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,
Site
Spotlight A brief selection of topics covered
in Orkneyjar...
The Groatsetter sword
Among the many artefacts uncovered over the years, a Bronze Age wooden sword is unique in Orkney.
Like the Orkney Hood, the Groatsetter sword was uncovered in a heavily peated area of St Andrews - the anaerobic conditions leading to its remarkable state of preservation.
Towards the middle of the 13th century, when Earl Jon Haraldson held the islands, a man named Snaekoll Gunnisson demanded the former Earl Rognvald’s lands in Orkney.
The great-grandson of Earl Rognvald, and the nephew of Earl Harald Eiriksson (also known as Harald Ungi - ‘the younger’), Snaekoll claimed the holdings were his by right of inheritance.