Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 8, 1897.djvu/253

Rh Here is a Long Island story of the Teine Mhor, to stick to the pronunciation of the reciter:

"An teine mhor, as it is called in the Hebrides, is invariably associated in people's minds with mischief. They look upon it as a bad thing; and a story is current in the Long Island of a Harris man who was going home late at night, and when five miles from home saw the teine mhor on the other side of the road. His dog noticed it before he did, and was very much frightened. It ran to its master's feet, growling, its hair standing on end. The man too was afraid, but kept on his way, the teine mhor keeping alongside of him on the other side of the road, the same distance from him. When it spread its wings the man could count its ribs, and when it put its wings down it appeared to him to be like the shape of a woman. It followed him to his own door, but he reached home in safety."

The reciter of the above was going with his brother to the west shore of Bernera in search of planks. When they had gone about a quarter of a mile from their own house, they saw the teine mhor. His brother said, "Do you see that?" "Yes," said M. His brother urged him to return, but M. wished to go on. His brother, however, would not go a step further, so both turned and reached home without molestation.

On the mainland of Argyll the danger is greater apparently "if Will-o'-the-Wisp is seen to cross the course or which one is going." Miss McM. and her servant went to meet a young lady who had gone to make a call, and was expected to be on her way home, as it was getting late. They saw Will-o'-the-Wisp before them, and it went right across their path. The girl became frightened and refused to proceed further, declaring that if they passed across the path of Will-o'-the-Wisp some calamity would be sure to follow.

There is another name for Will-o'-the-Wisp which Arm-