The Mysterious Britain account credits this version to the Reverend Patrick Graham, whose 19th-century account is given as the source of the tale. Iron and steel were widely believed to break fairy power, which explains the choice of a blade. The tradition has Kirk's cousin failing at the crucial moment, either in terror or surprise, which gives the story its sad ending.
It is a legend told about a documented man. The dirk and the christening are not recorded in any contemporary source I could find.
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