A Shetland poem about a crofter's failed attempt to tame a p...

Original Track ID

SA1974.4.1

Original Tape ID

SA1974.004

Summary

A Shetland poem about a crofter's failed attempt to tame a pig.

Alec Morrison recites his own poem about a Breck crofter's efforts to get the better of an unruly grice [pig], which tears up and undermines everything in the croft - including the house. The spoiled beast is fed on burra fells [heath rush turfs] and tattie shaws [potato tops], dinner brucks [remains] and blaand [whey and water].

Uncle Willie's wife Jannie bids him tackle the unruly grice and he fashions a ring for its nose. With the help of his brother Alec he ropes the beast and rings its nose. Trying to bite the wire, Willie gets it stuck fast in his upper lip. The pig takes off with Willie fastened to it, much to the amusement of his brother. Willie's lip eventually gives way and he lies moaning in the mud. His wife fixes him up with a tarry cloth and vows never again to take a man who "canna run a grice".

Item Notes

Vocabulary:
tack: piece of land held on lease
maet: food
voar: spring
trunie: snout
leed: energy
bussie: bedding
steid: foundation
reeve: haul
yackles: molars
stridy legs: astride
yarkin ellishin: shoemaker's awl
wittered: caught tight
cring: neck tether
sprikkled: writhed
stramp: stride
oor: a moaning sound
glaur: mud

For bussie, see 'The Scottish National Dictionary', available online [[http://www.dsl.ac.uk]] (accessed 19 February 2009), s.v. bizzie.

Recording Location

Item Location

Language

Scots

Genre

Information Verse

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good