Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 18, 1907.djvu/486

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The following is copied from a little-known book called A New Description of Orkney and Zetland, by John Brand, Edinburgh, 1703, p. 112 (speaking of Zetland): "Not above 40 or 50 years ago, almost every family had a Brouny or evil spirit so-called, which served them, to whom they gave a sacrifice for his service; as when they churned their milk, they took a part thereof and sprinkled every corner of the house with it for Brounie's use, likewise when they brewed, they had a stone which they called Brounie's Stone, wherein there was a little hole, into which they poured some wort for a sacrifice to Brouny. My informer, a minister in the country, told me that he had conversed with an old man, who when young used to brew, and sometimes read upon his Bible, to whom an old woman in the house said, that Brouny was displeased with that book he read upon, which if he continued to do, they would get no more service of Brouny; but he being better instructed from that book, which was Brounie's eyesore and the object of his wrath, when he brewed, he would not suffer any sacrifice to be given to Brouny, whereupon the 1st and 2nd brewings were spilt, and for no use, though the wort wrought well, yet in a little time it left off working and grew cold; but of the 3rd Browst or Brewing he had ale very good, though he would not give any sacrifice to Brouny, with whom afterwards they were no more troubled Which cleareth that Scripture, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. They also had stacks of corn, which they called Brounie's Stacks, which, though they were not bound with straw ropes, or anyway fenced, as other stacks use to be, yet the greatest storm of wind was not able to blow any straw off them."

The same traveller collected stories of "Sea-monsters, the meer-men and meer-maids, which have not only been seen but apprehended and kept for some time." He writes: "About 5 years since, a boat at the fishing drew her lines, and one of them, as the fishers thought, having some great fish upon it, was with greater difficulty than the rest raised from the ground, but when raised it came more easily to the surface of the water,