The Wulver.

Discovering Shetland
and Untss folklore
The filmmakers point of view

Chiara Passarini
June 2017

A report submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Ross Fund, awarded
to me by the Centre for Scottish and Celtic Studies, University of Glasgow

1
 ABSTRACT
This reports aims to provide an account of my creative approach as a documentary filmmaker,
to uncover Unsts folklore, history and mythology with a focus on the legends linked to the
mythological creature called the Wulver. The information contained in this report details seven
days of filming in Unst; exploring, discovering, interacting with the local community and
gathering audio visual material for the final project of my M.Sc. in Filmmaking and Media
Arts, At the University of Glasgow. Within the time spent in Unst I discovered that despite
the great amount of legends present on the isle, the figure of the Wulver is still a mysterious
and unknown character. The roots of the Wulver are to be found in Jessie Saxby book Shetland
Traditional Lore (1932) and in the Unst authors imagination which was deeply influenced
by the history and the Viking folklore of the Shetland Islands. What shined through in the
research is that the Wulver has little to do with Scottish heritage but carries in its nature the
charity and fishing traditions, and the behavioural dynamics, typical of the Viking community,
which are nowadays reflected in the inhabitants of Shetland. The research was carried through
in-depth interviews with two local inhabitants of Baltasound, Unst (G.M. Thompson and
D. Harvey) and with a M.Litt. student in Viking studies at the University of the Highlands
and Islands (L. Froud). Field explorations were made in the places where the Wulver has been
verified from the existing literature to live in. Further analysis was carried out at the Shetland
archive in Lerwick and through journals/web research, and an off-camera interview with the
current owner of the Wulvers Hool. The Wulvers Hool was built and previously owned by
Jessie Saxby, who also named this house after the creature. Participant observation was also
conducted within the writers group of Unst, in order to personally enter and interact with
representatives of the local community.
2 3
INTRODUCTION
My personal interest and belief in the power of using mythology and folklore to better
understand a culture drove the focus of my dissertation project on the Wulver and its legend.
Prior to the trip, I carried a general web and book research on traditional folktales of Scotland,
using sources such as the VisitScotland and the Scotsman websites, and books such as Scottish
Folklore by Raymond Lamont-Brown. The information collected led me to find Jessy Saxbys
Shetland Traditional Lore (1932), the only book which holds a description of the Wulver.
The Wulver was a creature like a man with a wolf s head. He had short
brown hair all over him. His home was a cave dug out of the side of
a steep known, half way up a hill. He didnt molest folk if they didnt
molest him. He was fond of fishing and had a small rock in the deep
water which is known to this day as Wulvers Stane. There he would sit
fishing sillaks and piltaks for hour after hour. He was reported to have
frequently left a few fish on the window-sill of some poor body.
(Saxby, 1932, pag.141)
The peculiar way in which this creature subverts the stereotyped image of an evil and ugly
werewolf by being a kind-hearted outcast, a gentle soul trapped in a monsters body, captured
my imagination and inspired the travel documentary I will present in September 2017. As
this report describes, the film seeks to explore the representation of the Wulver and its legend
in the context of modern society, and will follow my journey as an Italian filmmaker through
the lands of this controversial creature, discovering Shetlands and the Wulvers true identities.
 METHODS
In order to fulfil my trips needs I used the Shared Shetland Memories Facebook group as a Because of the self-directing nature of the Interviews, I prepared different questions depending

way to gather information about the island itself and its facilities, and as a communication on the interviewees background and knowledge. When interviewing the student in Viking

portal to contact relevant people who could help me with the project, not just for the content Studies, I tried to be more specific on the origin of the Wulver and the influence of Viking

but also for the practicality of the trip. Once in Unst, the methods used were mainly in-depth heritage on Unst; using his knowledge in the most productive way for my project.

Interviews and field research with one participant observation, all documented with audio and

visual recordings. The interviews were carried out with the purpose of getting to know the Here are some questions specifically written to generate useful answers from the expert:

Unst community through open questions about the geography of the land, the folklore and - Can you tell me a little bit about the Shetland folklore and the legend connected with

their personal opinions and feelings about living on the island. Due to the personal nature of this land?

the project I wanted the interviewees to feel comfortable and free to expand on their answers, - What does the Wulver represent in the legend, according to your expertise as a

encouraging them to talk, using open-ended questions to prompt deeper meanings (Veal, researcher?

