Kavi Ugl Posted November 15, 2012 Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 Hello Shetlinkers, can anybody tell me if there's an old folklore story about a bairn being snatched by an eagle in Shetland?. Would the name "ern"(eagle) have an relevance to it?. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector's House Posted November 15, 2012 Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 http://www.davidkfaux.org/EagleBairnShetlandTimes.htm That be it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted November 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 Looks pretty good to me, thanks I'm presuming "eyrie" is nest?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector's House Posted November 15, 2012 Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 This link seems to suggest that a similar Orkney tale shares some of the same wording, I'd expect that they are the same tale retold to suit the location. In all reality, would an eagle not kill its prey before depositing it in the eyrie, lest it attacked the chicks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted November 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 Hmm, I don't know about if an eagle would kill it's prey first. I would imagine the talons would kill most prey. I guess we're just dealing with folklore!. I seem to have a vague memory of a stack named "Ern Stack" and it was connected to an eagle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heimdal Posted November 15, 2012 Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 There's a fuller version taken from one of Bobby Tulloch's books here.. http://www.davidkfaux.org/Eaglebairn.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuckleJoannie Posted November 15, 2012 Report Share Posted November 15, 2012 The link below in the Bayanne genealogy website is to Mary Anderson, the child in the story. http://bayanne.info/Shetland/getperson.php?personID=I4903&tree=bayanne_1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofter Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 Hmm, I don't know about if an eagle would kill it's prey first. I would imagine the talons would kill most prey. I guess we're just dealing with folklore!. I seem to have a vague memory of a stack named "Ern Stack" and it was connected to an eagle. No, it is a true story. The baby didn't die because the eagle sank its talons into the hap. The only details to be confirmed is where the eagle found the child - but maybe it happened more than once? The "ern stack" you are thinking of might be SE of Bressay, Brian Smith wrote about it in New Shetlander, if Brian is still monitoring the forum he might provide some more details... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted November 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 Wow, that is amazing and very, very interesting!. Thanks for the info and links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EM Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 There are a large number of descendants of the couple. They are called "Eagle bairns." Gussie Angus is one, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EM Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 The "ern stack" you are thinking of might be SE of Bressay, Brian Smith wrote about it in New Shetlander, ...That article was indeed about locating an historic place with an eagle derived name in Bressay, and does not relate to the North Isles tale. The article was "The facts in the case of Arentsburg" and it appeared in the Summer 2010 edition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owdwife Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 The descendants of Mary Anderson and Robert Nicolson are all recorded in the Old Haa at Burravoe = very interesting reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArabiaTerra Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 There are a large number of descendants of the couple. They are called "Eagle bairns." Gussie Angus is one, for example. So am I, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftlr Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 The descendants of Mary Anderson and Robert Nicolson are all recorded in the Old Haa at Burravoe = very interesting reading!Robert(o setter)Johnson wrote a booklet on it while he was in the archives,it consists of the story and the family tree.I don't know how many copies were made but he gave one to my dad.Practically everybody with roots in Yell or Fetlar are descendants. Troglodytes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogling Posted November 19, 2012 Report Share Posted November 19, 2012 You know how Everyone 'Scottish' can trace their family tree back to Robert The Bruce, well I always thought that the Eagle Baby was Shetland's version {Yes, I am a descendant of the Eagle Baby too. Mary Anderson would be my Great Grandmother to the power of 13. Or something...} Troglodytes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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