Crops and lambs left for the hill folk or Picts.
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1974.197.B4
Original Tape ID
Summary
Crops and lambs left for the hill folk or Picts.
In the old days crofters would leave part of their crop unharvested for the hill folk [fairies]. These were the Picts, who had gone underground and were still putting up a bit of a resistance. They used to come at night and take the crop of the Norwegians or Vikings. This strengthened the superstition and people would leave a lamb out for them. Later this extended to leaving a part of the croft unworked so that the hill folk could deal with it as they liked. This was known as the Deil's [devil's] Portion; it consisted of a number of the least valuable rigs [arable fields].
This happened a long time ago, about the time the Norse occupation was ending and the Scotch influence came back in.
Recording Location
County - Shetland
Parish - Delting
Island - Shetland Mainland
Village/Place - Lunnasting, Laxo
Item Location
County - Shetland
Parish - Nesting
Island - Shetland Mainland
Village/Place - Lunnasting
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good