Some persons, even at the present day amongst the peasants, have
strange gifts and a knowledge of the hidden mysteries, but they can
only impart this knowledge when they know that death is on them, and
then it must be to a female, to an unmarried man, or to a childless
woman, for these are the most susceptible to the mysterious power by
which miracles can be worked.
A man now living at Innis-Sark has this strange and mystic gift. He
can heal diseases by a word, even at a distance, and his glance sees
into the very heart, and reads the secret thoughts of men. He never
touched beer, spirits, or meat, in all his life, but has lived entirely
on bread, fruit, and vegetables. A man who knew him thus describes
him—“Winter and summer his dress is the same, merely a flannel shirt
and coat. He will pay his share at a feast, but neither eats nor drinks
of the food and drink set before him. He speaks no English, and never
could be made to learn the English tongue, though he says it might be
used with great effect to curse one’s enemy. He holds a burial-ground
sacred, and would not carry away so much as a leaf of ivy from a
grave. And he maintains that the people are right in keeping to their
ancient usages, such as never to dig a grave on a Monday; and to carry
the coffin three times round the grave, following the course of the
sun, for then the dead rest in peace. Like the people, also, he holds
suicides as accursed; for they believe that all the dead who have been
recently buried turn over on their faces if a suicide is laid amongst
them.
“Though well off he never, even in his youth, thought of taking a wife,
nor was he ever known to love a woman. He stands quite apart from life,
and by this means holds his power over the mysteries. No money will
tempt him to impart this knowledge to another, for if he did he would
be struck dead—so he believes. He would not touch a hazel stick, but
carries an ash wand, which he holds in his hand when he prays, laid
across his knees, and the whole of his life is devoted to works of
grace and charity.”
Though now an old man he has never had a day’s sickness. No one has
ever seen him in a rage, nor heard an angry word from his lips but
once; and then being under great irritation, he recited the Lord’s
Prayer backwards, as an imprecation on his enemy. Before his death he
will reveal the mystery of his power, but not till the hand of death is
on him for certain.