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07 Feb 08 - 09:47 AM (#2255891) Subject: The sodgers' cairn - help From: Stewie Even with assistance from the admirable Scots glossary in 'Quick Links', I am unable to fully come to grips with the third stanza of 'The Sodgers' Cairn' by Mary Symon (performed by Jim Reid). Can Malcolm or other knowlegeable Scot give a translation? What is the meaning of 'the Dullan', 'wahnie', 'Conval's broo', 'futtled'? Doon, laich the Dullan sings An' I ken o' an aul' sauch tree Where a wee loon's wahnie's hingin' yet That's dead in Picardy An ilka win' frae the Conval's broo Bends aye the buss o' earn Where, aince he futtled a name that noo I'll read on the sodgers' cairn --Stewie. |
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07 Feb 08 - 10:06 AM (#2255905) Subject: RE: The sodgers' cairn - help From: GUEST,Drumshanty The Dullan Water is the river that goes through Dufftown, and the Conval is one of the hills overlooking Dufftown. I don't know what a wahnie is for sure, but I'd an idea that it's a tyre hanging over a burn for swinging on maybe? Futtled is whittled, or carved. At last year's Keith Festival (I think - maybe 2006) Jim told how he'd taken the afternoon off from the festival and driven up to Dufftown to see if he could find the cairn, but he said the song wasn't specific enough. |
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07 Feb 08 - 10:11 AM (#2255913) Subject: RE: The sodgers' cairn - help From: GUEST,Drumshanty Incidentally, I'd recommend the Dictionary of the Scots Language, even if it doesn't have a definition of "wahnie"! |
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07 Feb 08 - 10:13 AM (#2255915) Subject: RE: The sodgers' cairn - help From: GUEST,PMB The Dullan is a river, the Conval a hill, both in Morayshire |
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07 Feb 08 - 02:00 PM (#2256110) Subject: RE: The sodgers' cairn - help From: Teribus Doon, laich the Dullan sings An' I ken o' an aul' sauch tree Where a wee loon's wahnie's hingin' yet That's dead in Picardy An ilka win' frae the Conval's broo Bends aye the buss o' earn Where, aince he futtled a name that noo I'll read on the sodgers' cairn From my reading of that verse, go to Dufftown and look at the War Memorial, I'm sure that there will be one erected to honour the memory of those who fell in both the First and Second World Wars. I think that you'll find that that is what is referred to as "the sodgers' cairn". Whoever the song was about obviously died in the Great War. |
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07 Feb 08 - 08:35 PM (#2256458) Subject: RE: The sodgers' cairn - help From: Stewie Many thanks to all, in particular to Drumshanty. I have bookmarked the DSL link. --Stewie. |
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05 Mar 12 - 10:36 AM (#3317649) Subject: RE: The sodgers' cairn - help From: GUEST,seumas Probably this is way too late to be any use. I puzzled for a long time over "wahnie" too, but actually the Dictionary of the Scots Language does explain it if you select "full entry" rather than "headword" for the search. It even gives this line from "The Sodger's Cairn" as an illustration. It's a diminutive of "wand", and the meaning given is "fishing rod". |