Home  About Orkney  History  Tradition  Folklore  Placenames  Images  Downloads  About the Site  Contact   Links   Search Site   Awards Last updated: November 20, 2009... 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, where the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Orkneyjar is a privately-run, non-profit website, created and maintained by Orcadian, Sigurd Towrie. Recent News Click here to subscribe to the newsfeed The full news archive is here.   Site Spotlight A brief selection of topics covered in Orkneyjar... Eyebrows link Westray figurine with burial chamber - As reported on Orkneyjar.com at the time, the "eyes" of the Noltland figurine bear a marked resemblance to the “eyebrow motif” pecked carvings found in the southernmost chambered cairn on the Holm of Papa Westray. (September 18, 2009) Archaeologists return to site of Wyre Neolithic settlement - a team of archaeologists is back on Wyre, returning to the site of a Neolithic settlement site on the island. (September 8, 2009) The ‘cathedral’ at the heart of Neolithic Orkney - “It has to be a religious building, a temple, the cathedral of its period.” The words of Nick Card, describing this summer's work on a massive Neolithic structure on the Ness of Brodgar. (August 21, 2009) Westray Stone Age carving is a first for Scotland - What has been hailed as Scotland's earliest representation of a human has been unearthed at the Links of Noltland, in Westray. (August 21, 2009) The unfolding story of the Brough of Deerness - “What we’ve got here is one of the few places in the world where you can walk through the remains of a Viking Age village . . .” The words of Dr James Barrett, as the second year of excavations on the Brough of Deerness drew to a close this week. (July 30, 2009) The Cantick mound that turned square — The excavations on Cantick, South Walls, concluded last week following the investigation of a Bronze Age burial mound. (July 9, 2009) Unravelling centuries of Iron Age activity - work continues on an Iron Age site in South Ronaldsay — once again attempting to unravel a complex series of Iron Age buildings clustered around the site of a massive broch-like building. (July 9, 2009) Recent Additions Full update details here. Folklore: The Black Dog o' Quholmsley Link: The Brough of Deerness and the Viking Age Diaspora : Excavations over the past two year has begun to shed light on this islet, and the settlement on top. Yule in the Northern Isles For the ancients, the need to celebrate the the winter solstice, and the subsequent 'rebirth' of the sun, was an absolute necessity. An Orkney winter is long, cold and dark. It is a bleak time, when the weak, wintry sun barely crawls above the horizon of a few hours each day. Life goes on, but mostly in darkness. Click here for more details... Maeshowe and the Winter Solstice Perhaps the best-known attribute of Maeshowe is its world famous midwinter alignment. In the weeks leading up to the winter solstice, the darkest time of the Orcadian year, the last rays of the setting sun pierce the darkness of the long entrance passage to illuminate the interior of the chambered cairn. Theories abound as to the significance of this phenomenon... Click here for more details.... The Walking Stones A specific type of legend has become attached to a number of Orkney's solitary standing stones. This legend dictates that once a year, usually New Year, these stones - said to be transformed giants - move from their resting place to nearby bodies of water where they dip their heads down and "drink" the water. Click here for more details... Contact the Author To contact the author about any element of this site, click here. Update Schedule Orkneyjar is generally updated at least once a month - more over the summer excavation season - incorporating new content with relevant news and information relating to Orkney's rich archaeology, heritage and history. 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 o' Brodgar   Stenness Stones   Maeshowe   World Heritage Site   The Brough o' 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 site's name means here. Got a question? 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.