Beither

 


The beithir is a Scottish dragon. It inhabits mountainous regions, near water. Hiding out in caves and steep mountain valleys. Unlike other European dragons the beithir lacks wings or fire breath. Instead it’s highly venomous and has a poisoned sting. It’s also associated with ice and lightning. The beithir was considered the largest and most deadly of serpents. In addition to its other abilities the Beithir was cunning and had the ability to shape shift.

The beithir would lurk in high mountain valleys near water and wait for passing victims. When an unlucky person would enter the territory of the beithir the dragon would sting their victim. If the stung person then had to run to the nearest water and wash off the sting. If they made it to the water before the beithir then they were saved. If the beithir reached the water first then the victim would be devoured.

It was believed that if a snake was killed then its head and body had to be separated from each other by quite a distance, or they would reunite and become a beithir. Because of this origin the beithir became associated with the hag, Cailleach Bheur, who had a similar ability to reassemble herself after being cut up.

Another legend about the beithir involved its shape shifting abilities. An evil stepmother, married to the Irish king, plotted against the crown prince. She gave him a magic shirt, which was actually a beithir in disguise. As soon as he put the shirt on the stepmother was able to weaken and control him through her control over the beithir. But the son was able to escape the stepmother’s control with the help of a wise woman and her daughter. The two of them prepared a cauldon of herbs. They then bathed the son in the cauldron, causing the beithir to uncoil itself from around his body and attack the two women. The daughter then stabbed the beithir to death with a dagger given to her by her mother. After being saved the prince married the wise woman’s daughter.

The beithir didn’t disappear after the end of the medieval period like most other mythical creatures, and is still occasionally seen as a cryptid in modern times.

In 1900 a beithir tormented the island of Islay. It devoured seven horses as it made its way to Loch-in-Daal. Knowing where the great serpent was heading a ship laid a trap for it, using barrels filled with meat and nails. The beithir swallowed the barrels, tearing up its stomach with the nails. Then as the beithir was incapacitated the ship fired on it with its cannons. 


In the 1930’s a beithir was spotted on shore near Loch a’ Mhuillidh.


Another sighting happened on September 30, 1965, around 11:30 pm. Maureen Ford was driving with a friend on the A85 near the River Tay. They both saw a huge snake-like creature. It was legless and grey, and had ear-like projections on its head. On October 1st, the very next day, another person, Robert Swankie, was driving on the same road and also saw the beithir. He said it was over 20 feet long and it’s back arched up like a caterpillar.


The most recent sighting was in the early part of 1975. Five fishermen saw a beithir upstream from the falls of Kilmorack. They startled the beithir, which jumped in the river and swam away out of sight. 


Sources

https://spookyscotland.net/beither/

https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Beithir

https://mythus.fandom.com/wiki/Beithir

https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/whats-new/news/1654-the-beithir-of-ben-nevis

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