Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Outstanding Handmade Necklaces From The Orkney Islands

By Adrian Jones


Handmade Necklaces Make Full Use Of Past History

Handmade necklaces are spectacular varieties of our Orkney heritage collections which connect back to precious traditions. Whenever you buy jewelry online from an Orkney jewellery website you access a great history.

Our customs in Orkney are envied by people countrywide. Recently it was revealed that the massive Hogmanay festivities in Edinburgh, which are attended by 80,000 revellers, will play New Year Games, based on a huge street game, referred to as the Kirkwall Ba' (slang for "football").

These expansive football games were once played all around the UK but now only survive during festivals in Kirkwall in Orkney and Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. They are believed to date back to at least Viking times.

In Kirkwall the Ba' is played on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, although this year it will probably be a day later so as not to be played on a Sunday. You can see men's and boy's varieties of the games. Numerous people take part and the town's glass windows and doorways are barricaded to avoid the crush. This includes all jewelry shops exhibiting their handmade necklaces, bangles, brooches and so on.

The aim; just like all football games, is to score a goal and win the match. Players are called Uppies and Doonies or "Up the Gates" and "Doon the Gates". This is considered to be a corruption of the Old Norse gata, which means road. Which side you play on is determined through the individual's place of birth. Those born to the north of the cathedral are a Doonie, with Uppies being those born in the south. In recent times players stick to the side of their ancestors rather than where they were born, particularly as quite a few are born in the hospital here or in Aberdeen.

The sport begins on Kirkwall's Broad Street near St Magnus Cathedral. The Uppie goal is to touch the ba' against a wall in the south end of the town, while the Doonies enjoy the wintry task of getting the ba' into the waters of Kirkwall Bay, to the north.

Handmade Necklaces Are Excellent Treats

Edinburgh revellers get the option of contending as Uppies or Doonies at the New Year Games that are being staged in four sites in the city. Nonetheless they won't be chasing a ba' (a leather ball stuffed with cork). They'll be taking pleasure in mass games of battleships and hopscotch as a replacement.

So while you are admiring your Orkney handmade necklaces if you have recently been lucky, or your close friend has just been logging on to buy jewelry online, spare a thought for all those brave boys running after the ba' all through the chilly streets of Kirkwall.




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