• Traditional homes were small, but families large. This box bed would keep out the draughts. Older children may have slept in the loft.
  • Tools used in the processing of wool - combs, sheaths for holding knitting needles and a rug - the finished product.
  • Hand-made grain thrashers and pack saddles, seen here, are characteristic traditional tools.

Folklife

Folklife encompasses all aspects of subsistence living - fishing, farming, domestic, etc.  The collection spans the period between Medieval and modern times (broadly 1500 to 1800).  The artefacts show islanders were self-supporting; people lived by subsistence, making everything they used from their own resources. Because equipment was locally-made, we have a strong collection of these unique artefacts. They exemplify the era when Shetland was a place distinct from anywhere else, including “classic” products – kishie (basket), tushkar (peat spade), fourareen (four-oared boat) and hap (shawl). 

Shetlanders lived on the land, and grew their crops themselves. We have implements for tillage, making hay and peat production. Grain cultivation involved many processes and tools; harvest, threshing, winnowing and grinding meal.

Families also kept their own livestock. Husbandry used animals for hauling ploughs, harrows and for transporting peats by pack-saddle. We have examples of all these as well as items used in milk processing, such as churning and butter-making. Other aspects covered in our collection include slaughtering and keeping poultry.

The sea was part of everyone’s life too. Their diet included fish, shellfish, seafowl and their eggs. The collection includes gear to catch these using lines or net, and fishing from boat or shore. There are numerous types of hand-lines, as well as specialised baskets.  We have full-sized boats and models of traditional craft, as well as equipment used in boat handling. The earliest commercial fishing used traditional gear and is part of Folklife too. Also included are artefacts concerning subsistence whaling and collecting driftwood.

Items from the home include furniture, cooking, weaving and knitting. There are chairs made from driftwood, brand irons (griddles), taated (tufted) rugs, and joopies (knitted undershirts). Traditional folklore often concerned everyday objects but there are some specific artefacts such as straw masquerade costume.