Editing Trow (folklore) (section)

== General description ==

It was considered [[taboo]] to speak about trows.{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Briggs's entry on "trows" explains that a special exemption to the taboo was extended to Shetlander [[Jessie Margaret Edmondston Saxby|Jessie M. E. Saxby]] who, as the ninth child of a ninth child, was able to learn the lore.{{sfnp|Briggs|1977|p=413}}}} It was also considered unlucky to catch sight of a trow, though auspicious to hear one speaking.<ref name="saxby-music&mound">{{harvp|Saxby|1932|p=132}} quoted by {{harvp|Briggs|1977|p=413}}.</ref>

Their portrayed appearance can vary greatly: in some telling gigantic and even multi-headed, as are some giants in English lore;{{sfnp|Briggs|1977|p=414}} else small or human-sized, like ordinary fairies, but dressed in grey.<ref>{{harvp|Briggs|1977|p=413}}: "others of human size, and .. clothed in grey"; {{harvp|Briggs|1977|p=413}} and {{harvp|Saxby|1932|p=132}}: "Our Shetland Fairies are.. unlike Lover's Irish 'good people'.. They are small, grey-clad men".</ref>

Trows consist of two kinds, the hill-trows (land trows) and sea-trows,{{sfnp|Marwick, E.|1991|p=262}} and the two kinds are said to be mortal enemies.{{sfnp|Dennison, W. Traill|1891|pp=167–168}}

Of the hill-dwelling types, it is said they can only appear out of their dwellings ("knowes"=knolls; "trowie knowes") after sunset, and if they miss the opportunity to return before sunrise, they do not perish but must await above ground and bide his time until "the Glüder (the sun) disappears again".<ref>{{harvp|Briggs|1977|p=413}} and p. 414, quoting from {{harvp|Saxby|1932|p=130}}</ref>

The trows are fond of music and constantly play the [[fiddle]] themselves.<ref name="saxby-music&mound"/> Sometimes a human learns such tunes, and there are traditional tunes purported to have been learned from the supernatural creatures (cf. [[#Trowie tunes|§Trowie tunes]] below).

Tales are also told of human fiddlers being abducted by trows to their mounds, and although released after what seems a brief stay, many long years have elapsed in the outside world, and the victim turns to dust,{{sfnp|MacDonald|1994–1995|p=46}}<ref name="bruford-vanwinkle"/> or chooses to die.{{Refn|name="fiddler-o-gord"|"The Fiddler o Gord", told by George P. S. Peterson, Brae, Shetland. Recorded by Alan Bruford 1974 ([[School of Scottish Studies]] recording SA 1974/204B1). Transcript by  Bruford (1977);<ref name="brudord-fiddler-o-gord"/> summarized with excerpt by Hillers (1994).<ref name="hillers"/>}}