#Scottish Folklore

[sierrawitch]

Eoghan a’Chinn Bhig: The headless rider of the Isle of Mull

[the-evil-clergyman]

The Kelpie by Herbert James Draper (1913)

[hairtusk]

'Wool waulking is a traditional Scottish process of finishing and strengthening newly woven woolen fabrics. It is a significant social and cultural activity, often carried out by women in the Highlands of Scotland. The Gaelic songs that are sung during waulking have a distinctive rhythmic pattern that aids in synchronising the work.'

(Video and text via Inverness Outlanders)

[thefugitivesaint]

Jill Karla Schwarz, 'Tam Lin', ''Fairies and Elves'', 1984 Source I'm going to use this post as the perfect opportunity to direct you to my favorite song from the folk band Fairport Convention from their 1969 album 'Liege & Lief', Tam Lin (which, I'm sure, I've posted about at some point)

[letmeinimafairy]

Continuing my experiments with river pebbles - a green jasper kelpie, first attempt to make an ornament

[sierrawitch]

Altars & Sacred Spaces

by autumn sierra

Altars are very personal for each practitioner, both religious and secular. Some use them, others don’t, some establish sacred spaces specific to their path.

I recently came across questions about outdoor altars, how to create them, what to include, as well as advice for altars in general. So, I thought it appropriate to cover all of this in one cohesive discussion.

Wiccan Altars

The Wiccan altar is, I think, the most commonly known arrangement. Wicca is so widespread that many conflate it with witchcraft in essence. Of course it uses aspects of witchcraft in its practice, but it is a religion built on the foundation of the god and the goddess (oftentimes vaguely referenced in such a way).

The Wiccan altar is very specific. Each tool and representative token is displayed just so, and can be done in a symbolic pattern as well. There is a statuette for each deity, along with their respective candles, items to depict the elements (incense for air, salt for earth, water for—obviously—water, candles for fire), traditional offerings of food and/or drink (or any other types of offering one wishes), a bell for cleansing and invoking the gods, and a wand and athame for ritualistic purposes. A pentacle can be placed or drawn onto the altar’s surface, but I don’t think it’s necessarily required as much as it is a symbol of protection, cleansing, spiritual connection, etc.

There is a specific ritualistic approach to practicing Wicca, which means that the altar contains everything required to perform said rituals. Other items and supplies may be added depending on the type of ritual or spell performed.

Meditation Altars

Meditation altars are oftentimes simplistic and vary in design based on the practitioner. The simplicity of this type of arrangement helps to maintain focus on the symbolism of one or a few items to achieve the desired meditative state, or to meditate on a specific topic.

Sound bowls, incense, crystals, statuary, elemental tokens, and other items can be incorporated depending on the intention for the meditation. The arrangement of meditation altars can change according to the practitioners needs, or stay the same to aid in grounding.

Deity Altars

Deity altars differ for each religion. A Christian altar will not be the same as a Buddhist one, or a Norse pagan one, or a Shinto one. Each deity altar is specific to one deity, or can honor multiple of the same pantheon.

I would say it’s best practice to separate deity altars based on the pantheon if you are eclectic. Gods from China aren’t the same as gods from Ireland (although they may represent similar aspects), and are venerated in different ways. It’s respectful to keep this in mind moving forward with designing and assembling deity altars in the home.

Unlike Wiccan altars, statuary isn’t required for deity altars (as seen above), but is nice to have as a visual representation of the deity’s “mortal” form. They usually incorporate plants, stones, incense and/or candles, dishes for food/drink/item offerings, and other tokens that the deity would like or represents them in some way.

Above is an image of someone’s personal Cernunnos altar. Deer antlers and bones are closely tied to Cernunnos as he is associated with stags, and has antlers himself. Deer represent the wild freedom of nature. Pinecones and acorns represent the cycle of life, fertility, growth, strength, and fortune. The framed art is most likely a representation of Cernunnos and his aspects, and the stones are collected and placed on the altar as offerings in a small half circle. The tall stone in the middle of the partial ring most likely represents Cernunnos as well, and the incense is lit to cleanse and offer as a gift of scent.

Intention Altars

Intention altars (or what I term them to be) are spaces dedicated to long-term spells and intentions. A great example of this is money spells. I personally have a money spell set atop my bookshelf surrounded by items which attract financial prosperity. It’s not large or flamboyant like the one shown in the above image, but it’s practical and gets the job done as I need it to. And it’s been in that same place, refreshed every now and again, for a few years now.

