SCOTTISH MYTHS, LEGENDS AND TALES ...(2)

   The Kelpie of Loch Garve...

The Kelpie of Loch Garve lived way down in the deepest part of that Loch, in a dark, cold, lair. Now, he was very happy with his home, which suited him just grand, but his puir wee wifie was not at all happy with it. She was always cold, and her life was a constant misery as she struggled through her shivers to keep warm. The Kelpie - who never felt the cold - could not understand, and for a long while, thought his wife was just fussing over nothing.

But as time went by, and her complaining got louder and longer, the Kelpie realised that he would have to do something to make her life more comfortable, or she would not stay with him - and he did not want this, for he loved her, really. So he gave considerable thought to what he could do.

One day, he swam up to the edge of the loch, and turned himself into a beautiful horse. Then, he galloped to the house of a man known in these parts as a builder who could build almost anything you wanted. When he arrived at the man's house, he neighed and stamped till the builder came out.

The man was, of course, amazed to see such a beautiful animal at his door, and at that, a horse which seemed to want him to mount. So he climbed on. Now, as soon as the man was on his back, off galloped the Kelpie. The poor builder was terrified, for he could not get off the horse's back, and they were heading straight for the Loch at some speed. "Michty," he thought; "this will be the end of me..." as they raced into the cold dark waters, and kept going down, and down, and down...

...but the Kelpie did not want him harmed, and the man found he was able to breathe quite normally. When they got to the bottom of the Loch, and arrived at the Kelpie's home, the water spirit explained to him how his poor wee wifie was so miserable with the forever coldness and dampness, and asked the builder if he could help. If he would, the Kelpie would take him safely back to dry land, and promised to keep him well supplied with fresh fish, whenever he wanted it.

So the builder agreed, and started work immediately. He made a grand big fireplace in the Kelpie's home, with a muckle great chimney to take the smoke away to the surface of the Loch. When the first fire was lit, the Kelpies wife was so happy, and the Kelpie was happy too, to see the smile on her face. He returned the builder to his home, as he had promised, and kept him well supplied with fresh fish for the rest of his days.

Now, the tale goes that, even in the worst and coldest of winters, when every burn, river and loch is frozen over - there's aye one wee bit of the surface of Loch Garve which stays free of the ice. You see, far below the surface, the Kelpie's fire burns merrily, keeping his wifie warm, and the heat from the chimney stops the water round it from freezing.

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HOW THE CORRIEVRECHAN GOT ITS NAME... 

   Corrievrechan is the third-biggest whirlpool in the world; it lies between the Inner Hebridean isles of Jura and Scarba and, in certain conditions of wind and tide, is extremely dangerous.

How was it named? there are a few theories and variations, but here are two:-

** Long ago, the people of the area believed that the Gulf of Corrievrechan was where the Hag of Winter (The Cailleach Bheur) washed her plaid. The Cailleach was believed to be an old-woman goddess, responsible for spreading the harshness and whiteness of winter.

As winter approached, she would would use the gulf as her washtub, to wash her plaid; and the tempest resulting could be heard twenty miles away. This could last for up to three days and, when she was finished, the cloth was pure white, becoming the blanket of snow covering the land.

and...

** Once upon a time, there was a Scandinavian Prince called Breachan, or Breakan. He fell in love with a Hebridean Princess but, unwilling to part with his beautiful daughter, her father made a condition: Breachan had to anchor his boat - with him in it, of course - over the whirlpool for three consecutive nights.

Breachan took advice as to how he might defeat the awesome might of this giant whirlpool; wise men gave him the solution. So he had three anchor-ropes made- one of hemp; one of wool; and one of Scandinavian Maidens' hair. (it was believed that if the others failed, the purity and innocence of the Maidens would ensure the hair rope was strong enough).

On the first night, the hempen rope failed - but the other two held.

On the second night, the woolen rope failed - but the maiden-hair rope held.

On the third night ............. the third rope broke - and Breachan's boat was swallowed up by the whirlpool, drowning himself and most of his crew. The sole-surviving crewman and Breachan's dog dragged the body of Breakan ashore - he was buried in the King's Cave.

When the crewman finally made it home again and told of Breachan's fate, one of the young Scandinavian ladies was overcome by guilt, as she was not as pure as she had made out; it had been her hair which weakened the rope.

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   The LEGEND of the SALTIRE FLAG     

There are various versions of the tale to be found in the older Scottish historians. They are generally agreed, however, that an army of the Picts under their King Angus (or Hungus) aided by a contingent of the Scots was invading Lothian (then and for long afterwards Northumbrian territory), and found itself surrounded by an overwhelming force of the Angles under their leader Athelstan. King Angus and his host prayed earnestly for deliverance to God and the saints.

That night St. Andrew ( the Patron Saint of Scotland ) appeared to the king and promised him victory. Next day. when battle was joined, the vision of a white saltire (the diagonal cross on which that Apostle had been martyred) was seen by all against the blue sky. This so encouraged the Picts and Scots and affrighted their adversaries that the former won a signal victory.

In the pursuit, so the tradition goes on, the Northumbrian leader Athelstan was slain at the crossing of the Peffer or Cogtail Burn, the site of which is marked by Athelstaneford Mains Farm, about half a mile south-east of the village.

The Saltire is also known as the Saint Andrew's Cross.

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