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Nicnevin, Mother of Witches, or Queen of Elphame?

Nicnevin is a very obscure figure in faerylore about whom there is a great amount left up for conjecture within Celtic folklore. The first written record of the name shows up in c.1585, with Alexander Montgomerie’s Flytting, but the name was also given to a woman condemned to death for Witchcraft: Kate McNiven (Scotland: Myth, Legend & Folklore, Stuary McHardy, Luath Press 1999.) Her name may derive from the Gaelic surname Neachneohain, meaning "daughter of the divine" and/or "daughter of Scathach", or it may come from NicNaoimhein meaning "daughter of the little saint". The meaning of her name is unknown, although some of the official etymology says a similar name NicClerith (daughter of the cleric) is given in the 17th century to someone said to be a close relative of Nicnevin (DSL, 2017). Other theories claim the name is NicNemhain, or daughter of Nemhain, which is pronounced as Nevin, connecting her to the Irish war goddess Nemhain. A commentator on Campbell also offers the alternate spelling of NicCreamhain, which he suggests comes from Craoibhean, 'little tree man', as the ultimate source for the name Nicnevin (Campbell, 1900). Some favor the idea that it comes from Nic Cnàimhan, meaning daughter of the bones, but really it's all conjecture.

Nicnevin's more horrifying aspects from folklore were apparently used as threats by mothers to ensure their children's good behavior from the 16th century onward, as it seems she was portrayed as a witch and queen of witches, as well as a Faery Queen. She is often depicted as a queen of the Unseelie Court of Scotland. The truth of her nature, her associated powers and aspects is lost to us and shrouded in mystery now, coming to us only in seldom found clues and obscure references.

She first appears in literature in a poem by the Scottish poet, Alexander Montgomerie who recorded her name for us in a 16th century banter, his Flytting Betwixt Polwart and Mongomery, where he describes her in this translation to modern English:

† "Then a ready company came, soon after close, [?][closse]
  Nicnevin with her nymphs, in number enough
  With charms from Caithness and the Canonry of Ross
  Whose cunning consists in casting a ball of yarn... [?][††a clew]
  The King of Fairy, and his Court, with the Elf Queen,
  with many elvish Incubi was riding that night."

†† Clew is usually meant as ball of thread, but may also be an island, a sunbeam, or a gleam of light.

This is intriguing for a few reasons, as the poem says she appears with her nymphs - probably a general term for female faeries or maids - in 'number enough', generating an idea of a host, coming after a prior line referring to her appearing with a "company". She has charms [read as: enchantments] from Caithness and Ross, both counties separated by Sutherland, but in territory representing the northernmost area of Scotland, giving us a geographic location of origin for her. We are also told her cunning or skill consists in casting clews, balls of yarn or thread, but possibly glimmers or flashes of light. One might possibly surmise this as a method of divination or ensnarement.

This also connects her to the Gyre Carling, who is strongly connected to wool and spinning. In Lowland Scotland, the blend of Celtic, Norse and Saxon cultural influences led to the Cailleach being referred to as the Gyre Carling. "Gyre" comes from a Scandinavian word ascribed to a primal giantess much like the Cailleach, while "Carling" or "Carlin" in the Lowland Scots is equivalent to the Gaelic word "Cailleach", crone. In Scottish folklore, it was always understood that the Lowland Gyre Carling and the Highland Cailleach were the same being, but they are also confusingly conflated with Black Annis and Habetrot. In fact, it's not possible to discuss NicNevin in all fairness without touching upon shared similarities and aspects of several of the conflated pantheon of other Celtic goddesses as well.

The poem goes on to describe the Faery Rade she is seen with as being a potential threat, mentioning that they are accompanied by many elvish Incubi (a common reference to demons as a Christian influenced substitution for dangerous faeries), and it says she is riding with an unidentified Faery King (Briggs, 1976). This connects her with the Good Neighbors and counts her among their number, as their Queen of Elphame.

