St Magnus Church, founded at the site of the killing of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney by an axe-blow to the head in ca. 1116 at the orders of his cousin Hákon Pálsson. This episode, referred to in Orkneyinga saga, is possibly corroborated…
Thyra of Denmark (Tyri Haraldsdatter) was daughter of Harald Bluetooth of Denmark, and final wife of Olaf Tryggvason, who she married against the will of the Danish King. More information about the window can be found at…
Stained glass window depicting the third Bishop of Trondheim, Eysteinn Erlendsson and the first bishop of Ornkey and Shetland, William the Old, who probably acceded to the Bishopric around 1102. He is pictured here with a model of St Magnus…
The Scar Dragon Plaque is one of the most impressive of the finds from the Norse Scar Boat Burial, excavated in 1991. The grave contained the remains of an adult man, an elderly woman, and a child along with grave goods. The artefacts date to c. 875…
Website showcasing work produced by PhDs on the AHRC-funded Orkney Viking Heritage Project.
The Orkney Viking Heritage Project was a training programme for PhD students and early career researchers in the field of Old Norse-Icelandic and Viking…
This window in Lerwick Town Hall depicts Magnus Erlendsson (later Saint Magnus) who ruled Orkney and Shetland from c. 1106 to 1115. On the right is Harald Sigurdsson (Haraldr Sigurðarson) more commonly known as Harald Hardrada (Haraldr harðráði),…
This window in Lerwick Town Hall in Shetland depicts the early tirteenth-century King of Norway, Haakon Haakonsson (Hákon Hákonarson, Håkon Håkonsson, Haakon the Old), who died in Orkney and is buried in St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. The other…
Detail from the Thoms Window, depicting the coronation of King Magnus Erlingsson of Norway in 1162. More information at http://www.shetland.gov.uk/lerwick-town-hall/Thoms-Window.asp
This sign refers to the early twelfth century Earl of Orkney, Magnus Erlendsson, who was martyred in 1115 according to Orkneyinga saga. Many streets in central Lerwick are named after Scandinavian Kings, Queens and Saints, particularly from the…
Magnus Erlendsson (later Saint Magnus) ruled Orkney and Shetland from c. 1106 to 1115. The Cathedral in Kirkwall was dedicated to him after his death at the hands of Hákon Pálsson.
St Magnus Church, founded at the site of the killing of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney by an axe-blow to the head in ca. 1116 at the orders of his cousin Hákon Pálsson. This episode, referred to in Orkneyinga saga, is possibly corroborated…