Yuletide is a magic, signalling a new life cycle start – a slow return to light, the sun, currently at 6.6 degree elevation at its zenith… And in those times of darkness, the faintest spark feels a treasure.
The island, engulfed in some 5 and something hours of light on 21 Dec., is already scraping seconds away. Snowflakes dusted every inch of sand, heather and grass this polar felt 24 Dec. 2020.
Yule, Yöl Eve, julhaften, or réveillon, here comes two poems – one in Shetland dialect from Vagaland; the other, from my own pen.
Fae Mr Robertson, aka Vagaland,
Santie’s Reindeer
Da Göd Man hings da starns
Laek peerie lamps sae bricht,
Sae Santie Klaas can fin his wye,
Whin he comes here da nicht.
Dis nicht he yoks his reindeer up,
An drives dem trowe da sky;
Dan he taks on his muckle bag
An leaves his slaidge ootbye.
An, Maamie, whin you mylk da coo
You’ll geng an tak a
O hey, or maybe twartree
An laeve dem lyin furt.
Da reindeer haes sae far ta geng;
Dey’re maybe hed nae maet,
An he’ll be blyde if he can fin
A grain fir dem ta aet.
A’ll hing my sock apo da
Jöst in below da brace,
An whin he’s trivveled trowe da
He’ll aesy fin da place.
He’ll never come till A’m asleep,
Sae A’ll pit on my goon
An up da stairs ita da
A’ll geng an lay me doon.
You’ll pit da claes aboot me noo,
Becaase he’s gittin late;
An, Maamie, whin you mylk da coo
You’ll mind da reindeer’s maet.
Vagaland.
And if Vagaland leaves food for the reindeers, I will gladly leave some for a Norwegian character…
Julenissen
Julenissen loves julaften,
smell of hot porridge in a bowl
somebody left right by the barn.
His eyes peep through
edge of his cap,
that long
red
stocking to the floor;
his dwarf-like
size nearly
makes him invisible,
scraping a living with a cat,
a vole family and
owl...
Julenissen loves his barn,
each farmer, child and animal,
yet hot oatmeal on Christmas Eve
will bring favours to
humankind -
this hog goblin is a guardian,
he, safe-keeper of
men’s farm world;
windows will be dressed with candles,
decorated in his honour.
Oatmeal or porridge for an oath,
Julenissen feels generous, with
auroras above reindeers.
© Nat Hall 2020
nordicblackbird 