Sir Walter Scott describes her in greater detail in his Letters on Demonologie and Witchcraft: "...a gigantic and malignant female...who rode on the storm and marshalled the rambling host of wanderers under her grim banner. This hag...was called Nicneven in that later system which blended the faith of the Celts and of the Goths on this subject. The great Scottish poet Dunbar has made a spirited description of this witch riding at the head of witches and good neighbours (faeries, namely), sorceresses and elves, indifferently, upon the ghostly eve of All-Hallow Mass." (Scott, 1831).

From this we see an association between Nicnevin and storms, we also see her called a witch and described as leading a host of witches and faeries. In the 200-odd years between these two depictions of her, her standing with witches has gone from something hinted at to having her skill with magic and charms something acceded as obvious. In the same way the description of the host she rides with has intensified and become more patently dangerous, riding, as Scott says, 'under her grim banner'.

She is also associated in this quote with 'All-Hallow Mass', however, due to the calendar shift in 1752, which moved dates by 11 days when it went into effect, she became strongly associated with Novemeber 11th, the older date of Scots Gaelic, Oidhche Samhna we now know as Hallowe'en or Samhain. Because of this we see her being honoured on both the new and old dates of the holiday. On the evening of November 10, Old November Eve, the ancient Scottish festival of Old November Eve was held to prepare for Lunantshees. Nicnevin, as Goddess of the Hunt was venerated with prayers and feasts. It was believed she rode through the air with her entourage, (the wild hunt supposedly being a host of ghost riders in the sky) from 9 at night until dawn and sometimes even made herself visible to mortals in other forms.

Then on November 11, Old November 1 Day, it was thought to be a day when the Celtic Sidhe faries, (seen as being evil), were to be appeased and honoured in the festival known as the Lunantshees. This is all information gathered from reading old journals and by talking to various people, which should be considered anecdotal or personal correspondence, as nothing in actual scholarly recorded history or folklore supports this. So "it is said", people today call November 11th 'Nicnevin's Night', while other people believe she rides out with her eldritch Elphame company between October 31st and November 11th on her 'Wild Hunt' for the mortal souls of the wicked to steal.

One old tale still told by Galloway Scots may uphold Nicnevin's prowess as an ancient Celtic "goddess". One Samhain, during her night ride at the head of the hunt, the ocean whitecaps snared some of her ghastly company's low-flying riders. Furious, the Huntress struck out with her slachdan and magically transformed the local geography. This Galloway story recalls to us the connection between Nicevenn the Huntress and the Cailleach, Hag of Winter. Both "goddesses" being elemental powers who grow stronger as the days grow shorter; and they both ride forth from Ben Nevis on Samhain eve, carrying a slachdan, a wand of power with which they can shape the land at will. There may, or may not be value in today's ideas sprung up around Nicnevin.

Nicnevin is often identified as a witch, being called the "Grand Mother Witch". Her name was also used as a name in general for powerful witches (Scott, 1820). In later witchcraft trials those accused were intentionally connected to the folkoric Nicnevin to further impugn them and intimate their guilt (Miller, 2004). There is evidence of three women in the witch trial records of Scotland with last names similar to Nic Nevin who were accused and executed for practicing witchcraft. One, given to a woman condemned to death for Witchcraft: Kate McNiven (McHardy S., 1999).

"This name, generally given to the Queen of the Fairies, was probably bestowed upon her [Kate McNiven] on account of her crimes." Pref. to Law's Memor. xxviii, N. (Supplement to the Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language: Volume Two by John Jamieson).

The connection of NicNevin to witches is complex, with her being envisioned as both a witch herself, and also as the highest of all witches. In some accounts she was a human witch who was burned at the stake in 1569 northeast of Edinburgh, while others claim her as the Queen of witches (Miller, 2004). She is also explicitly called the Queen of Faeries by sir Walter Scott writing at the beginning of the 19th century and in Montgomerie's 16th century poem. Recall for a moment how Sir Walter Scott claimed the title Nicenven was sometimes given to Witches of certain stature. For example, in Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, he cites a certain ritual led by "the sorceress Marion MacIngarach, the chief priestess, or Nicneven, of the company."

Adding further to this association, a mention can be found in The Historie and Life of King James the Sext (1825) that in 1569, at St. Andrews, "a notable sorceress callit Nic Neville, was condammit to the death."

