The Shetland Islands are famous for sheep and wool. But did you know that they are also home to the stormy petrel? This unusual bird, so-named because it was thought to appear before a storm, has a very high fat content. Fat of course is an excellent fuel and burns readily to produce carbon dioxide, water, heat and light. Islanders used to catch the creatures, dry them, fix their feet in clay and thread a wick through their beak. Then they would light the wick and burn the dried bird for illumination. The Danes did the same with the “Great Auk,” a bird that has since become extinct. They inserted a wick into the dead bird’s belly and burned it. The less macabre were satisfied with burning whale oil. Aren’t you glad electricity came along.
