So Sigurd Walkerhouse was known as Waakerhoose - do you know any meaning/reasoning for the name "Creya" just north of there? How did that name come about? Thanks, Fiona York UK >From: "Sigurd Towrie" <sigurd@orkneyjar.com> >Reply-To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >To: ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [<orcadia>] Maeshowe and Brodgar - Historic Scotland revert to >correct names >Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 20:46:51 -0000 > >I heard today that after a long time Historic Scotland have agreed to >change all references to Maeshowe to the correct (Orcadian) spelling, >rather than the "Maes Howe" spelling they have used since the early >1980s. The one word spelling correctly relates to the Orcadian >pronunciation of the name (where there is no pause between Maes >(pronounced "Maze") and howe. > >They are also bowing to local pressure and will revert to referring to >the Ring of Brodgar, rather than the "Ring of Brogar". Apparently their >decision on the way they refer to sites depends on Ordnance Survey maps >- who are notorious for completely messing up Orcadian names. > >I wonder if they will ever admit to making up Gurness - a nonsensical >corruption of Aikerness? >-- >Sigurd Towrie >Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney >Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com >Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com >Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk > > >==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== >To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word >'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com > _________________________________________________________________ It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger

On 10 January 2004 16:19, Fiona Pearson wrote: > So Sigurd Walkerhouse was known as Waakerhoose - do you know any > meaning/reasoning for the name "Creya" just north of there? How did > that name come about? No easy answer for this one I doubt. There are Creya/Crya placenames in Orphir, Evie, Deerness, Rousay and Stromness and it was once thought the names related to the Old Norse "kró" - an enclosure or animal pen. This element, however, is practically always found in Orkney as "kroo" which, seems to rule it out. The fact that the earliest records show the name (in Orphir at least) as Gregay/Grega/Crega adds weight to this supposition. However, in North Ronaldsay there were a collection of sheep pens which went by the name of Crugather, which would imply that the placenames are indeed related. Hugh Marwick discovered evidence in 19th Century court records that Creya in Rousay was definitely used for herding sheep, while Orphir's Creya lies next to Crusteethes (meaning the site of animal pens). So to summarise, it probably means "the (sheep) pens" or possibly "the (sheep) pens track". -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

According to Historic Scotland, their initial findings indicate that Increasing visitor numbers is not having a detrimental effect on one of Orkney's top visitor attractions. Full story at http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/mhowetourists.htm -- Sigurd Towrie Blackhall - Kirbister - Stromness - Orkney Heritage of Orkney: www.orkneyjar.com Home: sigurd@orkneyjar.com Work: sigurd.towrie@orcadian.co.uk

sorry, it might be too pessimistic but ... Did you really expect anything else? It's just the same thing they told us about Pompeji, Ankor Vat and other WH sites for decades ... and now? At least at Skara Brae - last visit on site in May 2003 - the wardens on site could show you a number of "detrimental effect(s) " - it was just the question how familiar your are with the site and how detailed you could "pinpoint" your questions about changes in detail (sorry for my poor English) ... regards to all Wolfgang