The Gaelic Otherworld: Superstitions of the Highlands and the Islands and Witchcraft and Second Sight in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland

by John Gregorson Campbell, Ronald Black (Editor)

This volume contains two works by John Gregorson Campbell on the Scottish Gaelic tradition, Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland and Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland.

Genres: Scotland, Witchcraft, Spirituality, Folklore, Nonfiction, History, Paganism

848 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

John Gregorson Campbell (1836 - 1891) was a Scottish folklorist and Free Church minister at the Tiree and Coll parishes in Argyll, Scotland. An avid collector of traditional stories, he became Secretary to the Ossianic Society of Glasgow University in the mid-1850s. Ill health had prevented him taking up employment as a Minister when he was initially approved to preach by the Presbytery of Glasgow in 1858 and later after he was appointed to Tiree by the Duke of Argyll in 1861, parishioners objected to his manner of preaching.

Several of the anecdotes he amassed were published in magazines and, just before his death, work began on collating the first of four compendiums of the tales; three were published a few years after his death. He was fluent in several languages, including Scottish Gaelic, and transcribed the legends precisely as dictated by the narrators.

Reviews

[Megan Reilly Koepsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scotland is a country full of oral traditions and folklore passed down through the generations, recounting mystical tales and encounters with the Otherworld. I loved reading this book in which oral historical experiences collected in the 1850s were retold in written form as it gives a glimpse into a time in history where mystical experiences were commonplace and the belief in those experiences was an accepted way of life. Because it was written in the 19th Century, the syntax can be a bit difficult at times to follow along, but the stories themselves are well worth reading.

[Jody A · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read but a bit dry at times. Still a great reference book for those interested in Celtic Studies.