Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: Shetland

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Fairies / Folklore / Scottish Fairies

Orkney’s Terrible Trows

Trows are fascinating creatures found only in the folklore of the Orkney and Shetland islands. But, describing them accurately is difficult because sources are not clear. Folklorists have long insisted that the word “trow” is a corruption of “troll,” and that Orkney’s Trows descend from their Viking ancestors’ stories of Trolls.

Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Folktales

Thom And Willie

THOM and Willie, two young fisher-mates of Lunna, in Shetland, were rivals for the hand of the fair Osla, daughter of Jarm. Now it so happened that, one October afternoon, they took their hand-lines and went out fishing together in their boat.

Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Mermaids / Scottish Fairies / Scottish Folktales

The Fisherman And The Merman

OF mermen and merwomen many strange stories are told in the Shetland Isles. Beneath the depths of the ocean, according to these stories, an atmosphere exists adapted to the respiratory organs of certain beings, resembling in form the human race, possessed of surpassing beauty, of limited supernatural powers, and liable to the incident of death.

Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Mermaids / Scottish Fairies / Scottish Folktales

The Mermaid Wife

A STORY is told of an inhabitant of Unst, who, in walking on the sandy margin of a voe, saw a number of mermen and mermaids dancing by moonlight, and several seal-skins strewed beside them on the ground. At his approach they immediately fled to secure their garbs, and, taking upon themselves the form of seals, plunged immediately into the sea.

Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Fairies / Scottish Folktales

Lukki Minnie

The following account of the tale of Lukki Minnie appeared in Malachy Tallack’s blog on the New Stateman website (30 April 2007). ‘For centuries – perhaps even for millennia, no-one is entirely sure – Shetland has been home to a very special creature.

Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Fairies / Scottish Folktales

Touching the Elements

In the following tale which appeared in ‘Some Folk-Tales and Legends of Shetland (1920)’ by John Nicolson, the ‘elements’ referred to are the bread and wine of the Eucharist and I suppose it is supposed to show the reputed strength of Christianity over pagan fairy magic.

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Fairies / Folklore / Scottish Fairies

Trow

A Trow is a fairy creature from the folklore of Shetland and Orkney, similar to the mainlands elf, troll or goblin. It is said these musical and mischevious folk could be found living under the earth in mounds as well as in the sea surrounding the Shetland and Orkney.

Festivals / January

Up-Helly-Aa

Up-Helly-Aa is a Norse festival on Shetland during which a replica Viking longship is burned.  It is to celebrate the 24th day after Christmas, or Up Helly Night. The festival is relatively new in Lerwick (early 19th Century) and has evolved over time. In 1840 a tar barrel raft was burned as part of the proceedings.  By the 1870’s the long ship and Norse costumes were introduced.

Fairies / Folklore / Giants / Legends / Mermaids

Burrafirth

Two Norse giants lived on the Isle of Unst, which is the most northerly of the Shetland Islands. One giant was called Herman and his rival was Saxi (Saxa).