Search

Garraidh kills the women of the Fiana.

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1962.032

Original Tape ID

SA1962.032

Summary

Garraidh kills the women of the Fiana.

This story was told by Rev. Lachlan McEdward of Kingussie (died 1962). He was one of the last native Gaelic speakers in Badenoch, and was translating the story when he told it to Capt. Macpherson.

The Fiana, who had a castle at Ruthven, took their women with them on a hunting expedition, and also Garraidh, a dwarf only ten feet high. The women pegged his hair to the ground while he was asleep, then shouted, and his hair was torn out when he jumped up. So he killed all the women. The Fiana tracked him down and killed him in the place that is still known as Glen Garry. The Fiana thus died out, as there were no women. Possibly related is the tradition that seven queens are buried in a mound next to Insh Church.

Item Notes

The magic flying bell that is mentioned in relation to Insh Church
is the subject of a later track on the same tape (SA1962.032).

Item Subject/Person

Fiana; Garraidh

Recording Location

County - Inverness-shire

Village/Place - Badenoch

Item Location

County - Inverness-shire

Parish - Kilmonivaig

Village/Place - Glengarry

Language

English

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good