Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Unst Boat Song (Shetland Norn Song) - Sung by John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst, Shetland. Recorded by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw in February 1947. From "Sailormen and Servingmaids" (1961) Caedmon Records - TC 1162.
Liner Notes:
John Stickle, a cooper, a good fiddler in his time and a humorous man with a broad knowledge of Shetland dialect and old Shetland songs, was born in Baltasound, Unst in 1879 and died there 73 years later. Perhaps the most remarkable of his songs was the Unst Boat Song, an ancient boat song in Norn, a form of Norse-language, whose leader chorus structure indicates that it was once a song for rowing—perhaps on board Norse galleys. The song has been published in the Shetland Folk Book, vol. 2 (Shetland Times, Lerwick, 1951) somewhat overedited by William Ratter.
Notes by Kevin W.:
Norn is an extinct Scandinavian language that was once spoken on the Shetland Islands and Orkney. After Orkney and Shetland were pledged to Scotland by Norway in 1468–69 it was gradually replaced by Scots. Norn is thought to have become extinct around 1850, after the death of Walter Sutherland, the language's last known speaker.
Fragments of Norn, words, sayings and place names persisted into modern times.
Both John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst in 1947 and Kitty Anderson of Lerwick in 1955 sang the Unst Boat Song which is completely in Norn and also Child Ballad No. 19, King Orfeo, a ballad with verses in Shetland Scots and a refrain in Norn. They are the only recorded examples of Norn language singing known to me.
Song transcription:
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, obadeea
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, monye.
Ståla, stoita, stonga raero,
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
Litra maevi, drenghie.
Saina papa, wara, obadeea, obadeea
Saina papa, wara, obadeea monye.
Here's an attempt at a translation with notes by my Danish speaking friend Spring:
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, obadeea
Strong western winds, great trouble, great trouble
(The Danish word "uhadada" which is just a generic expression of trouble, resembles "obadeea", but it's likely a coincidence. "uhadada" isn't a common Danish word today. It does have a similar meaning to how "obadeea" is translated.)
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, monye.
Strong western winds, great trouble, men.
Ståla, stoita, stonga raero,
Put in order, brace the mast,
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
What say you, the boat will hold?
(This line is a mix of Shetland Scots and Norn. "baero" is like Danish "bære", eg. "carry". "bunshka" might be a garbled word.)
Litra maevi, drenghie.
A little more, boys.
("litra maevie, drenghie" really sounds like Danish "lidt mere, drenge", eg. "a little more, boys")
Saina papa, wara, obadeea, obadeea
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, great trouble
("saina" sounds like Danish "signet", eg. "blessed")
Saina papa, wara, obadeea monye.
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, men.
(We'd wager a guess that modern day Faroese is probably quite similar to Norn, if not its direct descendant. The Faroe Islands, Orkney and Shetland were all part of the Norwegian Kingdom. So the language of the Faroe Islands which is still a Norse language today is probably the most similar to Norn.)
Again, without the notes:
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, obadeea
Strong western winds, great trouble, great trouble
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, monye.
Strong western winds, great trouble, men.
Ståla, stoita, stonga raero,
Put in order, brace the mast,
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
What say you, the boat will hold?
Litra maevi, drenghie.
A little more, boys.
Saina papa, wara, obadeea, obadeea
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, great trouble
Saina papa, wara, obadeea monye.
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, men.
Unst Boat Song (Shetland Norn Song) - Sung by John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst, Shetland. Recorded by Patrick Shuldham-Shaw in February 1947. From "Sailormen and Servingmaids" (1961) Caedmon Records - TC 1162.
Liner Notes:
John Stickle, a cooper, a good fiddler in his time and a humorous man with a broad knowledge of Shetland dialect and old Shetland songs, was born in Baltasound, Unst in 1879 and died there 73 years later. Perhaps the most remarkable of his songs was the Unst Boat Song, an ancient boat song in Norn, a form of Norse-language, whose leader chorus structure indicates that it was once a song for rowing—perhaps on board Norse galleys. The song has been published in the Shetland Folk Book, vol. 2 (Shetland Times, Lerwick, 1951) somewhat overedited by William Ratter.
Notes by Kevin W.:
Norn is an extinct Scandinavian language that was once spoken on the Shetland Islands and Orkney. After Orkney and Shetland were pledged to Scotland by Norway in 1468–69 it was gradually replaced by Scots. Norn is thought to have become extinct around 1850, after the death of Walter Sutherland, the language's last known speaker.
Fragments of Norn, words, sayings and place names persisted into modern times.
Both John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst in 1947 and Kitty Anderson of Lerwick in 1955 sang the Unst Boat Song which is completely in Norn and also Child Ballad No. 19, King Orfeo, a ballad with verses in Shetland Scots and a refrain in Norn. They are the only recorded examples of Norn language singing known to me.
Song transcription:
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, obadeea
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, monye.
Ståla, stoita, stonga raero,
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
Litra maevi, drenghie.
Saina papa, wara, obadeea, obadeea
Saina papa, wara, obadeea monye.
Here's an attempt at a translation with notes by my Danish speaking friend Spring:
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, obadeea
Strong western winds, great trouble, great trouble
(The Danish word "uhadada" which is just a generic expression of trouble, resembles "obadeea", but it's likely a coincidence. "uhadada" isn't a common Danish word today. It does have a similar meaning to how "obadeea" is translated.)
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, monye.
Strong western winds, great trouble, men.
Ståla, stoita, stonga raero,
Put in order, brace the mast,
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
What say you, the boat will hold?
(This line is a mix of Shetland Scots and Norn. "baero" is like Danish "bære", eg. "carry". "bunshka" might be a garbled word.)
Litra maevi, drenghie.
A little more, boys.
("litra maevie, drenghie" really sounds like Danish "lidt mere, drenge", eg. "a little more, boys")
Saina papa, wara, obadeea, obadeea
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, great trouble
("saina" sounds like Danish "signet", eg. "blessed")
Saina papa, wara, obadeea monye.
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, men.
(We'd wager a guess that modern day Faroese is probably quite similar to Norn, if not its direct descendant. The Faroe Islands, Orkney and Shetland were all part of the Norwegian Kingdom. So the language of the Faroe Islands which is still a Norse language today is probably the most similar to Norn.)
Again, without the notes:
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, obadeea
Strong western winds, great trouble, great trouble
Starka virna vestalie, obadeea, monye.
Strong western winds, great trouble, men.
Ståla, stoita, stonga raero,
Put in order, brace the mast,
Whit saes du, da bunshka baero?
What say you, the boat will hold?
Litra maevi, drenghie.
A little more, boys.
Saina papa, wara, obadeea, obadeea
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, great trouble
Saina papa, wara, obadeea monye.
Blessed father, watch over us, great trouble, men.
