J. F. Campbell Collection > Prophecies of the Brahan seer (Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche)

THE PROPHECrES OP THE BRAHAN SEER. 7
The following version is supplied by Mr Macin-
tyre, teacher, Arpafeelie :— Although the various ac-
counts as to the manner in which Coinneach Odhar
became gifted with second-sight differ in some respects,
yet they generally agree in this, that it was acquired
while he was engaged in the humble occupation of cut-
ting peats or divots, which were in his day, and still are
in many places, used as fuel throughout the Highlands
of Scotland. On the occasion referred to, being some-
what fatigued, he lay down, resting his head upon
a little knoll, and waited the arrival of his wife with his
dinner, whereupon he fell fast asleep. On awaking,
he felt something hard under his head, and, exa-
mining the cause of the uneasiness, discovered a small
round stone with a hole through the middle. He
picked it up, and looking through it, saw by the aid of
this prophetic stone that his wife was coming to him
with a dinner consisting of sowans and milk, polluted,
though unknown to her, in a manner which, as well as
several other particulars connected with it, we forbear
to mention. But Coinneach found that though this
stone was the means by which a supernatural power
had been conferred upon him, it had, on its very first
application, deprived him of the sight of that eye with
which he looked through it, and he continued ever af-
terwards cam, or blind of an eye.
It would appear from this account that the intended
murderer made use of the Seer's wife to convey the
poison to her own husband, thus adding to her diabolical
and murderous intention, by making her who would
feel the loss the keenest, the medium by which her
husband was to lose his life.