The Elliots were one of the great border clans, also known as reivers. The reivers were such a problem throughout the Borders that even the church became involved in their bloody wrangles.
In 1525 they had become such a nuisance that the then Archbishop of Glasgow, Gavin Dunbar, put a curse up all the reivers of the borderlands.
“I curse their head and all the hairs of their head; I curse their face, their brain (innermost thoughts), their mouth, their nose, their tongue, their teeth, their forehead, their shoulders, their breast, their heart, their stomach, their back, their womb, their arms, their leggs, their hands, their feet, and every part of their body, from the top of their head to the soles of their feet, before and behind, within and without.”
“I curse them going and I curse them riding; I curse them standing and I curse them sitting; I curse them eating and I curse them drinking; I curse them rising, and I curse them lying; I curse them at home, I curse them away from home; I curse them within the house, I curse them outside of the house; I curse their wives, their children, and their servants who participate in their deeds. I (bring ill wishes upon) their crops, their cattle, their wool, their sheep, their horses, their swine, their geese, their hens, and all their livestock. I (bring ill wishes upon) their halls, their chambers, their kitchens, their stanchions, their barns, their cowsheds, their barnyards, their cabbage patches, their plows, their harrows, and the goods and houses that are necessary for their sustenance and welfare.”
“May all the malevolent wishes and curses ever known, since the beginning of the world, to this hour, light on them. May the malediction of God, that fell upon Lucifer and all his fellows, that cast them from the high Heaven to the deep hell, light upon them.”
“May the fire and the sword that stopped Adam from the gates of Paradise, stop them from the glory of Heaven, until they forebear, and make amends.”
“May the evil that fell upon cursed Cain, when he slew his brother Abel, needlessly, fall on them for the needless slaughter that they commit daily.”
“May the malediction that fell upon all the world, man and beast, and all that ever took life, when all were drowned by the flood of Noah, except Noah and his ark, fall upon them and drown them, man and beast, and make this realm free of them, for their wicked sins.”
“May the thunder and lightning which rained down upon Sodom and Gomorra and all the lands surrounding them, and burned them for their vile sins, rain down upon them and burn them for their open sins. May the evil and confusion that fell on the Gigantis for their opression and pride in building the Tower of Babylon, confound them and all their works, for their open callous disregard and opression.”
“May all the plagues that fell upon Pharoah and his people of Egypt, their lands, crops and cattle, fall upon them, their equipment, their places, their lands, their crops and livestock.”
“May the waters of the Tweed and other waters which they use, drown them, as the Red Sea drowned King Pharoah and the people of Egypt, preserving God’s people of Israel.”
“May the earth open, split and cleave, and swallow them straight to hell, as it swallowed cursed Dathan and Abiron, who disobeyed Moses and the command of God.”
“May the wild fire that reduced Thore and his followers to two-hundred-fifty in number, and others from 14,000 to 7,000 at anys, usurping against Moses and Aaron, servants of God, suddenly burn and consume them daily, for opposing the commands of God and Holy Church.”
“May the malediction that suddenly fell upon fair Absolom, riding through the wood against his father, King David, when the branches of a tree knocked him from his horse and hanged him by the hair, fall upon these untrue Scotsmen and hang them the same way, that all the world may see.”
“May the malediction that fell upon Nebuchadnezzar’s lieutenant, Olifernus, making war and savagery upon true christian men; the malediction that fell upon Judas, Pilate, Herod, and the Jews that crucified Our Lord; and all the plagues and troubles that fell on the city of Jerusalem therefore, and upon Simon Magus for his treachery, bloody Nero, Ditius Magcensius, Olibrius, Julianus Apostita and the rest of the cruel tyrants who slew and murdered Christ’s holy servants, fall upon them for their cruel tyranny and murder of Christian people.”
“And may all the vengeance that ever was taken since the world began, for open sins, and all the plagues and pestilence that ever fell on man or beast, fall on them for their openly evil ways, senseless slaughter and shedding of innocent blood.”
“I sever and part them from the church of God, and deliver them immediately to the devil of hell, as the Apostle Paul delivered Corinth. I bar the entrance of all places they come to, for divine service and ministration of the sacraments of holy church, except the sacrament of infant baptism, only; and I forbid all churchmen to hear their confession or to absolve them of their sins, until they are first humbled / subjugated by this curse.”
“I forbid all christian men or women to have any company with them, eating, drinking, speaking, praying, lying, going, standing, or in any other deed-doing, under the pain of deadly sin.”
“I discharge all bonds, acts, contracts, oaths, made to them by any persons, out of loyalty, kindness, or personal duty, so long as they sustain this cursing, by which no man will be bound to them, and this will be binding on all men.”
