LL-L "Folklore" 2002.08.21 (02) [E]

Wed Aug 21 16:10:20 UTC 2002

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 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Thomas <t.mcrae at uq.net.au>
Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2002.08.20 (08) [E]

on 21/8/02 1:51, <burgdal32 at mac.com> wrote:

> On old printings you can see Zwarte Piet with a
> chain on his foot.And if you do not obey to the new rules (from
> Sinterklaas)
> you will end like Piet, captured in the darkness (of the sack!)
> We know also a "Pietje Pek", an old name for the devil.
The Scots poem that started this thread off, and subsequent mailings,
reminded me that, in my native Edinburgh, Scotland, mothers would tell
their
misbehaving bairns 'If Ye dinnae stoap that The Black Man'll come an
take Ye
away in his big bag'. It worked...... for under fours.
Interestingly enough I spent several years exploring remote parts of
northern Ghana in the 1960's and several times accessed small villages
where
they'd never seen a white man. I'd get out of the vehicle, kids would
take
one look, and they'd run off in terror, I felt like Frankenstein's
monster.
My field staff explained that parents in some parts of Ghana warned
their
children that if they did not stop misbehaving The White Man would come
and
take them away in his lorry, interesting parallel.
British soldiers did travel overland at the turn of the 19th/20th
century in
the areas where I operated perhaps the tales started from this.
Regards
Tom
Tom Mc Rae PSOC
Brisbane Australia
"The masonnis suld mak housis stark and rude,
To keep the pepill frome the stormes strang,
And he that fals, the craft it gois all wrang."
>From 15th century Scots Poem 'The Buke of the Chess'

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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Folklore"

> From: kcaldwell31 at comcast.net
> Subject: LL-L "Etymology" 2002.08.20 (07) [E/LS]
>
> > From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> > Subject: Folklore
> >
> > stairs, 'now I have your name, Gwarwyn-a-Throt!' At which he left the
> > wheel standing, and she never saw him again.
>
> Interesting similarity to the classic fairy tale "Rumplestiltskin",
> which I've also seen as "Tom Tit Tot".

The Scots Rumpelstiltskin is "Whuppity Stourie"
/'(x)WVp(h)i?I 'st(h)u:rI/.

In this case we've been blessed with a version that was
recorded by a particularly skilful transcriber from a
particularly skilful storyteller. It can be found at:

http://scotstext.org/pages/resultspage.asp?text=413&pagetype=text

Sandy
http://scotstext.org

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From: "Steven Travers" <steven_travers at hotmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2002.08.20 (16) [E]

Dear Lowlanders,

> > BWCA
> > (booka) A story collected by John Rhys in CELTIC FOLK LORE shows how
> > close the connection can be between the Brownie and Boggart, or the
> > _Bwca_ and _Bugan_....
> > After that she never saw him again, but after two years they heard of
> > him at a farm near Hafod ys Ynys, where he soon made great friends
>with
> > the servant girl, who fed him most delicately with constant snacks of
> > bread and milk and played no unseemly pranks on him. She had one
>fault,
> > however, and that was curiosity. She kept on asking to be allowed to
>see
> > him and to be told his name - without succes. One night, however, she
> > made him believe that she was going out after the men, and shut the
> > door, but stayed inside herself. Bwca was spinning industriously at
>the
> > wheel, and as he span he sang: 'How she would laugh, did she know that
> > Gwarwyn-A-Throt is my name.' 'Aha!' cried the maid, at the bottom of
>the
> > stairs, 'now I have your name, Gwarwyn-a-Throt!' At which he left the
> > wheel standing, and she never saw him again.

>From what I can remember the Scots Brownie is one of the few Scots
faeries that don't set out with the one aim of
causing humans great distress. Other faeries play pranks, Scots faeries
are historically a lot nastier. The Brownie would
take up residence in a house, mill, or farm, and keep the place in good
order in return for being left food. If the brownie
was disrespected in any way, e.g. not leaving out food, the wrath could
be terrible......

I'm not sure but I think that the name Brownie comes from green being
the faery colour and most faeries dressing so, but
some kinds also dressing in brown, and this being one of them. There are
a few different kinds of Brownies, and some
other similar faeries. One has a ryme either to call or to praise it.
I'll have a look and see if I can find it.

Regards

Steve Travers

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