Faroes Shetland Research Symposium Online Seminar - 'Hildina: 250 Years from Gutterm to Mareel' Recording Now Online

In this seminar, Shetland musician, Barry Nisbet, presents his work on the recovery of the Hildina Ballad from Foula.

The ‘Hildina’ Ballad is by far the largest surviving example of poetry or song in the Shetland Norn language. It was collected in Foula in 1774, but was written down phonetically and without melody. It’s a fine example of the Heroic Ballad tradition that still thrives in Faroe, and that Shetland and Faroe once shared.

In addition, the ballad features a strong female lead character and gives a fascinating insight into the culture and music that Shetlanders enjoyed in the Norn-speaking period.

As part of a Creative Scotland funded project, Barry has over the past 12 months revived the Norn ballad using Faroese melodies into song, and has used this to produce a translation into modern day Shetland (Shaetlan). This provides the opportunity to ‘give back’ the ballad to modern Shaetlan speakers, and will allow learning or performance of the ballad; it could also open the way for dancing (as is done in Faroe), and potential collaboration with Faroese and Nordic ballad groups.

Barry is joined by UHI Institute for Northern Studies PhD candidate Anthony Olsson who is researching Faroese and Irish/Scottish-Gaelic Balladry: motifs and intercultural connections.

The full seminar can be viewed on the UHI Institute for Northern Studies YouTube Channel.