“I take from them, and cast down all the good deeds that ever they did, or shall do, until they rise from this cursing.”
“I declare them excluded from all matins, masses, evening prayers, funerals or other prayers, on book or bead (rosary); of all pigrimages and alms deeds done, or to be done in holy church or be christian people, while this curse is in effect.”
“And, finally, I condemn them perpetually to the deep pit of hell, there to remain with Lucifer and all his fellows, and their bodies to the gallows of Burrow moor, first to be hanged, then ripped and torn by dogs, swine, and other wild beasts, abominable to all the world. And their candle (light of their life) goes from your sight, as may their souls go from the face of God, and their good reputation from the world, until they forebear their open sins, aforesaid, and rise from this terrible cursing and make satisfaction and penance.”
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/features/2003/07/restoration/the_curse.shtml
I don’t believe in curses. They only are in the minds of hateful people who falsely believe themselves better than others! This is from rural Kentucky in America.
Anti Curse News for all to know world wide…… A babe in arms for our chief & our clan, What joy to read our news letter & hear a royal clan birth & this brings surety to mind that the appointed blood shall not defaulter like the LITTLE CLAN within my life time ( as i am a father too ) & fully understand the pure gravity & implication for creating offspring for the future security of the clan & do in my own way celebrate this joyest fact as a clans man. Stephen Elliott : E459, of Carlisle.UK.
i feel like my family is cursed im the only one in 4 generations that i know that hasnt been to prison or on drugs. i try to do right and be a good person with morals and values but i always seem to have the most bad luck possible ever since i could remember.
if there is some way to break this please let me know thank you
Steven, your story is familiar to many, many people, Elliots or not. Here in the states every family is grappling with opiod abuse, heroin abuse, and the financial cost of having someone they love running up debts or stealing or being promiscuous for drugs.
I salute you for trying so hard…courage is the foundation for every thing good in this world because life is a battle. Jesus Christ will join you…and He never gives up, never.
Thanks for writing to us. I’m a Johnston, not an Elliot. But this article was too good to resist. This curse only hurts those who believe a hateful, arrogant man had the power to curse people because of his fancy hat…which is superstition.
God’s power, which He shares with those of faith, is only the power of love, truth, and mercy…
To believe evil of God is the unforgivable blasphemy Jesus warned about…
May the Lord bless you and be consciously present at your side….
Lj.I understand that this curse may be of no relevance to some of the Elliots.
However,the name has been maligned and honour must be satisfied.
No one should be able to bandy the Elliots name such?Or any Reiver name.
If such a curse was levelled against the Elliot Clan today,it would be libellous.
Why does the Church in Glasgow refuse to repeal this curse?
The church must address this problem.
Ra RA Richard , One day their could be our clan war cry ” WOT DID YOU MEDDLE WITH ME FOR ” but lets hope not ay , we are superior to the cloth in many ways sir.
steven for the second time you are noticing a difference ! for you see that the fourth generation has noticed that the trend is that jail is for told it is not ! . just as trend, you have seen the difference you notice the major change in generations you have the difference youse it … E459stepheneliott ,Carlisle UK.
Be ye not fooled Put your love and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ Repenting of your sins, changing the direction of your path, Ask Jesus to be your strength in your time of weakness and HE will !
Pay no attention to the curse of this disciple of the whore of Babylon….Roman Catholic Church.
Hay Joe, These words are true on what you say friend but please dont let it get to you to much , Maybe one day in your life you will witness the abolition of the curse 🙂 .
In Gods name i ask that he surround the family..and Bless them..this is garbage nexted to God..nothing..it is gabage..
HI, Steven,
I live in the US and have an Elliott ancestor. Curses are real but Jesus can deliver you from any curse. Jesus is really real, he is alive and he can do anything!!!! THere is an excellent teaching on Youtube by a man named Derek Prince, entitled ” Am I cursed? BReaking curses…. “
Their is also the Bible and that gives prediction that if you do your checking and numbers denoted in the Bible concernlng Jesus it would point to the fact that he is alive and was born again in the year 1914 , that makes him 101 / 2 years old to this date 2016.
