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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…
Runes at Kirkwall Airport
This is the entrance of Kirkwall Airport, Orkney. The placename Grimsetter is written in the runes "krimsitir" in the younger futhark. The new building was opened in 2002 and I have been told that M. P. Barnes advised on the correct use of the runes.
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.
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 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 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.
Shetland Place Name Elements Reference
A handy guide to Norse place name elements, produced by the Shetland Place Names Project, and available to download on the Shetland Amenity Trust Website.
Leaflet on Shetland's Norse Placenames
A leaflet produced by Shetland Amenity Trust, giving information about Shetland's Norse place names
Jötunheimar House in Heimaey
This is a photo of a building named Jötunheimar in Heimaey, the only permanently inhabited island in the Westman Islands. Jötunheimar refers to the 'Giant Land' of Norse mythology. However, we are not sure where this building got its name, or what…
Ingólfshvoll sign in Iceland
Many place names in Iceland reference the earliest Norse settlers, such as this example of Ingólfshvoll (Ingólfr's Hill), referring to the first permanent settler, Ingólfr Arnarson whose name appears in several place names in the vicinity of…
Seagaet House in Lerwick Shetland
In addition to many streets bearing Norse names, some buildings also have Norse roots. This example of a house named 'Seagate' (or sea street) may reference a road that has changed its name.
The Calf of Man
The Calf of Man is an Island lying off the south coast of the Isle of Man. Its name derives from Old Norse kalfr, meaning both a calf and (as in this case) a small island lying off a larger one.
Kitterland Island in the Calf Sound
Photo of Kitterland, a small island in the sound between the main Island of Man and the Calf of Man. The second element of the name probably derives from Norse eyland: the first element is unclear. There are several stories linking the island both…
Map of Calf Sound in the Isle of Man, with several Norse place names
Detail from a map in the Calf Sound Cafe & Visitor Centre, detailing several Norse names, including Kitterland, the Calf, and the Cletts, deriving from the Norse word klettr meaning 'rock'.
Smoo Cave, Durness
Smoo Cave in Durness in the north of Scotland. Archaeological investigation has identified Neolithic, Norse and Iron Age artefacts. 'Smoo' is thought to derive from Old Norse 'smuga' (a small hole, narrow cleft).
Photos of Surtsey in the Westman Islands
Surtsey is an island that was formed during an eruption in 1963-67. It was named Surtsey (Surt's Island) after the fire giant (or jötunn) Surtr, who will engulf the world with his flaming sword at Ragnarök.
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…
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 (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…
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.…