A wicked laird disrupted a church service; a curse was put o...

Original Track ID

SA1973.60.A4

Original Tape ID

SA1973.060

Summary

A wicked laird disrupted a church service; a curse was put on him and the Devil took him.

The house of Lund was occupied in the 1800s by a Scots laird called John Scott, who was a hard man and an unbeliever. Scott resented the parishioners tramping over his parks [fields] on the way to church and parking their ponies outside. One day, he got an imbecile boy, painted him black, fitted him with horns and a tail, and pushed him in the church door while the minister was in the middle of communion. Women fainted and the minister struggled to keep control.

The minister cursed Scott and said his name would never be carried on. Several months later Scott's son was heading to Uyeasound when he was thrown off his horse and killed. Shortly after, Scott himself died of a horrible disease. The servants were of the opinion that he'd sold his soul to the Devil. He was said to hold black mass and could be heard in discussion with the Devil in the middle of the night. On the night he died, the servants were so scared they huddled together in the kitchen with a church elder. They heard a loud rumbling, the outer door opened and steps went up the stairs. There was a wild cry from the laird's room, a crack of thunder and a sulphurous smell. The elder said a prayer and went up to the laird's room, where he found him dead in bed.

Item Subject/Person

Scott, John

Recording Location

Item Location

Language

English, Scots

Genre

Story Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good