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
The lonely and rugged mountain tract, known as the Garlios
(_Garbh-shlios_, the rough country side), extending along the coast of
Morvern, from the Sound of Mull to Kingairloch, a distance of about
seven miles, was at one time haunted by a Glaistig, whose special
employment was the herding (_buachailleachd_) of the sheep and cattle
that roamed over its desert pastures. Tradition represents her as a
small, but very strong woman, taking refuge at night in a particular
yew tree (_craobh iuthair_), which used to be pointed out, to protect
herself from wild animals that prowled over the ground. In a cave in
the same locality lived a man, known as ‘Yellow Dougall of the Cave’
(_Dùghaill Buidhè na h-Uamh_), who supported himself and wife by taking
a sheep or goat, when he required it, from the neighbouring flocks.[54]
One day when about to row himself across to the opposite island of
Lismore, in his coracle (_curachan_), a woman came and asked for a
passage. She took the bow oar, and before long cried out, “A hearty
pull, Dougall” (_Hùg orra, Dùghaill._) “Another hearty pull then,
honest woman” (_Hùgan so eil’ orra, bhean chòir_), cried Dougall. Every
now and then she repeated the same cry, and Dougall answered in the
same way. He thought himself a good rower, and was ashamed to be beat
by a woman. He never rowed so hard in his life. When the boat touched
the Lismore shore, he for the first time turned round his head, and no
woman was anywhere to be seen. She who was so strong and disappeared so
mysteriously could only be the Glaistig.
Other accounts say that the boatman was Selvach Mac Selvach (_Sealbhach
Mac Shealbhaich_), a native of Lismore, and the woman against whom he
pulled for the three miles from Kingairloch to Lismore, a Glaistig
that stayed in the ravine of _Alltaogain_ in the latter place. Her cry
was, “Pull away, Selvach” (_Hùg orra, Shealbhaich_), and his answer,
“Pull away, my lass” (_Hùg orra, ghalad._)
AT ARDNADROCHIT, MULL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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