The Fairies' Hill by Arianrhod Wolfchild

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The Fairies' Hill

Scotland

There is a green hill above Kintraw, known as the Fairies' Hill, of which the following story is told.

Many years ago, the wife of the farmer at Kintraw fell ill and died, leaving two or three young children. The Sunday after the funeral the farmer and his servants went to church, leaving the children at home in
charge of the eldest, a girl of about ten years of age. On the farmer's
return the children told him their mother had been to see them, and had
combed their hair and dressed them. As they still persisted in their
statement after being remonstrated with, they were punished for telling
what was not true.

The following Sunday the same thing occurred again. The father now told the children, if their mother came again, they were in inquire of her why she came. Next Sunday, when she reappeared, the eldest child put her
father's question to her, when the mother told them she had been carried
off by the "Good People" (Daione Sìth), and could only get
away for an hour or two on Sundays, and should her coffin be opened it
would be found to contain only a withered leaf.

The farmer, much perplexed, went to the minister for advice, who scoffed at the idea of any supernatural connection with the children's story, ridiculed the existence of "Good People," and would not allow the
coffin to be opened. The matter was therefore allowed to rest. But, some
little time after, the minister, who had gone to Lochgilphead for the day,
was found lying dead near the Fairies' Hill, a victim, many people
thought, to the indignation of the Fairy world he had laughed at.

---

• Source: Lord Archibald Campbell, Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition, Argyllshire Series, vol. 1 (London: David Nutt, 1889), pp. 71-72.

• Campbell's source: Mrs. Annie Thorpe née Miss MacDougall of Lunga, Ardbecknish, Lochow.

found at: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/abduct.html#oldman