HI, Steven Kyle Elliott,
I live in the US and have an Elliott ancestor. Curses are real but Jesus can deliver you from any curse. Jesus is really real, he is alive and he can do anything!!!! THere is an excellent teaching on Youtube by a man named Derek Prince, entitled ” Am I cursed? BReaking curses…. “
I’m not sure how long ago you wrote this but my family has suffered to my mother’s maiden name was Elliot and we are plagued with alcoholism drug addiction prison mental problems
Ok, I just found this while planning an upcoming trip to Scotland and am completely floored. Surely no educated and God fearing Christian here believes in such a thing. Right? Such a curse may very well have been said and published but all the Elliotts I know would never entertain such thing. My Deacon-ish husband finds this hysterical and even muttered something how it’s probably more a testament to our vivacious sense of humor and we should be honored to have merited such a melodic curse. When I read it him he said it reminded him of a Dr. Zeus story.
Dear Lj Elliott Masty , please dont take this inffurnal curse to heart the days and era of which are gone now and these days we lead a different life style i am sure you agree , please forgive the delay in responding to your notice 🙂 Their is a large ELLIOTT Clan gathering soon and that i think will gladden your heart after such news and if you visit this next year it would possibly be good for you to pop down to CARLISLE to see the stone that is lodged between the Castle and Tully house museum under neath the road that divides the two places the stone is of marble granit and chistled all the way round in letters endlessly and the pavement is chistled with the host of Reiver names such as yours , all my bust wishes too you and you hubby 🙂 E459 CARLISLE UK
Dear Chief Margaret & every possible form of ELLIOTs Globally ,
Good Anti-curse news ! —– For the place that i live , which is a sum of three & a half years , has a public house ( pub ) aptly named REIVER I , has gone from being a run down and desolate place to a social boon after the new Governess & Governor took over some three years ago and the house has gone from strength to strength as a social hub for all the people of of Carlisle and others , of recent our REIVER I ( & obviously for the needs of the public as a whole ) has been refurbish & upgraded ( approx a month ago– current date- 01/09/2015 ) . I am compelled to say that this , our house , is a sure & positive sign that the CURSE has not impinged upon us entirely !!!! . As for the religious cloth & its aim ! HA the CURSE did not bother that entity & HA the cloth can stick it where the sun does not shine ! .
Yours Sincerely , E459 STEPHEN ELLIOTT , of CARLISLE .
That’s good news for the pub…glad to hear it. Sing “Auld Lang Syne” for us Scottish abroad.
I think this curse was put to rest when it was written for being so opposite to the Gospel.
There were reivers who loved money too much, but they aren’t alone. And that worship carries its own curse…fear and coldness.
Enjoy the winter in your snug gatherings!
Thanks for that Steve.
I will drop by the pub next time I am up that way.Sounds like the “Reiver” is an oasis that will beat the curse.
This man of the cloth that was placed & positioned by his own churchy people, & he did what he did foolishly , The big book ( the bible ) he followed but not devoutly as it says in the bible, and i feel sure that he knew this fact that he shot himself in the foot “Coz” it expressively says in the big book , that The Holy scriptures clearly state ( verse and chapter – amen ! ) , that to “Idolize and worship false icons ” , ” Legalised witchery ? ” , ” hoodoo & voodoo “, ” Casting spells & CURSES !!! “. That is way out of whack for the lay person to do !, or say out loud in those days it would certainly lead to a public flogging. A ranked man of the Cloth used GODs doctrine as a tool to harm but it also shows a double standards towards his world of Christendom & the Cloth he pretended to serve, He would have been surrounded by the same-like religious cloth, more or less the same as him who lived a lie in a Holy life style ?, This is the 15th year of the twenty first century & i am glad i am here now and not there then !, If i were from that fools blood line i would have surely had a prematurely death, out of pure shame ! . As for being cursed you just learn to adapt to it and after a while you get used to living with portioned out HATE, then much later in life the curse turns into a weird / Normality……….. but livable ?.
The Scots Catholic clergy were political appointments, if not even lower. Many didn’t even know the Lord’s Prayer without writing it on their sleeve. I do think a formal lifting of the thing would be nice…but also draw attention to it.
In 2001,a year after the ‘Cursing Stone’s finishedThe Bishop of Carlisle,Rt Rev Graham Dow, complained of the curses ‘spiritual violence’ and malevolent influence.Even linking it to a breakout of foot and mouth.He also called for the Arch Bishop of Glasgow to lift the curse.
In 2005,after terrible floods in the area,Jim Bootle,Liberal Democrat MP,called for the stone to be ‘smashed to pieces’.
The stone is blamed for all the bad luck in the area,including unemployment and many deaths attributed to the stone.
Mario Conti is the Arch Bishop of Glasgow.Send your thoughts to him and he might just lift the curse.
If you believe in a superstition, it can fulfill itself…Scotland needs prayer and a revival against superstition. Do it yourself…
Praying is fairly futile.
The clergy at Glasgow need to repeal the curse NOW.
