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Aislyne Olsen

Intro to Folklore

Brittany Stephenson

April 15th, 2019

Exploring Scottish Faith, Creation, Creatures and their Importance.

Scotland has always seemed like a place of mystery and mysticism, so as an individual

interested in the land and the stories that reside within it, it is important to appease that curiosity

by both researching and sharing stories that provides an explanation as to why these stories carry

so much intrigue. This research paper will cover prominent religious aspects, creation myths,

creatures and legends from Scotland, why they are important, the context they exist among, and

how they contribute to the overall folklore of Scotland. Since most of the information is derived

from Celtic mythology, which consists of both Irish and Scottish mythology, there will be

borrowed elements from Irish mythology to fill gaps of loss information when it comes to the

Scottish versions of the tale. The focus, however, remains on Scotland and its stories.

Before the widespread adoption of Christianity in Scotland, settlers of the land believed

in many things, whether they be gods and goddesses or mystical creatures that roamed their

lands, but what connected all their beliefs was the value of nature. Nature is important to these

people because the main religion at the time was Paganism, which is quintessential since a

majority of the stories that originate from the land stem from Pagan beliefs. To provide a proper

explanation of these beliefs, John Macintyre of The Scottish Pagan Federation shared this quote,

claiming:
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“Believing that Nature is sacred, nearly all Pagans see the natural cycles of birth, growth

and death observed in the world around us and in the transitions of our own brief lives, as

carrying profoundly spiritual meanings. Human beings are seen as part of Nature, woven

into the great web of life along with other animals, trees, plants and everything else that is

of this Earth, all of which have spiritual as well as material aspects. The living Earth itself

is, to nearly all Pagans, a very visible and tangible manifestation of Divinity.”

Due to the vitality of nature in their religion, most of their holidays and traditions revolve around

the seasonal calendar, or the Sabbats. There are eight holidays they celebrate, which are: The

Winter Solstice, Imbolc (start of spring), Vernal Equinox, Beltane (May Day festival), Summer

Solstice (Litha), Lughnasadh (beginning of harvest), Autumnal Equinox, and Samhain.

In the article Litha: The Celtic Pagan Traditions of My Ancestors, Sarah Franklin, and

active pagan, discusses the traditions both she and her ancestors celebrated and the importance

they fulfill in her personal beliefs. When Franklin practices Litha, she lights a bonfire at her

house, makes and wears flower crowns, cooks traditional food over the bonfire, and dances to

pagan folk music. She then brings up the topic of how and why Pagans choose which gods and

goddesses to celebrate:

“It is common for believers to pick one or two gods/goddesses to worship during the

holidays; usually their choice pertains to what the worshiper is asking for. So, if one

person wanted to ask for good health, they would pray to a deity that resided over healing

and medicine,” (par. 9)

By exploring this side of her faith and learning from it, a general understanding of the

faith, it’s values, and the importance it plays in the lives of these people Although these elements
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have evolved over the years, the root basis is still there for both her personal beliefs and the ones

that are still alive amongst Scotland.

Going back to the early days of Scotland, while Paganist beliefs were still mainstream,

many displayed their faith in other ways than holiday traditions. Many developed more physical

ways to share their beliefs, either by creating artificial hills -often called Earth Mounds- to hold

regular assemblies and religious ceremonies, or by erecting large rocks in intruiguing formations.

These are considered to be Standing Stones, which also have deep significance in Scottish

Folklore.

Now throughout Europe, there are many collections of these stones that decorate the

landscape. There’s the infamous Stonehenge in England, but there’s also many smaller

gatherings that are heavily abundant in Scotland. The most notable of these, however, are the

Orkney Ring of Brogdar stones, the Isle of Arran Machrie Moor stones, and the infamous

Calanais Standing Stones in the Isle of Lewis. Although all of these stone gatherings are

distinctive in their own ways, they all have similar beliefs associated with them. The Scottish

people believe that the standing stones trap the souls of the past, present, and even those of the

Fae people, a mythical race of people whose stories are prevalent in Ireland and Scotland.

According to an e-book on Visit Scotland, the official website for the country of Scotland, they

noted that:

“The stones are also known as Fir Bhreig meaning the ‘false men’ in Gaelic, and many

people believe they are the petrified souls of the distant past. Legends say that the stones

were once giants, turned into stone by a saint when they refused to convert to

Christianity,” (par. 2).

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It’s important to note that a majority of these stories originate from a time where death,

disease, famine and violence were common place, and although most of these issues were

common, most didn’t know why or what caused these issues, leading the people to use a

combination of faith and mysticism to create answers to these phenomena. By finding ways to

explain away the unexplained, it allowed people to answer one of the biggest mysteries amongst

them: the origin of Scotland itself. According to Scottish mythology, the land was created by an

entity known as Cailleach Bhéara, the goddess of winter. She is also referenced as Beira, the

Queen of Winter.

Cailleach Bhéara is usually portrayed as an old, ugly woman (a hag), using fear to

maintain her power. During the winter months, her reign was never challenged until her subjects

would rebel against her in favor of the King and Queen of Summer and Plenty. It is noted that on

her last day of rule, she would change back into a beautiful young woman and wander the land

until she grows old again, in which she regains her rule of the winter. Although the way she is

depicted amongst most versions of these creation myths are quite similar, there is one role she

inhabits that is the same in all versions of these stories, and that is how she is the bringer of

springtime. DHWTY, author of the article Beira, Queen of Winter, has this to say about said role:

“Beira is said to be the guardian of the life force. In this role, she would find and nourish

the seeds buried in the earth, thus bringing them to life during the spring. Thus, Beira is

also regarded as a goddess of death and rebirth,” (par. 5).

