In the 19th century, many believed in “maternal impression”– the idea that women could “mark” a fetus during pregnancy.
In 1817, when Galloway man John Woods said he wouldn’t accept paternity unless the child had his name writ large on its face, apparently…
T.E.C. (1976) The power of maternal impression causes the alleged father’s name to appear in legible letters in his infant son’s right eye. Pediatrics 58(6): 901
In the 1670s Gallovidian, Jock Mulldroch of Craigwaggie was understood to “cackle as he laid eggs, bigger than a goose’s, on a truff laft amang a wheen breckans”. The eggs were black-speckled yellow. He was known as “Craigwaggie’s meikle chuckie”.
I definitely need to say more on this later, it’s such a bizarre folk tale.So many other bizarre details. Eggs took a fortnight to lay. His sons hatched from his eggs that were placed under his wife’s actual chicken.
I haven’t even found where Craigwaggie was, if it was a real place at all.
TOD-TYKE. n. A fox-dog hybrid valued for its herding and hunting ability. Gallovidians would tie their dogs outside fox dens in hopes of getting tod-tyke pups. Trouble is, no such hybrid is possible in nature!
In 1810, children in the Scottish Borders played “an old game” called “The Outs and the Ins”. Played without a bat, players ran between dools (bases). It may have been an older variant of rounders and baseball.
The first printed rules for rounders was in 1828
Cromek, R.H. (1810) Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway song: with historical and traditional notices relative to the manners and customs of the peasantry. T. Bensley, London. pp. 252-254