Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist
Title: Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist
Author: Margaret Fay Shaw
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford
Date: 1977
Hardback - 2nd Edition with original dustcover - Signed and dated by author
Synopsis
The American author Margaret Fay Shaw in her own words in her introduction:
"This book contains folklore & folksongs taken down in a small community on the south side of Lochboisdale on the Island of South Uist in the Scottish Hebrides, where I lived during the years between 1929 & 1935 and near where I lived ever since. It is an attempt to give a true record of a splendid people who are crofter-fishermen, of their occupations, interests and pleasures."
Condition Notes
This is a very good condition copy with a price clipped original dust cover and with bright and clean pages throughout.
Please check the images associated with this Book to gain a clear insight into the book's condition and if you require further details please send an email enquiry.
Additional Product Information
This is a rare signed 2nd Edition with a written dedication to "James Gentleman" and dated 1968 and Isle of Canna.
About the Author
Margaret Fay Shaw (1903–2004) was an American-born folklorist, photographer, and writer who became renowned for her work preserving the Gaelic culture of Scotland's Hebrides islands. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she developed an early interest in music and photography, which would shape her life's work. After the death of her parents, she moved to Europe and attended finishing school in Glasgow. Her love for Scottish culture blossomed during a holiday on the island of South Uist, where she became captivated by the traditional songs, language, and way of life.
Shaw spent six years living among the crofting communities of South Uist, immersing herself in the Gaelic-speaking world. She documented their songs, stories, and customs, and took striking photographs that vividly captured daily life. Her pioneering work culminated in Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist (1955), a landmark publication that preserved and celebrated a vanishing culture.
Marrying fellow folklorist John Lorne Campbell in 1935, the couple settled on the Isle of Canna, where they continued their research and conservation efforts. Shaw's photographic archives remain a vital record of Hebridean life, blending artistry and ethnography. Her legacy endures as a testament to her passion for preserving Scotland’s cultural heritage.