‘Na Boireannaich’ is a collaborative project between artists Danielle Macleod and Alice Macmillan. The body of work seeks to explore themes of representation of Hebridean women in songs, stories and local history. These images reimagine the woman’s role in traditional tales and how she is represented, shining a light on her experiences as a complex character. This narrative is created using locally sourced and found materials and traditional illustrative methods.

‘Dawn’ The creel was traditionally a vital tool for the Hebridean crofter, often used by women to carry things like peat, potatoes and seaweed. In the summer of 2022 Danielle underwent a creel making workshop with basket weaver Dawn Susan. Dawn was taught creel making by the late Donald MacArthur of Shawbost and the late Donald MacDonald of Gisla. She is one of the few people remaining making the Highland creel. Using willow grown from Dawn’s home in Bernera, Danielle made a headpiece using the creel making techniques she had learned. There are many old pictures of Hebridean women carrying their creels – this image aims to pay homage to them and to Dawn, who continues to keep this tradition alive by sharing her skills with others.

‘Christina’ MacKay of Mangersta Farm waded into the stormy sea on the night of 21st October 1896 to save the crew of the Grana, a rock-stricken Danish schooner that was being blown close to Stac nan Sgarbh at the mouth of Mangersta Bay. She secured a rope to a boulder and waded into the sea, saving the entire crew.

‘The Jealous Sister’ — The song of the Sea Tangle tells the story of two half sisters. One day while gathering dulse (seaweed) the jealous sister convinced her half sister to rest in the skerry where the cool sea tangle grows. She wove her sister’s hair into the sea tangle while lulling her to sleep with a song. There, she left her to drown in the rising tide.

‘Bean-Nighe’ (or washer-woman) was a sign that death was lurking. She could be seen by streams or lochs washing the clothes of those soon to die. Some believed she was a woman who had died in childbirth before her time, and that she had to continue washing clothes until the day she would have passed away naturally.

‘The Crow Queen’ King Lachlan had many sons and daughters to his Queen who passed away. Once widowed he married an evil witch. The Queen grew jealous of the King’s beautiful daughters and angry at the strength of her stepsons when compared to her own. She brewed a potion that turned her stepsons and daughters into seals. When the King discovered what she had done, it was too late to reverse the spell. He raised his hazel wand and turned her into a hoodie crow.

‘Ailinn’ The heroic Ossianic ballad “Latha Dhan Fhi'nn am Beinn Ioghnaidh” tells the story of Caoilte and Ailinn. The hero, Caoilte finds the beautiful maiden Ailinn when venturing through the Mountain of Marvels. Caoilte battles a five headed giant and is severely injured in the fight. He entrusts Ailinn to carry his shield to Dùn Tìl - a quest no woman has carried out before.

‘Brìde’ the Queen of Summer — the Celtic mother goddess who represented the spirit and life forces of the Isles. She later became St Brigit with the introduction of Christianity to the west coast. Her name is associated with temples and healing wells throughout the Hebrides. She was said to have emerged from the sea with an oyster-catcher upon each wrist, the bird became known as ‘page of bride’. She would wander the machair every mid-summer under the full moon.

‘Aine’ The people of Lewis had endured a hard winter. The village elders suggested that the people all share what was left of their resources equally so that they would survive the winter. There were so few resources that the people went to the Callanish Stones to pray to the gods for bounty. After praying they could see another storm was approaching so the islanders were instructed to lock themselves in their homes. But, a mother named Aine could see a glint of movement by the sea. Reaching the waters edge, she found a pure white cow walking out of the surf which had been sent by the gods to assist the villagers. Aine led the cow to the village where it gave each villager a pail of milk every day to sustain them over winter.

‘Bheurra’ — the Goddess of Winter. She carried a staff or rod that is said to have frozen the land wherever she tapped, and a mighty hammer she used that created and shaped the land of Scotland, raising mountains and crafting valleys and rivers. Bheurra could be seen riding through the sky on the back of a great wolf in the winter (corresponding to the old Gaelic name for the month of January leading into February, meaning ‘wolf month’).

To see the full range of work from this collaboration and to find out more information about the project please visit https://www.naboireannaich.com or see our virtual exhibition at An Lanntair here bit.ly/3UM7AxK