tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22810415681665244332011-07-30T22:42:02.260+01:00For folklorists and ethnologists in the British Isles and further afield!Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-1002882297913208932010-01-24T19:18:00.005Z2010-01-24T20:07:31.228Z

In my capacity as Force Curator for Grampian Police, I issue the following invite:...to you folklorists and oral historians in the Blogosphere - if you're in Aberdeen, Scotland between 30 Jan and 14 Feb, come and visit my exhibition of previously unseen photographs featuring the damage caused in the city's worst air raid of WWII.As I mentioned on my other blog The Other Scottish Storyteller, I

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-46693524733259812972009-09-09T00:37:00.002+01:002009-11-28T21:51:37.480Z

Today is 09/09/09.There are many, many folkloric examples of nine!The Chinese particularly like nine, because the word for nine pinyin jiu' means 'long-lasting'. Nine is associated with the dragon, and 'Kowloon' means 'Place of Nine Dragons'!There are nine circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno:They descend in order of wickedness, the first five being for self-indulgent sins, the sixth and seventh,

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-21407476522012513902009-09-06T02:16:00.007+01:002009-09-06T03:50:25.464+01:00

During my PhD fieldwork I was told a fantastic story - apparently true - of an evil laird in Barra by the name of Ferguson; he returned to haunt the islanders in a black phantom coach accompanied by his equally fiendish doctor friend. In life they were Resurrectionists or Burkers - body-snatchers - but Ferguson and the doc didn't just want to learn about anatomy, they wanted to practice the '

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-34598100426423213252009-07-06T20:45:00.009+01:002009-07-06T23:47:22.781+01:00

Peter Anderson, born in Aberdeen, 1938 knew, he was one of the grandsons of Aberdeen City Police's first official Chief Constable, William Anderson.He got in touch with me in my capacity as police curator for Grampian as he had been told that his aunt had donated grandfather William's artefacts to the museum, a ceremonial sword, medals, his cap, belt and baton.Ceremonial Chief Constable's

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-9737632230860652602009-06-11T15:59:00.003+01:002009-06-11T16:06:59.305+01:00

Hi all,Facebook is the place to be! Or so it would seem. Since the demise of the folklore forum I found out where a'body was - on FB.So I've joined the Social Network Revolution - firstly have set up an oral history/reminiscence group. I'll do a folklore one later. But for now, the Aberdeen & Region Oral History Association presents the first Facebook Oral History Group - obviously you need to

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-40458046498311335052009-06-08T23:38:00.005+01:002009-06-08T23:46:08.219+01:00

Just started a new Flickr site for recording 'material culture' - started with shop signs - here do please let me know if you have any good ones I can link to!Of course, I saved on just for this post!Not got a shot of the shop yet, but this is the bag that rowies are transported from the great shop in!!Dinna tell ma ye dinna ken wot a rowie is!!Heating on my shiny new toaster's crumpet rack!!And

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-85277054717687933182009-05-28T13:35:00.002+01:002009-05-28T13:56:37.671+01:00

As performed at the Shetland Museum & Archives, Lerwick, May 2007.George Peterson, former teacher from Brae High School, Shetland, introduced the dance. He had taught it to some of his pupils a few decades back which they very much enjoyed. The dance he suggested could have been influenced by servants of the earls from Northumbria who would have been familiar with sword dances. The figures are

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-80140278013091176482009-05-27T22:56:00.003+01:002009-05-27T23:01:28.081+01:00

I utterly LOVED my trip to Shetland on the ferry to take part in the Taking Shetland Out of the Box Island Identities Conference. My first trip in 2007 was by plane, but the boat is the way to go! This is the first in a series of mini-movies I'll be posting about my trip - mainly scenery accompanied by fantastic Shetland music - courtesy of www.shetland-music.com, who I big up as I'm less

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-54684217556579484692009-05-01T19:53:00.007+01:002009-05-01T20:28:50.475+01:00

Just launched in the last few days, http://humphreywithhisflail.blogspot.com/ by fellow folklorist, Paul Cowdell. Paul's current researching ghost belief in contemporary England, much to my delight! So far he has a couple of witty limericks and a May Day observation. Paul's a graduate of Sheffield University, and now doing his PhD at Hertfordshire. He is also a committee member of the

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-70979036501154965262009-04-06T10:31:00.006+01:002009-04-06T10:57:34.891+01:00

One of the coolest tunes is The Star-Spangled Banner, and yes, I know, it's the American national anthem (or one of them), but it's such a stirring tune, in the same vein as La Marseillaise or Flower of Scotland, and it does have beautiful words... I'm a sucker for a good tune whatever its origins (though I make exception to Take That's new pop songs, how dare they write proper catchy tunes??

