Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-21


them into fatal unions through which the
souls Of the mortals 80 deluded were end |
lesaly banished from heaven. Tn. second
class comprised semiimmortals and ma
gicians wholly deyoted 70 Druidism and
the black art Whether the latter had ex-
tstence or whether they were creatures Of
the imagination solely. centuries behind
them some sort Of folk really existed IN
ancient Caledonia Their wonderful skill
IN the erection OF sepuIchral mounds, stone
circles and menhirs. and In the making Of
metal ornaments and deIicately formed
spear heads was such ~ 20 compel on the
part Of less skillfui and more wariAke
people the gradua. deincation Of the u1yE
terious race, and their eventual identthco-
ten With the local phantoms and gods a
the earliest Historically known people Of
Scotland
In the gradual svolution Of the fairies Of
Scotland, whose real origin ~ers In the
Finnish sylvans. safyrs and fauns. but who
became more propitious TO humanity
through a natural Modification by the
SUMMER natures Of the Celtic people. that
portion Of its demonology providing ms
lsEolsnt spirits Of an impish nature has
been LARGELY extirpated- The IMAM OF the
hills," the Identical fellow found in early
Irish fairy lore, was very wicked gnome
indeed He was up 90 all manner Of wizard
harm and made no distinction whassxer
between good and bad people In his depne-
dationA The eden Scottish hanshee. Like
the Irish banshee when first known, was
most hurtful and vindictive female demon
The former has been replaced IN Ireland BY
q throng Of pleasant hammered imps. chief
among whom Il that impo OF infinite humor,
the leprachaun- The banshee has faded
out Of Scotland entirely. but Is retained In
Iruinnd as the tender mother Of an endless
hroOd Of kindly fairies which under no cir
eurnntances annoy any humans save those
Of evil heart and souiid nature, and who
are full Of rewards 30 the generous. the
sacridcial and the good
In Scotland all these descendants OF the
original bad man and bad woman Of the
hills have within ths last two OF three
centuries come under the general appellar
tion Of the "brownies-" These are pos
sessed Of every good and evil characteristic
qualification and power occasion may 70
oufre In their elfsh relations with men.
They are variously known also as those
restless folk" ''men Of peaceH and -guid
neibors." The name fairy" and ELF, !"
though certainly sweet in sound, Is ex-
tremely distasteful TO the Scottish "wee
folk" as we have IL on the authority OF
rhyme one OF their own number Is said to
have provided for settling the natter
Gin ye ca me imp or elf.
rede ye look weei 70 yourself
Gin ye ca me fairy.
ri work ye muckle tarrie droubles
0in guild neibor ye ca me.
Then guild neibor VIII be;
But gin ye ca me seelie WIGHT tmerrymanl
f'il be your freend balth day and nicht-
But brownies they remain. despite
theae express commands. This term II
generic and covers all sprites and fairy
powers Of good or Ill Still, they seem in
the popular mind 60 comprise several divi-
sions. There Is certainly an Intermediates
class Of spirits residing In the air 10 whose
agency foods, storms and tempests are a.
cribed by the Scottish lowly. though they
possess no distinctive title. Then there
are the mermaids, the kelpies Of the south
and the water bulls and horses Of the
north, Of the lochs and streams. as stoufly
believed in by the peasantry who now live
beside them as they were centuries ago.
And the brownies" as body. seem TO be
divided into those whose engagements are
Of a general nature and those whose du-
ties are strictly confined 20 affairs OF the
household 1N
Those nameless elfs and spirits Of the afr
which control the vagaries Of Scottish
weather have much 70 attend 70 and &C
count for. They are not only constantly
employed in dispensing fogs, mists and
teupests, but unless their wishes havt
been iuvoked and dhrnctiona duly followsd
all structures. especiAlly churches and
dwellings, are liabls 70 destruction II
wnn not 50 very long ago that the sites d
| many historic strtlcturua IN Scotland had
thsiF origin In this soss of intsrfsfonss
Work unOn the lancienf church OF OK
Dnnn In Aberdeenshira. Wa constantly IN
terfsred with by the 'reatlesa folkn mt
its aifs was changed from NE hill Of Bi.sar
% Tapsi1lsry. At the express command o
''ths spirit Of the RivsFF thsr& Essr.
tina work was began on the Walls. q
Mauldslis castle. In Lanarkshire. whA
was e0mplernd BY day wnD arsd by th
fa,Fies - night. unsa : ,Foscs fFom -
. debris repeafipG 49,. s- 4
Bis buldl the house whsrs itshouid b
. was hssded, when che fairies themselve
, aidod IN the complotionof the casele 4
|. punuisaly similar, actiou of the fniri0 e
! counts for the bnilding Of the castle
: MelQund. in Eorfarshire, on low ground
!. verifabIy in a bog. rather than on 4 neigh
.. boring hill The castle Of Cowthaill
: Ianarkshire. remains where Il stands 4
!. day, because the fairies. defying the hrz
Z Somerville. who had taken Il By storm. l
Z his efforts to destroy the old castle an
Z build more imposing one on a new sit
actually dung down at NIGHT" ever
!, stone his workmen laid during the da,
; until the stubborn nobleman desiste
4 and restored the old castle 90 its origins
: foundations Of iron. for which the fairis
! had some sort Of q liking. And as ev
j. dencs that these wee folk are still excl
4 cislng their sway. / personally know {
4 the changing OF seven croft home sites ]
I Inverness and Ross shires during the pai
!. four years. aud one in Aberdeenshire witt
: in q year on account Of their peasant owl
4 ers' absolute belief that they have receive
4 such elfin commands.
q As to the mermaids Of the lochs the
= still exist past all dispute-at least vii
! their friends the Highlanders. The RAJ
I. ways, telegraphs and newspapers. like q
!. hearflezs poachers they are. have 'sweeped
a or seined them well out Of the lowlan
= shires. They are and were both dangerol
= and benefcent personages- In olden um'
= | fAa.~ ,u-o,.. not afovn Giving rarIune II