Letter by Andrew Lang to William A Craigie

Details

ID

ms36912

Title

Letter by Andrew Lang to William A Craigie

Description

Letter by Andrew Lang to William A Craigie


8 Gibson Place, St Andrews, March 4 [1912]
Dear Craigie,
I grant that the V. seems either much more common in Norway, or there it attracts more attention. That is proved by its possessing a name in ordinary talk, whereas Myers for the same thing here had to invent a term. Yet for Mr Kirk, in his Secret Commonwealth (about 1690,) the thing had a name, the Co-walker.
Whether this co-walker is from the Gaelic or not, I don't know. But I get firsthand cases of the V. from Rev Mr MacInnes, Glencoe. My brother John writes today that he remembers my father's V. very well.
"The step on the gravel and up the stone stairs to the front door, and then the latch key. It was not I alone who heard it, many did so." His recollection is that he "went out more than once to look".
I have any number of cases in my memory; but I don't mean that the V. is as common in practice as in Norway; and here people who come across it think but little of it. But in Glencoe it is quite recognised, whether it has a Gaelic name or not. It is amazing that Highland collectors do not know the thing. As soon as I read your article I asked Shewan (the Homeric) if he had ever heard of the V. but said that he had heard it, but had not thought about it, nor heard of it previously. Myers invented an explanation of the V; not North but general.


Yours very truly
A Lang


One of your informants talks of the "fore-walker". Much like Kirk's "Co-walker" who "goes to his own herd" when his owner dies. Are there no "fetchers" in the sagas?


Mr MacInnes told me that his brother and another lad were expected in the glen, to which they were walking. There was heavy snow and they were late but their V's knocked at the door, breakfast was made ready, and the owners of the V's, when they came, were glad to get it.

Collection

Papers of Andrew Lang

Parent record

Letters from Andrew Lang to William A Craigie Parent record level File

Hierarchy

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Date

4 March [1912]

Admin history

Sir William Alexander Craigie (1867-1957), philogist and lexicographer

Extent

• 4pp

Department

Special Collections - Archive Collections

Record level

Item

Credit line

Courtesy of the University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums, ID: ms36912