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Keyser's Hill in Cork
This narrow lane leading up from the south bank of the River Lee in Cork is one of the only place names in the city with possible Norse roots. The name may come from the ON word keisari (meaning emperor) or more likely from keisa, meaning to bend or…
House in Kirkwall, Orkney named Asgard
It is quite common to find house names with references to Norse myth in areas with a strong connection to Norse heritage - this example is from Kirkwall in Orkney.
Twatt T-Shirt Souvenir, Shetland
T-Shirt playing on the placename Twatt (from ON þveit, meaning small area of land), which is common to both Shetland and Orkney. Photographed in a tourist shop in Lerwick.
Photo of Tait's Closs Sign in Lerwick, Shetland
Tait is a common Scottish surname derived from the Old Norse 'teitr', meaning cheerful. Many surnames and place names in Shetland have a Norse origin.
Photo of Twageos Road Sign in Lerwick, Shetland
Twageos is a place name incorporating the common Norse place name element 'gjá', meaning 'ravine' and rendered in Shetland as 'geo' or 'gjo'. Twageos may refer to the 'two ravines'.
Photo of Copeland Pier Sign in Lerwick, Shetland
Copeland is a common placename and surname deriving from Old Norse kaupa land, meaning 'bought land'. This example is from Lerwick in Shetland.
Photo of Midgarth Crescent Sign in Lerwick, Shetland
Midgarth is a common Norse placename, and Anglicisation of Miðgarðr, meaning in this case 'Middle Enclosure / Farm' . Miðgarðr is also the 'Middle Realm', and home of mankind, in Norse Mythology.
Logo of Tórshavar Havn (Port of Tórshavn) in the Faroe Islands
This is a photo of the logo from a map produced by Tórshavar Havn (and shared with Tórshavn Municipality) depicting Mjǫllnir - the hammer owned by Thor. This references the fact that Tórshavn in the Føroyar was named after the Norse god (lit.…
Coat of Arms of Torsås kommun in Sweden
The coat of arms of Torsås kommun in Kalmar län, Sweden is a red Thor's hammer on a yellow background. The name of the Municipality means 'Thor's ridge'. Thor is a common element in placenames across the Norse world.
St Sunniva Street in Lerwick, Scotland
This street sign in Lerwick refers to the tenth-century Norwegian Saint Sunniva (ON Sunnifa), who is associated with Selja on the West Coast of Norway, and according to legend fled from Ireland and was persecuted by the pagan Jarl Hákon…
King Harald Street in Lerwick, Shetland
This street sign probably refers to Haraldr Hárfagri (Harald Fairhair), ruler of Norway from c. 872 to 930, who recaptured Shetland and Orkney from his rivals in c. 875. Many streets in central Lerwick are named after Scandinavian Kings, Queens and…
King Haakon Street in Lerwick, Shetland
This street sign probably refers to Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Many streets in central Lerwick are named after Scandinavian Kings, Queens and Saints, particularly from the medieval period.
St Magnus Street in Lerwick, Shetland
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…
King Erik Street in Lerwick, Shetland
Many streets in central Lerwick are named after Scandinavian Kings, Queens and Saints, particularly from the medieval period. This sign probably refers to the thirteenth century Norwegian king Eiríkr Magnússon, who married princess Margaret of…
Viking Bus Station in Lerwick, Shetland
Lerwick's central bus station is named 'Viking Bus Station', in a very clear nod to the island's Norse heritage.
St Kilda Archipelago, Scotland (Boreray)
St Kilda is an isolated archipelago west of the Hebridies. The etymology of St Kilda is debated, but it does not refer to a saint - the most likely origin is from Old Norse: either a corruption of Skildir ('shield') or from the Norse name for a…
St Kilda Archipelago, Scotland (Hirta and Soay)
St Kilda is an isolated archipelago west of the Hebridies. The etymology of St Kilda is debated, but it does not refer to a saint - the most likely origin is from Old Norse: either a corruption of Skildir ('shield') or from the Norse name for a…
St Kilda Archipelago, Scotland (Hirta)
St Kilda is an isolated archipelago west of the Hebridies. The etymology of St Kilda is debated, but it does not refer to a saint - the most likely origin is from Old Norse: either a corruption of Skildir ('shield') or from the Norse name for a…
Sign for Egilsay in the Orkneys
Egilsay is famous as the site of the martyrdom of St Magnus, and for the church that still stands on the site, with its unusual round tower. Egilsay may refer to the personal name Egil (Egil's Island) or to Gaelic eagles, meaning church. It was the…
Photo of St Olaf's Wynd Street Sign in Orkney
Photo of the street sign 'Olaf's Wynd' in Kirkwall, Orkney. Wynd is a placename element from the Norse verb venda, meaning 'to turn' or 'to wind'. St Olaf refers to the Norwegian king Ólafr Haraldsson, who reigned from 1015 to 1028 and was…