Ceasg

The ceasg [kʲʰɛsk] is a marmaid in Scots folklore wi the upper body o a bonnie woman mellt wi the tail o a grilse (a young saumon). She is kent in Scots Gaelic as maighdean na tuinne ("maid o the wave") or maighdean mhara ("maid o the sea") an aw.

The ceasg bide no juist in the sea but in rivers an burns an aw, an can be gart tae grant three wishes tae onybody thit capturs her. Ceasg an humans are whiles mairriet on ilkanither, an famous maritime pilots are aften repute tae come frae sic uinions. Even whan thir mairiages end an the ceasg gangs back tae the sea, thay will aye tak an interest in thair human descendants, bieldin thaim in storms or airtin them tae the best fishin groonds.

The ceasg is whiles imaigined as something mair ugsome. In some tales, she swallaes the hero an he stays alive in her stomak. The hero's wife plays a harp until the marmaid is chairmed an the hero escapes. Whan the wife staps playin the marmaid swallaes her, an the hero maun gang tae a wizard for help. He is telt thit he haes tae git a special egg that hauds the marmaid's life force. He gits the egg, lowses his wife, an kills the marmaid bi crushin the egg. In thir stories, the hero haed been promised tae the marmaid afore his birth. His faither haed bairnless an the marmaid promised him bairns on the condeetion thit the firstborn wad be gien til her. The Scots folklorist Donald MacKenzie pit forrit thit the ceasg micht hiv oreeginally been a sea goddess thit human beings war sacrificed fur.