Scotland's Storybook: stories in English (1.1 - Education Scotland

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ode west, back to the Green Isle where they were safe. Time and time again Angus rode back to Scotland, only to be driven back by Beira and her hags. As the spring approached Angus made a great effort which defeated the eight hags and drove them far away to the north. Beira called up the icy gales that swept over the land and sea so that fishermen could not venture out to sea to fill the bellies of their families, nor farmers feed their animals who were dying of hunger. Beira struck the land with her hammer and froze it as hard as iron once more. She rode north to her hags and ordered one last charge against Angus. Beira then used her magic to borrow the three days of winter that Angus had replaced with three days from August, and so, with that extra power, she drove Angus from Scotland. This storm killed a great many animals and people, but it used up the last of her strength. Beira grew weak, and Angus, the King of Summer, returned when the March days were of equal length. Bride, his queen, touched the frozen water to melt the last of the ice, and as she did so the eight hags were lulled to sleep once more. Beira’s strength had deserted her, and she rode her black steed to the Green Isle where she drank from the Well of Youth and was restored to being a young maiden once more. At midsummer she reached womanhood, but as the autumn passed she grew older again and her strength grew until she was able to drive Angus and Bride from Scotland and rule once more as Beira, the Queen of Winter. Tom Muir, Orkney 24
ST COLUMBA AND ST MAGNUS Two men who have left their mark on the Christian history of Scotland are St Columba and St Magnus. Although separated in time by almost 600 years, both these men left a lasting legacy in two island groups; the Hebrides and Orkney. It is ironic that the monastery founded by Columba in Iona would be attacked by Vikings in the late 8 th century, while Magnus was descended from the very same Vikings who once ransacked churches to steal their valuables. But Columba had a warlike past too, being the son of a powerful chieftain in Ireland. ST COLUMBA St Columba was born around the year 521 AD into a powerful family with links to the High Kings of Ireland in County Donegal. He studied to become a priest and founded churches in County Derry. While studying as a student under St Finnian he copied a Psalter belonging to Finnian without his permission, and then refused to surrender it when ordered to. Columba took the Psalter against Finnian’s wishes, and so Finnian took the complaint to King Dermott who ruled in his favour. When Columba refused to hand the Psalter over King Dermott raised an army to take it by force, but Columba was from a high-born family who also raised an army to defend him. The two sides clashed in battle in the year 561 AD, and many warriors were slain on both sides before Columba eventually won the day. For this act Columba was forced to leave Ireland as an exile, and along with twelve companions he sailed to Scotland where he founded a monastery on the island of Iona. He swore that he would convert as many 25
Page 2 and 3: Scotland’s Storybook A magical co
Page 4 and 5: FIONN MAC CUMHAIL AND THE SALMON OF
Page 6 and 7: said to contain all the knowledge o
Page 8 and 9: ‘Then what is it; the answer to t
Page 10 and 11: The mist parted and there before hi
Page 12 and 13: with a huge emerald in the centre o
Page 14 and 15: what had happened to Fionn and the
Page 16 and 17: As the party rode through the fores
Page 18 and 19: eautiful woman walking over the sur
Page 20 and 21: ANGUS AND BRIDE Beira was old, as o
Page 22 and 23: The old man handed the fleece to Br
Page 26 and 27: people to the new religion as had d
Page 28 and 29: Scotland and imprisoned in a castle
Page 30 and 31: that this must be the Blessed Virgi
Page 32 and 33: Thomas used his gift of prophesy to
Page 34 and 35: sadness that would engulf their lan
Page 36 and 37: prophesy that foretold death and ru
Page 38 and 39: e careful of how he acted until his
Page 40 and 41: Without looking up she replied: ‘
Page 42 and 43: ‘Why Willie, my dear,’ said his
Page 44 and 45: ‘What was that?’ he asked his w
Page 46 and 47: So, Rashie Coat went back to the ki
Page 48 and 49: again. When she got home the fairy
Page 50 and 51: problems about saying yes. They wer
Page 52 and 53: her knee and she wept bitter tears
Page 54 and 55: mouth up under her right ear and sh
Page 56 and 57: the branches of the trees as they t
Page 58 and 59: him; it was the greedy laird. He ga
Page 60 and 61: THE SELKIE HUNTER The Pentland Firt
Page 62 and 63: speed. The hunter held on tight to
Page 64 and 65: disappeared, and he was once more t
Page 66 and 67: who eventually arrived to offer the
Page 68 and 69: that the king was to fight the Stoo
Page 70 and 71: As soon as the guard heard this he
Page 72 and 73: MALLIE AND THE TROW Mallie and her
Page 74 and 75:
The next morning the trow said his
Page 76 and 77:
The Little Brown Calf There was onc
Page 78 and 79:
sound outside. She went to the wind
Page 80 and 81:
upset at having lost sight of her,
Page 82 and 83:
in the black kitchen.” The prince
Page 84 and 85:
The Salmon of Knowledge Fionn MacCu
Page 86 and 87:
MacCodram and his Seal-Wife Many ye
Page 88 and 89:
Although the fisherman was sorry fo
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Scotland's Storybook: stories in English (1.1 - Education Scotland

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