A TOUR THROUGH
THE
ISLANDS OF ORKNEY
AND
SCHETLAND

[A Few English words translated into Norn ]

Foula,xxxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Fugla or Uttrie
An Island,xxxxxxxxxx…	…	Hion.
Bread,xxxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Coust.
Oat Bread,xxxxxxxxxx…	…	Corka Coust.
Barley Bread,xxxxxxx…	…	Boga Coust.
The Sea,xxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Sheug.
A Fish,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Fisk.
A Haddock,xxxxxxxxxx…	…	Hoissan.
A Cod,xxxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Gronge, Grodningar.
A Ling,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Longo.
A Herring,xxxxxxxxxx…	…	Sildin.
A Rock,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Berg, Berrie.
A Boat,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Bodin, Knorin.
A Sail,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Seiglè
A Mast,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Mostin.
A Coat,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Quot.
A Shoe,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Seugin.
A Stocking,xxxxxxxxx…	…	Sokin.
A Cap,xxxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Uga.
Sea Mall or Mew,xxxx…	…	Whit fuglin.
The Eagle,xxxxxxxxxx…	…	Ednin.
A Trencher or Plate,…	…	Bergesken.
A Spoon,xxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Sponin.
A Ladle,xxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Heosa.
A Horse,xxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Hessin.
A Mare,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Rupa.
A Cow,xxxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Kurin.
A Sheep,xxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Fie, Sedvite.
A Ewexxxxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Oron.
A Pott,xxxxxxxxxxxxx…	…	Posney.

(→)

- - - - - snip - - - - -


The following song is the most entire I could find, but
the disorder of some of the stanzas will show that it is
not wholly so. The subject is a strife between a King of
Norway and an Earl of Orkney, on account of the hasty
marriage of the Earl with the King's daughter in her
father's absence. Here it is worthy to be observed that
most of the fragments they have are old historical Ballads
and Romances, this kind of poetry being more greedily
swallowed and retentively preserved by memory than any
others, and most fitted to the genius of the Northerns. In
this Ballad I cannot answer for the orthography. I wrote
it as an old man pronounced it; nor could he assist me in
this particular. This man (William Henry, a farmer in
Guttorm, in Foula) has the most knowledge of any I found;
he spoke of three kinds of poetry used in Norn, and re-
peated or sung by the old men; the Ballad (or Romance,
I suppose); the Vysie or Vyse, now commonly sung to
dancers; and the simple Song. By the account he gave
of the matter, the first seems to have been valued here
chiefly for its subject, and was commonly repeated in
winter by the fireside; the second seems to have been
used in publick meetings, now only sung to the dance;
and the third at both. Let it be remarked that the
following ballad may be either written in two long line
or four short line stanzas. (→)

THE EARL OF ORKNEY AND THE KING OF NORWAY'S DAUGHTER: A BALLAD.

1.

Da vara Jarlin d'Orkneyar
For frinda sǐn spur de ro
Whirdi an skildè meun
Our glas buryon burtaga.

 
2.

Or vanna ro eidnar fuo
Tega du meun our glas buryon
Kere friendè min yamna men
Eso vrildan stiendi gede min vara to din.

 
3.

Yom keimir cullingin
Fro liene burt
Asta Vaar hon fruen Hildina
Hemi stu mer stien.

 
4.

Whar an yaar elonden
Ita kan sadnast wo
An scal vara kundè
Wo osta tre sin reithin ridna dar fro

 
5.

Kemi to Orkneyar Jarlin
Vilda mien sante Maunis
I Orknian u bian sian
I lian far diar.

 
6.

An gevè Drotnign kedn puster
On de kin firsane furu
Tworare wo eder
Whitranè kidn.

 
7.

In kimerin Jarlin
U klapasse Hildina
On de kidn quirto
Vult doch, fiegan vara moch or fly din. *

---

^* Stanzas marked thus * seem to be confused, some having too much, others too little to render the verse complete. (→)

8.

Elde vilda fiegan vara
Fy min u alt sin
Ans namnu wo
So minyach u ere min heve Orkneyar kingè ro. *

 
9.

Nu di skall taga dor yochwo
And u ria dor to strandane nir
U yilsa fy minu avon
Blit an ear ne cumi i dora band.

 
10.

Nu Swaran Konign
So mege gak honon i muthi
Whath ear di ho gane mier
I daute buthe.

 
11.

Trettì merkè vath ru godle
Da skall yach ger yo
U all de vara sonna less
So linge sin yach liva mo.

 
12.

Nu linge stug an konign
U linge wo a swo
Wordig vaar dogh mugè sonè
Yacha skier fare moga so minde yach angan u frien
Rost wath comman mier to landa.†

 
13.

Nu swara Hiluge
Hera geve honon scam
Taga di gild firre Hildina
Sin yach skall liga dor fram.

 
14.

Estin whaar u feur fetign
Agonga kadn i sluge
Feur fetign sin gonga
Kadn i pluge.

