Suspicion and Superstition

Harrower-Gray, Annie2019

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Summary

Suspicion and Superstition is a knowledgeable friend to anyone walking the Fife Coastal Path, and an entertaining companion for those wishing to explore the Fife landscape of yesteryear from the comfort of their own home. This engaging and often humorous book, blends the social, literary, cultural, political and economic changes throughout the Fife Coastline's history into a new and revealing account of its people. From the county's beginnings amongst the Picts, there developed folklore and imaginary evil that grew to epic proportions. Stories that spawned fairies, elves, and spirits in animal form, and the devil was believed to wander the kingdom disguised as a church minister. Within the coastal communities, the fisherfolk reached for the nails in their pockets and whispered 'cauld iron' when they saw a pig, for swine were the emissaries of The Devil. After The Reformation of 1560, the church administered harsh justice against adultery, fornication, drunkenness and idle swearing. From the 16th to 18th Century the persecution of witches was rampant in Fife. The atrocities that inhabit the darker side of The Kingdom's history were provoked by an ignorance careful nurtured by the church. The Scottish psyche has a colourful side too and the warm and vivid aspect of it's personality is reflected in picturesque old fishing ports such as Pittenweem, Anstruther and Crail as the author travels around the coast visiting ordinary people struggling with smugglers, The Acts of Union, The Beggar's Benison Gentleman's Club, The Second World War, tragedy and poverty.