The Legends and Myths of Scotland

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1

Narrators

are dressed

as witches

and ghosts

Narrator 1

Narrator 2

Narrator 3

Narrator 1

Narrator 2

Narrator 3

Narrator 1: We, the witches, fairies and ghosts of Scotland, are famous all over the

world

Narrator 2: People tell bedtime stories to their children so they behave well and go to

sleep fast

Narrator 3: Famous authors write great books about us

Narrator 1: Each generation adds more scary details and new myths to the existing

legends

Narrator 2: Today you will hear and see some of the most famous one… Beware of us!

Narrator 3: So let the story begin….

2

witches

3 witches

come on

stage from

the

audience –

5

th

form

Witch 1

Witch 2

Witch 3

Witch 1: THE belief in witches was universal.

Witch 2: The witch was usually an old woman, who lived in a lonely house by herself,

and kept all her affairs very much herself.

Witch 3: My power, derived from evil spirit, was very great, and ranged over almost

everything. By various ways I could cause disease in man and beast; raise storms to

destroy crops, sink ships, and do other destructive work; steal cows' milk, and keep

myself well supplied with milk and butter, though I had no cow.

Witch 1: At times, however, I used my power for the benefit of those who pleased me. I

could cure diseases, discover stolen goods, and tell who the thief was. Such women as

me were dreaded, and all neighbours tried to stay on good terms with us.

Witch 2: If I asked a favour, people did what I wanted, however much it cost to do so.

If one was unfortunate enough to fall out with us, something bad was sure to happen to

Witch 1

Witch 2

Witch 3

Witch 1

the offender in no long time after the quarrel.

Witch 3: A horse died, or the cow's milk was taken away, or an arm or a leg was

broken, or a hand was cut, or disease fell on the offender or on some member of the

family. Sometimes the witch, instead of sending upon her enemy a single disaster, set

herself to give all manner of petty annoyances

Witch 1: The power of witchcraft was sometimes possessed by men. It was also

inherent in certain families, and went down from generation to generation.

The

witches

dance

After the

dance of

the witches

the priest,

followed by

other

people

comes out

to the

music of

Gregorian

choral

music, the

witches run

away from

the stage in

panic

3

Fairies

7

th

formers

Narrator

Fairy 1

Narrator 1: All people of Scotland believed in Fairies.

Fairy 1: People said we lived inside green sunny hillocks and knolls, beside a river, a

Fairy 2

Fairy 3

Fairy 1

Fairy 2

Fairy 3

Fairy 1

Fairy 2

stream, or a lake, or by the sea in gorgeous palaces

Fairy 2: People said that we, fairies, had wells called "fairy wells. "Everybody who

paid a visit to such wells left something in them--a pin, a button for luck. (Throws a

button into the well)

Fairy 3: We, fairies, appeared to people as men and women, dressed in green.

Fairy 1: We never liked the name “fairy” and we brought bad luck to people who called

us fairies, so people started calling us "the fair folk,"

Fairy 2: We liked sometimes to tease people

Fairy 3: So people became cautious and made sovereign guards against us, for example

a stone arrow--"a fairy dairt" or "elf-shot"—and put it by the door.

Fairy 1: If people were unlucky to build a house on a spot where we lived, we played

many tricks and jokes on them.

Fairy 2: When the family gathered by the blazing fire, we made a lot of noise, for

example a noise of a spinning wheel, or an animal, or a musical instrument (imitate

here the sounds)

Fairy 3: So the families got scared and had to pay us, so we could be kinder to them.

Sometimes they could even see us dancing in the room but if they tried to catch us – we

quickly ran away.

Fairy 1: Every seven years people had to pay us tribute so we would be kind to their

children

– (to TV) – It’s time to pay for every child with gold coins

Fairy 2: If a man or a woman did any one of us a kindness, we were grateful and kind

to such families and gave them lucky charms for success, money and good health.

Fairy 1 goes

to Tatiana

Vasilievna

After some

Fairy 3

Fairy 1

Fairy 2

Fairy 3

Fairy 1

Fairy 3: We, the "fair folk" were most skilled in music and dancing, and to finish the

story about us we want to dance our magic dance to make you lucky.

Fairy 1: Let’s play a game. We, fairies, make a gate with our hands and a tree branch.

