Re: OT: Wells and folklore | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Wells O’ Wearie 1

Image by Branwen

OT: Wells and folklore

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tiompan Sep 25, 2009 17:42:08

Replying to Branwen

Branwen wrote:

I've added the east lothian version of the story I learned to the folklore section beside the Well O Wearie.

I have cuthill as from Cuithail meaning "fold" in the first place name resource I looked up. Being a lowland name may mean it's saxon or brythonic in origin though. I'll look into it.

Why do you think it's the East Lothian ? That seems to be the nearest in that it did have a mill but there are still another three contenders ,West Lothian ,Kinross and Strathearn . I havn't considered the Sutherland examples .
Yes the scots has a different "woody" meaning from the gaelic "assembly place "

tiompan Sep 25, 2009 17:45:49

Replying to tiompan

tiompan wrote:

Branwen wrote:

I've added the east lothian version of the story I learned to the folklore section beside the Well O Wearie.

I have cuthill as from Cuithail meaning "fold" in the first place name resource I looked up. Being a lowland name may mean it's saxon or brythonic in origin though. I'll look into it.

ooops it's the West Lothian one that had a mill .

Branwen Sep 25, 2009 17:50:58

Replying to tiompan

Probably the only reason I think it a lothian story is because I've only heard in Musselburgh, Dunbar, and Edinburgh. That just means I haven't heard storytellers in the other areas that might be possible locations, of course.

I wasn't aware of those other possibilities but am looking at them for some clue just now. It being such an old story, it would have been told and localised in the way of the storytellers, all over Scotland. Localisation of stories is just part of the storytellers craft, but can lead to one tale being ascribed to hundreds of places, hence arthur being buried under so many hills.

It's called "the wearie well at the worlds end" in the oldest stories though, these tales resembling the cuthilldorie story, not the false knight stories, and the goblin is a frog that turns into a prince. There is a world's end near the edinburgh weary well - it's a pub!