The Caillech Bheur

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  1. Seannachaidh says:

    The Cailleach.  Beginning
    The Cailleach.  Beginning and Ending.

    The Cailleach (Veiled One) was the First Being to live in Scotland after the ice let go its grip on the land, many thousands of years ago.  When the storytellers see snow on the hills, they call it the Cailleach’s plaid; the Cailleach having spread said plaid on the hills after first having taken it to the great Corrievreckan Whirlpool to wash.  She had no clan affiliations, being the First, and so her plaid had no checks or stripes, being as white as the snow. 

    When she grew weary with living, she could not die; being immortal.  And so she changed herself into her favourite, earliest manifestation, that of a Giant, and lay herself down to an endless sleep.  It wasn’t in my time that she did so, or even in my grandfather’s time, but it was well within the time of the storytellers.  That is to say, a very long time ago. 

    And so time passed, and soil collected upon her body, and all the plants of the glen grew there, until all that was left to see was a mighty mountain.  Many storytellers claim their mountain was the Cailleach, but no one knows for sure.  We only know that when the mist is on the face of the mountain, any mountain, the storytellers say the Cailleach has drawn her veil across her face.

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