The Scottish Celtic review

264 MarpJtces Black Dimj.The reader will recollect as illustrative of the connectioubetween fairy women and deer, the account of Thomas theRhymer's disappearance as related by Scott iu the " Minstrely ofthe Scottish Border." He says, "When he was making merry withhis friends in the tower of Ercildoun, a jjerson came running in,and told, with marks of fear and astonishment, that a hart andhind had left the neighbouring forest, and were composedly andslowly parading the street of the village. The prophet instantlyrose, left his habitation, and followed the wonderful animals tothe forest, whence he was never seen to return." Of course theanimals are understood to have been sent by his fairy mistress,the Eltin Queen, who had met him " by the Eildon Tree."The incident which forms the latter part of the tale, that of ahand appearing mysteriously through the roof—as pointed out ina former number of this Revieiv, page 140— is widely spread, notmerely among the Celts in the Highlands of Scotland, but alsoamong those of Wales, Ireland, and France, if not also amongother Aryan races.There are several versions of "Macphce's Black Dog" to bemet with in the Highlands. The expression, " the Black Dog'sday will come yet" {Thig luilid choin duibhfhathast) is common,and denotes that, though a person is at present despised, he willyet be esteemed and found of use.In one of these versions, theblack dog is represented as killing a mermaid that was followingafter Macphee. It was this version which Leyden must haveheard during his visit to the Highlands in IcSOl, and dressed upinto that most beautiful of ballads " The Maid of Colonsay."The common rendering of the version is, that the chieftain wasdetained against his will by a mermaid in a cave near the seaand supplied with whatever he needed or desired. One day hetook advantage of the mermaid's absence, and endeavoured toescape; she soon returned, and finding this out, made after him.He had with him a large black dog, which he had kept in spiteof everyone's I'emonstrance. When the mermaid was about toovertake him he threw out the dog, and a terific fight ensued,in which both combatants were killed. In Lej'dcn's versionMacphee's name is changed to Macphail, the dog—w-hich is in allthe Highland veisions the principal chaiacter in the tale— isleft out, and a magic ring—not mentioned in popular lore— isintroduced.