"Story and Song from Loch Ness-Side"

[139]

Among the most important events in the life of the country homestead are, of course, birth and baptism, and in this respect our district was no exception. But child-bearing, even among the olden time Highlanders, had its risks and troubles; and those would seem to have been not only the more or less usual physical ones, but also such as were believed to be of a nature somewhat beyond. The nurse, "a' bhean-ghluine," was always present - the doctor is a very modern innovation in the capacity of midwife - and she rendered the best aid possible. Generally her skill was two-fold: she certainly was not ignorant of midwifery - she had to have been a mother herself; and she knew a lot about the various rites which had to be practised by way of counteracting the influence and interference of the thousand and one spirit powers that had alwa,ys to be guarded .against. In far back times charms and spells, with their appropriate incantations, were much in vogue at births, by way of warding off mishaps, but later, herbs were more resorted to, which showed a significant advance.

Partly from the fear of uncanny possibilities, and also, no doubt - in later times - from the influence of preaching against the neglect of baptism, and the fear of the awful consequences in the event of death without receiving the benefit of that sacrament, the people attached much importance to the rite. Most persons, [140] especially Roman Catholics, were careful that their chil dren should be baptised within eight days of birth. Generally speaking this was observed with a degree of attention which went to show that considerable importa nce attached to it. All things considered, then, the baptism of a child was frequently an event on the countryside. The hoary-headed spectre, superstition, played its part in connection with the function in many ways. If a word of the baptismal service was lost - not distinctly spoken by the minister - the child would grow up to be a somnambulist; if a girl and boy were being baptised at the same time, and that the respective names were by mistake transposed, the former would have a man's beard, and the latter a woman's bare face. These were, of course, dreadful considerations, and great precautions were taken to ensure that there would be no hitch. And there was also a wicked influence telieved to be abroad, known as "An Droch Shuil" ("The Evil Eye"), which was thought to have a par­ ticular predilection for exercising its powers on infants; and no doubt it was by way of preventing its ravages that the very old charm called "The Bathing Blessing" was at one time commonly resorted to in many places. As the child was being bathed the following lines were repeated:

Frequently when a child sickened it was feared that the Evil Eye had taken effect, and to ascertain accura tely whether the ailment was from a physical or other source, occult aid was resorted to, instead of the prosaic methods of diagnosis in vogue nowadays. We ourselves remember having been a much interested looker-on during one of those mysterious performances. A female child, just a. few weeks old, had fallen ill, and all efforts to cure her proved unavailing. The wise woman - a very simple personage, but yet one of considerable intelli gence and native resourcefulness - was sent for. She was eventually prevailed upon to diagnose and say whether the child's sickness was natural or supernatural. She took a wooden vessel - "am meadar bleodhainn" ("the milking pail"), part filled it with water from a running brook near at hand, over which it was necessary that the dead and the living should have passed, and then dropped a sixpenny piece into the water. She twirled the vessel round a few times, chanting the words of an appropriate charm. The result was to be that if the child was suffering from any super-physical ail ment that, with the help of this charmed water, would pass off in a few days, the sixpenny piece would stick by its rim to the vessel, held bottom upwards, while the water was being poured out. This result was actually obtained in the case in point, and [142] the anxious parents were soon made happy in, the belief that their child would recover her wonted health, which she did. In some instances, however, the silver piece would fall out of the vessel with the water, which was an unfavourable omen, and a cure had to be effected by recourse to a spell or a charm of a character to neutralise the effect of the evil power that had caused the trouble. Usually the wise woman - or man - prescribed a course that proved satisfactory; but not infrequently the parents had to consult some other wise one more deeply versed, according to common belief, in the occult and the mysterious. Of those one of the most popular in modern times was Willox, who lived near Tomintoul, beyond Strathspey, and who appears to have been un doubtedly a wonderful man. People far and near had perfect confidence in his powers. According to common belief he possessed, as magical instruments, a kelpie's bridle and a mermaid's stone. The bridle was said to have come to him from a relative of the name of Mac- Gregor, who, while one day strolling by the side of Loch- indorb, noticed, as the story says, the waters of the lake throw out a large black horse, in which Macgregor recogn ised the water kelpie. MacGregor seized the bridle, and, with his sword cut it out of the horse's mouth. Immediately the kelpie became a powerful-looking man, clamour ing for the bridle. But the Highlander made off with his prize. The bridle was said to consist of a flat piece of brass, to which other pieces of brass and a short leathern thong were attached. The mermaid's stone was simply a small, clear crystal, handed down by a maternal grandfather, who came into possession of it in a manner which suggests a number of similar tales. Noticing a mermaid coming frequently to a certain spot, he watched his opportunity, and one day carried her to his home. Eventually, however, she returned to her native element, [143] but directed him to a place where he would find a magical stone which would enable him to perform wonders while in his possession.