Intention altars can work for any long term intention or goal you’re working toward. Be it glamour, attracting money, attracting love, protection, education and enlightenment, or other purpose. These altars don’t have any parameters aside from what the practitioner deems necessary for their spell or to empower their intention.

Ancestral Altars

Ancestral altars are dedicated to passed loved ones and relatives. Not only are these altars nice for remembering the dead and showing them appreciation, but they also act as conduits for communication with them. You can ask them for support, guidance, and protection as respected companions in your practice. Communication also becomes easier during the thinning of the veil at Samhain and other liminal times like dawn, dusk, and midnight.

Items placed on an ancestral altar are specific to the practitioner’s culture and familial traditions, as well as what each departed loved one liked during their lifetime. This includes photos of the departed, notes/cards, personal trinkets of the departed like jewelry or lucky charms, candles, incense, flowers, stones/crystals, dishes for offerings, and anything else preferred for that specific altar.

Outdoor Altars

Outdoor altars have the same applications as indoor ones, except they’re out in nature rather than in the home. Many people create outdoor altars to venerate deities or nature spirits, others act as ancestral memorials. The options are nearly endless. There are a lot of materials available to use in outdoor altars, and each practitioner can decide whether their altar should be purely constructed with biodegradable and wildlife-safe items, or incorporate other objects from the home. (If you choose to make an altar in a secluded area of nature, please use wildlife-safe items if it’s not a location you plan on visiting regularly for upkeep. Keep our planet and its inhabitants healthy and thriving!)

Stone stacking has been particularly popular throughout history. Ancient megaliths provide evidence for mankind’s affinity for balancing rocks both big and small. Incorporating stone stacking into an outdoor altar can make a sturdy table, or a decorative wall protecting the altar from harsh weather.

Sacred Spaces

Sacred spaces are what you decide they are to you. Is it a place of worship, or connection to the earth? A place to disconnect from society, or familiarize yourself with spirits and the sìdhe? Or all of the above?

Sacred spaces can appear differently as well. It could be a clearing in a forest, or a set of stones arranged in a way that would otherwise seem improbable. It could appear as a cliffside, or a single tree, or even a space within your home. Liminal spaces are included in this list as well (see the photo above).

Regardless of the space(s) you choose as your sacred space, it is the space where you can carry out ritual and reestablish yourself in your practice through meditation, spell work (if applicable), and simply being.

Altars exist in sacred spaces. So, whether you think you have a sacred space or not, if you have an altar, chances are you have already created a sacred space of your own rather than found one out in the world.

Challenge yourself to discover a sacred space in nature. A home away from home. A place where you can go that’s uniquely separated from modern ways of life and reconnects you to your spirit and the spirit of the earth. This alone is a great exercise in maintaining a strong relationship with your personal practice.

[minnesota-fats]

So I was looking up myths and such and found a Cù-sìth, found in both Irish and Scottish folklore. The Cù-sìth is described as a large dog like creature that has shaggy green fur and is as large as a small cow.

And I thought: Thats Cujo!!!!

The Cù-sìth are known for taking dying souls to the afterlife.

[chaoschaoswriting]

Scottish Folklore Resources

Since its spooky season, I thought I'd share this list of short posts about Scottish folklore creatures for anyone seeking inspiration. These posts are mostly based on what I have heard as someone who grew up in central Scotland, so please keep in mind that they may differ slightly from other stories you might here; folklore is very much a living oral tradition and there are usually a few iterations of anything floating about.

With that said, I did do some background research to offer other perspective and fact check my memory as much as one can when dealing with this kind of topic!

The Baobhan Sìth

Cat Sìth

Cù Sìth

Red Caps

The Wulver

[laurasimonsdaughter]

The King of the Cats

A fun little folklore plot that shows up in Scotland, Ireland and England is the death (and succession) of the King of the Cats.

The story usually begins with a man being told, either by a cat or a disembodied voice, to inform a certain person that another person has died. Both persons are called by their full name, usually strange names, which are unfamiliar to the protagonist. When the protagonist comes home he tells what a strange thing happened to him. Upon overhearing the message the house cat jumps up and declares that they are now the King of the Cats, immediately leaving never to be seen again.

