In Shetland we have a magical creature called ‘da trow’
They’re magical creatures that live under da very hills we walk over
Da story today focuses on da kunal-trows
Da kunal-trows are a peculiar breed of trow
that when a male kunal-trow fathers a son
Da father trow ceases to live himself
And there wis one kunal-trow king, who refused to meet such a fate
So he decided to be a bachelor his entire life
But this decision was not taken lightly by his people, and da rest of
da kunal-trows cast out da kunal-trow king
to live on the earth where the humans are
And they said never to return, until he came back
with an earthly bride
He made his home in an ancient broch
an old fortified building, on da edge of cliffs on
its own island. There’s also different kinds
of witches in Shetland. You had da witches who had learned their powers
fae other humans, perhaps an older
generation. You had those who were born with da blood
of da Finns and magical
abilities. And lastly you also got those
who gained their magic from the knowledge
of da trows. There wis one such witch,
who learned her magic from her
own mother. But she longed to have da
magic of da trows as well. She heard of this
kunal-trow king living in da broch,
and had a proposal. One morning,
she packed up her bag, wandered doon to da beach,
and cast a spell on an egg shell to turn it
into a boat. To transport her ower da sea,
to da kunal-trow king’s island. She walked up da hills towards
this old ruined broch, and she could hear da sounds
of him feasting inside. She drew in a breath and
she entered his home. And da kunal-trow king looked up, furious
at who would interrupt him, who would ruin his
peace on his island But as soon as he saw da witch,
he was so taken a back by her beauty,
he sat stunned. And she took advantage
of this moment of quiet to say, “I’ve sought you out today,
O’King, for I am a witch and with my magic abilities,
I can help you father a child, and you need not die”
And this kunal-trow king, first amazed at her beauty
but second intrigued by her words, said
“I would very much like that. But what will you get in return
for I am a trow and you’ll have to live under da ground with me?”
And she replied to him, “I’m not worried for
marrying you and moving to a world
underneath the hills. For if you teach me your ways,
combined with my own magic, I will be able to
pass from your kingdom up again to da land
of da humans as I please. And there’s nothing
I would like more than to know da magic
of the trows”. So it was agreed, da kunal-trow king and da
witch, were married. And he returned once more under da hills with
his earthly bride. And aa da trows,
were enamoured with this witch. They were all amazed by her
beauty and her magical skill and taught her their knowledge, and their
ways in magic too. And together da kunal-trow king, and da witch,
had two bairns, two children,
and these children were da creation of da
Finnies and da Ganfers. But for all da magic
she learned, and even with her two
children and husband, there wis part of da witch that still longed
to always be with da humans. And she would go and visit
her mother frequently above da ground,
whenever she could. Da witch said
to her mother, “Noo Mam, mind you hae da puir tings o’
lasses well kuest aboot, when da grey wummen stealers
are aboot on their pranks”. Warning her mother to look after the lasses
on land, incase any more trows fancied a
human bride. But to this day, it is believed that
da kunal-trow king, and da witch, live beneath
da hills with their bairns still