Sunday 2 May 2010
Manx Factor for men-o-war
Cat o eight tails, whippin up troubled waters. Mann dear, ye shud a let that Africa wumman lie, lie low on the Strangford shore. A' washed up, and naewhere to go. Thanks be and in twa shakes of a lamb's tale up be John an a bigged abbie . O course-he had a han in it an a'. John Doe, the land factor, state agent for oul biggings floggin a deid horse yet, factorin in unreal estate an floggin naethin ava til the sweat's drippin. The land-blubber lard o Greba has him in a half-hairted Nelson under his oxter. The reek o stalemeat wud choke ye. I cudn't say that the Manx Factor's just the dab. It wud take a wee drap o the Scotch to sell it tae the tourists noo, or tug-a-way on the bus tae the Bush.
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Philip, have you ever heard of Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban? It's a post-apocalyptic novel entirely written in some kind of reconstructed Middle-(de)Aged English (Kentish) dialect.
ReplyDeleteTo my ears the effect resembles your UlsterScot Grebarish. It's an absolute masterpiece by the way, and touches themes you're interested in (myth and religion/spirituality) in ways both deep and original. If I have awakened your curiosity, I'd recommend not to seek much information beforehand but rather plunge into the book with a free mind and work your way into it as you go - afterwards you will find detailed annotations and lots of discussions online.
Thanks Marco, I'll get it on-line as there is zero possibility of getting it in any bookshop here (would you believe Adrian's works are not distributed in N. Ireland? Not by censorship of course, more a prophet in his own land).
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