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Custom and saying recorded by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'Spilling Milk' describing how if someone spilt milk they would say 'Coma libh dheth tha bial feumach a feathamh air' [It doesn't matter, there's a needy mouth waiting for it] and that the thirsty party would get their thirst quenched. Text has been scored thorugh as if transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents Custom and story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'Souming' [number and type of stock an individual croft can graze on a common grazings] describing the ages at which cows were included in the 'leibhidh' [levy], how in 1810 Lord MacDonald and MacCoinnich Bodhar of Lewis [MacKenzie of Seaforth, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis] introduced new rules while Clanranald had no souming until 1820. MacRury states that in 1830 his grandfather had to send five...

Scope and Contents Custom written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'Goisteachd' and additionally entitled 'Blood Brotherhood' by Alexander Carmichael. MacRury recalls how if two boys drew blood while playing then one would put blood on the back of the hand of the other and say 'roinn [rinn] mi goisteachd riut' and that would mean that they 'were friends in all plays henceforth', although frequently the bond was short-lived MacRury remarks 'there was something in it as the...

Scope and Contents Custom written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula entitled 'Togal an Doinis' [Togail an Donais] describing how if something was stolen and the culprit not known, the suspects names were written on a piece of paper and if the person performing the charm could not write then a symbol was drawn to represent each suspect. The paper was folded longways, rubbed between the hands and dropped into a bowl of water. If the culprit's name was on the paper it would sink to the bottom...

Scope and Contents

Customs written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula relating to cattle herding, describing how when herding cattle to or from the house a number of cattle were allowed to follow behind the herder to avoid the evil eye. Also, if someone praised the cattle, the herder had to praise the cattle even higher. Text has been scored through in pencil as if transcribed elsewhere.

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Five sayings written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula used to wish people well including a saying 'used when giving medicine to man or beast suffering from lingering disease.' The first saying begins 'Cluig slainte, cnaimh t-anochair'; the second 'Seachd sonais nan seachd rath air gach mac 'us nighean'; the third begins 'Uisge craonabhoineach geal'; the fourth 'Grian an cridhe na h' aird' and the final one 'Doinnean air aghaidh a chuain mhoir'.

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Fragment of a poem or sayings written down by John Ewen MacRury in ink entitled 'Bailgfhionn' [white-bellied calf] which reads 'Laoigh Bhailfhionn an t seann-duine call codach, Laoigh Bhailgfhionn an duine oig cur ann codach.'

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Fragment of a story written down by John Ewen MacRury entitled 'Am Bridein Sa'm Fheanag'. The story tells how an oyster-catcher had a nest with its young in it and a crow came and sat on a rock above it. The largest of the oyster-catcher chicks went to leave the next but its mother got hold of it. The end of the story as it is here appears to be phrases to indicate bird calls.

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List of sayings under the heading 'Serpents' written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula containing six sayings related to snakes. The text has been scored through in pencil as if transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents

List of six 'Seanfhocail' [proverbs] written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula mostly relating to animals. The text has been scored through in pencil as if transcribed elsewhere.