Shetland Folk Tales

Shetland Folk Tales brings together twenty traditional stories shaped by the islands’ sea-bound landscape and distinctive storytelling culture. Mermaids and mermen appear alongside trows, witches, a njuggel and a seal, while tales such as ‘The Fetlar Finnman’, ‘The Netted Mermaid’ and ‘The Seal on the Vee Skerries’ reflect Shetland’s enduring relationship with the water.

Lawrence Tulloch learned many stories from his father, Tom, a tradition bearer whose folklore was recorded by the School of Scottish Studies. He later collected further material as a storyteller, bringing together accounts that range from supernatural encounters to island legends, including ‘The Gloup Disaster’, ‘Flokki of the Ravens’ and ‘The Blacksmith and the Njuggel’.