Trows are fascinating creatures found only in the folklore of the Orkney and Shetland islands.  But, describing them accurately is difficult because sources are not clear. Folklorists have long insisted that the word “trow” is a corruption of “troll,” and that Orkney’s Trows descend from their Viking ancestors’ stories of Trolls.  

Sigurd Towrie, author of the comprehensive website covering all things Orkney, disagrees with this assessment.  He believes there may be a connection with a different creature from Norse mythology, the Draugr.  This connection stems from both creatures’ affiliation with burial mounds.  

For this edition, being the month of February, I’d like to share some old Scottish love ballads with you. However, these are not the epitome of what we would consider romantic today!  But, they depict true emotion, and maybe a strong dose of heartache, while also giving a glimpse of a world gone by.