Orkney Folk Tales Read online

  Hogboons, or Hog Boys, are similar to trows, but they are not related. They live in mounds as well, but they are attached to a family and will bring you good luck and prosperity as long as you share your produce with them. If you pour milk or ale over the mound then they are happy. Put butter, cheese or ground corn on top of the mound and all will be well for the family; but should you neglect the hogboon then you are playing a dangerous game. A hogboon ignored grows bitter and angry and will make your life a misery.

  It is thought that the hogboon is the guardian spirit for the family and that it is the spirit of the farmer who originally broke out the land. When James Farrar MP excavated the great Neolithic tomb of Maeshowe in 1861 he was warned by local people that he should leave it well alone, as a powerful spirit called the Hog Boy lived inside it and that it possessed great strength.

  THE HOGBOON OF HELLIHOWE

  In the north-east corner of the parish of Burness in Sanday lies the house of Hellihowe. A great mound stood near the house and in this mound there lived a hogboon. The family used to tend the hogboon faithfully, sharing the produce of the croft with its guardian spirit so that they enjoyed every success. The cattle had fine, healthy calves, the sheep all had twin lambs, the crops grew well and gave plenty of grain. Everything went well, as long as the hogboon received its share. But the crofter married a woman who knew nothing about the hogboon so, when her husband tried to leave food out for it, she scolded him and the hogboon got nothing to eat.

  One night, after not being fed again, the hogboon decided to go into the house to see what the matter was. Maybe there was sickness in the house, he thought, and all the poor people were too ill to go out to the mound with food. But when he got inside he saw them all sleeping soundly with not a care in the world. He was not too happy about this, but he thought that he could at least get a bite of porridge from the pot by the side of the fire. When he looked into the pot he saw to his annoyance that it was empty; not only was it empty but it had been scraped clean. Nothing was left for him to eat. Rage burned inside him at their neglect and he swore that they would suffer for this. And so it came to pass, for the crop failed and the cattle wouldn’t thrive and the sheep ran off. Not only that, but if the family tried to do anything they found the tool that they needed was missing, they were the butt of practical jokes and everything went wrong.

  One day the crofter went to see the laird, hoping that they could get another croft and start a new life for themselves. He was in luck, as the laird had just the place for him, and better still, it was a long way away from Hellihowe. The crofter returned home with the happy news for his wife. They borrowed horses with pack saddles and started to fasten their meagre belongings to them, at least, the belongings that the hogboon had not broken or hidden. To the saddle of the first horse they tied their plout kirn7, then all the other smaller articles. Once they were ready they left Hellihowe and set off for their new home. As they got further and further away they felt happy, hoping that their new life would be better without the constant attacks from the spiteful hogboon. At last they saw their new home before them, the crofter was so happy that he started to whistle a merry tune. Suddenly, the lid flew off the plout kirn and the hogboon stuck out his head and said, ‘We’re getting a good day for the flitting, Goodman!’8

  What the crofter had forgotten was that a hogboon doesn’t go with the land, it goes with the family.

  4

  MERMAIDS

  Orkney folk of times long gone believed in a race of creatures called the fin folk that lived on vanishing islands called Hilda-Land or under the sea in the fine city of Finfolkaheem. It was said that their womenfolk were the mermaids and that these mermaids were always on the lookout for a human husband. This was because if they married a fin man then they would lose their great beauty and become hideous crones called fin wives, who would make a living on land as witches. If a mermaid married a human husband then she would keep her beautiful looks for all eternity, once they had consummated the union.

  Some folklorists claim that mermaids and selkie folk are one and the same creature. I strongly disagree. Maybe in some places the two have become confused, but not in Orkney. The great nineteenth-century folk tale collector, Walter Traill Dennison (1825–1894), was very clear about this. Writing in 1892 he said:

  Karl Blind9, in the Contemporary for September 1881, speaks of the mermaid as assuming the form and wearing the skins of seals. Now this view would have been regarded as utterly heterodox by the old Orkney peasantry whom I knew forty years ago. To them the idea of a mermaid wearing a sealskin would have seemed as ridiculous as if some blundering newspaper should state that, ‘Yesterday Her Majesty the Queen held a Drawing Room, dressed in a coat of chain armour.’

  In the same article a Shetland correspondent had written that, ‘Such an idea as a Mermaid I never heard of till I saw it in some English work of fiction.’ Dennison responded:

  My experience in Orkney is exactly the reverse of that of the Shetlander. And I have heard a hundred times more about Mermaids from the lips of the Orkney peasants than I ever saw in books.

  As Dennison was a Sanday man I would love to think that some of these ‘Orkney peasants’ from whom he heard his stories may have been my ancestors. He goes on to say that while both men and women believed that the mermaid possessed a tail when in the water, the women believed the tail to be a petticoat, embroidered with silver and gold, that was tied around the feet while swimming, but left open to reveal dainty feet when on land, but the men said it was a part of her body. Denison recorded the story of how this tail came into being.

  HOW THE MERMAID GOT HER TAIL

  The mermaid was the first to be created and the most beautiful, although in the beginning she didn’t have a tail. Way back, when the world was young, there was a great queen who lived on Earth; some say that it was Eve herself. One day she went for a swim and was just leaving the water when she saw a beautiful creature sitting on a rock, combing her long, golden hair. It was like a woman, only much more beautiful, and her song was so sweet that it dripped with magic and enchantment. Eve was amazed, but she also felt jealous of the beauty of this woman who sat there naked in the sunlight, so she sent one of her servants over to her with the gift of a dress to wear. The woman looked at the dress, smiled, and shook her head. She replied in song:

  I am the queen o’ the sea, and mermaid’s me neem,

  Tae shaw me fair body I dinno tink sheem,

  Nae claiths fil me skin, nae dress will I wear

  But the braw taets o me bonnie, bonnie hair.10

  Eve was furious at the dismissive response of the mermaid and she and all the other women protested most vehemently that something had to be done about her. In their eyes the mermaid was so unbelievably beautiful and shameless that no man would ever want a mortal woman again. The bitter protests were heeded and the mermaid was doomed to wear a fish’s tail. However, the men felt sorry for her and they managed to help her to avoid this awful fate. If the mermaid could get a mortal man to fall in love with her then she had the power to lay aside her tail forever, as long as she was with him. That is why mermaids are still so keen to win for themselves a mortal husband, so that they can again be as beautiful as they once were.

  THE MERMAID BRIDE

  Johnny Croy was the most handsome man in all of Sanday, if not the whole of Orkney. Many a young lass gazed on him with hungry eyes as he passed by, but he was a shy young man and if he noticed their looks then he never let it show.

  Sanday, as the name implies, is a flat island with beaches of white sand that stretch for miles. One day Johnny was out by the cliffs at the south-west of the island, where the sandy land rises and the selkies play, looking for driftwood for the fire or to make things with. Suddenly he heard a more beautiful sound than he had ever heard in his whole life before. Music was being carried towards him on the warm, summer’s breeze; a song as intoxicating as strong, sweet perfume. It filled his senses until his head was spinning like he was about to faint
. Johnny braced himself for a moment, fighting the enchantment of this song, but the urge to see where it was coming from was too great and he moved forward, slowly, among the stones and seaweed that formed the beach. Then he saw her. He stood fixed to the spot like a statue as he stared in wonder at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his whole life. The mermaid sat on a rock in the sun, combing her long, golden hair with a comb of pure gold. She was naked from the waist up, but wore a petticoat of silver, shot through with blues and greens, which was twisted together to form a tail. She sang as she combed her hair and her song drew him to her like a moth to a flame. Johnny swore at that moment that he would never take a bride unless it was this mermaid; his heart was filled with love for her and desire burned within him like the sun.

  The mermaid had not seen him, so completely was she lost in her song. Johnny realised that he must act fast, but what was he to do? He crouched down on the beach, crawling among the rocks and seaweed like an animal until he was between her and the sea. She still had not seen him when he was within striking distance and then, with a lunge, he grabbed her tightly and kissed her on the lips. The mermaid sat there for a moment, stunned, but then she swept up her tail and hit him on the side of the head, sending him sprawling among the rocks. She gathered up her petticoat and ran down to the sea and plunged into the water. Now it was Johnny’s turn to be stunned as he gathered his senses together and shook his head. He was impressed at her strength, as no man had ever been strong enough to put him on his back before. He saw that she was in the sea, just off shore, and she stared at him with smouldering eyes. She was furious with him for having so rudely kissed her without asking her permission, but mixed in with that anger there was love at the sight of this handsome man.

  It was then that Johnny noticed something at his feet, glinting in the sunlight. He saw that it was her golden comb lying among the seaweed. He picked up the comb and held it aloft for her to see and said, ‘Thank you for leaving me this token of your love.’

  ‘My comb!’ cried the mermaid. ‘Give it back to me; please! I cannot go back to my home under the sea without my comb; I would be mocked and laughed at. Oh, my handsome man, please give it back to me.’

  ‘No, no, my pretty maid,’ said Johnny, ‘I will only give this back to you if you promise to marry me and come and live with me on land. I have a fine farm at Volyar with a good stock of cattle and sheep.’

  ‘No, I couldn’t live in your cold land, with your black rain and white snow. I couldn’t bear your icy wind and frost, and your smoky fires would dry me up like the poor fishes that you hang over it. No; come with me to Finfolkaheem, our home under the sea where mermaids and fin folk dwell in peace and happiness. There is no wind or rain in my land, and you will rise in power and wealth and become an important man. We will live in joy and happiness forever more.’

  They argued like this, back and forth, for some time with neither one wanting to back down. As they talked Johnny and the mermaid fell more deeply in love with each other, but their conversation was interrupted by the sight of someone in the distance walking towards them. The mermaid turned and swam away, lamenting the loss of her comb. Her golden hair was streaming over her white back like sunbeams glinting on snow. Johnny turned around and walked back to his home at Volyar with a heavy weight of sorrow hanging about his heart.

  When Johnny’s mother saw him coming along the road she could see that something was wrong. When she asked him what the matter was he took out the mermaid’s golden comb that he had been clutching to his heart and showed it to her. She stared at it with a look of horror on her face, for she had the reputation of being a wise woman who knew what others didn’t. Johnny told her all about the mermaid and his love for her and how he could never be happy unless he had her for his bride. His mother frowned, saying, ‘You are a fool for falling in love with a sea lass, but what can you expect from a man? If you want my advice you will go back to the shore, throw that comb as far out into the sea as you can and forget all about her.’

  ‘That I cannot do, mother.’

  ‘Aye, you are a right gappus11 indeed! Well, if you insist on having a sea lass as your bride then you must do as I tell you. You must keep that comb in your possession, for as long as you have it you have power over her. She won’t rest until she gets it back. Then you will be able to bend her will to yours. But, for God sake boy, if you have any spark of wit in your head you will return it to the sea, for no good will come of this.’

  ‘That is my concern; but I cannot live without her.’

  So the time passed slowly for Johnny Croy. The days dragged by and the nights seemed endless. Sleep scarcely visited Johnny as he tossed and turned in his bed; his mind burning with the vision of the mermaid’s beauty. One morning as dawn approached, and the night was darkest, Johnny fell into a fitful sleep. In his dreams he could hear the song of the mermaid filling his head. So sweet, so beautiful, so full of enchantment. Then his eyes opened, but the song continued; his room was filled with that wonderful voice, for there at the foot of his bed sat the mermaid.

  ‘Hello, my handsome man. I have come to ask you if you will return my comb.’

  ‘No, I will not do that.’

  ‘Then come with me, and be my loving husband in Finfolkaheem. You will live in a castle of crystal and be with me forever more.’

  ‘No, my sweet love. Marry me; be my bride and live with me here.’

  ‘I will make you an offer, which I think is fair. I will marry you, and live with you on land for seven years, but at the end of that time you must come with me, and all my goods, and visit my family under the sea. Will you do that, my fine, handsome man?’

  ‘That I will; gladly!’

  They fell into each other’s arms and their mouths met; the sweetest kisses that Johnny had ever known in his whole life.

  The kirk was booked and the minister paid, ready for the big day. It was the talk of the island; Johnny Croy was getting married to some strange lass that no one knew. The folk on Sanday were keen to catch a glimpse of this stranger who had won the heart of their handsome young man. When the day came the mermaid arrived at the kirk wearing a dress of silver and gold. Her long, golden hair hung loose over her shoulders and around her neck was a string of pearls, each one as big as a cockle shell. When the minister prayed she stuffed her hair into her ears, as the mermaids cannot bear to hear the word of God or to see a cross. After they were wed there was a party at Volyar and everyone was amazed by the bride, who danced as light as a feather and whose beauty outshone the local girls.

  The mermaid was a good wife. She brewed the strongest and best ale ever tasted in Sanday, was an expert at cooking, baking, spinning and knitting. The house was always as clean and shiny as a new pin; all this as well as the bairns, who came every year. Seven bairns were born at Volyar and each one was beautiful to behold, strong and clever. But the years slipped past and soon the seven years were drawing to an end. The mermaid started to prepare for a journey, putting everything in order and arranging her gear. Her blue cattle that had come with her from the sea were also brushed and made ready to leave. Johnny said nothing, but there was plenty going through his mind. The mermaid sang gently to herself as she made everything ready and in her eyes was a far-away look. Soon everything was in order, apart from the baby boy who was being looked after by Johnny’s mother, who lived close by. That night Johnny’s mother took a piece of wire, twisted it into the shape of a cross and put it in the fire to heat up. When it glowed red she took the baby on her knee and she branded its backside with the sign of the cross. He roared like a demon!

  The day dawned and a boat was seen heading towards the shore below Volyar. In the boat was a crew of fin men; dark, surly characters who seldom spoke. They loaded all of the mermaid’s goods into the boat, along with her blue cattle, and then Johnny and the bairns got in the boat too. The only thing left to get was the baby and four fin men were sent to get him. They returned empty handed, saying that they couldn’t move the cradle; it
was stuck fast to the floor. A dark cloud passed over the mermaid’s beautiful face and she ran to the small house where Johnny’s mother lived. She ran in, pulled back the blankets of the cradle and tried to pick up her son, but a burning pain shot up both arms and she screamed with pain. She looked at her baby boy lying there and the tears started to fall from her eyes as she slowly turned to go. Granny sat there with tears in her eyes too, but a laugh hung about her mouth. As she left the mermaid lamented, ‘Alas, for my bonnie boy. Doomed to live and die among mortals here on land. He will never know that his mother loved him as dearly as she loved her own life.’

  With these words the mermaid climbed into the boat and it set sail across the bay and was never seen again by mortal eyes. For Johnny and his mermaid bride never returned to Sanday, but remained in that magical realm under the sea. Their baby boy was known as Corsa Croy, meaning Croy of the Cross, and he grew to be the strongest man in all of Orkney. After his granny died he took to the sword and became a great warrior. He won great fame and fortune for himself as he cut down his enemies like a field of corn falls before the reaper. He amassed a great wealth and married a jarl’s daughter in the south country, across the Pentland Firth, and for all I know he might be living yet.

  THE CITY UNDER THE SEA

  Arthur Dearness was a strong and handsome young man who lived at Corsdale in Sanday, much admired by all the single lasses. But these lasses were to be disappointed because Arthur had fallen in love with Clara Peace, the daughter of the laird of North Skaill, and their marriage had been arranged. However, fame of Arthur’s good looks had spread further than his own native island of Sanday and a pair of deep blue eyes watched him from the sea.