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The black art was not always used for evil; three stories of...

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1975.51.A4a; A4b; A4c; A4d

Original Tape ID

SA1975.051

Summary

The black art was not always used for evil; three stories of Old Scary and the black art.

Betsy Whyte remarks that some people who were up in the black art did not do bad things, just things that were ill-trickit [mischievous]. Bryce Whyte tells three stories about an Aberdeenshire farmer, Old Scary, who had the black art. When Travellers came to his door selling dishes Old Scary would offer them £1 for the lot. When this was refused, the dishes would jump out of the basket and smash as the Traveller went down the path. When the Traveller went back to complain, Old Scary would give them the £1 and then show them all the dishes lined up whole in his house.

Once Old Scary saw a girl harvester who was exhausted and couldn't keep up with the men. He took her sharpening stone and gave her scythe a few strokes. He told her not to let anyone else use it. The scythe started cutting by itself, and went round the whole field at top speed.

Another day there was chaos in a fermtoun [farmstead] because all the ploughs and carts were going by themselves. The magic had been started by a farmservant girl, but she couldn't stop it. Ministers were called in, but to no avail. Eventually Old Scary was called in, at the suggestion of a ploughman. He asked to be left alone with the girl who was responsible, and in about an hour normality was restored. Old Scary lived near Ellon about sixty or seventy years ago [from 1975].

Recording Location

County - Angus

Parish - Montrose

Village/Place - Montrose

Language

Scots

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good