We remember the case coming under our notice of a succession of dangerous convulsions, from which a child suffered, being effectually stopped by a. charm obtained from one of the Willoxes, which was simply sewn in a piece of cotton and worn by the patient over the heart. This could not be a faith cure, as the sufferer, who was a mere infant, knew nothing about the matter.

Of spells and charms at one time in general use some examples will be found further on.

The next greatest and most important event in country life was marriage, and this function usually was the subject in our district of much that was interesting in various ways. Marriage was not at one time the hard and fast institution it has now become. Long, long ago, as is well known, the ceremony was frequently negotiated under pressure of all sorts and conditions of circum­ stances. Handfast unions were quite common, and it is probable that, in some instances, marriagei was, with very little formality, entered into. In later years, mar riage came to be much more religiously observed; but till within recent times the festivities connected with the institution as a rule eixtended over a number of days. A wedding was then the occasion of genuine jollification to everyone, relatives and non-relatives alike; though there was always evidence of the little spitefulnesses that union ever seems to engender. We have all heard of the pretty old proverb which says:

[144] Our wedding of the olden time was invariably pre ceded by the "contract" - an institution of long standing and great importance. This function took place in the house of the bride's father, to which the bridegroom and a small party of chosen friends repaired, usually on a certain appointed Friday evening. The proceedings were interesting. One of the party, pro bably a near relative, introduced himself and his companions as wanderers, seeking a night's lodgings, and the bride's father, if matters were agreeable to all concerned, received the would-be strangers hospitably. In due time a mere form of contract was entered into by the prospective bride and bridegroom, in the course of which proceeding they for the first time that evening saw each other. On those occasions, as a general custom, there was excellent cheer, all of which was supposed to be provided by the bridegroom. It was not common to have a dance at those contracts, but songs were sung, tales were told, and there was also much good-natured fun. Omens were watched carefully in connection with all that pertained to the marriage. People never liked a drinking glass to break between any two of the parties present;nor did they look with­ out grave apprehension upon such an accident as the light going out.

As soon as possible after the contract, the marriage came off, for which great event certain days of the week were always preferred to others. The month of May has always been in our country, as elsewhere, allowed to witness very few marriages; a favourite time being between the November term and the New-Year.

A wedding properly began on the night before the marriage, when the time-honoured custom of ''Glanadh-nan-cas" ("feet-washing") fell to be observed. A [145] number of the relatives of both the bridegroom and bride assembled at the respective homes of these parties, and were entertained in a manner that in most cases rendered this function most enjoyable. At the same time as the process of washing the feet went on, efforts were persistently made to blacken them with soot. Sometimes the legs, and even the face, came in for a rubbing, and thus, washing and blackening alternated, until, after a while, the fun was discontinued, and music and dancing were indulged in, and kept up till an early hour. In good time in the morning all were astir, and the preparations for the great event of the day became general, not only in the homes of the con tracting parties, but practically all over the neighbour hood. The marriage chimes were not rung by anything so priceless as a bell made with human hands; joy drew her magic wand over the strings of the human heart, and the little community sang with glee. Spring was in every pulse. The very atmosphere seemed to breathe life and happiness. Marriages most frequently, per haps, took place in the church, and by a well-understood pre-arrangement, every effort was made to have the bride's party first there; it having always been cons idered unlucky that the bridegroom should have to wait for her. Just when leaving her father's home, there was generally thrown after the bride an old boot, or some such article, thus observing a custom, in some shape or another, peculiar to many peoples.

