Notes on Da Liver Drink.

This story is based on an old Shetland folk tale.

Jael. Woman who killed the Canaanite general Sisera by inviting him into her tent, then driving a tent peg into his head while he slept. (Judges 4: 17-21; 5: 24-27).

Abimelech. Upstart king of Israel who was mortally wounded by a millstone thrown from a tower by a woman. (Judges 9: 50-57).


Shetlandic-English Glossary.

pick - knock.
glye - glance, look sideways.
stime - peer (at); discern.
tui - too; of a door: shut but not locked.
snyirk - creak.
scrime - discern.
stend - stride.
sink - damn.
ve-vaar - curse.
sloumit - underhand, devious.
mellishon - devil.
tweetishee - curse.
makadui - pretend.
treshel-tree - doorstep.
gaff - guffaw.
lachtered - bred, spawned (from lachter, n. - a brood, litter.)
swack - fit.
sheelder - fellow.
hunse - search.
hansel - gift (especially inaugural gift).
slamber - slim.
limmer - brazen.
kyoab - gift with ulterior motive; bribe.
lippen - expect.
gizzened - cracked, shrunken, dried up (usually of wood).
paenga - money.
vynd - skill, technique.
coarn - small quantity.
scaar - small quantity.
craig - neck, throat.
muggie - belly.
clunk - gulp.
green - hunger, yearn.
aire - small quantity.
ting - thing; term used of small children, here ironic.
crook - hook for hanging cooking utensils above an open fire.
host - cough.
scomfished - overcome by smoke; stifled.
leepit - parboiled.
uin - oppressive heat.
aaber - keen, eager.
aaber up - poke up the fire.
braand - burning peat.
spunk - spark.
neib - nod off.
gant - yawn, gape.
tyze - entreat.
haarns - brains.
inbuis - welcome.
scail - scatter, spill.
reebald - scoundrel.
skult - skull.
ime - sooty deposit.
lowe - flame.
scruif - surface of water.
sicker - grim.
girn - grimace.
luif - palm of the hand.
bulder - gurgle.
ramp - boil.
taand - glow.
pipper - shiver.
soch - sigh.
shaald - shallow.
scrit - scraping noise.
link - a link of the chain used to suspend the crook (qv).
stroop - spout.
preive - taste.
liver-drink - cause of death; mortal injury.

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