Folklore

The story of Jonet Rendall, burnt as a witch in 1629

Last weekend, we set out to find the place where Jonet Rendall once lived. Jonet was tried for witchcraft in Kirkwall in 1629. I feel I have grown to know Jonet quite well in the last year, having read the minutes of her trial and worked through them with people, before re-imagining her trial in […]

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Valentine of the ocean: A sea heart’s astonishing journey from the tropical rain forests of America to the Orkney Islands
Nature's own Valentine: A Molucca Bean, or Sea Heart, is a tropical seed from the Monkey Ladder vine. It has been carried by the ocean currents from central America to the Orkney Islands.
A Molucca Bean, or Sea Heart, is a tropical seed from the Monkey Ladder vine. It has been carried by the ocean currents from central America to the Orkney Islands. Chris finds a Sea Heart, also known as a Molucca Bean, at Marwick Bay, Orkney. Nature's own Valentine Today we were blessed with the most [...]Read more of Valentine of the ocean: A sea heart’s astonishing journey from the tropical rain forests of America to the Orkney Islands...

The great sea serpent
Sand dunes at Catasands, island of Sanday.
The Muckle Mester Stoorworm is the name of a gigantic sea serpent, which stars in Orkney's creation myth. Its name is Norse, meaning huge serpent, and the beast itself is related to the Midgardsorm or World Serpent in Viking mythology. The Stoorworm, according to legend, was terrorising the world by eating young girls, until the [...]Read more of The great sea serpent...