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Killmoulis


Killmoulis is a peculiar species of Brownie, who haunts the mill, and resides in the killogee, or space before the fireplace in the kiln. One would suppose that he took his name from the kiln, but Mr. Wilkie considers "kill" to be a corruption of "gill," and "killmoulis" to mean the miller's servant. This sprite is a singular creature, for he appears to have no mouth ; yet the following rhymes testify to his taste for swine's-flesh : —

Auld Killmoulis wanting the mow,
Come to me now, come to me now !
Where war ye yestreen when I killed the sow?
Had ye come ye'd hae gotten yer helly fon.

Killmoulis takes the liveliest interest in the miller and his
mill. Should any misfortune threaten them he will wail
piteously. At the same time he often torments the goodman
£orely by throwing "isles " or ashes out when sheelin or shelled
oats are spread out to dry ; nor will he leave off his mischievous
tricks till the miller calls out,
" Auld Killmoulis wanting the mow,
Come to me now,"
on which he appears, puffing and blowing, in the shape of an old
man, the mouth wanting, but with an enormous nose.
Killmoulis will never quit the " logie," his favourite corner,
except to thrash the corn in great emergency, or to ride for the
howdie, when the miller's wife needs her services — an errand he
will fulfil expeditiously enough, though with some rough usage
of the horse.
Every mill was haunted by its own Killmoulis; hence the
number of wild stories which linger round these secluded spots.
In Roxburghshire Killmoulis is thus drawn into the spell of the
" blue clue,'' a divination practised on All-hallowe'en and at other
times. You must throw the clue into a pot alone in the gloam-
ing, and wind the worsted on a new clue. Towards the end of
the winding Killmoulis will hold the thread. You must ask
" Wha holds? " and he will snort out the name of your future
spouse.