The Project Gutenberg eBook, Witch of the Glens, by Sally Watson, Illustrated by Barbara Werner

Note: Images of the original pages are available through HathiTrust Digital Library. See [ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015005597078]

Witch of the Glens

Witch
of the Glens

By SALLY WATSON

Drawings by Barbara Werner

THE VIKING PRESS
New York

Copyright © 1962 by Sally Watson
All rights reserved
First published in 1962 by The Viking Press, Inc.
625 Madison Avenue, New York 22, N. Y.
Published simultaneously in Canada
by The Macmillan Company of Canada Limited

Library of Congress catalog card number: 62-17071

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. BY THE VAIL-BALLOU PRESS, INC.

To my favorite witch and uruisg
Jean and Don
and their two small kelpies
Kathy and Mark

Contents

1.The Gypsies[15]
2.The Waif[26]
3.Glenfern[36]
4.The Daft Folk[48]
5.Bewitchery[60]
6.The Picture in the Loch[73]
7.The Return of Mina and Bogle[88]
8.A Task for Kelpie[102]
9.Inverary Castle[115]
10.A Bit of Hair[124]
11.Argyll’s Dungeon[135]
12.Meeting at Pitlochry[146]
13.The Hexing of Alex[159]
14.The Battle of Tippermuir[170]
15.Witch Hunt[182]
16.Morag Mhor[195]
17.The Road to Inverary[206]
18.The Black Sail[223]
19.Footprints in the Snow[229]
20.The Campbell Lass[240]
21.Vengeance[250]
22.The Last Word[261]

Gaelic Terms

Amadain (masculine, amadan). Fool.

Briosag. Witch, sorceress.

Chlanna nan con, thigibh a sh’s gheibh sibh feoil. “Sons of the dogs, come hither, and you shall have flesh” (Cameron war cry).

Dhia dhuit. A greeting (“good day,” literally, “God today”).

Droch-inntinneach. Evil-minded.

Dubh (also dhu). Black.

Each uisghe. Water horse (mythical sea-monster, probably with some connection to the Loch Ness Monster, which has been seen frequently for at least 1500 years and to which Saint Columba of Iona gave a good scolding in 565, as recorded by the Abbot of Iona).

Filleadh mór. The great-plaid, kilt and plaid in one piece. (The plaid, or plaidie, was worn around the shoulders and sometimes over the head.)

Ghillie. An attendant or follower of a clan chief or chieftain.

Kelpie. A water witch.

Mallaichte. Wicked.

M’eudain. An endearment.

Mise-an-dhuit. An exclamation (literally, “Me today!”).

Mo chridhe. An endearment (literally, “My heart”).

Mo thruigh. An exclamation (literally, “My sorrow!”).

Mor (or mhor). Great, large.

Nathrach. Serpent.

Seach. Interjection: “Yes?” “Well—” “Truly!” “Really?”

Sgian dhu. Black knife: a small dagger usually worn in the top of the right stocking by men, just below the knee on the outside, where it is most convenient to reach.

Slaoightire. Scoundrel.

Uruisg (plural, uruisgean). A hobgoblin; sometimes thought to be half human, half hobgoblin. A most disagreeable fellow, in any case.

Pronouncing Gaelic

Gaelic pronunciation is in some ways totally different from English. For instance, s in front of i or e sounds like sh; th, bh, dh, and gh are sometimes (but not always) silent; mh is usually pronounced v; and ch has a sound not found in English at all, and made by trying to say kh as far back in the throat as possible.

Following are the pronunciations for some of the names and words found in this book:

dubh—doo

each uisghe—ekh oosh-ga (“oo” as in “look”)

Eithne—Ay-na

Ewen—Yew-en

ghillie—gilly

Hamish—Hay-mish

Ian—Ee-an

Lachlan—Lakh-lan

Loch Leven—Lokh Leeven

Mairi—Mah-ri

mhor—vore

mo chridhe—mo cree

Seumas—Shay-mas (James)

sgian dhu—skean doo

uruisg—oorishk

Historical Note

To avoid confusion I have in this book described clan tartans more or less as they exist today. This is not strictly accurate. To begin with, in 1644 clans had not yet adopted specific tartans to be worn by all their members, and probably none of the tartans were the same, in either pattern or color, as they are today. In fact, it is very difficult to know just what they did look like, for all kinds of vegetable dyes were used, and the remnants of old tartans that we find today are so faded and changed in color that they seem mostly gray or gray-brown, and it is hard to tell what colors they once were.