Sacred Texts Legends & Sagas Celtic Index Previous Next
10. THERE be many Places called Fairie-hills, which the Mountain People think impious and dangerous to peel or diƒcover, by taking Earth or Wood from them; ƒuperƒtitiouƒly beleiving the Souls of their Prediceƒƒors to dwell there. 1 And for that End (ƒay they) a Mote or Mount was dedicate beƒide every Church-yard, to receive the Souls till their adjacent Bodies ariƒe, and ƒo become as a Fairie-hill; they uƒeing Bodies of Air when called Abroad. They alƒo affirme thoƒe Creatures that move inviƒibly in a Houƒe, and caƒt hug great Stones, but do no much Hurt, becauƒe counter-wrought by ƒome more courteous and charitable Spirits that are everywhere ready to defend Men, (Dan. 10. 13.) to be Souls that have not attained their Reƒt, thorough a vehement Deƒire of revealling a Murther or notable Injurie done or receaved,
or
or a Treaƒure that was forgot in their Liftyme on Earth, which when diƒcloƒ'd to a Conjurer alone, the Ghoƒt quite removes.
IN the nixt Country to that of my former Reƒidence, about the Year 1676, when there was ƒome Scarcity of Graine, a marvelous Illapƒe and Viƒion ƒtrongly ƒtruck the Imagination of two Women in one Night, living at a good Diƒtance from one another, about a Treaƒure hid in a Hill, called SITHBHRUAICH, or Fayrie-hill. The Appearance of a Treaƒure was firƒt repreƒented to the Fancy, and then an audible Voyce named the Place where it was to their awaking Senƒes. Whereupon both aroƒe, and meitting accidentallie at the Place, diƒcovered their Deƒigne; and joyntly digging, found a Veƒƒell as large as a Scottiƒh Peck, full of ƒmall Pieces of good Money, of ancient Coyn; which halving betuixt them, they ƒold in Diƒh-fulls for Diƒh-fulls of Meall to the Countrey People. Very many of undoubted Credit ƒaw, and had of the Coyn to this Day. But whither it was a good or bad Angell, one of the ƒubterranean People, or the reƒƒleƒs Soul of him who hid it,
that
that diƒcovered it, and to what End it was done, I leave to the Examination of others.