevertheless, a tribal society, bonded together by an all-encompassing system of laws and social customs, known as the Brehon Laws, which lasted intact for centuries.

FAMILY - the extended family ('fine' or 'clann') was the basic social unit, consisting of several generations of descendants from one ancestor. When several families settled in a particular territory they formed a 'tuath', ruled over by a chieftain or a petty king. There were about 150 tuatha, or kingdoms, in ancient Ireland.

KINSHIP - The kinship group, and not the individual, was all important under Brehon law. The kinship group was responsible for the actions of all its members. 'Eric fine' had to be paid by the whole family on behalf of any transgressors of the law. Kinship also ensured a right to shares in any family inheritance (known as 'derbhfine').

HEARTH - The hearth was of central importance in Celtic society, and its foundation was the contract of handfasting. Within the hearth the woman's authority was absolute. The hearth was the centre of much activity, where many traditional crafts were carried out; it also provided warmth and nourishment, it was a gathering place for storytelling and music, and it had to be an open place of hospitality to all.

HOSPITALITY - A very important aspect of Celtic life. Both the hosts and the guests were expected to observe certain social customs. THE HOSTS had to provide food, drink, a warm bed if possible, and entertainment. They had to give the very best they had; not to do so was a gross insult. Once the guests had partaken of the hearth's hospitality, the hosts were obliged to refrain from any violence or quarrelling with them, for the guests were under the protection of the dun from then on. THE GUESTS would be expected to make an offering to the hearth of cakes, bread, wine etc. according to their ability. They must show respect to the hosts and not cause quarrels, fights or disruptions during their stay. They would normally be expected to sing a song, play a tune, or tell a tale.

BREHON LAWS - The Brehon laws were responsible for regulating a large part of social life even in ways that would fall outside the legal system of today. The laws set out codes of behavior that all members of a blood family had to adhere to. Within Celtic society there existed a clearly defined system of rank or caste (which was transient) - serfs/peasants; freemen/craftsmen; warriors; nobles; kings and priesthood. The Brehons, or judges, were of the Druid priesthood caste. If they made ill judgments they were expected to forfeit their fee and pay damage costs. Codes of behavior and levels of responsibility were laid down in the laws for each caste. The higher ranks had the most restrictions placed on them.

STATUS - This was largely determined by the ownership of cattle (there was no concept of land ownership in early Celtic society). Leases of livestock were granted to the tribe by the nobility in return for loyalty.

HONOUR PRICE - A strange mutual dependence existed between nobles and their clients. The status of a nobleman depended on the number of clients he leased cattle to. The client, however, gave up any status in law except through his creditor. Hence, creditors gave legal protection to their clients (known as their 'honor price'). Hon our prices were central to the operation of the Brehon laws, and clients would seek out creditors with the highest status, to gain the highest honor price.

TUATH - Beyond a family member's particular tuath, or tribal land, they could not normally be guaranteed legal protection, unless formerly agreed between tuatha.

KINGSHIP - The king was the key element of the social structure. He was responsible for harmony between the tribe and the land, and also for the prosperity of the tribe. He had to be generous; if he was niggardly he would suffer the poet's satire (a formidable weapon in Celtic society) and have his kingship taken from him. The king was responsible for the redistribution of wealth in his kingdom, by means of banquets and donating gifts.

FAIRS, FESTIVALS AND BANQUETS - These were important occasions which brought together all strata of society. Participation in the festivities was compulsory! (Not to enjoy the life you had been given was an insult). Guests were seated according to rank. The "champion's portion" was awarded to the warrior who showed the greatest courage. To hold a good banquet was to gain much prestige. It was important to invite the 'aes dana' (people of the arts - bards, musicians, etc.) Songs were sung, legends retold, and clan genealogies recited. Also, at festivals, settlements and judgments of legal cases were made, and handfasting contracts signed. However, no enmity must exist, no debt must be collected and no weapon must be lifted.

