Merlin of the Tweed: Lowland Legends & Geologic Journeys

Stories of Scotland

Annie and Jenny

History, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.8 • 728 Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2022

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jenny and Annie learn about the geology of the Scottish Lowlands, and travel as a wee grain of sand through half a billion years of geologic movement, ending up within the River Tweed. In more recent history, we unravel Arthurian legends to explore the story of Merlin, the wizard of the wilds. A real cornucopia of Celtic mythologies and folklore. This episode is sponsored by Scotland Shop. If you are tempted to check out some of Scotland Shop’s beautiful tartan garments and fabrics, please follow this link to Scotland Shop. https://hubs.ly/H0-0fjl0You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotlandReferences:Alexander Pennecuik, A Geographical, Historical Description of the Shire of Tweeddale, Edinburgh, 1715.Francis H. Groome (ed.), Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1901.H. L. D. Ward, Lailoken (or Merlin Silvester), Romania, Vol. 22, No 88.‘How Tweed Got Its Name: Homespuns that have been famous for a thousand years,’ Dundee Evening Telegraph, August 1940. J. S. Blackie, Merlin and Kentigern, Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, 1885. J. S. P. Tatlock, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Vita Merlini, A Journal of Mediaeval Studies, Vol. XVIII, July 1943.Lauchlan MacLeanWatt, Scottish Life and Poetry, James Nisbet & Co., London, 1912. ‘Merlin’s Grave,’ Peeblesshire Advertiser and County Newspaper, January 1992.‘Merlin’s Mysterious Death: His Last Resting Place,’ Cambria Daily Leader, July 1890.‘Obituary: The Tramp Poet,’ Aberdeen Press and Journal, August 1925.Walter Scott, J. W. Lake, The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, J. Crissy, Philadelphia, 1835. Get bonus content on Patreon

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Stories of Scotland, a podcast about Stories of Scotland.
0:16.2	I'm Jenny Tweedledum.
0:18.6	And I'm Annie, Tweedledee. And I'm Annie, Tweedledee.
0:21.3	And in this episode, we're taking a meandering trip down the marvellous river Tweed,
0:28.0	winding across southern Scotland.
0:30.6	The Tweed oftentimes delineates the border between Scotland and England.
0:41.3	We are right at the edge of our stories of Scotland limits here, Annie. It feels strange to be so far south, but I have been really enjoying our time in the borders.
0:48.3	And how could we take a wonder down here and not find ourselves on the banks of the tweed. These waters are world famous for
0:56.6	salmon fishing. So shall we cast out our lines and see if we could hook a slippery story or two?
1:03.8	Yes, let's do that, Jenny. I love a bit of fishing. Oh, and it looks like there's something
1:10.3	wriggling on my line. Let me reel it in.
1:13.6	Look, Jenny, I caught a poem. That was fast, Daddy.
1:18.6	It's all in the wrist action, Jenny.
1:22.6	And I make my own flies with feathers. This poem was written by Roger Quinn. He was born in the Borders in 1850,
1:31.3	and while he travelled through much of Scotland busking and writing his poems, the borders was always
1:39.0	the place that he called home. Quinn was known as the Tramp poet poet and this little selection of verses was written in
1:48.3	Glasgow possibly when he was in a poor house, reminiscing on the gentle hills of Galishiels,
1:55.4	which must have seemed like another world at that time. From the Moorland and the Meadows to the city of the shadows,
2:04.6	where I wonder old and lonely comes the call I understand.
2:10.6	In clear, soft tones and thralling, it is calling, calling, calling. Tis the spirit of the open from the dear old border land.
2:22.3	Wiveless, I can't wait to float down the tweed.
2:26.3	I can't wait to float down the tweed. Just a quick thanks to our sponsors of this episode, Scotland Shop.
	...

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