Ghillie Dhu

Etymology

Ghillie is an English equivalent of the Scottish Gaelic word gille. English lexicographer Edward Dwelly lists gille as a "lad", "youth", or "boy"; with dubh meaning "dark" or "dark-haired".

Folk beliefs

According to folklorist Katharine Briggs, the Ghillie Dhu was a gentle and kind-hearted mountain spirit, or a "rather unusual nature fairy." He was generally timid, yet he could also be "wild". Generally of a dishevelled appearance, he used green moss and leaves taken from trees as clothing. As indicated by his name, he had black hair. He was of a small stature. His fondness of children is similar to that displayed by the little known Hyter sprite of English mythology. He was said to live in the birch woods near Loch a Druing, in the north-west Highland area of Gairloch. The woods are in a dip alongside a hilly area around 2 mi from where Rua Reidh Lighthouse was later built. He was mainly reported in the latter part of the 18th century. He was described by Osgood Mackenzie, a Scottish landowner and horticulturist, in his 1921 memoirs.

The best known account of the Ghillie Dhu involves a girl named Jessie Macrae, who lived near the woods. She wandered into the woods and became lost as the sun went down. Her sobs reportedly drew the attention of the Ghillie Dhu, who comforted her and either led her home before darkness fell, or stayed with her all night and led her home in the morning. Over a period of four decades the fairy was reportedly seen by many people but Jessie was the only person with whom he conversed.

At some point, landowner Sir Hector Mackenzie of Gairloch invited a group of five Mackenzie dignitaries to hunt and capture the Ghillie Dhu, which he believed posed a threat. Despite searching extensively throughout the night, the hunters could not find their prey; according to mythology scholar Patricia Monaghan, the Ghillie Dhu was never seen again.

Origins

After researching folklore traditions gathered primarily from Gaelic areas of Scotland, an authority on congenital disorders, Susan Schoon Eberly, has speculated the tale of the Ghillie Dhu may have a basis in a human being with a medical condition; other academics, such as Carole G. Silver, Professor of English at Stern College for Women, agree and suggest he was a dwarf. Eberly maintained several other solitary or individual fairies, including the Brownie and the Manx Fenodyree, could also have a medical, rather than supernatural, explanation.

Bibliography

References

References

1. David Amerland (2017), The Sniper Mind: Eliminate Fear, Deal with Uncertainty, and Make Better Decisions, St. Martin's Press, p. 53, {{ISBN. 978-1-250-11368-9
2. "Strange and Secret Peoples". Oxford University Press.