We have much to learn from our Celtic ancestors, and keeping alive our culture and social customs is one very important aspect of this. It is my hope that this Scottish and Celtic Internet Book will forever change your life, let you understand your ancestors, and know they were wonderful, beautiful people given the time they occupied their time on this earth. I wonder if someone will be able to say the same about us, in several hundred years. I have my doubts. Now, however, let us look back at the ideals, religions, traditions, fairytales and folklore in additional to their grand Mythology and their great closeness to the earth make them wondrous people in deed.

Traditional Scottish Festivals
http://www.rampantscotland.com/features/festivals.htm

First footing - 1st January
Visiting friends and relatives immediately after New Year's Eve, in the early hours of the morning of January 1st. First footing after the bells have rung in the New Year is still common - the "first foot" in the house after midnight  should be male, dark, and handsome and should carry symbolic coal, shortbread, salt, black bun ( a spiced cake) and, of course, whisky.
In Kirkwall, Orkney, there is a New Year Ba' Game held in the streets of the town which can last most of January 1st, between the Uppies and the Doonies, or more correctly, "Up-the-Gates" and "Doon-the-Gates" from Old Norse "gata" (path or road).

Handsel Monday - first Monday of the New Year
Traditionally this was the day on which handsel (presents) were given by employers to their staff, rather than on Christmas Day. Alternatively, in some areas, this was done on January 12th.

Burning of the Clavie - 11th January
In Burghead, Morayshire, a tar barrel filled with tar-soaked wood shavings is carried around the harbor and then to the Doorie Hill where the Celtic Druids used to light their fires.

Up-Helly-aa - Last Tuesday of January
Held in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, a full sized Viking Galley, complete with shields and oars is pulled by a torch-bearing procession dressed as Viking warriors to the beach. Guizer Jarl calls for three cheers for the builders of the longship and after a bugle call, the galley is set alight by 800 blazing torches.

Burns Night - 25 January
The anniversary of the birth of the poet Robert Burns, in 1759 at which many a "Burns Supper" is consumed and the "Immortal Memory", a speech in praise of the Bard, will be given.

Candlemas Day - 2 February,
Candlemas began as a Roman festival to celebrate the return of spring. It is now a Scottish legal "quarter day" when rents and other payments fall due. There is an old traditional poem which said that
"If Candlemas Day be bright and fair
Half the winter is to come and mair (more)
If Candlemas Day be dark and foul
Half the winter was over at Yowl (Christmas)

St Valentine's Day - 14th February
This used to be an excuse for youngsters to go round begging for sweets, money or fruit, while older brothers and sisters tried to find a sweetheart. "Name-papers" were sometimes used where names were written and placed in a bonnet and and each person drew out a paper. If the same name was drawn three times, it meant a marriage would take place!

Whuppity Scoorie - 1st March
A rumbustious celebration by the young lads of Lanark. It is a relic of the days when making a lot of noise was believed to frighten away the evil spirits. Pennies supplied by money from the Common Good Fund was thrown and the children scrambled to pick it up. Balls of paper (or bonnets - a lot softer!) tied with string were used by the participants to strike one another.

Original New Year - 25th March
The Celtic New Year was celebrated on Samhain (November 1st). Then, until 1600, the Gregorian Calendar which was used in Scotland, placed New Year on 25th March.

Easter - Variable Dates
There was a festival for "Eastre", a Saxon goddess of fertility, in pre-Christian times which was integrated into the Christian calendar. The date is moveable, because the calculation is based on phases of the moon. In Scotland, to this day, "hot cross buns" are baked, containing spices and fruit and with a white pastry cross. On Good Friday, no ploughing was done and no seed was sown. The custom of rolling painted, hard-boiled eggs down a hill took place on Easter Monday.

Hunt the Gowk - 1st April
On this day people would play tricks and tell lies to catch each other out. But the jokes had to stop at mid-day. Now called April Fool's Day, hunting the gowk was originally sending someone on a foolish errand.
"Dinna laugh, an' dinna smile
But hunt the gowk another mile"
Preen-tail Day or Tailie Day - 2nd April
The day following All Fool's Day when paper tails were attached to the backs of unsuspecting people as a joke.

