A-Z Challenge 2012 - R
Rait Castle’s Girl with No Hands
The ruins of the 13th century Rait Castle,
near Nairn in the Highland region of Scotland have been designated a
scheduled ancient monument and a Class A listed building but stand largely
neglected and over grown. Attempts to preserve it have been hampered by modern
day disputes over who owns it. The castle lies on the estates which were home
to the Thanes of Cawdor of Shakespearean fame, with lineage traceable back to
MacBeth.
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| Rait Castle |
The story of Rait
Castle is mixed up with a bloody
episode in Scotland’s
history of clan warfare, such that large parts of it remain intact as locals
were reluctant to plunder its stones for reuse after it had been abandoned in
1442. It the 1200s the land in the area had been held by the de Raits and Clan
Chatton (led by Clan Mackintosh) before the castle was won by Comyns (Cummings).
Rivalry between the Cummings and the
Mackintoshes came to a head at a grand banquet at the castle. Ostensibly the
banquet was intended to heal the rifts between the families, but the Cummings
planned to slay their guests.
However the daughter of the Cumming chieftain
had a young Mackintosh as a lover to whom she disclosed the plot. A large
boulder near the castle was their meeting place and it was there at “Stone of
the Maiden” that she revealed the Cummings intentions.
The Mackintoshes attended the feast, each man
with a dirk hidden in his plaid. The signal for the slaughter was the entrance
of a bull’s head and a toast to “Memory of the Dead.” Before the Cummings could
draw their swords the forewarned Mackintoshes struck with their dirks. Only the
chief escaped.
The enraged chief cornered his daughter in a
turret where she sought to escape by leaping out of a window. Before she could
do so, the chief sliced off both her hands with a broadsword.
The castle has been empty since that night of
horror. Empty that is except for the girl in a blood-red dress who has no hands
and who still haunts the ruins.
Hilary Melton-Butcher's Q castle yesterday was Queens Castle, Windsor.
12 comments:
Hi Bob - different again ... that's a particularly sad episode in history .. poor girl, no wonder she still haunts the ruins.
One would hope somewhere along the line they'll get to restore/repair it somehow and perhaps she will be able to lie at rest .. though her heart will be with her lover, while her bloodline will be with her family.
A night of horror - you're right there .. cheers Hilary
OH my, what a story!
I love castles and this is a wonderful photo of this one... ghastly story though. If I have nightmares I shall blame it all on you! lol
Have a great weekend Bob!
Terrible story. I read a similar incident in a novel and dismissed it as fiction. We humans have done some terrible things. This is kind of a Romeo and Juliet with overtones.
The stories behind the castles are fascinating. And what a gem of a find. So much drama.
Oh my, oh my, turn on the lights! Now this was really bloody and scary too! You weave such a delightfully most eerie tale of all!
Wow, sad and creepy story. Love these castle tales the two of you are coming up with.
Oh, my goodness! What a story you have here, Bob. Right out of the olden days. That is a beautiful photo of the castle and the sky is so blue. No hands would be a huge bummer, that is for sure; she paid a high price for her betrayal.
Kathy M.
Hi Bob I actually caught your Daphne du Maurier comment at Annalisa's blog but Hilary has been giving you a daily shout out too as you know. Love these old castles and I'm sure there's more terrible stories that have been forgotten.
Denise
That is a horrific story.
The Scots always had some clan war going on back then. Some bloodier than others.
Sad story.
Lovely picture of the castle.
Sia McKye OVER COFFEE
Another story with a ghost. I suppose this is why so many historical novels have plots with feuding families.
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