Shetland Stories & Fiddle Tunes: The Greenland Days and the Haaf Fishing
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- Shetland Stories and Fiddle Tunes: The Greenland Days and the Haaf Fishing
This is a session that was recorded for The Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2020.
00:00 Introduction
03:06 The Greenland Tunes
05:28 The Whaling Days - Strong John Hunter
14:20 ‘Da Greenland Man’s Tune’
16:42 In search of Willafjord
26:08 Da Haaf Fishing
30:42 Sixareen ‘Spray’ in the 1881 storm
45:43 ‘Hjogravylta’
47:58 ‘Garster’s Dream’ and ‘Da Haaf Skipper’
54:03 Sixareen Sailing footage and ‘Da Towsman’
Maurice Henderson and Ewen Thomson share Shetland stories and tunes from the days of sail. Many Shetlanders made their living through Haaf fishing, using small open boats to sail or row out to the deep-water fishing grounds. The boat handling skills of the Shetland fishermen meant they were in great demand to crew aboard the British Arctic whaling ships. The performance is enriched with Shetland traditional and contemporary fiddle tunes relating to the sea, inspired by the stories and traditions handed down from the days of the whaling and Haaf fishing.
For more Shetland music from Maurice and Ewen you can check out Haltadans, and their highly acclaimed album 'Light Ida Lum'.
www.haltadans.com
Maurice's book 'In Search of Willafjord' you can order online from The Shetland Times Bookshop.
shop.shetlandtimes.co.uk/prod...
Thanks to the support of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2020 and TRACS Traditional Arts-Culture Scotland.
Maurice Henderson - Fiddle & Stories
Ewen Thomson - Guitar
Music
Oliver Jack/ Da Merry Boys of Greenland (Trad)
Da Greenland mans Tune (Trad)
Willafjord/ Da Yakki Drogan (Trad)
Hjogravylta (Trad)
Garster's Dream/ Da Haaf Skipper (Trad/ Maurice Henderson)
Da Towsman (Maurice henderson)
Filming and Production - Maurice Henderson
Camera Assistant - Ella Robertson
Graphics and Artwork - Maurice Henderson
Sixareen Filming - Maurice and Gordon Henderson
Some further recommended reading on Shetland related fishing and the Greenland whaling days.
‘Shetland and The Greenland’ Whaling by Adrian Duncan shop.shetlandtimes.co.uk/coll...
This is an incredible bit of research and a brilliant comprehensive work on Shetland and the Arctic whaling.
Shetland Open Boat Days
shop.shetlandtimes.co.uk/coll...
A brilliant book about the days of the haaf fishing, with some stories that bring a vivid picture of these small open boats caught out in a storm.
The Sixareen and Her Racing Descendents
shop.shetlandtimes.co.uk/coll...
A must have book for those interested in the sixareen and Shetland traditional wooden craft.
The Cod Hunters
shop.shetlandtimes.co.uk/coll...
This is a fascinating book on the Cod fishing and the days of sail in the Faroe Smacks. There is links to Greenland with cod fisherman venturing that far in some seasons as well as how the Shetland fishermen came to own their fleet.
The Nightmare Voyage of the Whaling Ship Diana
shop.shetlandtimes.co.uk/coll...
The harrowing story of the Whaling ship Diana as told by the ships surgeon.
Brilliant video. I talked to Tom Anderson many years ago and he sent me a copy of "Hand Me Down the Fiddle" he was obviously a lovely man even though I never met him. He also explained how the fiddle was taught in the Shetland
Thanks for your comment Marc, much appreciated. That is nice to hear about Tom Anderson sending you the book. He did so much to keep the Shetland tunes and fiddle tradition going, and it is still going strong today thanks to his foresight to start teaching the fiddle to the youngsters. That book is a good source of Shetland tunes. You have maybe seen this book by the late Dr Peter Cooke on the Shetland fiddle tradition. An interesting read. All the best, Maurice www.drpetercooke.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Shetland-fiddle.pdf
that was awesome, thanks so much! from the Hamiltons, now of Tbilisi, once upon a time of Unst, still fiddlers all...
Thank you for sharing your interesting fiddle/fishing/storm stories, interesting.
Thanks for your comment, glad you enjoyed the stories and tunes.
My good men making Merry with tune and story, I've closed my eyes and am aboard with the hunters one the north, thank you much. Greetings from the coast of Maine.
This is a gem of a video. Thanks to Maurice, Ewan and The Scottish International Storytelling Festival for putting this together. I never considered Greenland in the context of tune sharing, this has blown my mind to be quite frank. As an Irishman, I was aware of our own exchanges with Newfoundland but Greenland never seemed to feature on my radar (no pun intended).
