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On New Year's morn this stone takes a quick nip from the Loch of Boardhouse.
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Saint Magnus appears to come into the story sometime between the 16th century and 1690. Down in Caithness a story was told of the saint turning a dragon into the Stone Hone in the Watten parish, now reduced to rubble.
The first mention is that a man was shipwrecked and got home by jumping on the back of a monster, which he then turned into the stone, this "Gallus" promising to dedicate a church to St. Mary. Although the writer wrote of the stone being by a 'temple' near the shore I presume this simply means the kirk. Between this time and 1701 it seems to have been reduced from 6'x4' to the present dimensions - perhaps this was to remove some pagan feature.
By Gallus we might be dealing with another word for a RC priest - perhaps Magnus' name was attached to protect the stone at a time of religious upheaval. Of course as this saint was an earl of virtually kinglet status it could have been attached even earlier.
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Supposedly named after Deirdre, the princess of Ulster who eloped with Naoise to Loch Ness (named after Naoise naturally).
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Traditionally Edward The Martyr was killed here by his wife Elfthryth, before the castle (that we see now) was built. So most likely it became a place of pilgrimage. Or perhaps the story pre-dates the event and so does the site.
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According to the Orkneyinga Saga Earl Thorfinn Skullsplitter was buried here.
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The alternative name comes about because St.Magnus was held to have used it as a boat .
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A possible alignment for the Ring of Brodgar , this was one of the stopping-off points in the procession of St.Magnus' remains from Birsay to Kirkwall .
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Previous 20 | Showing 21-27 of 27 folklore posts. Most recent first |
Unemployed and so plenty of spare time for researching contributors' questions and queries and for making corrections. Antiquarian and naturalist. Mode of transport shanks's pony. Talent unnecessary endurance. I love brochs.
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