In 1643, 74 years later, a man named John Brughe was put on trial for Witchcraft, which he had supposedly learned from a widow by the name of Noance VcClerich. VcClerich was said to be the sister of Nik Neiving who was noted as being "that notorious and infamous witch in Monzie." Some have speculated this "Witch of Monzie" may have been the woman named Kate McNevin who lived in the area and was supposedly executed as a Witch in 1615, 28 years earlier.

Lowland Scots also believed the Gyre Carling could appear in the form of a beautiful witch or queen of the Unseelie Court of sinister fairies. This "Queen of Elphame" was supposed to be worshiped by the Scottish witches, and sixteenth century witchcraft trial documents make many references to her, including the statement saying she could be young or old at will. According to Scottish folklore, she rides out every Hallowe'en at the head of her spirit army on a Wild Hunt. Both the attractive "witch queen" form of the Gyre Carling and the lead witch of any coven of Scottish witches were supposedly referred to by the same name: Nicnevin.

Some scholars think Nicnevin is a Gaelic last name referring to a saint, but this seems like skepticism merely for the sake of being skeptical. One of the names of the Irish Sovereignty goddess known as the Morrigan was Neamhain or "Frenzy," and in Gaelic NicNeamhain means "Daughter of Neamhain" and therefore "Daughter of the Morrigan." Neamhain is pronounced "nevin."

So we are led to believe the Cailleach supposedly changes into Bride during the summer months, yet the Cailleach's younger alter-ego in the winter months is referred to as the "Daughter of Neamhain" or daughter of the Morrigan as well. One thought as an aside is, that Brighid is also said to bestow creative abilities. Bride was thought to be the Celtic goddess of wisdom, excellence, perfection, intelligence, craftsmanship (forges and blacksmithing being her specialty), poetic eloquence, healing ability, druidic knowledge, and skill in warfare.

Herein lies another antithesis, as this either diminishes the folkloric tradition that Faeries and witches alike are repelled by iron, while it may at the same time even be disqualifying Brighid, often depicted as being busy at her forge, as being connected to the Queen of Elphame.

It also brings to the mind another ancient myth about a legendary and goddess connected Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher, Scáthaich (Scottish Gaelic: Sgàthaich an Eilean Sgitheanach), thought to have forged her own weapons, who, according to the folios of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, trained the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat. She was thought to epitomize all the traits of the warrior goddess, the Mórríghan. She is called "the Shadow" and "Warrior Maid" and was the rival and sister of Aífe, both daughters of Árd-Greimne of Lethra. The old Irish texts describe her homeland as Scotland (Alpeach), where she has been especially associated with the Isle of Skye, at her residence, Dún Scáith, or "Dun Sgáthaich" (Fortress of Shadows), which is said to have stood on the Cuillin, thought to be near where Dunvegan Castle stands today. Either more food for thought, or possibly just another mind tease to add to the overall "goddess" confusion.

However, interpretations have the Cailleach and Brìghde as two aspects of the same goddess, while others describe the Cailleach as turning to granite on Bealltainn while Brìghde rules the agricultural months and reverting back to female form from stone on Samhainn to rule over the winter months. Depending on the local climates, the transfer of power between the winter goddess and the summer goddess is celebrated any time between Là Fhèill Brìghde (February 1) at the earliest, Latha na Cailliche (March 25), or Bealltainn (May 1) at the latest, and the local festivals marking the arrival of the first signs of spring may be named after either the Cailleach or after Brìghde.

If she intends to make the winter last a while longer, the Cailleach will make sure the weather on February 1 is bright and sunny in order to gather plenty of firewood to keep herself warm in the coming cold. As a result, people are generally relieved if February 1 is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep, will soon run out of firewood, and therefore winter is almost over. On the Isle of Man, where She is known as Caillagh ny Groamagh, the Cailleach is said to have been seen in the form of a gigantic bird, carrying sticks in her beak.

In Scotland, the Cailleach, the greedy old blue crone, despite being portrayed as being as sinister an entity as Macha, another Irish goddess of sovereignty and death she's closely associated with and a goddess said to be the sister of Neamhain, or the Morrigan, she also performs some of the functions of Bride. Bride is particularly associated with midwives in Gaelic lore, and in volume eight of Calderwood’s "History of the Kirk of Scotland" there is a reference to a midwife from 1582 describing her as "Nicknevin’s daughter."