2011). - What are the common traditions and aspects that from the Viking times are still living

in the local community nowadays?

Here are some of the most relevant questions:
- Collecting the other interviews, I discovered that Shetland citizens do not feel Scottish.
- The Shetland Islands is a place full of legends, do you remember any from your
According to your expertise, what could the causes be of this physiological detachment
childhood that you could tell me right now?
from the Scottish identity?
- Do you think it is important to carry on the traditional heritage, educating the new

generation about the past? If yes, in which way?

As I conducted the field research of Loch of Cliff and the Wulvers Hool by myself, I managed
- What does the Wulver represent personally to you?
to get around by walking, cycling and hitchhiking from place to place, recording everything
Why do you think he behaves like he does?
that was relevant for my film along the way. The times I conducted the field research after
- He is a kind and gentle soul trapped in a monster body, I think it is important
conducting interviews, I used the information gathered as prompts for how to visually capture
especially now in these troubled times to be kind and human towards each other.
the landscape, and my physical exploration process; essentially, using filmmaking to creatively
What do you think about the Wulver in the context of the modern society?
match the impressions of my interviewees. An example, as shown here, is from when one of the
- The Shetland is mostly a sea place, do you like the sea? What kind of things do you
interviewees talked about the wind and the sea, saying how the power of nature can sometimes
connect to the water? How do you feel when you are close to the ocean, fishing,
be scary and beyond human control. Using the fish eye lens of the Go Pro, I could structure
swimming, or just walk along the beach, observing the landscape?
the frame in such a way that I look extremely small compared to the dark and foggy natural
- It is a very windy place too. Do you like the wind? Why and in which way?
environment surrounds me.

4 5
 The last kind of method used was participant observation, in which the researcher becomes

a participant in the social process being studied (Veal, 2011). I personally took part in the

monthly Unst writers meeting, in which the participants read original self-written poems based

on local subjects such as the islands landscape and history. I was not involved in the reading

process but I sat with them and recorded the interactions happening among them and myself,

the warm atmosphere created by their poems and the glimpses of character that shined through

the hosts house (G.M. Thomson, who was also one of the my interviewees).

The power of Nature, Chiara Passarini. 2017

The field trip to the Wulvers Hill was made with the support of an expert, who identified the

hill as an important place to be able to understand the Wulvers nature. In this specific case,

the aim of the shot was to show the interaction between me, the filmmaker and the expert,

and, simultaneously, the interaction of the expert with the piece of land we were exploring.

The visual quality of the image is less structured and detached from the interview prompts

used for the other aspects of my field research. In order to recreate the documentary hand-held

style, I physically followed the expert, who was guiding me through the exploration, making

comments and hypotheses about the Wulvers roots.

Writers Group, Chiara Passarini. 2017

The equipment used to record everything during the trip was at the bare necessity due to my

being alone, dealing with the filming process, the weather and the transfers throughout Unst.

The set included a Canon 600D, a 24-105mm lens, a 18-55mm lens, a GoPro and Rode

recorder and microphone.

