331: The Death of Folklorist Robert Kirk. Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.

Summary

---

National Park After Dark

Episode 331: The Death of Folklorist Robert Kirk – Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park

Release Date: October 27, 2025
Hosts: Danielle & Cassie
Topic: The mysterious death of folklorist Reverend Robert Kirk, Scottish fairy traditions, and the origins of Halloween

---

Episode Overview

This special Halloween episode dives deep into the misty folklore of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park in Scotland, centering on the legend of Robert Kirk—the 17th-century minister and folklorist whose obsession with uncovering fairy secrets allegedly led to his supernatural demise. Blending the unnerving with the historical, Danielle and Cassie explore ancient Celtic traditions surrounding Samhain (Halloween), fairies as ominous spirits, and how these stories intertwine with the dark allure of Scotland’s wild places.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Mood: Halloween and Ancient Traditions

• The episode opens with atmospheric narration recalling Celtic Samhain, when the "veil between the living and the dead grows thin" (00:03).
• Fairies (“the good people”) are introduced not as friendly sprites, but wild, vengeful, and powerful—far removed from modern Tinkerbell-style images.
• Cassie notes: “I think a lot of times...when I first heard of fairies growing up...I’m like, ah, Tinkerbell…that’s not their history. They’re actually a lot darker than that.” ([02:19])

2. National Parks Abroad: Scottish Edition

• Danielle and Cassie discuss the uniqueness of European national parks, which often contain villages and living communities—unlike the vast wilderness of most US parks ([17:29]).
• Aberfoyle (“the fairy capital”) is spotlighted within Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, described as a scenic village surrounded by Victorian architecture, rich trails, and local folklore ([17:57]-[19:25]).

3. Legend of Robert Kirk—History, Obsession, and Disappearance

• Robert Kirk (1644/41–1692): A minister, Gaelic scholar, and seventh son (believed to confer “second sight” in Highland beliefs) ([28:08]).
• Kirk’s Book: The Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies—a serious, scholarly examination of fairy lore, written to reinforce belief in the spiritual realm ([31:08], [32:50]).
  • “He described them as having a middle nature between man and angel...as people who instead of day useth the night and liveth as if they were by candle night.” ([34:52])
• His Transgression: Local lore holds that by exposing fairy secrets, Kirk angered the spirits.
• His Death: On May 14, 1692, Kirk was found dead in his nightgown atop Dune Hill. Folklore claims the fairies killed and imprisoned him for his betrayal ([22:01], [44:35]).

4. Folklore, Fairies, and Second Sight

• Fairy Beliefs: The fairy realm is a parallel world, with Dune Hill believed to be a gateway. Offerings are left at the “Fairy Tree” (Minister’s Pine) to this day ([19:25], [51:00]).
• The “Double Man” Concept: Each person has a spiritual “co-walker;” if seen separately, death is imminent ([43:12]).
• The Power of the Seventh Son: In Kirk’s time, seventh sons were believed to have the “gift of second sight,” allowing them to commune with fairies ([28:08], [37:03]).
• Halloween Origins: The custom of costumes and the colors black and orange trace back to ancient superstitions around spirits and Samhain ([10:47]).

5. Mysterious Posthumous Events—Lore Deepens

• The Failed Rescue: Legend says Kirk’s cousin had a chance to free his spirit during a christening by casting a dirk (iron dagger), but failed out of shock ([45:22]).
• Kirk’s Grave: His grave is marked by Highland thistle, a pastor’s crook, and a dagger—believed to reference the fairy tale of his entrapment ([51:00]).
• Modern Remembrance: Ribbons and offerings still adorn the “fairy tree” where Kirk is said to remain captive, and the path to Dune Hill is walked by locals and travelers alike ([54:45]).

6. Halloween Today—Continuing Tradition

• Dressing Up: Rooted in the need to confuse evil spirits wandering during Samhain ([10:47], [58:44]).
• Mischief Night: Danielle and Cassie share personal stories of Halloween customs and “Cabbage Night”—a regional name for Mischief Night involving shaving cream “wars” and (potentially) tossing vegetables ([59:37]-[63:14]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fairy Lore’s Dark Depths:
  • “Fairies...weren’t the Tinkerbells of children’s tales. They were wild and ancient creatures of twilight and revenge who could bless a household or curse a bloodline.” —Narration ([00:03])
• Cassie on Costume Origins:
  • “The tradition of wearing disguises and costumes during Samhain started because people sought to confuse the evil spirits traveling the earth so they would be left alone.” ([10:47])
• On Robert Kirk’s Motivation:
  • “If he could convince people of the realities of fairies, he believed he could uphold the beliefs in angels, the devil, and ultimately God.” —Narration ([28:57])
• Danielle (humor):
  • “Well, everyone knows the first rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about fight club.” ([22:11])
• On Kirk’s Book Title:
  • Danielle: “Wait, wait, that was the title?...Can you say that one more time?”
  • Cassie: “Say this three times fast...The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fairies, Fauns and—” ([31:37])
• Cultural Insight:
  • Cassie: “There was no corner of the earth that was empty of fairies...since humans lived on the surface and worms, otters, and fish lived under it, it was inconceivable that the middle cavities could be empty.” ([35:47])
• Haunting Warning:
  • “When you cross the humpback bridge, you might just feel a burden settle on your back. And that burden might just be the soul of Robert Kirk begging to be freed from fairyland.” —Narration ([53:55])
• Closing Reflection:
  • “Halloween... does come from real beliefs. And I think one of the fun things...is that people dressed up in these costumes to scare evil spirits.” —Cassie ([58:32])

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:03] — Opening narration, Samhain & fairy lore introduction
• [10:47] — Black & orange colors, costume origins, and Halloween trivia facts
• [17:29] — European national parks and Aberfoyle’s unique living/park status
• [19:25] — Introduction to Dune Hill and the “Fairy Tree”
• [22:01] — Robert Kirk writes his book and his mysterious death
• [28:08] — Kirk’s history, scholarly pursuits, and “second sight” as a seventh son
• [31:08] — Overview of The Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies
• [35:47] — Kirk’s logic about the world being filled with fairies
• [43:12] — The belief in the “double man”
• [44:35] — Kirk’s death, the folklore surrounding it, and the attempted rescue
• [51:00] — Analysis of the symbols at Kirk’s grave
• [53:55] — Modern commemoration, fairy tree rituals, and the lasting legend
• [58:32] — Halloween traditions and modern celebrations

---

Flow & Tone

Danielle and Cassie balance light-hearted banter with thoughtful story-telling, often pausing for personal anecdotes and jokes that ground the dense folklore in the familiar. The tone moves between eerie fascination (“the veil between worlds”) and playful skepticism (“Where’s the fun in [just a heart attack]?”), making the episode both informational and entertaining. Their dynamic invites listeners to consider folklore deeply, while never losing a sense of fun.

---

Summary

In this Halloween installment, National Park After Dark masterfully weaves true crime, folklore, and cultural history, focusing on the haunting legend of Reverend Robert Kirk of Aberfoyle. The story traverses the shadowy threshold between history and myth—where scholarly curiosity, ancient superstitions, and eerie Scottish landscapes collide. Through Kirk’s tale, listeners learn about Celtic influences on Halloween, the evolution of fairy lore, and the lingering power of wild places to provoke both fear and wonder. The episode closes with a reminder to savor the dark magic of the season, and a light-hearted call to “watch your back”—for you never know what spirits might still lurk when the veil is thin.

---

Transcript

[Narrator]

Every October, when the air turns cold and the days grow short, something ancient stirs beneath the surface of our world. The veil between the living and the dead grows thin, and souls from the past return before Jack O lanterns and trick or treating. This time of year was sacred, a turning of the seasons when spirits walked among us and unseen forces entered our world. Across the miscovered hills of Scotland, Ireland, and beyond, people once lit fires to keep the dark at bay and left offerings for the unseen. They called them the good people. The fairies, the ones you never speak of too loudly for fear they might hear. Fairies, weren't the Tinkerbells of children's tales. They were wild and ancient creatures of twilight and revenge who could bless a household or curse a bloodline. For centuries, people knew better than to go looking for them. But one man did. A scholar, a believer. A man who claimed to have seen beyond the veil. He wrote down their secrets and in doing so, sealed his fate. Welcome to National Park After Dark. Foreign.

