#20 - Witch Mythology in Scotland

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• Often women, some men and also you could possibly teach yourself to become a witch too.

• Could fly very far distances

• They would party with all of the elves, fairies, mermaids, warlocks, brownies, pixies and even the phantom hunters.

• Were usually part of a group of witches.

• Under torture witches would admit they would meet with the devil.

• Witches are notorious for their bad timeheeping.

• Accused witches killed for their crime have spirits that still roam.

• Witchcraft can be inherited by children of witches.

• Witches’ spirits can haunt their old homes or where they were killed.

•Since, other reports include that the windows light up at night, strange music and laughter wafting into the street. Sometimes, the shapes of enormous women can be made out through the windows, and other times the mysterious black staff can be seen hovering its way down the street in search of its master.

#19 - Ghost Mythology in Scotland

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• Deceased friends often revealed their ghosts to their living friends in order to confirm there was an afterlife.

• Back in the day people realized they shared their land with the ghosts of those who had gone before.

• Speaking of spirits with disrespect, implying they were not as powerful as people said or even denying their existence was always a dangerous thing to do.

• If a body part or a bone of a deceased person was left behind somewhere apart from where they were buried they were known to revisit the spot as a ghost.

• Ghosts are unsettled by their crimes.

• Making a ghost angry is bad juju.

• Denying ghosts exist will cause you great harm.

#18 - The Hag

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A common feature in many many stories of an old woman who looks ugly and evil but isn’t necessarily evil

• Witches/Fairy Godmothers

• Use their powers for good to help the unselfish (like Cinderella)

• Sometimes are personified as a death omen or a crypt keeper

• Many stories about hags are meant to keep children from misbehaving.

•Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities.

• Many tales about hags do not describe them well enough to distinguish between an old woman who knows magic, or a witch or supernatural being.

• In Scotland, a group of hags, known as The Cailleachan (The Storm Hags) are seen as personifications of the elemental powers of nature, especially in a destructive aspect. They are said to be particularly active in raising the windstorms of spring, during the period known as A Chailleach.

• The most common pattern is that the hag represents the barren land, who the hero of the tale must approach without fear, and come to love on her own terms. When the hero displays this courage, love, and acceptance of her hideous side, the sovereignty hag then reveals that she is also a young and beautiful goddess.

#17 - Mythology Behind Halloween

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• From the 18th century they Scottish diaspora has taken emigrants all over the world whose descendents still embrace a Scottish identity.

• Halloween is a combination of two Celtic pagan holidays known as Samhainn (November 1) and All Hallows Eve (October 31)

• Samhain is celebrated as soon as the sun goes down.

• Samhain marks the halfway point between summer and winter

• The early literature says Samhain was marked by great gatherings and feasts and was when the ancient burial mounds were open, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld. Some of the literature also associates Samhain with bonfires and sacrifices.

• The otherworldy court of the fairies known as “Seelie court” can cross into our world on Halloween.

• Carving pumpkins originated as turnips

• All Hallows Eve is a day of remembering the dead

#11 - Week Six

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I was watching a detective movie today and I noticed that when the detective arranged all of his investigative information I liked the way it looked on the wall. I was inspired to create a mythology map for this research narratives project. I was hoping to collect images and graphics and text and cut up my books and present a room with four walls dedicated to tracing the mythologies. I especially thought this was a good idea because so many of these myths are similar to different regions of the world. I would love to show all of the connections between Scotland and the outside world using our shared mythology.

#10 - Week Six

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Along with my mind-map of my geographic locations I began a large mind-map of the themes and ideas of all the myths and legends research I’ve been doing. I basically will read my books and then sit down and write out all of my newly acquired knowledge. It has helped me find themes and common ideas. I also want to begin connecting these ideas to mythology from other parts of the world if they do connect.