Hill of the Wolverine fairies, Chiara Passarini. 2017

6 7
 RESULTs
The interviews and the field research revealed some common clichs that both Scotland and
the UK frequently have about the Shetland Islands. One example is how the identity of the
Shetland community is differently perceived inside the community itself and outside the
islands. While geographically Shetland is considered part of Scotland, Shetlanders do not feel
Scottish at all for a number of reasons which, according to each interviewee, are to be found
in the history of the islands and the political influences given by the reign of Denmark and
subsequently Scottish rule from the XV century until nowadays.
Their [Denmarks] rule ended as the result of a marriage treaty in
1468 between James III of Scotland and Margaret, a Danish princess.
The Danish struggled to raise the funds for Margarets dowry, so that first
Orkney and then Shetland were mortgaged to Scotland. Shetland was
annexed to Scotland in 1471 and, although the Danish repeatedly tried
to have the islands returned to them, the Privy Council in Edinburgh
didnt agree to their requests
(Shetland.org, 2017)
Other misconceptions arise when talking about the geological shape and conformation of
the Shetland Islands and how external Scottish and English citizens picture this land in their
minds, before seeing its actual features. While gathering information here in Glasgow from
different people and institutions, I could observe how the Shetland Islands, especially Unst,
are envisioned as a rural and wild place in which there is no internet, no phone connection,
no proper housing and facilities, or other essential goods that it is unthinkable not to have
in the city. According to G. M. Thomson, an Unst inhabitant who was born and raised in
Edinburgh, quite a lot of citizens of what Shetlanders call the main land believe Shetland
to be arid ground in which not even trees grow. The Shetland Islands are surely a place where
wild life and disconnection from the world are the predominant characteristics but as a witness
8 9
of Unst, the most northern place in the Shetland, I could verify that Shetland presents all the
modern facilities and the same features of the rest of the UK, including trees. Because of the
low density of the population and the moderate number of people in need of schools, these
infrastructures are fewer and simpler compared to the Glasgow ones but enough to supply the
inhabitants needs.
While interviewing I asked the interviewees to tell me fairy tales that they remember from
their times spent on the island and it appeared that most of the folklore stories are closely
connected with the geographical location and the morphology of the land, explaining why the
conformation of the island is shaped the way it is and how it has changed within the centuries.
There are two long peninsulas in here (Unst) [] The two peninsulas
are named after two giants, Herman and Saxa, who are brothers. They
got along reasonably but not terribly well, every now and then they
quarrelled about things. There is a sea cave that goes down on the cliff at
some point, which when the wind blows it boils like a kettle and you can
see the spray which looks like steam and that is called Saxas Kettle. One
day Herman caught a whale and he wanted to boil it in the Saxas kettle
and Saxa said well, you can use my kettle but only if you give me half
of your whale But Herman thought this was a bad idea and he started
throwing rocks to Saxa and Saxa threw rocks back and you can still see
rocks around the place, on the coast, in the sea.
(D. Harvey, interview, June 15th, 2017)
 What I initially thought was simply a reference to the House, it appears that in the ancient

language spoken in the Shetland before the Scottish rule, Norse; Wulvers Hool means Wulvers

Hill (L. Froud, interview, June 12th, 2017). According to L. Froud, the hill behind the house

has a correlation with the Wulvers name by being known among the local community as

the hill of the Wolverine fairies. Due to the not scientific nature of my project I could not

deepen my knowledge on this specific aspect of the Wulvers story but during our field research

on the hill, we eventually found some cavities and holes, big enough to host a human like

creature; which could have been what in Saxbys description is referenced as the cave where the

Wulver retires at night. According to the interviewees, the Wulvers behaviour is no stranger to
Hermaness and Saxa Vord peninsulas, Google maps, 2017
Unst inhabitants, who recognize him as a plausible member of the ancient Viking community

(G. M. Thomson and D. Hervey, personal communication, June 14th and June 15th, 2017).
Many discoveries have been made about the focus of my film, the Wulver. During the field
Viking hunters and warriors were expected to give a good amount of the wild game to the poor
research, I could personally access the Wulvers Hool which is currently under construction.
and elderly of the village before dividing the food among the rest of the inhabitants, as part of
Despite the dismantling, the original features wanted by Jessie Saxby herself are still visible
their duties of communitys protectors. (L. Froud, interview, June 12th, 2017).
and recognizable. According to the owners, who are personally following the renovation of

the house and planned to keep it as original as possible; nothing particularly relevant was
Through participant observation I could experience the welcoming and intimate environment
discovered during the past months of work; but few old local newspapers from the 1940s (year
in which Shetlands community lives in and also the dialect spoken among the locals, which
of Saxbys death) were found inside the internal walls, probably used to improve the isolation
descent directly from the Norse (L.Froud, interview, June 12th, 2017). One of the writers
of the house.
creates poems in dialect, using the sounds of the language as a creative element which drives

the rhythm and the narrative. Similarities with the English language as well the European Latin

languages were discovered during the meeting, while discussing local arts and crafts with the

group, comparing my knowledge as an Italian speaker with the ones of the local people born

and raised within the isles.