The marriage ceremony over, the two parties issued by different doors from the church - just as they had entered. Outside, after cordial hand-shaking, refresh ments were served, and the toast of the newly-wedded couple was proposed and joyfully responded to. It was [146] not uncommon to engage then, for a time, in dancing, even, as sometimes happened, when snow lay deep on the ground.

The marriage dinner was always a most interesting event. This repast was usually set in the bride's father's barn. There was a superstition to the effect that it was not lucky to have it in his house. The bridegroom sat at the end of the long table, his best man and maid, one on each side of him; the bride at the other end between her best man and maid. When the guests could not all be served at once, as many sittings were arranged as might be required, the bride and bridegroom keeping their seats throughout, as, without their presence, the feast would not be so much enjoyed. And the young would not be overlooked; they were specially provided for, sometimes in a place by themselves.

Dancing usually took full prominence at weddings. After the dinner the barn was cleared, and the guests took their places on the floor. The music, frequently supplied by both pipes and fiddle, was invariably of excellent quality. The tunes were those strathspeys and reels known as "dance music"; but latterly some South-country dances were being introduced, and "Lancers", "Schottisches", "Quadrilles", &c, were in evidence.

There was a custom, the observance of which was a matter of great moment, and much interest centred in it. The procedure was romantic in its way. During the small hours of the morning, as the fun was at its height, the bride's maids stole away with the bride, and as it was considered of great importance that nobody should see her being "spirited" off, the undertaking [147] had to be carefully managed. Thus, when a dance was well on, and everybody's attention absorbed in it, advantage was taken of the general abandon, and the bride was smartly driven off the floor, and with all speed hurried home. In a little while afterwards the bridegroom was snatched away in a similar manner. As soon, however, as missed they were followed by a number of persons from the barn, who found their way inside, when a great uproar prevailed. All available articles of dress, belonging to the married couple, were thrown about in all directions, and a great scramble followed;the belief being that the first to catch hold of any of those should be the next to get married. When order was restored a refreshment was served round, and the company returned to the barn, to prolong, till a later hour, the enjoyment at their disposal. In the morning, when all the people had left, there was a wedding breakfast. There "was a belief to the effect that the young couple should not appear outside without having had something to eat, otherwise ill-luck might follow after them. Breakfast, as a rule, closed the wedding festivities. But, in some cases, those who attended visited the relatives of the married parties on their way home, and recommenced a series of pleasures which were kept up till all concerned became well-nigh physically exhausted. It was thus, when nature could go no farther, that an end was put to the fun, which, as will be readily imagined, often lasted for days.

It will occur to the reader that such an event as we have just described could not possibly have come off, even in the olden time, except at considerable expense. But there was in vogue an excellent provision against this. It was a standing rule that the expenses of the [148] wedding should be borne by the bride's father, or, in his absence, by her relatives or guardians; and towards this expenditure very material assistance was extended in the shape of butter, milk, cheese, fowls, meat, and drink, somewhat on the same lines as the marriage presents of later times. Indeed, it was no uncommon result to find a considerable supply at the credit of the function when all was over.

Occasionally a penny-wedding took place. The people were all expected to attend this kind of function, and to contribute towards the expense. Those weddings were held sometimes in the public house, and were always very jolly.

Since the days we write of people have learned to observe the marriage customs in ways considerably different from those of the olden time. Now we hear of the honeymoon trip from the Highland hamlet. Verily! things have changed.

Chapter 9