Introduction to Scotland and the Fraser Clan

Introduction

I was born in Edinburgh but my father took a job in Australia when I was only a year old so I had never really seen Scotland until I saw the movie "Braveheart" with him. I found it tremendously moving to see the lives of people who must have been my ancestors. It's all the more significant to me now as my father and, later, my mother died not so long ago.  (There's a link in the sidebar to read more about them)

The address given is no longer in the family but that was the family home for many years and that was the last place the extended family was together.  Over time member of the family has formed a clan of his or her own but all look back on that house as the home we shared.

I've been most of the way around the world now but my journey won't be complete until I go back to Scotland. I'm not so far away from Scotland now and I hope before too much more time passes to go there.

Alan Fraser


Scotland

The grand history of Scotland is a huge fascination to me, in part to help me understand the origins of my family.  With Frasers on one side and Sopers / Clarks on the other, my heritage is almost entirely Scottish and it has fascinated me to learn more of what has been home to all of those families for generations.

The Celtic times are mystical in many ways and the enigmas of that era are hugely interesting in their own right. With a mythology that stretches back thousands of years, the sources and inspiration of the tales is most intriguing.


History of the Fraser Clan

Brian Fraser wrote an extensive description of the history of the Frasers from a possible origin in France as the 'bearers of strawberries' up through the more notable events in recent history.


Alex and Anne Fraser

My parents traveled much of the world and wound up in America but Scotland was always home and their blog, external to this one, tells that story:  Alex Fraser, Geneticist and Painter.  The link is also in the blog sidebar.

Royalty

The summary timeline of Scottish history is fairly continuous back to 800 B.C.  The history is fairly comprehensive but there is always more that can be said.  The objective is to provide a summary timeline rather than to provide the definitive reference source.  The easiest way to find it is to click the INDEX tab at a the top of the blog to link directly to it.


Faeries

The faeries and other creatures of Scottish / Celtic mythology are many and highly diverse. The sheer number of them is impressive and the variety is incredible.  There are multiple ways to find any particular name:

• Click the INDEX tab at the top of the blog to show an index into the articles about faeries.
• Look at the Titles in the blog Archive as that will provide an index into the articles as well.
• Scroll through the blog, clicking on the names of faeries as you see them and that will take you from one article to another.

Bibliography

These are books I have found very useful in learning more about Scotland.


Links

Click the LINKS tab at the top of the blog for links for finding products made in Scotland and / or learning more about Scotland.

Scottish Mythology - Abbey Lubber / Awd Goggie

Abbey Lubber

The monks of the Middle Ages were not always the pious individuals that one might hope and Abbey Lubbers caused many problems.  Some say they just wanted to share in the ill-gotten gains of the monks and others believe they were trying to expose the corruption of crooked monasteries.  The Buttery Spirits, sometimes known as the Traveler's Torch, behaved the same way with inns and taverns.


Aiken Drum

Dressed only in clothing comprised of food, Aiken Drum must have presented something of a strange appearance to those who encountered him.  According to the nursery rhyme, he lived in the Moon.  The modern version of the nursery rhyme took out the part about Willy Wood eating Aiken Drum's food.

Ainsel

Little boys who ignore their mothers and stay up too late may meet Ainsel coming down the chimney onto the hearth of the fireplace.


Apple-Tree Man

The oldest apple tree in an orchard is the Apple Tree Man and he guards over the other trees.  It's good to feed him apple cider and leave a little something for the robins in his branches.


Aughisky

The Irish water horse rose from the sea to gallop across land and anyone who could catch one would have a marvelous animal.  However, if it ever again heard or saw the sea, it would kill its rider as it galloped back into the water.  The Aughisky is very similar to the Each Uisge of Scotland.


Awd Goggie

This is a type of Bogie who is a caterpillar large enough to eat the children who ignore their mother's order to stay away from forests, orchards, and particularly berry bushes.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Banshee / Bwbachod

Banshee

The prophet of death is a beautiful woman who died young.  If many banshees are seen at once, then something terrible is about to happen.


Barguest

Like the Banshee, it once appeared when someone important was going to die.  It is also like the Hedley Kow in that it can change its shape.  It is generally unlucky to see it.


Bauchan

Sometimes helpful and sometimes playful, the Bauchan might associate itself with a specific individual.


Bean-nighe

Like the Irish banshees, in the Highlands of Scotland these are prophets of death.