You make two circles and dance around our gates. As soon as the gates close – that’s

when we put the branch down and we catch two people from the circles, they

become gates instead of us and we join the circles. Let’s the fun begin!

time there is

a sound of a

cockerel.

Everybody

run away

from the

stage

4

Ghosts

7-formers

The silent

ghost

appears and

walks

through the

Narrator 1

Narrator 2

Lady Ghost

Ghost 2

Narrator 1: Ghost stories are loved by everyone. Each country has a large number of

ghost stories but Scotland is one of the most famous countries for ghosts.

Narrator 2: Long time ago there was hardly a mansion in the country in which there

was not a haunted room. In one room a lady had been murdered and her body buried in

a vault below it. Her spirit could find no rest till she had told who the murderer was,

and pointed out where the body lay.

Lady ghost: “I was killed in the middle of the room and buried under the carpet in the

vault…I know who my murderer is…Please find him!”

Ghost 2: In another, a baby-heir had its little life taken by the next heir after the baby.

The heir got the estate but the spirit of the baby could find no peace. Night after night

the spirit returned at midnight to the place and spent long hours till dawn cock-crowing,

when everything of the supernatural had to disappear.

Ghost 3: The walls of another castle had bones of the dead people, who were killed by

the relatives for the inheritance. They appear each night and walk along the castle to

scare its inhabitants.

Ghost 4: Generation after generation we, the troubled spirits, or ghosts, return to the

scene of our life, and wait till appears bold enough to stay in the haunted room

stage

Three

ghosts in

chains walk

through the

hall from

the back

door,

howling

A silent

person

appears and

does the

actions

Ghost 3

Ghost 4

Ghost 1

Ghost 2

overnight, and question us what we want.

Ghost 1: He dares to face us, about nightfall has to enter the room, caring, a chair, a

candle, a chalk, a crucifix, and a Bible. (A person enters…)

Ghost 2 With the chalk he casts a circle on the middle of the floor, large enough to hold

the chair and the table. He must sit in this circle on the chair and the table, put a Bible

and a crucifix on the table beside the lighted candle. He opens the Bible, and waits for

the coming of the spirit.

Ghost 3: Exactly at midnight the spirit comes. This person has to ask us what we want.

When this is done, we, the spirits rest ever after.

(A spirit of the man appears…does the actions)

Ghost 4:He is asked in God's name, what he wants.

Silent man: What do you want?

Ghost 4: The spirit stops, and tells his wishes. His wishes are carried out, and the spirit

is in peace.

Ghost 2: When a murder has been committed and not discovered, we continue to come

back and torment the murderer till a confession of the crime is made, and justice

satisfied.

Ghost 3: The belief was that not only houses, but also that certain spots, woods, parts of

public roads, bridges, and some churchyards were haunted by ghosts. In one spot

candles have burned night after night. In another the church-bell in this churchyard has

been heard ringing at midnight loud above the howl of the storm. Those who were

Ghost 3

Ghost 4

Silent man

Ghost 4

Ghost 2

Ghost 3

aware of such haunted places, after nightfall made a long round-about to avoid passing

them

The sounds

of the

church bell.

Then to the

tune “Ghost

Busters”

three people

come out

and go after

the ghosts.

The ghosts

run away

5

Water-

Kelpie

s

5-th

formers

Witch 1

Witch 2

Witch 1

Witch 2

Witch 1: WATERKELPIE was a creature that lived in the deep pools of rivers and

streams. He had commonly the form of a black horse. He appeared at night, and often

the travellers, passing through fords or over old bridges, heard him go splash, splash

through the water.

Witch 2: At times he approached the traveller, and by some means or other induced him

to mount him. He rushed to his pool, and carried the unsuspecting victim around it. Not

many survived.

Witch 1: At times he would come night after night to a farm and cause great fear and

much annoyance to cattle.

Witch 2: He might be caught, and when caught he could be made to do much heavy

work. He who was to catch him had to watch for an opportunity of casting over his head

a bridle with the sign of the cross. When this was done the creature became quite

Witch 1: He was commonly employed in carrying stones to build a mill or a farmshed;

and, when he was again set free, he took his leave and never was seen again

Witch 2: In many of the deep streams and rivers guardian-demons resided, and it was

The fairy

appears

(Kristina),

whistles

and all the

witches

run after

her

Witch 1

Witch 2

dangerous to bathe in them. It was the common opinion that some rivers and streams

were more bloodthirsty than others.

