The Fairy Dance. An Orkney folk tale by Orcadian artist Martin Laird. Picture shows a fiddler with a magic coin. thefairydance.com.
The Fairy Dance - take care if the peerie folk ask you to play. An Orkney folk tale by Orcadian artist Martin Laird. Picture shows a fiddler infront of a cairn. thefairydance.com.
The Fairy Dance. An Orkney folk tale by Orcadian artist Martin Laird. Picture shows a young fiddler at a violin lesson. thefairydance.com.
The Fairy Dance. An Orkney folk tale by Orcadian artist Martin Laird. Picture shows Trows dancing with a changeling baby. thefairydance.com.
The Fairy Dance. An Orkney folk tale by Orcadian artist Martin Laird. Picture shows the young fiddler hypnotised by magical "trowie" coins. thefairydance.com.

The Fairy Dance

(1 customer review)

The Fairy Dance is an animated adaptation of an Orcadian folk tale described by Ernest Marwick in his book ‘The Folklore of Orkney & Shetland.’ It is free to watch under the Value for Value model, also known as Name Your Price or Pay What You Want.

You are under no obligation to pay anything to watch this short film, but if you feel it has value, and if you are in a position to do so, please contribute whatever you feel it is worth. The Fairy Dance required a huge investment of time to create, and the artist has a family to support. A Paypal account is not required.

This project received a Visual Arts and Crafts Makers Award which enabled the purchase of equipment and training. Thanks to the VACMA panel, Creative Scotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council for deeming it worthy of their support.

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Description

The Fairy Dance: watch now

 

“Take care if the peerie folk ask you to play

The night may go on for a year and a day”

The Fairy Dance tells the story of a young fiddle player who makes a deal with a local Orcadian trow, one of the ‘peerie’ (or ‘peedie’) faerie folk who live underground in ‘howes’ which litter the landscape of Orkney. In reality these mounds are often neolithic chambered cairns, of which the most ‘weel kent’ is Maeshowe. As with similar dark folk tales about leprechauns, goblins and such, doing deals with these magical creatures carries great risk as well as the promise of great reward.

The Fairy Dance is available to watch ad-free thanks to the ingenuity of the non-commercial, open-source PeerTube network and the kindness of the server administrator at peertube.co.uk. Should the Value for Value distribution model (which relies on good will) prove financially viable, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to help with their operating costs.

If you would like to know more about the story of The Fairy Dance and the process of it’s creation, a website dedicated to it can be found at thefairydance.com

For enquiries, including distribution, please use the contact form.

© Martin Laird, 2022. All rights reserved.

1 review for The Fairy Dance

  1. Fiona MacInnes –

    This is brilliant .I loved it, captivating, sinister, haunting and beautiful. The colour is fantastic the characters spot on and the music superb. Its a real gem of a work. A real creative triumph.

    • Martin Laird –

      That’s very kind of you Fiona, thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

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