Chapter Xv. 'black Airt' And Devil Compacts : p. 73 CHAPTER XV. "BLACK AIRT" AND DEVIL COMPACTS. LACK AIRT" was firmly believed in. If the proficients in this science did not make a compact with Satan, they were very much in communion with him. He was regarded as the fountain from which it sprang. It was looked upon as a kind of wisdom by...
Preface : PREFACE. This book, with the exception of parts of Chapters XVIII. and XIX., has been gathered by myself from the mouths of the folk. Much of it I have been in the habit of hearing and marking from my earliest years. To all kind friends from whom I have gotten lore I give my hearty thanks. I cannot...
Chapter Xxvi. Boats And Fishing : p. 197 CHAPTER XXVI. BOATS AND FISHING. new boat was always launched to a flowing tide, sometimes prow foremost and sometimes stern foremost. When it was fairly in the water, whisky in free quantity and bread with cheese were distributed among those present at the launch. The boat was then named...
Glossary : p. 217 GLOSSARY. "A", I, the first personal pronoun "Abeen", above "Aboot", about "Ae", one "Afore", before "Ahin", behind "Aifter", after "Aipple", apple "Alane", alone "Amon", among "Amo" among "An", and "Ane", one "Aneth", beneath "Aneuch", enough "Anither", another "Athegeethir", altogether...
Chapter Ii. The Child : p. 7 CHAPTER II. THE CHILD. HEN the child was born, if it was a boy it was wrapped in a woman's shirt, and if it was a girl it was wrapped in a man's. If the operation was reversed the luckless victim of such an untoward act never entered into the joys of married life. In washing the new-born...
Chapter Xviii. Place Rhymes : p. 102 CHAPTER XVIII. PLACE RHYMES. HE name of Thomas the Rhymer even yet is well-known in the North, and his sayings are spoken of with much deference by many of the old folks. These sayings have now lost their virtue. They were to stand true only till "the saut cam abeen the mehl," that is, till...
Chapter Xxvii. Death : p. 203 CHAPTER XXVII. DEATH. "OMENS. "Oh! cest triste, et je hais la mort." HREE knocks were heard at regular intervals of one or two minutes' duration. 1 They might be heard in any part of the dwelling-house, on the entrance door, on a table, on the top of a "bun-bed." Their sound was quite...
Chapter X. Evenings At The Fireside : p. 54 CHAPTER X. EVENINGS AT THE FIRESIDE. " N the hearth was piled a great fire of peat, which burned with a strong flame, filling the kitchen with a genial warmth, and casting a ruddy glare on the roof and walls and motley furniture. Over the fire hung a large iron pot, heaped high with turnips...
Chapter Xii. Waterkelpie : p. 66 CHAPTER XII. WATERKELPIE. ATERKELPIE was a creature that lived in the deep pools of rivers and streams. He had commonly the form of a black horse. He appeared at night, and often and often have travellers, in passing through fords or over old bridges, heard him go splash, splash through...
Chapter Xvii. Marriage : p. 83 CHAPTER XVII. MARRIAGE. EANS were frequently taken to find out who was to be the husband or wife. There were various modes of doing this. Some of the incantations could be performed at any time, whilst others could be gone through only on Halloween. Here are two that could be performed...
Chapter Vii. Dreams, Divination, Andc : p. 29 CHAPTER VII. DREAMS, DIVINATION, &C. O dream of a white horse fortells the coming of a letter. To dream of a horse forewarns the arrival of a stranger. To dream of swine indicates something is coming to cause much annoyance. To dream of eggs has the same meaning. To dream of fresh fish means...
Chapter V. Boy Code Of Honour : p. 21 CHAPTER V. BOY CODE OF HONOUR. OYS seem to fight at times for the fun of fighting, and it is not at all difficult to got up a fight at any time. One will say to his companion, "Jock, will ye faicht Tam? Aye, will a," is at once the answer. Away the fighter, with a few companions, sets out...
Untitled : Notes On THE FOLK-LORE Of The NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND BY WALTER GREGOR [1881] This is an ethnographic study of the inhabitants of the North-Eastern area of Scotland in the mid-19th century, at a time when an agrarian, barter economy still prevailed. Life was hard among these remote coastal...
Chapter Xx. Animal And Plant Superstitions : p. 123 CHAPTER XX. ANIMAL AND PLANT SUPERSTITIONS. SECTION I.-FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS. THE MOLE. MOLE burrowing near the foundation of a dwelling-house was looked upon as an indication that the indwellers were within a short time to change their abode. If the burrowing was carried round the whole house...
Chapter Xi. Fairies : p. 59 CHAPTER XI. FAIRIES. HE belief in fairies was all but universal. Some imagined them to be fallen angels, whose sin was not so great as theirs who were cast into the bottomless pit. They were believed to dwell inside green sunny hillocks and knolls, beside a river, a stream, or a lake, or by...
List Of Works Quoted : p. 226 LIST OF WORKS QUOTED IN NOTES ON THE FOLKLORE OF THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND. Choice Notes from "Notes and Queries" Folk-Lore. London: Bell and Daldy, 186, Fleet Street, 1859; cited as "Choice Notes". Extracts from "The Presbytery Book of Strathbogie," A.D. M.DC.XXI-M.DC.LIV. Aberdeen: printed...
Chapter Xxv. Farming : p. 178 CHAPTER XXV. FARMING. HEN one entered upon a farm, it was usual for friends and neighbours to lend a helping hand. Aid was given in ploughing. A day was fixed, and each neighbour sent one or more ploughs according to the number he had. Goodly hospitality was not awanting at such times. But...
