Astronomical Insights in Faerie Lore
Written by Ashley Cowie. First published 01 March 2017 - republished 31 July 2025.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6872-4759Abstract: This study examines the myth of the Piper of Windy Ha' from the north coast of Scotland, uncovering its encoded geographical and astronomical significance. Through an analysis of the myth’s narrative, the article reveals a Neolithic solstice alignment between Windy Ha’ and Sysa Hillock, suggesting that the myth preserved ancient astronomical knowledge. By integrating cartographic methods and archaeoastronomical theory, the study demonstrates how such myths functioned as vehicles for understanding seasonal cycles and the Sun’s role in agricultural practices. This research highlights the connection between myth, landscape, and celestial events in the Neolithic worldview.
Keywords: Neolithic, archaeoastronomy, astronomical knowledge, myth, solstice alignment, Scotland, Piper of Windy Ha’, Sysa Hillock, Faerie, Faerie Queen.
Figure 01: Loch More and the Morven hill range in southern Caithness.
Introduction
Fairy tales, folklore, legends, and myths are essential vessels of cultural beliefs and values, particularly within pre-scientific societies where unpredictable natural events and inexplicable phenomena were explained through a spectrum of mystical forces - gods and goddesses, angels and demons, faeries and elves. These figures served as interpretative frameworks, lending order to a world otherwise shrouded in chaos.
Historically, access to fertile land significantly influenced the intensity and frequency of territorial conflicts, with battles often erupting where productive fields flourished. In Scandinavian Scotland (1987), Barbara E. Crawford examines Norse settlement and integration across northern Scotland between the 9th and 12th centuries. Crawford explores how agricultural wealth and coastal resources were primary drivers of conflict, especially in Caithness - the northernmost region of Scotland - where fierce battles unfolded as Pictish and Norse groups competed for control over this highly valued and strategically significant territory. [1]
In 2006, during a research expedition in Caithness, I rented a cottage on Olrig Hill at Weydale, situated in the parish of Olrig, roughly five kilometers (3 miles) east of Thurso. Perched on a historical boundary where Pictish, Christian, and Norse worlds intersected, this location was steeped in the resonant echoes of ancient conflicts and mythologies. The wheat fields surrounding this cottage, once marked by bloodshed, are imbued with the haunting whispers of Celtic-Christian fairies and Norse legends of dark entities from Odin’s war cabinet - stories that capture both the spiritual and violent dimensions of these intersecting cultures.
This area of Caithness, with its layered past, offers a compelling lens through which to explore the cultural and mythological entanglements that defined early Scottish history. At the edge of the moor behind this cottage, a 9-meter (29-foot) grassy hillock rises prominently from the surrounding fields. Known formally as "Sysa Hillock," locals refer to it by the evocative name "Faerie Hill” (58.5599° N -3.4841° W).
Figure 02: Weydale Cottage, Olrig Hill, Weydale, Caithness.
Figure 3: Sysa Hillock is located at grid reference ND169647.
Sysa Hillock, situated on an ancient trade route connecting Wick on the east coast and Thurso on the north coast of Caithness, appears on Royal Ordnance Survey maps at grid reference ND169647. Positioned on the southern slope of Olrig Hill, Sysa offers a vantage point from which one can gaze southward over the remnants of the “Sysa Well,” a dried healing spring that once provided medicinal (fresh) water for the surrounding farming community.
Figure 4: Sysa overlooks the sea to the north and the Morven hill range to the south.
Mythology of Sysa
Two enduring local myths are associated with Sysa Hillock. The first, the oldest, is of Norse origin, linking the mound to a powerful Viking warrior and Odin’s Valkyries, a tale that is the focus of a second article available on the History Fuzz website. However, we will set this story aside for now and turn our attention to the second myth, known in Caithness as The Piper of Windy Ha'. Rooted in Celtic faerie lore, this story carries with it a deeper set of astronomical archetypes, which will be explored later in the article, bridging the realm of faeries and our own. But before delving into this cosmic connection, let us begin by examining the myth of The Piper of Windy Ha', a tale rich in local lore and symbolism.