[Danielle]

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to National Park After Dark. I'm Danielle.

[Cassie]

I'm Cassie.

[Danielle]

Welcome.

[Narrator]

It's Halloween week.

[Danielle]

I'm so excited, and because I know that, like, this episode is going to be a lot about fairies and stuff, but it's also a very real story about somebody going missing or dying or. I already forget you told me earlier.

[Cassie]

But, yeah, well, we'll find out really soon. But it is a true story, and it took place in Scotland, which is fun because I wanted to go to an international park, and I wanted to kind of dive into Halloween and the story behind its beginnings. But also I wanted to get into.

[Narrator]

Fairies and stuff because they're so deeply.

[Cassie]

Ingrained with Halloween tradition. And I think a lot of times.

[Narrator]

At least for me, when I first heard of fairies growing up in stuff, I'm like, ah, Tinkerbell. Like, beautiful little woodland fairies that are.

[Cassie]

Bright and happy and that's not their history. They're actually a lot darker than that. So I thought it would be fun to dive into some folklore for Halloween.

[Danielle]

And I'm very excited that it's taking place in Scotland because Scotland has taken over my entire life.

[Cassie]

Scotland is calling you.

[Danielle]

It really is. Okay, so. And I know I'm falling prey to the Internet algorithms and the powers that be there. I know it's not, like, weird divine intervention in any way, but Scotland, Halifax, and the new Dracula are all that I see on my feed.

[Cassie]

I didn't even know there was a new Dracula.

[Danielle]

Okay, I need to hold on a minute. Okay. I. I truly don't. We Live such separate lives because I can't open my phone without clips of the new Dracula being thrust into my face. And I just. I feed into it because it's amazing. So I guess the new Dracula came out already internationally, but it's not. It's not coming to U.S. theaters until February.

[Cassie]

Oh, interesting. We're last. Actually, the U.S. has. Historically, they get movies later than other places.

[Danielle]

Well, I might have to take up offers to watch this, like, on the. Whatever sites that. I'm not saying I'm gonna do anything.

[Cassie]

Illegal but break the law. And you're gonna go on one of those. It's like you're gonna go on one of the movie limewire sites.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And then my entire system is gonna crash. And.

[Cassie]

But it'll be worth it because you'll get the movie first.

[Danielle]

Oh, it just looks so. And I'm trying not to spoil it because clearly it's out and there's footage of. I mean, people have seen. Millions of people have seen it. But I'm gonna send you clips of it.

[Narrator]

It just looks so.

[Cassie]

It could be my algorithm.

[Danielle]

Bring back yearning men who yearn. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's like one of those. And it's just. He's been waiting for his love to reincarnate again, so he. Oh, my God. It's just a whole thing. And I can't believe you haven't seen it. But. Yeah.

[Cassie]

So even a single time.

[Danielle]

Well, that'll change in an hour and a half and when we're done with this. But yeah. So the new Dracula, Halifax. Just because of the Titanic, it's always kind of swirling around. And then. Yeah. Scotland has been. Edinburgh has been on my radar for a while. And I know we've talked about it before, but have you been. When you were.

[Cassie]

No.

[Danielle]

Okay. For some reason, I always feel like you've been there. Maybe just because you've been over to England quite a bit.

[Cassie]

Yeah, I've done a lot of Europe, but not Scotland. It is definitely on my list.

[Narrator]

My mom's going to a wedding there.

[Cassie]

In March or May or something next year. But I'm very, very jealous.

[Danielle]

I was tempted to go to. For my birthday this year because last year I did Ireland.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

But I don't know. I just, like. I don't really want to go. And I'm sure it's probably charming in the winter because my birthday is a couple weeks before Christmas, so I always get that, like, Christmas market type of holiday feel for my birthday. And I'm sure it's very nice there for the holidays. But I don't know, I just kind of maybe would rather go in the fall. And the fall is already booked up, so.

[Cassie]

Yeah, that's next year, 2026 for sure.

[Danielle]

Here we go.

[Cassie]

Okay, well, until that gets booked up.

[Danielle]

Too, I would love to hear about fairies.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

And Halloween.

[Cassie]

We hope everyone is having a fun, spooky season.

[Danielle]

Are you dressing up?

[Cassie]

No, I have no plans for Halloween.

[Danielle]

Yeah, me neither.

[Cassie]

Sad. This is adult life.

[Danielle]

I know. I'm like, well, I guess. Wait, do I have. Oh, no. I get back, that's the day after. So I'm going to Durango for a couple of days and I fly back. I made my flight the day before Halloween because I'm like, I gotta be home for Halloween.

[Cassie]

New England. Yeah.

[Danielle]

And then when I really stopped to think about it, I was like, okay, in actuality, what am I doing? I have zero plans. Like, why am I rushing back here to do nothing? I don't know. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe there's a local event going on.

[Cassie]

Yeah, Yeah, I have zero plans at all. And it's kind of been like that for the past few Halloweens, I think. I don't remember the last time I did something for Halloween. Just sad.

[Danielle]

God. I guess me either.

[Cassie]

I want to dress up.

[Danielle]

Oh, no, actually, okay. The last time I did do something, I do remember, I dressed up as Beetlejuice. I still have my Beetlejuice costume.

[Cassie]

I actually remember that costume because I.

[Danielle]

Did my whole, like, I did like the face paint. I did my hair. I did the whole thing. And Ian and I went to a bar in the Crypt. They had like an event going on in Washington and I think it was Tacoma maybe. I don't know. Yeah. And then we tried to come back and we set up for trick or treaters and none ever came. And we just waited out there for hours. And it was so sad. I know I've said this before, but it was so sad because we would hear like, distant laughter.

[Cassie]

We knew they're nearby, they're just not here.

[Danielle]

So close. And we had like, we put music out. We did like the little tea lanterns. We like, we were trying to draw in the children and no one ever came.

[Cassie]

That's so sad.

[Danielle]

I know.

[Cassie]

Because of the effort put into it. You're just sitting there in your Beetlejuice.

[Danielle]

Costume and no one, it was like, dress up. He had like a mask on and stuff. And he was just like sitting in a fold out chair next to a bowl of candy.

[Cassie]

It's not just waiting for someone to show up.

[Danielle]

We weren't even like, oh, we're gonna watch a movie and if somebody knocks on the door or whatever, like we'll actively participating. We were set up, we were ready, candy in hand to give over. And yeah, no one ever came. And I do the end of the.

[Cassie]

Night and you're just like slowly eating the candy that no one came and got.

[Danielle]

We ordered Domino's. We're like, we gotta feed ourselves. We're post up here for a long time. Yeah. Anyway, so I guess that was the last. That's a sad last Halloween event. I guess so. All right, turn this around. I'm sick of talking and I want to listen to something else.

[Cassie]

Okay, well, let's dive into our story because today we step across the veil.

[Narrator]

We are delving into the deep, mysterious roots of a popular modern holiday. And of course you know, that is Halloween.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The holidays sneak up fast, but it's not too early to get your shopping done and actually have fun with it. Uncommon Goods makes holiday shopping stress free and joyful with thousands of one of a kind gifts that you can't find anywhere else. Uncommon Goods looks for products that are high quality, unique and often handmade or made in the US I was browsing their site the other day and found this custom star map print that shows exactly how the night sky looked on a specific date. And I instantly knew that this would make the perfect gift. You can personalize it with a place.

[Narrator]

And time like your wedding night, your.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

First camping trip, or the moment you brought your dog home. It's such a meaningful keepsake and feels like the kind of gift someone would treasure forever. Uncommon Goods has something for everyone. From moms and dads to kids and.

