FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81  
82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   >>   >|  
d by a spirit, called _Garlin Bodacher_; that of the baron of Kinchardin, by _Lamhdearg_[56], or Red-hand, a spectre, one of whose hands is as red as blood; that of Tullochgorm, by _May Moulach_, a female figure, whose left hand and arm were covered with hair, who is also mentioned in _Aubrey's Miscellanies_, pp. 211, 212, as a familiar attendant upon the elan Grant. These superstitions were so ingrafted in the popular creed, that the clerical synods and presbyteries were wont to take cognizance of them[57]. [Footnote 56: The following notice of Lamhdearg occurs in another account of Strathspey, _apud_ Macfarlane's MSS.:--"There is much talke of a spirit called _Ly-erg_, who frequents the Glenmore. He appears with a red hand, in the habit of a souldier, and challenges men to fight with him; as lately as 1669, he fought with three brothers, one after another, who immediately died thereafter."] [Footnote 57: There is current, in some parts of Germany, a fanciful superstition concerning the _Stille Volke_, or silent people. These they suppose to be attached to houses of eminence, and to consist of a number, corresponding to that of the mortal family, each person of which has thus his representative amongst these domestic spirits. When the lady of the family has a child, the queen of the silent people is delivered in the same moment. They endeavour to give warning when danger approaches the family, assist in warding it off, and are sometimes seen to weep and wring their hands, before inevitable calamity.] Various other superstitions, regarding magicians, spells, prophecies, &c., will claim our attention in the progress of this work. For the present, therefore taking the advice of an old Scottish rhymer, let us "Leave bogles, brownies, gyre carlinges, and ghaists[58]." [Footnote 58: So generally were these tales of _diablerie_ believed, that one William Lithgow, a _bon vivant_, who appears to have been a native, or occasional inhabitant, of Melrose, is celebrated by the pot-companion who composed his elegy, because He was good company at jeists. And wanton when he came to feists, He scorn'd the converse of great beasts, O'er a sheep's head; _He laugh'd at stones about ghaists_; Blythe Willie's dead! _Watson's Scotish Poems_, Edin. 1706.] _Flyting of Polwart and Montgomery_. The domestic economy of the borderers next engages our attention. That the revenue of the chieftain should be expen
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81  
82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

family

 

Footnote

 

superstitions

 
attention
 
ghaists
 

appears

 
people
 

silent

 

Lamhdearg

 

spirit


called
 

domestic

 

rhymer

 

Scottish

 

advice

 
Various
 

brownies

 

generally

 

warding

 
taking

carlinges

 
bogles
 

magicians

 

progress

 

inevitable

 

calamity

 

spells

 
present
 

prophecies

 

composed


Willie

 

Blythe

 

Watson

 

Scotish

 

stones

 

revenue

 

chieftain

 

engages

 

Polwart

 

Flyting


Montgomery

 

economy

 

borderers

 

beasts

 

occasional

 

native

 
inhabitant
 

Melrose

 

celebrated

 

William