Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, 1654
Field | Content |
---|---|
Name: | Blaeu, Joan, 1596-1673 |
Title: | Nova Descriptio Shetlandiae |
Pagination: | 148-149 |
Zoom view: | Click on the image to view in greater detail |
147 / 162 Scroll through pages: |
Translation of text:
To the north west of this is fixed a huge grassy rock, rising into the air to a point like a tower, full of sheep, whence it has the name of Sheep Rock (that is in the vernacular ‘the sheepe craige’); sufficiently for its place and situation productive of crops, animals, and other things most necessary for sustaining human life, but especially of almost all kinds of fish, because of the immoderate speed of the most violent tide ebbing and flowing. As for the name Shetland, it is spelled differently by Buchanan: when grouping all these islands together, he now calls them Hethland, now Zeland, now Shetland, even if each island enjoys its own particular nomenclature. These islands have the first name from their height, for in many places they rise quite high into the air; they have the second from their situation, for they are placed in their own, by far the coldest part of the sea; they have the third from the tribute which formerly and still today they pay both to the Kings of Scots and also to the Lords of Norway (this tax they call in their own tongue ‘scat’), as if one were to say tributary land.
Next after Fair Isle, facing south east (19), is the largest island of the Shetlands, which has no peculiar name, but because it much outdoes the remaining Shetland islands in length and width, is designated by the inhabitants with the name of Continent (that is in the vernacular The Mainland): sixty miles long, in places sixteeen wide, it stretches into very many small promontories; two of these are noteworthy, one long but narrow runs out to the north, whose name is Esha Ness, while the second is wider and extends to the south east, and is called the promontory of Fethaland (20). Only the coastal parts of this island were a few years ago much inhabited, but today the interior also in various parts is cultivated and inhabited by industrious men. The mountains in this island are very high, covered in heather; the leading mountains to the south are called Clift Hills, and to the north Ronas Hill is adorned with a notable lighthouse on its summit; as too are most valleys and other low and wild places.
The whole land of Shetland is divided into islands properly called, forty six in number, forty holms, and thirty rocks; to all of them their own proper names have been given to distinguish them. On only the principal islands need a few comments be made.
From the Mainland six miles to the north is the island of Yell, eighteen miles long, nine wide. Beyond Yell to the north is situated Unst, almost equal to Yell in length and width, flat, pleasant in appearance, fertile, and particularly adorned with very many buildings, according to the custom of the people. Between this and Yell are interposed some small islands, Uyea, Urie and Linga. Beyond it various rocks face west, and Burra; east Balta and Huney; south the island of Fetlar, also called Phoedor, seven miles long, seven distant from Unst, eight from Yell. Then many islands of no great importance stretch along the east coast of the Mainland, namely Muckle Skerry, three eastern skerries (21), Whalsay, Noss, Bresay and Mousa. The west coast of the Mainland is girt by western skerries, Roe, Papa Little, Vementry, Papa Stour, Vaila, Trondra (in the vernacular St Tronon’s island), Burra, North Havra, and South Havra; and between them almost as many holms are interspersed.
The Shetlands have very many goods from land and sea. The islands have few oats, but for the most part produce much barley. They have cattle, sheep too which always produce two lambs and sometimes three, and larger than in Scotland itself; horses too, or rather ponies, but capable beyond what anyone would believe for all kinds of tasks adapted to their nature (in the vernacular they are called shalties); suited for the plough, as also for saddles, not tiring riders by decussating, but with a trotting gait like Asturian horses, carrying them where they wish and carrying them back for many miles of rough ground. They have a kind of cloth manufactured from thick wool, in their native tongue called ‘wadmeal’, which they exchange with the Norwegians for other goods and necessities. Excellent gloves of woollen thread, along with stockings, are woven by most of the people there to keep out the winter cold or drive off shrinking. And from the sea very many commodities come to them: for they apply themselves to very frequent fishing, not only in summer but also in winter, in boats without superstructure, among waves that fight most horrendously in opposition; and for this excessive boldness they often pay the penalty in destruction. The fish in which they abound are: the larger and smaller haddock, or calaria[?], gudgeon, sturgeon, mackerel, sword-fish, ray, turbot, herring, small, medium and large sheatfish, conger-eel, and sole; also very many shellfish, namely oysters, mussels, snails[?], slugs[?], lobsters; and larger fish, whales, sea-boars, seals, and otters; and they manufacture oil from the intestines of fish, which they burn in the winter instead of candles. Further these islands abound in almost every kind of bird; yet the heather-bird, although there is much heather there, is not seen, nor when taken there does it live, as is clear from many experiments; for several pairs of this bird, imported from the Orkneys into these islands, as soon as they have touched the land of Shetland, breathed their last. What is the cause of such a peculiarity escapes human understanding, and it has seemed right to the Omnipotent that not every land should bear every thing. Beside tame geese, they have also many cats, which the inhabitants designate with different names according to the difference of their kind. There is no city here, except one on the Mainland (in the vernacular called Scalloway), small indeed, but fortified and adorned with a castle; to it, for the declaration of justice, whenever occasion offers, people pour in from all these islands.