[Narrator]

Teens, from book lovers, history buffs and die hard football fans to foodies, mixologists.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

And avid gardeners like me. You'll find thousands of new gift ideas that you won't find anywhere else. When you shop at Uncommon Goods, you're supporting artists and small independent businesses. Many of their handcrafted products are made in small batches, so shop now before.

[Narrator]

They sell out this holiday season.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

And with every purchase you make at Uncommon Goods, they give back $1 to a non profit partner of your choice. They've donated more than $3 million to date, so shop early, have fun and cross some names off your list today. To get 15% off your next gift, go to UncommonGoods.com NPAD that's UncommonGoods.com NPAD for 15% off. Don't miss out on this limited time offer. Uncommon Goods were all out of the ordinary.

[Narrator]

Long before plastic pumpkins and prepackaged candy. October 31st was known as Samhain. This ancient Celtic festival marked the end of summer, the welcoming of the harvest, and the entry point into the dark part of the year. Samhain was the Celtic New Year and took place the night before all saints day. It was believed that during the transition of Samhain, the boundaries between the world of the living and the world of the dead were lifted. Spirits walked the earth and this time of year was devoted to the dead. The ancestors and the she, the sidhe were believed to be powerful, sometimes unpredictable spirits, often referred to with euphemisms like the good people. The tradition of wearing disguises and costumes during Samhain started because people sought to confuse the evil spirits traveling the earth so they would be left alone. Games of chance, like bobbing for apples can trace their roots to these ancient customs. Even the traditional colors of Halloween, black and orange, originated with Samhain. Black represented the death of the summer. The orange symbolized the autumn harvest season, which was something that I never knew.

[Cassie]

I just accepted that black and orange was Halloween with no questions asked.

[Danielle]

Cool. I'm going to trivia tonight. So I'm banking all these fun facts. You know, you never know what's going to come up.

[Narrator]

It's a season.

[Cassie]

So I feel like these would be part of trivia.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And if they're not, maybe I'll just offer the information.

[Cassie]

Like I have some trivia questions actually for the audience.

[Danielle]

I grab the mic, I'm like, hello, everyone, it's Halloween.

[Cassie]

And do you know what the meaning of black and orange is for this holiday?

[Danielle]

That's such a good trivia question.

[Cassie]

It is.

[Danielle]

Okay. I'm b. I'm banking it now, you.

[Cassie]

Know, and if anyone is participating in trivia and you get this as a trivia question and you get it right because of me, please let me know.

[Danielle]

That would be incredible. I've never heard a question like that. But it's such a piece of obscure knowledge that I feel like would be on Jeopardy or something like that. It's like, how do they come up with those questions?

[Cassie]

Or like, who wants to be a Millionaire?

[Danielle]

I feel like I have a better shot at who wants to be a Millionaire? Especially because they phone a friend. Well, yeah, you have like your three lifelines. But also because I feel like they. They start with some softballs.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Almost as if I can do this. And then you're like, wow, I don't know.

[Cassie]

They gotta keep you there for A little while. They can't just, like, shoot you down really quick.

[Narrator]

Jeopardy.

[Danielle]

Doesn't do that. Yeah.

[Cassie]

They don't care.

[Danielle]

Jeopardy. Just goes right in hard.

[Cassie]

And my grammy, my mom's mom, I remember as a kid watching both Jeopardy. And who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

[Narrator]

With her, and she knew everything. We used to always be like, you.

[Cassie]

Have to go on this show.

[Narrator]

Because we would be sitting there and she would say an answer, and she would be right, like, probably 80% of the time.

[Danielle]

I just don't understand how one prepares for something like that. Because the questions are so. There is no pattern to the question. Like, they're just. You need to have knowledge of everything.

[Narrator]

Yeah. You just have to know everything.

[Cassie]

You have to know a little bit about every single subject and not even a little bit, like, specific, important pits.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So the last time I watched Jeopardy. Was when Ntea was in labor. We had her husband Mike put on Jeopardy. She's.

[Cassie]

That's a good distraction show.

[Danielle]

I don't know. She. I think that at one point, she just, like, you know, hunched over, like, turn this shit off.

[Cassie]

Like, I don't care.

[Danielle]

Birthing new life. But yeah. And there's a couple times that we paused it and had to really think about it and mull it over. And even then. Yeah. Yeah. There's times I don't even understand what the question is asking. It's not even that I don't know the answer. I don't know the question.

[Cassie]

That does make it harder to win.

[Danielle]

Don't sign me up for Jeopardy. Ever. Jeopardy. Don't even think about coming over here. I. I know it's tempting, but I won't do well.

[Cassie]

Sign me up for Is it Cake? Because I would thrive. Cassie's dream is to be on Is it Cake?

[Danielle]

A top five dream, probably.

[Cassie]

If you ever see me on Is it Cake, just know that I've made it.

[Danielle]

We don't need anything. What are, like, big things that we don't need to be? We don't need to see our name and light somewhere. We just want to be on Is it Cake? Actually, I don't have any interest. I'll be in the crowd cheering you on.

[Cassie]

There isn't a crowd on Is it Cake? It's just the.

[Danielle]

No, like, in the back. Like, just the. There's so crowd.

[Cassie]

What are you talking about?

[Danielle]

There's no live audience.

[Cassie]

No, the audience are the people who are participating in the show.

[Danielle]

Oh, okay. Well, I'll sit on the sidelines and watch you and. Yeah. Anyway. Okay. This people are gonna Be like, shut the up, please.

[Cassie]

Anyway, back to Halloween. But that is relevant because they did do. Is a cake. Did a Halloween series where they did all spooky cakes and stuff. So it is relev.

[Danielle]

I was just taking a sip of my coffee and it almost came out of my nose. No, I swear this. This fits into this. This makes Scottish episode does. Oh, my God. Okay, I'm gonna mute myself. Does this program have a mute button?

[Cassie]

I think it does, but I need you to participate anyway. Going back into it. Last thing I said was black represents.

[Narrator]

The death of summer and orange symbolizes the autumn harvest. Weren't all just quaint stories. These beliefs were woven into the very fabric of life. If you failed to make appropriate gestures to the ancestors, or if you were simply unfortunate enough to be out alone on sawy night, you risked being killed or abducted by these roaming spirits or fairies. The world of the she was believed to be an invisible parallel universe that intersected with ours in strange and dangerous ways. It also serves, as I've been hinting, as an ominous precursor to the very legend and lore that define our modern Halloween. Which brings us to the magnificent Loch Lomond and Trussachs national park and the charming village of Aberfoyle in Scotland. Loch Lomond and the Trussachs national parks boast some of the most stunning scenery in the world, from breathtaking mountains and glens to the vast, tranquil beauty of its lochs. The national park is home to Queen Elizabeth Forest park, where you can find the village of Aberfoyle. And this is one thing that's really interesting.

[Cassie]

I think about European national parks and.

[Narrator]

A lot of other places around the world is when you're in the US you think of national parks and it's just vast land, at least for most of them. And when you get to the UK and places around Europe, national parks don't mean there aren't towns or people living in them. So when I was researching this about Aberfoyle, it's very much a town that people live and recreate, but it's also a national park.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Which I think is important to note.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

It would be cool to live inside a national park way, which I won't even dive into that, but I learned.

[Narrator]

That my family history, they used to live in a national park in Italy.

[Cassie]

Which I thought was really cool.

[Narrator]

But going back into Aberfoyle, it sits on the banks of River Forth and serves historically as the southern gateway to the Trussachs. Following the publication of Walter Scott's the Lady of the Lake Aberfoyle quickly developed into a popular holiday village noted for its distinc to Victorian architecture and attractive main street. Visitors today can find shops, cafes, restaurants and the Abervoil Golf Club, which was established in 1890. There's also the Tressex Discovery center where you can learn more about the area's natural beauty and history. The Tressex region is famous for its stunning scenery and it also offers adventures ample opportunity for an adrenaline rush. Visitors can explore the Queen Elizabeth forest by flying 46 meters above the ground on Britain's longest zip line, or venture through over 60 miles of bike paths and forest walks. The Duke's Pass, named after the Duke of Montrose, is regarded as one of Britain's best drives, providing spectacular views. It follows a route once used by Rob Roy's cattle drovers, which is fun because Roy, known as the Scottish Robin Hood, was the Duke's nemesis.

