Matthew Blake
@matthew-blake.bsky.social
This week: Poaching, Orkney, Churchwardens, Early Medieval stuff, Cider, Mercia, Tolstoy, Milton, Orchards, William Carlos Williams, little people
Reposted by Matthew Blake
The Stane o' Quoybune, Birsay walks to the loch for a drink on New Year's Day too. Unfortunately, if you witness it you die shortly after so hard to confirm.
November 9, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The Stane o' Quoybune, Birsay walks to the loch for a drink on New Year's Day too. Unfortunately, if you witness it you die shortly after so hard to confirm.
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Barry @barmas.bsky.social sings a song of praise to part-time cider and perry makers, artisans with a deep commitment to craft, tradition and the land.
#cider #PerryisAlive
#cider #PerryisAlive
In Praise of the Part-Time Cider Maker
Barry sings a song of praise to part-time cider and perry makers, artisans with a deep commitment to craft, tradition and the land.
cider-review.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Barry @barmas.bsky.social sings a song of praise to part-time cider and perry makers, artisans with a deep commitment to craft, tradition and the land.
#cider #PerryisAlive
#cider #PerryisAlive
Reposted by Matthew Blake
It's time for the 2026 Papay calendar.
A4 folding out to an A3, a mix of Papay landcapes and birds.
Price is £17.50 inc UK postage.
Orders being taken, for fine year long view of Papay.
Papay Calendar 2026 — Jonathan Ford
www.jonathanford.org/products.../...
A4 folding out to an A3, a mix of Papay landcapes and birds.
Price is £17.50 inc UK postage.
Orders being taken, for fine year long view of Papay.
Papay Calendar 2026 — Jonathan Ford
www.jonathanford.org/products.../...
November 8, 2025 at 4:32 PM
It's time for the 2026 Papay calendar.
A4 folding out to an A3, a mix of Papay landcapes and birds.
Price is £17.50 inc UK postage.
Orders being taken, for fine year long view of Papay.
Papay Calendar 2026 — Jonathan Ford
www.jonathanford.org/products.../...
A4 folding out to an A3, a mix of Papay landcapes and birds.
Price is £17.50 inc UK postage.
Orders being taken, for fine year long view of Papay.
Papay Calendar 2026 — Jonathan Ford
www.jonathanford.org/products.../...
Reposted by Matthew Blake
My first review...😀 Thanks, theorkneynews.scot
The Orkney News
bringing you the community news in Orkney
theorkneynews.scot
November 5, 2025 at 2:51 PM
My first review...😀 Thanks, theorkneynews.scot
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Very exciting news for those interested in early medieval England: a hugely important new volume on crops and food supply (by Helena Hamerow, Mark McKerracher & the FeedSax team) is now available Open Access academic.oup.com/book/61548?l...
Feeding Medieval England: A Long ‘Agricultural Revolution’, 700–1300
Abstract. As in the rest of Europe, the population of medieval England grew steeply, especially between the tenth and thirteenth centuries. This volume inv
academic.oup.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Very exciting news for those interested in early medieval England: a hugely important new volume on crops and food supply (by Helena Hamerow, Mark McKerracher & the FeedSax team) is now available Open Access academic.oup.com/book/61548?l...
Reposted by Matthew Blake
A new consideration of the chronology of the key settlement of Buckquoy, Orkney - shows that the buildings here belong firmly in the Pictish tradition. This leads to a wider consideration of the timings and character of the Viking Age in the Northern Isles.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Buckquoy, Orkney: addressing the Pictish-Viking transition in northern Scotland | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
Buckquoy, Orkney: addressing the Pictish-Viking transition in northern Scotland
www.cambridge.org
October 30, 2025 at 7:48 PM
A new consideration of the chronology of the key settlement of Buckquoy, Orkney - shows that the buildings here belong firmly in the Pictish tradition. This leads to a wider consideration of the timings and character of the Viking Age in the Northern Isles.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Matthew Blake
ON teigr m. ‘strip of field, meadow’ is seen in the Saga #PlaceName Hávarðsteigar, a lost place compounded with the masculine personal name Hávarðr. My favourite potential teigr name though must be Gravity (north & South) in North Ronaldsay, with the 1st element being ON grǫf f. ‘hollow’ (Marwick).
