Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, 1654
Field | Content |
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Name: | Blaeu, Joan, 1596-1673 |
Title: | Andreae Melvini Scotiae Topographia |
Pagination: | [11v-12r] |
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Translation of text:
and press the King of Scotland in dense rank to seek again the fasces of Brutus and bring back the marble, which, nourishing white swans on the green grass, in the gentle embrace of the Thames he cherishes and holds tightly, and defends with brandishing hand and the blow of his tongue, whether with sharpened end of the stylus or with point of the quill.
The islands that remain to be sung, scattered in the great Ocean and the Deucaledonian and German Seas, are the Orkneys, which retain very many features from the old Goths; and they tread on undoubted footsteps of the ancient tongue. In their daily life the common people have sparing appetites. Hence only a few are taken and depart from life by illness, but most by old age: ignorance of luxuries assists them as much as the physicians' art does others. Hence they are distinguished in form and handsome with tall bodies. There is little production of crops among them, except for oats and barley, from which they obtain both bread and re-boiled wine. Of domestic animals there is a supply of goats, sheep, and cows, whence butter, milk, and cheese are great in mass, frequent in trade and very much in use. The scaly herds of the sea and seabirds are countless, whence their diet and food consist of these. Almost no poisonous animal nor any deformed in appearance is seen among them. Of very tiny body and contemptible in form, but incredibly strong for all purposes, are the little horses. There is no tree among them, not even a bush rises anywhere in these parts, if you except heather alone, and this not so much by a fault in either the climate or the soil, but by the lazy sloth of the inhabitants, as is easily shown by the tree-roots which no day does not throw up in several fields.
They drink foreign wines eagerly and sip them gladly, when they are imported, from a large and very capacious goblet, of great antiquity, once belonging to that Magnus, foreigner and, as they claim, Saint, who first originally poured the light and breath of Christ on these dominions. It as much exceeds the size of common cups as the long beakers of the Lapiths did short salt-cellars. Therefore with this one thing they first test their Bishop when he arrives: if he drinks it when full in one draught, from this they decide that he is a great man, and very capacious, and large, of ample measure, and smooth, and rounded, a bishop of the kind of which Caithness now boasts, who is the neighbour of Magnus and his rival in his great character, whether he stands ready to demand from a great enemy with a huge cup or stands ready to reply to the enemy's demand, just as the maker demands every lid to be worthy of the pan. Hence they raise him to the stars with wondrous praises, hence with joyous augury they divine that it will be the case that this year will be abundant in huge profit, and they anticipate with certain hope and pledge to their minds that the following one will be the present continually for many years. From this it is clear that that parsimonious habit and practice has come from narrow circumstances, not from reason; for poverty was for long the cherishing nurturer, as it was the Divine creator, of a frugal life and modest habits; when neighbours were corrupted by luxury, the old discipline soon slipped away: at last they gave themselves up to delights, following the senses and enticements. Fellowship with pirates will also have come to them to some extent, who are afraid to entrust themselves to the mainland; when they get water here, they have either exchanged wines which stir the appetite and other exotic and seductive goods for provisions or sold them at a low price, and they have drunk excessively, bringing ruin, an example for the present and future ages. What could a few people, scattered in the sea, unarmed, do against force? But it is sweeter to loose the reins for pleasure in secure ease with agreeable things, and much more useful, nor did it seem less safe to the leaders or to the bishops. The other mass still keeps traces of the old moderation impressed in its character. What does biting tyranny not force mortal hearts to both do and suffer? when insane desire stirs agreeable poison?
Therefore the Orkneys recall us to the stormy waves. The sea here is to be feared not only because of savage star and force of violent tide and storm of the winds, but as tides are stirred up from the Western and Eastern Ocean and the waves fight against each other, the force is squeezed between the narrow jaws of a short strait, and the waves running back with opposite masses and whirlpools twisted against themselves, so that they can be overcome by no line of sails or oars. Any who dare to strive too closely with spirit and strength are either driven again into the sea by the violent tide, or are gripped by the rapid flow and driven by its force on to the cliffs and rocks, shipwrecked, or the flow twists them round in the same place and the whirlpool devours them in the rapid sea. This strait may be overcome at two seasons, when the sea is calm, as the falling of the tides takes away the conflict; or when it has reached its highest point with the channel full and the force which stirred that conflict of the waters on both sides now calms the tumult, with as it were the Ocean sounding the retreat to the waves and as it were the twisting masses of the water taken back to their camp. About their number there is no agreement among writers. Pliny extends it to forty: most others count about thirty: Orosius adds three, reaching closest to the truth; but among them three and ten are inhabited everywhere with their own settlers, the rest lie deserted and left to the herds. For most are low and of such small extent that they could scarcely maintain one, or two or three settlers, if they were cultivated. Others are rough, covered with moss or bare rocks. The largest of all the Orkneys is called Pomona by many of the ancients. Today they call it the immense land (48), from its size, for it stretches thirty miles in length. It is cultivated and inhabited. It has sacred churches, twelve in number, which are all in the country. It also has one town, formerly called Cracoviaca by the Danes, now Kirkwall by the Scots. Here there are two fairly modest castles fairly close to each other, one of which is the King's, the other the Bishop's. Between them is the church, rich and large for the capacity of the people and the nature of the place. Between the church and the castles are the cities, of which they display two, this the King's, that the Bishop's, and much populated with buildings and inhabitants. It makes reliable harbours and safe anchorages for ships, tossed by the immense surge of the sea, which have slipped out of the fighting waves of the double tide. And at six places this island abounds in the metals of lead and tin, than which there is scarcely any better in the whole world. From this island Caithness is twice ten and twice two miles distant; between them the water of the strait flows with rapid tide; this is here called the Pictish Firth from the race of the Picts. In this wavy strait are also dispersed many islands: Stroma is twice two miles from the shore of Caithness, not unproductive; however to count it among the Orkneys is forbidden by its proximity to Britain and by those whose rule it obeys, of the Earl of Caithness. (49)
