Musings
Musing July 2009
ODIN STONE: Plates 20 -23
Plate 20: Bell Pull, St. Magnus Church, Birsay, Orkney, 2003
This church stands on the site of, what was most likely, the first cathedral in Orkney. Built in 1064 by Earl Thorifinn, it was the “Bishop’s Cathedral” and therefore, the religious center of the Orkney Islands. During this time, Orkney was growing as a strategic center between Norway, Denmark and Britain and the Norwegian King felt threatened by the growing power of the Orkney earls. In 1098 the King of Norway invaded Orkney and the earls (Erlend and Paul) were killed and their sons (Magnus Erlendson and Hakon Paulson) taken to Norway to serve the king. At eighteen, Magnus became famous for refusing to fight in battle when the Norwegian king attacked Anglesey, England. Forced into exile until the King died, he returned to Orkney to claim his inheritance of half of the Orkney Islands. An uneasy joint rule lasted only a few years with his cousin before Magnus was attacked and killed in 1117 on Hakon’s orders. Magnus’ body was taken to the Bishop’s Cathedral at Birsay and buried. Soon after Magnus was buried, miracles began to be witnessed in the area and pilgrims traveled to the church for healing and absolution. Magnus was canonized in 1135, and a few years later his remains were moved to the new Cathedral in Kirkwall, which still stands today. His bones were found interred in a column during early 20th century restoration of the Cathedral. St. Magnus became the patron saint of Orkney and his name graces many locations throughout the archipelago.
The small St. Magnus Church is under the care of St. Magnus Church Birsay Trust. This bell pull is in the alcove and I photographed it many times over several years. I loved its simplicity and elegance. The light coming in from the window to its right gives the image a sense of dimension with a turning edge on the handle. For me it is one of those simply beautiful and beautifully simple images.
Plate 21: Orkney Library and Archive, Kirkwall, Orkney, 2006
The Orkney Library and Archive is home to both the central library for the Orkney Islands and the Orkney Archive, which is on the second floor. The library was founded in 1683 and moved into this latest building in 2003. The library holds 80,000 items, Internet connections as well as all the services of any modern library. The Archive on the second floor houses a photographic archive, family history materials, local history materials as well as an extensive sound and film collection. It is the place to go to when studying the history or the Orkney Islands.
This new, modern building was being completed during my first visit to Orkney in 2002. Over the following years I became a member of the library, using its services for Internet and research. (I still carry my Orkney Library card in my wallet in anticipation of my next trip.) I wonder about the thoughts about these “stones” as they are clearly concrete fabrications but remind me of round stones washed up on a beach. Their presence makes the plaza in front of the library purely pedestrian and gives a quirky presence to the front of the library. When I paired this image with Plate 22 the two images made a visual sense to me though separately they are very different from each other.
Plate 22: Wall, Broch of Burroughston, Shapinsay, Orkney, 2007
A broch (rhymes with loch) is a type of wide round stone tower, dating from the Iron Age, which was large enough to serve as a fortified home. Similar ruins can be seen in various places throughout the Orkney Islands. This broch in Shapinsay (one of the inner islands of the archipelago) was excavated in 1862 and had fallen into ruin but has since been repaired and cleaned up. This typical broch site faces the sea and is surrounded by good agricultural land. The doorway and interior of this site are well preserved with an interior set up similar to that of the more famous Mine Howe site on Mainland Orkney. The round wall of the broch survives to a height of approximately four feet and in some places the wall is almost four feet thick. My question was “Who put this round stone in the wall and why?” Was it the Iron Age occupant of the site adding mystery and protective symbolism to the walls of their home? Was it placed between the rectangles by the first team of archeologists who uncovered the ruins and rebuilt the site in the mid-19th century or perhaps simply a touch of artistic whimsy when the site was later restored in the latter part of the 20th century? Although I have no idea “why” the rock is there, I love that it is and played with the serendipity of its placement with the pinhole camera. When I paired this image with the image from the front of the Orkney Library, the shared geometry made them good choices to play off of each other.
Plate 23: Yellowbird Studio, Chocolate Cottage, Birsay, Orkney, 2005
Yellowbird Studio is home to two artists, Jon Thompson and Leslie Murdock. In my travels I had noticed Jon painting in several places around mainland Orkney. My friends, Donald and Janet Stewart, convinced me a stop by the studio would be photographically worthwhile. After meeting with Jon and Leslie (both painters) I was given the run of their gallery and studio space for several hours. When Jon took me out back to his “portable” painting studio I knew I had found my image. Jon had built an A-frame building on wheels that can be towed anywhere his car can go. This day it was is sitting behind the gallery and looking out over the wet Birsay headland. For me this image summed up being an artist in Orkney, figuring out a way to work with wonderful daylight, while keeping dry. In the Orkneys, if you waited for the weather you would never get any work done. On their website Lesley says that she “enjoys the challenge of trying to capture the magical Orkney light especially when the wind is blowing and changing the mood from minute to minute. Even what might feel the dullest of days Orkney always has some subtle interplay of light to inspire me.” I couldn’t have explained my feelings about photographing on Orkney any better.