Glen Saturday - the first or third Saturday in April
The day when the children of Kilmarnock in Ayrshire went to Crawfurdland Castle to pick daffodils.

Whitsunday - the seventh Sunday after Easter
Another Scottish legal quarter day when rents fell due.

Beltane's Day - 1st May
A pagan fire festival which goes back to pre-Christian times - originating with Baal in Phoenicia. It was supposed to encourage the crops to grow. There has been a holiday at the start of May in many parts of Scotland for centuries. Young girls would also rise early to wash their faces in the May dew. The custom of lighting fires at this time has come through in place names such as Tarbolton in Ayrshire ("tor" meaning hill and "bolton" from "Beltane"). The ancient Druidic Fire Festival has been revived by "New Age" followers who gather on the historic Calton Hill in Edinburgh.

Empire Day/Victoria Day - 24th May
Flags were flown from public buildings and schools decorated classrooms with flags of the British Empire. The name was changed to Commonwealth Day. The nearest Monday to 24th May was a local trades holiday in many parts of Scotland to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday and the tradition has continued long after Queen Victoria's reign.

Guid Nychburris - mid June
This is a Dumfries festival which has its origins in a court which resolved disputes between neighbors to make them "Guid Nychburris" or good neighbors. The Queen of the South is crowned during the week-long festivities.

Lanimer Day - 17th June
Held in Lanark, Lanimer Day (a corruption of "landmark" or boundary) is when the houses are decorated with greenery and there is a Lanimer Fair.

Selkirk Common Riding - 18th June
A ceremony of Riding the Marches or boundaries is traditional in a number of locations around Scotland, and the tradition has still survived particularly in the Scottish Borders. Selkirk's is particularly well known, remembering as it does the Battle of Flodden in June 1488, but there are similar festivities (on differing dates) in Langholm, Lauder, Peebles, Annan, Linlithgow and Sanquhar.

Glasgow Fair - last two weeks in July
Originally a real fair established by a charter from William the Lion in 1190, but latterly the last two weeks in July when factories and offices closed for summer holidays and Maw, Paw and the Weans went "Doon the Watter" (River Clyde) to the holiday resorts there.

Lammas - 1st August
There was a Celtic feast of "Lugnasaid" and this may have been the origins of this festival. Others believe it was a corruption of "Loafmas" when a loaf was baked with the first grain from the harvest. It is now a Scottish legal "Quarter Day" when rents and contracts fall due.

Marymas - 15th August
A bannock (cake) was toasted on a fire in honor of the Virgin Mary.
Braemar Gathering - First Saturday in September
The origin of this major Highland Games is said to go back to the 11th century when King Malcolm III "Canmore" gave a prize to the winner of a race to the top of Craig Choinnich. Queen Victoria ensured the success of the games into modern times by attending them in 1848 and the Royal family has been associated with them ever since.

Michaelmas Day - 29th September
St Michael was the patron saint of the sea and sailors and his saint's day was celebrated in the West of Scotland in particular. In the island if Barra, a bannock was baked from the first grain of the year and eaten on St Michael's day. Everyone was given a piece to eat.

St Luke's Day, 18th October
Known also as "Sour Cakes Day", there were particular celebrations in the Royal Burgh of Rutherglen, with the baking of cakes eaten with sour cream.

Halloween - 31 October
The evening of All Hallows (Saints) Day and the last day of the year in the old Celtic calendar. It was celebrated by the Druids as "Samhain" from "Sain" meaning summer and "fuin" meaning "ending". It was associated with witches and celebrated with bonfires and "guising" as children dressed up and went round neighboring houses with "tattie bogles" or "neep lanterns" (candles inside turnips). The pumpkin serves the same purpose in the USA. There is a (long) poem by Robert Burns on Hallowe'en which gives a good description of the traditions which were followed in his day.

All Souls Day - 2nd November
Prayers were said for the souls of the dead and alms given to the poor.

