Scottish Witchcraft Resources

[Lolair]

Who knew there were so many?! This is for those perhaps with Scottish ancestry that are interested in learning more about their ancestors' beliefs and practices, or those who are looking to practice a form of witchcraft associated with their roots. I find myself using the links over and over again, and the Silver Bough by F. Marion McNeill is just amazing.

Books:

A Source-Book of Scottish Witchcraft (http://www.amazon.ca/Source-Book-Scottish-Witchcraft-Christina-Larner/dp/1845300289/ref=sr_1_13/701-0314994-1991579?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173134971&sr=1-13)
The Silver Bough: Scottish Folklore & Folk-Belief v.I (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Bough-Scottish-Folklore-Folk-belief/dp/0853351619/sr=8-12/qid=1172622046/ref=sr_1_12/203-5480832-1527918?ie=UTF8&s=books)
The Silver Bough: Calendar of Scottish National Festivals - Candlemas to Harvest Home v.II (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Bough-Calendar-Festivals-Candlemas/dp/0853351627/sr=8-1/qid=1172622046/ref=sr_1_1/203-5480832-1527918?ie=UTF8&s=books)
The Silver Bough:Calendar of Scottish National Festivals - Hallowe'en to Yule v.III (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Bough-Calendar-Festivals-Halloween/dp/0948474041/sr=8-4/qid=1172622046/ref=sr_1_4/203-5480832-1527918?ie=UTF8&s=books)

The Silver Bough:Local Festivals of Scotland v.IV (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Bough-Local-Festivals-Scotland/dp/094847405X/sr=8-2/qid=1172622046/ref=sr_1_2/203-5480832-1527918?ie=UTF8&s=books)
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries (http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Faith-Celtic-Countries/dp/1600963358/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177346124&sr=8-1)
The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Shamanism and Witchcraft in Seventeenth Century Scotland (http://www.amazon.ca/Visions-Isobel-Gowdie-Witchcraft-Seventeenth-century/dp/1845191803/sr=1-4/qid=1172554400/ref=sr_1_4/701-0314994-1991579?ie=UTF8&s=books) (not available until Sept 2008)
The Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations With Illustrative Notes on Words, Rites, and Customs, Dying and Obsolete: Orally Collected in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and Translated into English (http://www.florisbooks.co.uk/detail.asp?ISBN=0863155774) (complete 6 volume set)
Rowan Tree and Red Thread: A Scottish Miscellany of Tales, Legends and Ballads; together with a Description of the Witches' Rites and Ceremonies (rare book - first edition 1949, very pricy - you're on your own finding this one)Links:

North East Scotland Folklore Archive (http://www.nefa.net/archive/index.htm)
Folklore of North East Scotland (http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/nes/index.htm) - Sacred Texts Archive
Orkneyjar (http://www.orkneyjar.com/) - Orkney Islands Folklore
Creatures of Scottish Folklore (http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/scottishfolkapp.html)
Mysterious Britain (http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/) - Scottish folklore
Carmina Gadelica - Volume I (http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg1/index.htm)
Carmina Gadelica - Volume II (http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg2/index.htm)

[_Banbha_]

Great list Lolair. :cheers:

I'd like to add the CR FAQ site for the reason that the recommended reading list is golden:
http://www.paganachd.com/faq/

[Lolair]

Ooo I found a good title off of that list I'd never heard of before! The Gaelic Otherworld (http://www.amazon.com/Gaelic-Otherworld-Gregorson-Superstitions-Witchcraft/dp/1841582077/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177348876&sr=8-1). Thank you WyldeDryad!

[RainInanna]

By the way, The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries is also available online thanks to Sacred-Texts.com at http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/ffcc/index.htm

[Meadhbh]

Or you could try these:

http://cyberpict.net/sgathan/essays/picts.htm
http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefspictishsymbols.htm
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/rac/rac05.htm
http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/vikingorkney/takeover.htm
http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/archaeology/sites/pictish/index.asp
http://www.ancient-scotland.co.uk/site.php?b=picts

[David19]

Thanks for those links, they look really great.

[Seren_]

Ooo I found a good title off of that list I'd never heard of before! The Gaelic Otherworld (http://www.amazon.com/Gaelic-Otherworld-Gregorson-Superstitions-Witchcraft/dp/1841582077/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-2980201-8505444?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177348876&sr=8-1). Thank you WyldeDryad!

It's very very good. Well worth a read.

There's also the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft (http://www.arts.ed.ac.uk/witches/), which is very good if you're interested in a historical perspective of Scottish witchcraft trials. It's a database of all the trials that took place, including Isobel Gowdie.

[Faol-chù]

I want to second (or is it third? :)) the suggestion for The Gaelic Otherworld.

Other sources are Scottish Customs from the Cradle to the Grave compiled by Margaret Bennet. She actually interviewed people from Gaelic and Lowlands areas and quotes these people in talking about customs that deal with Birth, Childhood, Marriage, and Death. It's a really great read.

You may also be interested in Healing Threads by Mary Beith. This does not deal so much with "witchcraft" as it does with the healing practices of traditional Healers, couched in Gaelic cultural terms (ollamhan). They were the traditional healers before the advent and domination of English-style "doctors".

You may also be interested in The Secret Commonwealth and the Fairy Belief Complex by Brian Walsh. Brian Walsh lets us see Reverend Robert Kirk's The Secret Commonweath, first in it's original language. He then gives commentary on it and helps put it in context with the culture of the day and the audience whom it was intended to reach. Again, though, Rev. Kirk does not so much speak of "witchcraft" as he tries to put some phenomena in context with the beliefs of the time to a people who see such practices as foreign, and even hostile.

Happy reading!

Le meas,

[Faol-chù]

I want to second (or is it third? :)) the suggestion for The Gaelic Otherworld.

Other sources are Scottish Customs from the Cradle to the Grave compiled by Margaret Bennet. She actually interviewed people from Gaelic and Lowlands areas and quotes these people in talking about customs that deal with Birth, Childhood, Marriage, and Death. It's a really great read.

You may also be interested in Healing Threads by Mary Beith. This does not deal so much with "witchcraft" as it does with the healing practices of traditional Healers, couched in Gaelic cultural terms (ollamhan). They were the traditional healers before the advent and domination of English-style "doctors".

You may also be interested in The Secret Commonwealth and the Fairy Belief Complex by Brian Walsh. Brian Walsh lets us see Reverend Robert Kirk's The Secret Commonweath, first in it's original language. He then gives commentary on it and helps put it in context with the culture of the day and the audience whom it was intended to reach. Again, though, Rev. Kirk does not so much speak of "witchcraft" as he tries to put some phenomena in context with the beliefs of the time to a people who see such practices as foreign, and even hostile.

Happy reading!

Le meas,