Chapter 2 of historian J.T. Calder’s Civil and Traditional History of Caithness (1887) recounts a story in which a Caithness farmer is seduced by the Faerie Queen and, in a fateful turn, is abducted into Sysa Hillock, never to be seen again. This tale, rooted in the mystical traditions of the region, offers a glimpse into the intersection of local history and myth, where the boundaries between the mortal and supernatural worlds blur. [2]
Figure 5: The group of four sheep on the bottom right are standing on the ancient healing well.
The Piper of Windy Ha’
A long time ago, a young man named Peter lived at Windy Ha’, a farm on the north slope of Olrig Hill. One warm June afternoon, while drinking from the well of Sysa, he fell into a deep sleep, “irresistible drowsiness, like that produced by mesmerism,” overtaking him until near sunset. He awoke to find a “beautiful girl, dressed in green, with blue eyes and golden ringlets” - the legendary Faerie Queen. Smiling kindly, she offered him a choice: a set of “magical pipes inlaid with silver” or a “gold-embossed bible.” The former would grant him fame and wealth as a musician, while the latter would make him spiritually rich but materially poor.
Peter, like many from Caithness, chose the pipes. On his first attempt, he “played them perfectly despite never having held the instrument before.” Before departing, the Faerie Queen made a binding agreement: “Seven years from this day at the exact same hour of the evening, you must meet me here, by the well of Sysa.” Peter swore to return at that time. Returning over the hill to Windy Ha’, Peter’s parents urged him to discard the pipes, fearing they were cursed by the Faerie Queen. But Peter, confident in his choice, capitalized on his newfound talent, performing across Scotland and accumulating wealth, while indulging in the pleasures of his success.
Figure 5. Illustration of a homestead on the hill of Olrig by H J, Graham, 1851, currently on display at the National Library of Australia, and this scene is representative of what Windy Ha' would have looked like.
Seven years passed, and as the sun began to set, Peter and his dog set out from Windy Ha' to Sysa Hillock. Halfway there, Peter commanded his dog to return home, and it howled loudly as it watched him disappear over the crest of Olrig Hill for the final time. "The sun near its setting poured a flood of yellow radiance over the brown moor, and in the succeeding moonlight, Sysa seemed to glow with more than earthly lustre."
What happened to Peter that night remains unknown, but the people of Windy Ha’ say that the Faerie Queen herself resided within Sysa Hillock. Peter, it is believed, entered this portal to Fairyland to fulfill his debt for the fleeting fame and fortune he had gained. To this day, locals claim that on moonlit nights, “the faint sound of Peter’s magical pipes can still be heard echoing across the moor, though whether it is truth or myth remains a matter of speculation” (J.T. Calder, 1887). [3]
Interpreting the Piper’s Journey
This story embodies several classic archetypes of mythology, including the vibrancy and struggles of youth, as well as the neglect of parental guidance. It explores the ego of a young man who chooses short-term wealth and fame over a contemplative spiritual life. On a deeper level, the tale invokes the recurring theme of a contract or bond between a human being and an otherworldly entity, typically lasting seven years - a period that appears in numerous Scottish folktales. Four examples are particularly notable:
A Scottish Borders tale recounts the story of Tam Lin, who was "stolen by the fairies and released after seven years of bondage." In Andrew Lang's The Gold of Fairnilee (1860s), Randal Ker visits a fairy well where the Fairy Queen “spirited him away to Fairy Land for seven years.” In Mollie Hunter's The Haunted Mountain (1972), the character MacAllister, a proud young farmer, is imprisoned in the underworld of the fairies for seven years. Finally, in Naomi Mitchison’s The Big House (1950), another piper is held prisoner in a fairy hill for "twice seventy years" [4,5,6].
These stories are symbolic of the various paths we can choose in life, yet they share a set of recurring motifs. The central male figures all rebel against their parents' guidance, demonstrating courage as they face dangers that only they can understand and endure. In each case, a man denies a spiritual path in favor of a material one: the Piper of Windy Ha' chose fame and fortune over the Bible's wisdom, while MacAllister, in The Haunted Mountain, chose to expand his wealth rather than adhere to superstitions regarding a "taboo field".