[Cassie]

Fun fact of more history, you can digest more trivia.

[Narrator]

Further north along the Duke's pass is the Three Locks Forest Drive, a 7 1/4 mile loop open to walkers, cyclists and drivers. Within this beautiful, historically rich landscape is Dune Hill. And Dune Hill is where our story takes place today. Dune Hill, sometimes referred to as Fairynowe or Dunshee, is a round, soft, gentle hill, not high like the surrounding tressachs. The trail to the summit starts near the main parking lot in Aberfoyle. It's an easy, tranquil two hour circular walk that includes quiet oak woodland and mossy rocks. This small, seemingly innocuous hill has been long regarded as a significant spot in folklore. It's believed to be the entryway or threshold to the other world of fairies, a gateway guarded by mythical beings. In Reverend Robert Kirk's words, the local mountain people considered these fairy hills dangerous to peel or discover by taking earth or wood from them. At the top of Dune Hill, visitors reach a clearing where a single ancient Scots pine stands among circling oak trees. This is known locally as the Minister's Pine or the Fairy Tree. According to local belief, this pine is thought to be a doorway to an underground fairy queen's palace where the soul of Reverend Robert Kirk is still held captive. The village of Aberfoyle is so deeply connected to this legend that Kirk's has helped earn it the name the fairy capital. And going a little bit into our story in the 1600s, Reverend Robert Kirk, a minister in Aberfoyle and an and an accomplished Gaelic scholar, became obsessed with local folklore and the existence of these subterranean, invisible people. Like Many in the 17th century, he believed in spirits, witchcraft, and pagan rituals. In 1691, Reverend Kirk published an extraordinary book, the Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies. Which might sound like it's a fiction book, but this was completely based on his true beliefs. And this book meticulously described the habits, appearance, and hidden secrets of fairy folk, also known as Urisks. Local people believed that by revealing these closely guarded secrets in print, Kirk had transgressed a sacred taboo and greatly annoyed the spirit people. The following year, on May 14, 1692, Kirk disappeared mysteriously. His body was found eventually on Dune Hill, dressed only in a nightgown. While some suggest he died of a sudden collapse or natural causes, local lore insists that the fairies killed him as retribution for betraying them.

[Danielle]

Well, everyone knows the first rule of Fight Club is you don't talk about fight club.

[Cassie]

So true. And it's funny because even telling and.

[Narrator]

Reading this, I'm like, this all feels.

[Cassie]

Like fake lore that isn't a true story.

[Narrator]

But all of this is.

[Cassie]

I think the most interesting part about.

[Narrator]

This story is that all of this is true.

[Danielle]

Okay, wait, what part of it feels not real? Like that this guy dedicated his life to exposing fairies?

[Narrator]

No, that the whole town forever has thought that this area of Dune Hill is like this fairy very opening of the like. It feels like it would be folklore, and it is, but it's also deeply ingrained in beliefs then.

[Cassie]

And, yeah, his whole study of folklore and fairies and stuff, it can almost, I think, feel like. Wait, what?

[Danielle]

So are you gonna. I. If I'm jumping ahead, I'm sorry, but how did he get into this? Because you said he's a minister.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Danielle]

Right. So was this just kind of a passion project or like a side thing?

[Narrator]

I think him being a minister actually contributed to his spiritual beliefs.

[Cassie]

That contributed to his interest in folklore.

[Narrator]

But I'm so glad that you asked.

[Cassie]

That, because in order to fully understand.

[Narrator]

His story, we have to dive into his.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

You might think you have a solid handle on your budget.

[Narrator]

Maybe you've even made a spreadsheet that.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Says you should have an extra thousand dollars left over each month. But if your bank account isn't reflecting.

[Narrator]

That something is off.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Rocket Money helps you track every dollar, uncover hidden spending, and take control of your finances. We started using Rocket Money and instantly realized how easy it is to lose track of.

[Narrator]

Of small recurring charges.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Those random streaming services, that old trial you forgot to cancel, or even an app subscription you signed up for years ago. Rocket Money finds them all. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps you find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions monitors your spending and helps.

[Narrator]

Lower your bills so you can grow your savings.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

It shows you everything in one place.

[Narrator]

All of your expenses, upcoming bills, and.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Your paydays laid out clearly on one dashboard. You can even set up custom budgets based on your past spending habits. And Rocket Money will alert you if you're getting close to going over one of the best features. They'll actually try to negotiate your bills for you. The app scans for opportunities to save and contacts customer service so you don't have to spend hours on hold. Rocket Money has saved users over $2.5 billion, including over $880 million in canceled subscriptions alone. Their 10 million members save up to $740 a year when they use all of their app's premium features. So if you're ready to stop wondering where your money is going every month, let Rocket Money do the work for you, cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com NPAD today, that's RocketMoney.com NPAD RocketMoney.com NPAD.

[Narrator]

So going into what came of his death on the Hill, this gave rise to an even stranger tale. In Aberfoyle, some said that the body that was found was merely a fake. It was an exact replica of him. But it wasn't truly him. They claimed the real Robert Kirk's soul, body and spirit were captured and imprisoned in Fairyland. His prison is said to be the ancient Scots pine tree standing alone on the hill's summit, now known as the Minister's Pine, or the Fairy Tree. There was an attempt to free him at his posthumous child's baptism, which we.

[Cassie]

Will get into in a little bit.

[Danielle]

You're saying so much that I have so many questions about.

[Narrator]

But the attempt failed and Kirk remains trapped in Fairyland. His ghost is said to still wander the hillside. So today Dune Hill remains a site of spiritual significance. Visitors tie ribbons and offerings to the fairy tree forever linking this quiet corner of Scotland to the dark, fascinating world of the supernatural. But like I said before, to totally understand why this region of the world has remained so connected to the supernatural, with Robert Kirk at its center for hundreds of years, you need to understand who Robert Kirk truly was. The story of the ferry Minister begins long before his ill fated walk on Dune Hill. Robert Kirk was born probably in aberfoyle, Perthshire, in 1644. Some sources suggest he might have been born as early as 1641. He was the son of Reverend James Kirk, who was the minister of Aberfoyle Aberfoyle was a royalist stronghold, so Robert was a native Gaelic speaker. Crucially, Robert Kirk was the seventh son of his minister father. In the traditional beliefs of the Highlands, being a seventh son conferred upon the individual the power of second sight. Second sight, known in Gaelic as tavr, allowed an individual to see the otherwise invisible world of the fairies and spirits. This inherent supernatural connection is why Robert Kirk later chose to delve into the beliefs surrounding the fairy world. Robert was an accomplished scholar, linguist and theologian. In 1661, he graduated with an MA from Edinburgh University and went on to further study at at St Andrews. After his ordination, he began his ministry in November 1664 in the parish of Balquitter, which was near his birthplace. He was appointed minister of Aberfoyle in 1685 and returned to his childhood home and his father's former parish. Kirk's dedication to Gaelic scholarship was immense. He began translating the Bible, Psalms and catechism into Gaelic. His work was deemed both important and elegant. Around 1689, he went to London for eight months to supervise the printing of Bishop Betel's Gaelic Bible, which came to be known as Kirk's Bible of 1690. This work also included a vocabulary of 464 difficult words foreshadowing future Gaelic dictionaries. Kirk was an intellectual who actively engaged in the theological and metaphysical debates seeking to combat the rise of fashionable skepticism and materialism. For Kirk, fairies provided a key piece of evidence for spiritual realms. If he could convince people of the realities of fairies, he believed he could uphold the beliefs in angels, the devil, and ultimately God.

