Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-21

Ahcn S''"a tnc OtaNlo anu TuSncS aipnB
one stree followed by the entire
male population. at the end of which he
Is relieved " another fisherman. la this
way every street in the village is gone
through, the Clavio being repIenished
from time b time. When the process
sion had passed through the village the
Ciavie Is depoited on the top Of little
mound called he " Doorie, and there it
is kept burnini far into the night. IL is
then broken Iad the embers scattered.
The people ruh upon the pieces, and
every fragments carefully gathered up.
Zach individual secures part, and so
the ceremony ends.
some years ag every boat in the bar
Dor was visited b. the Clavie- bearer. the
intention being % purify and purge
them from evil pirits, and especially
from the baleful influences Of witch
craft. The fragments gathered by the
people are for ia, same purpose, and
they are stored away during the year.
! Several rules connected with the cere-
mony have 10 be rlndly observed /; for
example, no landsmai can take part in the
| programme under pan of death. Indeed.
strange fishermen are looked upon with
suspicion, and not allowed 20 par
ticipate in the ceremony. Sixty years
ago colony of fishermen from Camp
bclltown Inverness shire) settled in
| Burghead. After few years residence
they were allowed TO accompany the pro-
cession. The stranger, grew and multi
! piled until they became as numerous as
r,rlf
strength they conceived the idea that it
would be more in order with the fitness
Of things If the Clavie vas burned on the
evening OF the 3lst Of December in
stead of the ilth OF January. The inno-
walton was fercely resisted, and after
a protracted struggle the strangers bad
to succumb strange superstition
connected with the ceremony is that
should any one fall in the rush along the
streets 1t is q sure sign that that person
will never be present al another Clavie-
burning. So sure are they OF this that
| should the Clavie-hearer for the time
| fall another at once SEXES the fiery
mass, and without waiting for the
fallen man TO rise the crowd PUSHES on
ward, probably tramplng him under
foot.
This remnant of paganism, now slowly
| dying out in tue lone village OF Burg
head, was once common throughout
Scotland. Some say it is Of Scandina-
Wan origin, and others that 1t is purely
! Celtic. There is no authority for either
statement. The ceremony was probably
performed 10y both races, 1t is certain
| that III the beginning OF last century
| the kirk session OF invsrayOn for
babe the heathenish custom and
took steps to put 1t down. A minute to
that effect IS recorded III the session
/ books. Inveravon is q parish III the
Highlands of BantIsbire, where proba-
/ bly, the foot of Norsemen never trod,
! thus showing that the ceremony was
practiced by tho Highlanders. To argue
either side would be vain. What Is OF
greater importance is that the mystic
rous rite Is probably of much greater
antiquity than is generally supposed. 1t
is believed that it was originated for the
purpose OF frightening witches. No doubt
| tho belief in it among the fishermen
! degenersted into something like that I;
| but the origin Of the Clavie lies deeper.
| The use OF the stone hammer instead Of
an iron one in constructing the Clavle is
/ by some held as indicating that the cere-
monv was in existence in the Stone Age.
! The Clavie. in short, appears TO be the
remnant of religious belief, and Is
probably connected with fire worship.
The unique mark of civilization al
| luded 30 above is a large cavity cut IN
the solid rock and known as the Roman
Well. The cavity is about eighteen feet
square. There is platform three feet
wide all around the well, and the re-
mainder of the space is filled with water.
The apartment is lofty, and 1t is neatly
vauted over with masonry. A stairway
cut in the rock leads down to the plat
form, from which one can descend into
the deep, dark pool. Several anti
ouarian wars have been fought over this
well but no satisfactory conclusion has
ever been arrived at. Burghead is alto
gether Il mysterious place. 1t is a veri-
table "place OF skulls" A large ridge
runs for considerable distance between
the village and the sea, composed MAIN
" of human bones. When the wind is
high and the firth is dashed into foam it
is alleged that these bones have been
heard to rattle and mysterious groans
and deep mutterings to proceed from
tho mound. To the east OF the
storm-swcpt headland the sea is gradu-
ally retreating; while Immediately to
the west Of it the waters roll over a
buried forest. Five strange scnlptured
stones, unique in Britain. have been dis
covered during the past fifty years on
the headland. Each of them represents
bull. They are sculptured in the fine
siliceous sandstone OF the district, which
is more enduring than marble or granite.
The lines are strong and beautiful, show
ing that the sculptor had a high idea OF
art. Like the Clavie, these stones are
mystery, and belong to a fHr-past time.
They, too, may be a remnant OF pagan