They are responsible and it would be good manners to do it.
Then people like yourself can pray.
You in the USA are unaware that Wales and Scotland are a long distance away from each other.
Methodist riders really did not exist in any border clan history.
Religion for the Elliots/Armstrongs did not have any meaning then or now.
The only time a clansman would enter a church would be to pay a tax,wedding,funeral.
I can not get misty eyed about my ancestors praying in the past and nor can I see me reading fairy tales for the grown ups.
My ancestors were from Dumfries and all Methodists. You might want to read Wesley’s journal…they were all over.
I agree it would be good manners to formally repeal that ugly curse…but perhaps better manners to reach out more to the poor, including the Appalachian Scots poor who are descendants of the border clans. They are up in the hills and the RC church ignores them here, too. They have little dental work, can’t afford check ups, and their trailers burn down a lot.
I’m a dreamer…we both know that won’t happen!!! But it’s a good thought!
The Church started it.They should finish it.
In other words, it’s about public relations…a self fulllfilling superstition. You may be right there….a formal recanting might help.
Oh dear.Mario Cont was struck off being Arch Bishop recently.For misconduct of a sexual nature involving choir boys.
I have sent an email to the Dioses concerning the curse,but have not received a reply as yet.
Obviously,the clergy have much more pressing matters,possibly extra choir practice perhaps?
The old archbishop was FULL of hatred and showed NONE of the tenants of Christianity, such as forgiveness. I bet the hatred oozed from his very pores! He also thought too highly of himself in pronouncing a so-called “curse” upon others. He simply never had that power. He was a mere human, supposedly in the service of God, though it appears he was more in the service of himself.
Well said, Jan. The clergy at that time was too lazy to actually bring inspiration and kindness to the Borders and Wales. I doubt they even prayed for those people. That long-winded curse is a perfect example of “Too much is too little”. Scripture says God hears the prayers of good-hearted people.
i am a Carlisle man and the ruddy stone is just down the road from where i live & yes the curse does exist, should we be bothered or is it vital to get shot of it…… BIG TIME !, & how do we go about that coarse of things ?, aye !. : – )
There are no such powers as those you fear. We Elliotts are good people and need to be smart enough to know this was a political move.
It’s worth pointing out that Gavin Dunbar,was fast tracked through the ranks of the clergy to become an Archbishop.
He was known for his outbursts and physically attacked fellow Archbishop David Beaton.
Gavin was keen on persecution of the heretics and ordered the burning of several people including a visiting Franciscan friar and Patrick Hamilton,the Scottish martyr,who was burned alive for six hours.
He also made the mistake of issuing the curse on October 1525 at a time of intense efforts for Anglo-Scottish peace.
Thanks, Ricard…good to get the back story.
It would be a dull world without the spirits and animal courage of our ancestors! But Christ would have it better without clergy like Dunbar!!!
Hopefully the church repealed this curse?
No wonder the Elliots regularly burnt churches to the ground back in the day.
Gavin Dunbar sounded like a bag of laughs and not the sort to invite round to babysit the kids!
Can you imagine being stuck in a lift with him?He would be cursing everything.The lift,people who designed it,installed it etc.
I have banned Gavin from our local pub until he takes back his curse and honour is satisfied.
I don’t believe the curse was ever lifted…maybe Whitefield’s and John Wesley’s preaching to all those outcasts like our ancestors and the Welsh gave us a fresh start!! Mine were all Methodists here in USA’ An Irish Msgr. friend told me the Catholic Church abandoned all those people…priests being to0 indifferent and comfortable to bring the Sacraments there…so it was the early Methodists that helped lift that curse.
Perhaps God is more practical in His mercy than some imagine. Happy New Year to all!!
No, it did not repeal this.
Hopefully the preaching of the early methodists like Whitefield and Wesley did the Church’s job. My family here in USA were all Methodists.
An Irish priest, a Msgr. told me the Catholic Church lost Wales and the border areas because the priests were too comfortable and indifferent to go take the Sacraments there. The people were truly cast out…not apostates as some writers say.
This is another lesson in the cozy nest of hardline belief systems…God gets around.
The curse was trumped by the Methodist circuit riders who did what priests would not. A Msgr. told me this.
The Elliots and the Armstrongs weren’t easily affronted by this curse.
They weren’t about to bow to religion or politics.
Gavin was in favour of persecution and put people to burning.A visiting Franciscan friar,Patrick Hamilton the Scottish matyr were burned at the stake.
He attacked physically Archbishop David Beecham.
His words were of a toothless old lion.
Gavin was a traditional fire and brimstone type and was always looking for a heretic.
