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HIGHLAND GHOSTS.

The belief in ghosts is so characteristic of the Highlanders, as a race, that one is sometimes curious to ascertain how it came to possess such a strong hold on their minds. As a part of the mythological conceptions of nations, ghosts could, perhaps, be put into a sort of classification, which would more or less enable us to set apart some ghost stories as peculiar to certain times and certain races; and the comparative study of ghosts in this manner would undoubtedly lead to the important conclusion, that the belief in ghosts, like all the other characteristics of man, has undergone an evolution, a process of differentiation and modification, according to the circumstances regulating his movements along the paths of time.

This is very well illustrated in the dwindling into a mere matter of form of many customs, relative to ghost-seeing, known at one time to have largely entered into the religion of certain peoples. For instance, the long-practised custom of leaping over a fire when returning from a funeral in order to place a barrier of that element between the leapers and the ghost of the departed dead became modified among the South Slavonians into the mere form of being met by a woman carrying a vessel of live coals, which the people took and threw over their heads, while the Brahmans contented themselves with merely touching fire. With regard to the water barrier it can be shown that similar variabilities took place. The customs of pouring water behind a corpse when being carried to the grave, and of plunging into a running stream, in the belief that the ghost could not cross or get over the water, dwindled, among the Romans, Chinese, and other peoples, into the mere form of simply sprinkling water upon those about the dead body, or washing their hands and faces; and, indeed, into a formality still more insignificant, as among some Indians, by whom it was considered sufficient to touch the water, and thereby free themselves from the possibility of coming in contact with the ghosts of their dead relatives.*

Though it would be difficult to locate the origin of man's belief in ghosts, we think it could be clearly proved that some races have been inclined to put more faith in the supernatural than others, whose standing in the economy of nature seemed

Frazer, "Contemporary Review," 1885.

more realistic than a merely modified state of "spirit to spirit, ghost to ghost"; and further researches in this direction would undoubtedly disclose many interesting points bearing upon the subject of ghosts in general. One thing is clear, namely that a stream of ghost-philosophy can be traced from age to age, and from race to race, throughout the whole mythological history of man, receiving from each people their own contribution to its volume, and finally resulting in a universality of beliefs, an ocean of awe and mystery, terrors and fears, hopes and longings, on the shores of which man has never been weary of worshippingthough perhaps unconsciously-the incomprehensible Unknown that seems to underlie the things of earth and heaven which he sees and feels around him.

At the present time we find the ghostology of the Highlands rather mixed. It seems to be pretty generally understood that the word "ghost" should be applied to the spirits of the departed only, while on the other hand, it is understood that when the spirit of one appears to another before the death of the person whom that spirit is supposed to represent, the word "wraith" is used to describe the apparition. In the Highlands, however, there seems to be no hard and fast distinction drawn between the two. The Gaelic word "samhla" (likeness) in most places covers both, though in some districts we believe the word "tannasg" to be employed as the equivalent of our "wraith ;" and we think it would be correct to say that there are far more ghost stories based upon the wraith idea than upon that of the ghost, taking both words in their English sense. This is not without its interest. We know the ghost idea to have by ages and ages preceded the wraith. In fact, the latter is more or less of yesterday comparatively speaking; and not only so, but they appear to have different missions to perform. It would perhaps repay trouble to trace the probable origin of the wraith. At this time it almost calls for separate treatment. In ancient times all precautions were taken against the possible return of the dead person's ghost, even, as among the Circassians, measures-and very pronounced measures were taken towards keeping the ghost in a sick person, but no trace of anything having reference to the wraith has at any time appeared among the many strange and characterful beliefs and religions which clustered round ghosts. We think this somewhat suggestive of a revolution in the world of ghosts, as pointing to a transition in people's minds with regard to them which is all but effected. Every Highlander will remember the ghost and goblin stories to which in his youth he listened during the long

winter nights, while one of a circle of awe-inspired superstitionists, whose pastime often was to relate to each other all such weird, supernatural, and unearthly tales as could be raked together. There is something in winter gloom and winter wildness which, when considered in connection with the supernatural, is of peculiar interest. The innate fears of the young in the dark are well known, and we know not how much of our ghostology may have been the result of night, wind, and weather, what Burns refers to when he says—

"Then a child might understand

The de'il had business on his hand."

This more than anything, perhaps, is calculated to reproduce in us the arch-types of things "uncanny," which we seem so much to inherit; and it, indeed, takes "an effort of philosophy to shake off those idle terrors in after years." The awe with which Highlanders generally view the question prevents them from making such observations with regard to ghost-seeing as would help to render the matter easy for consideration from a scientific standpoint. When a ghost is seen, no attempt is made at a natural explanation of the phenomenon, and too often the description of the apparition is not satisfactory. The expression, “Ghabh mi feagal" (I had a fright), with a vague description of peculiar feelings, and something like some one, is about the most that can be got out of some; while others, though, perhaps, more communicative, are to be watched against exaggeration. One most important matter is almost always over-looked-the personale of the seer; and we think it is on this the whole question of ghostseeing turns. But there is such a healthy dread of ghosts present with those who believe in them, that this is, perhaps, too much to expect. We heard many stories afloat of one of two bosom friends promising the other to come back from the regions of the dead, and reveal to him the grand secret behind the veil. But it appears that no sooner did the one breathe his last than the other got fearfully terrorised, lest the spirit of the dead friend should return to renew the acquaintance. In all such cases that we heard of, the minister was religiously consulted, and his circle-drawing art resorted to, in order to relieve the fearful of an awful possibility. Such feelings would have militated considerably against the proper conception of ghosts even, and would have also interfered with the people's capacity in the direction of understanding the circumstances attaching to the different cases. This is very much to be regretted, and should receive, we say,

special attention, as there can be nothing about ghost-seeing more interesting than the manner in which the ghosts appear to the seer. Some ghosts are at once understood to resemble certain persons from the striking likeness of the one to the other; and it is not an uncommon thing for the seer to speak to the ghost, under the impression that the party recognised in the apparition is addressed. We remember hearing that a certain woman, who was one day moving about a certain Highland village, when turning round the corner of a small hillock, saw a neighbouring woman coming directly towards her. She was just about to address her, when, behold, the other had disappeared. This same woman, at another time, was making her way home from the woods, where she had been looking after the cattle; and, when approaching the house of one of the villagers, she saw him there before her, apparently dressed, she having especially noticed that he was at the time wearing a red vest, which he was never known to put on but on Sundays. When just about to greet him, the man disappeared. These instances of ghost-seeing occurred in broad daylight, and both parties died soon after their ghosts or wraiths were

seen.

But it would be very interesting to know what part the imagination played in the production of these apparitions, as we must view the question of ghosts altogether in its relation to the imagination, for on no other basis can it have meaning as an element in man's history. But let us give another case as bearing further upon this point:

While a woman, who had arrived at a considerable age, was on a beautiful summer evening milking the cow at the door of her home, she felt her attention drawn to an objeet-as it appeared to her-actually flying in the air. It seemed to have issued forth from a house near by, where there was a dying person at the time, and it moved along steadily through the air until it disappeared into a rock standing not far away. The object, more or less, resembled a man in his ordinary apparel, but the representation was not very distinct. The seer in this case was not a very healthy person, and was of a rather nervous disposition. healthy persons see ghosts. In youth, as a rule, good health is enjoyed; and we remember hearing about a boy, perhaps about six or seven years of age, while running about his father's doors, hurrying to his mother to tell her that his grandfather, whose remains had been buried some days before then, was coming along to the house. Of course the mother got somewhat alarmed, and

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