Essentially, her role as a creation, death, and rebirth figure reflects the beliefs of nature

and life in Paganism. That, and because of her significance along with other preternatural forces

associated with Paganism, a basis in which most Scottish Folktales and Folklore come from is

formed, one of which many folktales and creatures come from.

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In Scotland, there is an abundance of creatures of supernatural origin, an assortment of

these have relations with or originate from Paganism. A majority of Scottish creatures are similar

to many creatures around the world, especially supernatural creatures from eastern Europe, yet

these creatures also have their own distinctive qualities. The Wulver, ironically, is a perfect

example of this. A Wulver is a creature who takes the form of a man except with a wolf’s head

and would leave fish on the windowsills of poor or famine-struck families. The creature is

essentially similar to the werewolf, except unlike the werewolf, the Wulver was never human yet

considered to be half way between the two.

Another example of this description are two popular Scottish creatures in the area,

Selkies and the Kelpie. Both of these creatures are water spirits who take the form of animals,

the Selkies as seals and the Kelpie as a horse. Both are similar to Mermaids and Sirens, but are

also quite vastly different. For instance, Selkies are alike Mermaids due to the fact that both are

water spirits that can change their form to that of a woman. Selkies, though, are quite peaceful

and harmless, unlike the dangerous nature of Mermaids and Sirens, while the nature of the

Kelpie is more akin to their menacing nature. The Kelpie is known for luring individuals into the

Loch’s in which they reside and drowning them. Sirens are also known for luring and killing

individuals, and the same goes for Mermaids. While all these stories are similar to other

creatures in Eastern Europe, what distinguishes Scotland’s supernatural creatures are not the

stories surrounding them, rather the survival of these stories during a time of drastic change.

Up until the sixth century, Scotland had been divided into different tribes of settlers, and

although most of these people had beliefs rooted in nature, many of them were separated by their

views on race. Around the sixth century, this all started to change due to the Romans and their

introduction of Christianity to the Scottish people. These new beliefs taking the country by
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storm, bringing people together and ending the racial tension; Due to these spreading beliefs,

however, it also caused the decline of Scottish Folklore as well. Many folktales, creation myths,

and fairytales about Scottish creatures or legends were erased away in favor of Christian stories,

beliefs, and even Eastern European tales. Many religious ceremonies, displays, holidays, and

traditions were adapted to reflect these views as well, causing most folklore of the religion to

decline to the point where only a few remain.

In the novel Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend, the author, Donald Alexander

Mackenzie, claims that although most of this folklore was lost, there were those who still valued

the stories and their importance in the culture. Mackenzie claims:

“In the days when there were no books, poets and story-tellers committed their

compositions to memory. These they repeated to their students, who in turn repeated

them to others. In this way poems and stories were handed down from generation to

generation. Even in our own day it is possible to find not a few Gaelic-speaking men and

women who can repeat compositions many thousands of words in length which they have

learned by rote,” (p. 13).

It is important to note that although many Scottish stories -including those about Scottish

creatures and creation myths- were lost, their value in the culture they come from shows just how

important these stories are in their society. Stories like those of the Standing Stones, Beira, the

Wulver, Selkies, and the Kelpie allow for the Scottish people to continue sharing these stories of

how their ancestors viewed and interpreted the world.

After exploring these stories, a small glimpse into the importance of these stories has

started to develop. A foundation based upon pagan beliefs of nature and Scottish creation myths
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has allowed for the Scottish people to share the stories based on religion, the people, and social

influences that have contributed to the overall folklore that they share with one another. It allows

for many to form answers to issues without known origin, which has given birth to and shaped

the way these stories are told and experienced. Although a small portion of this information has

been shared, note that this is only a drop in the bucket that is Scottish folklore. It depends upon

those who continue to seek out the mystery and mysticism that awaits.
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Works Cited

Dhwty. “Beira, Queen of Winter.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 9 June 2016,

www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/beira-queen-winter-006053.

Franklin, Sarah. “Litha: The Celtic Pagan Traditions of My Ancestors.” Inter, Inter, 26

Apr. 2018, inter.ifyc.org/litha-and-the-celtic-pagan-traditions-.

Goodwin, Karin. “Scottish Myths and Legends: Vampire Fairies, Shape Shifting Selkies

and the Loch Ness Monster.” HeraldScotland, HeraldScotland, 8 Oct. 2017,

www.heraldscotland.com/news/15583075.scottish-myths-and-legends-vampire-fairies-shape-

shifting-selkies-and-the-loch-ness-monster/.

Graf, Christine. “Fact or Fiction? The Creatures of Scotland.” Faces, vol. 34, no. 5, Feb.

2018, p. 28. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=

127362779&site=eds-live.

Macintyre, John. “An Introduction to Paganism.” An Introduction To Paganism, Scottish

Pagan Federation, 2010, www.scottishpf.org/an-introduction-to-paganism.html.

Mackenzie, Donald Alexandar. “Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth & Legend :

Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, 1873-1936 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet

Archive, London : Blackie and Son, 1917, archive.org/details/wondertalesfroms00mack. ‘Digital

Version of Donald Alexander Mackenzie's novel, Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth & Legend.’

“Scottish Folklore - Ghosts, Myths and Legends | VisitScotland - Standing Stones.” Visit

Scotland, Visit Scotland, ebooks.visitscotland.com/ghosts-myths-legends/standing-stones/.