THE CRAFT OF THE SEER

In part one I looked at the development of the craft of the seer from that of shaman of the Hunter Gatherer tribes, to that of Druid priest of the Bronze Age. We no longer have the ancient clan structures in the lands of the Gael. There are, however, still a few isolated families who follow the old customs and seek to preserve the best of their heritage that would otherwise be forgotten for all time.

So, but for a few individuals, we no longer have the Druids or the seers of the Gaidhealtachd. And yet there are many traces of this great body of knowledge carried on for centuries by dedicated men and women still to be found in the Highlands and the Western Isles. For in the heart of many a Gael there lies a yearning for the old ways and a belief that the 'Good People' may still be contacted by those with the 'Dha Shealladh', the Second Sight (literally, Two Sights).

The Highlanders are famous for this gift, yet very few of the seers have undergone any formal training as such (except, perhaps, from an older person gifted with the Sight). Even so, I would argue that they are unknowingly keeping alive a great Celtic tradition by ensuring that the lines of communication between the Gael and the magical Celtic Otherworld of his ancestors stay open.

The Sight can be inherited, but need not necessarily be so. It can manifest at any time in a person's life, young or old. To most it is an unwelcome burden, for the majority of visions tend to be of unpleasant future events, such as someone's death. Moreover, the Sight often comes upon the seer, or taibhsear, unbidden and against their will. Seers have the power to see people's 'other self', often referred to as the Co-Walker. Occasionally people can be physically harmed by their own 'double', for if an inexperienced seer takes fright at the vision and throws a dirk (a Highland dagger) or some other object at the apparition, at that moment the physical person can be injured or struck blind.

Seers are also noted for their ability to 'see' events happening a great distance away, perhaps even overseas. Seers can also ascertain the appearance of someone's future wife or husband.

The visions of a seer are taken very seriously by most, for they know that they ignore signs at their own peril. One of the strongest warning signs that people in the Western Isles observe concerns boats. If a seer perceived anything unusual near the boat (especially a red haired woman) it would be avoided by all on that day.

Visions concerning an approaching death of someone have been well documented, and seem to appear in a consistent manner to many seers in different historical eras. There would seem to be a deeply rooted belief that if an ordinary person sees their own double, then their death is imminent. Many testimonies have been given to support this belief. A seer, however, will be given signs in other ways, most notably the sight of a shroud about the person soon to die. This shroud may be seen in various stages of covering the person, moving up from the waist towards the head as their fated hour approaches. Another common vision is that of seeing blue, quivering lights near the bed of someone about to die, or bright lights in the sky (known as a 'dreag') at night which would descend downwards on the house where a death was to take place.

As well as visions, seers may also hear the 'taisg', a cry heard outdoors foretelling death. This brings to mind the Irish Ban Sidhe, the fairy woman who is heard crying and wailing the death lament when one of the ancient Irish nobility is about to die.

Up until this century, much of Highland life was regulated by a whole series of customs, taboos, omens, auspicious and inauspicious days and so on. There were 'lucky' times for doing certain things - setting out on a journey, starting a new venture, getting married and so on, and consequently there were 'unlucky' times too. The seer noted carefully the 'rathadach' (lucky signs) and the 'rosadach' (unlucky signs), particularly those that appeared during The Frith, the method of divination that has been used by Highland seers for centuries. This is such an important aspect of seership that I will explain it as follows:

The frither or seer must prepare him or herself before sunrise, having fasted during the night and meditated on the purpose of the divination. He or she will take proper steps for protection during the Frith, using various means, firstly, by the wearing of protective amulets such as amethyst or other gemstones, a cluster of rowan berries, protective herbs such as sage and so on. Secondly, the seer will invoke the aid of the 'God of the Unseen' to give him the "eolas" (knowledge) while reciting an invocation such as the following:

"Son of beauteous Mary, King of life,
Give thou me eyes to see all my quest
with grace that shall never fail before me
that shall never quench or dim".

