Chrissies Bodle
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UHI Research Database pdf download summary Chrissie's Bodle. Ljosland, Ragnhild Publication date: 2011 The Document Version you have downloaded here is: Early version, also known as pre-print Link to author version on UHI Research Database Citation for published version (APA): Ljosland, R. (2011). Chrissie's Bodle. Discovering Orkney's Forgotten Writer Christina M. Costie. The Orcadian. 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Oct. 2021 i ii iii Published by The Orcadian Limited (Kirkwall Press) Hell’s Half Acre, Hatston, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DW Tel. 01856 879000 • Fax 01856 879001 • www.orcadian.co.uk Text Ragnhild Ljosland © 2011 © Original Costie material: Alex Costie, Nancy Scott, George Costie, Angus Harcus and Isla Rigby. Permission to use any of C. M. Costie’s prose or poetry may be obtained from Nancy Scott, 9 Gill Pier, Westray, KW17 2DL Photographs copyright: Christopher Gee, Margaret Davidson, Nancy Scott, Orkney Library and Archive, Ragnhild Ljosland, Robert Foden, Russell Croy and Sinclair Photographers ISBN 978-1-902957-43-2 All rights reserved. The contents of this book may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers, except for short extracts for quotation or review Printed by The Orcadian, Hatston Print Centre, Hell’s Half Acre, Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, KW15 1DW iv Ragnhild Ljosland Discovering Orkney’s forgotten writer Christina M. Costie v The author would like to extend a very big thank-you to all of the following: Firstly, my marvellous interviewees, friends and family of Chrissie’s who opened the doors for me into her world: Nancy Scott, Alex Costie, George Costie, James Foubister, Russell Croy, Margaret Davidson, Isobel Muir, Francis Cursiter. Also all the copyright holders for letting me quote from Chrissie’s works. I am also very grateful to Lucy Gibbon, David Mackie, Colin Rendall, Sarah MacLean and all the staff at the Orkney Library and Archive for their friendly and efficient assistance, to Kim Foden for support and proof-reading, to Robert Foden for scanning images, and to my husband Christopher Gee for his support through the process and for letting me use his old family photos. I would also like to thank Christopher Norquoy for helping me with questions about old Kirkwall and putting me in contact with Chrissie’s neighbour and for many a cheerful morning chat, and Neil Leask and Peter Leith for help with old Orkney expressions and stories. To James Irvine and Ray Fereday I would like to say thank you for all the valuable information about the life of Ernest Marwick. Also Charles Tait and Peter Tait for checking and approving of the section concerning their mother Allison Leonard Tait, John Ross Scott for help with detective work, Anne and William Stewart for inviting me into their house Bridgewood, Simon Hall and Howie Firth for help with various queries, Brynna Bailey and Michael Bell for putting me in contact with Chrissie’s colleague, Phyllis Gee for showing me the Chicago World Fair 1893 memorabilia, Stewart Milne for help with Bible interpretation, Brydon Leslie for consultation on saga literature, the Longhope Lifeboat Museum for insight into the history of the Longhope Lifeboat, St. Olaf’s Cemetery custodians for helping me locate Chrissie’s grave, all the very helpful volunteers at The Orkney Family History Society for tracing Chrissie’s ancestors, the owners of Faraclett farm, Mr and Mrs Garson and Alistair Peebles for helping me find out about Hammer Mugly, and Westray Heritage Trust for endorsing this project. I am also very grateful to my fantastic colleagues at the Centre for Nordic Studies: Donna Heddle, Alex Sanmark, Andrew Jennings, Lynn Campbell and Silke Reeploeg for all their help and support through the process of writing this book, and for backing the idea in the first place. Last I wish to thank Berit Sandnes for giving me a copy of Wullie o Skipigoe or the True Story of the Harray Crab eleven years ago, after my very first visit to Orkney. Without you this book would not have happened. vi Ragnhild Ljosland was born 1979 in Trondheim, Norway. She studied Scandinavian language and literature at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and graduated with a PhD in sociolinguistics in 2008. Her interest in