Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

146
THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
as if he had just come from the churn. He
begged her to drink from the "kuman," and at
first she was afraid, but as he went on asking
her, at last she took a good drink from the
"kuman.'
Another Story of the Macleods, taken
FROM Donald Eoy Macleod.
This story seems to have some appearance of
antiquity about it, but I question if it dates
back to the clan period, for then the chief
would have had more regard for the meanest
of his clansmen than is shown here.
A Macleod gentleman who had Ose farm
used to be called "Captain Ose' in the old
days before my time, but I heard many a tale
of him from people who had been in his service.
I am telling you what smartness and bravery
were in the men of that period. The Captain
went droving to Duntulm, where the morair
(landlord) was, and he was mnvcachd air each
(riding on a horse), and a boy on a horse
following him as servant. Well, when they
were down at a place called Cam's i/ohhair he
saw hunters with big hounds on the brae above
him, and they heard the hunters setting the
dogs at them. Well, Captain Ose told the boy
to keep behind him, and he struck the first dog
with his stick and killed him, and the second
dog he killed too with the stick, and when the
/ /
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A ^^ I ^" tj.^
the "GRUAG.4CH.
'-^i./^e:
hunter^. Lord Macdonald and his men, came
down, they said they thought it was a ]ioor
man, and they were sorry it was the Cajitain,
and he was invited to Duntulm and would not
go, but he changed his mind and went, for he
would let no one say that he was afraid to go
there.
Black Maroaket from Beacadale gave jie
THE following:
I asked her if she knew anything of the
Fenian or Fingalian Ballads. She said she
did not, but that Diarmid killed Fionn with
the tore nimh (poisonous boar). This shows
how quickly the heroic tales and ballads die
out, and become corrupted amongst the
peasantry. Campbell of Islay, who took down
many fenian ballads, tell us how Fionn com-
passed Diarmid's death by getting him to
measure the boar by placing his feet against
the bristles, which were poisonous.
These detached tales are given exactly as
received from the poor but decent old men
and women who supplied them. They serve in
a measure to show a phase of superstition as it
actually exists in the mind of the peasant.
They are not the prettily rounded tales of a
Hans Anderson, they are the real article.
[the end.]
The Famo0s White Banner (A' Bhintucli,
Bliau) OF the Clan Mackay is in danger of being
sent to London. Tbe Clan Mackay are deterjnined
to prevent it jiassing into alien hands, and the case
is likely to be heard before the Sheriff. They
wish this venerable relic to be placed in St. Giles
Cathedral, where two Mackay regimental flags are
already deposited.
The Rkv. Dr. J. Aberigh-Maikay, D.D., Chief-
tain of the Clan Aberigh, is staying in Switzerland
at present. His son. Colonel .J. Livingston Aberigh-
Mackay, of the 8th Bengal Cavalry, is in Scotland,
and intends paying a visit to the old seat of liis
family, Achness, in Strathnaver.
The Dhan ani> Lornb Association have just
completed the session, with a balance of £40 on hand.