Guy Fawkes - 5 November
Recalling the attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament with 20 barrels of gunpowder in 1605. Bonfires, fireworks and "penny for the guy" (an effigy of Guy Fawkes, providing an excuse for children to plead for money from passers-by). This is not a specifically Scottish festivity - it is UK wide but it took place shortly after the Union of the Crowns when King James VI of Scotland became king of England and Wales also.

Martinmas - 11 November
The last Scottish legal "Quarter Day" when rents and contracts fell due. Since fodder was becoming scarce by this time of the tear, cattle were often killed at this time. As a by-product of this the offal was mixed with oatmeal to make haggis and the blood used to make black puddings.

St Andrew's Day - 30 November
Although St Andrew has been the patron saint of Scotland since a Pictish victory in a battle in 747AD, 30 November is not a public holiday in Scotland. Indeed, St Andrew's night is celebrated more by expatriate Scots around the world.

Sowans Nicht - Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve in some parts of Scotland is called "Sowans Nicht" from "sowans" - a dish made from oat husks and fine meal steeped in water. And branches of a rowan tree were burnt on Christmas Eve to signify that any bad feeling between friends or relatives had been put aside for Yuletide.

Christmas - 25th December
Like many ancient races, particularly those located in the northern latitudes, where winter days were short and the nights long, the pagan Celts had celebrations around the time of the winter solstice, in part to brighten the darkest days, in part to propitiate the gods to allow the sun to return. In Norse mythology, Odin the gift-bringer, swept across the night sky in a chariot drawn by horses. The Christian Church took over the festival but some of the traditions harked back to the pagan roots. The Yule log was burned in the fireplace, there was kissing under the mistletoe (related to a Druidic fertility rite) and the house was decorated with holly (evergreen trees were regarded with reverence).

But during the Church Reformation in the 16th century these traditions were frowned on by the Kirk which regarded Christmas as a popish festival. Bear in mind that "Christmas" is "Christ's Mass" and mass was banned in Scotland at that time. There are records of charges being brought against people for keeping "Yule" as it was called in Scotland. Amazingly, this dour, joy-crushing attitude lasted for 400 years. Until the 1960s, Christmas Day was a normal working day for most people in Scotland. So if there is a specifically "Scottish" aspect to Christmas it is that it was not celebrated!
The "traditional" Christmas celebrations (other than the religious festival) originated in the 19th century (Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, had a lot to do with it!) and England and Scotland developed the same traditions from around that time - Christmas trees, decorations, Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas, presents, stockings at the end of the bed, Christmas carols Christmas cards etc. Christmas cards are said to have been invented in Edinburgh in the mid-nineteenth century.

Boxing Day - 26th December
Yet another day on which gifts (in boxes) were exchanged.

Hogmanay - New Year's Eve, 31 December
Hogmanay (with the main stress on the last syllable - hog-muh-NAY) is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. Its official date is 31 December (Old Year's Night). However this is normally only the start of a celebration which lasts through the night until the morning of Ne'erday (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January which is a Scottish Bank Holiday.

The roots of Hogmanay reach back to the pagan celebration of the winter solstice among the Norse, as well as incorporating customs from the Gaelic New Year's celebration of Samhain. In Europe, winter solstice evolved into the ancient celebration of Saturnalia, a great Roman winter festival, where people celebrated completely free of restraint and inhibition. The Vikings celebrated Yule, which later contributed to the Twelve Days of Christmas, or the "Daft Days" as they were sometimes called in Scotland. The winter festival went underground with the Protestant Reformation and ensuing years, but re-emerged near the end of the 17th century.

There are many customs, both national and local, associated with Hogmanay. The most widespread national custom is the practice of first-footing which starts immediately after midnight. This involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbour and often involves the giving of symbolic gifts such as salt (less common today), coal, shortbread, whisky, and black bun (a rich fruit cake) intended to bring different kinds of luck to the householder. Food and drink (as the gifts) are then given to the guests. This may go on throughout the early hours of the morning and well into the next day (although modern days see people visiting houses until the 3 January). The first-foot is supposed to set the luck for the rest of the year, so it is important that a suitable person does the job. A tall, handsome, and dark-haired man bearing a gift is strongly preferred. According to popular folklore, a man with dark hair was welcomed because he was assumed to be a fellow Scotsman; a blond or red-haired stranger was assumed to be an unwelcome Norseman.