Thanks to the Facebook group Shared Shetland Memories, I received a large amount of

information and advice on which places in Unst could have been the real location of the Wulvers

Stane. The majority of the users agreed that Loch of Cliff was matching the characteristics

described by Jessie Saxby, using the locals beliefs as the source of the information given. Even

Wulvers Hool, unknown

10 11
 DISCUSSION
though some dissimilarities on the topic arouse from the discussion with the expert, who The reviewing and the selection of the collected footage revealed an overall theme in the

believes that the deep water cited in the book is not referring to a loch but to the ocean, the connection between the Wulver and the Shetland community. The written analysis of this topic

field research was completed as part of the discovery process. Loch of Cliff does present the is visually and conceptually displayed through the editing process of my short film, which will

condition for the Wulver to fish undisturbed as it features miles of open and wild space with summarize the many aspects of the Wulver and its legends.

hills and cliffs hiding the sight of the only few houses which are too far away from the loch to

even recognize suspected activities. According to the expert, once more, Stane derives from the The misconceptions discussed in the results can be seen as a manifestation of the preconceptions

Norse language meaning stone. Loch of Cliff features some rocks and stones which could be that the Wulver, appearing as an ugly and mean monster, has to face in its own story (D.

the spot of the Wulver. Despite the accurate inspection of these rocks no fur or relevant clues Harvey, interview, June 15th, 2017). As the Wulver is a mysterious creature to the modern

were found, just a better understanding of Unst landscapes and a peaceful walk among the and developed humanity, the Shetlanders are still an enigmatic population to mostly the

beauties of nature. rest of the UK, which is sometimes misunderstood and at times even misrepresented by the

media outside the islands. The geographical position of the islands is in itself something that

completely detach the Shetlanders from any other land, Denmark or Scotland; making even

more difficult the exchange of information, cultures and traditions, as well languages. However,

it is still very amusing how these mistaken representations can easily travel within the same

country, facilitating the spreading of different beliefs and probably even encouraging the birth

of new urban legends, depicting Shetland as an exotic magical land. According to the Italian

historian Cesare Bermani, these forms of expression are the representation of the psychological

discomforts of the community and the population, in this case of a country. Bermani discusses

how political and social changes can influence new born urban legends and misconceptions;

therefore it is necessary to approach modern folklore with a psychiatric methodology (Bermani,

1996). While discussing about Shetlands identity, the interviewees all mentioned the current

Loch of Cliff, Passarini, 2017 political changes in the country and how this feeling of not belonging respectively, to Europe

for the UK, to the UK for Scotland and to Scotland for the Shetlands, is nowadays shaping

the national individuality. It is reasonable to think then that the recent Brexit, an eventual

Scottish independence and the controversial feelings of the British Islands could have inform

the modern collective imaginary, pushing an even more divided and distorted representation of

the different pieces of a country which is experiencing a huge distress.

12 13
 When asked to explain the reasons behind living within such a small and isolated community, society. In the story, the Wulver leaves fish on the wisdom of a poor body, carefully making sure

G.M. Thompson and D. Harvey cited the nature and the landscape as the main element that that nobody sees him. Unsts inhabitants practice the same kindness through festivals, special

hold them within the Shetland. It is strongly felt the need of breathing a clean and fresh air, occasions or simply via frequent courtesies. It is extremely common nowadays for fisherman

approaching a peaceful and relaxed lifestyle in which the colors, the temperature and the wide to come back home and anonymously leave some fish at the house of other families or elderly

open spaces of the land become the ultimate cure for our fast consuming society (G. M. people. This does not happen just with fish; the trust and the close bond within the small

Thomson and D. Hervey, personal communication, June 14th and June 15th, 2017). The strong community is well seen in the habit of leaving cars, bikes and houses completely unlocked in

bond of the local community with the landscapes shines through every legend encountered in order to make this small act of kindness happen. One could just walk into her or his neighbours

Unst, including the Wulvers description which is displaying various existing places around home and leave a piece of cake in the fridge, a book or an enormous cod in the bathtub, so

