| Towns |
| Kirkwall |
Stirlings - Starlings |
| Stromness |
Bluidy Puddings - Black Puddings |
| Mainland
Parishes |
| St Andrews |
Skerry Scrapers
Probably
refers to the practice of harvesting shellfish, seaweed and other foodstuffs from the shoreline. |
| Deerness |
Skate Rumples
Rumple means either the rump-bone or tail - an unused, or useless, part of the fish.
However, the name may stem from the fact that parish was the nearest landfall to a famous area of water for skate - known as the "skate-hole" |
| Holm |
Hobblers
The origin of this name is obscure, although it is mentioned in an old ryhme.
This is the way the dogs o' Holm
Go runnan tae the mill -
Ae feet afore the ither,
Hobble, hobble, hobble. |
| Orphir |
Yirneens (Yernings)
The liquor prepared from the dried stomach of a calf and used to curdle the milk when making cheese. It was once thought that the name stems from an Orphir
woman who made rennet commercially.
Older names were Sheep-grippers and Sheep-binders. |
| Orphir - Clestrain |
Cats |
| Firth |
Oysters
There were excellent oyster beds in the Bay o' Firth until modern times. In 1595, three Firth farmers paid over a thousand oysters between them as part of their rent. |
| Sandwick |
Assie Patties or Ash Patties
Assie patties are said to have been cakes baked in the ashes; and Sandwick was noted for its 'baking-stones'.
I wonder
if this is connected to the Orcadian term "Assie Pattle"
which is used to describe a lazy or useless person - usually referring
to someone who sits by the fire, idly poking the fire. See also
the folklore tale of Assie
Pattle and the Mester Stoor Worm |
| Harray |
Crabs or Sheep
Harray is the
only Orkney Mainland parish not to have a seaboard. The Harray men's
supposed ignorance of maritime matters was at one time much
ridiculed by the other islanders.
A local derivation is that it stems from an
Orkney proverb in which a Harray man, upon seeing a crab for
the first time, puts his hand to it. The irate crab seized the
unfortunate man's finger and caused him to yell: "Let be
and I'll let be!" - hence the proverb "Let be and
I'll let be as the Harra' man said to the crab."
Another story has it that a fisherman passing through Harray dropped a live crab. The men of the parish had no idea what the creature was, so sent for the oldest inhabitant, who was brought in a wheel-barrow. After gazing at the "monster" for a few moments he exclaimed: 'Boys, hid's a fiery draygon; tak' me hame!' "
A variant of this tale is that the crab was thought to be a scorpion, as mentioned in the bible, and attacked with hay-forks.
An older nickname was Sheep, as documented by Jo Ben: "Harray is another parish in which are many slothful drones, and on this account called the Sheeps of Harray." |
| Stenness |
Staigs, Kirn Lickers or Merry Dancers
A Staig is a stallion, while Kirn Lickers possibly refers to the practice of licking out the butter kirn after use - perhaps hinting at the meanness of the parishioners?
I am
unsure of the reason for the Merry Dancers nickname. Within the islands,
the term Merry, or Mirry, Dancers is used for describing the Aurora Borealis. |
| Stenness - Ireland |
Skittery kags |
| Birsay |
Dogs or Hoes
Dogfish were fished in great numbers to provide oil for the old koli and cruisie lamps. |
| Evie |
Cauld Kail
Meaning "cold cabbage" this may cast aspersions on the hospitality of the folk of Evie. |
| Evie - Woodwick |
Withered Blades |
| Rendall |
Sheep Thieves. |