[Danielle]

Okay, this is answering questions too. A lot.

[Cassie]

Like why he's connecting all of this.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Like why is he so passionate about fairies in particular? And that it's all coming together, it's all.

[Cassie]

All tying together.

[Narrator]

His goal was to suppress the impudent and growing atheism of this age. While in London, he met Bishop Edward Stilling Fleet and his wife Elizabeth. Since the bishop was also a seventh son, the couple asked Kirk what this implied. Kirk wrote his next book in response, dedicating it to Elizabeth Stilling Fleet. Kirk married twice. While serving in Bell Quitter, he married Isabel Campbell in 1678, with whom he had a son named Colin. After Isabel's death on Christmas Day two years later, Kirk later married her cousin. Scandalous this if I die, do not marry my cousin. Not you.

[Cassie]

I'm just saying, wait. If I die and if I die and Al married my cousin, I would haunt him forever.

[Danielle]

We've had this argument before, but I feel like, maybe differently.

[Cassie]

I just. Of all the people.

[Danielle]

Yeah. But it's like. I don't know. I feel like it's like you would have. There's like a closer. Like, you both. People loved you.

[Narrator]

Yeah. And that's a totally fair point. I just.

[Cassie]

Yeah, it's fine. It's a fair point.

[Danielle]

It's fine if you feel differently. I just think that it's like you both. Yeah.

[Cassie]

Love the same person.

[Danielle]

Yeah. You love the same person. And I mean. I don't know. I don't know. Whatever.

[Cassie]

Keep it all in the family.

[Danielle]

Keep it all in the family, I guess. Yeah, I know that. And that was like a. I'm sure. Also, we're talking 1600. How many other people are around?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

And you kind of marry your family members at this time sometimes. So at least it's not his personal family member.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

I mean, by marriage, I guess.

[Narrator]

Which.

[Danielle]

It's a gray area.

[Narrator]

Well, he later marries her cousin, Margaret.

[Cassie]

Campbell, and they had a son named Robert.

[Narrator]

Margaret was pregnant with her second child, Marjorie, at the time of Kirk's death. It is believed Kirk completed the manuscript for his most famous and infamous work around 1691. It was published under the title the Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies, or An Essay on the Nature and Actions of the Subterranean and, For the Most part, Invisible People, Heretofore going under the Name of Fauns and Fairies and the like, as Described by those who have the second sight.

[Danielle]

Wait, wait, that was the title. That was the entire title I just blacked out. Can you say that one more time?

[Cassie]

Say this three times fast. The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fairies, Fauns and. Or the Essay on the Nature of Actions of the Subterranean, for the most part, Invisible People, Heretofore going under the name of Fauns and Fairies and the like, as to described by the. Those who have the second sight, the secret Site, The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Ponce and Fairies, or the essay. Did you get it?

[Danielle]

I got it. Wow. Okay. I don't need to read the book. I feel like I got. I kind of got.

[Cassie]

It's confusing read. I tried to read it because there's actually.

[Narrator]

You can read this book.

[Cassie]

It's better known as the Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies. And I think that's for obvious reasons why it's better known as that instead of there. But you can actually find a digital version online if anyone is interested in reading it. But I will say it's very difficult to read, and I think because people spoke and wrote very differently. The 1690s that I was reading it and I'm like, what does this say? You know, I had to kind of like, re.

[Danielle]

It's like me trying to read a Jeopardy. Question. Yeah, it's like, pretty similar.

[Narrator]

Pretty similar experience.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Well, Kurt completed the manuscript around 1691, but the book didn't appear in print.

[Narrator]

Until 1815, when Sir Walter Scott published it. However, small numbers of handwritten copies of Kirk's manuscript were in circulation before he died. The Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies recounts the habits, attitudes, and appearance of the supernatural beings that Kirk's parishioners referred to as the she or good people. Kirk treated the existence of fairies as a phenomenon worthy of study, blending his theological insights and local oral traditions in the manner of a folklorist and proto scientist. He lived in a transitional age between tradition and modernity, magic and science, and his book stands as a priceless cultural document. Kirk presented his material as an anthropological study to avoid the political and theological dangers of writing directly about fairies. In a skeptical age, magic and science were still closely linked, and contemporary members of the Royal Society were great collectors of and often firm believers in magic. Kirk's depiction of fairies in the fairy world was extremely detailed. He described them as having a middle nature between man and angel. He referred to them as lynchobius people, meaning those living by lamplight. He was also quite poetic, referring to fairies as people who instead of day useth the night and liveth as if they were by candle night. Emphasizing their ghostly nature, he described them as pliable through the subtility of the spirits that do agitate them, that they can make them appear or disappear at their leisure. Kirk said that they had light changeable bodies of congealed air. Some were human sized, others were much smaller. They wore clothes similar to humans in their region. Kirk compared their ability to change themselves and disappear to the chameleon. He said, little beast that doth easily change itself into all colors and is.

[Cassie]

Nourished only with the air. Just to give a little view of, like, how he spoke. Imagine reading that for like 200 pages.

[Narrator]

Little Beast that doth easily change.

[Danielle]

I would need a translation, I think, for each sentence. Paragraph. Yeah, I feel like this episode, half of it. You've been speaking to me in riddles, so, yeah, I feel like I'm reading the text right now through you. I get it, though. I'm not sure I have a vision of what I think he's trying to. To. To describe, but the whole being lit by candle Night or whatever you said threw me for a second.

[Cassie]

Yeah, like the way he spoke, I think that they are glowing and I think that they are mostly out at night is what he was trying to say.

[Danielle]

Okay, yeah.

[Cassie]

Fairies were thought to inhabit the subterranean.

[Narrator]

Cavities and cells of the earth.

[Cassie]

Kirk embraced the concept that asserted that.

[Narrator]

There was no corner of the earth that was empty of fairies. He wrote that there was, quote, no such thing as a pure wilderness in.

[Cassie]

The whole universe or one devoid of fairies.

[Narrator]

He reasoned that since humans lived on the surface and worms, otters and fish lived under it, it was inconceivable that the middle cavities could be empty. They often moved their lodging at the beginning of each quarter of the year, transversing until doomsday, impatient and staying in one place. When they move, Kirk wrote, their chameleon like bodies swim in the air near the earth with bag and baggage.

[Danielle]

So again, I can't argue with that. I understand. I'm picking up what he's putting down on that one. I get it. I mean, that logic you can't really argue.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

It's like there's this middle ground of you can't say that they're not here.

[Danielle]

Yeah. It's like you're right. But can you say they are for sure? Do you know he definitely feels like he knows. If he wrote a whole book about it.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Does he claim to have ever seen one?

[Cassie]

Yes. Okay, yes. Because he has like the gift of sight.

[Danielle]

Oh, the second sight, the shining. If you.

[Cassie]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

You've probably seen a million ads for.

[Narrator]

Hair growth products and thought, sure, like that actually works. Works.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

So we get it. But Neutrophil isn't like the rest of them. Nutrafol is physician formulated, clinically tested and dermatologists even recommend it. Nutrafol is the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand trusted by over one and a half million people. It takes a proactive approach to their hair health by targeting multiple root causes of hair issues such as stress, hormones, nutrition and metabolism. I love neutrophil because it gives people a simple science back way to support healthier, stronger hair from within without feeling.

[Narrator]

Like they have to guess what's actually happening.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

You can feel great about what you're putting into your body. Since Nutraful hair growth supplements are backed by peer reviewed studies and they're NSF content Certified, the gold standard and third party certification for supplements. Adding neutrful into your routine is easy. You take four pills daily with a meal you can purchase online or with no prescription needed and get free shipping and automatic deliveries to stay consistent with a neutrful subscription, you can save up to 20%, get access to free one on one naturopathic doctor consultations and even receive a Headspace meditation membership to support your hair health journey. See thicker, stronger, faster growing hair with less shedding in just three to six months with Neutrful. For a limited time, Neutrful is offering our listeners $10 off your first purchase, month subscription and free shipping. When you go to neutrful.com and enter the promo code NPAD find out why.

