A Guide To Shetland Folklore

As Scotland’s most northerly islands, set well apart from the mainland by the turbulent North Sea, Shetland folklore was always going to be fascinating. These islands have a history as dramatic as the landscape and climate, and its evident in the stories that have been passed down. With very long, very dark winter nights in Shetland, there’s no better way to spend an evening than round a fire sharing legends.

Occupied by Norwegians from the 10th to the 15th century, you’ll probably notice a Scandinavian flavour to the creatures. Unsurprisingly, for an archipelago of around 100 islands, much of this Shetland folklore revolves around the sea.

There are lots of similarities with mainland Scotland’s mythical beings, you can find stories of Selkies, Mermaids and Witches here. However, this guide to Shetland folklore will focus on those that are truly unique to the Northern Isles.

The Trows of Shetland

One creature unique to the Northern Isles are Trows, the perfect example of Shetland folklore’s mix of cultures. Similar to Scottish Fairies but with a bit of Scandinavian Troll thrown in, they live underground and love music. They could be helpful, but were much more likely to be mischievous or downright malicious!

One evening, a fisherman was heading home with a full catch but as he passed an infamous Trow hill, he could swear he heard music. He was tired but as a fiddler himself, curiosity got the better of him.

Creeping around the edge of some rocks, light was shining through a crack in the hill. Trows were dancing inside! Captivated by the sight, the man forgot all about heading home, walked inside and picked up a fiddle.

The fisherman played, the Trows danced and he was the life and soul of the party! After what seemed like a couple hours, the celebration came to an end. The man was lucky enough to escape into the open and onto the road home, still carrying the fiddle.

Nothing looked quite as he remembered but then again, maybe he was just tired. Those thoughts went from his mind when he opened his front door and found a strange family inside. Shocked and angry, he roared at these intruders to go home!

An old man was sitting in the corner and he asked the fiddle holding fisherman what his name was. He nodded at the answer and replied, “There was once a man by that name who lived in this house, but he vanished 100 years ago.”

When the fisherman realised his family were long dead he walked outside, lifted his fiddle and played a lament. Just as he finished the final note, his body crumbled into dust.

The Finnman Of Fetlar

Finnmen are one of the many ocean-based creatures from Shetland folklore. They were said to live on a floating island and could shapeshift into different forms, although usually appeared as dark, handsome men on land. They were dangerous creatures that made the sea an even more dangerous place.

A young fisherman from Fetlar called Ertie had no fear of the waves though. One stormy day, a tall, dark stranger approached Ertie with a mischievous smile on his face. Even before he spoke, Ertie knew this was a Finnman.

The Finnman had a wager. Since he thought he was such a great fisherman, he bet that Ertie couldn’t catch a single fish before Yule.

Ertie accepted.

The wind blew and the sea raged and even Ertie thought it best to wait. With just a few days to go, the storm eased and the fisherman got his boat ready, but he didn’t have any bait.

He had no time so all he took were strips of linen and a flask of oil, then sailed out to his favourite spot. There, he cut his finger and used the bloody linen on the end of his hook. Before long, Ertie had a tiny little fish on the end of his line and began racing back to shore.

That was when he saw three enormous waves coming straight for his tiny fishing boat. He crested the first wave safely but had to hold on for dear life when the second crashed in. Ertie knew he didn’t stand a chance against the third wave.

He poured some oil onto the water, but it had little effect. In desperation, he launched the entire flask right into the teeth of the wave. Almost immediately, it died down to nothing and Ertie could make his way home as fast as possible.

The fisherman enjoyed that little fish more than any meal he had ever eaten, but he wondered what happened to the Finnman. It was a few days later when they met again.

He had a broken nose, a black eye and missing a few teeth but Ertie immediately brought up the wager. The Finnman shouted at the fisherman, “You’ll be getting nothing after you doused me in oil and threw a jar in my face!”

Ertie knew he had been lucky to escape the wrath of the Finnman and was very happy to never see him again.

The Peculiar Shetland Wulver

This story is about a creature entirely unique to Shetland folklore, with the body of a man and the head of a wolf. You’re probably expecting a terrifying tale of destruction by a dangerous beast, but I think you’ll be surprised by the Wulver.

Stories of the Wulver couldn’t be more different from werewolf legends. It doesn’t transform during a full moon, but is permanently in semi-wolf form and not dangerous in the slightest.

In fact the Wulver famously has a gentle nature, guiding lost travellers home and feeding itself by fishing from a flat rock called the Wulver’s Stane. He was happy to live alone in his cave and wouldn’t harm you unless you tried to harm him.

