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 the sighting of an each-mara near Pabbay, 1901

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW110/42
Scope and Contents

Story about the sighting of an each-mara in Sloc Lamrigegeo, Pabay [Sloc Glamairidhgeo, Pabay/Pabbay] by a lobster-crew. The 'horse' is described and the youngest of the crew is said to have 'swooned'. Carmichael notes in a different pencil 'Probably this was the walrus. not (sic) unknown on the west coast'. The text has been scored through as if transcribed elsewhere.

Dates: 1901
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about the size of men in MacKenzie's regiment, 10 July 1870

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/67
Scope and Contents

Story collected on Tarasaigh/Taransay which reads 'When MacKenzie raised his Reg[iment] he had 1000 & only 3 were und[er] 6 f[ee]t many above this.'

Dates: 10 July 1870
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about the sons of the Duke of Argyll and MacLeod of MacLeods eldest sons, 10 July 1870

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/50
Scope and Contents Story collected on Tarasaigh/Taransay about the sons of the Duke of Argyll's and MacLeod of MacLeod's eldest sons. The story tells how the two sons were together at the Royal High School Edinburgh [Dùn Èideann] or Edinburgh University and the Duke's son was being bullied by a sizable 'gille galda' [gille Gallda or Lowlander]. MacLeod's son stepped in to help the Duke's son but between the two of them they beat the gille Gallda so badly that he died from his injuries. The two fled to Dunvegan...
Dates: 10 July 1870
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about the Steocairean on Islay, September 1884

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW120/294
Scope and Contents

Story about the Steocairean [cliar sheanachain or itinerant band/sorners] on Islay [Ìle] collected from Donald MacPhail, grocer, Quay, Oban [An t-Òban, Earra Ghàidheal/Argyllshire], in which a group demanded and were reluctantly given hospitality in an Islay farm house. Amongst them was a young man learning but who 'could only play the first "car" of the port [tune]'. The head of the steocairean 'ceann-snaodh nan steocairen' recited a poem or song beginning 'Piobaireach[hd] is aran tur'.

Dates: September 1884
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about the 'Taoitear Saileach', c1862

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW112/13
Scope and Contents Story about the 'Taoitear Saileach' [Taoitear t-Sàileach or Kintail Tutor] probably collected from Kenneth Morrison, Trithean/Trien, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye. The story begins by saying that An Taoitear t-Sàileach was a very bad man and quoting part of a saying in which he is described as one of the tree worst things about Scotland, the others being May frost and July fog. A widow told An Taoitear Sàileach that he could take away her cows but he could not take away her [sleep?]...
Dates: c1862
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Transcription notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about the theft of a corpse, 20 January 1871

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/147
Scope and Contents Story collected from Hector MacLeod, aged 85, at Caisteal Bhuirgh/Borve Castle, Lionacleit/Linaclate, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula, telling how a woman from the MacCormaig family in Killpheadair [Cille Pheadair/Kilpheder, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist] went to work at Balranald [Baile Raghnaill, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] and got married there. Not long after she married she fell ill and died. When her wake folk were resting her friends 'who came in g[rea]t force' took away her corpse but they...
Dates: 20 January 1871
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about the use of a charm to remove a crumb from an eye, July 1909

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW117/22
Scope and Contents Story about the use of a charm to remove a crumb from an eye collected from [John] Maclennan, crofter, in which his brother gets a biscuit crumb in his eye following a practical joke but the crumb is stuck there for two days. They are sent to an old woman at [Fairburn Tower, Siorramachd Inbhir Nis/Inverness-shire] who does not touch the brother but places three pebbles in water and repeats a charm at which point a crumb falls into her hand and the brother no longer feels pain as the crumb in...
Dates: July 1909
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about the use of a ruin as a place of worship, 20 January 1871

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/148
Scope and Contents

Story collected from Hector MacLeod, aged 85, at Caisteal Bhuirgh/Borve Castle, Lionacleit/Linaclate, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula telling how when he was about twelve years old [c1798] he remembers the old people going to the tota [tobhta or ruin] at Bail-uachdrach [possibly Kenuachrach] to say their paidir as a pearsa eaglais [priest] was not able to come every Sunday. This suggests that the ruin was originally a church.

Dates: 20 January 1871
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about the wife of Mac an Lir and accompanying songs, 11 April 1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW119/55
Scope and Contents

Story collected from Hector MacLeod, Iocar [Ìochdar, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist]. The text has been scored through in pencil and written transversely across the first few lines of text is 'See No 14 Book page 76' and written transveresely across the last page of text is 'See Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Dublin 1808 page 14'.

Dates: 11 April 1872
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about the worship of marked stones by followers of Una Nin Ri Lochlan on Unival, c1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/74
Scope and Contents Story about the worship of marked stones by followers of Una Nin Ri Lochlan [Una Nighean Rìgh Lochlann] on Unival [Uineabhal, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist]. It notes that any of Una's men who did not worship the images or were guilty of crime were made to move the stones as were any who 'Kept a fire alive at Beatlain [Bealltainn]'. The note also mentions barps at Langass and Tai Cloiche Mharadh [Langais and Taigh Cloiche, Marrogh]. Carmichael also adds a quote relating to the MacAulay family...
Dates: c1872
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael