Search

A minister ousted the trows with his preaching; the differen...

Date
Track ID 81182
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1978.63

Original Tape ID

SA1978.063

Summary

A minister ousted the trows with his preaching; the difference between trows and fairies.

Robbie Anderson was invited to play for the trows [trolls] every Old Yule Een. One year he got no invitation from them and went into their hold, where there was only one old woman left. She told him that a minister had come to Cullivoe whose preaching was so strong that all the trows had moved out, apart from her. This minister, James Ingram, lived to be over 100.

Tom Tulloch explains the difference between the gentle, gossamer fairies and the trows, who were more earthly beings with the ability to do both good and bad. He mentions a burn [stream] near Gloup that was a great trow hold.

Item Notes

Old Yule was the date of Christmas in the Julian calendar, which continued to be used for traditional festivals long after it was replaced by the Gregorian calendar in the middle of the 18th century.

Item Subject/Person

Ingram, Rev. James; Anderson, Robbie

Item Location

County - Shetland

Island - Yell

Parish - Yell

Language

English, Scots

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good