Adder's skull yields water of life.
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1954.113.2
Original Tape ID
Summary
Adder's skull yields water of life.
Brucie Henderson tells a story he learned from both Andrew and Lawrence Williamson.
A North Yell woman prayed to God to save her son, who was dying of consumption. She dreamed that she was to go to a knowe [hillock] and find an adder's skull. She was to clean the skull, fill it with water from a certain well and give her son the water. She followed the procedure and he began to recover. She was to continue until the peel [literally pill] was finished and keep it going for 18 months. The son made a full recovery and lived to a ripe old age. The adder's skull was said to date from antiquity but was lost about 100 years ago.
Item Notes
Though the adder is not native to Shetland it is a central feature of the story.
Recording Location
County - Shetland
Parish - Yell
Island - Yell
Village/Place - Arisdale
Item Location
County - Shetland
Parish - Yell
Island - Yell
Village/Place - North Yell
Language
Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good