The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-19
sCoTT1sH sUrERsTTr1oNS


perstitfons 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 q people can
often BIO traced. sootland ia peculiarly rich in
these forIivable vaearies A profound book
might be written upon them. Such . book
would have much ethnologio and sociologic
| Nnlue In newspaper articles the msrest refer
ence to the auaint things discoverable on this
| line ofstudyamong Scottish people can be ade,
| Tor In not quite q years wanderines among
tho Scottish peasantry the number OF these
unique things secured has been aston fishing.
and an interesting fact. at least to myself. was
the gradual change in my own superstition re-
ga:ding Scottish supersti.ions l believed
they would DO found altogether gloomy. saw
age, barbaric. But gradually came to know
that however GRIM visaged the face OF the one
conilding to me void assertion Of uncAnny
| belief. tho masses o. the peasautry. possibly
| barring the Northern croftsrs and all Scottish
fishermen from the Golway to the Farce
Islands. secuted and nouted them. save those
OF tender and winsome character.
Indeed, among the most unlsarned Of SCOT
| fish peasantry there In u serious, though OK
1ulsite. vein OF brightness. better than ordinary
| wit aud more ralpable than extraordinary
humor which. rejecting tho essential slavery
OF supsrstitious practices. save In remote dis.
tricts. insists on retaining and enjoying the
pleasure found In an apparent and 0raveiy as
serted belief In the superstitions themselves.
lingering respect for. Il not belief In. tho
old snae-wife or wise woman the half witch,
fortune teller. and destroyer OF spells charms,
and blights from the " evil eye" still exists AL
most universally in Scotland. and one casting
riGicule upon her 10 instantly met with tho re-
proof: The Riit she haze is frae nboon. an
what He gios daurna BIO hidit!" though the
ul,nrv, n f.;st 1,
In the efficacy Of the pretended spae- wi'es
powers. Tho loss OF the charm OF possessing
the su; erstition is beRrudged Thus the weird.
quaint things many OF which might seem I'M
accountable aud repulsive to US. have become
in icu OF book lore folk and flreside lore. out
OF which endless entertainment Is secured.
Underneath much OF this there /. a deep and
earnest tenderness such as oil hearts know for
many things without apparent reason. that
grow into lie out Of ancestry. oft.repeated
mo side tale. beloved custom, and that mys-
ferrous yet powerful hallowing which comes
upon change!ess places and objects to men.
Demono.ogy and witchcraft In Scotland are
matters OF too recent record TO expect that
their weird influences arc anything like large
ly dispeed. ottish romance and poetry
rcek with the deils mischief" OF this ordor;
but The glamour OF this form OF mental super
sttiou Worship Ia not alone su Efficiently 20 wer-
full to foster and preserve the witches and
warlocks to the imaginations OF the Scottish
masses. Tier, are remote districts In the
Scottish southeastern and on hwsstern shires;
for instance. south OF the Tweed in Roxburgh-
shire and along tho Solway and Irish Sea.
where the old wraths. various and vagarious
as in Tam o Shan,er's time. seem fadeless;
but tho great cradle and source OF
preservation OF all uncanny things in
Scottish superstition is still. l am in
cljncd to believe from actual obser-
walton and study. the Scottish Highlands and
islands, These districts sti!l annually send out
into all the lowland cities. villages and coun.
try side communities great numbers Of sturdy.
honest. patient though ignorant aud supel sti-
tious men and women. who engage In all man.
ner OF service. They are truly children Of the
mists. Their association in bones. in inns. on
estates. aud even IN factories. with lowland
companions effects CONSOLES transmission OF
the bucah0os they have brought from the
mountains und glens. and this In turn re-
kindles and keeps aflaine IN the breasts OF
lowlnnders. ordinarily subjec, to later day in
0uences. all the Inherent love for the fierce
ana gentle spirits and spri,es so marked
among the lowly OF all olden Celtic lands aud
These humble and unconscious mission aries
OF superstition brave. tender. and
to mahSood in what may be ,ruly termsd
Ia their lonely aud Isolated lives every physi-
ssnssns' q g I; 4 1 q a. The entire En-
tain sides, within the purple strnths or clus:
"n Gusii tsnes many Of which are 2.oU year s
ola. me pagan c sh the . sacred e. cir.
are RI razed 10 the GROUND. 10 But there sp The
Highlander remains in his Glen-si homo.
f os III T!Ar ms sas G;'s oDvon sna Hbas
down through tho centuries have come Inc
wild bardc songs 81, shreIs Of the barbarous
and Spectral to bis grave and silent iis:" Until
has demon shape every vi adowy iarn Or hollow
allen hasi,s presiding OWL spirit: every cairn
cry ioslina cloud is the sable wing Of some
lowering and awful presence: every cry OF bird
sas nad anS III aDr 81 seo
and syery rS%HHs blast Of the i an
present enyIronment Of tho region, see how his
Is Threaded in wsFG and MOOT from the
For eight months OF the year these folk are
exclusive diversion has bssn that inconpara-
n IF a.s a TOR
narty".. II cro the auld wives gather. and b.
the lllcE6rlnR III Oh tue peat Tr0S recount,
evening after ev' Alng tho whole winter long.
all The harr wing tales their RIPE and bardlc
with every CHASTITY tale possibIe to human in
! vention. and stepping the very sonl In The
fumes OF black nrt cauldrons inhnItely more
! weird and nideous thnn Shakaspear. has con-
,vne, IN Tho witch scene. OF Macbs' h." SO. AZ
III, burn. snrnrIna from tho misty cray-
| coming p.ins Of the iowlan.!s Tho endle ss
streams OF dsmonology descend from the
weird and mi ~ r~,t'tibs OF thpso urofters' an
cent home aud render rers na tn" iowlnnd
In tracing he Gaelic mythology tiier. viii 10
foun,i two 'assos OF immortals. Ono OF these
consists o. mtIs and demons La wi No I he p0wer
OF taking nno!nl ll,smI;elyes the body Of man or
womsn. md particularly Fl holding ont
rAv'shine promises OF immortality. leading
them init fntal uni ms through which the souls
Of the mortais So leluded were eGdIessy BAN
ished from heaven. The second class M
prisesns miimm' rtals and magrans. wholly
devoted to Drn!dism, and the mack art
Whether the later bad eXi.telsce or whsther
they wore crsat1r & Of the msGln.lio9 -ololy.
existed in ancient ta!odonia. Their wonder.
fnl skill H. the erection OF sspr:chral mounds.
at a. a nd ma n I'M n -, ~, ~