Songs about the supernatural

There are many stories and songs in Gaelic about fairies and other supernatural creatures. In Gaelic tradition, fairies are dangerous creatures, best avoided by humans.

Many songs tell of fairies who lived in a green mound called a fairy hill or 'sìdhein'.

The word is quite common in place-names, for example Strontian, which is Sròn an t-Sìdhein in Gaelic. 

Phiùthrag 's a Phiuthar

It was said that the following song was composed by a girl enticed into a fairy hill and imprisoned there. She is describing conditions there, and is crying to her sister for help.

A phiùthrag ‘s a phiuthar, hù rù, ghaoil, a phiuthair, hù rù,
Nach truagh leat fhèin, ro hol ill eo, nochd mo chumha hù rù

Mi’m bothan beag ìosal cumhang,
Gun sgrath dhìon air, gun lùb tughaidh,
Ach uisge nam beann sìos na shruth leis,
‘S Heabhal mhòr nan each dhruimfhionn.

Sister, little sister, my love, my sister,
Can you not pity my grief tonight?

I am in a little bothy, low and narrow,
Completely exposed, with not a scrap of thatch on it,
But the water of the hills running down like a stream,
And mighty Heaval* of the white-maned horses.

*Heaval is the main hill on the island of Barra.

Margaret Stewart performs her version of 'Phiùthrag 's a Phiuthar'.

Download Adobe Flash Player to listen to the audio online.

Title

Phiùthrag ‘s a Phiuthar (Margaret Stewart)

Word file: A phiùthrag's a phiuthar (29 KB)

'Phiùthrag ‘s a Phiuthar' performed by Margaret Stewart

From Togaidh mi mo Sheòlta, Greentrax, CDTRAX311, Track 1

The story linked with a song tells of a girl called Morag who had a child by a fairy lover. Her family were very unhappy and made her leave the child close to the fairy hill where his father would find him. The father of the child pleads in vain with the girl to return to him, promising to give her anything she wants.

According to oral tradition, the song 'Sealgair a' choilich bhuidhe' ('The Hunter of the Yellow Grouse') was composed by a fairy woman who had a human lover. He used to pretend to his family that he was going hunting when he went out to visit the fairy woman. Eventually, his family became suspicious of his actions, and two of his brothers followed him, and soon found out what he was doing. As soon as he had parted from the fairy woman, one of his brothers shot him dead with an arrow. In the song, the fairy woman tells of her feelings on finding the body of the man.

Fairies as messengers

Fairies could sometimes be messengers, as in the next example. The story linked to the song tells of a man who was trying to fetch a midwife to attend to his wife. To do so, he had to cross a ford. Unfortunately, the man fell asleep as he waited for the tide to turn, and he was wakened by a fairy woman telling him the sad news that his wife had died. 

Margaret Stewart tells a story of a fairy as a messenger with her version of 'S Olc an Obair do Theachdaire an Cadal'.

Download Adobe Flash Player to listen to the audio online.

Title

'S Olc an Obair do Theachdaire an Cadal (Margaret Stewart)

'S Olc an Obair do Theachdaire an Cadal' performed by Margaret Stewart

From Fhuair mi Pòg, Greentrax

Listen to Annie Johnson singing 'S Olc an Obair do Theachdaire an Cadal' on the Tobar an Dualchais website.

See more information about this song on Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o' Riches.

Beinn Eadarra in the Trotternish area of Skye was said to be haunted by a headless ghost called Colann gun Cheann. There is a song associated with this legend which begins:

Is fhada mi an cùl Beinn Eadarra
Is fhada mi am Bealach a’ Mhorghain

Long am I at the back of Beinn Eadarra
Long am I in the Pass of Morghain.

This unpleasant ghost acquired a reputation for throwing his head at unfortunate travellers going through a narrow pass, and killing them.

Uamh an Òir

Another song linked with the island of Skye is 'Uamh an Òir', 'The Cave of Gold'. The story of it tells how a piper played as he entered a cave. He did not return, as in the cave he encountered a terrible monster. The piper's words are:

Is truagh a Rìgh gun trì lamhan
Dà làimh ‘sa phìob, ‘s tè ‘sa chlaidheamh.

It is a pity that I do not have three hands,
Two for the pipes and one for my sword.

Donnie Murdo MacLeod performs 'Uamh an Òir', the story of a piper playing within a cave.

Download Adobe Flash Player to listen to the audio online.

Title

Uamh an Òir (Donnie Murdo MacLeod)

Word file: Uamh an Òir (38 KB)

'Uamh an Òir' performed by Donnie Murdo MacLeod

From Sguab is Dlòth Macmeanmna, SKYECD13, Track 14

Listen to William Matheson singing 'Uamh an Òir' on the Tobar an Dualchais website.

See more information about this song on Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o' Riches.

Hè o Hò a Raghnaill ud Thall

According to tradition, fairies could not cross running water. The fairy in the next example is on one side of a stream, while the man she is trying to entice is on the other. It is said that the man called Ràghnaill referred to in the song was a man called Ranald MacDonald of Gellovie in Badenoch.

Listen to Calum Johnston singing Hè o Hò a Raghnaill ud Thall on the Tobar an Dualchais website.

See more information about this song on Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o' Riches.

There are also many little songs that acted as charms to bless, protect or ward off evil. You can read many of these in a large collection of Gaelic prayers, charms, hymns and songs called 'Carmina Gadelica' by Alexander Carmichael.