SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 329 Title : Lizzie Coutts' Knowe Author(s): Christine De Luca Copyright holder(s): Christine De Luca Text Oot o scöl on winter days, we'd sprit across da fud ta Lizzie Coutts' Knowe sledges nyiggin at wir heels lik aaber whalps. Hills wirna better med fur sledgin: low enyoch fur a quick bassel tae da tap; steep enyoch ta taste da aedge o danger; lang enyoch ta savour. We'd pile on twartree o wis een on tap o tidder: belly-gutsie fur da brave nae trace o faer. Da runk o iron apo ice, snaa spindrifts smookin i da face. A rummel o scriechs is we swooshed owre every bump afore we cummelled. Dan hame fur tae, glivs ice-matted, haands red raw wi pooin apo kiarr. Inbye fae da spunder o da nicht wi haet tiftin anunder wir nails an wir een blinded i da licht. ___ scöl: school; sprit: dash, race; fud: flat 'patches of fields'at voe head; nyggin: tugging; aaber: eager; whalps: puppies; wirna: were not; enyoch: enough; bassel: struggle; twartree: two or three; een: one; tidder: the other; belly-gutsie: sledging face-downwards; runk: resounding rhythm; apo: on; snaa: snow; spindrifts: (sea) spray; smookin: suddenly covering; rummel: (from verb) to collapse; scriechs: screeches; cummelled: turned upside down; tae: high tea; glivs: gloves; pooin: pulling; kiarr: coir rope; spunder: (from verb) to race; tiftin: throbbing; anunder: under; een: eyes. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): General public: Males: Females: Audience size: 100+ Text details Method of composition: Wordprocessed Year of composition: 1995 Word count: 219 General description: from collection of poems Text medium Book: Text publication details Published: Publisher: Shetland Library Publication year: 1997 Place of publication: Lerwick ISBN/ISSN: 0-904562-64-6 Edition: 1st Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: 'Wast wi da Valkyries' Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 120 Forenames: Christine Surname: De Luca Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1940 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 18 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Head of Assessment, Research and Development Place of birth: Bressay Region of birth: Shetland Birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Edinburgh Region of residence: Edinburgh Residence CSD dialect area: Edb Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Headmaster Father's place of birth: Vidlin Father's region of birth: Shetland Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Primary Teacher Mother's place of birth: Cunningsburgh Mother's region of birth: Shetland Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Sh Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: All Language: Scots Speak: No Read: Yes Write: No Understand: Yes Circumstances: Work, read Scots literature