Knarston: a man or a ship, a staðr or a stǫð?
26/06/2024
Knarston occurs six times in the Saga of the Earls of Orkney and its earliest attestations are in the AM 325 I 4° manuscript (ca. 1290–1310). We hear in the saga that ‘Jaddvǫr, the daughter of Earl Erlendr, lived at Knarston with her son Borgarr’ (chapter 56), that later ‘Arnkell… lived there, along with his …
Damis eý, a dam(n) difficult meaning to work out
03/06/2024
Damsay lies in the Bay of Firth almost within touching distance of Mainland. It occurs in the Saga of the Earls of Orkney (Orkneyinga saga) several times. We are told, for instance, that Damsay was visible from a hill on the estate of Orphir and that it was possible to see upon it the ‘castle… …
The Saga of the Earls of Orkney
17/05/2024
The world-famous Icelandic sagas encompass many different types of narratives, including stories about saints, bishops and knights. Probably the best-known are Sagas of Icelanders, set in Viking Age Iceland and featuring Icelandic characters, and the Sagas of Kings, about the kings of Norway from prehistory to the high medieval period. In between these two genres is a …