The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

468 The Highland Monthly.
were brought forth and nurtured. The Columban Monks
probably used the seal oil for light, and the seal skins for
clothing and other purposes.
Martin {circa 1695) informs us that the natives of the
Western Islands used to salt the flesh of seals with burnt
seaware. This flesh was eaten by the common people in the
spring time, •' with a pointed long stick instead of a fork, to
prevent the strong smell which their hands would otherwise
have for several hours after." Persons of quality made
hams of seal flesh. Broth made of the flesh of young seals
served the same purpose medicinally, but in a minor degree,
as seal oil. Seal liver, pulverized and taken with aqua
vitcs, or red wine, was a specific for diarrhoetic disorders.
In Roman Catholic districts, according to the same
authority, the common people ate seals in Lent, on the
footing that they were fish and not flesh !
The sea-girt rocks to the west of North Uist have long
been noted as favourite haunts of the seal. In former
times, the Western Islanders made annual raids on one of
these, Cobhsamul. The raids were made after dark, usually
in the autumn, and large numbers of the seals were
captured. These did not all belong to the captors, for
other prominent personages were entitled to shares. " The
parish minister," says Martin, " hath his choice of all the
young seals, and that which he takes is called by the
natives CuUen-Mor}', that is, the Virgin Mary's seal. The
Steward of the Island hath one paid to him, his officer hath
another ; and this by virtue of their offices."
As we have thus seen, the seal was put to a multitude
of uses by the old Highlander. Let us now glance at his
position in the m)'thology of the Hebridean. There he
is presented to us in an entirely different light. He
,is not an animal of the ordinar}^ brute creation, but one
endowed with great wisdom, and closeK' allied to man.
One of the old beliefs is that seals are human beings under
magic spells. This belief is by no means a thing of the
past. " Tha iad a' cantuinn gur h-c daoine fo ghcasan a