Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland: Collected Entirely from Oral SourcesCampbell, John Gregorson
History
Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland: Collected Entirely from Oral Sources
Campbell, John Gregorson
Folklore -- Scotland
In the islet of Càra, on the west of Cantyre, the old house, once
belonging to the Macdonalds, was haunted by a Brownie that drank milk,
made a terrific outcry when hurt, and disliked the Campbell race. In
the old castle of Largie, on the opposite coast of Cantyre, which
belonged to the same Macdonalds, there was also a Brownie, supposed to
be the same as the Càra one. Since the modern house was built Brownie
has not been seen or heard. In Càra he is still occasionally heard.
It is not known exactly what he is like, no one having ever seen more
than a glimpse of him. Before the arrival of strangers he put the
house in order. He disliked anything dirty being left in the house for
the night. Dirty bed-clothes were put out by him before morning. Dogs
had to be put outside at night, as he often killed those left in the
house. He was much addicted to giving slaps in the dark to those who
soiled the house; and there are some still alive who can testify to
receiving a slap that left their faces black. He tumbled on the floor
water-stoups left full over-night. A man was lifted out of bed by him,
and found himself ‘bare naked,’ on awakening, at the fire. A woman,
going late in the evening for her cows, found Brownie had been before
her, and tied them securely in the barn.
In one of the castles in the centre of Argyllshire, Brownie came to
the bedside of a servant woman who had retired for the night, arranged
the clothes, and, pulling them above her, said: “Take your sleep, poor
creature” (_dean cadal, a chreutair_). He then went away.
In character Brownie was harmless, but he made mischief unless every
place was left open at night. He was fed with warm milk by the
dairy-maid.
A native of the Shetland Isles writes me that Brownie was well known
in that locality. He worked about the barn, and at night ground with
the handmill for those to whom he was attached. He could grind a bag
or two of grain in a night. He was once rewarded for his labours by a
cloak and hood left for him at the mill. The articles were away in the
morning, and Brownie never came back. Hence the bye-word, such a man is
like Brownie,
“When he got his cloak and hood,
He did no more good.”
The same story is told of the ‘Cauld Lad of Hilton,’ in the valley of
the Wear in England (Keightley’s _Fairy Myth_, p. 296), of Brownies in
the Scottish Lowlands (p. 358), and of one in Strathspey (p. 395), who
said, when he went away—
“Brownie has got a coat and cap,
Brownie will do no more work.”
It also made its way to Tiree, and was there told as follows:
GUNNA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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