Orkneyology Podcast

If you love Viking and Scottish history, folk stories and archaeology, this episode is for you! Tonight, Orcadian historian and storyteller Tom Muir and Norwegian scholar Ragnhild Ljosland have a far-reaching conversation covering these things and more: Discovering Orkney through studies; marrying an Orcadian, becoming a scholar, archaeologist and author Getting to know people who lived thousands...

The Orkneyinga Saga continues … In Part 4 we explore the conclusion of the dramatic Viking history of Orkney — from rival jarls and political intrigue to legendary figures like St Magnus — as recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga. Orcadian storyteller Tom Muir guides us through the historical events behind the saga, bringing Norse-era Orkney vividly to life with "a storytelling version" of Orkneyinga Sa...

On this full blue moon, Orkney Islands storyteller Tom Muir has a blether with an old friend. You'll hear about these things and more:  Colin's life in the Glens of Antrim The story of a wreck at the Giant's Causeway - a Spanish Armada story, and other shipwreck tales Queen Elizabeth I, the greatest killer of English sailors Shipwreck treasure stories in Papa Westray and Graemsay (Orkney) Myt...

The Orkneyinga Saga continues… In Part 3 of this special series, OrcadianTom Muir MBE brings us deeper into the dramatic world of Viking Orkney — where rival jarls, shifting loyalties, and legendary figures shaped the islands' history. If you're curious about the Orkneyinga Saga, Viking Scotland, or the real stories behind St Magnus and the Norse earls of Orkney, this episode offers an accessible...

Tonight on this full March sap moon, Orkney Islands storyteller Tom Muir has a blether with an old pal, well-known storyteller and harpist Heather Yule. This episode is a deep dive into the Scottish oral tradition, which Tom calls "a free class in great storytelling". You'll hear this and more: • How Heather ended up in Scotland from Chicago, and was raised deeply immersed in traditional storytell...

On this full snow moon, Tom Muir has a fascinating fireside chat with Simon Heywood, Doctor of Philosophy and Senior Lecturer at University of Derby, who is also an authority on Arthurian stories and an elegant storyteller. If you're inspired to do so, you can buy us a dram on Ko-fi, with our hearty thanks: https://ko-fi.com/orkneyology Join the conversation to find out such things as ... Who was...

Tonight, Tom Muir and his wife Rhonda have a cozy winter storytelling session, with readings from Tom's books published with The History Press ... including his new Scottish Folk Tales of Love, gorgeously illustrated by artist Hester Aspland. If you're inspired to do so, you can buy us a dram on Ko-fi, with our hearty thanks: https://ko-fi.com/orkneyology Winter is for stories. As we round the ben...

On this December "cold"full moon we have a visit from a new friend, who recently visited us in Stromness: the creator of Morph, Creature Comforts, Wallace and Gromit and many more animation favorites. Please do forgive the less-than-perfect sound quality in the first half hour. We did our best, recording from a distance on a dreich night with interference from the rumbling ferry across the street....

We have a visit on this full November frost moon from BBC presenter and author Sally Magnusson, who gives us a few readings from her writings, including her newest book The Shapeshifter's Daughter. Join Tom Muir and Sally Magnusson for a fascinating blether on the eve of the Stromness launch of her latest novel, set in Orkney. "Before she was a hideous monster, the Queen of the Underworld was simp...

If you're inspired to do so, you can buy us a dram on Ko-fi, with our hearty thanks: https://ko-fi.com/orkneyology Tonight, we'll have a blether about these things and more: How Dennison first heard the stories from the old crofter folk of Orkney How he recorded and published them And - maddeningly - hints of many stories that got away Assipattle the Viking Who pulled the roof off Noltland Castle?...

Tonight we have a moonlit blether about these things and more ...   • Guising traditions in Shetland, masks, ceremonies, folklore, the hidden people of Iceland, storytelling around the world and how all is connected to performance - even (or maybe especially) politicians!   • Walter Traill Dennison - the first person to write in Orkney dialect - and his importance to preserving...

August 9, 2025 - On this full "sturgeon" moon, Tom Muir of the Orkney Islands talks with dear friend and internationally-known archaeologist, Professor Colin Richards. If you'd like to, you can buy us a dram on Ko-fi one-time or regular: https://ko-fi.com/orkneyology Tonight we have a moonlit blether about these things and more ... How early educational prejudice and discouragement ("You'll never...

