Discover Odin is an album and booklet written by Julian Cope and released in a limited edition in 2001. It was produced in collaboration with the British Museum. It comprises a mixture of musical and spoken tracks.
In this first track, "The 18 Charms of Odin", Cope provides musical accompaniment to the text of the epic Norse poem Hávamál, in Kevin Crossley-Holland's version, as published in The Norse Myths.
Today, a Viking Rock face off. Led Zep's "Immigrant Song" versus Black Sabbath's "Tyr".
In case its not immediately obvious, these are both songs about Vikings.
Get yourself down to Largs today, for the start of the Largs Viking Festival
At the risk of offending anyone...this is a really easy fight for Led Zep...Tyr's a wee bit silly...
According to the early Viking sagas, the outer islands of Scotland were conquered by Ketil the Flatnosed, a great warrior who had gained fame and fortune in Iceland. He created a network of peace alliances throughout Scotland and Ireland, and the many warriors he brought with him soon began to marry and settle with locals. This led to the creation of the so-called Gall-Gaedhil, or foreign Gaels, a Viking led warrior force who adopted Celtic culture and operated mainly on the west coast of Scotland and the north of Ireland. These fierce Celto-teutonic warriors seemed to be under Ketils command and seem to have been instrumental in giving the Vikings a foothold in the Scotland and Ireland. However, for reasons unknown, Ketil and most of his family returned to Iceland, taking with them across the seas many elements of Scottish culture. But Ketils son in law Olaf remained and none were as fierce as he in their subjugation of the Celtic lands under Viking control.
Olaf the White
In 853 Olaf the White arrived in Dublin and he and his ally Ivar took control of the Norse settlement there. Olaf and his son Ivar's ambitions went beyond plunder to conquest and political control with the founding the Kingdom of Dublin. Over the next fifteen years, the Dublin became one of the most successful of all the Viking settlements in Britain, and Olaf began to cast his eyes further a field to the rich and prosperous Kingdom of Strathclyde. The Clyde and her islands represented a means of linking the powerful Viking strongholds of Dublin and York, further strengthening the Norse foothold on the British isles
Vikings on the Clyde
After a series of preliminary raids against the firth of the Clyde, in 870 Olaf sailed up river with a fleet of 200 Longships, laying siege to the capital of Strathclyde, Dumbarton. Olaf was accompanied by Ivar One Legged, and his host of fierce warriors, fresh from their capture of York. For four months, the Viking invaders surrounded the rock, but were unable to penetrate its defences. Only when the well inside the walls dried up, did the Norsemen finally gain their victory at Dumbarton as "they wasted the people who were in it by hunger and thirst". Once the rock was seized, the invaders plundered and destroyed it, taking "all the riches that were within it and a great host of prisoners were brought into captivity. The Vikings left as swiftly as they arrived, their fleet carrying back to Dublin the rich treasures and proud sons of the now fallen Kingdom of Strathclyde.
Hogbacks
The Viking destruction of Dumbarton did not represent the end of the Norse presence on the Clyde. Today, one of the most enduring monuments to the Scandinavian presence on the Clyde is the collection of mysterious so-called Hogback tombstones which are displayed at the Old Govan Parish Church. These carved stones are found in clusters, mainly on the estuaries of the Clyde and Forth, and are thought to have been an invention of Irish settlers, influenced by Teutonic carving styles. The Govan collection is the largest in Scotland, consisting of five stones, all of which have animal carvings on them. One theory suggests that after the destruction of Dumbarton, Govan took over as the royal centre for Strathclyde, within which a stone carving school may have developed, drawing upon techniques developed by Viking settlers. There are even hints that the stones may represent an even closer bond between the Kings of Strathclyde and the Norse nobles, possibly even ties of blood or marriage. However, for now the stones remain silent about their mysterious origin.
The Viking Legacy
The countless Viking raiders and settlers, who came to these shores, left a permanent mark on the landscape and culture of Strathclyde.We have today many place names on the north and west coasts which are a testimony to the thousands of "Wolf-coats" who braved the fierce oceans in search of new lands. Nom, the old language of the Islands has its roots in Norse and was still found to be spoken in some isolated areas up until the 18th century. It is all true to say that Norse found its way into the Scots dialect, and runic inscriptions formed some of the earliest script used within Scotland. It is ironic then, that a culture often perceived as intent on destruction, should have left behind such a rich legacy, which includes the enduringly mythical image of the Viking warrior that to this day continues to have a powerful affect on the imagination.
Sticking with our Gourock theme, here's what can only be described as "a music hall classic", made famous by Belle Stewart. It is actually a Harry Lauder song called "Piper MacFarlane".