After this important preparation, the seer will perform the Frith in a manner similar to the following account from South Uist:

"...and then [the seer] walks deiseil or sunwards round the house, his eyes being closed till he reaches the door sill, when he opens them, and looking through a circle made of his finger and thumb, judges of the general character of the omen by the first object on which his eye has rested."

The most auspicious day for the making of the Frith is the first Monday of the Quarter - in other words, the first moon day after each Quarter festival. (The attribution of days of the week is a fairly late custom). I would equate this with the dawn following the first sighting of the waxing crescent moon after the festival. It is important that the crescent moon is sighted before attempting the Frith. It can normally be sighted on the third or fourth evening from the New Moon, just after sunset.

There are many possible signs that seers will take note of. The sight of a man standing is a sign of health; a man approaching is a very good sign; a browned haired man or woman is a lucky sign, but a red haired or blond haired woman is unlucky. A man or woman lying down is unlucky; a man going away is also a bad sign. A bird on the wing is generally a very good sign, except for a raven or crow. In particular, if the seer catches sight of a foal or snail, or hears a cuckoo (a sign of someone's infidelity) any morning before breaking his fast, it is a sign that the day will not go well.

Whatever the seer perceives should not be called by its proper name out loud, for it was believed by Gaels that to call something was to unwittingly invoke its 'power'. For this reason, throughout the Highlands, a myriad 'substitute' names have been found. Though many of these names have now fell into disuse, this custom (and many others) is still strongly adhered to by sea faring peoples. This power of the spoken word explains why so many Highland seers are reluctant to speak of their visions, for to speak of such things can influence them or even bring them about.

The craft of the seer is only one of a number of divinatory practises. Generally speaking, the seer uses few 'aids' (unlike the augur who will use the shoulder bone of a sheep to foresee events). He may possess a 'hagstone', a holed stone through which he will gaze to access the Sight. Such stones are sacred to the Goddess in her hag aspect as the bringer of wisdom.

Another tool associated with seership is the scrying mirror. Many examples of such mirrors have been found, worked in bronze with intricate spiral designs. The majority of seers of today will also practise pyromancy, the art of fire gazing, for they say that visions can be seen more clearly, in finer detail, through the flames of a fire.

Most Highland Seers are men. They normally lead solitary lives. This is not for any religious or moral reason but because this would seem to be a requirement for following the craft of seership. There are female seers, too, but they tend to be old spinsters, or young girls, (note that in both cases they have to be childless). However, we do have to bear in mind that the influence of the Church has played a significant role in labelling all such practises by women as 'evil', and we must not forget that in the last few centuries women following these old ways have greatly suffered at the hands of the Church.

Two notable Highland Seers of historical times are the Reverend Robert Kirk, author of 'The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies', and Coinneach Odhar, the legendary Brahan Seer of Kintail. Both these men are worthy of mention here:

Robert Kirk, minister of Aberfoyle, wrote his remarkable book in 1691, in which he describes the nature of fairyland, the Celtic otherworld, as a very real place, with its own laws and a hierarchical order of inhabitants, who he describes in this way:

"[they are]...of intelligent studious Spirits, and light changeable bodies, like those called Astral, somewhat of the nature of a condensed cloud, and best seen in twilight".

It is from this 'Secret Commonwealth' that seers receive their communication in the form of visions or signs. According to Kirk, it is even possible for mortals to journey there. However, there is always a danger that the person concerned might not be able to return to this world (this is said to have happened to Kirk himself). In particular, on the four Celtic festivals, the Quarter Days, seers had to take extra care, for the Sidhe travelled abroad at such times and unsuspecting seers might have terrifying encounters with them.

Two quite remarkable passages in the book deal with methods of gaining the Second Sight. The first (below) describes how a 'curious person' can be temporarily imbued with the Sight, with the help of an experienced seer:

"The usual method for a curious person to get a transient Sight of this otherwise invisible crew of Subterraneans...is to put his [left foot under the seer's right] foot and the seer's hand is put on the inquirer's head, who is to look over the Wizard's right shoulder...then he will see a multitude of Wights, like furious hardie Men, flocking to him, hastily from all Quarters, as thick as Atoms in the Air".

