Alicen Geddes

Supervisors

Professor Donna Heddle (INS, UHI), and Dr Kyle Smith (UHI)

Research Title

‘Rognvald’s Compass: Navigating Inspirations from Orkneyinga Saga’s Imprint’

Research Abstract

This thesis analyses the relationship between the skaldic verse of Earl Rognvald Kali Kolsson in Orkneyinga Saga, and contemporary inspired works, and claims that this has become a compelling facet which gives Orkneyinga Saga a new identity, in a northern dimension. The narrative of Norse artwork perpetuated from the saga’s imprint, akin to a wax seal, transforms into a living, breathing, body of work, continually reproducing itself in fragments of contemporary writing. Three thesis statements develop with the first to discuss, how being an Orkney islander can shape perceptions, from the literature and environment. The second highlights the Orcadian collective mind as an integral construct, created by a shared heritage, when it is embedded into everyday lives, and as an extension of that, acting as a paper funnel from the 12th century to the ink and paper of today. The ultimate thread of the thesis problem is analysis of the dróttkvœtt stanza, the Old Norse poetic composition that Earl Rognvald was master. Identifying modern writers who have experimented with their own dróttkvœtt stanza in Rognvald’s reflection, can bring out facets of the original poetry to enable a richer understanding of the Earl’s verse. This accomplished skald, sits at the helm of the ship as an archetype, figuratively, and genuinely, whose poetry is presently acknowledged by academics as being understudied.

This research is significant because it is a barometer reading, and impact- statement of how Orkneyinga Saga has influenced the Orcadian literary milieu. The key aspect of this research is Orkney-specific, and it is this that makes this thesis fulfil a definitive research gap. Following a top-heavy George Mackay Brown saturation of writers emulating and critiquing his work, this thesis excludes Orkney’s grandfather of literature, effectively opening up the conversation to create, an academically unparalleled ‘post-Brown’ contemporary impression of the saga imprint.

Biography

Alicen Geddes is a full-time PhD student at the Institute for Northern Studies, based at Scott’s House, Kirkwall. Before coming to INS Alicen studied at Orkney College UHI, where she achieved a BA (Hons) in Literature. Alicen’s undergraduate thesis, ‘To the Sea I Belong: A Four Stanza Window into Orkneyinga Saga’ was the basis for a natural progression to her Master’s thesis.

Before this research Alicen was an Artistic Theatre Director, touring internationally, and a playwright of seven plays, works being performed, for example, at The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, and Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. She is a Member of the Society of Authors, having had five books published with subsequent French and Japanese translations.

Related links https://alicen-geddes.co.uk

Contact email address 19013337@uhi.ac.uk