A book called ‘The Remains of Nithsdale andGalloway Song’ edited by R.H. Cromek and published 1810,contains this “Account of Billy Blin'" with some entertaining stories. 

"This is another name for the Scotch Brownies, a class of solitary beings,living in the hollows of trees, and recesses of old ruinous castles. They aredescribed as being small of stature, covered with short curly hair, with brownmatted locks, and a brown mantle which reached to the knee, with a hood of thesame colour. They were particularly attached to families eminent for theirancestry and virtue; and have lived, according to tradition’s ‘undoubted mouth’,for several hundreds of years in the same family, doing the drudgery of amenial servant.

"But though very trustworthy servants, theywere somewhat coy in their manner of doing their work:– when the threaves of corn [this is 25 sheaves gathered in ‘shocks’] were counted out they remained unthrashen[unthreshed];at other times, however great the quantity, it was finished by thecrowing of the first cock. Mellers of corn [grainready to be sent to the mill] would be dried, ground and sifted, with suchexquisite nicety, that the finest flour of the meal could not be found strewedor lost.

"The Brownie would then come into thefarm-hall and stretch itself out by the chimney, sweaty, dusty and fatigued. Itwould take up the pluff – a piece ofbored boar-tree [elder] for blowingup the fire and, stirring out the red embers, turn itself till it was restedand dried. A choice bowl of sweet cream, with combs of honey, was set in anaccessible place:– this was given as its hire; and it was willing to be bribed,though none durst avow the intention of the gift. When offered meat or drink,the Brownie instantly departed, bewailing and lamenting itself, as  if unwilling to leave a place so long itshabitation, from which nothing but the superior power of fate could sever it.

"A thrifty good wife, having made a web oflinsey-woolsey, sewed a well-lined mantle and a comfortable hood for her trustyBrownie. She laid it down in one of his favourite haunts and cried to him toarray himself. Being commissioned by the gods to relieve mankind under thedrudgery of original sin, he was forbidden to accept of wages or bribes. Heinstantly departed, bemoaning himself in a rhyme, which tradition hasfaithfully preserved:

Anew mantle and a new hood! –

PoorBrownie! ye’ll ne’er do mair gude.

"The prosperity of the family seemed to dependon them, and was at their disposal. A place called Liethin Hall, inDumfies-shire, was the herefitary dwelling of a noted Brownie. He had livedthere, as he once communicated in confidence to an old woman, for three hundredyears. He appeared only once to each new master, and indeeed seldom shewed morethan his hand to anyone. On the decease of a beloved master, he was heard tomake moan, and would not partake of his wonted delicacies for many days. Theheir of the land arrived from foreign parts and took possession of his father’sinheritance. The faithful Brownie shewed himself and proffered homage. Thespruce Laird was offended to see such a famine-faced, wrinkled domestic, andordered him meat and drink, with a new suit of clean livery. The Browniedeparted, repeating loud and frequently these ruin-boding lines:

Ca’,cuttie, ca!

A’the luck of Liethin Ha’

Gangs wi’ meto Bodsbeck Ha’.

"Liethin Ha’ was, in a few years, in ruins,and ‘bonnie Bodsbeck’ flourished under the luck-bringing patronage of theBrownie.

"They possessed all the adventurous andchivalrous gallantry of crusading knighthood, but in devotion to their ladiesthey left Errantry itself far behind. Their services were really useful. In theaccidental encounters of their fair mistresses with noble outlaws in woods, andprinces in disguise, – when the kindladies had nothing to show for their courtsey but a comb of gold or afillet of hair, – the faithful Brownie restored the noble wooer; laid thelovers on their bridal bed, declared their lineage, and reconciled all parties.He followed his dear mistress through life with the same kindly solicitude;for, when the ‘mother’s trying hour was nigh’, with the most laudablepromptitude he environed her with the ‘cannie dames’ ere the wish for theirassistance was half-formed in her mind.

"One of them, in the olden times, lived withMaxwell, Laird of Dalswinton, doing ten men’s work and keeping the servantsawake at nights with the noisy dirling [clatter]of its elfin flail. The Laird’s daughter, says tradition, was the comeliestdame in all the holms of Nithsdale. To her the Brownie was much attached: heassisted her in love-intrigue, conveying her from her high tower-chamber to thetrysting-thorn in the woods, and back again with such light-heeled celeritythat neither bird, dog nor servant awoke.

"He undressed her for the matrimonial bed, andserved her so handmaiden-like that her female attendant had nothing to do, notdaring even to finger her mistress’s apparel, lest she should provoke theBrownie’s resentment. When the pangs of the mother seized his beloved lady, aservant was ordered to fetch the ‘cannie wife’ who lived across the Nith. Thenight was dark as a December night could be; and the wind was heavy among thegroves of oak. The Brownie, enraged at the loitering serving-man, wrappedhimself in his lady’s fur cloak and, though the Nith was foaming high-flood,his steed, impelled by supernatural spur and whip, passed it like an arrow. Seating the dame behind him, he took the deep water back again to  the amazement of the worthy woman, who beheldthe red waves tumbling around her, yet the steed’s foot-locks were dry.  – ‘Ride nae by the auld pool,’ quo’ she,‘lest we should meet wi’ Brownie.’ – He replied, ‘Fear nae, dame, ye’ve met a’the Brownies ye will meet.’ – Placing her down at the hall gate, he hastened tothe stable, where the servant lad was just pulling on his boots; he unbuckledthe bridle from his steed and gave him a most afflicting drubbing.

"This was about the new-modelling times of theReformation; and a priest, more zealous than wise, exhorted the Laird to havethis Imp of Heathendom baptised; to which he, in an evil hour, consented, andthe worthy reforming saint concealed himself in the barn, to surprise theBrownie at his work. He appeared like a little wrinkled, ancient man and beganhis nightly moil. The priest leapt from his ambush and dashed the baptismalwater in his face, solemnly repeating the set form of the Christian rite. Thepoor Brownie set up a frightful and agonising yell and instantly vanished,never to return.

"The Brownie, though of a docile disposition, wasnot without its pranks and merriment. The Abbey-lands, in the parish of NewAbbey, were the residence of a very sportive one. He loved to be, betimes,somewhat mischievous. – Two lassies, having made a fine bowlful of buttered brose[oatmeal gruel], had taken it into the byre to sup, while it was yetdark. In the haste of concealment they had brought but one spoon, so theyplaced the bowl between them and took a spoonful by turns. ‘I hae got but threesups,’ cried the one, ‘an’ it’s done!’ ‘It’s a’ done, indeed,’ cried the other.‘Ha, ha!’ laughed a third voice, ‘Brownie has gotten the maist o’t.’ He hadjudiciously placed himself between them and got the spoon twice for their once.

"The Brownie does not seem to have loved thegay and gaudy attire in which his twin-brothers, the fairies, arrayedthemselves: his chief delight was in the tender delicacies of food. Knuckled [kneaded] cakes made of meal, warm fromthe mill, haurned [roasted] on thedecayed embers of the fire, and smeared with honey, were his favourite hire;and they were carefully laid so that he might accidentally find them.  – It is still a common phrase, when a childgets a little eatable present, ‘there’s a piece wad please a Brownie.’ "

Picture Credits

Lob Lie By the Fire, by Dorothy P Lathrop: illustration to 'Down-a-down-derry,' Fairy Poems by Walter de la Mare 1922

Nis or Tomten Laughing at a Cat, by Theodor Kittelsen 1892