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A Thrummy-cap is a character in Scottish folklore, that appears in many tales. It may have been invented by John Burness in his 1796 Thrummy Cap, A Legend of the Castle of Fiddes.
The poetic tale, Thrummy Cap, A Legend of the Castle of Fiddes (1796), written by John Burness (cousin of Robert Burns), was popular during the 19th century in the northeast of Scotland - it may be that Burness invented the legend. The name of the tale "Thrummy Cap" holds the name of one of its protagonists. Thrummy Cap encounters a ghost identical to himself (see also Doppelganger). This ghost shows Thrummy where the castle deeds are, which he had stolen from the Laird. This tale employs the restless ghost motif.[1]
"Thrummy cap" was the name of a ghost in another legend in Methil.[2] In the Methil tale, Thrummy Cap haunts a building at the harbor head - this was said to be the ghost of a wood merchant or carpenter, who was not paid for his work, and consequently drowned himself in Methil harbor, and took to haunting the building.[3]
Additionally "thrummy cap" was a nickname for the devil.[4]
In his 1848 Dictionary of Archaic & Provincial Words, James Halliwell-Philipps claimed the term was from Northumbrian fairy tales, and referred to a "queer-looking little auld man" with exploits taking place in vaults or cellars of old castles.[5] "Thrummy Caps" also appear in Michael Aislabie Denham's 1850s list of spirits and fairies - in which Denham makes an unclear reference to the "Thrummy Hills" near Catterick, and also repeats the claim of it appearing in Northumbrian folktales.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Westwood & Kingshill 2009, pp. 317–320.
- ^ Westwood & Kingshill 2009, pp. 96–97.
- ^ Farnie, Henry Brougham (1860), The Fife coast from Queensferry to Fifeness, pp. 112–3
- ^ Westwood & Kingshill 2009, p. 317.
- ^ Halliwell-Phillipps, James Orchard (1848), A Dictionary of Archaic & Provincial Words, Obsolete Phrases, Proverbs & Ancient Customs, Form the Fourteenth Century, vol. 2 (J-Z), p. 871, hdl:2027/hvd.32044100003607
- ^ Hardy, James, ed. (1895), The Denham tracts : A Collection of Folklore by Michael Aislabie Denham, and reprinted from the original tracts and pamphlets printed by Mr. Denham between 1846 and 1859, vol. 2, Folklore Society, p. 79
Sources
[edit]- Westwood, Jennifer; Kingshill, Sophia (2009), The Lore of Scotland : A guide to Scottish legends
- Burness, John (1832), Thrummy Cap, a tale; and The Brownie O'Fearnden, a ballad
- Burness, John, The Comical Stories of Thrummy Cap and The Ghaist, Margaret and the Minister, Soda Water