Bendith y Mamau

These are very ugly fairies who like to steal mortal children and leave their Changelings in place of them.


Billy Blind

He is a helpful Hobgoblin who is very loyal and helpful to his chosen family.


Black Annis

She was a real charmer in that she was hideously ugly, cannibalistic, and her howls could be heard for miles.


Black Dogs

Stories of black dogs are quite common and most of them are bad.  Some black dogs will protect travelers against thieves.


Blue Burches

He was a hobgoblin who played harmless pranks until he was chased into a pond by a parson.  He may have become an Each Uisge after that.


Blue-Cap

This is one of the many varieties of mine Brownies but is friendly and a very hard worker.


Blue Men of the Minch

Their colors came from their tattoos and they like to swim out to passing ships to sink them.


Bockles

See Knockers.


Bodach

This is the Brownie found in the Highlands of Scotland.


Bogan

See also Bauchan


Boggart

This is a brownie who has turned to mischief, possibly because he has been teased by the family he has chosen.


Bogies

Delighting in tormenting mortals, bogies can be very dangerous.

See also Unseelie Court.


Bogles

In Scotland, a bogie is generally only dangerous to evil-doers.


Brag

Like the Hedley Kow or the Dunnie, the Brag can change its shape.  It generally prefers to appear as a horse as it seems to be able to do the most mischief this way.


Brown Man of the Muirs

He is a dwarf who guards the animals of the forests and is capable of killing a mortal who harms one of 'his' creatures.


Brownie

Brownies are quite willing to work for a family during the night so long as they receive a good meal for their services.  However, they may leave if they are criticized.

See also Pixies.


Bucca

He sometimes helped fishermen if he was given a fish and some ale.  Mothers also used to warn children about him so there were clearly good ones and bad ones.


Buggane

Pending


Buttery Spirits

Since they cannot eat quality food, Buttery Spirits live only in places where innkeepers are watering the wine and serving sub-standard food.  They were very bad news for crooked innkeepers and they were would sometimes leave them in the stable with a feedbag over the head.


Bwbachod

These are the Brownies of Wales.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Cabyll-Ushtey / Cu Sith

Cabyll-Ushtey

The water-horse of the Isle of Man.

See also the Each Uisge of Scotland and the Aughisky of Ireland.


Cailleach Bheur

She is the spirit of winter and she tends to the forest animals during that season.

See also the Brown Man of the Muirs.


Capelthwaite

He could take any shape he liked but generally appeared as a black dog who liked to help the farmers bring their sheep and cattle in from the fields.


Cauld Lad of Hilton

Half brownie and half ghost, he haunted the Hilton Castle by making a great racket while he cleaned anything that was left dirty over-night in the kitchen.


Changelings

Fairies sometimes stole mortal babies and left changelings in their place.


Clap-Cans

He really doesn't do anything other than clapping his cans and making a great racket.


Cluricane

He was a solitary fairy who was said to hide in a cask so he could move along with the home-owner.


Coblynau

These are the mine goblins of Wales.  A miner could follow their sound to be best ore in the mine.

See also the Knockers.


Coleman Gray

An old chap found a small Pixie who was cold, hungry and lost.  The fellow nurse the pixie back to health but one day a voice called out to Coleman Gray.  With that, the pixie dashed away to his father and never returned.


Crodh Mara

These are the water-cattle of the Highlands of Scotland and will lead an entire herd of mortal cows into a fairy hill if not watched very closely.  While not as dangerous, they resemble the Each Uisge.


Cu Sith

A dark-green fairy dog with feet as large as a man's, they were generally used as protection of the fairy house.  If released, they could be extremely dangerous.

See also the Black Dogs.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Dando and his Dogs / Dwarfs

Dando and His Dogs

Dando was a corrupt priest who is said to rise up from Hell to ride with his dogs on stormy nights.


Daoine Sidhe

The fairy people of Ireland were once the size of men but got smaller over time.


Devil's Dandy Dogs

Lonely travelers in Cornwall might fall prey to the Wild Hunt.  The only defense is to stop running and pray.


Dobby

He is a Hobgoblin who is kind to old men.


Dooinney-Oie

He warns of storms by shouting or blowing a horn.


Doonie

The Doonies are something like the Dunnies of Northumberland but the stories about Doonies all tell of rescue.


Dragons

English dragons are flightless but have poisonous breath.  St George's dragon has the wings of a bat and can breathe fire.


