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Document : 330
Title    : Hallowe'en hansel
Author(s): Christine De Luca

Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca

Text

A boannie nicht for castin kale:
a fat mön vaegin owre Sannis,
a hale gadderie o laads an lasses.

A spree i der blöd,
laads loupit dykes
purled kale-stocks
iggit een anidder on
ripe da rigs
hunse fur hens 
whit a stramash
an dan da dash 
tae a porch door
lift da sneck
ball in da booty
rin like da mellishon
dunna look back.

But dee an me
pooskered wi da bassel
fell ahint ta draa breath,
taste wir first smoorikin.
But aa I can mind is da mön 
gaffin at me in mi cöttikins
wis ahint a uncan barn
an dy blate hansel
anunder a kendlin o starns.

___
hansel: gift to mark an inaugural occasion;  boannie: bonnie;  castin kale:
the childhood Hallowe'en tradition of stealing croft produce such as
cabbages and throwing them in doorways;  mön: moon;  vaegin: wandering,
travelling;  owre: over;  hale: whole;  gadderie: gathering;  spree:
jollification;  i: in;  der: their;  blöd: blood;  loupit: jumped; 
purled: poked about;  kale-stocks: cabbages;  iggit on: incited;  een
anidder: one another;  to ripe:  to harvest;  rigs: fields;  hunse:
rummage;  fur: for;  whit: what;  stramash: commotion;  dan: then;  tae:
to;  sneck: latch;  ball: throw;  rin: run;  the mellishon: the devil; 
dunna: do not;  dee: you (familiar);  pooskered: exhausted;  wi: with; 
bassel: struggle;  ahint: behind;  draa: draw;  wir: our;  smoorikin: kiss;
 aa: all;  mind: remember;  gaffin: laughing;  mi: my;  cöttikins: ankle
socks;  wis: us;  uncan: unfamiliar;  dy: your (familiar);  blate: shy; 
anunder: under;  kendlin: live coals;  starns: stars.



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Information about document and author:

Text
Text audience
Adults (18+): General public: Males: Females: Audience size: 100+

Text details
Method of composition: Wordprocessed
Year of composition: 1995
Word count: 255
General description: From collection of poems

Text medium
Book: 
Text publication details
Published: Publisher: Shetland Library
Publication year: 1997
Place of publication: Lerwick
ISBN/ISSN: 0-904562-64-6
Edition: 1st
Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: 'Wast wi da Valkyries'

Text type
Poem/song/ballad: 

Author
Author details
Author id: 120
Forenames: Christine
Surname: De Luca
Gender: Female
Decade of birth: 1940
Educational attainment: University
Age left school: 18
Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism
Occupation: Head of Assessment, Research and Development
Place of birth: Bressay
Region of birth: Shetland
Birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh
Country of birth: Scotland
Place of residence: Edinburgh
Region of residence: Edinburgh
Residence CSD dialect area: Edb
Country of residence: Scotland
Father's occupation: Headmaster
Father's place of birth: Vidlin
Father's region of birth: Shetland
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh
Father's country of birth: Scotland
Mother's occupation: Primary Teacher
Mother's place of birth: Cunningsburgh
Mother's region of birth: Shetland
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh
Mother's country of birth: Scotland

Languages:
Language: English
Speak: Yes
Read: Yes
Write: Yes
Understand: Yes
Circumstances: All
Language: Scots
Speak: No
Read: Yes
Write: No
Understand: Yes
Circumstances: Work, read Scots literature