Yesterday’s #Wordle: teigr (sb. m.): 54 cits, e.g. [GoogleTrans: (cultivated/demarcated) plot of land, field, cultivation unit (cf. Steensberg 1956 [KLNM 1] 39)] ‘ek medkennumzst ath þan teiguren (!) sem liggur j millum hola j fliotum er h…’ (DI in AM dipl isl fasc XX 4) onp.ku.dk/o79227
October 23, 2025 at 11:51 AM
ON teigr m. ‘strip of field, meadow’ is seen in the Saga #PlaceName Hávarðsteigar, a lost place compounded with the masculine personal name Hávarðr. My favourite potential teigr name though must be Gravity (north & South) in North Ronaldsay, with the 1st element being ON grǫf f. ‘hollow’ (Marwick).
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Stories, stories, stories, it's all stories in this week's Orcadian. Thanks to @tomrg.bsky.social for this nice piece
October 18, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Stories, stories, stories, it's all stories in this week's Orcadian. Thanks to @tomrg.bsky.social for this nice piece
Reposted by Matthew Blake
The good folk at BBC's Radio Orkney interviewed me last week about the #SagaoftheEarlsofOrkney which will be available in bookshops here this coming week. You can listen to it here at 17'30" in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Can I convert those who have never quite managed to get through it???
Around Orkney - 16/10/2025 - BBC Sounds
News, features and weather for Orkney, including the daily community diary.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 18, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The good folk at BBC's Radio Orkney interviewed me last week about the #SagaoftheEarlsofOrkney which will be available in bookshops here this coming week. You can listen to it here at 17'30" in www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Can I convert those who have never quite managed to get through it???
Reposted by Matthew Blake
ON kista f. 'chest, coffin, casket' occurs in many #Orkney #PlaceNames, often referring to coastal rocks, incl. Calf of Eday where we find Kistin. This name appears to retain the ON definite article -in & so is perhaps a very old name for this bay! Also a good spot for creels I am told.
September 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM
ON kista f. 'chest, coffin, casket' occurs in many #Orkney #PlaceNames, often referring to coastal rocks, incl. Calf of Eday where we find Kistin. This name appears to retain the ON definite article -in & so is perhaps a very old name for this bay! Also a good spot for creels I am told.
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited into someone's house with a view over Calf Sound to carry out another interview about the #PlaceNames of #Eday ... there is even talk of a field-name map! On the R is the Calf of Eday where the seals were singing & on the L the cliffs of Red Head #Orkney
September 24, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited into someone's house with a view over Calf Sound to carry out another interview about the #PlaceNames of #Eday ... there is even talk of a field-name map! On the R is the Calf of Eday where the seals were singing & on the L the cliffs of Red Head #Orkney
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Author copy arrived the day
September 22, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Author copy arrived the day
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Our SurvØY show is up at Glasgow School of Arts Reid gallery until the 1st of November. Islands in time, space and fragments of flint.. SurvØY is a Papay based artist collaboration between Jonathan Ford and Saoirse Higgins.
September 22, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Our SurvØY show is up at Glasgow School of Arts Reid gallery until the 1st of November. Islands in time, space and fragments of flint.. SurvØY is a Papay based artist collaboration between Jonathan Ford and Saoirse Higgins.
Reposted by Matthew Blake
The caves at Greenholm seem to fit the bill.
September 21, 2025 at 8:40 AM
The caves at Greenholm seem to fit the bill.
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Gairsay, home of Sveinn Ásleifarson in the #Saga of the Earls of #Orkney!... Will we see the caves in which he hid from Earl Haraldr as we pass Greenholm!? open.substack.com/pub/uonengli...
September 21, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Gairsay, home of Sveinn Ásleifarson in the #Saga of the Earls of #Orkney!... Will we see the caves in which he hid from Earl Haraldr as we pass Greenholm!? open.substack.com/pub/uonengli...
Reposted by Matthew Blake
We've just been to the preview of this wonderful exhibition by @papayranger.bsky.social and Saiorse Higgins, a must-see if you're in Glasgow, in fact a reason to go! #Papay #Orkney
gsaexhibitions.co.uk/exhibition/s...
gsaexhibitions.co.uk/exhibition/s...
Saoirse Higgins and Jonathan Ford – SurvØY | The Glasgow School of Art Exhibitions Department
gsaexhibitions.co.uk
September 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
We've just been to the preview of this wonderful exhibition by @papayranger.bsky.social and Saiorse Higgins, a must-see if you're in Glasgow, in fact a reason to go! #Papay #Orkney
gsaexhibitions.co.uk/exhibition/s...
gsaexhibitions.co.uk/exhibition/s...