Duergar

The evil dwarfs of northern England, hate men and are a great danger to travelers.


Dunnie

He liked to play tricks on people by appearing as a donkey and then disappearing at an amusing moment.  It has been more than a century since he was last seen.


Dunters

Some say that Dunters are spirits of creatures sacrificed by the Picts.  If the haunting sound made by the Dunters gets louder, it becomes an omen of death.

See also Redcaps.


Dwarfs

The dwarfs of the British Isles generally had specific names (e.g. Knockers)


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Each Uisge / Elves

Each Uisge

The Highland water-horse is more dangerous than the Aughisky or the Cabyll-ushtey.

See also Kelpies.


Ellyllon

The elves of Wales are tiny, elegant and helpful to mortals in distress.


Elves

In Scotland, Elves are of human size but the English elves are small fairy people.  In either case, one has to be careful with them as they will avenge themselves of any wrongdoing.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Fairies / Foul-Weather

Fairies on the Eastern Green

Smugglers took some time to watch a fairy dance but found themselves under an attack due to this insult.  Bad luck followed them for the rest of their lives.


Fairy Animals

As with animals known to humans, fairy animals are wild and domestic.

See also the Each Uisge, the Kelpie and the Cabyll-Ushtey.


Fairy Brides

When a mortal takes a fairy bride, they can only find happiness if she takes him back to Fairyland with her.


Fenodoree

He was banished from Fairyland for dancing with a mortal girl.  Nevertheless, he continues to love mortals and he applies his tremendous strength to working in the fields of Manx.

See also Brownie


Ferrishyn

These are the fairy people of Manx.


Finvarra

He is the Fairy King of Ulster and is sometimes called the King of the Dead.


Foul-Weather

A king was building a cathedral and he made a deal with a goblin to complete the work.  If the goblin could complete the work before the king could guess his name, then the goblin would take his heart; otherwise he would do it for free.  The king guessed the name just as the goblin was putting the last touches on the cathedral.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Gabriel Hounds / Green Children

Gabriel Hounds

See the Devil's Dandy Dogs.


Gathorns

See also Knockers.


Giants

The largest of the Giants were kindly and helpful to mortals.


Goblins

They are small, evil, quite ugly, and malicious toward mortals.  On the other hand, the Hobgoblin can be mischievous but rarely hurtful.


Green Children

These children were somehow detached from their parents and had quite a difficult time getting accustomed to human ways.  The boy wasted away but the girl lost the green pallor in her skin and took on human ways.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Habetrot / Hobgoblins

Habetrot

The patron fairy of spinners in the Border Country.


Hedley Kow

While not dangerous, he was a bogey-beast who was not above pulling outrageous practical jokes.


Henkies

To 'henk' is to limp and the Henkies were ugly little Trows of the Shetlands who limped when they walked.


Hobgoblins

Although hobmen like practical jokes as much as anyone in Fairyland, they are very helpful to mortals and behave much the same as Brownies.

See also Goblins.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Imps

Imps

There is nothing good to say about Imps as they are regarded as offshoots from Satan.

See also Goblins and Bogies.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Kelpies / Knockers

Kelpies

Much like Each Uisge, the Kelpie preferred running water while the Each Uisge preferred the ocean or a loch.


Knockers

Cornish mine spirits made a great deal of noise in their working but it was generally very unlucky to watch them and it was particularly unlucky to make a deal with them and then cheat on it.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Lady of the Lake / Lepracauns

Lady of the Lake

Possibly the most enigmatic 'creature' in all of Fairyland, the Lady of the Lake was first regarded as a water fairy who simply rose storms at sea.  She later became entwined in the stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, particularly Sir Lancelot.


Lambton Worm

Worms (i.e. flightless dragons) wrapped themselves several times around a wormhill.  The story tells us more about what happens to boys who skip church on Sundays than it does about dragons.

See also Dragons.


Lepracaun

Lepracauns are Irish fairies who are said to have amassed great wealth even though they live solitary lives as shoemakers.  If one can be caught, he may be forced to yield his riches but, of course, it is very, very difficult to catch one.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Mermaids / Muryans

Mermaids

Mermaids looked like beautiful women from the waist up but had the body of a fish from the waist down.  The could cause storms and were generally quite dangerous but some were known to be gentle and helpful to mortals.


