Walter Gregor

“ A horse would not have been put into an open shed over night lest witches might come and take him for their dark purposes. If necessity compelled a horse to be left in such a house over night, a cross of rowan tied with red thread was tied to the animal's tail. ”

“ He spied a tall man coming round the corner of the mill, carrying a sackful of meal on his back. Seizing the “fairy-whorl,” [1] that was lying at one of the mill-corners, he hurled it at the man with the oath and threat, “Kelpie, or nae kelpie, G—d d— you, a’ll brack your leg.” The stone took effect and broke the leg. The kelpie made for the “mill-lead” (mill-race) , tumbled into it, was carried by it into the river Dee, and drowned. This was the last kelpie that lived in the Braes o’ Mar. ”

“ If a woman great with child did so, her child would become "cake-grown," i.e. the child would become bent up, and the belly would rest on the thighs. (Aberdour.) Told by an old woman who, when a girl, has heard her mother and others speaking of it.
8. If the cakes are burnt in the baking, the baker will shed tears before they are eaten. (Peterhead.) In Pitsligo, burnt cakes mean that the baker will get something to cause anger before they are all used.
9. To break off "the croon (crown, i.e. top) o' the quarter," when first beginning to eat bread, was set down as a breach of good manners. ”

“ Michie, Strathdon.)
Take a silver pin, conceal it between the finger and thumb of the left hand, contrive in some way to meet the witch in the morning "atween the sin (sun) an the sky," pass her on the right side, in passing draw blood from above the eyes with the pin; keep the pin covered with the blood, and the witch has no power over you. (J. Farquharson, Corgarff.)
II.
How to find out the Witch.
1. Put a quantity of new pins into a pot, and as much of the milk of the cow which is under the spell as can be drawn from her over the pins. ”

“ In the houses of the common people up to a period not Yery far back the couples were placed on upright posts fixed in the ground, and built into the walls. These upright posts were called in Corgarff "couple-reets," i.e. couple-roots. In many if not almost in all houses one of the couples was made of rowan-tree.
When a cow's milk was taken away, "the canny woman" of the district was called in. On her arrival slie took the "milkin' cog" and seated herself beside the "rawn-tree couple-reet," in the attitude of milking a cow. ”

“ When it was cooled, a bottleful of it was given not only to each cow, but to each of the cattle on the farm. A small stream, or "burn," runs alongside the farm. He asked Mrs. Michie to go to it and to gather from it a quantity of "water-ryack" and to place it over the door of the cowbyre. He gave instructions that if there was any difficulty (which there might be) in the butter -making when the cream was next churned, a little rennet should be put into the churn. ”

“ In Strathdon the cakes for the Christmas season had all to be baked before daybreak. The usual practice is to begin to bake by two or three o'clock in the morning, so as to have the work completed in proper time. In Pitsligo the baking of it began after all the household was settled up for the night, and finished before morning. Told by one who was in the habit of doing it.
4. A woman should not sing during the time she is baking. As long as she sings during the time she is baking she will greet (shed tears) before the bread is eaten. ”

“ A cake should not be turned twice on the girdle, and the baker is always most careful in lifting a corner of it and examining whether it is sufficiently "fired" (baked) before she cuts and turns it. (Pitsligo.) If an unmarried woman did so, she would become the mother of an illegitimate child. ”

“ Mr., Corgarff, bought a horse, and when the servant brought the animal home he tied him up in the shed, as there was no room for him in the stable. 'Tahr (where) ha'e ye pitten (put) him?' said the farmer to the servant. "I' the shed," was the answer. "He winna (will not) need t' be there a' nicht," rejoined the farmer. The animal was accordingly taken to the stable of a neighbouring farmer.
(C) Man.
If one gets the "first word" of a witch, or of one having an "ill fit," or any supernatural being bent on evil, all power to injure is taken away. ”

“ J— R—, farmer, in Milton of Glenbuck, was one Sunday morning strolling over his fields to view his crops, when a big black mastiff rushed past him at more than ordinary speed. The brute attracted the farmer's attention by his great sticking-out "allegrugous " eyes. He followed him as fast as he was able, never lost sight of him, and saw him enter the door of the farmhouse of Drumgarrow, where two brothers lived. At that moment he heard a shot inside. One of the brothers was shot dead. A mystery hangs over the man's death. (Told by Wm. Michie, Strathdon.)
II.
The Devil in Shape of a Stag. ”