These emotional themes are structured around contracts made between human beings and the Fairy Queen, typically spanning seven-year periods, or cycles of the sun. Ancient cultures corresponded the number seven with gods because seven heavenly bodies were observed in the sky with the naked eye; the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, which also corresponded to the seven days of a week. This connection between seven and the heavens was foundational to early understandings of time.
Astronomy in Mythology
The number seven is central to many Scottish faerie myths, symbolizing the passage of time and natural cycles. According to J. C. Cirlot’s Dictionary of Symbols, there are “seven faerie types, one for each direction of space and time,” reflecting a deep connection to both physical and spiritual realms [7]. In Scottish folklore, the number seven also corresponds to natural cycles in farming, fishing, and hunting, representing the rhythms of life and linking human experience to the cosmic forces of nature.
This theme extends into world folklore, such as in Cinderella and Snow White, where the number seven holds symbolic significance. In The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales (1977), Bruno Bettelheim suggests that the "seven dwarfs" represent the seven planets orbiting the Sun, with Snow White symbolizing the Sun itself. [8] Friedrich Loeffler’s 1884 article, "The Seven Lipiki and Their Connection to Human Consciousness," further develops this idea, associating fairies with the seven Lipiki in Hindi thought, each representing a different plane of human consciousness. [9]
Successfully harvesting wheat fields required daily engagement with nature, governed by predetermined calendars. During the early development of timekeeping methods, many myths emerged. Lynn Berman’s The Mythology of the Pleiades: A Universal Legend (2010) explores one such celestial feature - the constellation Orion, often called "the Hunter," which dominates the northern hemisphere's winter night sky. Following the three stars of Orion's Belt upwards leads to the Pleiades, while Sirius lies downward. These prominent astronomical features are reflected in the religious lore of cultures worldwide and are mirrored in the alignments of ancient stone structures. [10]
Figure 7. The Pleiades constellation.
Known across northern Europe as the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades constellation evolved to symbolize the faerie realms in both Scotland and Ireland, where it became associated with the septagram, or the seven-pointed Faerie Star. In Celtic faerie lore, the seven-pointed star is a gateway symbol, a threshold connecting this world to the faerie realm. Beneath its shape lies a geometric message: two trinities of three points each are unified by a seventh point, signifying the moment when two worlds converge in space and time.
The Archaeoastronomy of Windy Ha’
The myth of the Piper of Windy Ha’ can be further understood through the spatial relationship between geographical features such as Peter’s farmhouse (Windy Ha’) and Sysa Hillock. When plotted on a 19th-century map, an old farm track connects these two locations, suggesting a deliberate alignment. As Robert Heggie discusses, tracks in ancient landscapes were often aligned with celestial or natural phenomena, a feature commonly explored in archaeoastronomical studies. [11]
This track may serve as a symbolic pathway between the physical and spiritual realms, a motif found in both archaeoastronomy and cultural geography. Many ancient mythologies incorporate such alignments, viewing them as metaphysical bridges, which implies that the Piper of Windy Ha’ myth could encode deeper meanings tied to territorial, ritual, and cosmological practices. Such alignments not only carry symbolic significance but may also have functioned as markers of spiritual or astronomical importance within the landscape.
Figure 8. The orange line follows the old hill road on which Peter the piper walked from his farm house, Windy Ha', to Sysa Hillock.
The identification of a cartographical feature linking the two key locations within the Piper of Windy Ha’ myth opens up an intriguing avenue for astronomical interpretation. When viewed through an archaeoastronomical lens, the story reveals a wealth of layered meanings encoded in the landscape, awaiting discovery. To access this "hidden database," one need only reconsider the myth by transposing the term ‘Peter’ with ‘Sun.’ This simple re-reading invites an alignment with ancient cosmological frameworks, where figures like Peter, often representative of prominent characters in folklore, may instead symbolize celestial bodies.
In this light, the Piper of Windy Ha’ myth could be understood not merely as a folkloric tale but as an embedded astronomical code, linking physical locations with the cyclical movements of the Sun and the underlying rhythms of the natural world.
Peter leaves Windy Ha' on a midsummer morning: This marks the Sun's rise at the summer solstice, initiating the solar journey across the sky.
