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Mountain builder, bone singer, bringer of winter, the Cailleach Beira is a Hag unto her own. Join Jenny in this episode as she tells many tales of the giant blue-faced deity who rules over the cruel, harsh winters of Scotland. From her shaping of the land, to her protective peace, to her bitter rage-filled jealousy of the beautiful maiden of spring, Bride, the Cailleach Beira rules over not just winter, but also our hearts.
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The veil is thinning and soon Samhain, the scariest night of the year, will be upon us. But what is it that makes this night, the 31st of October, just so spooky? In this episode Jenny explores the ancient Celtic roots of Samhain, traditional protective rituals, divination games, and tells the tale of a lass who decided to peek behind the veil to find out who her future husband would be.
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What happens when death is not final? In Scottish folklore people returning from the dead is not only rare, but also, as we find out in this episode, absolutely terrifying.
The three tales Jenny tells make up a spooky sandwich of scary stories: the first, ‘A Dead Wife Among the Fairies’ comes from North Ronaldsay on Orkney, the second,
‘The Water or Life’ comes from the shores of Loch Fyne, and the third,
‘Wizard Rising After Death’ comes from the remote hills of Ross-shire.
But beware, these tales are not for the faint of heart, so listen at your own peril!
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In Scotland, to see your doppelganger is not good news. First off, it probably means you have the second sight, or, as the Gaelic puts it, dà shealladh, ‘the two sights’, which is no easy burden to bear. Secondly, it means you’re most likely gonna die soon.
In Scottish folklore, these uncanny supernatural doubles are called fetches, or taibhse, and eerie tales that swirl around their appearances can be found all over the country. In this episode, Jenny tells of fetches in Skye, Lewis, and Galloway, as well as the Aberdeenshire tale 'Thrummy Cap: A Legend of the Castle of Fiddes.'
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Let’s tie the knot! In this episode Jenny explores some old customs and superstitions surrounding the big day, and tells two tales all about wild weddings in Scottish folklore: The Shepherd Fiddler and The Earl of Mar’s Daughter.
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Treasure is said to lie in the depths of many a Scottish cave, and so in this episode Jenny goes in search of gold! On her journey under the earth she visits Shetland, Skye, Thurso, and Arran uncovering tales of viking kings, brave bagpipers, betrayed mermaids, and fickle fairies.
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Ye-olde gender roles don’t stand a chance in this age-old tale! The Goodwife of Auchtermuchty is a poem that was first written down in the 16th century, but is likely much older, and it tells of a husband and wife mixing things up for a day!
Read the original poem in old Scots as well as translation into English here
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Bannocks are a traditional type of bread that was a staple of the Scottish diet for centuries, and because of this they roll right on through Scottish culture and folklore. In this episode Jenny explores some of the lore and tradition around ritual bannocks, which were baked on important days of the year, as well as their use in divination, healing, and protecting those udders!
She also tells two traditional tales that have mischievous wee bannocks: ‘The Fox and the Little Bannock’, and ‘The Good Housewife and her Night Helpers’.
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Harvest time was an incredibly important time of year for the hardworking folk of Scotland, it started on the 1st of August with Lughnasadh or Lammas celebrations, and ran through to Samhain at the end of October.
Although a time of back-breaking work, the folk were rewarded with the bounty of the fertile earth, and so naturally there are many folktales all about, or around, the harvest!
In this episode Jenny tells two of these harvest time tales, ‘The Lady’s Loaf Field’ and ‘The Spòg Bhuidhe’.
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Whuppity Stoorie is a classic Scottish folktale from down in the Debatable Lands, the area around what is now Scotland’s border with England. The tale tells of the Goodwife of Kittlerumpit and her run in with a fairy like no other.
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Assynt is one of Scotland’s most spectacular spots, but it’s not just the landscape that will take your breath away. The land here is steeped in lore, and the shores of Loch Assynt are not only home to the crumbling ruins of Ardvreck Castle and Calda House, but also many ancient stories filled with fire, betrayal, murder and the devil himself.
Listen in to hear Jenny tell the tales of The Mermaid of Assynt and The Lady of Ardvreck Castle, as well as covering some clan history of the MacLeods and Mackenzies.
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As supernatural Scottish creatures go, The Shellycoat is one of the lesser known of the bunch, but don’t let this bothersome Bogle fool you, for although often cited as harmless, as we’ll find out in this episode, The Shellycoat is anything but!