Chapter Xix. Place Names And Family Characteristics : p. 117 CHAPTER XIX. PLACE AND FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS. ABERDEEN. N the ballad of 'The Battle of Harlaw,' the burgh of Aberdeen is styled "brave":-- "The Provost of brave Aberdeen, With trumpets and with tuck of drum, Came shortly in their armour sheen." In the ballad of the 'Duke of Gordon's Three...
Title Page : NOTES ON THE FOLK-LORE OF THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. BY THE REVEREND WALTER GREGOR, M.A. LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR THE FOLK-LORE SOCIETY BY ELLIOT STOCK. 62, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. [1881] Scanned , September, 2004. John Bruno Hare, Redactor. This Text Is In The Public Domain. These Files May Be Used...
Chapter Iii. Baptism : p. 11 CHAPTER III. BAPTISM. APTISM was administered as early as circumstances would permit, and for various reasons. Without this sacrament the child was peculiarly exposed to the danger of being carried off or changed by the fairies. 1 It could not be taken out of the house, at least to any gre...
Introduction : p. 1 THE FOLK-LORE OF THE NORTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND. INTRODUCTION. "Homo sum: nihil humani a me alienum puto." HAVE paidlt in its burns and tumbled on its fairy hillocks. I have wandered through its woods by day and by night. I have trudged over its moors and mosses. I have lain below its rocks...
Chapter Xxi. Times And Seasons And Weather : p. 149 CHAPTER XXI. TIMES AND SEASONS AND WEATHER. THE DAYS OF THE WEEK. ONDAY was, accounted an unlucky day on which to begin a piece of work. There were parents who would not enter their children at school on this day. With regard to the weather, the saw is:-- "A harn Monanday macks a linen week...
Chapter Xvi. Riddles : p. 76 CHAPTER XVI. RIDDLES. GREAT source of amusement among the folk was, and still is, at least among the young, a kind of riddles in rhyme. One characteristic of many of them is the horrible descriptions they contain, and these descriptions generally turn out to be something very innocent...
Chapter Ix. The House : p. 50 CHAPTER IX. THE HOUSE. "Tempora mutantur." " HE house was built of various kinds of materials, according to the means, and rank, and taste of the owner, and according to the supply of the materials. It might be of stones and clay; of alternate courses of stone and turf; of rounded...
Chapter Xxviii. Burial : p. 210 CHAPTER XXVII. BURIAL. HE barn was cleared, swept clean, and fitted up with seats--deals placed on anything and everything capable of supporting them. On the middle of the floor was placed a table covered with a table--cloth, at the head of which was set an arm-chair for the minister...
Chapter Xxiii. Countings Out : p. 169 CHAPTER XXIII. COUNTINGS-OUT. OUNTINGS-OUT" form a curious item of folklore and seem to be common among different nations in a variety of forms. The following have been collected in Banffshire and Aberdeenshire. Those who wish to look more into this subject may be referred to a paper...
Chapter Xxii. Christmas, New Year's Day, Andc : p. 156 CHAPTER XXII. CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR'S DAY, and a work that required some length of time to do, and that could not be carried out between the time of beginning it and Christmas, was put off, if possible, till after Christmas. If a work was begun between Christmas and New Year's Day, all speed...
Chapter Iv. The Nursery : p. 14 CHAPTER IV. THE NURSERY. ANY of the members of the human body were embodied in rhymes, commonly nursery rhymes. Here is one about the face; and as the nurse repeated each line she touched with her finger the part of the face mentioned in the line:-- "Chin cherry, Moo merry, Nose nappie, Ee...
Chapter Xiv. Witches : p. 71 CHAPTER XIV. WITCHES. HE belief in witches was universal. The witch was usually an old woman, who lived in a lonely house by herself, and kept all her affairs very much herself. Her power was derived from Satan, was very great, and ranged over almost everything. By various ways she could...
Chapter Vi. About The Human Body : p. 25 CHAPTER VI. ABOUT THE HUMAN BODY. 1 HE child that was born with a caul was said to be successful in life. 2 The caul, or "silly hoo," was much prized. It brought success to the possessor, and the smallest part of it was a sure guard against drowning. Many in emigrant has gone...
Chapter Xxiv. Washing Day : p. 176 CHAPTER XXIV. WASHING DAY. N days long ago very little, and many a time no soap was used in washing. Cow-dung was frequently employed in the scouring and bleaching of "harn." A thick ley of it was made, and into it the web was first put. It lay in this mixture for some time. This process...
Chapter I. Birth : p. 4 CHAPTER I. BIRTH. N the occasion of a birth there were present a few of the mother's female friends in the neighbourhood, besides the midwife. But it was not every woman that was permitted to attend. A woman with child was not allowed to be in the room; and if two women with child happened...
Chapter Viii. Leechcraft : p. 34 CHAPTER VIII. LEECHCRAFT. "CAUSES OF DISEASE. "Casting Ill". HE belief in casting ill" on one was quite common. This power of "casting ill" was not in the possession of all, yet in almost every district there was one or more in possession of this dreaded power. To such a one no one would...
Chapter Xiii. Ghosts : p. 68 CHAPTER XIII. GHOSTS. HERE was hardly a mansion in the country in which there was not a haunted room. In one room a lady had been murdered and her body buried in a vault below it. Her spirit could find no rest till she had told who the murderer was, and pointed out where the body lay...
