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Folk tales.

 Subject
Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Scope Note: Timeless stories or legends in popular culture that are passed down over time, often orally.

Found in 63 Collections and/or Records:

Al-faraj ba‘d al-shiddah, a Turkish manuscript, probably of the eighteenth century, written in a current, fairly readable Naskhi hand, with Persian titles in red., 18th century.

 File
Identifier: MS.2753
Scope and Contents The manuscript is a copy of the Turkish collection of tales which was based closely on a medieval Persian collection. The full complement of 42 tales is present, but not in the traditional order; there are four additional tales from other sources.The words 'Persian Tales in Turkish Translated by me into English' followed by an erased and now indecipherable signature, appear on folio 178 verso.A fuller description, by C S Mundy of the School of Oriental and African...
Dates: 18th century.

Collection of tales and verse compiled for Ronald MacDonald of Staffa, Advocate, by Iain MacMhuirich (John MacPherson), schoolmaster in Mull.

 File
Identifier: Adv.MS.73.2.1
Scope and Contents Tales and Ossianic verse written down from the recitation of Donald MacLean (born 1715), who had most of his material from his grandfather Malcolm MacPhail (Calum Mac Phail), Rothill, Torosay. Macpherson's foreword is dated April 1803; the date on the back of the final leaf gives the dating of ‘1802-3-& 4’.The contents are included as collection "P" in John Francis Campbell of Islay's 'Leabhar na Feinne' (London 1872), and page numbers are given below; see also pages...
Dates: 1802-1804, 1871.

Early plays of Robert McLellan., 1934-1950.

 File
Identifier: MS.26331
Scope and Contents

The contents are as follows. (i) Corrected typescript and page-proofs of ‘Jeddart Justice: a Border comedy’ (Glasgow, 1934) (folio l); (ii) Corrected typescript of 'The Flight of Graidhne: a Celtic folk-tale in one act', ?1934 (folio 25); (iii) Typescripts, ?1935 and 1950, of ‘The Changeling’ (folio 49). This was first published in ‘Scottish one-act plays’, edited J M Reid (Edinburgh, 1935).

Dates: 1934-1950.

Journal of John Francis Campbell written while he was travelling in the West of Scotland collecting Gaelic folklore., 1870-1871.

 File
Identifier: Adv.MS.50.2.2

'Journey in Scotland, with sketches of some picturesque ruins in that interesting country', being an account of a tour made by James Bailey, Otley, Yorkshire., 1787.

 Item
Identifier: MS.3294
Scope and Contents From the Series:

The writer set out to follow the route taken by Dr Johnson and to write a similar narrative to his ‘Journey to the Western Islands’. He describes Scotland and its people, noting particularly what is strange to an Englishman, relates his personal experiences, and tells many historical anecdotes and legends, some of which he declares to be new to him. The journal is illustrated with images copied from Adam De Cardonnel’s "Picturesque Antiquities of Scotland".

Dates: 1787.

'Journey in Scotland, with sketches of some picturesque ruins in that interesting country', being an account of a tour made by James Bailey, Otley, Yorkshire., 1787.

 Item
Identifier: MS.3295
Scope and Contents From the Series:

The writer set out to follow the route taken by Dr Johnson and to write a similar narrative to his ‘Journey to the Western Islands’. He describes Scotland and its people, noting particularly what is strange to an Englishman, relates his personal experiences, and tells many historical anecdotes and legends, some of which he declares to be new to him. The journal is illustrated with images copied from Adam De Cardonnel’s "Picturesque Antiquities of Scotland".

Dates: 1787.

'Journey in Scotland, with sketches of some picturesque ruins in that interesting country', being an account of a tour made by James Bailey, Otley, Yorkshire, from July to September 1787.

 Series
Identifier: MSS.3294-3295
Scope and Contents

The writer set out to follow the route taken by Dr Johnson and to write a similar narrative to his ‘Journey to the Western Islands’. He describes Scotland and its people, noting particularly what is strange to an Englishman, relates his personal experiences, and tells many historical anecdotes and legends, some of which he declares to be new to him. The journal is illustrated with images copied from Adam De Cardonnel’s "Picturesque Antiquities of Scotland".