The second passage describes a ceremony of an initiatory nature, but warns the 'apprentice' of the potential dangers involved:

"He must run a tedder of hair (which bound a corpse to a bier) in a helix about his middle from end to end, and then bow his head downwards, and look back through his legs until he sees a funeral advance, till the people cross two Marches; or look thus back through a hole where there was a knot of fir. But if the wind changes point while the hair tedder is tied about him, he is in peril of his life."

Crossing two marches means crossing from one boundary line into another - hence it is one of those 'in between' places I have spoken of. Helix probably refers to a kind of ivy - a tree of binding. The knot of fir refers to a hole in a fir tree - looking through a hole in a tree is a shamanistic practise for seeing between the worlds. It is interesting to note the links with death and funerals, for the world of the Sidhe is also the world of the Dead and the ancestors.

It would seem that the gift of the Sight is dependent upon having a strong link with the land of your birth, for when seers from the Highlands emigrate to other countries, they seem to lose the Sight altogether.

It is interesting to compare the work of Evan Wentz early this century, 'The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries', in which many testimonies were taken from Celtic peoples concerning the nature of fairyland. The descriptions given are incredibly similar to those in Kirk's book, yet the books are over two hundred years apart!

However, in publishing the book Kirk broke the taboo of secrecy that the Sidhe impose on those mortals they have communicated with. Legend has it that as a result Kirk himself was taken to live with them under the Fairy Knowe, where he remains to this day.

Coinneach Odhar (Kenneth MacKenzie) is the most famous seer of the Gaidhealtachd. He was born on the Isle of Lewis at the beginning of the seventeenth century and achieved great fame throughout the Highlands for his gift of the Second Sight, said to have been given to him by the sidhe. When he was still a young boy he was led to a special stone (a holed stone) which, when looked through, enabled him to see into the future. Many of his prophecies have come true and have been recited from generation to generation, such as the following:

When walking over Culloden Moor one time, he predicted a great slaughter would take place for the Highland clans, which indeed came to pass in the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

He foresaw the Age of Railways, referring to the railway tracks as "black bridleless horses".

He made a number of predictions concerning the Highland Clearances: "the day will come when the Big Sheep will overrun the country to its northmost shore"; and:

"the clans will become so effeminate as to flee from their native hills before an army of sheep".

The Brahan Seer foresaw the age of piped gas and water: "the day will come when fire and water shall run in streams through all the streets and lanes of Inverness. (Installed in 1829).

He made two predictions concerning 'Tomnahurich', the fairy hill of Inverness. He said that: "ships will one day sail round the back of it" (in 1847 the Caledonian canal was built). Also, he said that one day the Fairy Hill would be under lock and key and the fairies secured within. In 1860 it was made into a cemetery.

The Brahan Seer made a great many predictions, some quite bizarre, some as yet unfulfilled. Sadly, the people of his own era did not appreciate his gift, and he was cruelly burnt to death in a barrel of tar on the Black Isle. There is to this day a stone marking the place. It is said that just before he went into the barrel, he threw away his precious stone into a pool, saying that those who brought this crime upon him would never possess the stone nor ever know its secret. Where the stone landed, loch Ussie is said to have burst forth.

Yet this greatest of seers is not forgotten, for he is but one more link in the endless web, the true dreaming of the Gael, who sees with one eye in this world, while the other looks into the world beyond with a deep longing. And I leave you with the legend of Bobaran the druid when he comes upon the white wolf of Emhain Abhlach:

Bobaran took from the hollow at the top of his clarsach nine shrunken red berries of the rowan. Three he threw at the white wolf, and cried:

"I put speech upon thine old wisdom."

Three he threw into the air above his head, and cried:

"Tear the mist, o wind".

And three he put into his mouth, muttering:

"By him of the Hazel Tree, and by the Salmon of Knowledge, let seeing be upon me".
(Fiona MacLeod: Honey of the Wild Bees)