SHETLANDIC

Da Kirk o da Holy Rude

Da wird “Rude” or “Rood” is an owld Engleesh wird dat meant “da Cross o da Crucifixion”.

Da first Kirk dat wis apo dis place wis biggit by King David I i da year 1129 bit hit wis led sindry by a fire in 1406. No lang efter dat da Loard Chamberlain o Scotland gied money ta big a new Kirk. Da Nave, Sooth Aisle an Too’er wir feenished in 1414. Dis bit o da Kirk wi its roond Scots pillars, Gothic arches an its röf med wi oak wid, is no muckle altered fae whan it wis first biggit.

Seein dat der wisna a lok o space fir aa da fock, da aestern bit for da Choir wis added on atween 1507 an 1546. Hit wis biggit by local men wi John Coutts, Mester Mason keepin dem richt an makkin sure dat it turned oot ta be sae göd.

In 1656, efter twa meenisters hed a faain oot an draggit fock inta dir dispute, da Toon Cooncil pat up a parteeshon, whaar da crossin is noo, an turned da place inta twa Kirks – Aest an Wast – an da baith places hed dir ain meenister. Da place bed dis wye til 1935 whan dey finally cam tagidder wi joost da wan meenister.

Efter dis dey set aboot pittin da place richt. Dis wark lasted fae 1936 til 1940. Dey took awa da waa dat kept dem apart, da twa peerie trancepts wir extended, da groined röf o da crossin wis biggit, da stretch o floor at da Choir an at da Chancel wir raised, an dan dey pat in Vestries an a Session Hoose inanunder da whaar da Choir wis.

Atween 1965 an 1968 dey took on ta dö mair wark. Dey pat in new ston aboot da windows, pointed up aa da stonwark an dan med göd da haetin. In 1970 aa da bells i da Too’er wir recast an pittin back in place. Da bells can noo be rung edder by haand or through wirkin dem wi a machine. Fae 1987 til 1993 an aafil lock mair wark wis dön costin £1,250,000.

Mary, wha wis da Queen o da Scots, cam here ta worship an John Knox praeched here. Mary’s bairn, James VI, wis crooned here on 29 July 1567. He becam James I o England in 1603 efter da daeth o his cooshin Elizabeth. Da Kirk o da Holy Rude is da ony Kirk in Britain dat’s still used fir worship iviry week, apert fae Wastminster Abbey in London, whaar dir’s been a Coronation.