In this episode Jenny explores the lore of The Shellycoat and tells two tales of Shellycoats, one from The Borders and one from Leith in Edinburgh.
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Jenny is back with Part 2 of Deirdire of the Sorrows, an ancient Gaelic tale that has been told in both Ireland and Scotland for countless years. This half sees Deirdire, Naoise, and his two brothers living as fugitives in Scotland. But all good things must come to an end, and all prophecies must be fulfilled…
In Ireland, the story of Deirdre is part of the Ulster Cycle of mythology, but the version that I am telling comes from a fellow named John Macneil, who told it from his home on the Isle of Barra in 1867. The story of Deirdire was told in Gaelic and taken down by Alexander Carmichael, who later translated it into English and published both versions in 1905. This is the most comprehensive Scottish version of this story on record, and while it differs in some ways from the Irish telling, it’s no less of a cracker!
You can read Alexander Carmichael’s original Gaelic and English translation of it here
Many thanks to Caoimhe Keohane of Wild Anam for helping with the many Irish Gaelic pronunciations in this tale!
This an Irish version of the story of Deirdire of the Sorrows
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This is an ancient Gaelic tale that has been told in both Ireland and Scotland for countless years. In Ireland, the story of Deirdre is part of the Ulster Cycle of mythology, but the version that I am telling comes from a fellow named John Macneil, who told it from his home on the Isle of Barra in 1867. The story of Deirdire was told in Gaelic and taken down by Alexander Carmichael, who later translated it into English and published both versions in 1905. This is the most comprehensive Scottish version of this story on record, and while it differs in some ways from the Irish telling, it’s no less of a cracker!
You can read Alexander Carmichael’s original Gaelic transcription and English translation here
Many thanks to Many thanks to Caoimhe Keohane of Wild Anam for helping with the many Irish Gaelic pronunciations in this tale!
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The man, the myth, the legend. Robert the Bruce is one of Scotland’s most iconic figures, and for good reason too. As King, he led Scotland to a monumental victory against the English at The Battle of Bannockburn, paving the way for independence.
From itsy-bitsy spiders to superhuman feats of endurance and skill, the stories that survive about Bruce paint a picture of a tenacious hero. But behind the legends lie a ruthless leader who took chances when they appeared and used force when they didn’t, but above all, he never ever gave up.
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Join Jenny as she dives into the folklore behind Glasgow’s rather odd coat of arms and its remarkable patron saint, St. Mungo. Although a religious figure, the stories of St. Mungo and his mother, St. Thenew, are steeped in folklore, mythology, and magical happenings - much of which is handily condensed into this little rhyme:
The tree that never grew,
The bird that never flew,
The fish that never swam,
The bell that never rang
Every school child in Glasgow learnt this rhyme and the stories behind it, and now, thanks to this episode, you can too!
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Scottish dragons aren’t quite like the dragons found in the rest of the world, they don’t breath fire, can’t fly, and don’t even have any limbs, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous or terrifying! (Ok well, maybe a tad).
In this episode Jenny tells two tales of dragons found in Scotland, the first is of Martin’s Stane just north of Dundee, and the second is called Eilean Fraoch, which is the name of a small island in Loch Awe, which was once home to a dastardly dragon.
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Fancy kissing a frog? How about marrying one? The Frog Prince is a common theme found in folk tales throughout Europe, and ‘The Well at the World’s End’ is Scotland’s take on this age-old classic.
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Lone standing stones are scattered all over the Scottish landscape, and although we will unfortunately never know why they were originally raised or what their meanings were, in this vacuum of understanding, local folklore arises and new stories are wrapped around these ancient stones.
Listen in to hear the lore swirling around Granny Kempock in Gourock, The Brahan seer’s links to the Clach an t-Seasaidh near Muir of Ord, the tragic story of the Clachan Ceann Ile on Islay, and the angry Njugal and the Asta Standing Stone in Shetland.
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There’s no escaping the wind in Scotland, especially if you live on an island or high up in the mountains. In this episode Jenny tells three tales all about the wind that take place in these places. The first two, The Boy Who Climbed The Snap and How a witch saved the Papa Stour come from Shetland and have both wind and witches, while the third, The Wind and the Dying Woman, comes from Angus and tells a very different tale about the West Wind.
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