Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland. Tales and Traditions collected entirely from Oral Sources

Inbunden bok. Första uppl. 1902.

Mycket gott skick. Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland. Tales and Traditions collected entirely from Oral Sources. By the late John Gregorson Campbell. (Glasgow: James MacLehose & Sons, 1902). The rare first edition. A classic and highly regarded collection of folkloric material drawn entirely from oral tradition, documenting beliefs from the Gaelic Otherworld of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

The work explores the rich tapestry of Scottish superstition surrounding witchcraft and second sight, examining how magical and supernatural beliefs shaped everyday life and cultural identity in the region. Campbell presents a thorough introductory discussion of black and white witchcraft, outlining their perceived roles and moral implications within Highland society. Witches are portrayed as complex and often marginalised figures, associated with both mischief and malevolence, and believed to possess powers ranging from magical transportation to the ability to cause storms, illness, and the failure of livestock.

Through vivid anecdotes and carefully recorded testimony, the book illustrates the intricate interplay between tradition, fear, and the supernatural in Highland culture. The material is organised under six principal thematic headings: Black Witchcraft, White Witchcraft, Death Warnings, Second Sight, Hobgoblins, and The Celtic Year.

xii, 314, [1] pp. 24 × 17 cm. 0.960 kg.

Decorated half cloth binding, attractive and well preserved. Good, clean text pages overall, though the front endpaper and the first five text leaves show a faint light purple stain along the upper outer margin (see picture 1). Partially uncut and unopened pages.