Like Driftwood Taking Root: Folk-Onomastic Origin Legends from the Orkney Islands

This article examines family origin legends from the Orkney Islands. By combining analytical techniques from folkloristics, thematic analysis, and literary analysis, the study discovers that the legends reveal a collective Orcadian identity and outlook, which is found to be less Viking-centric than expected. Instead, the legends portray Orcadians as a diverse population and Orkney as a connected, yet distinct, place. A strong theme is that legends are underpinned by an arrival from the sea, after which the newcomer is renamed and adopted into the Orkney community.