upon a nuptial bed, it ensured fertility. The third was that it brought herring into the loch. Other traditions In the early 20th century, R. C. MacLeod noted several traditions concerning the flag. One told how the flag came into the possession of the MacLeods through a fairy. A similar tradition relates of a fairy-lullaby. Fairy lover The first of these traditions related by R. C. MacLeod tells how one of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod married a fairy; however, after twenty years she is forced to leave him and return to fairyland. She bade farewell to the chief at the Fairy Bridge (which stands about from Dunvegan) and gave him the flag. She promised that if it was waved in times of danger and distress, help would be given on three occasions. A similar tradition, related by John Arnott MacCulloch, stated that although the fairy's gift had the power to save both her husband and his clan, afterwards an invisible being would come to take both the flag and its bearer away—never to be seen again. Fairy lullaby R. C. MacLeod considered the above 'fairy lover' tradition to be connected to another about a lullaby. This tradition originated with Neil MacLeod, who was the clan bard in the last half of the 19th century; he obtained the tradition from several old women in 'MacLeod country'. This lullaby tradition related how on an autumn night, a beautiful fairy visited Dunvegan Castle. She passed through several closed doors and entered the nursery where the infant heir to the chief was lying in his cradle. The nursemaid, who was within the room as well, was rendered powerless by a spell and could only watch as the fairy took the infant on her knee and sang him a lullaby. This song was so remarkable that it was imprinted upon the nursemaid's memory, and later she lulled the baby asleep by singing the same song. R. C. MacLeod stated that, over time it was believed that any infant of the chiefly family to whom this lullaby was sung would be protected by the power of the fairies. For a while, no nurse was employed by the family who could not sing this song. A period of 200 years then passed before any chief had been born within the castle, and the custom of singing the fairy's lullaby ceased to be followed—but according to R.