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Mar a rinn Deuran Beag mac Rìgh nan Deòir a' chùis air caill...

Date June 1957
Track ID 34135
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1957.43.A2

Original Tape ID

SA1957.043

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

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good