Skip to main content

Fairies

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

Found in 102 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
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about a fairy cup, 12 July 1870

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/81
Scope and Contents Story about a fairy cup collected from Kenneth Morrison, Nishishee, Na Hearadh/Isle of Harris telling how Bruth Loscintir [Bruaichean Losgaintir/Luskentyre Banks] are 'Sithein' [fairy hills] at the tunga or tomb Buaile rosmail [Buaile Rosamail]. A young man saw the fairy hill open and inside there was music and dancing. He was handed a cup which he took but went outside with it and was chased down the road by the fairies, who called out after him a verse beginning, 'Nach lua[th] Lurag nach...
Dates: 12 July 1870
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

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

Story about a fairy hill, 6 May 1874

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/132
Scope and Contents

Story collected from Iain MacLeod, crofter, Bhaltos [Bhaltos/Valtos, Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] about a delicate man from Bearnaraidh Bheag [Bearnaraigh Bheag/Little Bernera, Eilean Leòdhais /Isle of Lewis] called Lachlan mac Iain 'ic Tharmaid 'ic Aonghais Mhòir. A man met the fairies and spoke to them in many languages but the one they understood was Gaelic. The man asked if Lachlan was theirs and the fairies said that he was and took him into the fairy hill.

Dates: 6 May 1874
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

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 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 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 man on Lewis who is going to build a house and is visited by a fairy, 1873

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW105/32
Scope and Contents

Story about a man on Lewis [Eilean Leòdhais] who is going to build a house and is visited by a fairy.

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

Story about a man spending a year in a fairy hill near Caisteal Bheagram [Castle Beagram], c1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/82
Scope and Contents Story about a man spending a year in a fairy hill near Caisteal Bheagram [Castle Beagram, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist]. The story goes that on a snowy night, he was heading for the mill at Howmore [Tobha Mòr] but mistook Caisteal Bheagram for the mill. Two neighbours were also going to the mill but saw a sight in the fairy hill. They went to look at it and one was pulled in. The other went home but was accused of killing his companion. A year later he went back to the hill, put an iron spike...
Dates: c1872
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about a man working late, 7 July 1870

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/7
Scope and Contents

Story about a man working so late that he had no time to 'see his caora nollaig' and so the fairies 'threw his black sheep at him' and he had to take it home with him.

Dates: 7 July 1870
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Privacy & Cookies | Takedown Policy | Licensing & Copyright | Accessibility | Centre for Research Collections | LHSA | Contact us at is-crc@ed.ac.uk

ArchivesSpace release-v3.4.x

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright © 2018 University of Edinburgh.