Our Events
Talk: 'A Saint in Stone – the material legacy of the St Magnus in the North Atlantic' by Jenny Murray
April 3rd, 7pm
Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick
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Join us as we welcome Jenny Murray present the core of some of her current research, to tell the story of St Magnus in a different and new way; to widen the narrative beyond the existing hagiographic studies, concentrating instead on the material legacy both in the landscape of his veneration, and related material culture. This talk will build on previous work undertaken by Sarah Jane Gibbon in Orkney by expanding the record of material relating to the cult of St Magnus in Caithness, Shetland, the Faroes, Iceland and Norway. Free for members, we would ask a donation at the door for non-members. For more information contact us here.
Local Events
Uncovering life in Weisdale in the 19th century with archaeologist Rick Barton
March 13th, 7-8:30pm
Shetland Museum & Archives
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During the nineteenth century, Shetland experienced significant political and social changes, which impacted the lives of rural communities across the Isles, notably the introduction of fishing-based tenure and large-scale sheep farming. The parish of Weisdale witnessed some of the most extensive clearances in Shetland.
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Recently, ORCA Archaeology undertook archaeological work across the well-preserved remains in the Weisdale valley, on behalf of SSEN. The results of this work provide a rich resource for understanding the landscape and the lives of rural communities at an everyday level and through periods of significant change. In this presentation, we will share some of the findings of this work and examine life in a Shetland township from an archaeological perspective. We will also consider how we should preserve Shetland's relict crofting landscapes for the future.
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There will be the opportunity for a Q & A at the end of this presentation from around 8pm onwards. This is a paid event, more information here.
A Shetlander in Iceland in 1252 - a talk by archivist Brian Smith
March 27th, 7-8:30pm
Shetland Museum & Archives
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In 1252 a Shetlander called Öndótt arrived in Iceland. He was the skipper of a ship. He had come to collect a debt – he was very likely a merchant, like several Shetland and Orcadian visitors to Iceland at that time.
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Öndótt spent the autumn and winter travelling around the island. He bumped into some of the most important Icelandic chieftains. It was the last days of the Icelandic Commonwealth, when King Hakon of Norway was trying to take control. The Shetland skipper found himself embroiled in the tense atmosphere of that period. This is a paid event. More information here.
Ostentatious or Monumental?
The evolution of the wheelhouse in Shetland
A Little Something About Brochs
Mainland Events
Talk: Ethnogenesis and Kingship AD300-900 by Professor Gordon Noble
March 13th, 6pm
ONLINE
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This lecture will draw on over ten years of excavations and survey in Northeast Scotland to posit a new model for the development of kingship and the ethnogenesis of the Picts in Northeast Scotland. Continuities and connections between the Roman Iron Age and early medieval periods will be stressed and the talk will focus on the results of the major survey and excavation programme at Rhynie and the Upper Strathbogie valley which will soon be published as a Society of Antiquaries of Scotland monograph. For more information on this event visit here.
Just for Laughs
