FOLK-LORE FROM UNST. 225 



did not like wetting his feet, so he thought he would 

 place a stepping-stone between the shore and Scarva- 

 skerry. He went up the hill, and found a large flat 

 stone suitable for his purpose, but as he was return- 

 ing staggering under the weight of the enormous stone, 

 his wife (the guy-kerl) came out, and seeing him so 

 burdened, exclaimed — 



' Oh, Siggie, Siggie, 

 Mony an evil stane 

 Has lain on dy riggie ! ' (backbone). 



With that the giant tripped and fell, and the stone on 

 top of him — and he died there ; and there he had to 

 lie, for no one was able to take that stone off him." 



Saxie and Herman were two other Unst giants — 

 Saxie holding as his special territory the hilly pro- 

 montory of Saxafiord on the east side, and Herman 

 that of Hermaness on the west side, of Burrafiord, 

 the geological formation of their respective domains 

 being totally different. They seem to have quarrelled 

 perpetually, and many stories of those quarrels are 

 told. The most noteworthy incident seems to have 

 been the occasion when, using the rocks for weapons, 

 they contrived to leave a record of their exploits which 

 will last for all time. A huge boulder which Saxie 

 flung rises to the surface of the water close to the 

 shore on the Hermaness side of the fiord, and is called 

 " Saxie's Baa ; " and the rock which Herman hurled at 

 his foe is bedded in the cliffs of Saxafiord "in the 

 heart of alien metal," and goes by the name of 

 "Herman's Hellyac." Saxie's Kettle is a basin in 



