Ossian Collection > Romance of the Highlands

92 THE ROMANCE OF THE HIGHLANDS.
stones be wrapped up in the petticoat of a widow who
did not wish to marry again. Considering the difficulty
of procuring such Bruce renounced all hope of com-
pleting the charm.
As might be expected many ceremonies centred
around the natal chamber. There was a danger that the
young infant and even its mother might be spirited
away by the fury of the fairies. These, as we have said,
were really not wicked, but much inclined just out of mis-
chief. It was customary, therefore, to have the bed placed
in the centre of the apartment, while a friend would walk
round it, deisul fashion, with an open Bible in his hand,
beseeching the "good folk" to touch neither mother nor
babe. A Bible was frequently placed under the pillow,
and a knife and spade under the bed and salt was
scattered around.
The fairies lived in little green knolls called sith
dhuin. From these they emerged for their frolics and
festivities. They were known to allure men, as the
evening fell, into their abode, and to turn them into
creatures like themselves. These little "Men of Peace"
wore green garments, consequently they took offence
when mortals assumed their favourite colour. This is
why, especially in the north, green is considered unlucky.
It was believed in Caithness that the County's contingent
wore too much of this colour at Flodden, hence their
heavy loss in that battle.
The fairies were, of course, rendered impotent by the
reading of the Scripture. The faithful Andrew Fair-
service, who admitted having been "mistrysted wi' a
bogle the night already," was dubious of opening the
"yett" till he had gone through the evening service. He
chose for the purpose the reading of the fifth chapter of
Nehemiah, and he says, "if that winna gar them keep
their distance, I wotna' what will." Equally so the