Merrows

The Mermaids of Ireland were more gentle than those of England and sometimes married mortals.


Mumpoker

See Nursery Bogies.


Muryans

This is the Cornish word for ant.  It was believed that fairies became smaller and smaller each time they changed shape until they finally became ants and then disappeared.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Nuckelavee / Nursery Bogies

Nuckelavee

This one is a really nasty bit of work.  An Orkney sea monster, he looked something like a horribly deformed centaur.  He had poisonous breath and would rampage around the countryside killing anything he encountered.  The only protection was that he could not cross fresh water or a running stream.


Nursery Bogies

There are many bogies who are specialize in frightening children who do not listen to their mothers.

See also the Awd Goggie.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Pechs / Puck

Pechs

See also Picts.



Picts

They lived in the Lowlands of Scotland and were said to be about three feet tall. They could build a castle overnight simply by passing the stones from one to the other.



Peg O'Nell

She is a water spirit who claims a new life every seven years because she was sent out on a dark night to fetch some water and fell to her death.



Peg Powler

She is a water demon who inhabits the River Tees.

See also Nursery Bogies.



People of Peace

Like the Daoine Sidhe of Ireland, these are trooping fairies who live under green hills in Middle Earth.



Phouka

If Phouka is treated well, he will remember you and your family for years. If not, he will be more than happy to bestow an unlimited supply of practical jokes.



Piskies

See also Pixies.



Pixies

They are mischievous fairies in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. They are generally very small, very helpful and behave much like Brownies. Also known as Piskies.

See also Seelie Court.


Puck

Puck loves a good joke but is not one to make it hurtful. In this earlier days, Puck is said to have been in-league with the Devil but he became more fun as the years went by.

See also Phouka.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Redcaps / Robin Goodfellow

Redcaps

These are wicked fairies who live in the Border country between England and Scotland. He will dye his cap red with the blood of his victims but he cannot attack if a cross is held up to him.


Roane

These are seals, fairy people who use seal-skins to travel about underwater. They never avenged themselves, even when mortals killed their people.

See also the Selkies and the Merrows.


Robin Goodfellow

The most famous of the Hobgoblins, he was the son of Oberon, King of the Fairies, and a beautiful mortal.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Seelie Court / Spriggans

Seelie Court

The 'blessed' fairies were in the Seelie Court and traveled in troops, doing good where it was needed and playing jokes on those who deserved them.

See also Unseelie Court.


Selkies

These are the seal-people of Orkney and Scotland. A mortal might marry a Selkie woman if he could hide her seal-skin. See also the Roane.


Shock

This is a bogie-beast who will appear as a horse, a donkey, a large dog or a calf. They are frightening as well as dangerous.


Silky

Brownies are mostly males but Silkies behave just like them and are all females.


Skillywidden

He was a very young fairy who was found by a farmer when he was working in the fields. He resolved to keep him so he could find the entrance to Fairyland but his children helped him to escape. The farmer did not punish his children because he knew it was best for the fairy family to be reunited.


Spriggans

Bodyguards to the fairies, these Bogies were ugly and they were fierce fighters. It is said that they are the ghosts of the Giants who were killed when England was first invaded.

See also the Fairies on the Eastern Green.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Tankerabogus / Twlweth Teg

Tankerabogus

See Knockers.


Trows

These are like the trolls of Scandinavia but they aren't as malicious. They share a fear of the sun and must hide if trapped above-ground during daylight hours.


Tylweth Teg

These are the fairy people of Wales. Mortals might visit Fairyland and even take a fairy bride but time passes on a different scale there and one might emerge to find that centuries have passed.

See also Bendith y Mamau.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Unseelie Court / Urisks

Unseelie Court

This is the Scottish name for the fairies who torment and and hurt mortals. See Seelie Court for the good fairies of Scotland. See also Duergars, Nuckelavee, and Redcaps.

Urisks

They are Scottish brownies who look much like satyrs and live generally solitary lives. They sometimes get lonesome for company and will follow travelers but they mean no harm.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

Scottish Mythology - Wild Edric

Wild Edric

He lived during the time of William the Conqueror and he took a fairy bride. When she agreed to marry him, she said that he must never grudge her time spent with her sisters. He honored that request for many years but one day slipped when he couldn't find her after a hunt. As a result, she disappeared, just as she said she would but it is said that they joined again after he died and that they still ride through the forests on the Welsh border.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.