Unst, starting from the deep water of the Wulvers Stane in Loch of Cliff and ending on the that the owner can find the generous gift when arriving home. According to the interviewees

steep known of the cave, up on the Wulvers Hill. The natural pattern discovered in the Unsts this behaviour finds its roots in the Viking times because somehow Shetlanders still have not

folklore is a recurring element in the mythology of the pre-modern era. As a matter of fact, fully digested the fact that their land has been ruled for the past centuries by the Scottish

writer and mythologist Joseph Campbell recognised in myths and legends the specific purpose government. They have a tendency to hold on to ancient traditions such as the Up Helly Aa,

of helping humanity to understand life in this world and its mysterious aspects, including which is a popular celebration of the Vikings culture, or even when it comes to the speaking

the physical ones. The Campbells Cosmological Function sees the mythology as a primitive language, every citizen has the informal duty to teach to the new generation the dialect which

form of science that offers explanations for natural phenomena, such as weather, illnesses, the comes directly from the Viking heritage. History and local folklore plays therefore an important

changing of the seasons or, as seen in the story of the two peninsulas, the conformation of the role to shape new young generations who grow up with the same independent and proud spirit

land (Campbell, 1968). The Wulvers description could therefore be as well an explanatory tales of the XV century inhabitants, as well the Wulver. Due to this reasons I have recently decided

which conforming to some speculations could have been inspired by a man with an unusual to change the title of the finished product, the film, with something more appropriate and

medical condition (En.wikipedia.org, 2017). relevant for the Shetland Islands and the Unst community, representing in a more efficient way

the complex identity of this land. The final title is to be decided in September 2017.

Despite the many assumptions that arose from the research, according to all of my interviewees,

the Wulver is the ultimate representation of the Unst community. As the Wulver seeks peace

in the landscape, escaping the human relationships; Unsts inhabitants do not feel the need

to constantly interact with each other or to have what for us, citizens of the mainland, is the

necessary social life. It is a way to evaluate your own company and individual space, the

benefits of those lonely moments that are necessary to appreciate the simple things of life and

the surroundings that we too often take for granted such as the Nature (D. Hervey, interview,

June 15th, 2017). Surely the conformation of an island helps this vision of the world and the

14 15
 CONCLUSION
It is now clear how the Wulver hides in himself many different educational contents representing
not just the Shetlands history and population, but also the importance of a wild and pure
nature and the bonds within the individuals of a community, which are common features
in many places in Scotland and around the World. The research represented in the film is
therefore able to involve a wider audience, addressing familiar topics to every culture and place
such as meeting different communities, exchanging knowledge, travelling and personal growth.
The Wulver is consequentially the pretext for a better understanding of ourselves and the world
we live in, by showing us that there is still something that we can do to make things better with
each other and the nature. It is always worth it to be kind and generous without being afraid of
what the look of things and people might be, but to overcome those prejudices and let ourselves
discover the beauties of this world.
16
bibliography
Bermani, C. (1996). Spegni la luce che passa Pippo. Roma: Odradek.
Campbell, J. (1968). The Masks of God. London: Secker & Warburg.
Lamont-Brown, R. (1996). Scottish folklore. Edinburgh: Birlinn.
Veal, A. (2011). Research methods for leisure and tourism. 4th ed. Harlow, Essex, England: Prentice Hall.
Saxby, J. (1932). Shetland traditional lore. [Norwood, Pa.]: Norwood Editions.
sitography
Ebooks.visitscotland.com. (2017). VisitScotland. [online]
Available at: http://ebooks.visitscotland.com [Accessed 3 Jun. 2017].
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Wulver. [online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulver [Accessed 12 Feb. 2017].
Facebook.com. (n.d.). Shared Shetland Memories. [online]
Available at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/326068180819437/ [Accessed 10 April. 2017].
Modern.scot. (2017). Scottish Folklore: The Wulver | Modern Scot. [online]
Available at: http://modern.scot/the-wulver-2/ [Accessed 28 Jan. 2017].
Scotland.org. (2017). Scottish myths, folklore and legends. [online]
Available at: http://www.scotland.org/features/scottish-myths-folklore-and-legends [Accessed 29 Jan.
2017].
Scotsman.com. (2017). Scottish myths: Wulver the kindhearted Shetland werewolf. [online]
Available at: http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/people-places/scottish-myths-wulver-the-kindhearted-
shetlandwerewolf1-4025249 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2017].
Shetland.org. (2017). History | Shetland.org. [online]
Available at: http://www.shetland.org/about/history [Accessed 2 Jun. 2017].
interviews
Froud, L. (2017, June 12). Interview
Thomson, M. G. (2017, June 14). Interview
Hervey, D. (2017, June 15). Interview
17