Rambles in the Far North
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RAMBLES IN THE FAR NORTH R. MENZIES ,FERGUSSON, M.A. SECOND EDITION. ALEX. GARDNER, PAISLEY, AND 12 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. 1884 TO ORKNEY. ** — Land of the whirlpool torrent—foam^ Where oceans meet in shock — maddening ; The beetling cliff the shelving holm— The dark insidious rock : Land oj the bleak, the treeless moor— The stetile mountain, seredand riven ; The shapeless cairn, the ruined tower, Scathea by the bolts of heaven : The yawning gulf—the treacherous sand— L love thee still, my native land. " Land of the dark—the Runic rhyme— The mystic ring—the cavern hoar ; The Scandinavian seer—sublime Ln legendary lore: Land of a thousand Sea-kings' graves— Those tameless spirits of the past. Fierce as their subject Arctic waves, Or hyperborean blast ; Though Polar billows round thee foam, I love thee ! Thou wert once my home." David Vedder. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. The purpose of the following Sketches is to bring more prominently before the travelling and reading public the attractions and historical features of places which, though lying so near their own doors, are little known. The Orkney and other Islands of the North Sea well merit the attention of the tourist no less than that of the antiquarian and the geographer. It would be a good thing for those inclined to travel into other and strange lands to know some, at least, of the beauties of these scenes which are so closely associ- ated with the history of our own country. The many peculiar beauties of some of those Islands are touched upon in these Sketches, and some of the existing Folk-lore is for the first time introduced to the public. The concluding Sketch consists of a number of fairy tales, most of which have been collected at first hand, and may not be uninter- esting to lovers of the marvellous. The following pages are the hurried product of a two- summers' sojourn in the North Sea. Many of the Sketches ivi317S69 vi. Preface to the First Edition. appeared last winter in the columns of the Fifeshire Journal. Almost all the scenes described came under the writer's personal notice, and the historical matter is derived from the most reliable sources, which are acknowledged in their proper place. If this little volume creates in any a desire to visit the same scenes, it will not have been written in vain. " " The Orcadian Musings that form the latter part of the volume are occasional attempts at versification, and do not aspire to the higher walks of poesy. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. The rapid sale accorded to the first edition has necessi- tated thus early the issue of a second. The very hearty and favourable manner in which the volume has been received by the press has assured the author that his work fills a felt gap in the literature relating to the Far North. Several important improvements and additions have been made, which, it is hoped, will add to the value of the book. The Index is new, and will facilitate reference to the con- tents. " " The Orcadian Musings have not been added to the present edition—the object being to make the Sketches as compact as possible. These may probably be re-issued in another form. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Northward Ho—The Pentland Firth—An Orcadian Manse—First Flint Impressions—Walls—Tumuli—EcclesiasticalRemainB— Weapons—Asmundarvagr—Longhope—A Scandinavian Col- ony—Melsetter—Cantic-Head—Farming . '9 CHAPTER n. Hoy—Its Scenery—A Storm Scene—Norse Pirates—Flotta—An Ancient Church—Crosses—Farming—Plants—People—Tu- muli .,.....• i8 CHAPTER III. Round Churches— Orphir—The Temple Church—Crusades— — Gerth House—Jarl Hacon—Orcadian Parish Churches St. Magnus Cathedral of Kirkwall—Jarl Rognvald—Bishop Reid An Eventful Lammas Fair . -24 CHAPTER IV. — — Gallowhall— Witchcraft Trials Visit of Thorfinn to King Magnus Scandinavian Poetry . -Si CHAPTER V. Kirkwall—Historical Incidents— Bishop's Palace—Earl's Palace — Castle — —An Ancient Custom : the King's Scapa Bay — Bishop's Cup—Characteristics of Orcadians—Maes-Howe - Runes—Jarl Havard . 40 CHAPTER VI. Standing Stones of Stenness—Circle of Brogar— Remains, Celtic, y not Scandinavian—Stone of Odin : Customs connected with X. Contents. Page them— Stone of —Incidents—The Old Man —Walking Birsay of Hoy The Eagle and Young Pig—Dwarfie Stone—Hugh Miller—Supposed return of the Dwarf—Noma and the Trolld —Theories— Sir Walter Scott's Idea . -50 CHAPTER VII. Stromness— Cariston Roads—The Aster — the — olepis ^John Gow, Pirate Byron's "Torquil"—Eric Windy Cap—Bessie Miller—Mammie Scott —Betsy Barnett—Black Isle Dame— Black Craigs—Wreck of the Star of Dundee—Fossils . 62 CHAPTER VIII. Firth —Finstown—Manse—Damsay—Jarl Erlend—Gairsay—Bat- tle of Summerdale—Lochs of Stenness and Harray—Birsay —Palace—Christ's Church—Brough of Birsay, and the Ruins of the Old Norse Church—Knowe of —Weir— — — Saverough— —Cubbarrow's Castle Bairns of Brough Egilsay Eynhallow Vandalism . .76 CHAPTER IX. South Ronaldshay—St. Peter's Church—Lady Kirk—A Curious Stone—Earny Couligs—Howe of Hoxay—Introduction of Christianity—Scandinavian Influences—Druids— St. Columba and his —Remnants of Druidism—Cormac— St. Serf — Apostles — The Dalriadic Kings Jarl Sigurd's Compulsory Conver- sion—Battle of Clontarf—Song of the Fatal Sisters . 