Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs
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W^'':M p. FOLKLORE OF SCOTTISH LOCHS AND SPRINGS. M 15^540 FOLKLORE OF SCOTTISH LOCHS AND SPRINGS. JAMES M: MACKINLAY, M.A., F.S.A.ScOT. GLASGOW: WILLIAM HODGE & Co. 1893. PREFATORY NOTE. No work giving a comprehensive account of Well-worship in Scotland has yet appeared. Mr. K C. Hope's recent volume, "Holy Wdls: Their Legends and Traditions" discusses the subject in its relation to England. In the following pages an attempt has been made to illustrate the more outstanding facts associated with the cult north of the Tweed. Various holy wells are referred to by name; but the list makes no claim to be exhaustive. J. M. M. 4 Westboubne Gardens, Glasgow, December, 1898. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. Worship of Water, 1 II. How Water became Holy, - - - - 24 III. Saints and Springs, 39 IV. More Saints and Springs, - - - - 56 V. Stone Blocks and Saints' Springs, - - 72 VI. Healing and Holy Wells, - - - 86 VII. Water-Cures, 108 VIII. Some Wonderful Wells, - - - - 128 IX. Witness of Water, 140 X. Water-Spirits, 155 XI. More Water-Spirits, 171 XII. Offerings at Lochs and Springs, - - 188 XIII. Weather and Wells, - - - - 213 XIV. Trees and Springs, 230 XV. Charm-Stones in and out of Water, - - 241 XVI. Pilgrimages to Wells, .... 263 XVII. Sun-Worship AND Well-Worship, - - 280 XVIII. Wishing-Wells, 314 XIX. Meaning op Marvels, 324 — Among the works consulted are the following, the titles being given in alphabetical order: A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland. By John MacCuUoch, M.D. 1819. A Description of the Western Islands. By M. Martin. Circa 1695. A Handbook of Weather Folklore. By the Rev. C. Swainson, M.A. A Historical Account of the belief in Witchcraft in Scotland. By Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe. A Journey through the Western Counties of Scotland. By Robert Heron. 1799. Ancient Legends : Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland. By Lady Wilde. An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language. By John Jamieson, D.D. Annals of Dunfermline and Vicinity. By Ebenezer Henderson, LL.D. Antiquities and Scenery of the North of Scotland. By Rev. Charles Cordiner. 1780. Archaeological Sketches in Scotland : Districts of Kiutyre and Knapdale. By Captain T. P. White. A Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides, mdcclxxii. By Thomas Pennant. A Tour in Scotland, mdcclxix. By Thomas Pennant. Britannia ; or, A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing King- doms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Islands adjacent, from the Earliest Antiquity. By William Camden. Translated from the edition published by the Author in mdcvii. Enlarged by the latest discoveries by Richard Gough. The second edition in four volumes. 1806. Celtic Heathendom. By Professor John Rhys. Celtic Scotland : A History of Ancient Alban, JBy William Forbes Skene. Churchlore Gleanings. By T. F. Thiselton Dyer. X LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED. Daemonologie in Forme of a Dialogve. Written by the High and Mightie Prince James, by the Grace of God King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland ; Defender of the Faith. 1603. pescriptive Notices of some of the Ancient Parochial and Collegiate Churches of Scotland. By T. S. Muir. Domestic Annals of Scotland from the Reformation to the Revolu- tion. By Robert Chambers, LL.D. Ecclesiological Notes on some of the Islands of Scotland. By T. S. Muir. EngHsh Folklore. By the Rev, T. F. Thiselton Dyer, M.A. Essays in the Study of Folk Songs. By the Coimtess Evelyn Martinengo-Cesaresco. Ethnology in Folklore. By G. L. Gomme. Folklore. Folklore JournaL Folklore of East Yorkshire. By John Nicholson. Folklore of Shakespeare. By Rev. T. F. Thiselton Dyer, M.A, Oxon. Folklore ; or, Superstitious Beliefs in the West of Scotland within this Century. By James Napier, F.R.S.E. Gairloch in North-west Ross-shire: Its Records, Traditions, Inhabi- tants, and Natural History. By John H. Dixon. Historical and Statistical Account of Dunfermline. By Rev. Peter Chalmers, A.M. Kalendars of Scottish Saints. By the late Alexander Penrose Forbes, Bishop of Brechin. Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland to his Friend in London. Burt's Letters. 1754. List of Markets and Fairs now and formerly held in Scotland. By Sir James David Marwick, LL.D. Memorabilia Domestica ; or. Parish Life in the North of Scotland. By the late Rev. Donald Sage, A.M., Minister of Resolis. New Statistical Accoimt of Scotland. Circa 1845. Notes and Queries. Notes on the Folklore of the North-east of Scotland. By the Rev. Walter Gregor. LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED. XI Notes on the Folklore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders. By William Henderson. Observations on Popular Antiquities, including the whole of Mr. Bourne's Antiquitates Vulgares. By John Brand, A.M. Old Glasgow : The Place and the People. By Andrew MacGeorge. Old Scottish Customs, Local and General. By E. J. Guthrie. Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland. Edited by Francis H. Groome. Peasant Life in Sweden. By L. Lloyd. Popular Antiquities of Great Britain. By John Brand, M.A. Popular Romances of the West of England. By Robert Hunt, F.R.S. Popular Tales of the West Highlands. By J. F. Campbell. Pre-historic Annals of Scotland. By Daniel Wilson, LL.D. Pre-historic Man. By Daniel Wilson, LL.D. Primitive Culture, By Edward B. Tylor, D.C.L. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Old Series, 1851-1878 ; New Series, 1878-1891. Rambles in the Far North. By R. Menzies Fergusson. Scenes and Legends of the North of Scotland ; or, The Traditional History of Cromarty. By Hugh Miller. Scotland in Early Christian Times. By Joseph Anderson, LL.D. Scotland in Pagan Times : The Bronze and Iron Ages. By Joseph Anderson, LL.D. Scotland in the Middle Ages. By Professor Cosmo Lanes. Social Life in Scotland. By Charles Rogers, LL.D. Statistical Account of Scotland. By Sir John Sinclair. Circa 1798. The Antiquary. The Archasological Journal. Published under the direction of The Council of the Royal Archseological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. The Book of Days : A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities in con- nection with the Calendar. Edited by R. Chambers. The Darker Superstitions of Scotland. By John Graham Dalyell. 1834. Tlie Early Scottish Church : Ecclesiastical History of Scotland from the First to the TweKth Centuries. By the Rev. Thomas M'Lauchlan. Xll LIST OF WORKS CONSULTED. The Every-Day Book. By William Hone. The Folklore of Plants. By T. F. Thiselton Dyer. The Gentleman's Magazine Library—Manners and Customs. Edited by G. L. Gomme, F.S.A. The Gentleman's Magazine Library—Popular Superstitions. Edited by G. L. Gomme, F.S.A. The Golden Bough : A Study in Comparative Religion. By J. G. Frazer, M.A. The History of St. Cuthbert. By Charles, Archbishop of Glasgow. The History of St. Kilda. By the Rev. Kenneth Macaulay, minister of Ardnamurchan. 1769. The Legendary Lore of the Holy Wells of England, including Rivers, Lakes, Fountains, and Springs. By R. C. Hope, F.S.A. The Origin of Civilisation. By Sir J. Lubbock, Bart. The Past in the Present. By Arthur Mitchell, M.D., LL.D. The Popular Rhymes of Scotland. By Robert Chambers. 1826. The Popular Superstitions and Festive Amusements of the High- landers of Scotland. By William Grant Stewart. The Surnames and Placenames of the Isle of Man. By A. W. Moore, M.A. Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore (chiefly Lancashire and the North of England). By Charles Hardwick. Tree and Serpent Worship. By James Fergusson, D.C.L., F.R.S. 'Twixt Ben Nevis and Glencoe : The Natural History, Legends, and Folklore of the West Highlands. By the Rev. Alexander Stewart, LL.D. Unique Traditions, chiefly of the West and South of Scotland. By John Gordon Barbour. Wayfaring in France. By E. H. Barker. Weather-lore: A Collection of Proverbs, Sayings, and Rules con- cerning the Weather. By R. Inwards, F.R.A.S. Witch, Warlock, and Magician. By W. H. Davenport Adams. — FOLKLORE OF SCOTTISH LOCHS AND SPRINGS. CHAPTER I. Worship of Water. Archaic Nature - worship — Deification of Water Metaphors Divination by Water — Persistence of Paganism — Shony Superstitions of Sailors and Fishermen—Sea Serpent—Mer-folk —Sea Charms—Taking Animals into the Sea—Rescuing from Drowning—Ancient Beliefs about Rivers—Dead and Living Ford—Clay Image—Dunskey—Lakes—Dow Loch —St. Vigeans —St. Tredwell's Loch—Wells of Spey and Drachaldy—Survival of Well-worship—Disappearance of Springs—St. Margaret's Well—Anthropomorphism of Springs—Celtic Influence—Cream of the Well. In glancing at the superstitions connected with Scottish lochs and springs, we are called upon to scan a chapter of our social history not yet closed. A somewhat scanty amount of information is available to explain the origin and growth of such superstitions, but enough can be had to connect them with archaic nature-worship. In the dark dawn of our annals B ; 2 WORSHIP OF WATER. much confusion existed among our ancestors concern- ing the outer world, which so strongly appealed to their senses. They had very vague notions regarding the difference between what we now call the Natural and the Supernatural. Indeed all nature was to them supernatural. They looked on sun, moon, and star, on mountain and forest, on river, lake, and sea as the abodes of divinities, or even as divinities themselves. These divinities, they thought, could either help or hurt man, and ought therefore to be propitiated. Hence sprang certain customs which have survived to our own time. Men knocked at the gate of Nature, but were not admitted within. From the unknown recesses there came to them only tones of mystery. In ancient times water was deified even by such civilised nations as the Greeks and Romans, and to-day it is revered as a god by untutored savages.