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-56291153874390720962009-02-11T22:46:00.002Z2009-02-11T22:51:38.192Z

A new forum has been set up to discuss memories of Peterhead, the Blue Toon -Peterhead RememberedIf you are interested in joining up - please go to the forum and register.The Blue Mogganer story is going to appear on the Storyquine Blog in a wee while.

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-37353400089194776302009-02-09T23:41:00.002Z2009-02-09T23:50:47.606Z

I've deleted the Folklore Forum cos no-one was using it... busy myself with dissertation. Anyone who wants to share what they are doing can comment on the posts or email me to have things featured on this blog. Ta.

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-79171603705037149162009-01-22T00:54:00.007Z2009-01-22T01:38:49.353Z

Ahem - it wasnae me!!!I have been accused of 'stealing' Hartlepool's monkey legend! :-)It was all Patrick's fault - he of the comms office. He decided to tell the world about my little paper on the Boddam Monkey song, and our blessed P&J started the rumpus - well, maybe it didn't, but it didna help with the sub-header: How Boddam monkey incident may have been usurped by Hartlepool! You can

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-23565930950426468092008-12-23T21:49:00.009Z2008-12-23T23:28:34.022Z

The Christmas Special 2008 of Rab C Nesbitt was wonderful!!Having already cited our string-vested Bard o' Govan as a fine example of blason populaire, it was great to have another listen to the wit and wisdom of the Glaswegian scumbag that we all know and love!Rab has gone on the wagon! Shock! It was so clever though, how Mr Nesbitt's lyrical ramblings were so very posh, not addled by drink! Rab

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-81746129494417929992008-12-14T23:45:00.003Z2008-12-15T00:00:38.812Z

Stanley Robertson, possibly the greatest Traveller storyteller alive today, was honoured recently by the University of Aberdeen who awarded him a M.Univ. degree at the November 2008 graduation ceremony in Elphinstone Hall.Professor Tim Ingold of the Anthropology Dept. presented Stanley's achievements to the Principal and his colleagues as well as the assembled company.On the platform and in the

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-72301703898416060812008-11-03T16:58:00.007Z2008-11-03T17:31:59.249Z

My office-buddy at Elphinstone Institute, Irene Watt, gave the first of a series of lectures to the Music Department at the University of Aberdeen a couple of weeks ago.Introduced by Professor Jonathan Stephens, Irene gave a summary of her research into the folkloric power of lullabies. (Muggins was operating the powerpoint slides!) Elphinstone was well-represented by Dr Tom McKean, Norman

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-51939628365765061972008-11-03T16:34:00.005Z2008-11-03T16:57:12.503Z

It would seem that the builders for Scotia Homes suffer from Triskaidekaphobia! That's fear of the number thirteen, folks!The new housing development that went up last year across from me does not have a number 13! I was delighted at this modern example of an ancient superstition. Here's the evidenceNumbering already dodgy here... 11 then 12, no odd and even for this lot of fearful builders...

