The Habetrot
The Habetrot is a figure from the folklore of the Border Counties of Northern England and Lowland Scotland, and she is usually associated with spinning. As with many tales the name can differ slightly depending on the area you are from. For example, Habitrot, Habtrot ot Habbitrot.
The Origin Story
It is said that she is an old deformed woman who lives underground with a group of other Spinsters, and they are deformed from long hours at their work. Some have splayed feet, flat thumbs and in some stories "long and ugly lips, because they have spun so much and often wet their finger tips on their lips, the easier to draw the thread from the distaff".
Their mission is said that they rescue young maidens from the endless, thankless, and grueling task of spinning.
According to the folklore of the borders, it was considered unlucky to step upon "unchristened ground" (the area of a graveyard where unbaptised or still born children were buried.) If you did, you would catch "grave-merels" or "grave scab" which causes difficulty breathing, trembling limbs, as well as burning of the skin as if touched with a hot iron. Apparently, the only way to relieve this condition was for the afflicted person to wear a sack that was made from a) linen grown in a field that has not been disturbed for 40years, b) It had to be spun by a Habetrot, and c) bleached by an honest bleacher in an honest millers mill, and finally d) sewn by an honest tailor.
Key Locations
Glasgow is the most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in west central Scotland. It is the third-most populous city in the United Kingdom. Glasgow is a leading city in Scotland for university education and research, finance, industry, commerce, shopping, culture and fashion.
Glasgow
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea. Today, Dundee is promoted as "One City, Many Discoveries" in honour of Dundee's history of scientific activities and of the RRS Discovery, Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic exploration vessel, which was built in Dundee and is now berthed at Discovery Point.
Dundee
The picturesque town of Melrose is located next to the River Tweed at the foot of the triple peaks of the Eildon Hills. A historic town in the Borders featuring the striking ruins of Melrose Abbey, the final resting place of Robert the Bruce's heart.
Melrose
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