The Brownie of Bodsbeck facts for kids

The Brownie of Bodsbeck is a short novel written by James Hogg in 1818. It tells a story set in the Scottish Borders in 1685. The book shows the Covenanters in a good light, as people who were treated unfairly. It also shows the Royalists, led by a man called Clavers, in a harsh way. The story uses many old local beliefs and superstitions.

About the Book's Creation

It's not exactly known when James Hogg wrote The Brownie of Bodsbeck. He might have started thinking about it as early as 1813. Hogg told his publisher, William Blackwood, in 1817 that he had some stories ready to print, and The Brownie was likely one of them. The book was being printed in early 1818. Hogg said that he wrote this novel before Walter Scott wrote his famous book Old Mortality. This is important because Hogg's book showed the Covenanters differently than Scott's did.

What the Story is About

The main character is Walter Laidlaw, a farmer at Chapelhope. Even though he doesn't have strong religious views, he feels sorry for a group of Covenanters hiding near his farm. So, he decides to help them.

Walter's daughter, Katharine, is also secretly helping the Covenanters. She uses local superstitions to make their leader seem like a mysterious "Brownie." She also finds out that an old servant named Nanny Elshinder is a supporter of the Covenanters.

Later, Walter is arrested by Clavers, the leader of the Royalists. Walter sees how cruel Clavers can be. But Walter manages to escape being sentenced to death during his trial. When he returns home, Katharine introduces him to the Covenanters. Their leader is John Brown of Caldwell, who turns out to be Nanny's husband, who she thought was lost.

Different Versions of the Book

The Brownie of Bodsbeck; and Other Tales was first published in 1818. It came out in two books by William Blackwood in Edinburgh and John Murray in London. The other stories in these books were 'The Wood-gatherer' and 'The Hunt of Eildon'.

'The Wood-gatherer' was a revised version of an earlier story. It was about a young man who marries the secret wife of his late brother. 'The Hunt of Eildon' was a new story filled with magic and characters changing shape. It showed how two innocent young women, who had been turned into magical hounds, did good deeds.

The Brownie of Bodsbeck was also included in a collection of Hogg's works published after he died in 1837. It's thought that Hogg himself made some changes to The Brownie for this later edition.

In 1976, Douglas S. Mack edited a new version of The Brownie of Bodsbeck. He used the first edition as a base but also added back some parts from Hogg's original notes and some changes from the 1837 edition. This was done to make the book as close as possible to what Hogg intended.

Story Chapters: A Quick Look

The Brownie's Actions

• Chapter 1: Walter Laidlaw's wife, Maron, tells him that their daughter Katharine has been using her "Brownie" to kill five of Clavers' soldiers.
• Chapter 5: Katharine's Brownie scares away most of the servants from Chapelhope. Katharine talks to Nanny Elshinder, who secretly sings a Covenanter song.
• Chapter 10: The Brownie saves Katharine from an attack. Katharine leaves Nanny in charge of the house, telling her to let Covenanters in every night.
• Chapter 12: Nanny explains that the Brownie made a local priest disappear. Katharine and Nanny talk about the Covenanters. Nanny joins others in prayer and song at a nearby farm.
• Chapter 13: A shepherd named Davie Tait finds that the Brownie has been helping with farm work, like harvesting and cleaning sheep.
• Chapter 15: On Halloween, Walter returns home despite warnings. He sees Katharine and the Brownie with a dead body. He goes to Davie Tait's farm for safety.
• Chapter 16: Katharine takes her father to a hidden cave. There, the Brownie and his friends are revealed to be John Brown of Caldwell and other Covenanters.
• Chapter 17: At the end, it is revealed that John Brown is Nanny's husband, who had been missing for a long time.

Walter's Troubles

• Chapter 2: (Chapters 2-4 explain what happened before Chapter 1) The story tells how Clavers lost five men who were hunting Covenanters.
• Chapter 3: Walter explains how he felt sorry for the Covenanters and regularly gave them food.
• Chapter 4: Walter convinces the Covenanters to stay in the area, even though they were worried about putting him in danger.
• Chapter 6: Clavers and his men arrive. They question Nanny, Katharine, and Maron. Maron tells them where the Covenanters are hiding.
• Chapter 7: Clavers arrests the Laidlaws and questions a shepherd harshly about the dead soldiers.
• Chapter 8: Clavers pretends to execute Walter's two sons to get information.
• Chapter 9: Walter's family is set free, but he has to go with Clavers. He sees many cruel actions, including the killing of several Covenanters.
• Chapter 11: Katharine finds help for her father. But when she returns, Chapelhope is empty because people think it's haunted. Walter and other prisoners are moved to less friendly officers to be taken to Edinburgh.
• Chapter 14: At his trial in Edinburgh, Walter is released on bail. He bravely stands up to his accusers. A soldier named Sergeant Daniel Roy Macpherson helps him and says their families are related.