The following comprises a small selection of some ancient Scottish spells, mainly sourced from the Western Isles. The names of each are given in Gaelic.

 

Further down this page you will find an account of the fate of one Mr Robert Henderson - who foolishly chose to mock a witch!

 

 

Corp criadhach

 This translates as the Clay-body, or clay corpse – better known to most as the poppet, but fashioned from clay rather than from fabric. Like the poppet, the clay is modelled in a likeness of the person being cursed (if it is a clay corpse) or cured of an ailment. Items may be inserted at this stage to empower the body; it may be anointed, and charms spoken or sung over it. The body is then either set to work or, in the case of cursing, is set within a river where the water erodes it. The victim’s life force is eroded as the water performs its task.

 

The following was told by an old lady from Islay who chose to remain anonymous:

 

“Once the image was ready to receive the pins, or Blackthorns, the following would be spoken over it: ‘From behind you are like a ram with an old fleece. As you waste away, may she waste away. As this wounds you, may it wound her.’ “

 

Tein’-éigin  

This is the name given to the Force fire, Needfire or Neatsfire – a fire created using friction. This fire

held special protective and curative properties and was still in use until the start of the 20^th Century.

Before making the tein’-éigin all the fires had first to be extinguished and 81 married men were charged with the making of the new fire, using wood and circular motion to produce the first flame. This was then taken round the houses where it was used to relight the hearth fires.

This custom has its origins in the worship of the returning sun, with its empowering warmth.

 

In 1812, J. Henderson of Caithness described the process:

"In those days [1788], when the stock of any considerable farmer was seized with the murrain* he would send for one of the charm-doctors, to superintend the raising of a need-fire. It was done by friction, thus: upon any small island, where the stream of a river or burn run on each side, a circular booth was erected, of stone and turf in which a semicircular, or Highland couple of birch, was set. A straight pole was set up in the centre of this building, the upper end fixed by a wooden pin to the top of the couple, and the lower end in an oblong trink in the earth or floor; and lastly, another pole was set across horizontally, having both ends tapered, one end of which was supported in a hole in the side of the perpendicular pole, and the other end in a similar hole in the couple leg. The horizontal stick was called the auger, having four short arms or levers fixed in its centre, to work it by. By constant friction and pressure, the ends of the auger would take fire, from which a fire would be instantly kindled, and thus the needfire, would be accomplished. The fire in the farmer’s house was immediately quenched with water, a fire kindled from this needfire, both in the farm-house and offices, and the cattle brought to feel the smoke of this new and sacred fire, which preserved them from the murrain."

*murrain = a falling disease/paralysis of cattle.

 

 

 

 

Mòthan 

 The mòthan or bog-violet, was used in love philtres. To gather the plant, the witch had to kneel upon her left knee and pluck nine roots of the plant. These then had to be knotted and woven into a circlet  or cuach , which was placed upon the client’s mouth. The next man to kiss her would become her bondsman. If the client was pregnant the cuach ensured a safe delivery, and it was also carried by travellers as a form of protection. If a man made a miraculous escape from danger it was said of him:

Dh'òl a bainne na bò bà a dhith am mòthan

"He drank the milk of the guileless cow that ate the mòthan"

 

 

Slinneanachd     

This is another type of divination using the shoulder bone of an animal slain for the purpose. In some districts the flesh had also to ce consumed, but without touching the bone itself with either teeth or fingernails. Scapulae were also used as agricultural implements, forming the working end of ploughs and hoes for primitive farmers.

 

 

The fate of Mr Robert Henderson, upon speaking out of turn.

 

Mr. Robert Henderson he was questionles a learned and a witty man, and it is a pitty we have no more of his works. Being very old he dyed of a diarrhea or fluxe, of whome there goes this merry though somewhat unsavoury tale, that all phisitians having given him over and he lying drawing his last breath, there came an old woman unto him, who was held a witch, and asked him whether he would be cured, to whome he sayed very willingly. “Then,” quotd she, “there is a whiky tree in the lower end of your orchard, and if you will goe and walke but thrice about it, and thrice speake theis wordes:

Whikey tree,whikey tree
Take away this fluxe from me,

you shall be presently cured.” He told her that beside he was extreme faint and weake it was extreme frost and and that it was impossible for him to go. She told him that unles he did so it was impossible he should recover. Mr. Henderson then lifting upp himselfe and pointing to an Oken table that was in the roome, asked her “if it would not do as well if I repeated thrice theis words:

Oken burd, oken burd
Grant me shit a hard turde.”

The woman seeing herselfe derided and scorned ran out of the house in a great passion and Mr Henderson within halfe a quarter of an houre departed this life.

                                                                         

Of the life of Robert Henryson little is known but that he lived in the latter half of the fifteenth century, wrote a certain number of poems with which his name, in certain early manuscripts and printed texts, is associated. He died some time before 1508. Certainly , he appears to have made rather a foolhardy decision in choosing to mock the witch from he had asked assistance!