The First Bird-Watcher on North Ronaldsay
25/09/2024
Chapter 8 of the Saga of the Earls of Orkney contains a very well-known episode in which Turf-Einarr kills Hálfdan High-leg, one of the sons of King Haraldr of Norway who killed Einarr’s father, Earl Rǫgnvaldr of Møre in Norway. After a battle in an unspecified location, the victorious Einarr and his men scour the …
Who is Ragna, What is She?
24/08/2024
Readers of this blog might be wondering why our project is named after Ragna, a slightly obscure woman, and what her islands were. In fact, while the female characters of the Saga of the Earls of Orkney play a much more low-key role than the many warlike, poetical, ambiguous, saintly or evil male characters, the …
About this blog
Ragna’s Islands is an AHRC-funded research project built around a new translation of The Saga of the Earls of Orkney (Orkneyinga Saga). It will bring together evidence of archaeology and place-names to transform our understanding of the Viking and Norse periods in northern Scotland. In this blog, project members and guests will highlight the texts, locations and findings emerging from the project.
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Recent Posts
- 5. Time to relax (and worry) with friends… plus some Christmas travel chaos
- 4. Now behave! More family squabbles and some politicking
- 3. Christmas preparations, a time for family… and killing (the family)
- 2. Christmas, a time for family… and killing
- Christmas in Orkney: the most wonderful time of the year (for killing someone)