The The Orkneyinga Saga on Orkney

The Orkneyinga Saga > For > I. Earliest Historical Notices Of The Orkneys.

• attestation: The earliest population of the Orkney Islands shared Celtic origin and culture with the northern mainland of Scotland, erecting similar monuments, weapons, and sepulchral chambers.

  "The correspondence of the early remains found in the Islands with those of northern Scotland is of itself a striking testimony to the connection of their early population with the Celtic stock of the northern mainland of Scotland."

The Orkneyinga Saga > For > Ii. Early Christianity Of The Islands.

• attestation: The Orkney and Shetland island groups were likely visited early by wandering clerics of the Irish Church whose missionary efforts helped spread Christianity in Scotland.

  "It is probable that both the island groups of Orkney and Shetland were visited at a very early period by wandering clerics of the Irish Church, whose missionary efforts contributed so much to the diffusion of Christianity in Scotland."

• attestation: The northern islands of Orkney and Shetland were visited by Christian teachers and probably partly converted to Christianity before Norwegian invaders overran them.

  "it is established that the whole of the northern islands were visited by Christian teachers, and probably, in part at least, converted to the Christian faith, before they were overrun by the Norwegian invaders, and the new faith swallowed up in the rising tide of heathenism thrown upon their shores from the land of Odin and the Aser."

• attestation: Early Christian occupation of Orkney and Shetland is evidenced by ecclesiastical dedications, Ogham-inscribed stones with Christian crosses, square-sided iron bells, and Norse place-names derived from Celtic Christian settlements.

  "The indications which point to a Christian occupation of the isle, of no inconsiderable extent and continuance, previous to their occupation by the Norsemen, are:—The dedications of the early ecclesiastical foundations; the occurrence of monumental stones sculptured in the style peculiar to the earliest Christian monuments of the mainland of Scotland, and bearing inscriptions in the Ogham character; the finding (as at Saverough and Burrian) of ecclesiastical bells of the square-sided form, peculiar to the early ages of the Church; and the occurrence in the Norse topography of the islands of place-names indicative of the previous settlement of Celtic Christian priests."

• attestation: Scottish sculptured monuments from the Forth to the Orkneys are characterized by a peculiar set of symbols of unknown significance often associated with the Christian cross.

  "The Scottish sculptured monuments scattered over the territory ranging from the Forth to the Orkneys are characterised by a peculiar set of symbols of unknown significance, which are often associated with the Christian emblem of the cross."

The Orkneyinga Saga > For > Drosten │ Ipe │ Voret │ Elt │ Forcus

• attestation: The Norse place-name 'Papa' occurs frequently in Orkney and Shetland topography, indicating the previous presence of Celtic Christian priests whom the Norse called by this name.

  "The most obvious of these are the frequency with which the name Papa[9] occurs both in the topography of Orkney and Shetland, and the occurrence of such names as St. Ninian's Isle in Shetland, Rinansey (Ringan's-ey, St. Ninian's Isle) in Orkney, Daminsey, now Damsey (St. Adamnan's Isle), and Enhallow (Eyin-Helga, Holy Isle)"