Fivla (trowie?)

[Frances144]

What stories are there about a trowie called Fivla?

 

(***Mod Edit - Moved to History & Culture***)

[MuckleJoannie]

Is this what you are talking about?

 

http://shetlopedia.com/Da_Peesterleeties_an_da_Curse_o_da_Njuggle

 

This book tells the story of Tivla and Fivla, two mischievous young Shetland Trows. A fun story about how they end up the victims of the njuggle curse, and the adventures they go on to get the curse reversed.

[Frances144]

No, more old stories, folklore please. I was told she was a good trow on either Unst or Yell but I can't find anything to confirm that.

[gruidsy]

Fivla is a trow from Fetlar, she is in the Gudeman o Siggie Taft story (which is sometimes known the Fairy Pot o Funzie) in the Book o Trows which came out a couple of years ago.

[Frances144]

Thanks for that info. I don't have the book. Do you have any more details? Is she a good or a bad trowie?

[gruidsy]

I have the bok right here, it seems she is the child of a trow called Tona Tivla.

The story goes that a man from 'Siggie Taft' overhears a voice telling him to 'tell Tona Tivla that Fona Fivla is faain in the Velyna Vatyna'. On passing his byre the man repeats the words and a little woman jumps up from the side of his cow exclaiming that 'dat's my bairn at's faain in de kirnin watter'

 

Trows are known for stealing milk etc from cows so presumably that's what Tona Tivla was doing. She left behind a little pan when she fled to help her child (hence the alternative faairy pan title).

I'm presuming Fivla is a girl but the story in the book doesn't actually say that. Can't say whether she was good or bad, but then it all depends how you behave towards the trows as they can all bring good luck or misfortune!

[Frances144]

Brilliant. Thank you. Appreciated.

[crofter]

The gudeman of Siggie Taft had been at Ori with his oil teind and when returning home in the humin riding on a grey mare and leading a red staig he had to pass Stakkaberg, a feat which in those days required both nerve and hardihood. But Siggie Taft possessed both in a remarkable degree for it was said of him that he neither feared man nor deil in light or mirk.

 

As he rode slowly along he heard a voice saying "Du 'at rides de grey and rins de red tell Tona Tivla 'at Fona Fivla is faan i' de Velyna Vatyna." On coming to his house, as he passed the byre door, he called out the strange words he had heard and was surprised to see an "uncan" woman jump up from the side of his cow and in her hurry she left a pan of curious workmanship standing in the bizzi (stall in a byre). As the woman disappeared through the byre lum she explained "O care an' dol, dat's my bairn 'ats faan i' de kirnin watter."

 

The milk pan thus secured was kept in the house of Taft for generations and always brought luck. But it had to be sained every night and left hanging in de ringalodi [crock and links for suspending a pot over the fire]. One night this duty was neglected and in the morning the pan had disappeared. After this the Trows seemed to have taken a spite at the people of Siggie Taft.

 

Also

 

http://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/play/68047