The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Soaal Life of the Borders. 185
the beginning of summer—has been witnessed by observers
standing under the branches of the rowan tree, a safe
protection against them. They lived in mysterious caves,
but sometimes they seem to have chosen human habitations
for their residence, or to have lived in close proximity to
them, and a tradition relates that, on one occasion, an old
woman returning from a gossiping was accosted by a lovely
boy, a fairy, who said, " Cast your dish water farther from
your door-step, it puts out our fire ; and may plenty abide
in your household !" They were indeed courteous to those
who favoured them, but bitter enemies to disbelievers in
them. Their most grievous fault, however, was the stealing
of human souls, and there must be i&w who have not seen
what would formerly have been called a fairy child, startling
from its beaut}', and shewing intelligence far beyond its
years, passing away under that disease, the blight of these
islands, but which was supposed in former times to have
arisen from the indwelling of a fairy soul. Their most
frequent misdeed, however, was the carrying off of children,
and those acquainted with ballad literature will recall theTale
of Tamerlane, and how the Queen of the Fairies kept him " in
yon green hill to dwell," and will recall a somewhat similar
tradition associated with Tomnahurich.
But an equally important part in the superstitious
elements of the Borderers' character was played by the
belief in witches and witchcraft. Horse shoes, elf-cups,
stones perforated by friction at a waterfall, were placed
over a stable door ; brandies of rowan trees hung above
the entrances to byres to protect the animals against them,
and maidens made use of charms, and wore necklets made
of the berries of the mountain ash to guard against their
unholy influence. Only the other day in travelling along
one of the Border lines of railway I passed a knoll, one of
the trystii;g places of the witches, in which they held their
Sabbaths, and some lines yet remain of their gathering
hymn, worthy to be placed side by side with the incantation
song in " Macbeth." Tradition also tells, according to