St Magnus Cathedral, Orkney

All pictures copyright © 2000 Martin McCarthy

There are many carved heads inside and outside the cathedral. This may be a local otter Large Image (82kb 795x699) Windows in the south gable Large Image (82kb 660x936) Looking down the main aisle Large Image (63kb 660x894) An early stone slab showing a crusader's sword and cross. Possibly thirteenth century Large Image (87kb 494x900) Memorial slab showing common symbols of morbidity Large Image (81kb 803x655) Another memorial slab, unusually showing a clock face rather than the common hourglass Large Image (124kb 901x682) Decorative arcading in the nave Large Image (116kb 922x648)

The cathedral of St Magus in Kirkwall, Orkney, is the northernmost cathedral in Britain. Work started on construction of the cathedral in 1137 under the orders of Earl Rognvald, the nephew of Magnus. Magnus was the son of Erlend, one of the co-rulers of the earldom. The young Magnus was taken along by King Magnus of Norway on a raiding expedition through the Hebrides then south to Anglesey where an attack was made on two Welsh earls. The story goes that Magnus refused to fight and sang psalms whilst the battle raged around him. King Magnus was not best pleased at this behaviour, and young Magnus jumped ship during darkness and fled. After King Magnus died, Magnus returned to Orkney. The co-rulers Erlend and Paul were now dead and Hakon, Paul's son, was earl. Magnus put forward a claim for his share of the earldom and, in 1117, a meeting was arranged between Magnus and Hakon. However, Hakon did not come to talk and Magnus was seized. Lifolf, Hakon's cook, was ordered to kill Magnus. This he did by striking a blow to the head with his axe. This tale of Magnus's death was taken with, shall we say, varying degrees of seriousness. However in 1919, during renovation work, some loose stones were found high up in one of the pillars of the cathedral. Behind these was a cavity containing a wooden casket with human bones...including a skull that had been split by an axe.