If Bride is the patron saint of midwives but a midwife is a "daughter of Nicnevin," does this mean Bride and Nicnevin are the same entity in some sense? A fair question, because in Irish lore Brighid is the daughter of the Dagda and the Morrigan is referred to as the Dagda's wife. Many modern pagans consider Brighid to be the daughter of the Morrigan, who is also alluded to as a Queen of Elphame, but it's a question research gives us no answer to other than contradictions, yet one must again recall the taboo against iron.

Nicnevin and the Gyre Carlin are closely inter-related and possibly names for the same being. As sir Walter Scott says: "The faery queen is identified, in popular tradition, with the Gyre Carline, or mother witch, of the Scottish peasantry. She is sometimes termed Nicneven." (Scott, 1802). The association to the Gyre Carlin is a convoluted one, because she may be a separate entity who also has overlapping witch/elphame connections, or she may be Nicnevin by a different name. Certainly the two have very similar characteristics and associations.

The name Gyre Carlin breaks down to gyre, in which gyre is possibly cognate of the Norse word geri and thus having the meaning of 'greedy', or it may originate from the Norse gýgr meaning 'ogress', 'hobgoblin, supernatural monster', plus, carlin or carline, used in both Scots and English which translates as 'old woman', but is often an euphemism for 'a witch, a crone'. The Gyre Carlin herself, or perhaps themselves, as they may be a category of being and individuals, is described as both a witch and a supernatural woman. She is maligned as a giant hag with a taste for the flesh of good Christian men, as mentioned in The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy (1508) and the poem The Gyre Carling mentioned in the Bannatyne MS.

She is most often linked with the area around Fife, where it's said housewives who don't finish their spinning before the end of the year will have their unspun flax still on their distaffs taken by her (DSL, 2017). The Gyre Carlin was not only known in one location, however, with her lore found around Scotland and the Orkneys. She was connected to the faeries, for both were sayd to steal or bewitch babies, and she was also thought in the Orkney Islands to live in the ancient neolithic mounds, as did the Faery Folk (Barry, 1867). The Gyre Carlin was said to be especially active on Hallowe'en [Samhain], New Years, and the time between Candlemas [Imbolc] and Fasteneen [Lent] (DSL, 2017).

Another description of Nicnevin, which directly conflates her with the Gyre Carlin, comes to us from a 19th century source: "… a celebrated personage who is called the GyreCarline, reckoned the mother of glamour (witchcraft), and near akin to Satan himself. She is believed to preside over the Hallowmass Rades and mothers frequently frighten their children by threatening to give them to McNeven, the Gyre Carline. She is described wearing a long grey mantle and carrying a wand, which...could convert water into rocks and sea into solid land." (Cromek, 1810). [Read as: her white staff, or slachdan, could possibly change any water into ice or turn it to water again, thus implying further attributes to her as being a weather "goddess".]

Here we see Nicnevin - called McNeven - directly connected again to the Faery Rades or specifically those processions riding out on Hallowe'en/Samhain. We are also given a rare physical description of her wearing a 'long, grey mantle' and are told she carries a powerful wand which can transmute earth to water and vice versa.

Mother Nicneven was the name given to the grand Mother Witch of Scottish popular superstition, the goddess of witchcraft, the crossroads, the night, and the dark of the Moon, and as the faery queen is identified, in popular tradition, with the Gyre Carline, or mother witch, the elphame realm and realm of the dead and necromancy. Nicnevin is a difficult entity to figure out. The actual meaning of her name is unknown and we see it in various forms thanks to varying locales and the wide differences in their indigenous cultural folklore forming the non-standard orthography of the day. It has also been suggested that Nicnevin means daughter of [Ben] Nevis, as Nic means daughter of, and Neven is linked to Nevis, thus linking this goddess to The Cailleach as Ben Nevis is her seat of power.