An example of a local Hogmanay custom is the fireball swinging that takes place in Stonehaven, Kincardineshire in north-east Scotland. This involves local people making up balls of chicken wire and tar, paper, and other flammable material up to a diameter of 61 cm. Each ball has 2 m of wire, chain or nonflammable rope attached. The balls are then each assigned to a swinger, who swings the ball round and round their head and body by the rope while walking through the streets of Stonehaven from the harbour to the Sheriff court and back. At the end of the ceremony any fireballs that are still burning are cast into the harbour. Many people enjoy this display, which is more impressive in the dark than it would be during the day. As a result large crowds flock to the town to see it.

The Hogmanay custom of singing Auld Lang Syne has become common in many countries. Auld Lang Syne is a traditional poem reinterpreted by Robert Burns, which was later set to music. Outside Scotland, a common mistake is to sing "For the Sake of Old Lang Zine" instead of "For auld lang syne".

An old custom in the Highlands, which has survived to a small extent and seen some degree of revival, is to celebrate Hogmanay with the saining (protecting, blessing) of the household and livestock. This was done early on New Year's morning with the smoke of burning juniper, and by drinking and then sprinkling "magic water" from "a dead and living ford" around the house ("a dead and living ford" refers to a river ford which is routinely crossed by both the living and the dead). After the sprinkling of the water in every room, on the beds and all the inhabitants, the house was sealed up tight and the burning juniper carried through the house and byre. The smoke was allowed to thoroughly fumigate the buildings until it caused sneezing and coughing among the inhabitants. Then all the doors and windows were flung open to let in the cold, fresh air of the new year. The woman of the house then administered "a restorative" from the whisky bottle, and the household sat down to their New Year breakfast.

There are traditions such as cleaning the house (known as "redding") on 31st December (including taking out the ashes from the fire in the days when coal fires were common). And Scotland is the only part of the UK that has a statutory holiday on 2nd January as well as 1st January - so we can recover from the excesses of 31 December!

There is an ancient legend that an army of sleeping warriors is waiting in a cave in the Eildon Hills until the day comes when all Gaeldom shall rise against its oppressors.

Sir Walter Scott related the following story in his "Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft". "The story has often been told, of a daring horse-jockey having sold a black horse to a man of venerable and antique appearance, who appointed the remarkable hillock upon Eildon hills, called the Lucken-hare, as the place where at twelve o'clock at night, he should receive the price. He came, his money was paid in ancient coin, and he was invited by his customer to view his residence. The trader in horses followed his guide in the deepest astonishment through several long ranges of stalls, in each of which a horse
stood motionless, while an armed warrior lay equally still at the charger's feet.
"All these men", said the wizard in a whisper,"will awaken at the battle of Sheriffmuir." At the extremity of this extraordinary depot hung a sword and a horn, which the prophet pointed out to the horse-dealer as containing means of dissolving the spell. The man in confusion took the horn and attempted to wind it. The horses instantly started in their stalls, stamped, and shook their bridles, the men arose and clashed their armour, and the mortal, terrified by the tumult he had excited, dropped the horn from his hand. A voice like that of a giant, louder even than the tumult around, pronounced these words:
'Woe to the coward that ever he was born That did not draw the sword before he blew the horn.' A whirlwind expelled the horse-dealer from the cavern, the entrance to which he could never find again." Scott says that the wizard was Thomas of Ercildoune, known as the Rhymer.

Major Weir was the last man executed for witchcraft in Scotland in 1670. He lived with his unmarried sister, Grizel, in the West Bow - a Z-shaped street near Edinburgh Castle, "composed of tall antique houses, with numerous dovecot-like gables projecting over the footway, full of old inscriptions and sculpturings, presenting at every few steps some darkest lateral profundity, into which the imagination wanders without hindrance or exhaustion ..." wrote Robert Chambers in Traditions of Edinburgh.

