St Magnus Cathedral
Sep. 29th, 2022 07:17 pm
Work began on St Magnus Cathedral in 1137 when Orkney was still under Norse control. Earl Rognvald wanted to honour God and, one infers, deflect attention from the removal of his second cousin from Earldom by reminding people that the previous Earl had murdered the eponymous Magnus in order to gain the earldom. I took this photo from the tower of the Bishop's palace, just over the road.


Lots of these tombstones decorate the walls with the prominent skull motif rendered, as can be seen here, with varying levels of skill.





I have forgotten what Saint Olaf is standing on, and why!
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Date: 2022-09-29 08:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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