Loch Maree: Location of an Ancient God, a Dried Up Healing Well for Curing Insanity, and a Wishing Tree
Loch Maree is a fascinating place. It has two graves attributed to a King of Norway and a King of Ireland’s daughter, a plaque for the last woman(named Wynn) burnt as a witch in 1722, and an ancient god named Mourie.
The “official” story of Loch Maree say’s that it got it’s name thanks to a man called St Maol Ruanaidh, and that it was he who somehow made the sacred well flow with healing waters. However, the name of the loch is older than that, and instead is named after a god.
Sir A. Mitchell, writing in 1860, says : “The people of the place speak often of the god Mourie instead of St. Mourie.” An old man in the district told him the island’s name “was originally Eilean mo Righ (the Island of my King), or Eilean-a-Mhor-Righ (the Island of the Great King), and that this king was long ago worshipped as a god in the district.” The Folklore Journal; Vol 4, Issue 4 by Gertrude M. Godden (1893)
Two records from 1656 (Presbyery Records) voice concern about “the abominations within the parishes of Garloch” in regards to sacrificing bulls on the 15th of August, as well as pouring milk upon hills. Despite the pressure to stop, the practice continued to the late 1700’s.
Offerings of food and milk were not the only reasons people would visit the area; travelers also came with the intent of curing “insanity” with the healing powers of the well on the island.
"The earliest allusion to the healing powers of the well is the mention of it in 1656 as the resort of the lunatic- In 1774, Thomas Pennant describes how the patient “is brought into the sacred island, is made to kneel before the altar, where his attendants leave an offering in money. He is then brought to the well, and sips some of the holy water. A second offering is made ; that done, he is thrice dipped in the lake.” The Folklore Journal; Vol 4, Issue 4 by Gertrude M. Godden (1893)
The bringing of mentally-ill people to the island continued until the well dried up, and local lore blames that on a man who allowed his dog to drink from it. The man apparently wanted to cure his “mad dog,” —which often means the poor dog had rabies— but despite his good intentions, the act caused insult and the well ran dry.
After the well dried people continued to visit the island, but now focused their attention on the “wishing tree.” For it, people would attach offerings to the tree, which was then known for less-specific healing properties.
” It is said that if anyone removes an offering that has been attached to the tree, some misfortune, probably the taking fire of the house of the desecrator, is sure to follow. To each of the hundreds of nails, he says, ” was originally attached a piece of the clothing of some patient who had visited the spot.” The Folklore Journal; Vol 4, Issue 4 by Gertrude M. Godden (1893)
The surface of the wishing tree was described as white and covered with coins, nails, and other metal objects. At the base of the tree was a small hole with stones and rocks, which was where the well once was.
Sadly, just like how the waters running dry was blamed on a well-meaning person, the death of the tree also came at the hands of well-meaning people. Instead of silver coins or iron nails, people moved on to something more readily available; copper coins.
This was made popular after Queen Victoria visited the island in 1877 and added her own coin, and people still add to them in every available space today(even if the wood is unrelated to the original tree).
This is something I strongly advice against doing. Copper coins can cause copper poisonings to the area, which is what killed the wishing tree. Even if there is no life left on the island, the copper can still be harmful for wildlife. This is actually a common problem for coin wishing wells with fish; where the copper poisoning gradually kills the fish.