Michael S. Newton was an assistant professor in the Celtic Studies department of St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia from 2008 to 2013. He has written a multitude of books and articles about Gaelic culture and history and is a leading authority on Scottish Gaelic heritage in North America. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Ro-ràdh / Foreword by Ruairidh MacIlleathain / Roddy Maclean

Introduction: The Power of Stories

Scottish Highlands: People and Place9 delete deleteHow Highlanders Experienced Folktales13 delete deleteGaelic Folktale Scholarship in Scotland18 delete deleteHow Folktales Work23 delete deleteAbout the Texts in This Volume25

Chapter One. Tales of Wonder

The Frog Prince31 delete deleteSilver-Tree and Gold-Tree32 delete deleteThe Grazing of Cruachan35 delete deleteThe Language of Birds40 delete deleteGreat Seanchan and the Smith of the Tales46 delete deleteThe Tale of Mànus49

Chapter Two. Tales About Life and the World

How Scotland Was Formed57 delete deleteThe Eagle of Loch Tréig58 delete deleteEscaping Doomsday60 delete deleteThe Origin of the Milky Way63 delete deleteThe Origin of the Will o' Wisp64 delete deleteHow the Wren Became the King of Birds65 delete deleteWhy the Dog-Fish Is Called "the King's Fish"66 delete deleteThe Hawk Teaches the Fox a Lesson67 delete deleteOh, Adam!67 delete deleteThe Clan of the Sixty Blockheads69

Chapter Three. Tales of Culture Heroes and Ancients

The Boyhood Deeds of Cù Chulainn72 delete deleteHow Cù Chulainn Killed His Only Son74 delete deleteThe Origin Story of Fionn and the Fiannä75 delete deleteHow Fionn Got His Psychic Powers79 delete deleteGaraidh and the Women80 delete deleteFionn in the House of Yellow Face82 delete deleteDiarmaid and Gràinne86 delete deleteThe Hunt for the Venomous Boar in Ross88

Chapter Four. Historical Legends and Clan Sagas

Columba and Mo Luag in Lismore92 delete deleteColumba and His Brother Dòbhran at Ionä93 delete deleteSaints of Kintail95 delete deleteThe Norse Princess's Mock Lament96 delete deleteThe Sea-People of Arran98 delete deleteThe Feral MacDonalds of Braemar100 delete deleteThe Big Blacksmith of Glen Urquhart101 delete deleteThe Camerons' Doomed Raid on the Lennox103 delete deleteThe Outlaw Black-Haired Finlay MacRae106 delete deleteDonald of the Songs and the Deer108 delete deleteThe Battle of Tràigh Ghruinneart110 delete deleteThe Glen Quaich Bridge117 delete deleteThe Battle of Carinish118 delete deleteThe MacGregors and the Campbell Bloodhounds121 delete deleteThe Battle of Sròn a' Chlachain122 delete deleteThe Loch Earn Robber123 delete deleteThe Massacre of Glencoe124

Chapter Five. Tales of the Otherworldly

The Origin of the Fairies130 delete deleteDispirited Fairies in Ross-shire131 delete deleteThe Stuff of Life132 delete deleteThe Fairies and the Farmer's Gift132 delete deleteGreat MacMhuirich and the Fairies133 delete deleteThe Glaistig of Glen Duror134 delete deleteThe Gruagach Stones135 delete deleteThe Red Hand of Kincardine136 delete deleteThe Specter of the Tay and the Fairy-Fort of Kincraigie137 delete deleteThe Tailor of Rannoch and the Fairy137 delete deleteThe Fairies and the Stolen Wife139 delete deleteThe Chanter from the Fairies of Loch Roag140 delete deleteMacCrimmon's Fairy Sweetheart140 delete deleteThe Uruisg's Reward141 delete deleteThe Cloven-Hoofed Sweetheart143 delete deleteThe Last Each-Uisge in Lewis144 delete deleteMacPhee's Black Hound145 delete deleteThe Old Wife of Laggan148 delete deleteThe Witch of Braemar150 delete deleteMacLeod of Dunvegan and the Witches151 delete deleteHugh of the Wee Head152 delete deleteThe Washing Woman and the Chieftain of Clanranald154 delete deleteThe Midwife and the Queen of the Fairies155 delete deleteThe MacGlashens of Lismore156 delete deleteThe Farr Seer157 delete deleteThe Dream of the Dead in Strath Tummel157

Epilogue: Reclaiming Our Voices

Appendix: Original Gaelic Sources

A' Bhànrigh a Dh'Iarr Deoch á Tobar Àraid163 delete deleteCraobh-Airgid agus Craobh-Òir164 delete deleteBuachailleachd Chruachain166 delete deleteCànan nan Eun172 delete deleteSeanchan Mór an Éirinn is Gobha nan Sgeul an Albainn177 delete deleteEachdraidh Mhànuis179 delete deleteA' Chailleach Bh[...] delete deleteIolaire Loch Tréig185 delete deleteTeicheadh ro'n Bhràth187 delete deleteSgrìob Chloinn Uisnigh189 delete deleteAn Teine Mór190 delete deleteRìgh nan Eun191 delete deleteAn t-Adhbhar mun Abairear Iasg Rìgh ris an Dallaig192 delete deleteO, Àdhaimh!192 delete deleteSliochd nan Trì Fichead Burraidh194 delete deleteTòrachd na Tàine195 delete deleteMar a Thòisich an Fhéinn196 delete deleteFionn agus am Bradan199 delete deleteGaraidh agus na Mnathan200 delete deleteFionn an Taigh a' Bhlàir Bhuidhe202 delete deleteDiarmaid agus Gràinne205 delete deleteDiarmaid agus Bran208 delete deleteCalum Cille agus Dòbhran a Bhràthair208 delete deleteNaoimh Chinn-Tàile210 delete deleteAn Caoineadh-Magaidh211 delete deleteInnis Eabhrach213 delete deleteAn Gobhainn Mór214 delete deleteCalum Garbh mac Eòghainn216 delete deleteFionnlagh Dubh MacRath218 delete deleteDòmhnall mac Fhionnlaigh nan Dàn220 delete deleteBlàr Tràigh Ghruinneart222 delete deleteDrochaid Lag nan Cladhairean228 delete deleteBlàr Chàirinnis229 delete deleteClann Ghriogair agus Coin Dubha nan Caimbeulach232 delete deleteLatha Blàr Shròn a' Chlachain232 delete deleteCreachadair Loch Éire233 delete deleteMurt Ghlinn Comhann235 delete deleteNa Sìdhichean ann an Siorramachd Rois237 delete deleteNa Sìdhichean ann an Raithneach237 delete deleteAn Tuathanach agus na Sìbhrich238 delete deleteGlaistig Ghlinn Dùror239 delete deleteTàillear Ruadh Raithneach240 delete deleteA' Bhean a Ghoid na Sìdhichean241 delete deleteSiùnnsair MhicCruimein242 delete deleteIain Dubh Mór agus an Uruisg242 delete deleteAn Leannan Crodhanach244 delete deleteCù Dubh Mhic a' Phì244 delete deleteCailleach an Lagain247 delete deleteMacLeòid Dhùn Bheagain is na Bana-Bhuidsichean249 delete deleteEóghann a' Chinn Bhig249 delete deleteMac 'ic Ailein agus Luideag an Uillt251 delete deleteA' Bhean-Ghlùine agus Bànrigh nan Sìbhreach252 delete deleteClann MhicGlaisein ann an Lios Mór253 delete deleteAm Fiosaiche ann am Fàrr254 delete deleteBruadar nam Marbh ann an Srath Theimheil254

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index