If a local Shetland family was in need then the Wulver was there to help. It was known to leave fish on the windowsill of people struggling for food and often paid its respects outside the home of people grieving a death.

There are theories that there has only ever been one Wulver and it was really just a man with a medical condition. Others think the legends come from a mistranslation of place names with the prefix Wulv-.

As far as I know there have been no Wulver sightings for a long time, but if you’re ever lost or hungry in Shetland, then you might be hoping that the local werewolf finds you!

Njuggle

One of the most dangerous creatures from Shetland folklore is the Njuggle. These water spirits are similar to the Kelpie, taking the form of a horse to try and lure unsuspecting children onto their backs before dragging them to a watery grave.

One of these Njuggles had a truly brutal reputation but there was one child he had never managed to get his hooves on. The blacksmiths daughter was far too smart to be caught and that enraged the beast.

Eventually, he simply galloped up to the blacksmith and demanded he hand over his daughter. He had 24 hours to think but if he refused, the Njuggle was just going to kill him and take his daughter anyway. This Shetland blacksmith didn’t take kindly to threats, so he made a plan.

With his daughters help, he worked through the night to make the thickest, heaviest iron horseshoes that Shetland had ever seen. When the Njuggle arrived again and made its demands, the blacksmith refused and watched as the furious horse reared up on its hind legs. In a flash, the man charged at the beast’s chest and tipped it on its back, trapping it beside the heavy anvil.

The blacksmith quickly hammered the horseshoes onto the hooves before the Njuggle could get back up. When it finally rolled onto its feet, it was like a completely different animal. The iron took all strength from this supernatural creature and it couldn’t flee into water, otherwise it would just sink.

With a sad snort, the Nuggle limped away and the blacksmith’s daughter, along with all the other children, were finally safe.

White Wife of Unst

Obviously you find ghosts all over Scotland and some people don’t count them technically as folklore. However, just in case you’re ever visiting the island of Unst and spot a terrifying statue by the side of the road, I thought you should know the story of The White Wife.

The terrifying representation of this local ghost marks the spot she often appears in. It’s near the Bridge of Watlee and it’s a story so old that there are a few different versions.

She may have been a young woman, just trying to make her way to the village of Uyeasound. Robbed and killed, she’s still trying to finish that fateful journey. Some believe that she was married with a child, living in a croft near the Loch of Watlee. Her husband turned out to be a terrible character and after years of abuse, she drowned herself in the loch. Her soul is tormented with the guilt of leaving her son behind.

That’s why the White Wife likes to appear in the passenger seat of men driving alone down this road. She’s still determined to find her son after all these years. There have been plenty of instances of the spirit appearing to locals driving past, I’m told that after a conversation with them even the most sceptical of people would believe it was true.

Seeing this white statue by the road in the dark is terrifying if you aren’t expecting it. As far as I know, the real White Wife didn’t visit me as I drove past but then again, I didn’t risk looking next to me.

The Sea Midder & Teran

With the spring and autumn equinox, when days start to get longer or shorter, they’re important times in Shetland folklore. The change might seem minute to you, but that’s because you can’t see the battle that’s taking place beneath the sea.

All through the summer, a powerful deity known as the Sea Midder (mother) has been keeping an equally powerful force in check. She’s the one who brings the calmer weather in spring, keeping the sea still and protecting the island’s sailors.

Her darker, angrier and more violent opponent known as Teran lies tied up, somewhere down in the depths, but he doesn’t just accept his fate. His struggles against his bindings cause the odd summer storm and constantly sap the Sea Midder’s strength.

Eventually, just around the autumn equinox, the back and forth between the Sea Midder and Teran reaches its climax. He finally frees himself to unleash wild winds and crashing waves as he battles his enemy. Defeated, the Sea Midder eventually sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where she can rest and recover.

Teran’s reign over the islands is cold and difficult, plants begin to die and leaves fall from the trees. The waves are that much more dangerous while wind, rain and snow batter every living thing. There are even strange monsters who rise from the water without the Sea Midder to keep them in check. It sounds brutal, but it’s a time to see the Northern Isles in all their wild glory and truly feel alive.

Don’t worry, the Sea Midder isn’t gone forever. Come the Spring Equinox, she’ll return to battle with Teran and with her strength recovered, binds him once more. His reign will end and the annual cycle will start all over again.

If you enjoyed this guide to Shetland Folklore, then how about listening to a story from another of Scotland’s islands? – The Dream Makers of Skye

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