Witchcraft and Superstitious Record
Witchcraft and
Superstitious Record
IN THE
South-Western District of Scotland
| Witchcraft | Witch Trials | |
| Fairy Lore | Brownie Lore | |
| Wraiths | Warnings | |
| Death Customs | Funeral Ceremony | |
| Ghost Lore | Haunted Houses |
BY
J. MAXWELL WOOD, M.B.
Author of “Smuggling in the Solway and
Around the Galloway Sea-board”
Editor of “The Gallovidian,” 1900-1911
Illustrated from Special Drawings by
John Copland, Esq., Dundrenna
Dumfries: J. Maxwell & Son
1911
“For she’s gathered witch dew in the Kells kirkyard,
In the mirk how of the moon,
And fed hersel’ wi’ th’ wild witch milk
With a red-hot burning spoon.”
—M‘Lehan.
To
Alison Jean Maxwell Wood
A “witch” of my most intimate acquaintance
PREFACE.
Throughout Dumfriesshire and Galloway remnants of old-world customs stilllinger, suggesting a remoter time, when superstitious practice and beliefheld all-important sway in the daily round and task of the people.
In gathering together the available material bearing upon such matters,more particularly in the direction of witchcraft, fairy-lore, deathwarnings, funeral ceremony and ghost story, the author trusts that byrecording the results of his gleanings much as they have been received,and without at all attempting to subject them to higher analysis orcriticism, a truer aspect and reflection of the influence of superstitionupon the social life of those older days, may be all the more adequatelypresented.
112 George Street, Edinburgh,
August 9th, 1911.
CONTENTS.
| Page. | |
| Chapter I. | |
| Traditional Witchcraft Described | 1 |
| Chapter II. | |
| Witch Narrative | 21 |
| ... |