Dates: 1787.

Manuscript containing a collection of tales by an anonymous Irish scribe.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.2.6
Scope and Contents A recueil of material by an anonymous Irish scribe, probably the end portion of a larger manuscript.Of the manuscript, Ingliston MS. A.i.15 (g) declares “that he [Patrick Turner] purchased the manuscript without a cover and marked No.III. from a flying stationer in Dublin, whose name he cannot recollect”.'Peter Turner Aug' is written on page 427. On the final page, page 362, in addition to being inscribed ‘N. III’, it is signed by Turner and initialled by John...
Dates: 18th century.

Manuscript containing classical Gaelic verse and tales, written by Eoghan Mac Gilleoin.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.1.36
Scope and Contents The scribe of the manuscript is Eoghan Mac Gilleoin (Hugh MacLean), in 1699 schoolmaster at Kilchenzie, Kintyre. The manuscript consisted originally of three parts. Part I was being written by 29th November 1690 (see folio 104 recto) and was still incomplete on 9th December (folio 110 verso). It was paginated by MacGilleoin at top centre of each page, save for the endpapers. Two watermarks are found, one sheet bearing the letters A D, the rest having a ‘grape’ design with the...
Dates: 1690-1691.

Manuscript containing death tales and other tales, with some religious texts.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.1.40
Scope and Contents Pages 1-12, 29-48, and 49-68 of the manuscript can all be associated through their marginalia with the Antrim MacDonalds or the Clanranald or both. Perhaps pages 1-12 were brought to Scotland on the occasion of the return from Ireland of Domhnall mac Iain Mhùideartaich and Iain, son of Brian MacMhuirich, circa 1650 (‘Reliquiae Celticae’, volume 2, page 206). As for pages 13-28, Martin Martin states (1703): ‘The life of Columbus, written in the Irish character, is in the custody of John...
Dates: 15th century-16th century.

Manuscript containing Irish tales and verse.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.1.38
Scope and Contents At page 190 a ‘Pot’ watermark (passim) indicates dating in first half of 17th century; the variety of it which occurs up to page 28 belongs notably to period 1608-1621. The chronology at page 171 points more precisely to 1618. Other watermarks appear at pages 49 and following (‘horn’) and 59 and following. Four principal scribes contributed to the work: A. Pages 5-28, 47-114, 117-142, 155-170, 175-192. Formal, slightly pointed. Charles O’Conor of Belanagare...
Dates: First half of 17th century.

Manuscript containing Irish tales and verse written by Seán Mac Cíar.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.2.5
Scope and Contents The manuscript was written (except page 68) by Seán Mac Cíar (John Short), a native of Clogher, County Tyrone, in 1738. Other hands appear in marginalia at pages 81 (‘Patt C[ ]’), 301 (including ‘Arthur Mates is this Book / and if it be Lost / or sole pray send home gain to Lucan’), 327, 330 (‘Arthur Magma [ ] is my Name and [ ] I write same So [ ]’), 332 and 334. The name of Michael MacDonald appears at pages 81, 308, 312 and 313, with the addition of ‘Kells’ at page 81 and of ‘his hand and...
Dates: 18th century.

Manuscript containing “Táin Bó Cuailnge” and other tales in Gaelic, written by Fear Feasa Ó Duibhgeannáin.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.2.9
Scope and Contents The manuscript was written by Fear Feasa Ó Duibhgeannáin, whose subscription, “Trocuire co bfagbha an tí do scriobh sin .i. Fer Fesa O Duibgennain / amen”, appears, with the name smudged, at folio 10 recto. The hand is the same as that of Royal Irish Academy 24.N.3, written by Fear Feasa Ó Duibhgeannáin in County Leitrim in 1666, and substantially the same as that of Trinity College Dublin 1394 (H.5.22), written by the same scribe in County Wexford in 1646.Scribal marginalia are...
Dates: Mid-17th century.

