A tour in Scotland, MDCCLXIX [by T. Pennant. With] Suppl. [Another]

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1790 - 40 pages
 

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Page 111 - Perthshire in the year 1769, tells us that " on the first of May, the herdsmen of every village hold their Bel-tien, a rural sacrifice. They cut a square trench on the ground, leaving the turf in the middle ; on that they make a fire of wood, on which they dress a large caudle of eggs, butter, oatmeal and milk ; and bring besides the ingredients of the caudle, plenty of beer and whisky ; for each of the company must contribute something.
Page 168 - Howe'er you come to know it, answer me: Though you untie the winds and let them fight Against the churches; though the yesty waves Confound and swallow navigation up; Though bladed corn be lodged and trees blown down; Though castles topple on their warders...
Page 111 - ... every one takes a cake of oatmeal, upon which are raised nine square knobs, each dedicated to some particular being, the supposed preserver of their flocks and herds, or to some particular animal, the real destroyer of them: each person then turns his face to the fire, breaks off a knob, and flinging it over his shoulders, says, This I give to thee, preserve thou my horses; this to thee, preserve thou my sheep; and so on.
Page 63 - The view of the houses at a distance strikes the traveller with wonder; their own loftiness, improved by their almost aerial situation, gives them a look of magnificence not to be found in any other part of Great Britain.
Page 111 - The rites begin with spilling some of the caudle on the ground, by way of libation: on that every one takes a cake of oatmeal, upon which are raised nine square knobs, each dedicated to some particular being, the supposed preserver of their flocks...
Page 128 - ... and daggers, in the space of two hours, fourscore fat deer were slain ; which after are disposed of, some one way and some another, twenty and thirty miles, and more than enough left for us to make merry withal at our rendezvous.
Page 188 - They were lovely in their lives, and in their deaths they were not divided.
Page 207 - ... which is never forgot : the lover advances, takes his future father-in-law by the hand, and then plights his troth, and the fair-one is furrendered up to him.
Page 112 - This I give to thee, preserve thou my horses; this to thee, preserve thou my sheep; and so on.' After that, they use the same ceremony to the noxious animals: 'This I give to thee, O fox ! spare thou my lambs; this to thee, O hooded crow ! this to thee, O eagle...
Page 10 - Goose-Herd, attends the flock, and twice a day drives the whole to water ; then brings them back to their habitations, helping those that live in the upper stories to their nests, without ever misplacing a single bird.

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