The frankly fantastic oral history archive Tobar an Dualchais notes that "The words were written by Lauder and Gerald Grafton, to music by Lauder, published and recorded for Pathé in 1906. Both MacColl & Seeger (in 'Till Doomsday in the Afternoon', 1986, pp. 262-264) and Geordie McIntyre (in his notes to 'Belle Stewart: Queen Among the Heather' CDTRAX9055, 1998) note that Belle learned the song from a broadsheet, from The Poet's Box in Dundee."
The song details Piper MacFarlanes "comical" courtship of a young Gourock lass, presumably there is a verse missing detailing a visit to Cleats and the Cafe Continental.
The Reverend William Smith was a God-fearing man. And he made it his business to install the fear of God in his congregation. He was a young man for a minister, but what he lacked in years he made up for in hellfire, his thundering sermons terrifying all and sundry.
He had not been long to his ministry in Largs when the plague struck, decimating the little parish. The kirk yard quickly filled up with corpses, and the disease was rife with no signs of slowing, so those still free from sickness fled to the glen behind the town. The Reverend, keen to make sure his parishoners didn't stray too far from the path - and none to keen to take the plague himself - went with them into the hills.
This little community quickly set themselves up not too far from Middleton Farm and attempted to go about their lives. But the disease found them even in the fresh air and greenery of the Brisbane Glen, and one by one the community succumbed to the plague. The Reverend Smith, tended to their needs and led them all in prayer as their numbers dwindled. Then, early in 1647, the minister himself took the sickness. The few folk that were left helped him on his way down to Middleton Farm, and there he died.
William Smith was buried in the Kelso Glen, and hollies planted around his tomb. It was said, that on his death bed, the Minister had foretold that so long as the hollies never touched, the plague would not return. And so, those who had been with him in his final hours, tended dutifully to the trees, as did their children, and their children's children. So it goes to this day. The hollies never embraced, and the plague was kept from ever returning to Largs.
"Buried in this tomb I lie, at the same time a youth and an old man - youn in years and old in piety. By the divine spirit I have seen divine truths, and have dispersed darkness from the mind, thundering with loud voice. There cleaved to my feelings a very horror of wickedness, and to my words reproach of wicked deeds."
Translated from the very bad latin latin inscribed on the tomb of William Smith.
"The Presbiterie laying to heart the lamentable and calamitous condition of the paroch of Larges partly by the reason of the hand of God that is lying heavy upon them, and partly by the reason of the removal of their minister by death think it expedient that Mr Wm. Lyndsay be sent to visit them and to take notice of their desires, and to enquire ane overture of themselves how they may be gotten helpit and supplied, and the said Mr William to make report of his dilligence."
Presbytery minutes 28th September 1647
Driving from Greenock, The Prophets Grave can be found on the right hand side of the Old Largs Road, just before you arrive in Largs. Well worth a wee stroll on a summer night...
On Wednesday morning, following the Tall Ships weekend, we put a facebook page up suggesting that we should Keep Greenock Sugar Sheds A Community Space. Since then, thousands of people have liked the page, and hundreds have signed the online petition.
For many years Magic Torch have expressed our views on how the Sugar Sheds could be used more creatively, even before the arrival of the current regeneration initiative.
Since Wednesday, a group of around half a dozen new volunteers have been involved in keeping the page up to date, collecting petition signatures, running a twitter account and generally attempting to gather support.
We have been totally delighted with the positive response and alos the optimism of the people who have been commenting.
Sometimes in Inverclyde, we are too ready to be told what can't be done. What's been so great about this, is that people have not felt so confined or restrained, as a result we've seen some genuinely creative thinking.
We feel it would be wise to try and harness some of that thinking for the good of the community.
The Sugar Sheds currently have planning permission to be developed into offices, a cafe bar and restaurant. This is not the same as community space. "Public access" does not mean community space.
Yes, these suggestions offer the traditional opportunities for investment and employement, but there are other ways. Have a look here at Maryhill Burgh Trust, or here at Penicuik House. There are other ways to regenerate.
In the last two days we have had funders, promoters, businesses, artists and performers all come to us to offer support and suggestions. The key now is to build on that momentum, which I am sure our local Urban Regeneration Company would want to do.
We have asked to meet with them to see if we can take forward discussions on more formal community involvement in the further development of the building. With the community on board and actively involved as partners, a whole range of funding and development opportunities can be opened up which the URC would not generally be able to access.
- Lets get back into the Sheds to run some more community events. August 6th is the 130th Anniversary of the James Watt Dock, Spetember 10th and 11th are Doors open Days.
In the meantime, if you have a particular expertise you feel may help the group, you can contact us on keepsugarsheds@gmail.com.
