The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-18
SCOTCH SUPERSTITION.
Edgar L. wakeman's wanderlnss
in Historic Britain.
The BLOOD-CURDLlNG STORIES
That Have From Time ImmemOrial
Been Told at the Gosslping Parties.
wierd superstitions that Arc I'm.
pneltly believed BY the Rus.les.
Special Correspondents qf tAs InteIlfono1.

any country are not only interesting in
their suggestion OF thought, feeling and
belief, but through them much OF the
heart history Of a people Can often be
traced. Scotland Is peculiarly rich iu
these forgivable yagsries. A profound
book might be written upon them.
Such book would have much ethno-
logic and sociolosic value. In news
paper articles the merest reference to
the quaint things disGoverabIe on this
line of study among Scottish people
can be made. For In not quito years
wanderings among the Scottish peas
antry the number OF these unique
things secured has boon aatonishingi
and in interesting fact at least to myself
was tho gradual change In my own ST.
perstition regarding Scottish superSti.
lions. l believed they would be found
altogether gloomy, sagave, bsrbaric.
But / gradually caino to know that,
however grim-visaged the face OF the
one confdtng to me, weird assertion
OF uncanny belief, the masses OF the
peasantry, possibly barring tho north
ern crotters and I'LL Scottish fishermen
from the Solway to the Farce Islands,
secuted and fouted them, save those OF
q tender and winsome character.
Indeed among the most unlearned OF
Scottish peasahtry there Is a serious
though exquisite vein Of brightness
better than ordinary wit and more pal
pable than extraordinary humor which,
rejecting the essential slavery OF super
stitious practices, save in remote dis
tricts, insists on retaining and enjoying
the pleasure found in an apparent and
gravely asserted belief in the super
stitions themselves. a lingering re-
spect for, if not belietin, the old spae-
wife or "wise-woman," the halt-witch,
fortune-teller and destroyer Of spells,
charms and blights from the "evil-eye"
still exists almost universally in Scot
land; and one casting ridicule upon
her, Is instantly met with the reproof:
"The gift she haze is frae aboon,
an what He gies daurna be hiditW-
though the speaker may have no more
faith than yourself In the efficacy OF the
pretended spae-wife's powers. The loss
Of the charm OF possessing tho superst.
ton is begrudged. Thus the weird,
Quaint things, many OF which might
seem unaccountable and repulsive to
us, have become in lieu Of books lore a
folk and iireside lore out OF which end
less entertainment is secured. Under
meath much OF this there is deep and
earnest tenderness such us oil hearts
know for many things without apparent
reason, that grow into life out OF ances-
try, oft-repeatcd homeside tale, beloved
custom and that mysterious yet power
full hallowing which comes upon change
less places and objects to men.
wIToHcRAFT.
Demonology and witchcratt in Scot
lind arc matters OF too recent record to
expect that their weird influences are
anything like largely dispelled. Scottish
romance and poetry reck with "the
diel's mischief" OF this order; but the
glamor of this form Of mental supersti-
tion-worship Is not alone sufficiently
powerful to foster and preserve the
witches and warlocks to. the magma
tions OF the Scottish masses, There are
remote districts in the Scottish south
eastern and southwestern shires, for in
stance south OF the Tweed in Roxburgh-
shire, and along the Selway and Irish
sea, where the old wrath, various and
yagarous as in Tam 0'Shanter's time,
seem fadeless; but the great cradle and
source OF preservation OF all uncanny
things in Scottish superstition is still, !
am inclined to believe from actual OBJ
servation and study, the Scottish High.
lands and Islands. These districts still
annually send out into all the lowland
cities, villages and countryside COM
mumties, great numbers Of sturdy, hon
est, patient, though ignorant and super
stitious, men and women who engage
in all manner OF service. They are
tryly children OF the mists. Their asso.
citation in homes, in inns, on estates and
even in factories, with lowland compan-
ions effects Ceaseless transmission OF tho
bugaboos they have brought from the
mountains and glens; and this in turn,
rekindles and keeps atlame in the
breasts of lowlander, ordinarily subject
to later-day influences, all the inherent
love for the fierce aud gentle spirits
and spritcs so marked among the lowly
OF all olden Celtic lands and race divis.
ions.
These humble and unconscious mis-
slonaries OF superintendent brave,
tender and immaginative folk-are rear
ed from babyhood to manhood in what
way be termed Il university OF supersti-
ton.
In their lonely and isolated liyes every
physical object and phenomenon Of ma
tuTe has q Significance Of good or III.
Their entire environment is rife with
wild and fierce ancestral tales aud
legends, Their homes IN some "auld
clachan" in the glens, on the mountain
sides, within the purple strsths, or
clustered in the upland corries or hol,
g lows, stand on Goelc ianes many OF
which are 1000 years old. The pagan
clachan (the sacred circle OF stones is
gone. The later chapels are RACED to
ground But there the Highlander re-
mains in his glen.sIde home stand
ing within the relics OF antiquity
lost in the miats OF oblivion. Thus
down through the centuries have como
the wild bardic songs, shreds OF the
barbarous rites, and echoes of the clang
and clash Of awful mountain battles,
the whole dim, weird and spectral to
his grave and silent life; until every
grotesque form in mountain landscape
has demon shape; every shRdowy tarn
or hollow glen has It's presiding evil
spirit; every cairn or menhlr is the
abode Of warlock or boyle; every float
ing cloud is tho sable wing OF some hov.
ering and awful presence; every cry Of