Major Weir was an active member of a strict Protestant sect, and was frequently seen at prayer meetings. He officiated at such meetings - but always leaning on his black walking staff. Robert Chambers described his end as follows:
"After a life characterized by all the graces of devotion, but polluted in secret by crimes of the most revolting nature, and which little needed the addition of wizardry to excite the horror of living men, Major Weir fell into severe sickness, which affected his mind so much, that he made open voluntary confession of all his wickedness. The tale was at first so incredible, that the provost, Sir Andrew Ramsay, refused for some time to take him into custody. At length himself, his sister (partner in his crimes), and his staff, were
secured by the magistrates, together with certain sums of money, which were found wrapped in rags in different parts of the house. One of these pieces of rag being thrown into the fire by a bailie who had taken the whole in charge, flew up the chimney, and made an explosion like a cannon.
While the wretched man lay in prison, he made no scruple to disclose the particulars of his guilt, but refused to address himself to the Almighty for pardon.

To every request that he would pray, he answered in screams, "Torment me no more - I am tormented enough already!" Even the offer of a Presbyterian clergyman, instead of the established Episcopal minister of the city, had no effect on him.

He was tried April 9, 1670 and being found guilty, was sentenced to be strangled and burnt between Edinburgh and Leith. His sister, who was tried at the same time, was sentenced to be hanged in the Grassmarket. When the rope was around his neck, to prepare him for the fire, he was bid to say, "Lord, be merciful to me!" but he answered, as before, "let me alone - I will not - I have lived as a beast, and I must die as a beast!"

After he had dropped lifeless in the flames, his stick was also cast into the fire; and 'whatever incantation was in it,' says a contemporary writer, 'the persons present own that it gave rare turnings, and was long a-burning, as also himself.'"

To this day, the residents remember the tales of this wizard Major Weir, and can point to the door of his former residence. After his death, neighbors claimed that his ghost was seen on many occasions and mysterious noises and lights came at dead of night from his now-unoccupied lodgings.

When the Scots emigrated from Ireland, they brought with them a rich blending of belief and tradition based on Celtic pagan myth and Christianity. Isolated in the islands and highlands, uniquely powerful and superstitious Scottish legends and myths developed in which tradition and a very strong belief in the "second sight" and the faery world predominated. This worldview persisted well into the 20th century (and, we're sure, continues its influence to this day).

The result was a culture circumscribed by ritual - each and every day had its ritual elements (how to stir the pot, how to lead the cows, how to celebrate the feasts and saints' days), designed to ensure good luck and blessings and to avoid tragedy.

One of the most common elements of Scottish precognition is seeing the dead before they die (ie, knowing who is going to die soon). This ability is not considered a sought-after gift, but one to be dreaded. Scotland abounds in stories and legends of magical seafolk (selkies and mermaids), changeling legends about fairies stealing or possessing the bodies of babies, and tales of shape-shifting witches, ghosts, and family curses, not to mention their famous lake monster.

It's hard to know what to make of all this. Some consider the Scots (or Celts in general) to be ethnically predisposed to ESP, while some speculate that certain geographical areas, including Scotland, are more supportive of "etheric" beings (the fairy folk). Though a skeptic, in researching this topic, it was impossible to dismiss all the Scottish legends as unfounded. It is also interesting that certain elements of witch craft and the workings of the "Otherworld" are common the world over - for instance, the Scots, as everyone, used silver to kill shape-shifters (werewolves) and garlic to ward off evil. Whatever your personal beliefs, the folklore of Scotland is fascinating and worth investigating.

Considering the wealth of Scottish myths and legends and the incredible preponderance of Scots with a flair for the "second sight" and the strong role witchcraft (black and white) has played in Scotland's history, it was highly disappointing to discover that there are hardly any really good books on these subjects in print.

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