SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 333 Title : Myl-gruel at da millenium Author(s): Christine De Luca Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca Text From Wast wi da Valkyries:Myl-gruel at da millenium In Norrawa, we had a dish o rømegrut ta mark midsimmer: sweet mylk an bleddick cookit tae a gruel. You supped again your boyhood: aye myl-gruel in Vidlin at johnsmas time: a treed spun owre a thoosand simmer seas, at we, wan generation, hed riven in favour o low fat fromage frais. You telt o johnsmas fires: emmers o Viking taands at burned on ness an taing, an still burn ta dis day in Norrowa, atween fiords. You minded stories tö o Dutchies an der johnsmas foy in Lerwick, da hidmost day afore dey set der sail ta follow shoals o simmer herrin; an hearin o da gig at cam at johnsmas fur da gutters. Bi da saison's end dey'd hae penga i der peenies, a string o jet black beads, a laad, a haert-stane. * * * * * Neest johnsmas we'll mak fine gruel wi creme fraîche fae Isigny. Wi a spön o honey hit 'll mak a feast fur John da Baptist's day. Wir peerie foy 'll see nae Dutchies dirlin doon da street; nae gig o gaffin lasses, arles lang ta'en afore da aggle o da creel. We'll no let johnsmas come an geng ithoot a bonfire, an wir myl-gruel. We'll celebrate da langest day, an trivvel till we fin dat tinnest treed ta tie secure. _____________________________________________________________________ myl-gruel: oatmeal porridge made with milk instead of water; da: the; Norrawa: Norway; rømegrut: midsummer porridge-type treat made with sour cream; sweet mylk: fresh milk; bleddick: buttermilk; tae, ta: to; johnsmas: June 24th; treed: thread; owre: over; wan: one; hed: had; riven: torn; telt: told; emmers: embers; taand: a firebrand of peat; at: that; taing: flat promentary; dis: this; atween: between; minded: remembered; tö: too; der: their; johnsmas foy: the celebration which was held by Dutch fishermen in Lerwick before the herring season began; hidmost: final; afore: before; dey: they; cam: came; bi: by; penga: money; i: in; laad: boyfriend; haert-stane: hearth; neest: next; spön: spoon; wir: our; peerie: little; dirlin: vibrating (clogs); gaffin: laughing; arles taen: having made a commitment to a season's work for which a retainer fee was paid; aggle: mess; geng: go; ithoot: without; trivvel: grope; fin: find; dat: that; tinnest: thinnest. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. 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: 391 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