Orally Collected
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*UA&*k33/ ' * a' Kp*»***JLeiUA III p^ cU~ ***- IS3 * i*^, <u* in&ic ** 3*q +* id m inM-171 *ti7S i*te -frit 173 C^H^fcfct,(MJttl7} nJML im foul* ^ ^ fte, 307 ( f ;~*~ sV(367 30S ^ Sbo^L3ì7 $»AmJJL w Lr**j*sv "rot 5(^(1.^ POPULAR TALES ^àjà&ri^*. 0F THE WEST HIGHLANDS POPULAR TALES THE WEST HIGHLANDS ORALLY COLLECTED fiStith a translation By the Late J. F. CAMPBELL NEW EDITION ( Under the auspices of the Islay Association) Volume III. ALEXANDER GARDNER Publisher to f£>er fttajestg tije ©tueen PAISLEY; and 26 PATERNOSTER SQUARE, LONDON 2 12 MAS 1981 /^ *« &* CONTENTS. ì\l-ll% j>fc ^^U^J NAME. Told by LVIII. THE RIDER OF GRIAN- Donald MacNiven, carrier. AIG, AND IAIN THE SOLDIER'S SON. Nollaig Fbiorrachd Fhuarrachd. etc. Ceap Godar Leum Tom Luacharach Fo Gheasan Gaelic LIX. FIONN'S QUESTIONS ... Donald MacPhie, smith LX. DIARMAID AND Alexander Macalister.. ., GRAINNE. Gaelic LXI. THE LAY OF DIAR- Mrs. MacTavish MAID. 1. Janet Currie 2. Gaelic 3. The Lay of Yeearmaid Gaelic 4. The Boar of Ben Laighal.... Fables LXII. HOW THE FOX TOOK A Hector Boyd TURN OUT of THE GOAT Gaelic LXIII. HOW THE COCK TOOK A Do. TURN OUT OF THE FOX Gaelic LXIV. THE HEN Do. Gaelic LXV. THE KEG OF BUTTER... Do. Gaelic LXVI. THE FOX AND THE Do. LITTLE BONNACH Gaelic Date. NAME. Told by LXVII. CAOL REIDHINN Alexander Carmichael, Esq, excise officer Gaelic LXVIII Gaelic LXIX. THOMAS OF THE Catherine Macfarlane THUMB. Gaelic LXX. THE BULLS John Dewar Gaelic LXXI. THE HOODIE CATE- CHISING THE YOUNG ONE. Gaelic LXXII. THE HOODIE AND John MacArthur, shepherd. THE FOX. Gaelic LXXIII. THE YELLOW MUIL- Angus MacDonald EARTEACH. Gaelic Notes LXXIV. THE STORY OF THE LAY of the GREAT FOOL The Lay of the Great Fool Gaelic LXXV. GUAIGEAN LADH- Kate MacFarlane. RACH 'S LOIREAN SPAGACH. Notes LXXVI. CONALL GULBAN ; OR John Dewar GUILBEINACH, or GUL- BAIRNEACH. Notes... LXXVII. JOHN, SON OF THE Angus Mackinnon, tailor. KING OF BERGEN. Gaelic Date. CONTENTS. NAME. Told by LXXVIII. THE MASTER AND John Dewnr HIS MAN. Gaelic LXXIX. THE PRAISE of GOLL Donald MacPhie Gaelic LXXX. OSGAR, THE SON OF OISEIN. LXXXI. THE LAY OF OSGAR Donald MacPhie, smith, and others. Gaelic LXXXII. HOW THE EEN WAS Angus MacDonald SETUP. Gaelic LXXXIII. THE REASON WHY Angus MacKinnon THE DALLAG (DOG FISH) IS CALLED THE KING'S FISH. The Lay of Magnus Notes LXXX1V. MANUS Donald MacPhie Gaelic Notes LXXXV. THE SONG OF THE Do. SMITHY. Gaelic Duan na Ceardach, etc Malcolm MacPhail LXXXVI. NIGHEAN RIGH FO Roderick MacLean, tailor THUINN. Date. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Pago Frontispiece. — "Lad with the Dress of Skins." 1. Sketch from a Stone at Elgin - 44 2. Sketch from a Stone in the Churchyard of St. Vigeans, near Arbroath - 59 3. Wolf.—From a Stone at St. Andrews - - 108 4. Fox, Huntsman, and Falcon. —From a Stone at Shandwick - - 112 5. Sketch from a Stone at Inverness - - - 130 6. Harper. —From a Stone at Monifeith - - 136 7. Sketch from a Stone Coffin at Govan - - 137 8. Deer and Hound. —From a Stone at Kirriemuir 168 9. Elk.— From a Stone in the Churchyard of Meigle 169 10. Ox.—From a Stone at Fowlis Wester, near Crieff 194 11. Sketch from a Stone in the Cemetery of Inch Brayoc, in the South Esk 220 12. Bard. —From a Cross near Dupplin - 246 13. Sketch from a curious Cross near Dupplin Castle 257 14. Hounds and Huntsmen, Ornaments and Charac- teristic Symbol ------ 303 15. Fish, with some Characteristic Ornaments - 356 16. Manus 365 17. Sketch from a Stone in the Churchyard of St. Vigeans ------- 379 POPULAR TALES OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS. LVII. THE EIDEE OF GEIAXAIG, 1 AND IAIN THE SOLDIEE'S SOX. From Donald MacNiven, a lame carrier. Bowmore, Islay, 5th July, 1S59. Written clown by Hector MacLean. HHHE knight of Grianiag had three daughters, such *- that their like were not to be found or to be seen in any place. There came a beast from the ocean and she took them with her, and there was no knowledge what way they had taken, nor where they might be sought. There was a soldier in the town, and he had three sons, and at the time of Christmas 2 they were playing at shinny, and the youngest said that they should go and that they should drive a hale on the