He attacked a fellow Bishop,put many to death at the stake and even had a visiting Franciscan friar put to death.Not a godly man.
The Elliots and Armstrongs did not frighten easily and Gavins comments sealed the fate of many religious types that strayed onto the borders.Unfortunately the curse backfired.
Gavin wasn’t one to hold a grudge, was he? He obviously never heard of forgiveness of his enemies as a tenet of the Christian religion. Glad I didn’t live in those times.
The curse was trumped by the Methodist circuit riders who went into the borders and Wales, where priests wouldn’t go. A Catholic Msgr. told me this.
Dunbar was covering for the Catholic clergy who were too indifferent and comfortable to bring the sacraments into the borders and Wales.
I believe the curse was lifted when the Methodist circuit riders fanned out all over the area with their outdoor preaching, hymns, and tender hearted Christianity.
The Elliotts I’ve known are more lighthearted and impish than dangerous.
About amends:
I come of a line of Johnstons and also Morgans of Dornoch & the clearances. The Johnstons I knew personally were strong, dark people with bushy brows and big noses. I take after the Morgan…gentle, sad, I love stories and animals. Now amends:
Chloe Johnston, my great aunt, buried her banker husband in 1932 with a promise to repay all who lost money in the failure. it was a small tobacco town, Clayton, North Carolina and the depositors were poor farmers, friends, family.
She wrote children’s books and taught school for 35 years…repaying all, beginning with those with children and most need.
I love to tell that in banks. You should see their faces.
The Bishops curse wasn’t valid, I believe, unless the families were hateful and enjoyed hurting others. Surviving by wits and courage in hard times isn’t that. The churches were all so compromised with politics, power and greed their street cred was a laugh…except for baptism and a rough Golden Rule.
My reply did not show, so I am posting again. Please disregard any duplicates webmaster/et al.
Until we make amends……how?
U mad BRO!
In the words of my ancestors, Away an Boil yer heed!
Nice one Jeff.I like it.
Like that!
I wonder why he didn’t just come out and say how he really felt???
LOL!! He was a hateful old codger, wasn’t he???
Makes you wonder if his cows were rustled. Seems too vindictive by far.
To bad theism is a joke. His long winded curse falls on deaf ears.
I shudder to think if he were truly greived
i have proof that i originally decended from the elliotts/elwalds i need to find more about the curse. please help if youre serious.
I think he explained he was just plain sick of what he viewed as their senseless slaughter of others. In light of this I think he was doing all he thought he could to get them to change. Elliotts have done much good in the world since then. Perhaps a curse sometimes is an impetus to betterment.
Before I write, I need to tell you that I have Asperger’s Syndromn. They say people like me have the ability to see, hear, know things others don’t. I’m not sure how how true that is but here goes. I believe every border family has been affected by the curse and it started with the Highland Clearances that has been very closely related to genocide, certainly appears to be an early instance of ethic cleansing….now with that in mind, refer back to the curse…….what part of it hasn’t affected us all? Donald McLeod, a Sutherland croftier, wrote about the horrors he witnessed over 250 blazing homes many of the owners he personally knew, whose present condition whether in or out of the flames he couldn’t tell. I can’t imagine the horrors my ancestors went through, death has followed my family, tried to wipe out my dad, couldn’t do that so it wiped out all his brothers and his father, his grandfather and many before him, some at birth…wives as well. I can’t tell you how many times my father and members of my family including myself have barely escaped death’s hand. Me, I’m a breast cancer survivor going on 24 years this year….mary
Strange as it may seem…..all the males in my father’s immediate family have died save him….my mother’s grandmother was a sold out child of God…covered our family with h er prayers….all my uncles and my grandfather on my dad’s side (Elliott) are dead…on my husband’s side (Ryan-Kerr) all his uncles on his fathers side are dead…cancer (colon, larnayx} airplane crash & fire, heart, liver, trailer fire, …..long before I ever heard of this curse I told my father I felt a curse had been put on our family. Imagine my shock & horror when I read this curse for the first time….I came across the possiblity of its impact when I researched out our family ancestery….believe me the curse is alive and well in some families..even their children & childrens children! The impact of words give life or death sending out ripples we know not who they will touch or how for good or evil.
he was quite the long-winded fellow wasn’t he?
🙂
Could you identify your self please i need to know who you are ?! Thanks.
identify your self please, I E459 ask, who are you?.
Wow, Gavin Dunbar must have been really upset by the border clans. I hope he got over it before he died; otherwise, he took it to his grave. I guess he did get over it and took back the curse because none of this has happened to my family.