Bauchan

Frae Wikipedia, the free beuk o knawledge

The bauchan (Scots Gaelic: bòcan[1] Inglis: bauchan, buckawn or bogan[2]) is a teep o hamewart hobgoblin in Scots folklore. It's aften mischievous an sometimes dangerous, but is verra helpfu an aw whan it's needit.[2]

Folklore[eedit | eedit soorce]

John Francis Campbell in his Popular Tales of the West Highlands tells the story o Callum Mor MacIntosh an hou his farm in Lochaber wis hauntit bi a bauchan. The relationship atweesh Callum an the bauchan wis notit fur being contradictory in natur. While the bauchan wis belligerous an aye pickin a ficht, he aften gied a haun in sindry fairm-relatit tasks. Whan Callum emigratit tae New York City the bauchan went wi him an gied him a haun in clearin his new plot o land. In this tale the bauchan is a shapeshifter an is able tae turn intae a goat.[2][3]

Fiction[eedit | eedit soorce]

The chairacter "Buckeye" is a bauchan in the fantasy novel The Haunted Wizard (1999) bi Christopher Stasheff.

See an aw[eedit | eedit soorce]

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. James MacKillop. "bòcan." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved May 11, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: "Archived copy" (in Inglis). Archived frae the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 11 Mey 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. a b c Briggs, Katharine (1976). An Encyclopedia of Fairies. Pantheon Books. p. 19. ISBN 0394409183ISBN 0394409183.
  3. Campbell, John Francis (1896). Popular tales of the West Highlands: orally collected, Volume 2 (in Inglis). II. Edmonston and Douglas.