Ghostrider Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 A term used by some auld, but now long gone, eens in the south end, was "fae Bjaurnie's Dale an doon". Assumedly the correct name would probably have been "Bjorn's". The phrase almost certainly dated back several centuries and originated back in the days when your average Ness dweller perceived mainland Shetland in three seperate parts. As for centuries the main seat of power had been variously Tingwall, Scalloway and latterly Lerwick, from there and south was more or less the "known world" unless to a few sailing men. Your average person and most of the people they knew had no need to go outwith that area, probably never had been outwith it, and likely knew no-one from outwith it either. To them the mainland north of this undefined line running generally from Lerwick to Tingwall to Scalloway was "da nordin", and the west mainland was "oot wast", of which they knew next to nothing. The phrase "fae Bjaurnie's Dale an doon", loosely translated meant "everywhere that they knew of", and my question is, was this an actual place somewhere? In light of the above, perhaps somewhere in the Central Mainland? If so, it doesn't seem to make it on to maps these days, but could be known to locals, or possibly is now known by another name, but the older named still known locally? The other option of course is that it was a name for a purely hypothetical location, by way of inferring that the scope of something was so wide as to be unknown. Just curious, as every so often on the few rare occasions the phrase is still heard, someone is bound to ask "an whaur wis Bjaurnie's Dale?" It's time they got an answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooks Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 Dale Burn? Brig O' Fitch or dereaboots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted December 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 ^^ With the general area going down to the sea known as Dale, and the sea itself being Dales Voe, it's the best guess I could make too. I'm curious though if there's any written or local oral knowledge of thereabouts ever having been called Bjorn's or Bjaurnie's Dale, as opposed to just plain Dale, as we know it, which would prove the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clanchief Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 There is a short article about this in in Volume 1 ( page 250 - its in the library) of the Orkney & Shetland Miscellany. Apparently there is an Orkney saying (Orphir) " He's been to Barnisdale" applied to a person telling a long story. The Shetland version is "to tell a tale from Barnisdael and doun" which was explained by Edmonston as "to tell a tale from beginning to end , with all the particulars". The writer of the article claims that the saying probably comes from the fact that an early ( 1377) published version of the Robin Hood tale ran to 456 verses and it is set in Barnysdale between Doncaster and Nottingham.So this leads the writer to assume that the saying "been to Barnisdael" applies to a long story in general. Lytel Jhon and Robin HudeWaythmen were commendyd gudeIn Yngilwode and BarnysdaleThai oystyd all this time thaere trawail Well, I'll slap my thighs to that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandhopper Posted December 27, 2007 Report Share Posted December 27, 2007 ... Apparently there is an Orkney saying (Orphir) " He's been to Barnisdale" applied to a person telling a long story. The Shetland version is "to tell a tale from Barnisdael and doun" which was explained by Edmonston as "to tell a tale from beginning to end , with all the particulars".Well, that doesn't explain what or where Bjaurnie's Dale/Barnisdale/Barnisdael actually is but it fits perfectly with the explanation given on the DSL "BARNISDAEL, n., in phr. ```to tell a tale from barnisdael and doun' --- to tell it from beginning to end, with all particulars'' (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.). Known to Sh.3 1933""Must be a phrase particularily known in the Northern Ises ... ... giving Edmonston as the one and only reference ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clanchief Posted December 28, 2007 Report Share Posted December 28, 2007 Well, that doesn't explain what or where Bjaurnie's Dale/Barnisdale/Barnisdael actually is but it fits perfectly with the explanation given on the DSL ] Obviously the contributer to the Shetland Miscellany thinks that there is no Bjaurnie's Dale/Barnisdale/ Barnisdael in Shetland. The phrase is just a form of Shetland Skyimp ( taking the piss).The potential place identified is near Nottingham and I dont know whether it is named after a man or whether it simply means the valley of the barns! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trønder Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 A term used by some auld, but now long gone, eens in the south end, was "fae Bjaurnie's Dale an doon". Assumedly the correct name would probably have been "Bjorn's".Or perhaps "Bjarni('s)"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.