The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands

THE LORE OF KIRK AND KIRKYARD
east side of the Church, lest the sun should shine on the
minister while he occupied the pulpit at midday service, and
lest he should be able to cast an occasional glance in the
direction of his manse when conducting divine worship.
And to this day all the windows of this church occur in
the wall farthest removed from the sun.
MORAG OF THE HeADS.
Lying off the Uidh of Vatersay, one of the Barra Isles,
is a tidal islet named Uinessan ; and on this islet is the ruined
caibeal, or chapel, of Saint Brendan. Within this walled
burying-place were interred the remains of Mdr nan Ccann,
Morag of the Heads, who was the wife of one of the Chiefs
of Barra. To this day the fisher-folks of the Barra Isles
describe this site as Caibeal Mdr nan Ccann.
Morag, according to tradition, was a daughter of the laird
of Coll. Had the rivals for her hand been cognisant of
her dietetic whims, it is doubtful whether Morag would have
been wedded at all, as she insisted upon dining on a fresh
ox-tongue every day. For long enough did her tholing
spouse, MacNeil of Barra, strive to accommodate her in this
respect; but seriously diminished became his stock in
consequence.
Finally, it occurred to MacNeil that, if he could devise a
scheme whereby he might bring home to Morag the enormity
of her demand, she would be so horrified at her callous
extravagance as to forego her ox-tongue in the future.
And, so, MacNeil, who was in residence at Eoligarry with
his retinue at the time, directed the herdsman to impound
365 head of cattle in a field viewed from the front windows
of Eoligarry House. Greatly excited was Morag when she
observed this vast herd from one of the windows ; and she
proceeded to express her admiration of it in no uncertain
terms. And, when MacNeil asked her what should be done
to any woman whose inordinate palate was responsible for
the slaughter of so great a herd in a single year, she
confessed that such a woman ought to be punished
severely.
Bv means of this object-lesson, MacNeil of Barra was able
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