Thanks for you kind comment, glad you enjoyed the stories. Greenland is a fantastic place to visit. I haven’t been to Newfoundland yet but some great music over there.
Hi Maurice, this is Jamie, I'm editing the interview you did with Sam Willis, and the video. This is awesome! Subscribed!
My great great grandfather left Shetland in the late 1850s, and it wasnt till 1998 that i got back there as the first of his direct descendants to return. Utterly love the place and the music and seen you on tour with Fiddler's Bid too Maurice - fascinating video, good to hear a Tulloch mentioned, great great grandma was a Tulloch from North Roe/Uyea. I ramble. Love it!
Thanks for the nice comment. Your ancestors were likely at the Haaf fishing being from Uyea and North Roe, a lovely part of Shetland. A while since Fiddlers’ Bid were on tour but we are going to be playing this summer at the Tall Ships event in Lerwick.
@Maurice Henderson Shetland We were up last year for the Classic Show, but couldn't get anywhere to stay for the Tall Ships so 2024 will be the next return. Saw them in 1999 anyway! Sailed on the Swan in 2012 from Lerwick to Bangor as they were en route to meet the Tall Ships that time. As they said in the Goon Show - 'I have the sea in my blood.' Reply 'Yes, I can see where it gets in.'
Great site boys, my own gt grannie, Willamina Tulloch, came from North Roe also. She flitted to Orkney and married there a John? CUTT. My grannie was born in Eday then moved to South Queensferry when the Brig was being built. She married there and they sensibly moved to Springburn, Glesga. Nobody has been back as far as I Ken but I made it to Kirkwall. It's on the bucket list guys.
Bests
Forbes
Thanks for the nice comment. Certainly well worth visiting North Roe and Northmavine, a great part of Shetland.
Great stuff Maurice. Good to see strong Johnny Hunter, Fetlar strong man getting airtime.
Thanks Alan, I ae mind dat night in Fetlar and dee yarnin aboot him, then there was da eightsome reel ootside on da road in Hubie.
Lovely video . . . the ending looks mighty damp and cold. Cheers.
Enjoyed this very much!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks.
wow fantastic , thanks for sharing cheers Paul in Sydney
Cheers Paul, glad you enjoyed the stories and tunes.
Stumbled on this while researching a trip to the Shetland islands. Absolutely lovely! I really enjoyed this ! Really makes me want to go to the island ! You are a great story teller as well as fiddle player. Thank you !
Thanks so much for your kind comment. I hope you make it to Shetland. There’s usually a fair bit of music on the go here, look out for the band Haltadans, I play fiddle with them.😊🎻
Only just started watching but i keen its going ta be good !!
Henderson Clan !!!!!!!
This was Fantastic ...Best hour I have spent for a while ...well done
That’s great to hear, thanks.
Splendid! I enjoyed dat!
Cheers to dee Victor
Thoroughly enjoyed. Visiting Scotland soon and hope to hear some great music like this!
Is that an alternate tuning on the guitar?
Glad you enjoyed the stories and tunes. The guitar tuning is DADGAD.
Hello Maurice, I wid be interested in ony of the books du spoke aboot, if du haes a chance tae post some info. I grew up in Hamnavoe, looking oot at Da Burra Haaf, my faider geed to the whaling, not in Greenland but in the Antarctic, and my bridders are weel known fae da Elsi Arrub trips (and Andrew skippered da Swan for a while), so I’m aye interested in stories aboot da sea.
The sixareen is closely related to the seksring boats from western Norway. The traditional lapstrake boats in here in northwest even had asymmetrical square sails, very much like yours. Thank you!
I bet it is!! We hold very strong ties to Norway 😁🇳🇴
Hello Maurice, I wid be interested in ony of the books du spoke aboot, if du haes a chance tae post some info. I grew up in Hamnavoe, looking oot at Da Burra Haaf, my faider geed to the whaling, not in Greenland but in the Antarctic, and my bridders are weel known fae da Elsi Arrub trips (and Andrew skippered da Swan for a while), so I’m aye interested in stories aboot da sea.
Marilyn, I have added some links to the books I mentioned, see in the text below the video. I keen dee bridder Andrew, he has passed on a lot of sailing knowledge over the years, and through his time on the Swan got many folk interested in the sailing, experiences and good times that folk will never forget.
Thanks for that Maurice. Andrew always spoke aboot how good it wis to hae live music aboard da Swan! 👍