New Years Folklore - The Hogmanay Horror
The Stone and one of its victims…
Hogmanay, is a very important date in the Scottish calendar, the word Hogmanay refers to the last day of the old year, and has become associated with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish tradition. There are many customs associated with this date, including the giving of gifts and a tradition called first foot, where the first person to enter the house is believed to bring good fortune for the coming year.
The Presbyterian national church, discouraged the celebration of Christmas in Scotland for nearly 400 years; in fact it only became a Scottish public holiday in 1958. As such many communities celebrated Hogmanay with much vigour and enthusiasm, and the 1st and 2nd January were declared public holidays.
There is a very spooky tale, told around Hogmanay, in the parish of Birsay, on the Island of Hrossey, the largest of the Orkney Islands, located off the North East coast of Scotland. It speaks of a walking standing stone that terrorises the Islanders every New Year’s Eve. The tale is enclosed below.
In the parish of Birsay there is a Druidical stone, with a rather strange and tragic history attached to it. The legend runs that every Hogmanay night, as the clock strikes the hour of twelve, this stone begins to walk or move towards Birsay Loch. When the edge of the loch is reached it quietly dips its head into the rippling waters. Then, to remain firm and immovable until the next twelve months pass away, it as silently returns to its post.
It was never considered safe for anyone to remain out of doors at midnight, and watch its movements upon Hogmanay. Many stories are current of curious persons who dared to watch the stone’s proceedings, and who the next morning were found lying corpses by its side.
The latest story of the kind is that of a young gentleman from Glasgow, who formed the resolve to remain up all night, and find out for himself the truth or falsehood about this wonderful stone. One Hogmanay accompanied only by the cold silvery beams of the moon, the daring youth began his watch. As time wore on and the dread hour of midnight approached, he began to feel some little terror in his heart, and an eerie feeling crept slowly over his limbs. At midnight he discovered that, in his pacing to and fro, he had come between the stone and the loch; and, as he looked towards the former he fancied that he saw it move. From that moment he lost all consciousness, and his friends found him in the grey dawn lying in a faint. By degrees he came to himself; but he could not satisfy enquirers whether the stone had really moved and knocked him down on its way, or whether his imagination had conjured up the assault.
There is another tale, of a more tragic nature, related of this walking stone. One stormy December day a vessel was shipwrecked upon the shore of Birsay, and all hands save one were lost. The rescued sailor happened to find refuge in a cottage close by this stone; and, hearing the story of its yearly march, he resolved to see for himself all that human eyes might be able to discover. In spite of all remonstrance’s, he sallied forth on the last night of the old year; and, to make doubly sure, he seated himself on the very pinnacle of the stone. There he awaited the events of the night. What these were no mortal man can tell; for the first morning of the new year dawned upon the corpse of the gallant sailor lad, and local report has it that the walking stone rolled over him as it proceeded to the loch.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog my friend, now let’s raise a glass, and toast the coming New Year.
