Dunnie
Encyclopedia
A Dunnie is a small Brownie
-like being in the folklore
of the Anglo-Scottish border
s, specifically Northumberland
, the most famous being that of the Hazlerigg Dunnie of Hazlerigg in the parish
of Chatton
, Northumberland
. The Dunnie has been known to take the form of a horse in order to trick a rider into mounting him before disappearing and leaving them in the muddiest part of the road. He also is said to disguise as plough
-horse
s only to vanish when the ploughman takes him into the stalls.
The Dunnie was also said to wander the crags and dales of the Cheviots singing:
The Dunnie is thus thought to be a ghost
of a reiver who hoarded his loot in the fells and guards his ill-gotten gains to this day.
In full the song of the dunnie goes:
Brownie (folklore)
A brownie/brounie or urisk or brùnaidh, ùruisg, or gruagach is a legendary creature popular in folklore around Scotland and England...
-like being in the folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of the Anglo-Scottish border
Anglo-Scottish border
The Anglo-Scottish border is the official border and mark of entry between Scotland and England. It runs for 154 km between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. It is Scotland's only land border...
s, specifically Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, the most famous being that of the Hazlerigg Dunnie of Hazlerigg in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Chatton
Chatton
Chatton is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated approximately to the east of Wooler. The village has amenities which include a pub and village shop, and also has a number of historic artifacts, with cup and ring marks and a kettle stone.-External links:* *...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. The Dunnie has been known to take the form of a horse in order to trick a rider into mounting him before disappearing and leaving them in the muddiest part of the road. He also is said to disguise as plough
Plough
The plough or plow is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
-horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s only to vanish when the ploughman takes him into the stalls.
The Dunnie was also said to wander the crags and dales of the Cheviots singing:
- "Cockenheugh there's gear enough,
- Collierheugh there's mair,
- For I've lost the key o' the Bounders, (or "It is also "I've lost the key o' the Bowden-door.")
- An' I'm ruined for evermair."
The Dunnie is thus thought to be a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of a reiver who hoarded his loot in the fells and guards his ill-gotten gains to this day.
In full the song of the dunnie goes:
- "Cockenheugh there's gear enough,
- Collierheugh there's mair,
- For I've lost the key o' the Bounders"
- "Ross for rabbits, and Elwick for kailKailKail is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Treis-Karden, whose seat is in the like-named municipality.- Location :The municipality...
, - Of a' the' towns e'er I saw HowickHowick, NorthumberlandHowick is a village in Northumberland, between Boulmer and Craster. It is just inland from the North Sea, into which Howick burn flows, from Howick Hall...
for aleAleAle is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
: - Howick for ale, and Kyloe for scrubbersScrubbersScrubbers is a 1983 British drama film directed by Mai Zetterling and starring Amanda York and Chrissie Cotterill. It was shot primarily in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. It was inspired by the success of the 1979 film Scum.-Plot:...
, - Of a' the towns e'er I saw LowickLowick, NorthumberlandLowick is a village in Northumberland, England. It appears in records as early as 1181 as Lowich, and in 1242 as Lowyc. The name derives from Old English meaning settlement on the River Low.-Landmarks:...
for robbers;- - Lowick for robbers, BucktonBucktonBuckton is a village, which is part of the civil parish of Bempton in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is near the North Sea coast, and about north of Bridlington...
for breedBreadBread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
, - Of a' the towns e'er I saw Holy IslandLindisfarneLindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
for need;- - Holy Island for need, and GrindonGrindonGrindon may refer to:*Grindon, County Durham*Grindon, Sunderland*Grindon, Staffordshire...
for kye, - Of a' the towns e'er I saw DoddingtonDoddington, NorthumberlandThe village and parish of Doddington is situated on the south side of the Milfield Plain, approximately 2 miles from the town of Wooler in the county of Northumberland. Notable buildings in Doddington include Doddington Hall, and the Anglican Church of St Mary and St Michael, which was built in the...
for ryeRyeRye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
:- - Doddington for rye, BowisdonBowsdenBowsden is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is about to the south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, inland from the North Sea coast at Lindisfarne, and has a population of 157.-Landmarks:...
for rigRigRig may refer to:* Rig, Something that a dog pulls when Mushing* Rig, a slang term referring to a tractor unit* Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground* Gaming rig, a PC built for high-performance gaming...
s, - Of a' the towns e'er I saw BarmoorBarmoor CastleBarmoor Castle is a privately owned 19th century country house built on an ancient site in Northumberland. It is a Grade II* listed building...
for whigs:- - Barmour for whigs, TweedmouthBerwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
for doorDoorA door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
s, - Of a' the towns e'er I saw AncroftAncroftAncroft is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. Prior to 1844, Ancroft lay within the Islandshire exclave of County Durham. It is south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and has a population of 885....
for whores:- - Ancroft for whores, and SpittalSpittal, NorthumberlandSpittal is a small seaside resort in northern Northumberland, England, and is located near Berwick-upon-Tweed. Spittal Beach as one of the best beaches in Northumberland....
for fishers, - Of a' the towns e'er I saw BerringtonBerrington, NorthumberlandBerrington is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated to the south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, inland from the North Sea coast.- Governance :Berrington is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed.-Landmarks:...
for dishes."