Episode 19: July 10, 2025 - On this full "buck" moon, Tom talks with environmental storyteller, poet and artist, Gordon "Creeping Toad" MacLellan. Tonight we have a blether about these things and more ...   • Why we need to react creatively to the world around us    • Finding the right stories to tell with heart    • Exploring stories of the natural world an...

Be part of Tom Muir's Tales in the Landscape crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tales-in-the-landscape Episode 18: June 11, 2025 - full "strawberry" moon with Angus Konstam, naval historian and author of The Pirate Menace: Uncovering the Golden Age of Piracy Tonight, Tom is joined by his friend, Naval historian and writer Angus Konstam. Interestingly, this full moon night coincides with...

Episode 17: May12, 2025 - full "flower" moon: friends and colleagues, Tom Muir and Ellen (Baikie) Pesci, have a fascinating blether about Ellen's father, Orcadian artist and professional musician Jim Baikie. The Jim Baikie exhibition is showing at the Orkney Museum in Kirkwall from May-September, 2025. Help preserve Orkney's stories by joining our Tales in the Landscape Crowdfunder: https://www.cr...

Episode 16, April 12, 2025 - full "pink" moon: The Orkneyinga Saga part II: Christian Era Jarls - Orcadian storyteller and historian Tom Muir, MBE, tells the old stories of Orkney's jarls Tales in the Landscape Crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/tales-in-the-landscape WARNING: Tonight's chat involves some descriptions of gore and violence, as you might expect with the Vikings. Tom will t...

The Fairy Tellers is a fascinating history of fairy tales told through the lives of seven tellers of fairy tales. You've likely have heard of one of these storytellers, but unless you study fairy tales, you'll probably not have heard of the others. Find out what you may have been missing! Support our heritage work here, if you'd like to: https://ko-fi.com/orkneyology Tom and Nick's conversation we...

WARNING: Tonight's chat involves some descriptions of gore and violence, as you might expect with the Vikings. Tom will tell us a few very old family stories by the light of tonight's full moon. We'll look deeply into Orkney's Viking history, as preserved in the Orkneyinga Saga. If you've ever considered reading the sagas, this episode of Ower wi' the Moon will set you up for a more informed first...

On this January full moon evening we're visiting with Ffion Phillips, a talented storyteller from the Conwy Valley, North Wales. Ffion tells Welsh tales in her own way and in her own Welsh language, the lovely cadence of which you'll enjoy hearing tonight. Ffion is the winner of the 16-25 category at the Young Storytellers Festival of Wales 2023. You'll understand why when you hear her spin a few...

December 15, 2024 - On this midwinter full moon we're joined from across the sea by Gerald Charles Dickens, who talks with us about our favorite story - his great-great grandfather's classic Christmas ghost story, A Christmas Carol. Join us to find out all about Gerald Dickens' childhood memories of A Christmas Carol, its origins and its sly sleight of hand. What is it about A Christmas Carol that...

We're bringing you a brilliant conversation on with this full moon night, with visiting friends R. Carlos Nakai, of Navajo and Ute heritage - and the world's premier performer with the Native American flute - and Will Clipman, passionate world percussionist, poet and performing artist. (Please pardon the scratchy voices and coughing in this epsode. We'd been having a lovely time together roaming a...

This full moon October night, we're having a Halloween-appropriate visit with Hjörleifur Helgi Stefánsson: Icelander, author of Icelandic Folk Tales , fabulous traditional storyteller ... and Tom Muir's pet Viking. No Picts were harmed during the making of this podcast. A peedie warning: Not surprisingly, some of the conversation is a bit dark for the very sensitive, or bairns. See topics below an...

On this full moon night we had a visit from a young Scottish-Dutch storytelling friend, who is also a great grandneice of Orkney's beloved poet, George Mackay Brown. Please enjoy our blether with stories. In this episode you'll hear about: Ailsa's experience of learning about her heritage from Tom Orkney stories and their histories letting folk stories continue to grow in our own time encouraging...

Join Tom and Rhonda as we continue our discussion around old Orkney customs and traditions. This time you'll hear some quite surprising and amusing details of marriage and death customs in Orkney. A few things you'll find out in this Ower wi' the Moon podcast: Signs and dangers around the Orkney wedding celebration: good luck, bad luck and how to evade the trowies The costs of speerin' night, when...

On this full moon night, Tom speaks with one of our authors, Ian Scott - otherwise known as Ian o' Antabreck - lifelong resident of Orkney's most northerly island, North Ronaldsay. Ian has recently gathered together for publication his first decade of A Letter from North Ronaldsay, which he's written for The Orcadian newspaper for over thirty years. Tom and Rhonda have very proudly produced this f...