“ One of the men had a stick in his hand, and with it he drew a circle round the body in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, whilst the other "sained" (made the sign of the cross over) it. The devil had no power to go within the circle. ”

“ One of the men took heart and looked out of the hut to see what might be the cause of the sound. He saw a bird of tJie shape of a raven, and so large that his wings covered the whole shieling. The two men seized their guns and attacked the bird. They spent the whole of their ammunition on the monster, but without effect. It clung to the shieling. The men then went into it and barricaded the door, and waited to see what might be the end of the matter. John grew worse and worse till midnight, when he died. As he drew the last breath the door was burst open and the devil rushed in. ”

“ He returned, and went to the byre and performed some other ceremonies with the cow, which my informant unluckily could not describe. He ordered the "gueedewife" to get every morning from a neighbouring farmer's wife a mutchkin (an imperial pint) of newly-drawn milk and "sey" it amongst her own cow's till she was put forth to grass, for the thing took place in the early part of the year not long after the cow had dropped her calf. ”

“ On arrival at the mill he left his horse at the door, and entered to fetch out the bags of meal. No sooner was the animal left alone than he started for home. The farmer, on coming out to load his horse, found no horse. He was in much distress, as there was no meal at home; and he gave vent to his feelings in woeful words: “Ma wife an bairns ’ill be a’ stervt for wint o’ mehl afore I win hame. I wis (wish) I hed ony kyne (kind) o’ a behst, although it war (were) a water kelpie.” Hardly were the words spoken when a horse having a halter over his head appeared. ”

“ The man who had been the cause of the mishap came to know that it was his forsaken lady-love and her mother that had caused the disaster, and he resolved to protect himself from the power of the offended mother. ”

“ My informant told me that on one occasion when the "hirds" were driving home. their cattle they were obliged to leave a weakly one behind them. After housing the animals the "hird" to whose care the animal was committed set out to bring it home. An old man called him back, gave him a rowan club with a cross cut on the end of it, and told him everything would now go well. (J. Farquharson, Corgarff.)
To save a newly-calved cow from the power of the witch:—
(A) The apron of a married woman who was a mother was placed for a short time over the horns or head of the cow, and a "seal," i.e. ”

“ She left the door standing open, the dog entered the house and ate the curds. Said the gueedewife, "A miclit as weel ha'e geen (given) some o' them t' Lizzie, as latten (let) the dog eht (eat) them."
(D) On another day she went into a house and begged for a little butter. The request was refused. Next time the cows were milked they gave no milk, nor did they give milk till Lizzie's favour was gained by a present, and so she would allow the cows to give their milk. My informant, Mr. Wm. Michie, farmer, Coull of Newe, Strathdon, knew the woman. ”

“ Next morning Duncan was restored to health, and the cow was dead.
(E) Jeanie's house caught fire one day when she was from home. Some neighbours were doing their best to save the house when the old woman arrived. She at once went into the smoke, crying, "If a'm yours, give me three puffs an three blaws, an in the diel's name oot it goes."
(F) She was passing a house after a heavy rain and whilst it was raining heavily. The river Don was in high flood. The gueedewife and children were standing in the door "greeting sehr" (crying bitterly) . "Faht ails you?" quo' Jeanie. ”

“ The laird whose reapers were foremost in the "kemp " was standing behind them with his ^ace turned towards the sun. The devil in passing caught his shadow instead of himself, and he was ever after shadowless.
4. The Witch of Badachallach; or Jeanie Marae Alise.
(A) This woman, famed as a witch, was one day during a year of great scarcity passing a neighbouring farm. She observed the ploughman lying on the ground behind the plough. Going to him she asked what was the matter with him. He told her he was unable to stand from want of "meat," i.e. food. "Oh! ”

“ For ye’ll nevver win hame t’ yir wife and yir bairns.” Johnnie clung hard to his false friend, and both rolled down the flood; sometimes the one uppermost, and sometimes the other. At last the current carried them to a shallow part, near the bank. ”