Folk invited to offer local information about springtime for new almanac book
PEOPLE are being encouraged to share local information or recollections about the springtime in Shetland for a new book.
Last summer Roseanne Watt and Marjolein Robertson, alongside Shetland art organisation Gaada, were awarded with funding from the Scottish Book Trust for the first volume of their project Da Hametrowe Almanac.
This project, to be written entirely in Shaetlan, is set to be a series of four books, with each having a thematic focus on the seasons.
The first volume is Voar, the Shaetlan word for spring, and writer Watt and storyteller Robertson are keen to encourage residents – whether they speak Shaetlan or not – to share any local information or recollections about the springtime in Shetland.
This could include old crofting customs, the Shaetlan names of plants or animals (and any associated lore with them), any old stories or knowledge of working the land that might have been passed down the generations.
People can get in touch through the Facebook page called ‘Shetland Almanac’, and via email at shetlandalmanac@gmail.com.
The pair have long been interested in the folklore and customs of Shetland in their own work.
With Da Hametrowe Almanac, they hope to gather up and tie in as much of this local knowledge as they can, so that it might be made available to everybody here now and in the future.
Robertson said: “We hope that people will come forward, as every time I’ve spoken with people in the past about folklore and that kinda thing, I’m always taken aback by the amount of stories which are just known by word-of-mouth, and not written down anywhere.
“Our wish is to collect this knowledge that families have maybe passed down and make it a bit more accessible to everybody. And through our mother tongue, bring our traditions to our present world.
“If you do have anything you think would be of interest, please do message us.”
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