The Secret Commonwealth and the Fairy Belief Complex

'The Secret Commonwealth and the Fairy Beleif Complex' is a study of beliefs concerning fairies and second sight in Early Modern Scotland. It is an indepth study of Robert Kirk's 'The Secret Commonwealth', using this manuscript as starting point for examining other contemporary works conserning fairies and second sight. The Secret Commonwealth, written near the end of the seventeenth century by Robert Kirk, a Highland Presbyterian minister, is an account of Scottish beliefs concerning fairies and second sight. The abundance of Celtic fairy material in The Secret Commonwealth enables us to assess the extent to which non-Christian magico-religious folk beliefs were able to exist in the Highlands. One can also see where Kirk's text reflects or conflicts with orthodox belief systems regarding the supernatural world. These matters are discussed, as the contents of the text are systematically examined against the background of Celtic folklore and other seventeenth-century works that concerned themselves with fairies and the supernatural. This body of magico-religious beliefs, thus contextualized, is then interpreted to determine its importance and meaning in Early Modern Highland culture.

The introduction consists of a description of the seventeenth century intellectual climate; the author; and the text’s form, content, and publishing history. This is followed by a copy of the manuscript. The body of the thesis contextualizes the information in the manuscript typologically to derive an implicit context amid similar cultural expressions. The conclusion will re-examine some historical concerns before demonstrating that these fairy beliefs constituted a coherent, if amorphous, belief complex concerned with the nature of the spiritual, social, and physical world. This idea will be explored phenomenologically, to define the belief complex itself from the information gathered thus far, and then examined in the light of current academic views regarding ‘survivals’ and ‘syncretism’. This is intended to draw the reader toward an understanding of this fairy belief complex and the position it holds in the Early Modern Highland culture.

Brian Walsh received a B.A. in Celtic Studies and Religious Studies from the University of Toronto, and his M.Phil. from the University of Wales, in Llampeter. He is currently living in Toronto, and is an active member of the Celtic Spirituality movement there. In addition to following his own passion for Celtic Studies, Brian assists others to discover and express their own passions, through his practice as a Life Coach. Other interests include cinema, pop culture, horror novels and fitness. He currently lives in Toronto with his partner.