In the Advanced class I have told the Selkie Seal Skin story. As the selkie mother returns to the sea, she cries, "Woe is me, woe is me, I have seven bairns on the land and seven in the sea." Bairns is originally attributed to Scotland, but not exclusively Scottish. It means 'child of any age' and the OE word is bearn, 'child, son, decendant which is related to beran (the verb for to bear, carry of give birth). Bairns is pronounced like 'barrons' with the 'o' almost silent. Of course, when this Texan says Bairns...it does sound something like a cattle barron......
Akin to "bear" as in "to bear a great weight" hence "bear a child" "the troubles we bear" "to have born so much!" You might find other uses for these and similar words in the telling of this tale as a way of creating an "image echo" in the telling.
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