Note entitled 'Maidean Mhara', 12 September 1890
Scope and Contents
Note entitled 'Maidean Mhara [Maighdean Mhara or Mermaid] collected from Duncan Maclellan [Duncan MacLellan], Carnan, Iocar S Uist [Ìochdar, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist] on 12 September 1890 describing a mermaid he had seen with 'Hair like the roinneach mhara & skin like the trosg [cod-fish]: all above waist appeared'. He said she appeared for about fifteen minutes and when Carmichael returned to Carnan, the people there said that this was not a rare occurrence. MacLellan had seen the mermaid when going to Glasgow and there had been another four men with him. On another occasion, MacLellan saw a mermaid accompanying a boat from Loch Suainart to Bay na Fala [Loch Sunart, and Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula] with her nose to the stern of the boat. He threw a prat at her nose and 'she sank quickly down throwing up air bubble[s] tossing the boat about - from 70 to 80 feet long.' Text has been scored through in pencil as if transcribed elsewhere.
Dates
- Creation: 12 September 1890
Language of Materials
English,Gaelic
Conditions Governing Access
This material is unrestricted.
Extent
From the Series: 114 folios ; 14 x 20 cm
Physical Location
5.07
Physical Location
folio 1r, line 1 to folio 1r, line 25
Subject
- MacLellan, Duncan, c1816-1893 (Person)
Creator
- From the Fonds: Carmichael, Alexander, 1832-1912 (Excise officer | folklorist and antiquarian | Edinburgh | Scotland) (Person)
- From the Fonds: Watson, William John, 1865-1948 (Professor of Celtic) (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
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Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
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