Shetland Folk-Lore

by John Spence

SHETLAND FOLK-LORE

Fig. 1.—Polished Stone Axe.

SHETLAND

FOLK-LORE

BY

JOHN SPENCE, F.E.I.S.

LERWICK

JOHNSON & GREIG

1899

PRINTED BY
JOHNSON AND GREIG, LERWICK

TO

EVERY LOVER OF THE “OLD ROCK”

THIS VOLUME IS

RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

BY THE AUTHOR

 

All Rights Reserved

PREFACE

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There is undoubtedly a growing tendency among the younger people of the present day to undervalue or neglect what has come down to us from former times. The object of this work is to preserve the memory of the old traditions, stories, phrases, words, and social customs, which were once familiar to bygone generations of our island folk. Most of the tales that constitute the folk-lore of our islands have a charm of their own. To understand that charm fully, one must picture to one's self the old grandfather or grandmother telling to the eager bairns, round the blazing peat fire on the long winter evenings, tales of trows and witches, spirits and apparitions, until at last the children who had gathered from the neighbouring houses felt afraid to venture back alone. These traditionary tales formed virtually the only current literature the people had. In those times information was conveyed by tale and story, and not by books as now. To save the relics of the past and interest the rising generation in them, one must use the printed page. The young folk do not listen now; they read.

For nearly forty years the writer has been gathering from the lips of the old folk the sayings and superstitions handed down to them. This volume is the outcome of his gleanings in that field. Though it does not profess to be exhaustive, it is placed before the public as the first book specially devoted to the subject. It thus contains the fullest collection of Shetland folk-lore available to students of the subject and to natives of the Islands at home and abroad. The book may chance to have, as well, some value for philologists. The dialect of the Islands has been largely used throughout to give the necessary local colouring, but the author thinks that this will not cause the southern reader any very serious difficulty, as in most cases explanations of the words have been supplied. If the writer succeeds in interesting those who take pleasure in recalling the old times and the old manners, and in stimulating any of his readers to join in the work of rescuing our island traditions ere they fade away into obscurity, he will consider himself amply rewarded.

The author desires here to acknowledge his indebtedness to James M. Goudie, Esq., Lerwick, for valuable assistance rendered in writing the chapter on “Prehistoric Remains”; and to the Rev. Thomas Mathewson, Lerwick, and J. J. Haldane Burgess, Esq., M.A., Lerwick, for many helpful suggestions and much assistance given while the book was passing through the press.

The author has to record his thanks to Edward Stanford, Esq., London, for the permission given to reproduce the illustration of the Shetland sixern; and to Dr. Joseph Anderson, on behalf of the Society of Antiquaries, for the use of the remaining woodcuts which appear in this volume.

JOHN SPENCE.

The Schoolhouse,
Vassa, Shetland,
September, 1899.

CONTENTS

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PAGE

THE PICTS AND THEIR BROCHS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

17

First inhabitants of Shetland ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

17

Finns, The ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

18

Magic powers of ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

20

Legends of ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

22

Picts, The ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

27

Cultivation of land by ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

29

Mode of fishing ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

32

Plundered by the Norsemen ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

34

Brochs ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

35

Dwelling-places of ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

37

Battle fought in Unst ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

40

Conquered by the Norsemen ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

42

Brochs in Nesting ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

44

In Unst ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

46

In Sandness ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

52

In Shetland ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

57

PREHISTORIC REMAINS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

61

Stone Age ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

62

Rude Stone Implements ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

63

Polished Stone Implements ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

66

Shetland Wooded in Early Times ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

69

Perforated Stone Axes ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

74

Stone Knives ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

76

Domestic Utensils of Stone ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

77

Burial Mounds ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

78

Cinerary Urns ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

81

Standing Stones ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

89

Stone Circles ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

91

Sculptured Stones ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

94

Runic Stones ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

100

Bronze Weapons ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

102

Bronze Ornaments ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

105

FOLK-LORE ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

109

Sea and Weather Lore ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

110

The Haf Fishing ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

124

Trows and Witches ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

139

Social Life in Olden Times ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

169

Festivities ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

187

PROVERBS AND SAYINGS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

205

THE LAMMAS FOY ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

235

INDEX

ILLUSTRATIONS

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PAGE

1.

Polished Stone Axe, found at Tingwall— Frontispiece

2.

Rude Stone Implement, found at Watsness, Walls ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

64

3.

Club-like Handled Implement of Sandstone, found at Burrafirth, Unst ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

65

4.

Polished Stone Axe, found at Tingwall ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

71

5.

Polished Axe of Porphyrite, found at Mount Braa, near Lerwick ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

73

6.

Sculptured Stone from Churchyard of Papil, Burra Isle ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

95

7.

Spear Head of Bronze, found in Lunnasting ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

103

8.

Oval Bowl-shaped Brooch of Bronze, found at Clibberwick, Unst ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

105

9.

Trefoil-shaped Brooch of Bronze, from Unst ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

106

10.

Shetland Sixern (six-oared boat) ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

125

11.

Shetland Quern or Hand-Mill ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

171

12.

Shetland Water-Mill ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

173

13.

Shetland Kollie (fish-oil lamp) ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

198

The plee o' the skorie, the birr o' the snipe,
The roar o' the burn, an' the swill o' the stripe,
The sough o' the nort' wind, the töve o' the sea—
Such music, dear “Old Rock,” is heard best in thee.