Manuscript containing two Bruidhean tales: ‘Bruighean Chaorthuinn’, and ‘Bruidhean Bheag na halmhaine’, written by Eoghan Mac Pháill, Dunstaffnage.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.1.34
Scope and Contents The manuscript written in circa 1603 by Eoghan Mac Pháill, Dunstaffnage, is in varying styles of handwriting. These may be described as styles 1, 2, 4 and 5. Another style (3) appears in Adv.MS.72.2.2. Style 5 is secretary, while the rest are Gaelic. It appears at pages 24, 41, 42, 45 and 47, and in a word (?‘Duntrone’) scribbled at page 13 lower margin. Style 4 is found only in unimportant marginalia (pages 39 and 41).Donald Mackintosh (1743-1808) transcribed ‘Bruidhean...
Dates: [Circa 1603.]

Manuscript containing verse and tale fragments in Gaelic.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.1.47
Scope and Contents Originally 3 separate fragments, each by a different scribe. Folios 1 and 4, are the outer leaves of a copy of ‘An Tenga Bithnua’. Date and provenance unknown, except perhaps for folio 2 (text: Ulster, 15th century).Initials and inventory numbers are as follows. Folio 1 recto: ‘No 11’ (pencil, ?hand of Lewis Gordon, Depute Secretary of the Highland Society of Scotland), ‘15’ ‘JMcH’ (James McHardy, cf. Adv.MS.72.1.43), ‘N. 4’ (scored out), ‘10’ (erased). Folio 3 recto: ‘16 JMcH’...
Dates: ?15th century-17th century.

Manuscript in Gaelic containing historical and mythological texts.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.1.28
Scope and Contents The chief hand is number 1 of Adv.MS.72.1.6 - medium to large in size, with a lack of curves and a downward tendency of many strokes, particularly noticeable in ‘g’ and ‘t’. Two hands without these characteristics relieve it at folios 3, 6 verso and 7 recto. Marginalia are mainly by these secondary hands: ‘amen’ (passim), letters of alphabet (folio 1 verso, 3 verso), ‘abair’ (folio 5 recto, 6 recto), ‘ma beandacht’ (folio 5 verso), ‘cenn’ (folio 6 recto), ‘comaimsir’ (folio 6 recto). ...
Dates: 15th century-16th century.

Manuscript in Gaelic containing mythological verse.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.72.1.19
Scope and Contents A manuscript beautifully written by a single hand, large with distinctive ‘g’, strongly seriffed. Each poem begins with a large illuminated capital, and there is much decoration besides; colouring is red. There are marginalia in later hands: ‘Amen dico vobis’ (folio 3 recto); ‘olc an litir sin agad a Eogain’ (folio 5 verso, of Adv.MS.72.1.2, folio 86 verso); ‘Ag so leabar………Briain(?) ull(?)’. The contents are as follows.About 25 quatrains, acephalous and...
Dates: 14th century-15th century.

Manuscript of “Táin Bó Cuailnge” and other tales, written by Eoghan Mac Gilleoin.

 Item
Identifier: MS.14873
Scope and Contents The manuscript was written by Eoghan Mac Gilleoin (Hugh Maclean) between 1692 and 1698. Mac Gilleoin was in 1699 schoolmaster at Kilchenzie, parish Killean and Kilchenzie, south Kintyre, (Campbell & Thomson, ‘Edward Lhuyd in the Scottish Highlands’, page 10). John MacNeill’s pedigree (folio 52 verso) was written in 1720. ‘Contracte’ is scrawled in the margin of folio 53 recto. ‘In my defence God me defend’ is written at folio 57 recto in a quaint early hand, and in the...
Dates: 1692-1698.

Microfilm of Gaelic manuscripts.

 Item
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.658
Scope and Contents The contents are as follows: Fragment of a Gaelic manuscript, 15th century, containing scholastic texts (Adv.MS.72.1.7);Manuscript, ?14th-?19th century, containing a commentary on the aphorisms of Hippocrates in Gaelic and Latin (Adv.MS.72.1.10);Medical manuscript, ?16th century, in Gaelic written by Feargus Ó Caiside (Adv.MS.72.1.11);Medical manuscript, 16th century, in Gaelic, consisting chiefly of a treatise on diets and matters ancillary to medicine,...
Dates: ?14th century-?19th century.