Seal Morning by Rowena Farre

Author:Rowena Farre
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9789085241522
Publisher: For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Published: 1956-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

EIGHT

FOLKLORE AND LEGEND

Sometimes I used to walk to an ancient forgotten well whose whereabouts had been revealed to me by Mr. Fraser. It was almost hidden among ferns and birch scrub and the stonework was covered with thick moss. Its waters had once been believed to have the power of curing ailments and granting wishes. It had also a less pleasant association, for in the past lunatics used to be dragged to it by ropes and forcibly ducked, in the hope that this would restore them to sanity. When I leaned over and dropped a coin into the dark waters and silently made a wish Mr. Fraser laughed heartily. He was no believer in wishing wells.

The occult is a tricky subject, and I am constantly surprised to find that some people will easily accept certain psychic phenomena whilst vehemently rejecting others. For myself, I am a firm believer in ghosts and banshees, and I can see no good reason—such is the power of thought—why spells and suchlike should not be very effective in bringing about the results for which they are cast. When more materialistic friends ask me how I can believe in such inanities as banshees my reaction is to say quietly but firmly that I consider it possible for other forms of life to exist on different vibrations. I am regarded doubtfully and a little sadly for a moment, and the conversation is promptly changed to more mundane matters. But since I can accept the verity of ghosts without difficulty, I am myself unable to understand why I cannot accept the existence of water horses. It is a pity, for apparently they abound up here.

The water horses head is shaped like that of a horse, but its ears are shorter and its neck longer. It frequents lochs and has a disconcerting habit of appearing on land in the guise of a horse. Should anyone mount it while it is on land it will make for its natural element where, assuming its true form, it will disappear beneath the surface with the luckless rider. Water horses have been known to take other shapes when on land, besides that of horses. On the whole, their reputation is none too good. In the past many deaths by drowning were attributed to them. They have touchy natures and are quick to take offence at any fancied slight, wreaking swift and ruthless vengeance on the miscreant. For failing to bid a water horse good-day, for instance, the person guilty of such boorish manners may be lured towards a loch on some pretext by the offended creature, and there dragged beneath the waters.

Mr. Fraser, who had seen and talked to several and could never understand my disbelief in their existence, knew of a man who had met one in the shape of a cow as it was grazing in his croft garden. Not unnaturally, he flung a stone at it, calling it several uncomplimentary things as he did so. The stone found its mark and the cow—to the man’s dismay—uttered a loud whinny of distress.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.