Scope and Contents

Story about Angus MacAulay from the Isle of Lewis [Eilean Leòdhais ] who was called up to fight under the Duke of Montrose but who was sent back to look after the womenfolk at home. He did not want to go because he 'had a thorough shrew for his wife'. His wife met him at a place called 'Clach Aonais' reproached him and so he turned around and immediately went back to the fighting. He was killed at the Battle of Auldearn [9 May 1645].

Scope and Contents

Story entitled 'Daoine Sith-Sithichean' collected from Iain MacLeod, crofter, Bhaltos [Bhaltos/Valtos, Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] in which the fairies have stolen a child and left a changeling in its place. The changeling is left at the boundary between two townships and the fairies then replace it with the real child. Iain MacLeòid [John MacLeod] saw this being done.

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'A Bhean Nighe' about a washer-woman encountered at Lochan Dubh na Beinne by Iain Bàn Tàillear. He seizes her by her left hand and demands wealth which she grants but asks why he did not ask for children his response to which is to ask for them too but she says no and that he will never have an heir. Everything happens as the washer-woman predicted. He asks what she is washing and she tells him that she is washing the shirts of people who will drown this year in North Tolsta...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'A Mhaighdean Mhara' about a mermaid who followed sea-cattle ashore at Siabost [Shawbost, Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis]. It was customary for them to sprinkle urine between the sea-cattle and the shore, to stop them from returning to the sea. The sea-cattle were taken to a farm nearby and the mermaid followed. On observing the woman of the farm cleanning fish she said, 'Nigh[e] is glan gu math an t-iasg, Is ioma biasd a tha 's a mhuir', [Wash and clean well the fish, there...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Airidh Mhuthair' [Àirigh Mhuthair] in which three girls are staying on Airidh Mhuthair when three water-horses dressed as three handsome men join them. In the dead of night, two of the water-horses kill two of the girls. The third girl runs away and is pursued by the third water-horse who curses her in verse, the curse beginning, 'Cha b'e an airi shubhach, Ach an airi dhudbhach dheurach'. Carmichael notes, writing in landscape, that the girl got away because she was fleet of...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'Airidh Neill' about a water-horse which arrives at Airidh Neill nam Beann [Àirigh Nèill] nam Beann disguised as a woman. The dog senses it is a water-horse and begins to snarl. The water-horse asks Niall to tie up his dogs but Niall refuses. He throws the water-horse some meat, which it eats in one go. Eventually the dog is let out and is unharmed but when the bitch is let out it kills the water-horse and the water-horse turns into a big white mare on the shore. Niall tied...

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'An t-Each Uisge' collected from Iain Macleod, Bhaltos [Valtos, Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis]. The story concerns a family from Carasiatar [Cairisiadar/Carishader] who were bothered by a young water-horse, every time the husband was away from home. A wise man in the village told the husband to put on his wife's clothes and when the water-horse came to the house and asked who was in, the husband was to reply ' 'S mi-fein 's mi fein' ['Myself and myself']. This all happened...

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.'

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...

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...