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
On the third day the weather was beautiful. They took their way to the
harbour, and did not say a syllable this day to the Black Dog. They
launched the boat to go away. One of the gentlemen looked and said the
Black Dog was coming, and he never saw a creature like it, because of
its fierce look. It sprang, and was the first creature in the boat.
“The Black Dog’s day is drawing near us,” said Macphie.
They took with them meat, and provisions, and bedclothes, and went
ashore in Jura. They passed that night in the Big Cave, and next
day went to hunt the deer. Late in the evening they came home. They
prepared supper. They had a fine fire in the cave and light. There was
a big hole in the very roof of the cave through which a man could pass.
When they had taken their supper the young gentlemen lay down, Macphie
rose, and stood warming the back of his legs to the fire. Each of the
young men said he wished his own sweetheart was there that night.
“Well,” said Macphie, “I prefer that my wife should be in her own
house; it is enough for me to be here myself to-night.”
Macphie gave a look from him and saw sixteen women entering the door
of the cave. The light went out and there was no light except what the
fire gave. The women went over to where the gentlemen were. Macphie
could see nothing from the darkness that came over the cave. He was
not hearing a sound from the men. The women stood up and one of them
looked at Macphie. She stood opposite to him as though she were going
to attack him. The Black Dog rose and put on a fierce bristling look
and made a spring at her. The women took to the door, and the Black Dog
followed them to the mouth of the cave. When they went away the Black
Dog returned and lay at Macphie’s feet.
In a little while Macphie heard a horrid noise overhead in the top of
the cave, so that he thought the cave would fall in about his head. He
looked up and saw a man’s hand coming down through the hole, and making
as if to catch himself and take him out through the hole in the roof
of the cave. The Black Dog gave one spring, and between the shoulder
and the elbow caught the Hand, and lay upon it with all its might. Now
began the play between the Hand and the Black Dog. Before the Black
Dog let go its hold, it chewed the arm through till it fell on the
floor. The Thing that was on the top of the cave went away, and Macphie
thought the cave would fall in about his head. The Black Dog rushed out
after the Thing that was outside. This was not the time when Macphie
felt himself most at ease, when the Black Dog left him. When the day
dawned, behold the Black Dog had returned. It lay down at Macphie’s
feet, and in a few minutes was dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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