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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 for her, which he did. The woman was advised to put a cùrainn (big flannel shirt) on him and get him to dance and when he was tired to let him go into the fire. All this was done and the fairy child ran out crying and the woman's own child came back the instant it was gone.

Dates

  • Creation: 1891

Language of Materials

Gaelic

Conditions Governing Access

This material is unrestricted.

Extent

From the Series: 62 folios ; 23.5 x 19.5 cm

Physical Location

5.07

Physical Location

folio 34r, line 16 to folio 35r, line 24

Bibliography

MacPhail, Malcolm, 'Folkore from the Hebrides, IV', Folklore, vol. 11, no. 4 (1900), pp. 443-444

Repository Details

Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository

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