lawn of the knight of Grianaig. The rest said that they should not go ; that the knight would not be pleased ; that that would be bringing the loss of his children to his mind, and laying sorrow upon him. " Let that be as it pleases," said Iain, the youngest son, " but we will go 3 i 10 WEST HIGHLAND TALES. there and we will drive a hale ; I am careless of the knight of Grianaig, let him be well pleased or angry." They went to play shinny, and Iain won three hales from his brethren. The knight put his head out of a window, and he saw them playing at shinny, and he took great wrath that any one had the heart to play shinny on his lawn—a thing that was bringing the loss of his children to his mind, and putting contempt upon him. Said he to his wife, " Who is so impudent as to be playing shinny on my ground, and bringing the loss of my children to my mind ? Let them be brought here in an instant that punishment may be done upon them." The three lads were brought to the presence of the knight, and they were fine lads. "What made you," said the knight, "go and play shinny upon my ground and bring the loss of my children to my mind 1 you must suffer pain for it." " It is not thus it shall be," said Iain ; "but since it befell us to come wrong upon thee, thou hadst best make us a dwelling of a ship, and we will go to seek thy daughters ; and if the}' are under the leeward, or the windward, or under the four brown boundaries of the deep, 3 we will find them out before there comes the end of a day and year, and we will bring them back to Grianaig." " Though thou be the youngest, it is in thy head that the best counsel is, let that be made for you." Wrights were got and a ship was made in seven days. They put in meat and drink as they might need for the journey. They gave her front to sea and her stern to land, and they went away, and in seven days they reached a white sandy strand, and when they went on shore there were six men and ten at work in the face of a rock blasting, with a foreman over them. THE RIDER OF GRIANAIG. 11 " What place is here ? " said the skipper. " Here is the place where are the children of the knight of Grianaig ; they are to be married to three giants." " "What means are there to get where they are 1 " There are no means but to go up in this creel against the face of the rock." The eldest son went into the creel, and when he was up at the half of the rock, there came a stumpy black l'aven, and he began upon him with his claws, and 4 his wings till he almost left him blind and deaf. He had but to turn back. The second one went into the creel, and when he was up half the way, there came the stumpy black raven, and he began upon him, and he had for it but to return back as did the other one. At last Iain went into the creel. When he was up half the way there came the stumpy black raven, and he began upon him, and he belaboured him about the face. ! " Up with me quickly " said he, " before I be blinded here." He was set up to the top of the rock. When he was up the raven came where he was, and he said to him. " 5 " Wilt thou give me a quid of tobacco ? " Thou high-priced rogue ! little claim hast thou on me for giving that to thee." " Never thou mind that, I Avill be a good friend to thee. Now thou shalt go to the house of the big giant, and thou wilt see the knight's daughter sewing, and her thimble wet with tears." He went on before him till he reached the house of the giant. He went in. The knight's daughter was sewing. 12 WEST HIGHLAND TALES. " What brought thee here ? " said she. " What brought thyself into it that I might not come into it." " I was brought here in spite of me." " " I know that. Where is the giant ? " He is in the hunting hill." " " What means to get him home 1 " To shake yonder battle-chain without, and there is no one in the leeward, or in the windward, or in the four brown boundaries of the deep, who will hold battle against him, but young Iain the soldier's son, from Albainn, and he is but sixteen years of age, and he is too young to go to battle against the giant." " There is many a one in Albainn as strong as Iain the soldier's son, though the soldier were with him." Out he went. He gave a haul at the chain, and he did not take a turn out of it, and he went on his knee.