|
Hillfort
|
|
|
There is a tradition that, upon a pretty high hill about a mile to the south-west of that town {Abernethy} called the Castle Law, in one of the three lochs or small round lakes upon the top of it; there is a golden cradle hid, in which the {Pictish} king's children were wont to be rocked...
Carney-venn, which obviously appears to have had connection with this Castle Law, and is supposed to have been the place where the treasures or things of the greatest value were kept... The tradition in the immediate neighbourhood is that there were at some remote period, some golden keys found in a small rivulet or stream that runs past this place, which were supposed to have belonged to this Carney-venn; and the popular tradition of the country in general is very lavish respecting some treasure concealed
"Betwixt Castle Law and Carney Vase
As would enrich a' Scotland ane by ane."
(Small, pp. 142, 143.)
There is a legend which attaches to the small loch on the top of the Castle Law; and well do I recollect of having in my schoolboy days, an undeined feeling of terror in approaching too near its dreaded waters...
Note.-- The traditions is, that if you run nine times round the loch, muttering a spell --the words of which, however, are too modern to be genuine-- a hand will arise from a golden cradle, and pull you in.
(Laing, p.20.) 'Small' is the Rev. Andrew Small's 'Interesting Roman Antiqities Recently Discovered in Fife' (1823), and 'Laing' is 'Notice of the Ancient Ecclesiastical History of Abernethy and of the Condition of the Early Inhabitants of Scotland' (1861). Collected by John Ewart Simpkins in County Folk-lore vol. 7.
I suppose this is right, but I can't figure out the Carney Venn?
There's also a cave called the Witches' Hole in the steep north face of the Law.
|
Posted by Rhiannon
30th December 2010ce
Edited 30th December 2010ce
|
|