6

The

Legend

7

th

formers

Narrator 2

Narrator 1

Narrator 2: Let’s follow the creatures into the magic world

Narrator 1: a lad called the Fairy Boy of Leith, acted as a drummer to the elves, who

Narrator 2

Gentlema

n

Lady

Gentlema

n

weekly held rendezvous in the Calton Hill, near Edinburgh.

Narrator 2: There was once a gentlemen, who told me the story of the fairy boy so I’ll

call his spirit to tell you the story

The spirit of the gentleman: "About fifteen years since, having business that detained

me for some time at Leith, which is near Edinburgh, in the kingdom of Scotland, I often

met some of my acquaintance at a certain house there. the woman who kept the house

was of honest reputation among the neighbours, which made me give the more attention

to what she told me one day about a fairy boy (as they called him), who lived about that

town. Аnd not long after, passing that way, she told me there was the fairy boy.

The spirit of the woman (appearing from the other side): Look you, sir, yonder he is

at play with those other boys; (the boy appears from the other side)

The spirit of the gentleman: “Oh, here are some coins! Come with me, Lad, I want to

have a talk”

Narrator 2: The fairy boy, attracted by the sound of money, followed the gentleman

and the lady into the house where the gentleman asked him some questions, which he

answered with great subtilty. While answering the questions, he seemed to make a

motion like drumming upon the table with his fingers/

The spirit of the gentleman: “Can you beat a drum?”

The fairy boy: Yes, sir, as well as any man in Scotland; for every Thursday night I beat

all points to a sort of people that used to meet under yonder hill (pointing to the great

hill between Edenborough and Leith.)

The spirit of the gentleman: How, boy? what company have you there?

The fairy boy: There is a great company both of men and women, and they are

entertained with many sorts of music, besides my drum; they have, besides, plenty of

Narrator 2

Gentlema

n

Boy

Gentlema

n

Boy

variety of meats and wine, and many times we are carried into France or Holland in a

night, and return again, and whilst we are there we enjoy all the pleasures the country

doth afford.

The spirit of the gentleman: How did the get under that hill?

The fairy boy: There is a great pair of gates that open to them, and they are invisible to

others; and within there are brave large rooms, as well accommodated as most in

Scotland.

The spirit of the gentleman: How should I know what you said to be true?

The fairy boy: I would read you fortune now…, (brooding) ….You should have two

wives, and t both would be very handsome women.

The spirit of the woman: (coming into the room) And what should my fortune be, little

fortune-teller?

The fairy boy: You’ll have no husband and no children for you are so unkind!

The spirit of the woman: Go away! Leave my house and never come back!

The spirit of the gentleman: I promised the boy him some more money and got a

promise of him to meet me at the same place, in the afternoon, the Thursday following,

and so dismist him at that time. The boy came again, at the place and time appointed,

and I had prevailed with some friends to continue with me, if possible, to prevent his

moving that night.

Narrator 2: The boy came and was kept by several gentlemen inside the house and

answered many questions about their fortune until, about eleven of the clock, he was

got away unperceived by the company/

Narrator 1: The gentleman tried to take hold of the fairy boy but. suddenly missing

Gentlema

n

Boy

Gentlema

n

Boy

Lady

Boy

Lady

Gentlema

n

him, hasted to the door, and caught him there. The fairy boy returned to the room. All

the Gentlemenn watched him, and, of a sudden, he again got out of doors;

Narrator 2: They followed him close, and he made a noise in the street as if he had

been set upon; but from that time nobody could ever see him. Although some people say

that they can hear his drumming music in the dead of the night.

After the

end of

speech

there is

the sound

of the

Narrator 2

Narrator 1

Narrator 2

drum.

Then the

priest

enters,

walking

with the

crucifix

and the

candle. He

walks into

the circle.

The light

goes off.

All the

characters

come out

on stage

and stand

in a semi-

circle by

the

priest,as if

trying to

get him.

Then

everybody

bow.

There is a

sound of a

cockerel.

The lights

turn on.

Everybod

y leave the

stage