Skeelies; ghost or goblin?

[folkwitch]

Anybody know anything about skeelies? (I'm not sure of the spelling.) I have a friend who's an 18 year old Cherokee. One morning early, I was waiting for him to come over and go fishing with me and I kept seeing this 'person' out of the corner of my eye. It wasn't there though, when I turned to look. I saw it several times. I finally decided, "Cool. The place is haunted." It didn't feel threatening and I didn't mention it to anyone. A few days later, it happened again while I was waiting for Johnny. Finally, I mentioned it to my 23 year old nephew who was a friend of Johnny's. He informed me that it was probably Johnny's skeely, which as I understand it, is a protective spirit. This one is a medicine man. My nephew told me that it doesn't like HIM and once, while he was visiting Johnny, it sat on him and wouldn't let him get up for several minutes. I had one more encounter with it when I was taking the boys to Terre Industries in Durham AR. I told them that the place is a troll sanctuary and they must be very careful not to piss off the trolls. I felt the skeely immedietley. He was very upset with me! didn't see him this time, just felt his presence. I quickly told him that I was kidding and he calmed down.

[SpikesPet5150]

I have no clue what a skeelie is.. but it reminded me of a story my sister told me. She used to live in Flagstaff, AZ, out in the middle of nowhere on a huge ranch. She told me about this spirit, don't remember what its called.. but something like, people see these 2 bright lights, like eyes, way in the distance, and they're too big to be an animal. Anyways, most people just see the white light.. but according to legend, if the lights turn red, you're screwed, maybe it'll eat you or something, I dunno. She said she used to see them all the time, and she was always paranoid about them. It was supposed to be a native american legend, so maybe it's something like a skeelie?
~Bree

[Myst]

I've never heard that term for them before, but I've certainly heard about guardian spirits, which these might be. We were discussing spirit guides the other day at my friends' house. Each of us has a few spirits around us who guide us and guard us (ie. like guardian angels), they can be relatives, animals, or even past lives we've had. For instance, one of my spirit guides is an ancestor, and I don't even know their name (yet)! I also have a few that are animals who passed on when I worked at a vet clinic, as well as dragons and fae folk. Maybe this type of thing is what you meant?

[folkwitch]

Originally posted by Willow Raven
I've never heard that term for them before, but I've certainly heard about guardian spirits, which these might be. We were discussing spirit guides the other day at my friends' house. Each of us has a few spirits around us who guide us and guard us (ie. like guardian angels), they can be relatives, animals, or even past lives we've had. For instance, one of my spirit guides is an ancestor, and I don't even know their name (yet)! I also have a few that are animals who passed on when I worked at a vet clinic, as well as dragons and fae folk. Maybe this type of thing is what you meant?


That sounds like the same thing as I understand it.

[Myst]

In that case they are neither Ghost nor Goblin really, but Spirits.

Some of them can be quite possessive too, to be sure. My niece has one about her that dislikes her mother, and they've had a tiff or two.

[folkwitch]

I just did a search one AOL on the word "skeely." Didn't find much but this Scots poem is interesting. It implies that a skeely is a witch (I think) or maybe a healer.




SKEELY KIRSTY

*
*
A STANE-CAST fae the clachan heid
An auld feal dyke enclosed a reed
O’ garden grun’, where flower an’ weed
In spring grew first aye;
An’ there the humble hauddin’ steed
O’ Skeely Kirsty.
*
Upon the easin’ sods a fou
Thick-leaved an’ sappy yearly grew,
Which, for a scrat or scabbit mou’,
Beat aught in “Buchan”;
An’ draughts fae herbs she used to brew
That drank like brochan.
*
To heal a heid, or scob a bane,
To ease a neebour’s grippit wean,
Or thoom a thraw, there wasna ane
Could e’er come near her;
Nae income, fivver, boast, nor nane
Would ever steer her.
*
She cured for pleasure, nae for fees;
Healed man an’ beast wi’ equal ease:
She gae a lotion for the grease
To Spence the carrier,
That cured his mear, when the disease
Gaed ower the farrier.
*
Was there a corp to streek or kist,
She aye was foremost to assist;
She grat to think “how he’d be miss’t,
Sae good and gifted”!
Syne handed roon’ anither taste
Afore they lifted.
*
Ae morn grim Death—that poacher fell—
Gat Kirsty in his girn hersel’;
Nae epitaph her virtues tell,
It needs nae vreetin’:
On ae thing maistly Fame will dwell—
Her gift o’ greetin’.
*

[folkwitch]

Now I'm even more curious than before. I e-mailed a website in Oklahoma where Johnny lives, to try and find out how an ancient Scottish word like skeely might have become part of Cherokee folklore. I'll let you know if I find out anything.