Evil eye in the western HighlandsMaclagan, Robert Craig
Religion
Evil eye in the western Highlands
Maclagan, Robert Craig
Evil eye; Folklore; Superstition
A farmer of the name of M. had the farm of B., near Campbeltown. He
had a favourite cow which he would not part with for anything. Some
drovers wished to buy this cow, but M. refused, and though the drovers
persisted, he would not part with her. They went to the cow and began
to soothe and fondle her. When they left the cow began to go about in a
circle, and could not be got out of that circle. At length the farmer
was forced to kill her. This was told by an educated and reliable
gentleman, without prejudice, so to say, to his belief or disbelief in
the origin of the illness.
One is apt to smile at any one talking of an animal going up the
chimney by the pot chain; frightened animals do curious things. The
writer of this, having opened the window in the parlour widely, the
door being shut to prevent it going into the house, was trying to drive
out a strange cat. There was a lighted fire in the chimney, but the
cat, without trying the window, went up the chimney. The fire being
damped down and a dustpan put on the top of it, the cat returned to
civilisation, and then disappeared through the window.
One other symptom comes from the Black Isle, Ross-shire. H. says that
belief in the Evil Eye was very common in his native place, and has a
good hold still on people’s minds. It was said to do injury to beasts,
in many ways, among others that they could be blinded by it. His father
had a striking case while living in the Parish of Redcastle. One of
his cows died of what was considered a natural trouble, no Evil Eye
influence being thought of. He had a quey grazing on the farm of a
friend on the opposite side of the Beauly Firth, so he went for her
and brought her home by Kessock Ferry, where some people examined her
and admired her. She was a dun, and a fine-looking animal. Having
reached home the quey was tied in the byre, apparently in good health.
They however soon noticed that she had a habit of standing back in her
stall to the full extent of the tether rope, and do what they would
they could not get her to stand forward. A woman with knowledge of
Evil Eye cases was consulted. After examining the beast in the byre
by herself she told them the quey was blind, because some one’s eye
had fallen on her. She recommended the following procedure to cure the
animal and find out who had done the injury. She was to be let out and,
no one going before her or trying to turn her, allowed to go where she
liked. If this were done she said the quey would, of her own accord, go
to the house of the person who had made her blind, and that she would
go three times round the house bellowing, and then come back to her own
byre quite well with recovered sight. This procedure was carried out.
She went straight for a neighbour’s house, went round it three times,
bellowed, and came back quite well and seeing. The reciter added, “Now
the woman that could do that and find out things of that kind must have
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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