The Prophecies of the Brahan Seer (Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche)Mackenzie, Alexander
History
The Prophecies of the Brahan Seer (Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche)
Mackenzie, Alexander
Precognition; Prophecies
end of Skye, and a little beneath the towering cliffs of the far-famed
Quiraing, there is a conflux of pure, fresh-water springs, which form
a small elliptical pond of considerable depth. It is a beautiful spot,
pleasantly hemmed in with shrubs and bushes. It is called “Loch Sianta,”
or the Holy Lake. Owing to the natural beauty of this little Hebridean
Siloam, the natives conceived it to be favoured with its divinity, to
whom, in the days of darkness and superstition, they were extremely
punctual in making offerings of various kinds. Invalids resorted thither,
drank of its waters, washed themselves therein, and received cures
thereby for their mental and bodily ailments. These superstitions have,
however, long ceased, and Loch Sianta, though beautiful as ever, has lost
its ancient charms in this more enlightened age. On the first Sunday
of May (old style) the well at “Creagag” or Craigie, in Munlochy Bay,
was believed to possess powerful charms against diseases, witchcraft,
fairies and such like. For weeks before the time, old and young prepared
for their pilgrimage to this well. All behoved to bring their offerings.
Coloured threads and rags of cloth were brought in thousands, and hung
upon the rocks and brushwood, as propitiatory gifts to the saint of the
healing waters. Even in St. Kilda the divinities of “Tobar nam buadh” and
“Tobar a’ chleirich” had to be propitiated by offerings, in the shape of
shells, pins, needles, pebbles, coins, or rags, otherwise their tutelary
saint would be inexorable. So common, indeed, was this habit, that at
the Rugwell, near Newcastle, the shrubs and bushes near the spring were
densely covered with rags. And many of my readers are old enough to have
seen crowds of the good citizens of the Highland Capital flocking on a
May morn eastward to the well at Culloden to taste of its waters, and to
cover with their offerings of rags the branches of the surrounding trees.
There is a place beyond Kessock Ferry, near the point of Kilmuir, called
“Craigie-How,” where there is a cave close to the sea-beach. In this cave
a little water falls down from the roof in drops on the stones below.
These drops are to this day considered a complete cure for deafness, if
properly applied. The patient lies down, and lays his head on the flags,
and lets the water fall first into the one ear and then into the other.
After some formalities are gone through, the patient rises, and the
deafness is believed to be gone!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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