Talk:Saga Places

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Islandhopper
'høfdi' as you have spelled it (I don't have the old Norse letters) means 'the head' ,it's not 'hof'- farm.It comes from 'hofud' - head ,so it don't indicate any farm.
Oddrun 7 October 2006 00:20 (BST)

Oddrun,

that's right. Nevertheless the 2 parts in chapter 85 say a) It happened one day south in Shetland at Sumburgh Head that a certain penniless farmer was still waiting for his mate to join him after all the boats had put out, each as soon as it was ready ... and b) So they rowed out beyond Sumburgh Head and round Horse Isle ...

The first case is taken by some scholars as a hint for a settlement / community around the area with folks doing fishing as a community job.

Nevertheless I think I will "simplify" it ... ;-) Islandhopper 11:06, 7 October 2006 (BST)

A couple of points:
Balliasta is a place in Unst, near Baltasound.
Horse Island is actually called 'Horse Holm', I think I have a picture somewhere. I use it as a fishing meid,(mark) every time I go fishing. The Sagas are a great subject so this is well worth researching.

Sumburgh head, yes I have pics to add, I think Oddrun is right with what I think is "Hoevdi" (Head).

Dunrossness was derived from, (OK I'll spell this as it sound), Dynroustness, which I have been told means "Headland of the roaring tide". And when you see the tide in full flow past Sumburgh Head, it is a scary sight. I have had the misfortune to be in the tide race in a 14ft boat with a 25hp engine at half throttle and going nowhere. I can only imagine the situation many years ago when oars and sails were all the power available.
Anyhow, great subject worthy of further research.

Cheers,
See dee eftir,
Robbie 00:01, 8 October 2006 (BST)

Re: 'Hundholmi', 'Hund' is dog in Norse--how it have grown to a horse is more mysterious :-)
Oddrun 01:49, 8 October 2006 (BST)

@Oddrun,
Dog to horse ... indeed, that's a fantastic step in evolution, I know … or it simply tell us, how big the dogs or how small the horses once have been … :-)))

But seriously: That must not been a case of missinterpreting and/or a case of wrong translation. It can be the problem of different names in different times as well or even more: the name for an islet which no longer exists and whose popular name was thus transferred to a neighbouring place … in the end it all might turn up as a problem caused by the Ordnance Survey … ;-)))

In this case the text simply reads: So they rowed out beyond Dynrastarhöfði and round Hundhólmi. (chapt. 85)

Now let's start our rowing tour at Dynrastarvágr (in this case Dynrastarvágr must be an East Voe corresponding with today's West Voe, probably the Grutness Voe of today), go round Dynrastarhöfði (agreed to: Sumburgh Head) and then round the next island off the next headland … and that's Horse Island as it is named on the Ordnance Survey maps.

If we take Dynrastarvágr as today's West Voe, go round Sumburgh Head … than Hundhólmi must be an unknown islet within easy rowing distance off the east coast of Sumburgh Head.

Well, that are quite normal probs when trying to identify saga places … ;-)

… and that's why I have just taken the placenames from the Orkneyinga Saga strictly sticking to placenames and locations as given by Pálsson. There are more places mentioned in other sagas, but then confusion is going on … :-)))

@ Robbie
you are right, when you explain the meaning of Dunrossness ... I have just started with the aspect of identifying the places. I am still working on the explanations ... ;-) Islandhopper 10:40, 8 October 2006 (BST)