100:, she suggests. This theoretical basis of wulver lore has been criticised as not useful, or, especially, reliable, particularly given a lack of any surviving detailed description of the wulver; the malleable and shifting nature of oral traditions; and the existence of other, analogous, mythological creatures in many folklore traditions (suggesting that tales of such creatures are likely to spontaneously arise in many places).
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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 knowe, half-way up a hill. He didn't molest folk if folk didn't molest him. He was fond of catching and eating fish, and had a small rock in the deep water
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to be benevolent, although later accounts state that they became violent if provoked. They were generally friendly to locals, however, and were known to share the fish they caught with them. They were usually described as looking like furry people with the head of a wolf. Some accounts claim they
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is an entirely fictitious creation that was never part of
Shetland folklore, contending the creature is solely the creation of Saxby. The proponents of this view argue that Saxby, whether intentionally or in error, misinterpreted the meaning of a name in her sources. In this interpretation,
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which is known to this day as the "Wulver's 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.
96:
areas of
Scotland, an authority on congenital disorders, Susan Schoon Eberly, has speculated that the tale of the wulver may have its basis in humans suffering a medical condition; possibly
365:
The Gaelic
Otherworld: John Gregorson Campbell's Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and Witchcraft and Second Sight in the Highlands and Islands
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292:
188:
892:
422:
166:
128:, accidentally created the wulver as Shetland folklore, writing about it as if belief in such a creature had always existed.
273:
248:
378:
Eberly, Susan Schoon (1988). "Fairies and the
Folklore of Disability: Changelings, Hybrids and the Solitary Fairy".
449:
218:
897:
882:
442:
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8:
887:
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A Dictionary of
Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures
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of
Scotland. In modern times, the origin of the wulver has been disputed.
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Saxby, Jessie (11 January 1930). "Trows and Their
Kindred, Part II".
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In previous publications, Saxby spelled the word as "wullver."
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After researching folklore traditions gathered primarily from
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Disability, Deformity, and
Disease in the Grimms' Fairy Tales
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Encyclopedia of
Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology
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in their writings, stating that it was named after a
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243:. Pantheon books, New York. pp. 445–446.
63:The wulver is said by the Shetland folklorist
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293:"Six ancient myths from the Scottish islands"
112:and John Spence had mentioned a hill called
103:Others, such as Brian Smith, argue that the
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417:. Wanye State University Press. p. 7.
189:"The real story behind the Shetland wulver"
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120:. Saxby, not understanding that the word
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124:was derived from an old Norse word for
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266:The Good People: New Fairylore Essays
211:Myths, Gods and Fantasy: A Sourcebook
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16:Type of werewolf in Shetland folklore
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342:"Sacred Sites in a Shetland Isle"
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314:. Grant and Murray. p. 141.
68:were never human to begin with.
478:Scottish mythology and folklore
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239:Briggs, Katherine Mary (1976).
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392:10.1080/0015587X.1988.9716425
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893:Scottish legendary creatures
268:. Garland Pub. p. 243.
213:. Prism Press. p. 224.
187:Smith, Brian (18 May 2021).
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209:Allardice, Pamela (1990).
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312:Shetland Traditional Lore
73:Shetland Traditional Lore
413:Schmiesing, Ann (2014).
193:Shetland Museum Archives
264:Narváez, Peter (1991).
363:Black, Ronald (2005).
340:Saxby, Jessie (1905).
310:Saxby, Jessia (1932).
157:Bane, Theresa (2013).
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643:Blue men of the Minch
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898:Culture of Shetland
883:Scottish mythology
826:Goblins/hobgoblins
327:The Shetland Times
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540:Loch Ness Monster
424:978-0-8143-3841-4
168:978-1-4766-1242-3
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299:. 7 July 2016.
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386:(1): 58–77.
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65:Jessie Saxby
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739:Meg Mullach
718:Ghillie Dhu
888:Werewolves
877:Categories
781:Water bull
751:Sea Mither
691:Each-uisge
675:Changeling
627:Bean-nighe
589:Nuckelavee
220:1853270520
144:References
71:Saxby, in
19:See also:
709:Gancanagh
569:Cailleach
504:Gigelorum
846:Mermaids
769:Seonaidh
727:Glaistig
668:Cat-sìth
659:Caoineag
531:Cryptids
380:Folklore
138:Fakelore
132:See also
49:folklore
45:humanoid
21:Werewolf
835:Bauchan
682:Cù-sìth
551:Deities
522:Boobrie
495:Beithir
400:1259568
75:writes:
59:History
51:of the
37:wullver
25:Weredog
862:Selkie
810:Gnomes
799:Fachan
790:Giants
760:Seelie
744:Nuggle
734:Kelpie
650:Bodach
609:Aos Sí
580:Demons
486:Beasts
468:series
421:
398:
352:: 138.
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247:
217:
165:
122:wulver
105:wulver
94:Gaelic
43:-like
33:wulver
855:Ceasg
700:Fuath
560:Beira
515:Birds
396:JSTOR
126:fairy
118:fairy
817:Pech
776:Trow
419:ISBN
270:ISBN
245:ISBN
215:ISBN
163:ISBN
41:wolf
31:The
23:and
388:doi
35:or
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384:99
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350:41
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284:^
229:^
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177:^
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