Evil eye in the western HighlandsMaclagan, Robert Craig
Religion
Evil eye in the western Highlands
Maclagan, Robert Craig
Evil eye; Folklore; Superstition
D. C. had the Evil Eye very powerfully. On one occasion he went to
examine some cattle he had newly bought, and when he looked at them
some of them fell down as if they would die. The herd ran across the
hill to a hamlet marching with D. C.’s farm and got a bottle of water
from a skilled person. When sprinkled on the cattle they at once
recovered.
A man in Bowmore went into his own byre one night when his cousin, who
lived with him, was milking his cow. He had a nice calf in the byre,
and he put his arms round its neck and began to praise it very much.
His cousin said to him it was not good to do that. The next morning the
calf was found dead, an occurrence credited to his Evil Eye.
A native of Mull avowed her firm belief in the Evil Eye, especially
quoting what her mother had told her of a large farmer where she had
been brought up who owned a number of cattle, and who had the Evil Eye.
“Every time that man went into his own byre the best of his cattle were
sure to be unwell afterwards, and they were often dying with him. He
could not help it. At last he got a dairymaid who, when she had become
acquainted with his peculiarities, would not allow him to go into the
byre at all, or near the cows. She turned him back when she would see
him coming.”
Exactly the same account of another farmer is given by a reciter in
Ross-shire in the parish of U——. She knew him very well by sight,
having often seen him at markets, and many times she had heard that he
had the Evil Eye, could not help it, and often hurt his own cattle
“by thinking too highly of them.” This information was corroborated
by another, D. McL., who also knew the man by name and sight, having
served on a farm in the same district, and he often heard of him
hurting his own cattle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account