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-35438790159124801872008-08-16T22:33:00.005+01:002008-08-16T22:57:17.320+01:00

And we met the Mari Lwyd (Welsh for 'Grey Mare'/ 'Holy Mary')... and privileged to see the Mari out of season at Aberdare Hall, Cardiff as part of the entertainment on the Ballad Conference.The text below I quote from the Folkwales website:The Mari is unique to South Wales. In its purest form (still to be seen atLlangynwyd, near Maesteg, every New Year's Day) the tradition involves thearrival of

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-9913596110303454562008-08-16T20:39:00.004+01:002008-09-20T22:45:36.447+01:00

Cardiff University Union was the venue for a night celebrating Welsh folk dance. There were a few comments I didn't agree with - i.e. that the Welsh Methodists and Evangelicals killed off folk dance - don't be anti-Christian, you lot! I've had a few conversations on this subject and certain academics are very proud of their evangelical heritage, they also say that these people were also champions

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-42251361688038484022008-08-16T20:08:00.003+01:002008-08-16T20:38:05.001+01:00

It's the name of a Martyn Joseph song, and it's also seen often in Torchwood and Dr Who! Cardiff Bay is pretty impressive even in the monsoon rains we experienced while we were there for the Ballad Conference!! In this picture we have the remains of the coal industry, the new Welsh assembly, the old dock buildings, and sneaking out of the rear is the dome of the Millenium Centre. The wooden

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-5320564268610439072008-08-16T18:44:00.005+01:002008-08-16T19:58:41.097+01:00

I was delighted to discover a few Welsh musical traditions that were new to me in Cardiff. Dr Rhiannon Ifans who is the current secretary of the Welsh Folk Song Society and lecturer in Welsh at the University of Wales, Lampeter, is also championing the Welsh carol-singing tradition of 'Plygain'.According to the National Museum of Wales' article on the topic, Plygain was a pre-Reformation survival

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-31306954674679882192008-08-16T18:03:00.005+01:002008-08-16T18:44:27.020+01:00

Well, the Hartlepool/Boddam monkey went down well in Cardiff! And, surprise, surprise, Matilda Burden, of Stellenbosch University, South Africa, did a paper on another monkey - this one was getting married! 'Die apie se bruilof/ The Monkey's Wedding' is a nonsense song like The Fishermen Hung the Monkey' with a nod to Froggie Went a-Courting, where all the animals in the jungle get together for

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-70298228936593486682008-07-07T14:48:00.002+01:002008-07-07T15:07:20.396+01:00

Here we have group 'The Young 'uns' performing Alan Wilkinson's version live -I have tracked down the song Paul referred to on the forum, about the Tyneside Baboon - bit of a different tale, and one from Greenock as well!Sum time since, sum wild beasts thre cam to the toon, And in the collection a famous Baboon, In uniform drest-if my story you're willin To believe, he gat lowse, and ran te the

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-37969038762540802242008-06-25T15:12:00.008+01:002008-07-05T13:58:55.786+01:00

Who indeed? Funny how both Boddam and Hartlepool seem to claim the legend of the monkey who was apparently hanged from the mast of the French ship on which he was found when it was wrecked.For those that are blissfully ignorant of this bit of blason populaire - (popular insults), let me take you back to Napoleonic times - like the days of Senator McCarthy's witchhunts in the 1950s, it wasn't Reds

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-4831988679505697002008-02-17T17:46:00.003Z2008-02-17T17:57:09.561Z

Got a new forum, folks:http://elphinstone_folk_forum.atfreeforum.com/very pleased to have found one - phpBB which is a very good set up, one I used in the past, so we'll have no trouble with editing or anything.You must register to use it, but that winna be difficult. As a registered user you can have your own avatar (or piccie), you can make posts, introduce topics and do polls. Should be great

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-38312109611070689892008-02-11T01:24:00.000Z2008-02-11T01:44:59.652Z

Now, this is business, folks. It's now nearly a year since the last conference of this nature, as this blog starts with material from then, and you've all been wondering what is going on... well, here's the news I have:The 2008 Conference is being hosted by the School of Scottish Studies/Celtic Studies Depts at the University of Edinburgh, so that's George Square in the Capital, nae far from the

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-36309957524206262372008-02-02T00:55:00.001Z2008-02-02T00:55:25.662Z

Folklorist, singer, and my supervisor, who hails fae New Hampshire, USA, but bides in Formartine... Dr T A McKean. I had to say something about this picture he has on his profile, it is asking to be parodied, in the nicest possible way, of course.Tom's a dude.The background to this picture is him giving a paper on his current project, the digitisation and cataloguing of the James

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-66904146337206854682008-01-25T20:50:00.001Z2008-01-25T21:08:00.893Z

