The Scottish Folklore Podcast

As supernatural Scottish creatures go, The Shellycoat is one of the lesser known of the bunch, but don’t let this bothersome Bogle fool you, for although often cited as harmless, as we’ll find out in this episode, The Shellycoat is anything but!

In this episode Jenny explores the lore of The Shellycoat and tells two tales of Shellycoats, one from The Borders and one from Leith in Edinburgh. 

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Jenny is back with Part 2 of Deirdire of the Sorrows, an ancient Gaelic tale that has been told in both Ireland and Scotland for countless years. This half sees Deirdire, Naoise, and his two brothers living as fugitives in Scotland. But all good things must come to an end, and all prophecies must be fulfilled…

In Ireland, the story of Deirdre is part of the Ulster Cycle of mythology, but the version that I am telling comes from a fellow named John Macneil, who told it from his home on the Isle of Barra in 1867. The story of Deirdire was told in Gaelic and taken down by Alexander Carmichael, who later translated it into English and published both versions in 1905. This is the most comprehensive Scottish version of this story on record, and while it differs in some ways from the Irish telling, it’s no less of a cracker!

You can read Alexander Carmichael’s original Gaelic and English translation of it here

Many thanks to Caoimhe Keohane of Wild Anam for helping with the many Irish Gaelic pronunciations in this tale!

This an Irish version of the story of Deirdire of the Sorrows

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This is an ancient Gaelic tale that has been told in both Ireland and Scotland for countless years. In Ireland, the story of Deirdre is part of the Ulster Cycle of mythology, but the version that I am telling comes from a fellow named John Macneil, who told it from his home on the Isle of Barra in 1867. The story of Deirdire was told in Gaelic and taken down by Alexander Carmichael, who later translated it into English and published both versions in 1905. This is the most comprehensive Scottish version of this story on record, and while it differs in some ways from the Irish telling, it’s no less of a cracker!

You can read Alexander Carmichael’s original Gaelic transcription and English translation here

Many thanks to Caoimhe Keohane of Wild Anam for helping with the many Irish Gaelic pronunciations in this tale!

Follow The Scottish Folklore Podcast on Instagram

Visit the website and view the interactive map

Support Jenny as she makes the show by joining the Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The man, the myth, the legend. Robert the Bruce is one of Scotland’s most iconic figures, and for good reason too. As King, he led Scotland to a monumental victory against the English at The Battle of Bannockburn, paving the way for independence. 

From itsy-bitsy spiders to superhuman feats of endurance and skill, the stories that survive about Bruce paint a picture of a tenacious hero. But behind the legends lie a ruthless leader who took chances when they appeared and used force when they didn’t, but above all, he never ever gave up.

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Join Jenny as she dives into the folklore behind Glasgow’s rather odd coat of arms and its remarkable patron saint, St. Mungo. Although a religious figure, the stories of St. Mungo and his mother, St. Thenew, are steeped in folklore, mythology, and magical happenings - much of which is handily condensed into this little rhyme:

The tree that never grew, 

The bird that never flew, 

The fish that never swam, 

The bell that never rang

Every school child in Glasgow learnt this rhyme and the stories behind it, and now, thanks to this episode, you can too!

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Scottish dragons aren’t quite like the dragons found in the rest of the world, they don’t breath fire, can’t fly, and don’t even have any limbs, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous or terrifying! (Ok well, maybe a tad).

In this episode Jenny tells two tales of dragons found in Scotland, the first is of Martin’s Stane just north of Dundee, and the second is called Eilean Fraoch, which is the name of a small island in Loch Awe, which was once home to a dastardly dragon.

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Fancy kissing a frog? How about marrying one? The Frog Prince is a common theme found in folk tales throughout Europe, and ‘The Well at the World’s End’ is Scotland’s take on this age-old classic.

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Lone standing stones are scattered all over the Scottish landscape, and although we will unfortunately never know why they were originally raised or what their meanings were, in this vacuum of understanding, local folklore arises and new stories are wrapped around these ancient stones.

Listen in to hear the lore swirling around Granny Kempock in Gourock, The Brahan seer’s links to the Clach an t-Seasaidh near Muir of Ord, the tragic story of the Clachan Ceann Ile on Islay, and the angry Njugal and the Asta Standing Stone in Shetland. 

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There’s no escaping the wind in Scotland, especially if you live on an island or high up in the mountains. In this episode Jenny tells three tales all about the wind that take place in these places. The first two, The Boy Who Climbed The Snap and How a witch saved the Papa Stour come from Shetland and have both wind and witches, while the third, The Wind and the Dying Woman, comes from Angus and tells a very different tale about the West Wind. 

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The majestic unicorn’s reputation has been somewhat sparkle-ified over the last few decades, but this hasn’t always been the case! There was once a time when the unicorn symbolised far more than a whimsical horse with a horn, and in this episode we find out how it came to be, what it truly represents, and why it’s the perfect pick for Scotland’s national animal.

So listen in and enjoy as Jenny tells the tale of ‘The Coming of the Unicorn’ to Scotland, as well as exploring Skye’s very own take on the Unicorn, the Biasd na Srogaig.

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