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Should you happen to be in Kirkwall on Saturday the 25th of October, do come and say hello in the Orcadian Bookshop!
September 16, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Should you happen to be in Kirkwall on Saturday the 25th of October, do come and say hello in the Orcadian Bookshop!
Reposted by Matthew Blake
I'm excited to announce that I'll be sharing some findings of my PhD research at an online talk for UHI's Institute for Northern Studies on November 27, titled 'Families, Networks and Informants: The Making of Orkneyinga saga'. Click the link below to register!
We're thrilled to announce our fantastic series of free @thinkuhi.bsky.social online and in-person seminars, conferences, and symposia for 2025-26! Discover the full line-up on our website and secure your place today!
www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-...
www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-...
September 9, 2025 at 3:12 PM
I'm excited to announce that I'll be sharing some findings of my PhD research at an online talk for UHI's Institute for Northern Studies on November 27, titled 'Families, Networks and Informants: The Making of Orkneyinga saga'. Click the link below to register!
Reposted by Matthew Blake
An 'annotated' stanza (with systematic use of parenthetic clauses to reflect on the poetic diction in the stanza) by our #Orkney friend Earl Rögnvaldr and his Icelandic mate Hallr. Now how scholarly were these guys ... in amongst all the swords. 1/2
Hjaldrkyndill beit hildar
— harðr brandr es þat — garða;
ljós varð hǫggs í hausum
— hjǫr kallak svá — gjalla.
Hart skar hildar kerti
— hjalms grand es þat — randir,
þvít benlogi brynju
beit; nefnik svá hneiti.
RvHbreiðm Hl 68
— harðr brandr es þat — garða;
ljós varð hǫggs í hausum
— hjǫr kallak svá — gjalla.
Hart skar hildar kerti
— hjalms grand es þat — randir,
þvít benlogi brynju
beit; nefnik svá hneiti.
RvHbreiðm Hl 68
September 8, 2025 at 7:17 PM
An 'annotated' stanza (with systematic use of parenthetic clauses to reflect on the poetic diction in the stanza) by our #Orkney friend Earl Rögnvaldr and his Icelandic mate Hallr. Now how scholarly were these guys ... in amongst all the swords. 1/2
Reposted by Matthew Blake
ON dys occurs in many #Orkney #PlaceNames incl. Disher (N. Ronaldsay) where it appears in the plural, Geo of Dishan (Egilsay) where the ending appears to retain the ON definite article & Milly-dissan & The Disses o’ the Holm (both Holm of Papay) the first applying to a fishing mark! (Marwick)
September 6, 2025 at 10:53 AM
ON dys occurs in many #Orkney #PlaceNames incl. Disher (N. Ronaldsay) where it appears in the plural, Geo of Dishan (Egilsay) where the ending appears to retain the ON definite article & Milly-dissan & The Disses o’ the Holm (both Holm of Papay) the first applying to a fishing mark! (Marwick)
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Bjarni Kolbeinsson, son of Kolbeinn Heap of Wyre, is called a 'skald' (poet) in ch. of 84 the Saga of the Earls of Orkney #OrkneyingaSaga. It doesn't quote any of his poetry, but his rollicking Jómsvíkingadrápa survives elsewhere. 🧵1/4
August 28, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Bjarni Kolbeinsson, son of Kolbeinn Heap of Wyre, is called a 'skald' (poet) in ch. of 84 the Saga of the Earls of Orkney #OrkneyingaSaga. It doesn't quote any of his poetry, but his rollicking Jómsvíkingadrápa survives elsewhere. 🧵1/4
Reposted by Matthew Blake
It's the Feast Day of St Rognvald, the Norwegian earl of Orkney who built our wonderful cathedral.
August 20, 2025 at 8:03 AM
It's the Feast Day of St Rognvald, the Norwegian earl of Orkney who built our wonderful cathedral.
Reposted by Matthew Blake
Hálfdan II and Eowils, joint kings of York, died in battle against Edward the Elder's West Saxon-Mercian levies near Teotanheale (Tettenhall, Wolverhampton) #OTD in 910. The deaths seem to have signalled the end of the Anglo-Danish Scalding dynasty. #medievalsky
August 5, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Hálfdan II and Eowils, joint kings of York, died in battle against Edward the Elder's West Saxon-Mercian levies near Teotanheale (Tettenhall, Wolverhampton) #OTD in 910. The deaths seem to have signalled the end of the Anglo-Danish Scalding dynasty. #medievalsky