The first of the Orkneys to meet whoever sails from this to the icy north, is South Ronaldsay, which is twice eight miles from Dunach's or Duncan's bay: sailors cover this distance through the boiling deep in two hours with the tide favourable, provided the winds cease: so great is the violence of distance crossed. It is five miles long, and quite convenient with St Margaret's harbour, whose name is from the good omen. From this, a little in the direction where Phoebus rises from the waves, stick out two islands, small, uncultivated, left to herds: they call them with a local word, holms, in translation grassy plains set on the water. To the north is the island of Burray, and between it and the ample Mainland are two holms. From unequal Burray to the setting sun are three, in order Swona and Flotta and Fara: and among them Hoy Walls, whether this is two islands, or one: because about the season of equal day, when the tide goes out, they are joined with waves and sand at a narrow neck as one island; when the tide comes in and the sea is again interposed, the appearance of two lands surrounded by water is produced. Here above all high mountains climb to the clouds. Stretched twice ten miles in length, they are eight from Ronaldsay, four times five from Dunnet Church; but to the Bear, where it is immobile on its axis, is Graemsay, situated in a narrow strait. For Hoy is only two miles from a promontory on the Mainland. And these are the islands between the Mainland and Caithness. The western side of the Mainland faces the open sea, in which no rock exists, no island appears. From its eastern promontory Copinsay projects a little (50), which hides the Mainland as it were in shade on the north. Nearer the coastal area Shapinsay, turning a little to the east, situated opposite Kirkwall two miles away, bends six miles long. On the western side of the Mainland is Rousay, thrice two miles long. From it, where the sun is when it rises, is Egilsay, where the story is that that great St Magnus is buried. To the midday light is Viera, and Gairsay, and not far from there Westray, from which Shetland is ten times eight miles distant. From it Papa Stronsay is exactly the same distance. Almost in the middle of this passage lies Fair Isle, beautiful island, which Orkneys and Shetland see from their coast. Rising into three very high promontories, it is girded with lofty cliffs all round, and is inaccessible on all sides, except that it goes down a little to the summer rising and offers a safe anchorage to small ships. Nothing is poorer than its inhabitants: the fishermen whom England sends, whom Holland, whom others from the region near the Ocean, all seize and carry off everything anywhere at will. Next after that is the largest of all that Shetland bears; they invoke this land as 'continuous' (51), in length sixty miles, twice eight wide, scattering into very many promontories; of these two are very large: one, long and narrow, runs to the hard north, the other stretches wider to the winter rising. You may see the maritime parts in the coastal areas inhabited. But almost no animal except coloured birds enters the interior. For the last few years the good inhabitant has attempted to extend the care of cultivation more widely into the lands than his ancestors, without any success. Their riches are from Neptune, and the greatest opportunity for fishing is set before them in every part. From it twice five miles to the north is Yell, eight wide, more than twenty miles long; it is so wild by the nature of either climate or soil, that by inclination or character it tolerates no animal as an inhabitant except one that it has put forth into the breaths of light. Here they say that a merchant of Bremen is rich in
Between this and that land which we said earlier was called Perpetual, there are, but smaller in size, the island of Linga, Orfasay, and Bigga, and Samphrey. Beyond this Unst is distant nine miles towards the glacial Bear, six wide, and more than twenty miles long. It is flat in ground, but not unlovely to the eyes, except that the sea around rages, utterly terrible from insane storms. Between it and Yell are Uyea, and Urie, and a second Linga. Beyond it to the setting two skerries (52) and Burra look out; to the rising of dawn Balta, Huney and also Fetlar, stretching seven miles long, seven distant from Unst and about eight miles from Yell, and facing the strait which divides Unst from Yell (53). Then many an obscure island stretches along the eastern coast of the Perpetual land: Muckle Skerry, three eastern skerries, and Bressay, and Mousa, Noss, and Whalsey. The western coast is all girt by western skerries, Roe, two Papas, and Vementry, Vaila, Trondra (54), Burra, and two Havras, and between them as many holms are interspersed.
The food, customs and way of life of the Shetlanders are the same as of the Orcadians, except that for many it is a little harsher in terms of domestic supplies. Their dress is in the German fashion and manner, but nonetheless decorous. Their produce is of a thick and crude cloth, which Norway buys; of oil made (55) from the intestines of fish, and of butter and fishing. Two oars fish from their small boats, and Norway sells these. Fish they have caught (and their catch of these is very great) they toil either to preserve in salt, or to dry in the wind. When these have been sold and the money collected, they pay their taxes; their houses, part of their living, all their furniture is supplied hence. Sometimes a salt-cellar shines on the table, or another piece of silver. They use weights, measures, numbers in likeness of German custom; and their speech is German, or almost all old (56) Gothic. At least once a month they issue mutual invitations;