Orkney awakened through an Orkney and Shetland Studies course in 1999-2000, and she subsequently visited Orkney several times a year until moving permanently to Kirkwall in 2009. She is currently employed by the University of the Highlands and Islands as lecturer and researcher at the Centre for Nordic Studies, Orkney College, where she among other things teaches Orkney and Shetland literature and the history and linguistics of Orkney and Shetland dialect. She is also known from The Orcadian’s monthly column Mimir’s Well – Notes from Nordic Studies, where she explores topics in Orkney’s cultural heritage. A mother of two, she is married to an Orkneyman and enjoys outdoor life, traditional dancing and amateur theatre. Her interest in the works of Chrissie Costie stems from her interest in the Orkney dialect as well as Orkney literature and cultural heritage. vii Dedicated to Kim Foden, the world’s best mother-in-law. viii Contents Chapter 1 – Christina M. Costie: A biographical sketch 1 Family background and early days 2 School days 6 First Day in School 6 Career 9 Home and neighbourhood 10 A culturally interested circle of friends 12 Writing career 20 The end 24 Chapter 2 – The use of dialect in Chrissie Costie’s works 25 Synthetic Scots and the Scottish Literary Renaissance 25 Chrissie and the Renaissance 27 Chrissie’s interest in language 29 Dialect literature in Orkney 31 Why write in dialect? 32 Sociolinguistic awareness 34 Haad Oot Yer Haan and Speech 34 Speech as a class maker 37 Mixing ingredients to her advantage 39 Purposeful mixing of Standard English and Orcadian 40 Different dialects for different islands 41 Playing with geography and “teu-names”: When the Aald Man o’ Hoy Took a Holiday 42 Chapter 3 – Real people and places in Chrissie Costie’s works 45 The Brig 45 Lang Stane Ghosts: A glimpse of The Brig in the 17th century 45 Maister Scollay’s Son: a tour of 19th century Kirkwall 47 ix Mr. Dishington’s Dilemma 48 Lucky Flett’s Alehoose 49 Nort’ Wind Blues: Kirkwall’s monuments speak 49 Nort’ Wind Blues 50 The Thwarted Ferrylouper 52 Chapter 4 – Saga inspiration 55 Chapter 5 – Folklore and mythology 61 The Story o’ Peerie Fool 64 The Hill Anes 71 Steeraboot Lick 72 Bora, the Coo fae the Sea 73 The First Stunsel 77 Chapter 6 – Customs and traditions 79 Hallowe’en 79 Yule 80 Wedding customs 82 Childbirth 85 Chapter 7 – The bountiful and merciless sea 87 Lapster Bait (verse 1) 87 The Sailor 88 At de ceuthes 89 Speir Thoo the Wast Wind and The Shore Below wir Hoose 90 Waa’s Folk 92 Chapter 8 – Man and land 97 The Ferm Servant 97 De Government Inspector 100 The Auld Hoose Spaeks 102 Benjie’s Bodle 103 x Daavid, the Laird 106 The end of an era 106 A Hunder Year Efter This 107 Religious poetry 110 Wanderan Bairn 111 The Clay Biggin 111 The Why and the Whitfor 113 The Peerie Grandson 115 Man, land and beliefs 117 Islesman’s Request 117 The Shore Below wir Hoose 118 Speir Thoo the Wast Wind 119 Chapter 9 – War 123 The Memorial 124 The Return 125 Chapter 10 – Humour 129 Robbie’s Coortan 130 Conclusion 135 Words and expressions 137 Bibliography 143 xi xii Chapter 1 Christina M. Costie: A biographical sketch One of Orkney’s most celebrated writers is the late George Mackay Brown. Anyone living in or visiting Orkney today cannot avoid contact with the work of George Mackay Brown, either through the displays of his books in the local bookshops and libraries, or through the public displays of his poetry decorating the walls of the visitor centre at Orkney’s most popular tourist attraction Skara Brae. His poetry is literally engraved on the landscape in the valley near his beloved Rackwick. His house in Stromness carries a plaque commemorating this outstanding writer. So does another plaque in the St. Magnus Cathedral. Although outwardly shy and quiet, George Mackay Brown’s stories and poems still spellbind new readers because they capture the essence of Orkney – past, present and future – in sharp, yet beautiful snapshots. Yet, there is another, less well-known, Orkney writer who shares many of George Mackay Brown’s qualities – and who curiously also shares the middle name of Mackay. This writer has so far been much overlooked. There is no plaque to her anywhere, no biography, and when she is mentioned it is under the label “dialect writer”. In her daily life she worked in a lawyer’s office, and she remained unmarried.