Last updated: January 10, 2018 Welcome to Orkneyjar - a website dedicated to the preserving, exploring and documenting the ancient history, folklore and traditions of Orkney - a group of islands lying off the northern tip of Scotland,



Orkneyjar is a privately-run, non-profit website, created and maintained by Orcadian, Sigurd Towrie. Archaeology News

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A brief selection of topics covered in Orkneyjar... the battle of summerdale The Battle of Summerdale, in 1529, as any Orcadian should be able to tell you, was the last pitched battle fought on Orkney soil. Although history and local tradition now treats this confrontation as a battle, it is likely that it was little more than brief, but bloody, skirmish on the boundary of the parishes of Orphir and Stenness. Click here for more details... runes in orkney When people first began to communicate in writing, their implements were crude, forcing them to make do with simple drawings that could be easily scratched on stone or wood. Aside from the runic collection found in Maeshowe, one of the largest, and most famous, in Europe. there have been 19 examples of runes found in Orkney - as well as a few whose authenticity are open to question. Click here for more details... The dancing giants of brodgar Viewed at a distance from the south-west, looking across the water of the Stenness Loch, the stones that make up the megalithic ring can be difficult to pick out. In the thick mist that often shrouds the area, however, they become instantly obvious. They have a dominating presence, appearing as, just as the folklore dictates, lumbering giants, bowed down and bent, as though bearing a great weight. These stone creatures, highlighted by an Orkney fog, appear to trudge wearily in a clockwise circle...... Click here for more details... Quicklinks Select from... ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS TIMELINE Mesolithic Orkney Neolithic Orkney Bronze Age Orkney Iron Age Orkney The Picts The Vikings HISTORY Historical Sites Chambered Cairns Skara Brae Minehowe Megaliths Ring of Brodgar Stenness Stones Maeshowe World Heritage Site The The Brough of Birsay The Brough o' Deerness FOLKLORE Selkie Folk The Trows Spirit Lore The Hogboon Orkney Giants Witchcraft DIALECT Norn Placenames TRADITION Birth Death Marriage Holy Wells Harvest Lore Yule The Ba' Game ORKNEY Landscape Climate Solstices Parishes/Islands Genealogy Why Orkneyjar? Find out what the name means here. Questions? Check out the FAQ or visit the About Orkney Pages. Maps

Click here for parish and island maps Orkney Genealogy - click here for links to get you started.