Gyre Carling is known as a hag and giantess, however The Morrigan, The Cailleach and Habetrot have been said to transform into younger more beautiful versions of themselves, and it can be said Nicnevin also has the power of shape shifting into a young and beautiful form. She is thus seen by some as a goddess who moves between the worlds, but could she be all of theses names and aspects seen as different identities by wide spread locale, cultural and belief differences?

"She has been called the Bone Mother. She is among those who take part in The Wild Hunt. Nicnevin flies through the air accompanied by flocks of honking geese, and geese are among those classed as psychopomps." Illes, J., (2010)

Her true origins are lost to history, and she appears 400 years ago as a culturally familiar mythical figure, seemingly already fully accepted in folklore, described as leading witches and faeries through the darkness on Hallowe'en night, her unnamed King at her side. She is repeatedly associated with witches, sometimes even said to have been a mortal witch herself, yet she is also clearly associated with the faeries and called their Queen. She rides out during liminal phases of year and during storms, leading a cavalcade of 'sorceresses and elves', and she is described as 'malignant' and powerful, explaining, perhaps, the modern description of her as Queen of the Unseelie Court.

The references we do have to her imply that she once held a significant position in folklore, yet we have no existing recorded myths or stories featuring her. We are left instead only with thinly drawn clues from a variety of old wives' tales never written down and later writings seem to assume she would be known and understood by the reader. A modern understanding then, must be constructed around what evidence we do have and on whatever else can be gleaned from local folklore as well as individual perceptions. There are more details and data which could be added to this collection, and by far many more speculations to be made, but I will leave those additions to others, only noting that this and $5.95 will buy a person a cup of coffee at a Bistro, but it will never magically conjure a skilled witch, even a grand mother of witches, into a Celtic Deity or goddess.

†Translated from the Scots for ease of reading here, the original is:

"Then a clear Companie came soon after closse,

Nicneuen with hir Nymphis, in nomber anew,
With charmes from Caitness and Chanrie in Rosse,
Quhais cunning consistis in casting a clew...
The King of pharie, and his Court, with the elph queine,
With mony elrich Incubus was rydand that nycht."

References:

• Stuary McHardy, Luath Press (1999), Scotland: Myth, Legend & Folklore
• Scott, W., (1802). Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders
• Scott, W., (1820). The Abbott
• Scott, W., (1831) Letters on Demonologie and Witchcraft
• Barry, G., (1867) A History of the Orkney Islands
• Cromek (1810) Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song
• Campbell, J., (1900) The Gaelic Otherworld
• Miller, J., (2004). Magic and Witchcraft in Scotland.
• McHardy, Stuary, Luath Press (1999) Scotland: Myth, Legend & Folklore
• Briggs, K., (1976) A Dictionary of Fairies
• DSL (2017) NicNevin, Dictionary of the Scots Language
• Sorita d’Este and David Rankine, Avalonia (2012) Visions of The Cailleach
• Illes, Judika, (2010) The Weiser Field Guide to Witches
• Cromek, Cunningham, and Gillespie, Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song
• The Historie and Life of King James the Sext, by John Coville and Thomas Thomson

 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kemander (talk • contribs) 14:57, 31 May 2018 (UTC) 

Neo-pagan nonsense.

Yet again, I have had to remove sillyness calling Nicnevin a "Samhain deity" or "Pagan" or "Celtic Goddess". She is not a Gaelic Deity and especially not of Samhain. She is from West Lowland Scottish folklore and happens to have a name derived from the surname of a woman who was executed; this name is a surname of Gaelic origin abd that is all. I don't care what some Llewelyn Press writer like Edain McCoy or Zingbangboogiewoogie Ravenloft claims; this site is supposed to be an encyclopedia and thus it is for verifiable, scholarly, content. Thank you. Sigurd Dragon Slayer (talk) 13:17, 19 March 2012 (UTC Absolutely nonsense. Nicnevin, also known as Nicneven/van is indeed referred to the Celtic Scottish Samhain Goddess.She's nothing to do with the woman who got executed, Kate Nevin! Her name is also inspired by Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis is sacred to both Nicneven and the Cailleach. The tale of Nicneven riding out with her host on Samhain is reminiscent of the tale of the Cailleach.