A man makes a pact with the Devil to surrender his soul if h...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1978.12.A1-A4
Original Tape ID
Summary
A man makes a pact with the Devil to surrender his soul if he ever lets a candle burn to the end; he swallows the candle.
Stanley Robertson introduces a story, learned from his grandfather, which he calls 'The Candle'. He suggests that it may be the basis of the Traveller superstition about not letting a candle burn to the end. He comments on the pronunciation of [New] Pitsligo.
A man called Tom wanted to marry a girl, but suffered from tuberculosis, which was not treatable in those days, and was told he had only a few months to live. Depressed, he went to the pub and started to spend his savings for his marriage. A tall dark man came in and offered him a bargain: Tom's soul in exchange for wealth, health and prosperity. He would collect Tom's soul when Tom let his candle burn down to the end. Tom thought he was a burn-the-gully [incompetent workman], and accepted. The man had horseshoe-shaped heels. The next day Tom was in perfect health and still had most of his money. He got married and got a job and house. He never let a candle burn to the end or lit a half-burnt candle until one night, many years later, when he fell asleep with a candle still lit. When he awoke the man was there to collect him. Tom grabbed the candle just before it flickered out, and swallowed it. The man departed in a puff of smoke, leaving a burn mark on the table.
Stanley's grandfather told this just as a story. If he was telling something that happened to a known person, he would name the person.
Item Notes
On a later track on the same tape (SA1978.012), Stanley Robertson talks about his handling of detail, for instance in this story.
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Classification
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good