[Narrator]

Neutral is the best selling hair growth.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Supplement [e-mail] spelled n u t r a f o l.com promo code npad that's nutrful.com promo code npad.

[Narrator]

Fairies were.

[Cassie]

Said to take the nourishment out of food and they would just leave the husks behind. They sometimes stole corn, pray, and he wrote, praying on the grain, as do crows and mice.

[Narrator]

Their own homes had lamps and fires, often seen without fuel. They were rarely seen laughing. And according to Kirk, their mirth was more like the constrained grinning of a mort head.

[Cassie]

They were described.

[Danielle]

What? I don't know. What are you trying to say to me? I feel. What's a Morse?

[Cassie]

I don't know what a mort head is, but he said it.

[Danielle]

No, they're. Something is like a mort. What?

[Cassie]

They're mirth.

[Danielle]

Sorry. They're mirth. Sorry, I need to look.

[Cassie]

I don't know what a mort head is.

[Danielle]

Well, let's start with mirth, because that's the first part, I think.

[Cassie]

That's like their being, their essence. Yeah.

[Danielle]

Oh. Mirth is a literary or formal term for great amusement and happiness often expressed through laughter. It's found in classical literature from older texts. Yeah, no shit. We know. What is a mort head like? M O R T. Yeah. A mort head is likely a misspelling of death's head. No, that's not true. Oh. Oh. The earliest known use of the noun morthead is in the mid-1500s. Okay, okay. We're kind of. We're getting there. Its earliest evidence for morthead is from around 1554 from the Oxford English Dictionary. It doesn't go on. It's like that's when it was.

[Cassie]

It's lost. It's lost. Been lost to time.

[Danielle]

It does say it was used in Scottish English.

[Cassie]

Well, that tracks for all of this. Mort is whatever you want it to be.

[Danielle]

Use your imagination.

[Cassie]

Imagination. Well, anyway.

[Narrator]

He further explained that the fairy world was the source of the gift of second sight, the second ciders or seers were often men in the Highlands, and as I said earlier, Kirk considered himself among them. Sears.

[Danielle]

Sorry. God, I keep interrupting. I'm so sorry. But that's just so interesting because generally when we think of people with psychic abilities or second sight or tapping into the unseen, they're women.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

And here they're thought of to be men.

[Danielle]

The seventh son, particularly.

[Cassie]

Yes.

[Danielle]

So not the seventh child.

[Cassie]

Seventh.

[Danielle]

Seventh son. Okay.

[Narrator]

Poor moms.

[Cassie]

It's like, I must have a seer. Ten children later.

[Narrator]

Seers often had terrifying encounters with fairies, especially during the 4/4.

[Cassie]

Days of the year. So each, like the years, split up.

[Narrator]

In four quarters, and that day that.

[Cassie]

Marks the first quarter, the second quarter, the third quarter, the fourth quarter.

[Narrator]

That was when seers were known to.

[Cassie]

Have encounters with fairies more often. So in case you were wondering, In Scotland, the four quarter days are Candlemass.

[Narrator]

On February 2, Whitsunday on May 15, Lammas on August 1, and Mardimas on November 11, which for the super curious is different from the English four quarter days, which are Lady Day on March 25th, Midsummer Day on June 24th, Michael Maas on September 29th, and December 25th, aka Christmas.

[Cassie]

So it's kind of different.

[Narrator]

Points in the year, seers were believed to have keener senses, much like animals. In Kirk's words, they were like a deer that sends out a man at a great distance or the raven whose. Whose brain has been clarified by the high and subtle air.

[Danielle]

Oh, that's why they're so smart. They're so high up there.

[Cassie]

Yeah. There's no oxygen up there.

[Danielle]

Clear air up there. Yeah, I didn't think of that before.

[Cassie]

In the Secret Commonwealth of Elves and Fairies, Kirk detailed the belief that every.

[Narrator]

Human being possesses a double man or a CO walker. Think of this as a dual self or a spiritual counterpart. The double man walked with a person invisibly all their life until the human host died, at which point the double man would disappear. If a person's C.O. walker was seen separate from the human while the human was alive, it signified that the person would die very soon. Kirk's book fascinated many, including Sir Walter Scott. But it was Kirk's obsession and his alleged transgression that secured his lasting infamy. Robert Kirk was often seen walking from the manse to Dune Hill, one of his favorite spots. The local mountain people considered the fairy hills dangerous. Kirk was well aware that crossing the threshold of a known fairy abode was a transgression. He had even interviewed a woman named McIntyre who had fallen asleep on the fairy hill. And afterwards became melancholous and silent and was known to hardly ever see, smile or laugh. This should have served as a clear warning to the Reverend of the risks, because they believed that her stay there just changed her and that people who went there were changed permanently. But he didn't. He wasn't afraid of this change that people said in this dark lore around fairies and darker magic that was at play. So they thought that this significantly was.

[Cassie]

A problem, that he was kind of.

[Narrator]

Inviting something bad to happen for him. But then, on top of that, he wrote a book detailing all of the fairy's secrets. According to local belief, by putting the secrets of the spirit down on paper, Kirk annoyed the fairies. Even if the book wasn't published until much later, the mere act of writing the secrets was considered enough to lead to his death. So on May 14, 1692, when Robert Kirk was found dead on Dune Hill, dressed only in a nightgown, there was lots of speculation. While some acknowledge the possibility that Robert suffered a sudden collapse or died of natural causes, local lore and tradition overwhelmingly holds that the fairies were responsible.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The story doesn't end with Robert's burial.

[Narrator]

Reverend Patrick Graham, Kirk's successor in Aberfoyle, recorded the pervasive local belief that Kirk was not truly dead. People were convinced that a stalk of his body had been left behind on the hill while his actual body and soul were imprisoned in Fairyland. Kirk's prison is said to be the great lone Scots pine on the hill summit. His spirit was believed to be trapped, serving the fairy Queen as a chaplain. In a ghostly turn, Kirk was said to have appeared to his cousin Graham. Kirk had died while his second wife, Margaret, was pregnant. He told Graham he was not dead, but captive in Fairyland. Kirk provided instructions for his release, saying that this was his last chance. When his posthumous child was brought to the manse for baptism, Kirk said he would appear in the room. He instructed Graham to throw the knife or dirk over the apparition's head and Kirk would be freed. Otherwise, he would be lost forever. Cold iron, such as a dirk or dagger, was widely known as a defense against fairies. So Graham brought the dirk as instructed. And true to his words, Kirk appeared at the christening. However, Graham was so astonished by the sight of Kirk that he couldn't move. When Graham failed to throw the knife, the opportunity was lost, the specter vanished, and Kirk was left captive in Fairyland for all of eternity. Kirk's family appeared resigned to his fate. His oldest son, Colin, reportedly said, father has gone to his own kind. Another version of the story suggests Kirk continuing trying to escape, appearing to people in dreams and telling them he could still be saved if a dirk was stuck into his great chair, which was still kept at the manse. Unfortunately, no child seems to have been christened at the manse after 1692, so the chance was lost.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

As a former vet tech, I've met a lot of cats and even more cat parents who want the absolute best for their furry family members. I know your cat is an important part of your family and when it comes to their health, what you feed them really matters. This podcast is sponsored by Smalls. Listeners know their cats simply cannot live without it for a limited time get 60% off your first order plus free shipping when you head to smalls.com NPAD Smalls Cat Food is made with protein packed preservative free ingredients you'd actually recognize from your own fridge and it's delivered right to your door. That's why cats.com names Smalls their best. Overall cat food Starting with Smalls is really easy. Just share your info about your cat's diet, health and food preferences. Smalls then create creates a personalized sampler so you can skip the random store brands and feed your cat food that actually fits their needs. From my time working in Vet Med, I can tell you that nutrition makes a huge difference. When cats eat high quality food like Smalls, you can often see the results shinier coats, steadier energy, and yes, a.

