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
[This tale was taken down in Gaelic from the dictation of Donald
Cameron, Ruaig, Tiree, in 1863, and is here given in his words as
closely as a translation will allow. It is a very good specimen of a
class of tales found in the Highlands, and illustrates many remarkable
traits of the belief regarding the Fairy women, their enmity to the
hunter, their beauty and powers of enchanting men at first, their
changing their shape to that of deer, and the aversion dogs have to
them; also the size and character of the Fairy hound.]
Mac-vic-Allan of Arasaig, lord of Moidart, went out hunting in his own
forest when young and unmarried. He saw a royal stag before him, as
beautiful an animal as he had ever seen. He levelled his gun at it, and
it became a woman as beautiful as he had ever seen at all. He lowered
his gun, and it became a royal stag as before. Every time he raised
the gun to his eye, the figure was that of a woman, and every time he
let it down to the ground, it was a royal stag. Upon this he raised the
gun to his eye and walked up till he was close to the woman’s breast.
He then sprang and caught her in his arms. “You will not be separated
from me at all,” he said, “I will never marry any but you.” “Do not do
that, Mac-vic-Allan,” she said, “you have no business with me, I will
not suit you. There will never be a day, while you have me with you,
but you will need to kill a cow for me.” “You will get that,” said the
lord of Moidart, “though you should ask two a day.”
But Mac-vic-Allan’s herd began to grow thin. He tried to send her
away, but he could not. He then went to an old man, who lived in the
townland, and was his counsellor. He said he would be a broken man, and
he did not know what plan to take to get rid of her. The honest old man
told him, that unless Macphie of Colonsay could send her away, there
was not another living who could. A letter was instantly sent off to
Macphie. He answered the letter, and came to Arasaig.
“What business is this you have with me,” said Macphie, “Mac-vic-Allan?”
Mac-vic-Allan told him how the woman had come upon him, and how he
could not send her away.
“Go you,” said Macphie, “and kill a cow for her to-day as usual; send
her dinner to the room as usual; and give me my dinner on the other
side of the room.”
Mac-vic-Allan did as he was asked. She commenced her dinner, and
Macphie commenced his. When Macphie got his dinner past, he looked over
at her.
“What is your news, Elle-maid?” said he.
“What is that to you, Brian Brugh,” said she.
“I saw you, Elle-maid,” said he,
“When you consorted with the Fingalians,
When you went with Dermid o Duvne
And accompanied him from covert to covert.”
“I saw you, Brian Brugh,” she said,
“When you rode on an old black horse,
The lover of the slim Fairy woman,
Ever chasing her from brugh to brugh.”
“Dogs and men after the wretch,” cried Macphie, “long have I known her.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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