Peter arrives at Sysa at noon and rests: The solstice Sun reaches its zenith at noon, representing the height of its power during the year.
Peter fell asleep all afternoon: The solstice Sun sets, symbolizing the decline of the day and the onset of evening, and the passage towards winter.
Peter awoke just before sunset when the queen of the faeries appeared: The Moon rises just before sunset, challenging the Sun's dominance.
For seven years, Peter played the pipes and enjoyed fame and riches: This represents seven years of abundant sunlight and rich harvests, with the number seven symbolizing completion.
The identification of Peter as the Sun is further supported by his journey from Windy Ha' to Sysa Hillock, aligning with the Sun’s path during the summer solstice. By plotting Sysa Hillock onto 19th-century maps and considering the solstice rising azimuth - approximately 38 degrees east of north in Caithness - this journey aligns closely with the Sun’s apparent movement across the sky. On the summer solstice morning, the Sun would rise directly behind Olrig Hill, forming a tangible connection between Windy Ha' and Sysa Hillock.
This spatial alignment suggests that Peter's journey symbolically mirrors the solar progression, reinforcing his association with the Sun. Windy Ha', as Peter’s home, represents the Sun's point of origin, while Sysa Hillock marks the end of his journey. The story thus unfolds not just as a literal tale of Peter’s travels, but as a symbolic reflection of the Sun’s annual cycle, where the land and celestial movements are intertwined in the mythological narrative. The alignment between these sites further supports the view that the myth of Peter the Piper encodes deeper astronomical knowledge, tied to the seasonal rhythms and the perceived cosmic balance between light and dark.
Figure 9. From Sysa, Windy Ha is located about 38 degrees east of north following the alignment of the summer solstice rising sun in Caithness.
Archaeologists have long suspected that Sysa Hillock, a prominent feature in the landscape of Caithness, is a Neolithic mound, potentially serving as a platform for solar and lunar observations. This theory aligns with the broader understanding of Neolithic practices, in which mounds and standing stones were frequently used in ceremonial contexts, particularly for marking important astronomical events such as the solstices, embedding astronomical knowledge within the landscape. [12]
The alignment of Sysa Hillock with Olrig Hill - revealed through careful cartographical analysis - supports the hypothesis that this mound may have had a role in agrarian rituals focused on the Sun's cycle. During the Neolithic, solar events such as the summer solstice would have been crucial in determining agricultural practices, marking the time for planting and harvesting. The alignment suggests that the Sun’s path, and the timing of its rise and set on the solstices, may have been key to the ceremonial and agricultural activities of the period.
Moreover, the preservation of this alignment in the form of the story of the Piper of Windy Ha’, highlights how complex astronomical knowledge were woven into cultural narratives, ensuring their survival through oral traditions. The continuing relevance of this myth underscores the enduring connection between the landscape, celestial observation, and agricultural cycles in the spiritual and practical lives of ancient communities.
References:
Crawford, Barbara E. Scandinavian Scotland. Leicester University Press, [1987].
J.T. Calder. (1887). Civil And Traditional History Of Caithness. Chapter 2.
J.T. Calder, 1887.
Lang, Andrew. The Gold of Fairnilee. 1860. David Nutt.
Hunter, Mollie. The Haunted Mountain. 1972. Macmillan.
Mitchison, Naomi. The Big House. 1950. Hogarth Press.
Cirlot, J. C. Dictionary of Symbols. Translated by Jack Sage, revised ed., Routledge, 2002.
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. Vintage, 1977.
Loeffler, Friedrich. "The Seven Lipiki and Their Connection to Human Consciousness." Journal of Esoteric Thought, vol. 5, no. 3, 1884, pp. 45-59.
Berman, Lynn. The Mythology of the Pleiades: A Universal Legend. McFarland, 2010.
Heggie, Robert. The Neolithic and Bronze Age of Orkney. Birlinn, 2003.
Ruggles, Clive. Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland. Yale University Press, 1999.
A. Liabenow. (2014). The Significance of the Numbers Three, Four, and Seven in Fairy Tales, Folklore, and Mythology. Grand Valley State University. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1409&context=honorsprojects.