We'll tak a cup o kindness, yet, in praise o Auld Lang Syne...Yes folks, it's the Bard o Allowa's birthday. Rabbie Burns, oor national poetAnd I just had my haggis & neep - weel, a neep, potato and parsnip mash and finest Hall's haggis, and of course - the water o life!A haggis is a peculiarly ancient idea - perhaps even the hunter gatherers merely cooked the innards of the sheep (as that's what

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-70236564717660667912007-12-26T19:20:00.001Z2007-12-26T20:10:51.488Z

The Aberdeen Christmas lights... can anyone spot the problem with this picture?Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, Polar bears in the Northern Hemisphere, thus it would be impossible for them to ever meet!!The Polar Foundation has a sweet little animation to show the basic differences between the habitats of the species.Whoever it was who built the lights - I tried to Google it, but to no

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-10166908788494598472007-12-24T23:26:00.000Z2007-12-24T23:54:35.765Z

At this most folkloric time of year... Merry Christmas, a Happy Hogmanay and lang may yer lum reek wi ither folk's coal Winter Dawn - Duthie Park 2006Today's entry in Chambers' Book of Days: December 24th Wikipedia's entry on Christmas Santa Claus & the Reindeer welcome you to Northpole.Com And... Christmas Dinner 1937!from Scotland on Film

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-70436066470613335382007-11-24T23:10:00.001Z2007-11-24T23:38:41.866Z

...but my show on Aberdeen Student Radio!http://storyquine.pbwiki.com/ScotchBrothLike the dish itself, the Original Folk Music Show - which was first aired on Peterhead's hospital radio Radio Eastward in 1994 - is a rich mixture of Scots, Irish, English, Welsh and Global folk music, lore and stories.My main aim as well as entertaining people with the classics, like Runrig, Wolfstone, Steeleye

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-79175664068907053762007-11-24T22:40:00.001Z2007-11-24T23:06:14.994Z

Yes, yes, I know, long time no blog? Here are some videos - taken by mobile phone - of the most excellent students from the Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd, the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music. They were our entertainment one night at the 37th Annual Ballad Conference held just down the road from the music school in Balmacara, near the Skye Bridge. More about the conference

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-64659197922355708222007-09-17T17:29:00.001+01:002007-09-17T17:38:09.110+01:00

... around Aberdeen. Gallus Graffiti - observed off Holburn St/Gairn Terrace. Something Banksy would approve of!The edge of one of Fittie's famous fisher squares. Footdee, or Fittie, as it is rightly known, was the earliest example of a council-designed development to replace old wooden hovels for the fisherfolk there. They were finished in about 1807. The folk moaned so much about lack of good

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-56531746268200450042007-09-17T17:14:00.003+01:002007-09-17T17:28:39.772+01:00

A couple of pics from the Graduate Conference in Aberdeen, March 2007, all taken on my camera phone.Tom looks puzzled as ever, while Sara and others mill around in the backgroundSomebody said 'He's in his cups' - we-ell, cup singular, anyway!Dr Milton I presume? PhD not MD, that's the Mrs!Our retired second-in-command, Colin Milton has gone to live in Edinburgh.Fellow Aberdeen PhD-student,

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-31204736614934278442007-09-10T17:43:00.000+01:002007-09-10T17:49:01.943+01:00

Where we went on the 37th annual Ballad Conference with a crowd of folk fae all over Europe! Organised by my supervisor, Dr Thomas McKean, it was so good I thought here, I can write about ballads! So I'm going to present a paper next year when they go to Cardiff, whereas this year I was chief technician and taxi-service! I'll get this post edited properly later, but here is a pic of me and Tom,

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2281041568166524433.post-89914092204260574972007-09-10T17:22:00.000+01:002007-09-10T17:36:30.434+01:00

Welcome to the Folklore & Ethnology Students' Blog - this is another strand of the Elphinstone Institute Graduate Student Folklore Forum, but being a blog, we can display photos, You-Tube movies and the like.This isn't exclusively for students, we're happy to share the blog with academics, researchers, and amateur enthusiasts. Please leave comments, but be aware that they are moderated. No

Fiona-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16858662783384545870noreply@blogger.com0