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Strange Things: The Story of Fr Allan McDonald, Ada Goodrich Freer, and the Society for Physical Research's Enquiry into Highland Second Sight
The history of the enquiry and the reasons for its abandonment, is revealed here, as are many other facts about the Highland supernatural tradition, and also about the remarkable career of Society of Psychical Research member Ada Goodrich Freer. Fascinating as a tale of late Victorian obsessions, as a story of two different people and cultures, or simply as an insight into of one of the deepest strands of Hebridean culture, Strange Things is a text of tradition, folklore, manipulation, charlatanism and fraud, now reprinted for the first time since 1968.
Paperback
First published December 31, 1968
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About the author
John Lorne Campbell
35 books2 followersJohn Lorne Campbell was a Scottish historian, farmer, environmentalist and folklore scholar.
In the 1930s Campbell was living on the Hebridean island of Barra where, with the author Compton Mackenzie, he founded the Sea League to fight for the rights of local fishermen and organised a strike of motorists in protest at having to pay tax on an island with no made-up roads. In 1935 he married the American musician Margaret Fay Shaw, whom he met on the island of South Uist. In 1938 the couple bought the island of Canna, south of Skye, and went to live there in Canna House. He farmed the island for 40 years and made it a sanctuary for wildlife. At the same time he continued to record a disappearing Gaelic heritage and to write and publish extensively about Gaelic and Highland culture and life. In 1981 Campbell gave Canna to the National Trust for Scotland, but he continued to live on the island.
In the 1930s Campbell was living on the Hebridean island of Barra where, with the author Compton Mackenzie, he founded the Sea League to fight for the rights of local fishermen and organised a strike of motorists in protest at having to pay tax on an island with no made-up roads. In 1935 he married the American musician Margaret Fay Shaw, whom he met on the island of South Uist. In 1938 the couple bought the island of Canna, south of Skye, and went to live there in Canna House. He farmed the island for 40 years and made it a sanctuary for wildlife. At the same time he continued to record a disappearing Gaelic heritage and to write and publish extensively about Gaelic and Highland culture and life. In 1981 Campbell gave Canna to the National Trust for Scotland, but he continued to live on the island.
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September 15, 2018
Just to say that I thoroughly recommend this. It's a three part book.
In part one Dr John Lorne Campbell, the Gaelic scholar and folklorist, gives an account of the SPR's investigations in the Hebrides and the singular role (for she always wanted all the plaudits) of charlatan and plagiarist Ada Goodrich Freer "Cailleach bheag nam Bòcan". Skewering her with her own self-serving and two-faced correspondence.
A more entertaining read in part two is the biography of Ada Goodrich Freer (sarcastically "dear" Ada to Lord Bute's children) by Trevor Hall, which while it may be a "hatchet job" also tells the tale of a woman who by constantly reinventing herself seems to have cut a reasonably profitable swathe through the credulous Spiritualists of the late 19th century. The account of the events at Ballechin calls out for some comedy horror film to be made of it.
Part three is perhaps the most interesting - a printing, in translation, of Father Allan McDonald's notes on folklore and second sight, together with examples of how Goodrich Freer plagiarised them. He especially (and to an extent Rev. Peter Dewar) were the undeserving victims of "dear" Ada.
In part one Dr John Lorne Campbell, the Gaelic scholar and folklorist, gives an account of the SPR's investigations in the Hebrides and the singular role (for she always wanted all the plaudits) of charlatan and plagiarist Ada Goodrich Freer "Cailleach bheag nam Bòcan". Skewering her with her own self-serving and two-faced correspondence.
A more entertaining read in part two is the biography of Ada Goodrich Freer (sarcastically "dear" Ada to Lord Bute's children) by Trevor Hall, which while it may be a "hatchet job" also tells the tale of a woman who by constantly reinventing herself seems to have cut a reasonably profitable swathe through the credulous Spiritualists of the late 19th century. The account of the events at Ballechin calls out for some comedy horror film to be made of it.
Part three is perhaps the most interesting - a printing, in translation, of Father Allan McDonald's notes on folklore and second sight, together with examples of how Goodrich Freer plagiarised them. He especially (and to an extent Rev. Peter Dewar) were the undeserving victims of "dear" Ada.
Displaying 1 of 1 review