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 Place¿9 delete¿ deleteHow Highlanders Experienced Folktales¿13 delete¿ deleteGaelic Folktale Scholarship in Scotland¿18 delete¿ deleteHow Folktales Work¿23 delete¿ deleteAbout the Texts in This Volume¿25

Chapter One. Tales of Wonder

The Frog Prince¿31 delete¿ deleteSilver-Tree and Gold-Tree¿32 delete¿ deleteThe Grazing of Cruachan¿35 delete¿ deleteThe Language of Birds¿40 delete¿ deleteGreat Seanchan and the Smith of the Tales¿46 delete¿ deleteThe Tale of Mànus¿49

Chapter Two. Tales About Life and the World

How Scotland Was Formed¿57 delete¿ deleteThe Eagle of Loch Tréig¿58 delete¿ deleteEscaping Doomsday¿60 delete¿ deleteThe Origin of the Milky Way¿63 delete¿ deleteThe Origin of the Will o' Wisp¿64 delete¿ deleteHow the Wren Became the King of Birds¿65 delete¿ deleteWhy the Dog-Fish Is Called "the King's Fish"¿66 delete¿ deleteThe Hawk Teaches the Fox a Lesson¿67 delete¿ deleteOh, Adam!¿67 delete¿ deleteThe Clan of the Sixty Blockheads¿69

Chapter Three. Tales of Culture Heroes and Ancients

The Boyhood Deeds of Cù Chulainn¿72 delete¿ deleteHow Cù Chulainn Killed His Only Son¿74 delete¿ deleteThe Origin Story of Fionn and the Fiannä75 delete¿ deleteHow Fionn Got His Psychic Powers¿79 delete¿ deleteGaraidh and the Women¿80 delete¿ deleteFionn in the House of Yellow Face¿82 delete¿ deleteDiarmaid and Gràinne¿86 delete¿ deleteThe Hunt for the Venomous Boar in Ross¿88

Chapter Four. Historical Legends and Clan Sagas

Columba and Mo Luag in Lismore¿92 delete¿ deleteColumba and His Brother Dòbhran at Ionä93 delete¿ deleteSaints of Kintail¿95 delete¿ deleteThe Norse Princess's Mock Lament¿96 delete¿ deleteThe Sea-People of Arran¿98 delete¿ deleteThe Feral MacDonalds of Braemar¿100 delete¿ deleteThe Big Blacksmith of Glen Urquhart¿101 delete¿ deleteThe Camerons' Doomed Raid on the Lennox¿103 delete¿ deleteThe Outlaw Black-Haired Finlay MacRae¿106 delete¿ deleteDonald of the Songs and the Deer¿108 delete¿ deleteThe Battle of Tràigh Ghruinneart¿110 delete¿ deleteThe Glen Quaich Bridge¿117 delete¿ deleteThe Battle of Carinish¿118 delete¿ deleteThe MacGregors and the Campbell Bloodhounds¿121 delete¿ deleteThe Battle of Sròn a' Chlachain¿122 delete¿ deleteThe Loch Earn Robber¿123 delete¿ deleteThe Massacre of Glencoe¿124

Chapter Five. Tales of the Otherworldly

The Origin of the Fairies¿130 delete¿ deleteDispirited Fairies in Ross-shire¿131 delete¿ deleteThe Stuff of Life¿132 delete¿ deleteThe Fairies and the Farmer's Gift¿132 delete¿ deleteGreat MacMhuirich and the Fairies¿133 delete¿ deleteThe Glaistig of Glen Duror¿134 delete¿ deleteThe Gruagach Stones¿135 delete¿ deleteThe Red Hand of Kincardine¿136 delete¿ deleteThe Specter of the Tay and the Fairy-Fort of Kincraigie¿137 delete¿ deleteThe Tailor of Rannoch and the Fairy¿137 delete¿ deleteThe Fairies and the Stolen Wife¿139 delete¿ deleteThe Chanter from the Fairies of Loch Roag¿140 delete¿ deleteMacCrimmon's Fairy Sweetheart¿140 delete¿ deleteThe Uruisg's Reward¿141 delete¿ deleteThe Cloven-Hoofed Sweetheart¿143 delete¿ deleteThe Last Each-Uisge in Lewis¿144 delete¿ deleteMacPhee's Black Hound¿145 delete¿ deleteThe Old Wife of Laggan¿148 delete¿ deleteThe Witch of Braemar¿150 delete¿ deleteMacLeod of Dunvegan and the Witches¿151 delete¿ deleteHugh of the Wee Head¿152 delete¿ deleteThe Washing Woman and the Chieftain of Clanranald¿154 delete¿ deleteThe Midwife and the Queen of the Fairies¿155 delete¿ deleteThe MacGlashens of Lismore¿156 delete¿ deleteThe Farr Seer¿157 delete¿ deleteThe Dream of the Dead in Strath Tummel¿157

