Skip to main content

MacPhail, Malcolm, Rev, 1837-1906 (minister | Kilmartin | Argyllshire)

 Person

Found in 30 Collections and/or Records:

Story entitled 'An t-Each Uisge' about a water-horse in Crageo, Lewis, 1874 and 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/148
Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'An t-Each Uisge' about a water-horse in Crageo [Crà-geò [Loch Cràgach], Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] who regularly visits three houses when the husband is away. Once the husband, a cattleman, put on his wife's clothes and started spinning thread. The water-horse came to the door, saw him and went away never to return confused that the woman of the house should be spinning but also have a beard, 'An cuigeal siud/ud a th'aigesan, Us feusag air a ghuibean aige.'

Dates: 1874 and 1891

Story entitled 'Daoine Sith' about getting rid of the fairies, May 1874

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/133
Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Daoine Sith' collected from Cairiseadar [Cairisiadar/Carishader, Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] about a man who gets help from the fairies to build his house but then runs out of work for them. On the advice of an old man he suggests they make roof couples for each end of the house out of fiodhag (wild fig or wild cherry) but the fairies refuse. He then asks them to make rope the thickness of a thumb from clean sand to hold down the thatch and they fail to do this. The...
Dates: May 1874

Story entitled 'Druidh Achabheannaich' about burning druids, 28 January 1874

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/143
Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'Druidh Achabheannaich' from Latheron, Caithness [Latharan, Gallaibh] about a small circular fold like altar in the middle of a heather-covered cairn just to the east of the Druid's Stone, Clach nan Druidhneach, where it is believed that druids who had become too old were burnt alive. Among those was a young druid who was preparing the altar for such a ceremony when he choked on the smoke and died. It was said that he was snatched by the old druid's spirit.

Dates: 28 January 1874

Story entitled 'Maighdean Mhara' about a mermaid in Lochbroom, 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/145
Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'Maighdean Mhara' about a mermaid in Loch Bhraoin [Loch Broom, Ros is Cromba/Ross and Cromarty] who appeared to a fishing crew and asked the helmsman for his leth-rann (half-stanza). He said, 'Long a thig sa theid an aithghearr, Sin mo leth-rann.' She said it was as well that was his reply and disappeared. A great storm occurred that day and many men were drowned. Consequently it is believed that when a mermaid like this one is seen, someone will drown soon after.

Dates: 1891

Story entitled 'Na Sithich A Treabhadh' about working with the fairies, 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/138
Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'Na Sithich A Treabhadh' about the fairies helping a man with his agricultural work. The fairies take every sguab (sheaf of corn) as wages. A man sitting on a small sheaf (raoid) sees a fairy going past without a sheaf and throws his after him. The story is the origin of the saying 'Cho lion'ar ri muinntir Fhionnlaidh'.

Dates: 1891

Story entitled 'Sitheach an sliochd Leanabh Beag' about a fairy child, 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/137
Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Sitheach an sliochd Leanabh Beag' about two women whose children had been swapped with fairy children. The first would not stop eating or drinking or crying, so on the advice of an old woman she threw the child in the river. The instant she did that her own child came back. The second woman's fairy child would not stop crying and was not growing. She told the child she was tired of him and he replied that if she kept it a secret he would give her a rest and do some dancing...
Dates: 1891

Story entitled 'Sithichean Cnoc-mor Arnoil' about fairy vengeance, 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/139
Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Sithichean Cnoc-mor Arnoil' about a family who share a cooking pot with their fairy neighbours. When the fairies have the pot and the mortal family want to use it they recite a poem which begins 'Dlithe gobha gual'. On one occasion the woman forgets to repeat the words and the fairies do not bring the pot back so she goes to the fairy hill and takes it. As she is leaving the fairy hill one of the fairies calls to her with a curse beginning 'A bhean balbh a bhean balbh'. When...
Dates: 1891

Story entitled 'Sithichean Sithein Chaiplig' about a fairy woman, 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/141
Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Sithichean Sithein Chaiplig' about a man walking past Sithean Chaiplig on a warm summer's day when he hears sounds of churning coming from the hill and feels thirsty. As soon as he thinks this, a fairy woman appears and offers him a cup of buttermilk. The man is afraid and refuses, saying that he does not need it, to which the woman says that if he did not want the drink he should not have asked. She then asks him if he is afraid it will harm him to which he replies that he...
Dates: 1891

Story entitled 'Treabhadh' about working near a fairy hill, 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/136
Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'Treabhadh' about a man who was ploughing near a fairy hill when he heard a voice from inside the fairy hill calling him by name and telling him to keep his 'crom nan gad' ['crann nan gad' - plough] away from fairy hill. He took fright and never went near the hill again.

Dates: 1891

Story entitled 'Uilliam Dean Suidhe' [William Sit Down], 1874 and 1891

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/152
Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'Uilliam Dean Suidhe' about an old woman who would never invite anyone to sit down in her house. A man called William decided that he would make her invite him to do so. The story is composed of the verbal sparring which takes place between them once William has taken his seat.

Dates: 1874 and 1891

Additional filters:

Subject
Tales 22
Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 20
Fairies 12
Bragar Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 8
Poems 8
∨ more
Water-horses 6
Sayings 5
Mermaids 4
Bhaltos Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 3
Language 3
Prophecy 3
Proverbs 3
Archaeology 2
Cairisiadar Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 2
Caithness Scotland 2
Family 2
Fishing 2
Food 2
Funeral Rites and Ceremonies 2
Harvesting 2
Justice 2
Placenames 2
Ross and Cromarty Scotland 2
[Isle of Lewis] [Ross and Cromarty] Scotland 2
Arnol Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 1
Auldearn, Battle of | 9 May 1645 1
Avarice 1
Benbecula Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Biography 1
Birds 1
Cattle 1
Charms 1
Children 1
Church Buildings 1
Clach Aonais Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 1
Cnoc na Connlaich [Isle of Lewis] [Ross and Cromarty] [Scotland] 1
Death 1
Disputes 1
Druids and druidism 1
Employment 1
Family History 1
Fish 1
Garryhellie South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Hills 1
Hogmanay 1
Hospitality 1
Houses 1
Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Isle of Harris Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Isle of Skye Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Kentangaval Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Kilpheder South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Latheron Caithness Scotland 1
Loch Broom Ross and Cromarty Scotland 1
Lochan Dubh na Beinne Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 1
Malaclete North Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Music 1
North Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Plants 1
Ploughing 1
Pots 1
Protection 1
Riddles 1
Sea faring 1
Siabost Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 1
Skeabost Isle of Skye Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Songs 1
South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Stilligarry South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Stone crosses 1
Stornoway Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 1
Taxation 1
Tobha Beag South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Tolstadh Bho Thuath Isle of Lewis Ross and Cromarty Scotland 1
Uist Inverness-shire Scotland 1
Vocabulary 1
Wick Caithness Scotland 1
+ ∧ less