Dr Ragnhild Ljosland’s new paper examining family origin legends from Orkney is now available online.
Published in the journal Folklore, Like Driftwood Taking Root: Folk-Onomastic Origin Legends from the Orkney Islands combines analytical techniques from folkloristics, thematic analysis and literary analysis to show that the legends reveal a collective Orcadian identity and outlook, which was less Viking-centric than expected.
Instead, they portray Orcadians as a diverse population and Orkney as a connected, yet distinct, place. A strong theme is that legends are underpinned by an arrival from the sea, after which the newcomer is renamed and adopted into the Orkney community.
The article is an outcome of the Orkney Islands Council culture fund-funded project Vikings, Pirates and Shipwrecked Princesses and forms the basis of a forthcoming book to be published by Orkneyology Press.
