Skip to main content

Tales

 Subject

Staff Only
Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Scope Note: Created For = CW

Found in 1040 Collections and/or Records:

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
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

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
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about a girl being bitten by an eel, June 1887

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW89/215
Scope and Contents

Story, probably collected from 'Nor[man] the Bank', Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist, about a girl [Ish[bel] Diarmaid, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye] being 'cut to the bone' by an eel bite.

Dates: June 1887
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about a girl trapped in a fairy hill, 1885

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW87/64
Scope and Contents

Story about a girl trapped in a fairy hill while out searching for her cattle. She was told to ball meal and that she would get out once she had finished but the amount of meal would not reduce despite her best efforts. An old man said he would help her get out if he gave her some of the meal because her lover was marrying that night and she got out.

Dates: 1885
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Transcription notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about a goose [giodh] outwitting a fox [sionnach], June 1887

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW89/185
Scope and Contents

Story about a goose [giodh] outwitting a fox [sionnach] whereby the goose tells the fox he needs to say grace before he can eat and the fox has to let go of the goose in order to do so. Text has been scored through as if transcribed elsewhere.

Dates: June 1887
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about a grazing sheep, 20 May 1870

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW150/80
Scope and Contents

Story about a sheep which Carmichael observed 'up to the middle in the water of a lakelet gathering a few stray blades of grass that were growing in the clear water' and that he 'Never saw such before.' He saw this happening at Amhor farm on North Uist [Ath Mhòr/Ahmore, Uibhist a Tuath].

Dates: 20 May 1870
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about a great northern diver, 1885

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW87/36
Scope and Contents Story about a great northern diver collected from Kenneth MacLean, merchant, Lochmaddy [Loch nam Madadh, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] describing the one occasion on which he saw a great northern diver on the wing at Fladda, Lochmaddy [Flodaigh/Flodday] 'The wings went rapidly and the bird seemed to exert himself greatly'. That the bird might have been a black throated diver and not a great northern diver is put forward. Carmichael notes that he and his children saw a great northern diver...
Dates: 1885
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Transcription notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about a gruagach at Cladh Eòropaidh, 27 October 1873

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW115/21
Scope and Contents

Story that the brother of [the informant] 'saw the gruagach [supernatural creature] at cladh Eorapai' [Cladh Eòropaidh or Cladh Pheadair, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis]. Two place-names are mentioned 'Cleit Aultain' and 'Laig nam-falaich' but it is unclear whether these are on Rònaidh/North Rona or in Nis/Ness.

Dates: 27 October 1873
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about a hawk hunting rock pigeons, June 1887

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW89/30
Scope and Contents Story about a hawk hunting rock pigeons probably collected from Donald Currie, crofter, Ìle/Islay. Donald tells how John Maconail, W Eilestra [Aolstradh an Iar/Wester Ellister] saw a blue hawk [peregrine falcon] chasing rock pigeons at Eileastra [Port Ellister], striking one, which fell to the ground, John picked it up and it flew high again, the hawk struck another pigeon which fell straight down, the hawk pursuing it with 'treme[ndous] swirl making straight upon her he jerked a little...
Dates: June 1887
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about a herd preventing cattle from swimming away, March 1874

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW111/83
Scope and Contents

Story about a herd who when he went to collect some cattle and when he whistled for them they came down to the beach and three cows and their three calves started swimming towards Ceilegary [Ceileagraigh/Killegray]. He managed to stop the last cow and her limping calf by throwing 'lan a chroighl[e]' [possibly creel] into the pool in which they were standing.

Dates: March 1874
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael