The Sword Dance of Papa Stour
The following items are held in the Library:
1. The Sword Dance of Papa Stour, Shetland - a surviving Norse drama by Alex. Johnson. Published by the Shetland Times 1926. (Photocopy).
2. The Sword Dance of Papa Stour, Shetland by Alfred W Johnston. (Photocopied from proceedings of Norse Society of Scotland). This contains descriptions of the dance as recorded by Sir Walter Scott and by Dr Samuel Hibbert. It also contains the text of the accompanying drama which forms part of the dance. The descriptions of the dance are of great historical interest but are quite inadequate for re-constructing the dance.
3. Manuscript of the fiddle music for the sword dance of Papa Stour.
4. Another account of the dance, drama, costume and the history of its revival on Papa Stour in the 1890s. Again of historical interest but with a better description of the steps.
5. A typewritten description of the steps of the dance as reconstructed for Eaglais à Chnoc Scottish Dancers in 1965 with the aid of John Armstrong and Malcolm Hunter. The description is sufficiently detailed to allow any team of dancers to learn it. Hand written comments by John Armstrong together with a letter referred to in the comments.
6. Typewritten and manuscript version of an abbreviated version of
the drama as constructed for use at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod
by the Eaglais à Chnoc Scottish Dancers. The cuts were forced
by the time limits set on the performance.