Tales for Troubled Times
~ Folktale Archive ~
Tom's original greeting from what has become the Tales for Troubled Times folklore archive:
"In these surreal days of illness and self-isolation due to COVID-19 I found myself wondering what more I can do to help people get through the long days. If ever there was a need for stories, then this is it.
I'm recording rough, one-take stories of favourite folk tales. I must admit, they are rougher than I would normally do. All the stumbles are left in. This is not about showcasing my storytelling skills. It's not about 'me', it's about us.
These are stories that I don't normally tell, as well as old favourites. The lack of an audience is a great miss. It is just me, alone in an attic bedroom with a small recording device on a cushion.
I hope you find some tales that help to get you through the day and imagine better days. Please take care and stay safe.
Love, Tom."
First a special treat:
Read more about the Orkney Storytelling Festival here.
The stories ...
The first stories are cameos borrowed from other pages.
Except as otherwise noted, all other tales are the rough and ready versions recorded during lockdown.
Tales especially for the bairns are here.
Enjoy!
~ Tales for everyone ~
Bessie Millie and Mamie Scott
Hear about the Stromness weather witches of long ago and learn why you should never steal a witch's duck!
Edwin Muir's
"The Horses"
A haunting poem by Orkney poet Edwin Muir
The Happy Valley Coffin Story
A humorous tale from Orkney's beloved Happy Valley
Dancing Giants
What happens when giants get carried away with their dancing?
The Story of St Magnus
Hear the story of Orkney's patron saint, the Norse earl Magnus Erlendsson. (Settle in with a cup of tea. This one's a longer tale, as any self-respecting saga should be.)
Pirate John Gow and the Odin Stone
What does a young pirate from Orkney have to do with the Odin Stone? (Bairn warning - somewhat gruesome)
Death of the Mainland Faeries
Why do you never see faeries in Orkney's West Mainland anymore?
The Fiddler and the Trow
The tale of Tam Bichan, who mysteriously disappeared one midsummer day
The Hattie Man o' Ree
How did the Hattie Man stone come to Graemsay?
The Press Gang
How Orcadian men - and women - dealt with the dreaded press gangs during the Napoleonic Wars
The White Lady of Clestrain ~
an Orkney ghost story
The tragic tale of a nasty laird and his unfortunate wife
Wreck of the Albion
The true story of a ship wrecked near the island of Graemsay and the good that came of the tragedy
The Dancers Under the Mound
The Orkney Islands folktale of a fairy mound
Tom wants to correct his mention of the dig at Howe. It was 1978, not 1977.
The Westray Storm Witch
The story of the storm witch of Westray, based on a real person
Gunn Woman
Áine King's wonderful short play is performed by local artists Jennifer Wrigley, Bruce Mainland and Antony Hodgson, who recorded the story at Áine and Antony's beautiful home, Highland Park House.
Why the Sea is Salt
A tale from the Viking age that explains why the sea is salt
The Everlasting Battle
A legend from the Viking age
Sigurd the Powerful
A tale from the Orkneyinga Saga
The Selkie Wife
A selkie tale from Orkney
How Tam Scott Lost His Sight
An Orkney finfolk tale
Illustration by our dear friend, Bryce Wilson
The Selkie Lover
A strange thing happens when a Stronsay lady is unhappy in her marriage
A Wartime in Graemsay Story
A wartime story of the clever folks living on the island of Graemsay
The Mither o' the Sea
An ancient Orkney tale of seasons
The Swan Maiden
A Swedish tale of a magical bride
The Trows of Trowie Glen
A tale from the magical Trowie Glen on the island of Hoy
The Mermaid Bride
A folktale from the Orkney island of Sanday
The Red and White Roses
A Faroese tale dealing with the harshness sometimes found in in humans ... and forgiveness.
Please note: sensitive listeners may find this wise tale upsetting. Proceed with caution.
Jonny in the Cradle
How to get rid of an unwanted fairy
The Selkie That Didna' Forget
Always do a favor for a selkie if you can. It's the right thing to do, anyway, but there's another reason ...
The Ugandan Fart Story
The true story of where farts go after ... well, you know
The Wreck of the Archangel
The true story of a shipwreck on the rocks of the Orkney island of Westray ... with a Muir family twist at the end!
The Minister and the Skull
A cautionary tale from the Scottish Travellers
Angus and Bride
An ancient Celtic myth
The Seal Killer
A folktale from Caithness showing that a seal isn't always what it seems to be
How the Mermaid Got Her Tail
An old Orkney myth
The Caithness Giant
An old Orkney Islands story about a giant from Caithness who loved to garden
The Miser's Ghost
An Icelandic tale showing why you should spend your money while you can
Hildaland
A traditional Orkney Islands folk tale about a magic vanishing island
Some of these tales are also available in Tom's folklore books.
~ Tales especially for the bairns ~
The Midgies and the Giant
An unexpected turn of events when villagers kill a horrible giant (Warning: a bit gruesome, but only in the fairytale way that bairns love)
The Three Feathers
A tale of three brothers who want to rule the kingdom - but which is the wisest?
The Three Heads in the Well
Would you wash three magical heads in a well if they asked you to? Find out why you might want to consider it, if it ever happens to you.
The Enchanted Cooking Pot
Scottish Traveller's tale about a pot with a mind of its own
Silly Jack and the Princess
Sometimes a good heart is more important than a wise head.
Rashiecoat
A Scottish Cinderella tale
Whuppity Stoorie
A Scottish Rumplestiltskin tale
Assipattle and the Stoorworm
~ For Erin ~
A Viking age creation tale
Mallie and the Trow
A Shetland tale of generosity and kindness
Dedicated to Shetland storyteller and our dear friend
~ Lawrence Tulloch ~
East of the Sun West of the Moon
Tom retells the classic Norwegian folktale
I Love You More Than Salt
A Scottish Travellers' tale about what's really important
The Trow's New Clothes
What not to do if you ever get your own house trow.
Kate Crackernuts
The tale of two devoted stepsisters, one of them particularly clever
Robbie Anderson and the Trows
A Shetland folk tale: a fiddler gets a surprising - and fortuitous - invitation.
The Fairy Harp
A tale from Wales showing why you must never misuse a fairy's gift
Finn McCool and the Scottish Giant
The legend of how Ireland's Giant's Causeway came to be
The Three Fairies
A traditional Slovenian folktale
The Water Sprite
A folktale from Germany that teaches how to deal with pesky water sprites
Peardrop
A traditional folk story from Italy about a brave, young girl and her adventures
Mermaid image (Rhonda's pages) and storyteller image (Tom's pages), and all other illustrations except where noted are here by the courtesy of our dear friend - Stromness author, artist and historian, Bryce Wilson MBE, who owns all copyrights. Thanks, Bryce!
If you enjoy what we do please consider a small gift through our Ko-fi page. It's a simple, safe way to support our work of preserving Orkney's stories and lore.
Thank you!
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~ Next issue:
Autumn 2024
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