
The Gaelic Otherworld
Superstitions of the Highlands and the Islands and Witchcraft and Second Sight in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland
John Gregorson Campbell(Author)
Ronald Black(Editor)
Birlinn Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 23. March 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
848 pages
978-1-84158-207-8 (ISBN)
Description
This volume contains two works on the Scottish Gaelic tradition -"Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland" and "Witchcraft and Second Sight in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland". John Gregorson Campbell (1836-91) was one of a number of folklorists who collected and published the traditions of his native Highlands and Islands during the second half of the 19th century and the first few years of the 20th. He was the only one of the group who specialized in the area of superstitions. Much of the material presented in this work was collected during the 1850s - an early date which happens to be one of the two reasons for its value to us today as a record of genuine tradition. The other guarantee of the authenticity of this picture of the Gaelic otherworld is Campbell's rigorous attitude to truth. He had a legal training and, following the example set by his mentor, Campbell of Islay, he subscribed fully to the scientific demands of the new academic discipline of folklore studies. In addition to his biographical introduction, Ronald Black also provides explanatory endnotes and a new index.
More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Illustrations
8 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 46 mm
Weight
1297 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84158-207-8 (9781841582078)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
John Gregorson Campbell became minister of Tiree in 1861 and faithfully served the people of that island for the rest of his life. His appointment to the parish was against the wishes of the congregation, probably because they knew of, and disapproved of, his very unhealthy interest in superstitions, witchcraft and second sight. Ronald Black was until recently Senior Lecturer in Celtic at Edinburgh University. He is Gaelic editor of The Scotsman. He has written numerous articles and also edited An Tuil, an anthology of twentieth century Gaelic verse, which was received with enormous critical acclaim in 1999. Ronald Black lives in Peebles.