ENG 283E: Our Premodern Epics: How Epics Create Culture and Vice Versa

Orkneyinga Saga: Viking Ship & Scapa Flow

      The Orkneyinga Saga takes place on the Orkney Islands, just north of the United Kingdom. These are multiple small islands in close proximity of each other. It is common to see ships as the main source of transportation in locations such as this. In the Orkneyinga Saga, the earls and other characters would use these ships (as shown) to traverse the various waters, such as The North Sound, Westray Firth, Scapa Flow, and others, but also were used as war machines. These ships were built in order to penetrate land and allow its occupants to quickly head ashore, instead of waiting in the water and slowly taking smaller boats to land. They were used by such Vikings such as Sigurd the Powerful, St. Magnus and many other earls of Orkney during the time were the islands were both battling the rule of Iceland, Normandy, and its own earlship from within.

         The bodies of water surrounding the Orkney Islands, such as the Scapa Flow, were just as important key locations as their land counterparts. Vital locations, such as seats of multiple earls, is right off the edge of the Scapa Flow. "...the Orkney Islands were divided into thirds between of three of Earl Sigurd's sons, and later into halves from time to time between two earls" (Steinnes). These bodies of water held many battles for the earls of Orkney and their invaders. One account is the battle between Earl Thorfinn and Karl Houndson, the Scot-King. The two had a final naval battle of the coast of Deerness. "This fight was both hard and long, and it was long before it could be seen which way the day would turn" (Hermann). This is just one example of the naval warfare that would have taken place during the Orkneyinga Saga. Without locations such as the Scapa Flow and war machines such as the viking longship, the Saga would be a completely different story, with a completely new set of rules. It's with these characteristics that make it so unique and the popular legend it is.  


Sources:

Steinnes, Asgaut. “The 'Huseby' System in Orkney.” The Scottish Historical Review, vol. 38, no. 125, 1959, pp. 36–46

Hermann, Pálsson, and Paul Edwards. Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney. London: Hogarth Press, 1978.
            

 

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