Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-06
VAKEMlN'S WlNDERlNGS
pEaoNoLooY AND sUPeRsrlrloNs
or The LAND o. CAKES.

origin. uaunts and Doinss Of warioohs.
nogies. Ksipies and the Household
brownie. - scotland Nurseries
In Tho Misty "cprriss" Of the Highlands.
lCopyrlrht. 1911. BY Edlnr L. wakeman.l
JrDnuncn scotland. July G-The super
stitions OF the peasant folk u any country
are not only Interesting 10 their suggestion
Of thought. icdling aud belief, but through
them much OF the heart history II a people
eau often b. traced Scotland u peculiarly
rich Ia these forgivable vagarles. A pro
found book might h. written upon them
such book would have much ,thuoIogia
aud snciologic value IL ncwspipcr artl
ciua the interest reference 90 the qnaist
things disco,srublc on this line Of study
among Scottish people can b. made. For
In not quito ycur's wanderhgs among
the scottish peasantry the number Of thcss
unique things secured has been astonlsh
Ing. and an Interesting fact at least 10 my.
self was tho gradual change In my own
superstition Regarding Scottish aupcuti
tlons.
Among the most unleatned " Scottish
pcnsantry ti>ru ~ serious but exquisite
vein Of hrighiucss better thnn ordinary wit
and more pllpablo than extraordinary hu-
NOR. which. rejecting the essential slavery
81 .nperstitIous practices snyc in rJmoiodl.
tricts. insists on retaining aud enjoy ng
The pleasure found in nn apparent and
ymvoly asserted belief In The superstitions
themselves A LINGERING respect for u nos
belief in, che Old spae wife or wise w0m'
nn," the bait witch fortune teller and do
stroyor Of spclla. charms aud bllghis from
the "evil eye" atill exists almost universal.
~ IN scotland. and one casting ridicnis
upon hrr ~ Instantly met with tho 70
proof, THE Git she hHe u fra0 nb1on, an
what be- giles daurnn b. hldltw though
the speaker may have no more faith than
yourself Ia tho chlracy ui the pretended
spao wiio's powcrA The loss % tho charm
~ possessing the Huperstltluus " be-
grudged Thus The weird. quaint things,
many " which might seem uuaocountablu
and fupulsIyc ~ us. have become Ia lieu %
book lDrr folk aud nro-ide lore ont Of
which endless entertainment l. secured.
Dcmonolngy aud witchcran In scotland
arr matters of too rcerut nlud 10 expect
that their weird Influences trs anything
Ike largely di.nelic1. Scottish romance
aud poetry rcok with "thc deil'a mischief
OF this order. but the rlnmor " this form
Of mental superstition wprhipi "a not alone
sufficiently powerful 20 ios,cranl preserve
the wltohn. and waflocks 90 tho lmngina.
ilons of tie scottish maeos There hro
remote district. In tho scottish southeast
efn aud southwestern shlrea. fnr Instance.
south OF tho Twrcd la RlNdurghHhiuu. aud
along the solway and Irish soi. whore tho
Old wralths. various aud yagaruu, as Ia
Tam o'shuutera time, seem iadoloif. but
tho great cradle and suurrc ~ preservation
VI all uucanny thiugs In Scottish supgrsti'
ton u siill, ana Inclined 10 believe from
actuhl observation aud study, tho scottish
highlands and Islands These districts
stlll annually sund out Into al tho lowlnnd
cities, villages aud country side c1mmunl.
ties great numbers of sturdy. honest, pa.
tient, though ignorant and zupentltlous,
men and women, who engage In al manner
of service They are truly children u tho
mists Their association Ia homes, Ia inns,
on estates aud even IN factories With low
land companions effects crhsclc.s trans.
mission Of the huEnbooi they have brought
from the mountains and glons.
These humble aud unconscious mission.
aries " superstltion-oyer brave, tender
aud imaginative iolk--ara rared from ba-
termed university N Superstition
In their lonely aud Isolated lives every
physical object aud phenomenon Of ma
tnre has u significance II good or w.
rhcir cntirc environment " rife with wild
aud ncrce ancestral tales and legends
Their homes Ia some "auld olnchanH IN the
glens, CA tho mountain slides, within tho
purple stfaths or clustered in tho upland
aorrics or hollowu, stand on Gaelic James
many Of which ara 900 years Old Tho
pagan olaohnn lthu "sactcd circle Of stonci''l
" gone. The later chupols arc rnxod to tho
ground liut There tho Highlander rn-
mains IN his glou.ide home standing with,
In the relies Of antiquity lost In the mlsia
Of oblivion.
Thus down through the centuries have
some tho wild baullc songs, shfuds uf tho
haFburous rites and oohors Of tho elaug
aud clash OF awful mountain battles. tho
whole din, land spectral 10 this grave
and silent NIL every grotcaluo form
In muunta udaclpt hia demon Shape,
Every shadowy tarn or hollow glen has 10
presiding EVIL spirit, ryoty caln or monhig
il the abode ~ Warloek OF boyle, every
boating cloud Is the sahln wing of SONS
lowering and awful presence; every cry u
bird has especial aud wclrl sgnlncancc,
ivcry stream aud luch has IL spirit of
good or evil. aud every trumpet blast Vt
The tempest Is Hn unbeatable challenge of
personiiied mHluyolcnco aud fury.
For eight months Of ia year thcsr folk
are shut within their noun ain homes by
storm and flood. From tlme lnmcmorlal
ilmost tho exclusive diversion has bron
that incompatible nursery of supeutltIon
and cciibih pronounced "kalloy, and Gael.
lo Tor "gpssiplng party'1 licre the nuld
wiycs gather, and hy the fllckering light VI
the peat fires recount. evening after oven
Ing the whole w,uter long all the harrow.
Ing tales thclr ripe aud hariio inncies onu'
lure, vertically curdling the blood with
svery CHASTITY tale possible 10 human Ia.
ycntion, aud STEPPING the very soul In The
fumes Of black art csldrons Infinitely
more weird and hideous than shakespeare
ias coniurcd In tho witch scenes " "Mao
beth" So ~ the burns sprlnging from tht
misty orag trimmed corriol descend aud
water tho welcoming plains oi the low
lands, the endless streams OF domon0logy
descend from the weird aud misty cCiiidhi
u these croitrrs ancient homes and rendol
perennial tho loNlnni growth OF sc0ttiAl
folklore aud superstition.
In tracing the Gaelic mythology ther
will be found Two classcs OF immortuls
One Of thcsa consisted u lmpa and demon
having the power OF taking upon thon
selves the body OF man or woman At VIII
and by woouA human men or women
particularly n holding out nvlshni
promises Of Immortality, thus lcldIu.
tlsae, lnt, fafuI uuI,tta tIt5.,t.sI, s.hfsI, tb.