A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Herman inhabits a large cave near Hermaness called Herman’s Ha’, while Saxe occupies Saxe’s Ha’ in the Muckle Pobie. Having caught an enormous whale at Burrafirth, Herman asks to borrow Saxe’s kettle, described as a great cauldron-shaped rock cavity. Saxe demands half the whale in payment. The angry Herman throws a huge boulder at him, but overshoots. It lands in the sea near the Horns o’ Haggmark and is named Herman’s Stack in the account.
A separate local explanation concerns a formerly standing pierced stone near Norwick’s old churchyard. Saxe arrives at Kirkatoon to fetch a midwife for his household. Unable to find a place to tether the animal brought to carry her, he plants the stone upright and pushes his thumb through it, making the hole for the rein. Spence records two landmark stories about the same named giant, rather than making the rock-kettle, cave and pierced stone independent creatures. The text supplies prodigious strength but no measured body size.
Origins & earliest records
John Spence, Shetland Folk-Lore (Lerwick: Johnson & Greig, 1899), Folk-Lore chapter, Trows and Witches: giant legends.
Records & interpretation
Historical local collection with named story participants, localities and explicitly attributed recollections.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shetland Folk-Lore: Trows and Witches: giant legends
Title page and preface identify edition and nearly forty years of collecting; selected accounts, not a universal modern belief.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected folklore accountsSpence 1899: Folk-Lore chapterResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Primary edition metadataSpence 1899: original title page and prefaceResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.