[Narrator]

Less stinky litter box.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

In fact, 88% of cat owners reported overall health improvements after switching to Small Smalls and Smalls doesn't stop at meals. They've got treats and snacks too, so.

[Narrator]

Your cat can enjoy a little extra something special.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

The team at Smalls is so confident your cat will love their food that you can try it risk free. If your cat won't eat it, they'll refund you. So what are you waiting for? Give your cat the food they deserve for a limited time because you're a National park after Dark listener. Get 60% off your first order plus free shipping when you head to to smalls.com npad one last time. That's 60% off your first order plus Free shipping when you head to smalls.com.

[Narrator]

Npad adding to the ghoulishness of the story, one Researchers noted that Kirk's will was signed on May 13, 1692, the day before his death. Some say this suggests he may have anticipated his own demise. Another piece of lingering lore says that when travelers cross the humpbacked bridge near Dune Hill that they might feel something touching their back. This is said to be the soul of Robert Kirk begging to be freed, despite the rumors and lore that, of course, his body wasn't his. Kirk was buried at Aberfoyle Old parish churchyard. Visitors can find his earthly grave in the churchyard near the roofless ruins. His memorial, a slab of red sandstone, notes in Latin that he was a luminary of the Hiberian tongue and the pastor of aberfoyle, who died May 14, 1692, age 48. Notably, the gravestone visible today may not be the original one. And some believe the coffin may have been filled with stones, not Kirk's body, reinforcing the legend that Kirk was spirited away by fairies. The original writing on the stone mentioned Kirk's work translated the Psalms into Gaelic. However, it makes no reference to his work on fairies. This is probably because in the 17th century, witchcraft was still being condemned. A small modern plaque has been erected, and it discreetly notes that the gravestone of Robert Kirk, the quote fairy minister, is inside and with his burial.

[Cassie]

I wanted to kind of do a little bit of a shout out to.

[Narrator]

Your cemetery series that you've been doing.

[Cassie]

On Instagram, because I wanted to talk.

[Narrator]

About some of the symbols that are on Robert Kirk's headstone.

[Danielle]

Yay. Okay. I'm so excited.

[Cassie]

And as you have explained, images and.

[Narrator]

Symbols on headstones correspond to certain time periods and reflect religious beliefs and and philosophical attitudes of the people. In New England, for instance, the death's head started popping up in the late 1600s, correlating with the Puritans grim attitudes towards death and human mortality. The shift away from this not so uplifting imagery to winged cherubs, soul effigies came with changing religious views that embrace the hope for resurrection and the soul's flight to an immortal afterlife. The symbols on Kirk's grave, however, merged the sober reality of his clerical life with the dangerous ambiguity of his true fate. The slab bears three specific designs. The first one is etched thistle. This represents Robert Kirk's proud Highland background. Then there's the shepherd's crook, which symbolizes Reverend Roberts calling as a pastor. Finally, there's a dagger. This is thought to be a coded reference to the fairy story. It is said to represent the dirk that Graham was supposed to throw but never did. Some sources, however, suggest the dagger is a Templar sword, linking Kirk to Masonic connections. The story of the ferry minister, Reverend Robert Kirk, and the mysteries of Dune Hill are far from forgotten. They remain central to the history and myth of Aberfoyle. Today, the walk in Robert Kirk's footsteps, which begins at the Aberfoyle parking lot and passes his graveyard, is a well known local path. Visitors still make the ascent to Dune Hill, a place of historical and spiritual significance. They visit the Lone Scots pine, AKA the fairy tree, which is still adorned with ribbons and wishes tied to the branches in memory of Robert Kirk. The persistence of the Kirk legend reminds us that belief in the unseen and folklore, or in the she in worlds beyond our own, is an enduring preoccupation. Kirk's texts argue the existence of the fairy people proved the existence of the spiritual realm and fought the skeptic skepticism of his age. His ultimate fate, whether natural death or supernatural abduction, has ensured his argument lives on. The celebration of Halloween, or Samhain, is defined by these dark, ancient traditions. It's the time of year when the boundaries blur. The spirits are believed to run rampant. The costumes, the pranks, and the acknowledgment that something or someone otherworldly might be lurking just out of sight is inspired by the life and of course, the work of Robert Kirk. As you enjoy the festivities this Halloween, the jump scares and the laughs, take a moment to ponder the very real, serious beliefs behind the origins of the holiday. Remember the story of Reverend Robert Kirk. Kirk, the man who walked out onto a hill near his church, found his purpose and then found his doom. And when you look into the dark wood, keep in mind the lingering stories of ministers pine, because as the old warnings go, when you cross the humpback bridge, you might just feel a burden settle on your back. And that burden might just be the soul of Robert Kirk begging to be freed from fairyland. And that is my, my Halloween story.

[Danielle]

Kind of sort of. That was great. I won't ever forget it. The fairy minister, he's up here. I'm ready to. I'm ready to throw out some fun facts about him now forever, because that was so intriguing.

[Cassie]

It's just a weird, interesting story and I just think it's so fun that he's still so remembered and that you can go to this national park, hike up this trail and you will see and if you look up, up pictures of this fairy tree, it's covered with.

[Narrator]

All of these ribbons and just people.

[Cassie]

Paying homage to fairy lore and, and.

[Narrator]

A lot of people truly believe in it too.

[Cassie]

So it's not even just lore, but it's actual belief too.

[Danielle]

So it's. This location is the same location that they were saying to not go to before.

[Cassie]

Yes, and it's the same location he died and it is where they believe that.

[Narrator]

That this is the opening to the realm of the fairy world and that.

[Cassie]

He is trapped in there.

[Danielle]

Of course. Yeah. He's serving the fairy queen.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

For all of eternity because he gave up her secrets of the mort heads.

[Danielle]

Right. Of that. That we know all about. So interesting. Wow. I loved it. I think it was fun. And I think there's like, some very real ways to just kind of get to the bottom of, like, we can exhume the coffin. Is there rocks in it or is there remains or is there a body in it?

[Cassie]

You know, you probably. Maybe you could DNA test from, like, generations of family or something.

[Danielle]

Yeah. But, like, where's the fun in that? So I get being like, you know what? We'll never. There's no way to ever know.

[Cassie]

There's no way to ever know. And he could be with the family fairies, too.

[Danielle]

Yeah. It's like we. And okay, so just to be clear, when they found his remains, allegedly, because what. What did you say it was a stock or something. I just pictured, like, I pictured being like. Yeah, it actually, like, that wasn't his body. It was just like. Like, I just imagine somebody dressing up like a scarecrow and like, laying it, like, to look like him and being like. They took his actual body and they just left this.

[Narrator]

This.

[Cassie]

It's just this, from my understanding, is that it was. They thought it was a replica of his body. That wasn't real. Yeah.

[Danielle]

But a 1692 replica.

[Cassie]

I just envisioned the fairies left it, though, not humans.

[Danielle]

Okay. Yes. How could I get that wrong? Right. So it was really. It was very realistic.

[Cassie]

It had to have happened. Yeah.

[Danielle]

So. So he. So they found him there in his nightgown. So clearly had, like, walked out at some point in the night over to that area and died.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Or was killed for revenge for.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Because from. From what I gathered, there was no obvious signs of why he would die looking at him.

[Narrator]

So it's not like he was obviously.

[Cassie]

Murdered or anything like that.

[Narrator]

He was just found mysteriously deceased. Deceased.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Which. He might have just had a heart attack and died. And that's the end of all the lore. But that's not fun either.

[Danielle]

No. How. Where's the fun in that? It reminds me a lot. I wonder if you. And this isn't going to make sense. Anyone who has not read the book, but our book club book the other month, Smother moss.

[Cassie]

Oh, yes.

[Danielle]

It reminds me of the. The grandmother that in her nightgown, she just walked out and was found dead in her nightgown.

