Funzie Girt

Funzie Girt
Shetland, Scotland, UK
Funzie Girt, south-west of the summit of Vord Hill
Funzie Girt is located in Shetland
Funzie Girt
Funzie Girt
Location in Shetland
Coordinates60°37′23″N 0°52′05″W / 60.623°N 0.868°W / 60.623; -0.868
Grid referenceHU620938

Funzie Girt (/ˈfɪni ɡɜːrt/;[1] Scots: Funyie Girt "Finns' dyke")[2] is an ancient dividing wall that was erected from north to south across the island of Fetlar in Shetland, Scotland. Some sources describe it as having been built in the Neolithic,[3] but the date of construction is not certainly known.[4] The line of the wall, which ran for over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), once divided the island in two almost equal sections. Also known as the Finnigirt Dyke, it has vanished in places at the southern end, although the ruins are clearly visible along much of the uninhabited north of the island, where it is a conspicuous feature of the landscape.[3][5] The dyke's original purpose is not known, nor is its relationship to other archaeological sites of a similar age nearby. There are various folk tales about its construction, and it is the subject of various pieces of Shetland folk music.

  1. ^ Hamish Haswell-Smith (2000) An Island Odyssey: Among the Scottish Isles in the Wake of Martin Martin, p 141
  2. ^ "The Online Scots Dictionary". Archived from the original on 8 July 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Archaeology" Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Fetlar Interpretive Centre. Retrieved 15 May 2011
  4. ^ Schei (2006) p. 52
  5. ^ "Fetlar, Funziegirt". Canmore. Retrieved 15 May 2011.