From 'Young Pig Lands' to UNESCO Sites: How Orkney's Name Changed
The islands known today as Orkney have a history etched into their very name, shifting from references to 'young pigs' to classical geographical terms. This linguistic journey reflects centuries of cultural shifts, invasions, and political absorption, making the name itself a deep archaeological puzzle.
The nomenclature of the Orkney Islands is remarkably complex, drawing from multiple ancient cultures. Etymologists often interpret the element *orc-* as a Pictish tribal designation, meaning 'young pig' or 'young boar.' This meaning was echoed by Old Irish speakers, who referred to the islands as *Insi Orc*, meaning 'islands of the young pigs.'
The naming conventions evolved significantly with successive colonizers. When Norse settlers arrived from the late ninth century, they reinterpreted the element *orc* as the Old Norse word for 'seal,' appending *eyjar* ('islands') to form 'Orkneyjar,' or 'Seal Islands.' The modern name, Orkney, resulted from the later removal of the plural suffix *-jar* in English. Conversely, earlier classical writers used different terms; Pytheas of Massalia described the region as having a northern tip called Orcas, and Ptolemy and Pomponius Mela, writing in the 1st century AD, called them the Orcades (Ancient Greek: Όρκάδες).
The political absorption of the islands also left a mark on their identity. The Earldom of Orkney was absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland in 1472, following a failure by the family of James III's bride, Margaret of Denmark, to pay a promised dowry. Furthermore, the islands' deep history shows layers of occupation, from terminal Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, to Neolithic farmers, and later to the Picts. The physical landscape itself, fashioned by glacial erosion of sandstone, limestone, and igneous rocks, has provided the stage for these cultural shifts.
The persistent archaeological record, including Neolithic sites like Skara Brae (believed inhabited from around 3100 BC) and the Standing Stones of Stenness, contrasts with the later Norse and Pictish influences. These layers suggest a continuous, yet dramatically altered, human story played out across the archipelago, visible in everything from the earliest stone tools found at Stronsay to the later roundhouses built around 700 BC.
Source: Orkney