[Cassie]

That's so true. I didn't even link that together. And it was also with some, like, weird, supernatural. Supernatural beings at play.

[Danielle]

Exactly. That's the only thing I was thinking of during that whole thing, which Smothermoss was a. As this episode. It was a weird time.

[Cassie]

It was a weird time.

[Danielle]

I don't know. I'm not saying this episode was weird. I actually quite enjoyed it.

[Cassie]

I think it was weird. I think it was weird and fun. And I was kind of. With this episode, I of kind of wanted to do something that was more. You don't have to believe any of the story. You can if you think it's fun too, but it's kind of more of just a. Just giving a acknowledgement to the lore that surrounds Halloween and that whether you.

[Narrator]

Believe it or not, Halloween does come from real beliefs.

[Cassie]

And I think one of the fun things about Halloween, which I didn't know until years ago, and I mentioned it very slightly at the beginning, was that.

[Narrator]

People dressed up in these costumes to scare evil spirits.

[Cassie]

So when you dress up in these costumes and you're dressing up as death or a vampire or whatever, people really did these kinds of things to try and scare what they thought were evil spirits and keep them away from them. Which I just think is kind of funny because now we're, like, dressed as Playboy bunnies. And the way they would shake their.

[Danielle]

Heads at 2012 Danielle College.

[Cassie]

I didn't scare away any evils. Actually. I might have scared away some evil spirits. They're like, we can't touch that.

[Danielle]

I. Yeah, I was. That was also. Yeah, that's an embarrassment to the origins of Halloween for sure. I don't think I've ever dressed up as anything truly, like, scary scary. But I don't think I was there. But I would love. I would love.

[Cassie]

Have you ever participated in. What is it called, like, All Mischiefs Night or Mischief Night? It's like the night. Oh, the night before Halloween when everyone kind of goes out and you like Egg house Maze or teepee Mayhem. Yeah.

[Danielle]

What is it?

[Cassie]

I'm trying to. It's like mystery night or something.

[Danielle]

How do we have a podcast?

[Cassie]

Night before.

[Danielle]

We don't know anything.

[Cassie]

We know zero things.

[Danielle]

Night before Halloween.

[Narrator]

Name?

[Danielle]

Mischief Night.

[Cassie]

Mischief Night. Yeah, Mischief Night. I remember I could not wait to participate because it's a big thing of where I grew up, and I grew up in a really small town. But I remember once you got to a certain age, you could participate. It was basically whatever age your parents let you go out at night with your friends instead of having them as a chaperone.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

And I remember when I finally got to participate in it, and I think I only did it one year, maybe two years. It was like, sixth grade or something. But we all went out, and the big thing was you would shaving cream each other. Did you guys ever do that?

[Danielle]

No.

[Cassie]

So it was. It was welcomed in the community. I don't know if it was, like, super welcomed in the community, but basically, all the teenagers would go out and they would shave and cream each other. And this area of downtown that was kind of, like, deemed. Okay. And you would just have these shaving cream fights, and people did toilet paper, But a lot of people didn't really like that because it was leaving trash around, and shaving cream would just kind of wash away. But you would shaving cream cars, and only with permission, hopefully. Or you could, like, draw things on their windows and stuff, and you would do shaving cream fights, and you would just run around at night, around town, down, just, like, having fun as teenagers.

[Danielle]

I know. I never was aware that that was. If that was a thing in Merrimack, I was not aware of it. But that was happening just down the road.

[Cassie]

Just down the road. It was. It was big. I was so excited when I would see all the, like, older kids out doing it. Like, one year, I'm gonna shaving cream.

[Danielle]

It's. It's so funny because when I looked up what it was called, Mischief Night Night, it says that in several regions. It has, like, several regional names, but, like, Mischief Night is kind of the overarching one. New England and Ohio's, interestingly, is called Cabbage Night because it says it's used in places like New England and Ohio, referring to the tradition of throwing rotten vegetables at houses. What the. In the world.

[Cassie]

I kind of actually remember that.

[Danielle]

That.

[Cassie]

No, I swear. I actually kind of remember that.

[Danielle]

Aside from the shaving cream portion of the night.

[Cassie]

Yeah. Like, I have. When it br. It brought back a very buried memory of a friend with, like, old carrots.

[Danielle]

Carrots. Why would they use that?

[Cassie]

I don't know.

[Danielle]

I feel like tomatoes would be the move. Or cabbage.

[Cassie]

I guess there might have been tomatoes.

[Danielle]

Interesting. Yeah, I feel like.

[Narrator]

Like.

[Danielle]

Okay, that's another. That's another trivia thing. What is Mischief Night called in New England? Cabbage night.

[Cassie]

Yeah. Or what is the night before Halloween called? Mischief Night or a cabbage night, depending on where you are. I've never heard of cabbage it being called Cabbage night.

[Danielle]

I don't know. Maybe this is the. I don't know. What are the sources here? I'm not even sure. University of Wisconsin, Madison.

[Cassie]

I mean, they must know.

[Danielle]

They must know.

[Cassie]

What are they doing right about New England, though, and Ohio, when they're neither?

[Danielle]

What gives them the right? I'm not sure. Okay. Wow. Cool.

[Cassie]

Well, we hope everyone is having a fun, spooky season. We hope you enjoy your Halloween and are safe. And if you're participating in Mischief Night, you're not doing anything too unruly unless.

[Danielle]

It'S sanctioned by the town, I guess it's so. It's just so funny. That was like, hey, we know you're gonna get into trouble. So here's this little corner of town where guys can just go at it with shaving cream.

[Cassie]

Like, shaving cream each other, have a nice time. And I remember we would go to school the next day and the whole playground would be covered in shaving cream unless it rained. But the whole. You would just see, like, these big globs of shaving cream everywhere from the night before.

[Danielle]

I would love to hear if people have similar story because I. And again, right before this recording, I mean, the reason we're chatting so much today, I think, is because we haven't talked much this weekend and.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

So we're literally just catching up. Yeah. But I said I feel. Because you're like, what'd you do this weekend? Which is rare because we usually talk throughout the weekends. And I truly drew a blank. I had to look at my Google Calendar to be like, what did I do? I feel like I'm having some, like, memory issues. So maybe there was stuff going on that I just truly don't recall. So I would really love to know if people have stories of Mischief Night things, because I really don't remember it being a thing. Or maybe I just wasn't invited, which is possible.

[Cassie]

Maybe. I feel like even if you weren't invited, I feel like you would have known about it, though.

[Danielle]

Yeah. I don't know. I'm not sure. I don't know much. I'm not in the. Like, I'm. Anytime there. There's a lot of circumstances where people will be like, oh, did you hear about this? Do you know about this? Or whatever. And I truly have no idea what they're talking about. So when I do speak to you about certain things and you're like, I've never heard that, I feel great about that because it's my one dynamic in relationship where I'm the person in the know. At least I feel like that. Oh, that reminds me. I'M going to send you a Dracula reel.

[Cassie]

Oh, yes. I need to see that.

[Danielle]

Okay. All right. Yeah. Yeah. On that note, we have more to talk about, but let's just go watch Dracula.

[Cassie]

Participate in mission. Enjoy.

[Danielle]

It comes out in February.

[Cassie]

In February. Go read Dracula and.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

And enjoy the view. And watch your back.

[Danielle]

No, but watch your butt.

[Cassie]

Watch your back.

[Danielle]

We're out of practice.

[Cassie]

Who are we? Happy Halloween.

[Danielle]

Happy Halloween. Bye, everyone. Everyone. Bye. Thank you for joining us again this week. If you love National Park After Dark and want to hear exclusive bonus stories, join us on Patreon or Apple subscriptions. Patreon subscribers have access to our National Park After Dark book club, live streams.

[Narrator]

Discord, and much more.

[Danielle]

If you prefer to watch our episodes, video episodes are now available on YouTube. If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe on your favorite list listening platform. And to follow along with all our adventures, you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X @ National Park After Dark.