Elegy for a Scottish Athlete

A poem about a Scottish Hill Runner:

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Originally Posted by James Kennedy

At running races, short or lang,
I wat ye couldna come him wrang:
When to the hill wi’ furious thrang
They swat an fyked,
The first half-mile he let them gang
As fast’s they liked-

But fleeting hameward on the track,
When little headway they could mak’,
He led the whazzlin’ stragglers back
In proud career,
Fu’ fleetly springing and as swack
As ony deer.

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Elegy on the Death of James Flemming
by James Kennedy, 1848-1922

Published in "Running in Literature"
by Roger Robinson, ISBN 1891369415

WT...

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They sawt an fyked,

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by brett

WT...

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just aboot to say that, understood it all apart from this bit:confused:

Well, you're a better man than I , Emmilou.

Brett, has the spell checker on here gone seriously awry?

Ciao.

I think you get the gist if you say it quickly...

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They swat and fyked

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Roger Robinson interprets this as the perfect description for what goes on in the shoving, jostling, sweaty effort of the pack of runners, i.e they pushed and shoved each other.

A good Scottish dialect dictionary may give a better defination than the Urban Dictionary that suggests that the word fyked may refer to a person who has been "extremely shagged by someone".

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XRunner

Roger Robinson interprets this as the perfect description for what goes on in the shoving, jostling, sweaty effort of the pack of runners, i.e they pushed and shoved each other.

A good Scottish dialect dictionary may give a better defination than the Urban Dictionary that suggests that the word fyked may refer to a person who has been "extremely shagged by someone".

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:eek:

Extreme shagging, new sport:eek: :eek: :eek:

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Originally Posted by Toffer

Extreme shagging, new sport:eek: :eek: :eek:

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You conjure images of this picture for Wheeze to enjoy again.

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Originally Posted by XRunner

You conjure images of this picture for Wheeze to enjoy again.

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DRAGONS HUMP. AL. 11.30 pm Our House. Teams Free. No Safety Pins. Navigational Skills.

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Originally Posted by Enid Gumby

DRAGONS HUMP. AL. 11.30 pm Our House. Teams Free. No Safety Pins. Navigational Skills.

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very good :D

AL? You sure that's been measured properly?

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Originally Posted by XRunner

Elegy on the Death of James Flemming.
By James Kennedy

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Can any literary sleuth find out any more information about this poem?
When was it first published and are there any other verses?

A search on the web provides this information:

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Originally Posted by David Webster

James Flemming of Ballinluig, Perthshire won the Scottish Championship [at heavyweight events?]. This handsome athlete with a sophisticated air and polished manner was first of all a farmer and later a brewer butler with the Duke of Athol at the Duke's country seat at Blair Athol. Flemming was born in 1840 and was a great athlete by the time he reached the age of 25. He died on March 10th 1887 at Northcot in Melbourne, Australia.

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However the poem makes specific reference to a hill race so it may refer to a different athlete.

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Originally Posted by Harry H Howgill

very good :D

AL? You sure that's been measured properly?

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It always seems longer and harder than it actually is. :o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XRunner

Can any literary sleuth find out any more information about this poem?
When was it first published and are there any other verses?

A search on the web provides this information:

However the poem makes specific reference to a hill race so it may refer to a different athlete.

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Ask Roger yourself - he might know. The Wellington Univ site has his address as:
[email protected]


He's a member of Thames Hare & Hounds, though rarely in this country. He wrote a book called 'Heroes & Sparrows - a celebration of running' which is good - short chapters (essays really) covering his running life which covered Cambridge University (when they were the best), World vets road championships, commentating at the Commonwealth Games.....

This any use:

http://www.archive.org/details/scott...meri00kenniala

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Originally Posted by jmacewan

This any use:

http://www.archive.org/details/scott...meri00kenniala

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Thanks.:)

The pdf download of the book does contain the complete poem.

There is also a short notes section at the end which confirmes that the athlete was James Flemming with some results of his thowing events.

I wonder if there was an earlier Scottish edition of this poem.

Another verse to decipher:

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O weel he liked in Lowland touns
To warsle wi' the English loons;
He didna play at ups an' douns -
An idle trick -
But garr'd their heels flee owre their crowns
In double quick!

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There is a Scottish glossary* at the back of the book for those who cannot understand the dialect.

* fyke means trifling cares, a whazzle is a Wheeze in Scotland and who is the forum hizzie?;)

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Originally Posted by Mad&Jerry

He's a member of Thames Hare & Hounds, though rarely in this country. He wrote a book called 'Heroes & Sparrows - a celebration of running' which is good - short chapters (essays really) covering his running life which covered Cambridge University (when they were the best), World vets road championships, commentating at the Commonwealth Games.....

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The latest book by Roger Robinson and his wife Katherine Switzer is "26.2 Marathon Stories" published by Rodale / Runner's World last year (ISBN 1405099763).

I note the Katherine Switzer has just published her biography.