Counting the Fairies

John MacDonald of Highbridge, Brae Lochaber.
Courtesy of the School of Scottish Studies Archives.

The following story was collected from John MacDonald (1876–1964), known locally as Iain am Bàrd or Iain Beag from Highbridge, Brae Lochaber, and was transcribed on 18 February 1951, shortly after being recorded. From his diary entry of that day, it may be assumed that after Maclean had earlier met John MacDonald, he probably went back to his lodgings and continued with transcribing until he travelled the short distance from Spean Bridge to Highbridge to fetch his informant:

Chaidh mi dha’n Aifreann tràth anns a’ mhaduinn an diugh. An déidh dhomh tighinn dachaidh thug mi greis a’ sgrìobhadh gus an robh am dinnearach ann. An uair sin chaidh mi a mach agas thachair Iain Mac Dhomhnaill, am Bàrd, rium. Chan fhaca mi e an diugh idir agas bha mi air son gun tigeadh e a nall e dh’ innseadh sgeulachdan domh. Thuirt e gun tigeadh e aig ceithir uairean feasgar. Chaidh mi a null g’a iarraidh agas thug mi liom a nall e a dh’ ionnsaigh an taighe. Bha latha mór againn an diugh cuideachd le naidheachdan agas thug e grunn mór dhiubh dhomh. Bha e comhla rium gus an robh e mu naoi uairean a’s t-oidhche.

I went to Mass early this morning. After I came home I spent a while writing until dinner time. I then went out and happened to meet John MacDonald, the Bard. I hadn’t seen him at all today and I wanted him to come over to tell me stories. He said that he would come at four o’clock this afternoon. I went over to fetch him then and I took him over to the house. We had another great day today with regard to [recording] anecdotes and he gave me a great many of them. He was in my company until around nine o’clock at night.

Indeed, the very first recordings that Maclean made in 1951 for the School of Scottish Studies included no less than five hundred and twenty-four Gaelic tales (mainly short, pithy items that were part of the local seanchas or historical lore) from this roadman, encountered as Maclean wrote, “in the dead of winter, and Lochaber lay white and deep in snow.” The title of this particular narrative item is Fear a chunntais na sìdhchean – ‘The man who counted the fairies’:

Bha an sluagh anns an dùthaich seo air an cuideachadh gu math tri(ch)c leis na sìdhchean (F346). Tha àite anns an dùthaich seo ris an abair iad an Ràth, thall am Bracleitir. Agas bha duine a’ fuireach ann ris an abradh iad Ailean Mór an Ràth agas iomadh duine air thoiseach air an ãm aig Ailean Mór an Ràth. Agas bha fear a’ dol seachad aig Geàrrlochaidh, dìreach mu choinneamh an Ràth: tha iad glé theann air a chéile, ach gu bheil an abhainn a’ ruith sìos eatorra, Abhainn Spèan. Bha oidhche bhriagha ghealach ann. Agas gu dé b’ iongnadh leis ach an t-àite làn sìdhchean a’ ruith air ais ’s air adharst ag obair air an ar^a(bh)ar. Agas ’s ann dar a rachadh càch mu thàmh air an oidhche, ’s ann a bha à-san a’ tighinn a mach a dh’ obair (F455.6.8.1). Agas thuirst e ris fhéi’:
 

“Chuala mi iom^aradh riamh air nan cunntadh tu na sìdhchean nach fhai(ch)ceadh tu tuillidh iad (F381). Nach fhiach mi sin a dhèanadh,” thuirst ris fhéi’.

Shuidh e agas bha e ’gan cunntas. Agas b’e sin an obair. Bha iad cho colta’ ri chéile a chuile h-aon dhiubh a’ ruith air ais ’s air adharst. Is thuirst e:
 

“Is iomadh cunntas a rinn mi riamh air meanbh-chruidh ’s air crodh, air spréidh agas an iomadh àite, ach bheat seo na thachair riamh or^am.”
 

Chum e air cunntas gus an dàinig e a dh’ ionnsaigh ciad gu leith.
 

“Ma ta, chan ’eil mi ro-chinnteach a bheil iad agam uile. Ach ’s e an t-aon rud a chuala mi: nam bitheadh iad air an cunntas cearst, nach bitheadh iad ri fhai(ch)cinn tuillidh.”
 

Agas chum e air a thuras. Dar a thàinig a’ sluagh a mach ’s a’ mhaduinn, b’ iongnadh leotha a chuile sguab de’n ar^a(bh)ar cho seasgair, tioram air a chur air dòigh agas air a thughadh. Agas thug iad taing seachad: na bu có a rinn e, gur h-iad an sgioba a bha tapaidh. Agas cha deach na sìdhchean fhai(ch)cinn tuillidh. Agas feumaidh a’ fear a chunnt iad, gun robh iad air an cunntas cearst. Mar a tha a’ fa(ch)cal ag ràdha: ‘Ma chunntas e a dh’ ionnsaigh a h-aon iad, chan fhai(ch)c thu a h-aon dhiubh tuillidh.’
  

Maclean also rendered a close translation of the above tale into English:

The folk in this country were often helped by the fairies. There is a place in this district which they call the Ràth, over in Brackletter. And there was a man living there whom they called Big Allan of the Ràth, and many other people lived there before the time of Big Allan of the Ràth. And a certain man was passing by Gearrlochy, over opposite the Ràth; the two places are very close to one another except that the river runs down between them, the Spean river. It was a fine, moonlit night, and to his amazement the place was full of fairies who ran hither and thither as they harvested the corn (F455.6.8.1). And it was when other people went to rest at night that they came out to work (F348.8). And he said to himself:

“I have always heard it said that, if you counted the fairies (F381), you would not see them again. Should I not try to do that,” said he to himself.

He sat down and counted them. And that was some job. They were all so alike running to and fro. And he said:

“I have made many reckonings of sheep and of cattle, of herds, and I did so in many places but this has surpassed anything that I have ever come across.”

He continued counting until he came to a hundred and fifty.

“Indeed, I am not sure that I have them all, but the one thing I did hear is that, if they are counted properly, they would not be seen again.”

And he continued on his journey. When the folk came out in the morning, they were amazed to find every sheaf safe and dry, stacked and thatched. And they expressed their thanks: whoever did it, it was done by an agile team. And the fairies were not seen again. And it must have been the person who counted them did count them properly. As the saying has it, “If he counts them to the exact figure, you will not see one of them again.”
 

This story would seem to be migratory and was probably quite a common tale to be heard throughout the Highlands and Islands and doubtless in other places where fairy lore was to be found. 

References:

Calum I. Maclean, ‘Fairy Stories from Lochaber’, Scottish Studies, vol. 4 (1960), pp. 84–95

────, ‘Hebridean Traditions’, Gwerin: Journal of Folk Life, vol. 1, no. 1 (1956), pp. 21–33

Image:

John MacDonald of Highbridge, 1950s. Courtesy of the School of Scottish Studies Archives