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Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland

 Subject
Subject Source: Local sources

Found in 280 Collections and/or Records:

Story about a fairy child, 1867

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/30
Scope and Contents

Story about a fairy child, probably collected on Barraigh/Isle of Barra, telling how the child 'was not growing a bit...it was a small wizened old fashioned child'. One day its mother left it in bed under the care of an old man in case he awoke. 'The child wakened and got up an dmade a basin of fuarag - cream and meal - for himself and then went to bed like a sen[ile] man.'

Dates: 1867

Story about a fairy enchantment, 1867

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/29
Scope and Contents Story about a fairy enchantment telling how a man in Allasdal [Allathasdal/Allasdale, Barraigh/Isle of Barra], which was 'always famous for its fair[ies]' was pestered so much by a beautiful fairy woman whom he could not resist that he emigrated to America. He was advised to make sure that not a single belonging of his was left behind. Unfortunately, he left an 'old harrow in the back door of his kiln barn' and so the fairy was still able to trouble him. He wrote to family and friends on...
Dates: 1867

Story about a fairy woman trying to entrap a man, September 1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/135
Scope and Contents Story about a fairy woman trying to entrap a man. The man is named as Lachlan ban mac Ruari Allasdair [Lachlan Bàn mac Ruaraidh Alasdair] and one night his three servants tried not to let him go to the fairy woman. He went away anyway and she begged him to marry her but he would not. The fairy tried to hypnotise him with a gold chain and every time he refused her she grabbed him around the waist. When the cock crowed she vanished. Lachlan went to Cape Breton [Canada] and died there ten years...
Dates: September 1872

Story about a footmarked rock on the Isle of Barra, 24 September 1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/110
Scope and Contents

Story about a footmarked rock on the Isle of Barra [Barraigh] which says that it was creating from a leaping competition between Mac De [Jesus Christ] and the Donas [Devil]. Mac De won and hence the well near where his footmark landed is called 'Tobar na Buai[dh]'. Donas' footmark is described as 'splayed & ugly' while Mac De's is 'shapely & attractive'.

Dates: 24 September 1872

Story about a lament [probably Cumha Mhic an Toisich], September 1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/128
Scope and Contents

Story about a lament [probably Cumha Mhic an Tòisich] probably collected from Marion MacNeil, Ceanntangabhal/Kentangaval, Barraigh/Isle of Barra, telling how it was composed by a lady whose husband was killed on his return from being married. His death by a black horse had been predicted so he struck the black horse with his pistol and took a white horse instead but he was careless and his feet got tangled in the stirrups and he was dragged along the ground by the horse and was killed.

Dates: September 1872

Story about a large fish, 23 March 1877

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/20
Scope and Contents

Story probably collected from Anthony Campbell, Kentangval [Ceann Tangabhal/Kentangaval, Barraigh/Barra] about a large fish the 'size of a spinning wheel' seen by a man named MacLeod from Grimsay [Griomasaigh, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist].

Dates: 23 March 1877

Story about a man who went out on St Brendan's Day and accompanying note, February 1874

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW111/55
Scope and Contents Story about a man who said to his wife 'Theid mi fhein mar do chuil-bhac far nach fhai[gh] duine no Brianin sin' and went out to work on St Brendan's Day in consequence of which he became blind. The note states that St Brendan's Day is the first fortnight in summer and since that incident no man has 'put spaid or soc fo thal[amh]' [dug or ploughed] on Barraigh/Isle of Barra. Also notes 'The dog is kept run[ning] aft[er] sheep [chlipp[in]g] them + sorting them'. Carmichael records that St...
Dates: February 1874

Story about a water horse or each-uisge, 23 May 1869

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW150/38
Scope and Contents Story about a water horse or each-uisge collected from Roderick MacNeil, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay telling how a water horse took a girl away from her house on a Sunday and laid his head on her knee but she cut her apron around him to escape. He came again the following Sunday and carried her off to Creagan-oillt [possibly Creagan Uillt, Barraigh/Isle of Barra] and they were also seen at Glaic an da Bheann [Glaic an Dà Bheann]. After that her lungs were found floating on Lon-greann [possibly Lòn...
Dates: 23 May 1869

Story about An Carra Bhoradh, 21 May 1869 to December 1870

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW150/10
Scope and Contents Story about An Carra Bhoradh collected from Don M Phie [Donald MacPhee], blacksmith, Breuvaig [Brèibhig/Breivig, Barraigh/Isle of Barra]. The stone [An Carra Bhoradh] is described as having been used as a brangas and its dimensions noted. MacPhee tells how iron was put through the hole in the stone and then around the neck of the 'delinquents'. The last woman to be put in the brangas was Mairi Thaillear [Nic an t-Saoir] [Mary MacIntyre] from Allasdale [Allathasdal] because she had stolen...
Dates: 21 May 1869 to December 1870

Story about an encounter with a fairy while gathering plants for healing, 24 September 1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/93
Scope and Contents Story about an encounter with a fairy while gathering plants for healing and accompanying song collected from Catrine Pearson [Catherine MacFarlane née MacPherson, Ceanntangabhal/Kentangaval, Barraigh/Isle of Barra]. The story tells how Niall Pearson of Bruarnis [Neil MacPherson, Bruairnis/Bruernish] was at Drollam [Drolum] cutting cairst-leanna or braonan-a-choin [cairt-leamhna or braonan-nan-con, tuberous bitter vetch or dog carmillion], which is good for diahorrea or tanning leather, and...
Dates: 24 September 1872