Mar a rinn Deuran Beag mac Rìgh nan Deòir a' chùis air caill...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1957.43.A2
Original Tape ID
Summary
How Little Teardrop, Son of the King of Tears, defeated an old hag and brought his uncles back from the dead.
A king had three sons. He remarried and his new wife was expecting a baby. The boys said they wouldn't stay if it was a girl. It was a girl and they left.
Several years later the girl asked if she had any relatives and the king told her about her brothers. She took three needles and three cotton shirts and went to their house. She threw a shirt over each of them and pricked their bellies with the needles and they were pleased to see her. She stayed with them.
One day the eldest brother came home with a torn coat. She mended it, but a bull came and ate it. He chased it to a hag's house. She asked if he would prefer a drink from a cow's hoof or a seven-gallon cogie. He chose the cow's hoof. She then asked whether he would prefer to fight on iron spikes or a tanned hide. He chose the tanned hide. They fought and the hag killed him. The same thing happened to the other two brothers.
The girl took to her bed crying. She remained there for a year and then a boy rose from her head. He said she was his mother and that he was Little Teardrop, Son of the King of Tears. She got up and cleaned the house and prepared food.
The same fate befell Little Teardrop as his uncles, but he chose the seven-gallon cogie and the iron spikes and he defeated the hag. He made her give him the magic vessel and wand and then he killed her. He brought his uncles back from the dead and they went home with him.
The contributor heard the story from his mother and uncle when he was young.
Item Subject/Person
Deuran Beag mac Rìgh nan Deòir
Recording Location
County - Sutherland
Parish - Farr
Village/Place - Armadale
Language
Gaelic
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good