In summer the longest days last here for two whole months, and there is great calm as well as great healthiness in the air; but in winter for as many months the day is very short; and the air then turns very stormy, and the sea is stirred by contrary tides and rages in a terrible manner, and induces no little horror even in men standing on land.
Their material for fire is peat, everywhere excellent, and heather. The drink of the common people is milk whey, poured in jars for several years and hidden underground in rather cold cellars; it emerges thence very strong and quickly inebriating; this kind o fdrink they call ‘blaedius’ or ‘blanus’. Richer people however brew at home an excellent and very powerful beer, and set it before strangers with cheerful mind and good countenance. Food in general is the same for the Shetlanders as for the Orcadians, except that it is a little harsher in accordance with domestic supplies.
Some dress in German fashion, but the more wealthy in Scottish, quite decorously in accordance with their abilities. From the fish they catch, partly preserved in salt, partly dried in the wind, and sold, they get money, from which they pay their taxes, and procure houses in which to live, all their furniture, and a great part of their food, that is flour and beer. In domestic fittings those who have silver strive for elegance and polish. That the first inhabitants of these islands were of German or of Danish or Norwegian origin, is shown by the fact that they use measures, numbers and weights according to German custom; and by the German or old Gothic language which is in use among them. They have a quite intelligent nature, capable of learning all skills and disciplines (if given the opportunity). As for the customs of the Shetlanders, because ‘long oldness is able to change much of age (22)’ and ‘as times change, so we change in them’, the same may plainly be seen in the old and modern inhabitants of these islands, formerly primitive, but today endowed with elegant habits, through frequent meeting with strangers, especially the Scots who live among them. They are all of the reformed religion, with the exception of one family whose name is Cheyne, which immigrated there a few years ago. The great majority of them have a devout and pious disposition; they have a hatred for murder and shedding of blood, unless they are very provoked. Further they have scruples about using freely even unusual oaths, rather any at all used more frequently; and they cultivate great friendship among themselves in a fraternal manner, and if such is broken they restore and strengthen it by mutual parties. From the healthiness of air and soil they have very great strength of body; this was shown, in the time of the most illustrious Robert Stewart, illegitimate son of James V King of Scots and Earl of these islands, in the case of one Laurence of Gruinivo[?], who married after his hundredth year, and while in his hundred and fortieth year, went out to fish in his small boat in the most savage sea, and with a gun shot with sure aim birds flying past in the air or swimming in the sea; he was not weakened by any force of a more serious disease but died only as a result of old age. Hence there is no physician among them, indeed not even a pharmacist; for they heal themselves any wounds that they receive.
There are various families among them, from whom stand out as heads the Bruces, Sinclairs, Mowats, Nivets[?], and Cheynes. Pastors of the church come there from Scotland at fixed times and toil diligently in passing on Christian teaching and exercising severely ecclesiastical discipline against all delinquents, but especially against the obstinate. These islands are situated between 60? and 61?, and stretch from north west to south east.
Another Description of the Same Islands.
In the Northern Ocean are the islands Iceland, Shetland and Greenland. Now there are several Shetland islands, which positioned beyond the Orkneys are nearer to the north, positioned in latitude 60? and 61?. From the west they face Norway, the closest mainland of Europe. They stretch from south to north 53 Scots miles, 19 German miles. They number 26, cultivated and inhabited, although several others are quite capable, but are kept only for rearing animals. The largest of all, called Mainland on the map, is divided and broken into very many peninsulas; to it are added Unst, Uyea, Yell, Hascosay, Fetlar or Pheodor-Oy, Papa Stour, Havra, Burra, Trondra, Mousa, Bresay, Noss, Linga melde[?], Whalsay, Skerries, etc. Merchandise is very familiar to the inhabitants; they have a type of cheap cloth, which in a peculiar word of the people they call ‘woadmeil’, which they are accustomed to exchange for other goods with the Norwegians. Also