13 Scottish Myths and Legends

Thirteen Scottish Myths and Legends 1. Black Donald – the devil – who cannot disguise his cloven feet. 2. Boobrie – water-bird of the Scottish Highlands. 3. Brownie – good-natured, invisible brown elves or household goblins. The younger version of the “Girl Guides” in Britain at least, are called “Brownies” for that very reason! 4. Clootie – another Scottish name for the Devil. The name comes from cloot, meaning one division of a cleft hoof. 5. Fachan – one leg, one arm and one eye. 6. Fionn – Scottish/Pictish magician, warrior and poet. 7. Ghillie Dhu – a solitary Scottish elf. 8. Kelpie - a water devil. 9. Lothian – Lothian traditionally takes its name from King Lot and father of Mordred. 10. Monster of Loch Ness – mythical? Surely not…. First seen by St Columba in 565 a.d. 11. Red Cap – lives on the Scottish Border in ancient ruins of castles. 12. Scotia - a goddess but frequently portrayed as an old hag! 13. Selkie – a marine creature in the shape of a seal. 14. Shellycoat – a Scottish bogeyman who haunts the rivers and streams. He is covered with shells, which rattle when he moves. 15. Sidhe the Gaelic name for fairies in both Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. Okay, so there’s 15. Sue me. Rampant Scotalnd

Summer Solstice Creature Feature

Blessings of Alban Hefin, Midsummer, Litha, Summer Solstice, to Everyone in the Northern Hemisphere!

Blessings of Alban Arthan, Midwinter, Yule, Winter Solstice, to Everyone in the Southern Hemisphere!

As we bask in the warm sunlight of the longest day of the year, amid the green and growing things of summer, it’s almost a shock to realize that after today the light will begin dying. The Oak King has reached the height of his strength, but even now the Holly King is stirring, beginning to stalk the Oak King in his quest to rule over the long dark winter. The endless cycle of birth and death continues.

The Holly King and Oak King are the twin faces of the Horned God, each ruling over the dark and light halves of the year. They are in a perpetual duel for the favor of the Goddess, and each ritually dies at the end of his season. But neither one is truly dead, he merely withdraws for six months, some say to Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of the ever-turning Silver Wheel. This is the enchanted realm of the Goddess Arianrhod where the god must wait and learn before being born again.

Source: Earth Witchery

Summer Solstice Recipe

ORANGE HONEY BUTTER

2 Tablespoons Grated Orange Rind
3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon honey

Combine the orange rind, powdered sugar, butter and honey in a small bowl and blend until well mixed. Chill slightly and serve with scones or biscuits. Recipe courtesy Red Deer & Elenya.

The Forgotten One

For writers, everything is fair game when it comes to research. It’s been said that there are really only 12 basic plot lines, and every one’s been done a bajillion times over. So, in search of that unique twist or irresistable hook, writers wait, watch, and read for that nugget of research that will set a story in motion.

For me, it’s usually an obscure, nearly forgotten factoid buried in a dusty book or archived article that piques my interest. A one-liner about a faery that melts into a puddle of water should it get caught in a shaft of sunlight. An tiny reference to a minor civil war skirmish that took place on the most haunted coastline in America. A statement uttered by an angel “expert” that had me raising my eyebrow and muttering, “Oh really? But what if…”

The spark that lit the fuse for my upcoming novella “Wildish Things” came while I was reading Patricia Monaghan’s “The Red Haired Girl from the Bog.” She mentioned a goddess so old that no one remembers her name, or even what rituals were used to worship her. In Irish/Scottish folklore she is known simply as “The Cailleach”, a word which has no real translation. She is thought to be old, the oldest of all goddesses. Possibly the mother of all goddesses. Her bones are the rocks; the plants and trees, her skin; her blood, the water.

And I got to thinking, what must life be like for this goddess? So much age, so much power – and the ability to scare the snot out of anyone. What would happen if one day she got tired of being bored and lonely, and decided to stir up a little trouble?

So, to do my little bit to make sure no one forgets her completely, I wrote “Wildish Things.” Hopefully she will like my offering well enough to keep her meddling fingers out of MY life! Although, come to think of it, this old broad might be fun to lift a pint with.

Slainte,
Carolan
WILDISH THINGS, coming in eBook and trade paperback Nov. 1 from SamhainPublishing.com

Creature Feature: The Grugach

The name “Grugach” comes from an old Irish word which can mean hairy or long-haired, but it is also applied to goblins, enchanters, wizards and fairies. However, it is most often described as a helpful spirit similar in some ways to the brownie, both in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ulster, where it is known as the Grogan. Described as short, hairy, with broad shoulders and great strength, it is famed as a hard worker.

The Ulster Grogan generally appear as naked, hairy little men about 4 feet tall. In the Highlands, the Grugach may be well dressed and watch over cattle. Some Highland stories describe the Grugach as a fairy woman dressed in green with long golden air, who may appear as either beautiful or as worn and haggard. She would sometimes enter houses dripping wet and ask to dry herself by the fire. Male Highland Grugachs could be handsome youths, but for the most part they were described as naked and shaggy.

Elsewhere in Scottish tradition, the Grugach is a more fearsome and frightening creature, playing tricks on mortals and displaying magical powers. One Celtic legend tells of a piratical Grugach who talks a poor fisherman into giving up his son for a year and a day, promising to educate the lad and return him a wise man. The fisherman agrees, and a year later the boy is returned home. But the fisherman is tricked into letting the Grugach have the boy for another year and a day. Worse, this time he forgets to make the Grugach promise to actually return his son home. (Sound like a certain pirate we all know and love? Hmm?)

Sources:
- Elemental Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, by John and Caitlin Matthews
- SacredTexts.com