Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-21
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS
pEMoNoLocY AND sUPERsTITIoNs
or THE LAND o CAKES.

Origin. Haunts and DOings - warIoekA.
Bogiss. Kslpiss and the Household
Brownies Of seotIand-rheir Nurseries
In the Misty ''cOrriss'' OF the Highlands
tCopyright. 1901. by Edgar L Wakernan.l
JEDBUReH. Scotland. July 6-The super
stitions Of the peasant folk Of any country
are not only interesting in their suggestion
Of thought. feeling and belief. but through
them much Of the heart history Of people
can often be traced Scotland Is peculiarly
rich in these forgivabls vagaries. A pro
found book might be written upon them
Such book would have much ethnologic
and sociologic value In newspaper arti-
eles the merest. references 70 the quaint
things discoverable on this line of study
among Scottish people can be made For
In not quite year's wanderings among
the Scottish peasantry the number Of these
unique things secured has been astonisL
ing; and an interesting fact at least 70 my
self was the gradual change in my own
superstition regarding Scottish supersti
tions.
Among the most unlearned Of Scottish
peasantry there IL a serious but exquisite
rein Of brightness better than ordinary wit
aud more palpable than extraordinary hu-
NOR. which. rejecting the essential slavery
pf superstitious practices save in remotedis-
tricts, insists on retaining and enjoying
the pleasure found in an apparent and
gravely asserted belief in the superstitions
themselves. A lingering respect for. II not
. belief in. the old spae wife OF wise WON
an" the half witch. fortune teller and de
stroyer of spells. charms and blights from
the 'evil eye" still exists almost universal
/ ~ in Scotland, and one casting ridicule
/ upon her h instantly met with the re
proof, The gift she hae Is frae aboOn. an
what be aies daurnA be hidit" 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 tue superstitions is be-
grudged. Thus the weird. quaint things.
many OF which might seem unaccountable
and repulsive 70 us, have become in lieu OF
book lore a folk and dnesids lore out Of
which endless entertainment Is secured
Demonology and witchcraft In Scotland
are matters Of too recent record 20 expect
that their weird influences are anything
like largely dispelled. Scottish romance
and poetry reek with the deil's mischief"
Of this order; but the RlRmor Of this form
Of mental superstition worship Is not alone
sufficiently powerful TO foster and preserve
the witches and warlocks 20 the imagine
tions Of the Scottish masses. There are
remote districts in the Scottish southeast
ern and Southwestern shires. for instance,
south Of the Tweed in Roxburghshire, and
along the Solway and Irish sea. where the
old wraiths, various and vAgarous as in
Tam O'Shanter's tina seem fadeless; but
the great cradle aud source OF Preservation
Of ali uncanny things In Scottish supersti-
ton Is still, 1 am inclined 10 believe rom
actual observation and study, the Seottiah
hiahlands and islands. These districts
stiIl annually send out into all the lowland
cities, villages and country side communt
ties great numbers Of sturdy, honest, pa
tient, though ignorant and superstitious,
men and women, who engage in all manner
of service. They are truly children Of ths
uists. Their association In homes, In inns
on estates and even in factories with low
Land companions effects ceaseless trans
mission Of the bugaboos they have brought
from tae mountains and glens-
These humble and unconscious mission
arfeurof superstition--evsr brave, tende'
and imaginative folk-are peared from Be
byhood to manhood in what may Be trul'
termed university Of snperstttion-
In their lonely and isolated hSes ever
physical object and phenomenon o. na n.
turu has q significance Of good or "
Th-ar eufir. enEironmnnt h rife with vii
. Sod fisrcn aucsstrAl tales and legsnds
Tha,r hsmss IN some ''auid clachan" n -
risnn. On the monntain side. within n
0nrols sfnalhs % elusterod n the uPlsni
corriss % holl0ws. stsnd on Gaelic d.ae
mnnw a which, aRn 1,o00 years old IN
uaQnn clachan (ths ',sacred circle OF stones
q guna The later chapels are ra1ed % %
Ground But there the Hghianner {.
maans In his glsnaids home standing viii
In IL sslios of auti4uitB issAtns - MIST
of ohliTi0n. ..--s,-s - f-r- - ~ q. p
1Thus aousn throuah ths osnturias bar
eo1na fha Wild hnraiq pongu. ahrpd1 q q
hnrharons rifna and erhow sof ths aan
~ dad Of iawful mnuntean 1ba1olaas =
Wholu din. weird and spgptral 70 ths ga'
and ailent LIE unth eFeET grpfes1ne fnH
In mountain landscape has demon shAp
every shadowy tarn or hollow glen has
presiding evil spirit; every catrn Or menh
4 the abode Of warlock or bogie. evel
boating cloud Is the sable wing OF son
towering and awful presence; every cry
bird has especial and weird signihcans
every stream and loch has its spirit
good or evil. and every trumpet blast
the tempest Is an undeniable challenge
personi6ed malevolence and fury.
For eight months Of the year these 70
are shut within their mountain homes
storm and food. From time immemori
almost the exclusive diversion has be
that incompatible nursery Of superstiti'
and cefIidlt pronounced "kailey." and Ga
10 for sgossiping party'0 Here the au
wives gather. and by the hickering light
the peat fires recount. evening after eve
ing the whole winter long, All the harro'
ing tales their ripe and bardic fancies co
jure. veritably curdling the blood wi
every ghastly tale possible 20 human
vention, and sleeping the very soul n
fumes Of black art oaldrons infinite
more weird and hideous than shakespea
: has conjured In the witch scenes Of IA
= beth" So a. the burns springing from I
misty crag trimmed corries descend A
NJ water the welcoming plains Of the 10
n LANDS, the endless streams Of demonolo
a descend from the weird and misty ccilid
Of these crofters' ancient homes and rent
perennial the lowland growth Of Scotu
folklore aud superstition
In tracing the Gaelic mythology th'