50th FREE Unkans ISSUE JUNE 2015 The newsletter of the Shetland Heritage and Culture Community Issue 50 A look back on fi fty issues Unkans has reached a milestone 50th issue. to become a publication dedicated to the introduction of an online mailing list. Now The newsletter was first produced in March promotion of activities of the wider heritage readers from all around the world can sign 2007 to inform and update the community and culture community in Shetland. Emma up to receive the latest issue direct to their about events, research and services provided Miller, Marketing Officer at Shetland inbox. The readership now extends from by the brand new Shetland Museum and Amenity Trust took on the role of editor. Canada to Australia and New Zealand with Archives. Assistant Archivist, Joanne Since its inception, Unkans has always been many places in between including Norway, Wishart, and Curator, Dr Carol Christiansen, available to download from the Shetland Italy and Hong Kong. worked together as joint editors. Articles Museum and Archives website, and all back Article contributions are always welcome relating to the wider Shetland heritage issues from the very first are still online. on any subject relating to Shetland’s community were also welcomed. In February 2013, Unkans moved a further heritage and culture. Here’s to the next 50 In July 2012 Unkans was rebranded step forward in the digital world with the issues! The Victoress – a family heirloom in Hoswick, it had spent all of its life didn’t have room in our house, so in my great aunt Helen Jamieson’s my forgiving in-laws, Richard and house in Guddon, East Yell. Born in Alison, agreed that we could install Guddon in 1907, Auntie Helen was the Victoress in a peerie building 105 when she passed away in 2012, they had next to their house. Once making her Shetland’s oldest resident the stove came, more old bits and at the time. The stove was installed bobs followed, with the room even in 1924 and she kept the receipt of starring in a locally made film by purchase, which is now framed on the Greg McCarron, which was premiered mantelpiece above the stove. in a Tall Ship in Glasgow during the I was lucky enough to spend a lot Commonwealth Games. of time in Guddon, listening to Auntie Although she’s not used every day Helen’s reminiscence of family, people now, there have already been many and years gone by. After Auntie Helen yarns, funs, the odd dram and some moved into Isleshaven Care Centre ‘bannock makkin’ session enjoyed in near to her 101st birthday, my parents, the Victoress’ warm company, and Alan and Sunniva, kept the stove with a starring role in a local feature going for the next 3 years, before it film already under her belt in her new succumbed to old age. life, who knows what the future holds for our favourite family heirloom! I was told that the Victoress was Jim Leask beyond practical repair, but sentiment kicked in and a twist of fate brought me into contact with Maxi Jamieson, who used to repair stoves at ‘Da Smiddy’ and said he would do his best to get her going again, although it would be touch and go. It had been The Victoress Stove was restored to full over 30 years since someone had last working order. asked him to fix one up. To my utter delight, I received a call from him a In 2013, I took possession of a family few days later to say she was ready for heirloom, and as heirlooms go, a 90 action! year old stove is probably slightly A very excited run up to Vidlin unusual. Before our ‘Victoress No 8’ followed, before returning to Hoswick stove came to live in its new home to deal with the big question, Helen Smith who ‘co-starred’ in Greg ‘where are we going to put her’? We McCarron’s fi lm with the restored stove. Sign up to our mailing list at www.shetlandamenity.org/unkans 2 Unkans 50th ISSUE Meet the Experts this summer at Shetland Museum and Archives A series of Gallery talks are planned throughout the Friday 10th – Up Helly Aa with Brian Smith summer, by the curatorial and archival staff at Shetland Friday 24th – Shetland’s Sunken Treasure with Laurie Museum and Archives. These talks will cover a wide Goodlad range of subjects relating to the collections and will take place in the galleries, using displayed artefacts to AUGUST illustrate the talks. All talks will begin at 3.00pm on the Friday 7th – German Merchants and Dutch Fishermen stated dates and take around 20 minutes. These will be with Brian Smith free to attend and no booking is required. Friday 21st – Poop and Pipes: How you spent a penny in Come along and learn about Taatit Rugs with Carol the past, with