Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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The Mary hi Id-win Seminary. 7 were held iti the cave of Heiivemie. Many Highhiiul families were supposed to have a Urish attached to it. There wa-; aiuther order of spirits called the Men of Peace who were supposed to be a peevish race, having but little happiness themselves and eh vying men what thej ' pos- sessed. Dr. Grahame says: They are believed to inhabit certain round grassy eminences where they celebrate their noc- turnal festivities by the light of the moon. About a mile be- 3 ' ond the source of the Forth above Loch Coti is a place called Coirshian or the Cove of the Men of Peace, which is still sup- posed to be a favorite place of their residence. In the neigh- borhood are to be seen many round, conical eminences, par- ticularly one near the head of the lake by the skirts of which many are still afraid to pass after sunset. It is be lieved that if. on Hallow-eve, any person, alone, goes around one of these hills nine times, toward the left hand, a door shall open by which he will be admitted into their subterraneous abodes. Many, it is said, of mortal race have been entertained in their secret recesses There they have been received into the most splendid apartments and regaled with the most sumptuous banquets and delicious wines. Their females surpass the daughters of men in beauty. The seemingly happy inhabi- tants pass their time in festivity and in dancing to notes of the softest music. But unhappy is the mortal who joins in their joys or ventures to partake of their dainties. By this indul- gence he forfeits for ever the society of men and is bound down irrevocably to the condition of the ShVich or Men of Peace. ' ' Many great Highland families were supposed to have a tuletary spirit who took a deep interest in their prosperity and intimated by its wailings any approaching disaster. Scott sa s : ' The tutelar spirit of Grant of Grant was called May Moullach and appeared in the form of a girl who had her arm covered with hair. Grant of Rothiemurcus had an attendant c illed Bodach-an-dun or Ghost of the Hill; and many other ex- amples might be mentioned. The Benshie implies the famale fairy who.se lamet.tations were often .supposed to precede the death of a chieftaii of particular families. When she is visible

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6 The Annual of one it is a sure sign of death. In Allan-bane, Scott has made us acquainted with one of these seers. He foretells the arrival of James Fitz-James, describing his steed of dappled grey which lay dead beneath the birch-tree, his hunting coat of Lincoln green,, his horn, his cap and his hounds. So certain was he of the stranger ' s arrival that he had bidden them pre- pare for a guest of high degree. Had James been superstitious, he would not have dared to accept Ellen ' s hospitality, for, as he entered the door- way, a sword fell from its scabbard to the ground. This was considered a dreadful omen, for the person to whom this hap- pened was sure to be killed by the owner of the sword. This superstition is common to many countries. A story is told of a young nobleman,who lost his way in a German town. In the meantime a terrible storm arose and he sought shelter in a hovel near by. He was welcomed by a rough voice within but, as he stepped over the threshold, one of the numerous swords which lined the wall fell to the floor. His hast gazed at him so fixedly that the young nobleman asked him the cause of his strange conduct. Know you not, said he, that I am the public executioner of the cit} ' and that this is a sign that I shall one day cut off your head with this very sword ! The nobleman lost no time in leaving his place of refuge and a short time later, engaging in a plot against the government, he was executed by the same man with the same sword. Every glen, everj ' dell of this wild northern country has been peopled by its inhabitants with the creatures of their im- magination and every mi.st, every strange light was supposed to be some spirit, terrible both in form and mission. In a ro- mantic hollow in Benvenue overlooking Loch Katrine, were held at stated times, the solemn meetings of theUrisks. Those creatures were half goat and half man and resembled the Gre- cian Satyr but were unlike them in occupation ; for by kind- ness they could be won over to perform the drudgery of the farm In this they resembled Milton ' s Lubbar Fiend. hese creatures were scattered throughout the Highlands, each in his own secluded retreat but the solemn meetings of the order

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8 The Annual of it is in the form of an old woman with blue mantle and stream- ing hair A superstition of the same kind is, I believe, uni- versally received by the inferior ranks of the native Irish. Death was often announced to certain families by sounds ' In the Highland family of M ' Lean of Lochbuy, the spirit of an ancestor slain in battle was heard to gallop along a stony bank and then to ride three times around the family residence ring- ing his fairy bridle and thus intimating the approaching ca- lamity. That the eye as well as the ear may be deceived very easily is evident from many stories of armies in the air and oth- er remarkable sights with which history abounds, Such an apparition was once witnessed on the side of Southfell moun- tain, between Penrith and Keswich. The apparition consisted of several troops of horses, moving in regular order steadily and rapidly. They made a wide sweep around the fell and seemed to the spectators to disappear over the ridge of the mountain. Many persons witnessed the supposed phenome- non, and observed the last of the supposed troops leave the ranks and gallop to the front where he resumed the same pace. This like most such visions may be accounted for by optical deception. There were malicious spirits, too, as well as friendly ones. Among these was the River Demon. He frequented most Highland lakes and rivers, and one of his most memorable ex- ploits was the distruction of a funeral procession. The forest of Glenmore in the North Highlands is believed to be haunted by a spirit called ' Lham-dearg, ' ' dressed as an ancient war- rior, having a bloody hand whence comes his name. He in- sists upon all who meet him doing battle with him, and the clergyman who makes up an account of the district, gravely as- sures us that in his time Lham-dearg fought with three broth- ers, none of whom long survived the ghostly combat. The tale of the host in ' Marmion is .similar to this. As the story goes, Sir Hugo of Gilford Castle was a wizard and the founder of Goblin-Hall, On this There never toiled a mortal arm. It all was wrought by word and charm.