There are other versions of this type of story, more widespread over Europe, where there cat may be a fairy or troll in disguise. Or there isn’t a cat at all, but a house gnome or elf instead, and the announced death is that of a relative or enemy. But it’s the concept of a King of the Cats who can be succeeded by a cat that is currently an ordinary house cat, that delights me so.

The name of the deceased Cat King and the successor differ per story:

In this version from Lancashire they are called Doldrum and Dildrum.

In Joseph Jacobs’ version, which is an amalgamation of several English variants, they are called Tom Toldrum and Tom Tildrum. (This version even includes a whole feline funeral procession.)

The oldest recorded version of this story is from the Beware the Cat by Baldwin (written 1553, published 1561). Only the dead cat in question (Grimalkin) is never called the king of the cats, and the cats receiving the message (Puss) is a female cat, who is sad to leave her home.

In this Scottish version the successor is unnamed, but the dead Cat King is called Old Peter.

The stories sadly do not say a lot about what it means to be the King of the Cats, apart from some mentioning a sceptre and crown, but Lady Wilde does have something to say about him in her Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland (1888):

A most important personage in feline history is the King of the Cats. He may be in your house a common looking fellow enough, with no distinguishing mark of exalted rank about him, so that it is very difficult to verify his genuine claims to royalty. Therefore the best way is to cut off a tiny little bit of his ear. If he is really the royal personage, he will immediately speak out and declare who he is; and perhaps, at the same time, tell you some very disagreeable truths about yourself, not at all pleasant to have discussed by the house cat.

Her second example has a content warning for animal cruelty, so I will put it underneath a cut, but it does imply that the Cat King might be capable of reincarnation…

A man once, in a fit of passion, cut off the head of the domestic pussy, and threw it on the fire. On which the head exclaimed, in a fierce voice, "Go tell your wife that you have cut off the head of the King of the Cats; but wait! I shall come back and be avenged for this insult," and the eyes of the cat glared at him horribly from the fire. And so it happened; for that day year, while the master of the house was playing with a pet kitten, it suddenly flew at his throat and bit him so severely that he died soon after.

[oldschoolfrp]

The redcap is a diminutive murderer from Scottish folklore, with a cap soaked in the blood of his victims. The D&D version of the redcap appeared in the 1993 Creature Catalog as an evil subtype of brownie, illustrated by Dave Simons.

[apilgrimpassingby]

Absurdities brought to you via English folk Christianity:

Magpies were the only birds who did not mourn Christ's death, and hence are condemned to flee from any tree with a cross carved into it.

The holly bush used to be the holly tree, but shrank into a bush in shame from it's wood being used to make the Cross

Donkeys possess healing powers as a reward for carrying our Saviour into Jerusalem.

And an honourary Scottish one:

The Romani are cursed to wander the earth because a Rom blacksmith made the nails used in the crucifixion. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" apparently does not extend to the Romani.

[briefbestiary]

The towering Am Fear Liath Mòr. A walking terror atop Ben Macdhui, the big grey man, while sometimes compared to the likes of Sasquatch or Yeti, is an enigmatic spirit.

[eatorfuck]

A kelpie, or water kelpie (Scottish Gaelic: each-uisge), is a mythical shape-shifting spirit inhabiting lochs in Scottish folklore. It is usually described as a grey or white horse-like creature, able to adopt human form.... in some cases, kelpies take their victims into the water, devour them, and throw the entrails to the water's edge.

[alittleplaytime]

Ceasg Middlere Stimboard!!

🥚 👙 🐚 | 🥚 👙 🐚 | 🥚 👙 🐚

🌼 media: none, scottish folklore

🐝 age appropriate? -

🍯 rqd by: anon <3

🌻 note: i really hope this works okay!! i think i could've done a better job, i'm so sorry :(

[sierrawitch]

My necklace was made before I even created my tumblr account. I wear it everyday, yet it never occurred to me that I could share it here.

This is an Ogham/Ogam protection charm I made by stripping a pine branch, carving a flat edge, and burning the word cosaint (Irish for protection/defense) into the wood. It’s created its own finish with the natural oils from my fingers, enhancing the color and shine of the wood.

[lailoken]

By Rowan Berry and Red Thread,

I put all Evil to its speed...