Four Tales

by James Hogg

James Hogg's incomparable stories of the supernatural hark back to the oral traditions of his own upbringing and tales of wonder around the fireside. The Brownie of the Black Haggs tells of the eerie relationship between the violent-tempered Lady Wheelhope and her strange servant, the ill-favoured Merodach, who has 'the form of a boy, but the features of a hundred years old'. The Cameronian Preacher's Tale tells of murder, spiritual apparition and God's justice in a world of hidden bodies and uncertain witnesses. Mary Burnet is one of the 'traditionary tales' that Hogg loved to recount, while his poem Kilmeny offers another account of faerie visitation and a virgin's vision of the future. All of these pieces explore themes that echo in his masterpiece, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner.

Genres: Literature, Scotland

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2001

About the author

James Hogg was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a friend of many of the great writers of his day, including Sir Walter Scott, of whom he later wrote an unauthorized biography. He became widely known as the "Ettrick Shepherd", a nickname under which some of his works were published, and the character name he was given in the widely read series 'Noctes Ambrosianae', published in Blackwood's Magazine. He is best known today for his novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. His other works include the long poem The Queen's Wake, his collection of songs Jacobite Reliques, and the novels The Three Perils of Man, The Three Perils of Woman, and The Brownie of Bodsbeck.

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine sitting around a crackling fire in a candlelit shepherd's cottage, wind howling outside and the rain driving against the windows. Are you sitting comfortably? "Sit near me, my children, and come nigh, all ye who are not of my kindred, though of my flock; for my days and hours are numbered; death is with me dealing, and I have a sad and wonderful story to relate.....listen, therefore, my children, to a tale of truth, and may ye profit by it!" Cue ghostly laugh!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A splendid collection of three stories and a poem, combining supernatural folk elements with a slightly arch literary style. The book is populated by colourful characters from rural Scotland whose speech is delightfully peppered with quaint idioms.

[Jeff Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The brownie of Black Haggs --3
The Cameronian preacher's tale--3
Mary Burnet --2
Kilmeny--2
****
George Dobson's expedition to hell --3
The mysterious bride --2
Some terrible letters from Scotland--3
The story of Euphemia Hewit --3

[Sae-chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tha' Mary Burnet lass was aen laddie, oy. I ain nein the wiser o' them Scot even after readin this. If not getting waur and completely miss wha' it supposed to maen.

[Geraud · Rating 4 out of 5]

four brilliant short stories set in rural scotland. very nice tae read, you ken ?