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 …
Weelie’s Taing… a weelie interesting place-name…
10/06/2024
Weelie’s Taing is a tidal feature found at the top of North Wick on the east side of Papay, south of Hundland. Thought by some to be a natural feature, or possibly a fish trap, it has what might be a sheep refuge on the south-eastern end. The inclusion of the apostrophe in this Ordnance …
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 …
Orkney in the Viking World
07/05/2024
The Viking Age (ca. 750-1100 CE) is the name generally given to a period of population movement out of Scandinavia, leading to raiding, trading, exploration and settlement ranging from the Caspian Sea in the east to Newfoundland in the west. The term ‘viking’ is used for the Scandinavian peoples who made these voyages, as well …