James Hogg

The Brownie of Bodsbeck; and Other Tales; 2 vols.

Edinburgh:  William Blackwood and John Murray, 1818.

 

Synopsis of The Brownie of Bodsbeck

The Brownie of Bodsbeck, James Hogg's first novel, is rich in Scottish cultural, social and religious concerns. Hogg wrote The Brownie of Bodsbeck as a reflection of border life -- specifically as a reflection of Hogg's own border life -- and as an example of the oral tradition that gives us a glimpse into border life and traditions of the ancient Scots.

The Brownie of Bodsbeck is set in the 17th century, six years after the Battle of Bothwell Bridge, when the religious reformers, known as the Covenanters,
were scattered around Scotland while in hiding from the King's forces. This period in Scottish history has also been referred to as the "Killing Times." The opening chapter introduces the Ladilaw family with all of their idiosyncrasies. Walter Ladilaw, the patriarch, is a border farmer who lives with his wife, Maron, and their three children in the cool, green, pastoral setting of Scotland. John is the eldest son, Katherine is the only daughter, and the youngest is a son named William.

Walter is beset by problems. The first problem comes in the form of a group of Covenanters whom Walter discovers living and hiding on his farmland, a remote farm named Chapelhope. Although Walter does not identify himself as a Covenanter, he decides to provide the Covenanters with food and shelter by allowing them to remain in hiding on his property. Many of Walter's own sheep are slaughtered and fed to those in hiding. In hiding the Covenanters, Walter risks not only his own life, but also the lives of his family members.

Meanwhile Walter's daughter, Katherine, is believed to be toying with witchcraft and is said to be "leagued with evil spirits." In fact, Katherine may even be involved with the Brownie of Bodsbeck, a deformed preternatural monster who is understood throughout the community to be haunting Chapelhope. All are afraid of the Brownie, including Jasper, a friend of the Ladilaw family. Jasper is known as "fast Jasper" because he runs so much and so fast away from what he believes to be the evil Brownie. Katherine's own family becomes suspect of her. Katherine's mother, Maron, especially fears Katherine and even threatens to disown her. All of Ladilaw's servants are fearful of Katherine and flee the farmstead except Nanny, who foreshadows upcoming events in the novel and is the only character who is able to see the big picture behind the actions and events of the novel.

The government troops search the countryside looking for Covenanters. Graham of Dundee, also known as Clavers of Claverhouse, leads the search troops. The royalists systematically hunt for and kill any who side with the anti-monarchists. Gory details abound in the middle chapters of the novel. Assorted macabre atrocities are committed by Clavers and his followers, including their nearly raping Katherine. Walter's two sons are also detained by Clavers' soldiers and violently interrogated. Eventually Walter himself is seized and arrested for his "crimes" of hiding the non-conforming Covenanters. Religious fanaticism seems to rule the day, and although there is no proof against Walter, he is nevertheless taken into custody by the King's forces and incarcerated. The only reason Walter is seen as guilty in the eyes of the troops is because his home is well stocked with food. Walter is forced to travel to Edinburgh for his trial.

While Walter is in Edinburgh, Maron invites the local curate, John Clerk, to stay with Katherine to exorcise her of evil spirits and to serve as a religious figure in the home. John Clerk sexually assaults Katherine and attempts to rape her. To Katherine's relief and joy, she is rescued from the attempted rape by the Clerk by - surprisingly - the Brownie of Bodsbeck and a group of his supporters who travel with the Brownie.

Meanwhile back in Edinburgh, the judge in Edinburgh is convinced of Walter's innocence because Walter curses at his accusers while in court. As a result, Walter is set free. Shortly thereafter, the political climate shifts to a more moderate and tolerant one, with the result that the Covenanters are not persecuted as they had been before.

Walter returns home and peers in the window of his homestead. To his horror, he views Katherine sitting on the edge of her bed with what appears to be the Brownie - and a corpse of a dead man - across her lap. The room is also full of the Brownie's supporters. Walter is devastated by this discovery and flees his home, convinced that earlier rumors concerning Katherine are true. Walter believes Katherine must be a witch, and that he has no choice but to begrudgingly disown her. When Walter actually confronts Katherine, Katherine pleads with him to follow her to a secret cave in some nearby hills. This cave turns out to be the Brownie's hiding place. The novel ends with a twist because the supposed monster Brownie in actuality is John Brown, the director of the Covenanters. John Brown's present grotesque appearance is attributed to wounds he received in the battle at Bothwell Bridge. John Brown's (Brownie's) supporters are, in fact, fellow Covenanters, and the corpse on Katherine's lap turns out actually to have been only a young, ill Covenanter whom Katherine was nursing back to health.

The novel ends with readers being informed that John Brown is, in fact, Nanny's husband. This finally explains why, earlier in the novel, Nanny was the only servant in the Ladilaw family who understood the big picture behind all the fanaticism and violence.

In conclusion, The Brownie of Bodsbeck is a fine novel representative of cultural history, and an exacting portrayal of Scottish rural life. Readers also notice the influence of the seasons in the descriptions related in The Brownie of Bodsbeck ; indeed, seasons did influence Hogg's writing, as for him winter was "devilish" and compared to Judgment Day; thus, some of the religious overtones of Hogg's work have to do with his metaphors themselves. Readers will also enjoy - or struggle with -- various instances of Gaelic language in the novel.

--Prepared by Elizabeth Rodacker-Borgens, University of Nebraska, January 2004