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| Hi! I just joined and I haven't used a forum in many years, so I apologize if I do things wrong or if this is not the right type of post for here. I have recently been researching some sacred wells in Scotland, and have come across some that had "sacred fish" seen as living guardians of the wells, but I can't find any modern information on most of the wells. It could be they are not around anymore, but thought I would see if anyone knows. I am in Canada (sadly) so I can't go search for myself. So far, the only one I have dug up modern information on is Loch Sheanta (which had sacred trout and woodland that no one would harm). I know this might sound like a strange subject, but I love folklore, as well as the fact that these ones possibly hint to pagan traditions. I have a long list of quotes of places with folklore in case anyone wants me to share them. ???? 1. Tobar Bhan This one was located in Glen Elg, and had one sacred trout. "Tobar Bhan, or the White Well, from which a burn flows. In olden times the natives used to go to this well to be cured of their ailments. Near the well they gathered water-cress, and also the herb called " flower of the three mountains," for medicinal purposes. In this well there was once a sacred trout. "The Peat-Fire Flame: Folk-Tales and Traditions of the Highlands and Islands by Alasdair Alpin MacGregor (1937) 2. Tobar na Breac Translates to well of trout, and had one trout. Is there a chance this one could have been renamed to Tobar na h-Annait? That is the only one I can find information on. "Then, in the south of Skye is the sacred well called by a Gaelic name meaning the Well of the Trout. Many centuries ago it contained one solitary trout, which the natives were very careful not to injure in any way; and, though they often caught it in their pails by mistake, they always replaced it in the well with extreme care and diligence." The Peat-Fire Flame: Folk-Tales and Traditions of the Highlands and Islands by Alasdair Alpin MacGregor (1937) "I saw a little Well in Kilbride in the South of Skie, with one trout only in it ; the Natives are very tender of it, and tho they often chance to catch it in their wooden Pales, they are very careful to preserve It from being destroyed ; it has been been there for many Years." A description of the Western Islands of Scotland by Martin Martin (1703) 3. Well of Kilmore This one is near a church in Kilmore, Lorne, and had two black fish. "In a well near the church of Kilmore, in Lorne, were two fishes held in much respect in the seventeenth century, and called by the people of the district, Easg Seant, i.e., holie fishes." Darker Superstitions of Scotland by John Graham Dalyell (1834) "In many of the holy wells of Scotland a pair of mystical fishes were said to have their abode. In such a well near the Church of Kilmore, in Lorne, two black fishes were still to be seen in the seventeenth century, and were said to have existed there for generations. The natives called them casg saint, or “holy fishes’." The magic arts in Celtic Britain by Spence, Lewis, 1874 Reply | with quote | Posted by NerdyBlair 19th October 2022ce 23:00 |
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