Northern folk-lore on wells and water : with an account of some interesting wells in the neighbourhood of Inverness and the north / by Alex. Fraser.

  • Fraser, Alexander
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Northern folk-lore on wells and water : with an account of some interesting wells in the neighbourhood of Inverness and the north / by Alex. Fraser. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    fountain called Toburdonich, that is lobar Domhnuich, tbe Sunday or Sacred WeU. In confirmation of the previous remarks, and in order to bring the practice of old customs morevividlybofore our readers, we here introduce an excerptfromacommunicationmade to Hone's Every Day Book in 1826:— In 1628 a number of persons were brought before the Kirk-Session of Falkirk, accused of going to Christ's WeU on the Sundays of May to seek their health, and the whole being found guilty, were sentenced to repent * in linens' three several Sabbaths. * And it is statute and or- dained that if any person, or persons, be found superstitiously and idol- atrously, after this, to have passed in pilgrimage to Christ's Well on the Sundays of May to seek their health, they shall repent in sackcloth and linen, three several Sabbaths, and pay twenty pounds Scots toties quoties for each fault; and if they cannot pay it the bailies shall be recommended to put them in ward, and to be fed on bread and water for eight days.* They were obliged, for the preservation of the charm, to keep strict silence on the way to and from the well, and not to allow the vessel in which, the water was to touch the ground. In 1657 a mob of parishioners were summoned to the Session for believing in the powers of the well of Airth, a village about six miles north of Falkirk, on the banks of the Forth, and the whole were sentenced to be publicly rebuked for the sin. 'Feb. 3, 1757, Session convened, compeared Bessie Thomson, who declared she went to the well at Airth, and that she left money thereat, and after the can was filled with water, they kept it from touching the ground till they came home.' * Feb. 24. —Compeared Eobert Fuird who declared he went to the well of Airth, and spoke nothing as he went, and that Margaret Walker went mth him, and she said the belief about the well (repeated the creed while walk- ing round), and left money and a napkin at the well, and all was done at her injunction.' * Compeared Bessie Thomson, declared she fetched home water from the said well, and let it not touch the ground in home-coming, spoke not as she went, said the belief at it, left money and a napkin there; and aU was done at Margaret Walker's command.' 'Compeared Margaret Walker, who denied that she was at that well before, and that she gave any directions.' 'March 10.—Compeared Margaret Forsyth, being demanded if she went to the well of Airth to fetch water therefrom, spoke not by the way, let it not touch the ground in home-coming ? if E
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