bodach Archives

Thursday Throwback – 24

Taking us back Scotland in 2013, where we encounted the Bodach, a Gaelic mythological figure.

It’s great fun to revisit images from past vacations, which is what I grabbed for this week’s edition. I’m looking back to a vacation that took us across quite a bit of Scotland back in 2013. Planning our vacations always takes a bit of extra effort to ensure that all our animals are taken care of in the best possible way (read: they get spoiled by a pet sitter while they enjoy all the comforts of home). As this was our first significant international vacation, there were definitely lessons learned.

Here’s an image that goes back to that 2013 vacation…

The Bodach is a sort of trickster in Gaelic mythology and this particular one has a story of admiration. The statue sits at the top of Loch Long in Archer where, according to legend, the Bodach helped repel the Vikings who attempted to drag their longships across the hills to take over the Loch and beyond.

And those lessons learned from our vacation? As I had carefully planned a route across Scotland and many bed and breakfasts for us to stay at, we wound up spending too much time driving and not enough time enjoying. Later vacations were planned differently by picking a location to stay and exploring the surrounding area; much more restful and much less packing of suitcases!

Friday Travel Photo – vol 3

Vikings shall not pass

This week, I’ll be sharing another image from our trip to Scotland in 2013. Another feature of this image, is that you’ll get to know a bit more about the banner on this blog.

Bodach-Arrochar_57A0141_2_3_12x18 — *The Bodach of Arrochar*

This is the Bodach that sits at the head of Loch Long in Arrochar, Scotland.

For over five centuries this area, the feudal barony of Arrochar, was held by the chiefs of Clan MacFarlane and before them by their ancestors the barons of Arrochar. The family is Celtic in the male line and native to their Highland homeland of tall peaks and deep lochs just above the waist of Scotland. The settlement was a key target for Viking raiders who took their boats 2 miles overland to Tarbet to attack the unprotected inland settlements at Loch Lomond before their defeat in 1263 at the battle of Largs.

According to legend, the Bodach was instrumental in keeping the Vikings at bay to protect Loch Long and its surrounding villages.

In Scottish folklore, the bodach comes down the chimney to fetch naughty children, used as a cautionary tale or bogeyman figure to frighten children into good behavior. This sounds like a relative of the Krampus in European folklore.