Dr. Ian Tait or examine Shetland’s Sunken Treasure with Laurie. Friday 28th – Fantastic Felsite by Jenny Murray Discuss Up Helly Aa with Brian, or hear Ian explain how Shetlanders historically ‘spent a penny’! JUNE Friday 12th – “Taatit rugs: The pile bedcovers of Shetland” with Dr Carol Christiansen Friday 19th – Shetland during 3 World Wars with Dr. Ian Tait Friday 26th – Face to Face: Portraiture within the collection with John Hunter JULY Friday 3rd – “Taatit rugs: The pile bedcovers of Shetland” with Dr Carol Christiansen Burra place-names Over the past five years, the names. The place-names have over 1000 names plotted, the Shetland Place-Names Project been plotted in a range of ways History Group plans to mount a has worked with members of – on copy maps and old aerial display for the coming summer Burra History Group to record all photographs and by annotating season. This will give anyone with the place-names of Burra and old photographs. A particularly an interest in the place-names the nearby isles. useful method has been to the opportunity to check what A series of very lightsome walk around the coastline and has already been mapped, and recording sessions have been photograph individual features. hopefully add more information. held on Friday evenings in Place-names first recorded The next stage will be to conduct Easthouse where local folk as part of the 1951 John Stewart further research into some of the have come along to discuss the project have been checked and names, photograph more sites names and share stories about located on the ground and on and publish the material. places right round the isles. maps. Further names have been Easthouse is open from Each session concentrated on extracted from other existing 1st July to 30th September on a different area with individuals maps and documents and Sundays afternoons from 14.00 who had particular local recorded by individuals and at to 17.00, or at other times by knowledge coming along and meetings of the RVS group. arrangement. Contact Laurina helping with the project. Names All the place-names have now Herculeson on 01595 859276 recorded include coastal features been entered on the Shetland or Adalene Fullerton on 01595 such as geos, craigseats and Place-Names Database and 859623. baas, and house, croft and hill linked digital maps. Now with Eileen Brooke-Freeman 50th ISSUE Unkans 3 Taatit Rugs: The Pile Bedcovers of Shetland In 2013, Shetland Museum and used in rugs. The results reveal The family history of each rug Archives received a grant from that rug-makers were using a has been researched as far as the Esmée Fairbairn Collections much larger colour palette and possible. The stories reveal the Fund to research Taatit Rugs. This had a greater knowledge of dye large number of rugs made for is a type of bedcover held in the preparation than previously thought. marriages, and how rugs were Museum collection, which was They obtained dyes imported from passed down generations. Floor used in Shetland long ago but no the Empire, native plants and rugs made in the 20th century using longer made. During the two years lichens and in the late 19th century the taatit rug technique are also of research, there has been a began to use synthetic dyes. They included in the exhibition, which considerable level of interest from used several complex methods to runs to Sunday 19th July. the Shetland public, and beyond, in extract dyes from these sources. A publication will be released offering rugs for study. The rugs are made using later this year about the history of The results of the study are the a series of bold motifs. These taatit rugs. focus of a new exhibition which reflect symbols used in Nordic and has just opened in Da Gadderie at Shetlandic folk beliefs to ward off Dr Carol Christiansen Shetland Museum and Archives, evil, especially evil which occurred Curator where twelve of the rugs are on during hours of darkness. Shetland Museum and Archives display. The Shetland rugs are related to pile cloth made from Finland to Greenland to Ireland, where they were used as cloaks and bedcovers in the medieval period. The oldest taatit rug dates to about 1760. Shetland Museum had 34 rugs in its collection at the start of research. A call was sent out to the Shetland public asking about rugs and now nearly 100 rugs from local museums and private homes have been studied and recorded. Two rugs were located in New Zealand, taken there by Shetland families emigrating in the 1870s. One rug has been returned to Shetland, donated to Shetland Museum by the great-great-granddaughter of the rug-maker.