---

^* Stanzas marked thus * seem to be confused, some having too much, others too little to render the verse complete.
^† This verse seems to be part of an intermediate stanza, perhaps to be placed between those marked 12 and 13. (→)

15.
Nu stienderin Jarlin.
U linge wo an wo
Dese mo eke Orknear
So linge san yach lava mo.

 
16.
Nu eke tegaran san
Sot Koningn fyrin din
U alt yach an Hilhugin
Widn ugare din arar.

 
17.
Nu swarar an frauna Hildina
U dem san idne i fro
Di slo dor a bardagana
Dar comme ov sin mo.

 
18.
Nu Jarlin an genger
I vadlin fram
U kadnar sina mien
Geven skeger i Orkneyan.

 
19.
Han u cummin
In u vod lerdin
Fronde fans lever
Vel burne mun.

 
20.
Nu fruna Hildina
On genger i vadlin fram
Fy di yera da ov man dum
Dora di spidlaikì mire man.

 
21.
Nu sware an Hiluge
Crego gevan a scam
Gayer an Jarlin frinde
Din an u fadlin in.

(→)

22.
Nu fac an Jarlin dahuge
Dar min de an engine gro
An east ans huge ei
Fong ednar u vaxhedne more neo.

 
23.
Di lava mir gugna
Yift bal yagh fur o lande
Gipt mir nu fruan Hildina
Vath godle u fasta bande.

 
24.
Nu bill on heve da yals
Guadnè borè u da kadn
Sina kloyn a bera do skall
Fon fruna Hildina verka wo sino chelsina villya.*

 
25.
Hildina liger wo chaldona
U o dukrar u grothè
Min du buga till bridlevsin
Bonlother u duka dogha.

 
26.
Nu Hildina on askar feyrin
Sien di gava mier livè
Ou skinka vin
Ou guida vin.*

 
27.
Duska skinka vin, u guida vin
Tinka dogh eke wo
Jarlin an gougha here din.*

 
28.
Watha skilde tinka
Wo Jarlin gouga herè min
Hien minde yagh inga forlskona
Bera fare kera fyrin min.


---

^* Stanzas marked thus * seem to be confused, some having too much, others too little to render the verse complete. (→)

29.
Da gerde on fruna Hildina
On bar se mien ot
On soverin fest,
Fysin u quarsin sat.

 
30.
Da gerde un fruna Hildina
On bard im ur
Hadlin burt sien on laghdè
Gloug I osta jatha port.

 
31.
Nu iki visti an Hiluge
Ike ov till do
Eldin var commin i lut
U stor u silkè sark ans smo.

 
32.
Nu leveren fram
Hiluge du kereda
Fraun Hildina du
Gevemir live u gre

 
33.
So mege u gouga gre
Skall dogh swo
Skall lathì min heran
I bardagana fwo.

 
34.
Du tuchtada lide undocht yach
Swo et sa ans bugin bleo
Dogh casta ans huge
I mit fung u vexemir mise meo.

 
35.
Nu tachtè on heve fwelsko
Ans bo vad mild u stien
Dogh skall aidè misè Koningnsens
Vadna vilda mien.
(→)

A literal translation of the above I could not procure,
but the substance is this:—"An Earl of Orkney, in some of
his rambles on the coast of Norway, saw and fell in love
with the King's daughter of the country. As their passion
happened to be reciprocal, he carried her off in her father's
absence, who was engaged in war with some of his distant
neighbours. On his return, he followed the fugitives to
Orkney, accompanied by his army, to revenge on the Earl
the rape of his daughter. On his arrival there, Hildina
(which was her name), first spied him, and advised her now
husband to go and attempt to pacify the King. He did so,
and by his appearance and promise brought the King so
over as to be satisfied with the match. This, however, was
of no long standing, for as soon as the Earl's back was
turned a courtier, called Hiluge, took great pains to change
the King's mind, for it seems Hiluge had formerly hoped to
succeed with the daughter himself. His project took, and
the matter came to blows; the Earl is killed by Hiluge,
who cut off his head and threw it at his lady, which, she
says, vexed her even more than hi death, that he should
add cruelty to revenge. Upon the Earl's death, Hildina is
forced to follow her father to Norway, and in a little time
Hiluge makes his demand to have her in marriage of her
father; he consents, and takes every method to persuade
Hildina, who, with great reluctance, agrees upon condition
that she is allowed to fill the wine at her wedding. This is
easily permitted, and Hildina infuses a drug which soon
throws the company into a dead sleep, and after ordering
her father to be removed, set the house on fire. The flame
soon rouses Hiluge, who piteously cries for mercy, but the
taunts he had bestowed at the death of the Earl of Orkney
(→)

are now bitterly returned, and he is left to perish in the
flames."
Such is the subject of the Ballad, which might have
been built on a true story, tho' now lost. It, however,
shews the genius of the people, that tho' they were cut off
from the rest of the world they had amusements, and these
correspondent to the manners of the Northerns, among
whom nothing was more common than the recital of the
acts of their fathers. Most of all their tales are relative
to the history of Norway; they seem to know little of the
rest of Europe but by names; Norwegian transactions they
have at their fingers' ends.
[* end of excerpt re Hildina]