Cain bairns

Cain bairns or kain bairns were infants who, according to Scottish superstition, were seized by warlocks and witches, and paid as a tax or tithe to the Devil. Càin is a Gaelic word for a tribute, tax or tithe, and is the origin of the Lowland Scots term, while "bairn" means a child.

The word was in use along the Scottish Borders, according to Walter Scott's Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.

It is unconnected with Cain in the Bible.

Notes

    gollark: I don't really need any significant scaling, but interesting.
    gollark: Actually implementing minoteaur, ideally.
    gollark: The opposite of C is... Prolog, maybe?
    gollark: (I consider C 🐝 for my intended uses and also most other uses)
    gollark: Ah, palaiologos, ¬🐝 programming language recommendations?

    References

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