92 CHAPTER X. Ancient Chapels of South Ronaldshay—Sculptured Stones—A Cross-Marked Stone—Tombstones with Danish Inscriptions —Churches built near the Sea—The Rev. John Gerrard—A Curious Certificate—Tomison's Academy—St. Margaret's Hope—Incidents—Churchyard Inscriptions—Curious In- scriptions from South Ronaldshay, Stenness, Thurso, Birsay, Stromness, Flotta, St. Magnus' Cathedral, Papa Westray, and Shetland . .105 CHAPTER XI. Stronsay — Sanday — Brough of Quoyness — Westray — Noltland Castle : its Construction and History—The Brownie of Nolt- Contents. xi. Page land—Roslin—Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, Orcadian Fugi- tives —Rousay—Picts' Houses— Tumuli of Corquoy—Cub- bierow's Stone . .121 CHAPTER Xn. Fair Isle—Description—Wreck of the Spanish Armada— Sir Robert Sibbald's Account—Incidents during the Spaniard's Stay—Hosiery—Wreck of the Duncan, Carl Constantine, and the — — — — Lessing— Baptisms Fishing Exploits— Cod-fishing Saithe- Fishing A Novel Experiment Herring Fishing . 131 CHAPTER XIII. Land Tenure in Orkney—Udallers—The Odals-jord—Orcadian Farms—Rights and Privileges—Old Orcadian Plough—Agri- culture Two Centuries Ago—An Orcadian Triptolemus—The Clibber and Mazy—The Dawn of Scientific Agriculture— " " Breed of Sheep— Run-rig System—The Hundred Lairds of Harray—The Crofter's Commission— Forced Labour— Grievances and their Remedy—Price of Cattle—Pickie Lairds of Harray and Birsay—State of the Islands Three Centuries ago—Style of Farm Houses—Improvements in Parish of Walls—A But and a Ben—Farmer's Cottage of the Olden Time—Characteristics of Orcadians—Funeral Customs—A Marriage Feast ...... 141 CHAPTER XIV. Old Customs—Hallowe'en in the Far North—The Fairy Guizards —Fortune Spacing—Wha' Hads on to my Clew's End— Super- Names—Omens—Peculiar Charms—Norse stition—Unlucky— Words An Orcadian Cradle Song . .158 CHAPTER XV. Old Customs—The Haaf Fishing—Hogmanay—New Year Eve Song—New Year's Day—Game of Football—Gisli at Sedge Tarn — — An Exciseman Outwitted — A Lost —Smuggling "Find" An Exciting Chase—A Long- Headed Smuggler— " ••Watch and Pray ...... 169 CHAPTER XVI. Wooded Orcadia—The Druid's Rites—Torf-Einar and the Dis- covery of Peats—Peat-Cutting : the Process Described— Contents. Kinds of Peat—The Evening Festival—Peat-Raising and Peat-Leading— "Men must Work and Women must Weep" —The Rooing-Day : an Orcadian Gala Day—The Depart- ure and the Return—The Feast and Dance—In — Evening Search of Herring-Bait Many Nets, but Few Fish . 179 CHAPTER XVn. Fairy Land—Fairy Lore—Lord Lytton's Regret at the Departure of the Fairies—Lament for the Same—Scandinavian Folk Lore—Elves—The Elves and the Maid— Sir Olof in the Elve Dance—Icelandic Elves or Dwarfs —The Trows—The Old — Woman of Yell and Trippa's Son A Shetlander among the Trows—Tritons, Mermaids, etc. —Brownies—Beliefs of Two Hundred Years Ago —An Old Norse Ballad, "Da King o' Fairie"—The Sword "Graysteel"—Sea-Trows—Finnmen —Departing Superstitions—Charms —Fore-Spokeri Water—A Charm for Toothache—The Wrestin Thread—The Ringworm Cure—The Dregs of Pagan and Popish Superstition— St. Tredwell's Chapel and Loch—Wunster Well of Flotta—For- tune Telling—Thorbiorga, the Soothsayer—Time Changes All . .190 CHAPTER XVIII. Tales—The of — Fairy Croupin— Yesnaby—Ossian's Blue-Low The Changeling of Unst The Story of the Pomona Croupin — Auld Cluttie taking Notes—A Scandinavian Legend—The Trows and The Maid of Unst—The White Sea Bird and the Fisherman—Witch Mabel—The Drowning of the Trows— The Dwarf of Hoy's Lament for their Loss—The Selchie and the Woman of Skaill—The Selchie of Breckness—The Mer- " " maid Bride —The Selchies of the Stack and Skerry — Ballad: The Grey Selchie of Sule Skerry—The Selchie that no' — Neck—The of Po- Deud Forget The Weeping — Brownie mona—The Fire of Heckla : the Evil Spirits — Windigo Spirit of the North American Indians Conclusion . .219 Appendix I. ...... 257 Appendix II. ...... 259 Index ........ 263 Rambles in the Far North. CHAPTER I. "North, ever North ! we sailed by night, ' And yet the sky was red with light, * And purple rolled the deep."—Aytoun. " its and we pROM the Granite City," with noise bustle, found ourselves transported to the deck of one of the Orkney Steamers, the "Queen" by name. It was midnight; and, like Thomas Carlyle, we might have said that "upwards of five hundred thousand two-legged animals without feathers lie around us in horizontal position, their heads all in night- caps, and full of the foolishest dreams." We all endeavoured to court the drowsy god, each dreading the slightest approach oi^^mal-de-mer"; but, ere we got well outside the bar, various peculiar sounds reminded those of us who were still safe that Neptune was demanding his usual kind of black mail from every landlubber.