Epilogue: Reclaiming Our Voices

Appendix: Original Gaelic Sources

A' Bhànrigh a Dh'Iarr Deoch á Tobar Àraid¿163 delete¿ deleteCraobh-Airgid agus Craobh-Òir¿164 delete¿ deleteBuachailleachd Chruachain¿166 delete¿ deleteCànan nan Eun¿172 delete¿ deleteSeanchan Mór an Éirinn is Gobha nan Sgeul an Albainn¿177 delete¿ deleteEachdraidh Mhànuis¿179 delete¿ deleteA' Chailleach Bheur¿185 delete¿ deleteIolaire Loch Tréig¿185 delete¿ deleteTeicheadh ro'n Bhràth¿187 delete¿ deleteSgrìob Chloinn Uisnigh¿189 delete¿ deleteAn Teine Mór¿190 delete¿ deleteRìgh nan Eun¿191 delete¿ deleteAn t-Adhbhar mun Abairear Iasg Rìgh ris an Dallaig¿192 delete¿ deleteO, Àdhaimh!¿192 delete¿ deleteSliochd nan Trì Fichead Burraidh¿194 delete¿ deleteTòrachd na Tàine¿195 delete¿ deleteMar a Thòisich an Fhéinn¿196 delete¿ deleteFionn agus am Bradan¿199 delete¿ deleteGaraidh agus na Mnathan¿200 delete¿ deleteFionn an Taigh a' Bhlàir Bhuidhe¿202 delete¿ deleteDiarmaid agus Gràinne¿205 delete¿ deleteDiarmaid agus Bran¿208 delete¿ deleteCalum Cille agus Dòbhran a Bhràthair¿208 delete¿ deleteNaoimh Chinn-Tàile¿210 delete¿ deleteAn Caoineadh-Magaidh¿211 delete¿ deleteInnis Eabhrach¿213 delete¿ deleteAn Gobhainn Mór¿214 delete¿ deleteCalum Garbh mac Eòghainn¿216 delete¿ deleteFionnlagh Dubh MacRath¿218 delete¿ deleteDòmhnall mac Fhionnlaigh nan Dàn¿220 delete¿ deleteBlàr Tràigh Ghruinneart¿222 delete¿ deleteDrochaid Lag nan Cladhairean¿228 delete¿ deleteBlàr Chàirinnis¿229 delete¿ deleteClann Ghriogair agus Coin Dubha nan Caimbeulach¿232 delete¿ deleteLatha Blàr Shròn a' Chlachain¿232 delete¿ deleteCreachadair Loch Éire¿233 delete¿ deleteMurt Ghlinn Comhann¿235 delete¿ deleteNa Sìdhichean ann an Siorramachd Rois¿237 delete¿ deleteNa Sìdhichean ann an Raithneach¿237 delete¿ deleteAn Tuathanach agus na Sìbhrich¿238 delete¿ deleteGlaistig Ghlinn Dùror¿239 delete¿ deleteTàillear Ruadh Raithneach¿240 delete¿ deleteA' Bhean a Ghoid na Sìdhichean¿241 delete¿ deleteSiùnnsair MhicCruimein¿242 delete¿ deleteIain Dubh Mór agus an Uruisg¿242 delete¿ deleteAn Leannan Crodhanach¿244 delete¿ deleteCù Dubh Mhic a' Phì¿244 delete¿ deleteCailleach an Lagain¿247 delete¿ deleteMacLeòid Dhùn Bheagain is na Bana-Bhuidsichean¿249 delete¿ deleteEóghann a' Chinn Bhig¿249 delete¿ deleteMac 'ic Ailein agus Luideag an Uillt¿251 delete¿ deleteA' Bhean-Ghlùine agus Bànrigh nan Sìbhreach¿252 delete¿ deleteClann MhicGlaisein ann an Lios Mór¿253 delete¿ deleteAm Fiosaiche ann am Fàrr¿254 delete¿ deleteBruadar nam Marbh ann an Srath Theimheil¿254

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index