In Focus: Orkney and the Art of Storytelling
By Lynn Barbour
Lynn BarbourImage provided by Smartify
This audio forms part of a series of audio interviews conducted in 2022 by Smartify as part of the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project. Listen and discover the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands through the eyes of the people who live, work and visit here.
In our 'In Focus' audio mini-series, take a closer look into a wide range of topics spanning the vast natural and cultural heritage of the Highlands and Islands. Here, in this edition of 'In Focus', listen to Lynn Barbour as she talks about the kindling of her fascination with Orcadian customs and storytelling in Stromness, the story of one Irish shepherd's encounter with a Seanchaidh, and the importance of seeking the truth behind the legends to keep Orkney's strong oral storytelling tradition alive.
...more than any time since I've been alive, we need people who have this wisdom of the land and sea. We need people who have this knowledge to pass it on. Not do a PhD on it. Not write about. What Peter Drever told me - 'It's alright going into the archives Lynn but remember, unless people sit and hear the words and listen to the old ballads and the old songs and seek the truth behind the legends, it's as dead as the archives you study.' Man of wisdom.
DISCOVER MORE STORIES FROM THE ORKNEY ISLES
- In Focus: Margaret Gardiner and the Pier Arts Centre
- Favourite Places: Rousay
- In Focus: Walking in Orcadian Inspiration