Orkney and Norway links further strengthened

The links between Orkney and Norway will be further strengthened when representatives from the Council and the Orkney Norway Friendship Association attend a number of anniversary events in May to mark 750 years since the first Norwegian laws were published. 

The laws issued by King Magnus VI between 1274 and 1276 were the first to apply to Norway as a whole and would have encompassed Orkney at the time – given the islands were part of the Norwegian Kingdom until joining Scotland some 200 years later. 

“Landslov” (state law) as it was known, was one of the first examples of a European country creating a set of laws in this way – essentially strengthening the central authorities and the King’s power.  

The 750th anniversary event, which includes an exhibition and conferences, will be held in Bergen, Vestland on May 21, 2024. 

Following the invitation to attend from Vestland County Council, Council Convener Graham Bevan, Leader Heather Woodbridge and Chief Executive Oliver Reid will travel to Bergen alongside representatives of the Orkney Norway Friendship Association (ONFA).  

There are also plans for a meeting to be held with Vestland officials on areas of common interest such as renewable energy, climate change and economic collaboration. 

Councillor Bevan said: “In Orkney we have many treasured identities – Orcadian, Scottish, British – but we are just as proud of our Nordic identity, which we mark throughout the year with a number of ceremonies, including the St Lucy parade at Christmas and Norwegian Constitution Day. 

“We thank Mayor Jon Askeland and the people of Vestland for the invitation and we are delighted to accept, further affirming our longstanding and continued friendship. The visit is also a chance for further discussion on matters of a mutual interest. 

“Anyone keen to visit Norway and view the exhibition in Bergen next month can access more information from the Orkney Norway Friendship Association (ONFA).” 

The reaffirmation of the friendship agreement between Orkney and Vestland took place in 2022. The long-standing twinning arrangement has been in place since 1983 initially with Hordaland and the formal agreement was reaffirmed by Vestland County Council. The County of Vestland was created in 2020 when the former counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane merged. 

Here is a joint letter from Convener Graham Bevan and Council Leader Heather Woodbridge in response to the recent public invitation by Mayor Jon Askeland, printed in The Orcadian, to Orkney Islands Council representatives and the people of Orkney to attend the 750th anniversary of the Magnus Lagabøte's Landslov, legal texts: 

To our dear friends across the North Sea, 

What a truly exciting year this is for Norway to celebrate the 750th anniversary of Magnus Lagabøte's Landslov, the revolutionary legal code that standardised and improved laws across the Norse realm, including where we write to you from in the Orkney Islands, which was of course part of the Norwegian Kingdom at that time. 

That shared history between Orkney and Norway binds our people, our history, and our culture together like a tapestry. Almost everywhere in Orkney there is a connection to our valued Norse heritage – our magnificent St Magnus Cathedral was founded in 1137 by the Viking Earl Rognvald; almost every place or island name in some way comes from Old Norse including Orkney itself which was named “Orkneyjar” by the Vikings; our flag features a Nordic cross; and it is even common for children born here to be named after the Norse Earls who governed Orkney such as Magnus, Erlend and Thorfinn as well as girls names of Scandinavian heritage such as Freya, Ingrid and Thora. 

In Orkney, we have many treasured identities – Orcadian, Scottish, British – but we are just as proud of our Nordic identity, which we mark throughout the year with a number of ceremonies including the St. Lucy Ceremony in December and on May 17th we are one of the only places outside Norway to celebrate Syttende mai, the Norwegian Constitution Day.  

We thank your Mayor and our friend, Jon Askeland, for kindly joining us in Orkney for last year’s St Lucy Ceremony and for presenting our people with the traditional gift of a Christmas Tree which took pride of place outside of our beloved cathedral. 

We also thank Mayor Jon and the people of Vestland for inviting representatives from Orkney Islands Council to join your 750th anniversary celebrations taking place in Bergen this May. We are delighted to accept and we look forward to joining you all on behalf of the people of Orkney in celebrating Magnus Lagabøte's Landslov and to continue the deep and cherished friendship between Vestland and the Orkney Islands. 

We hope that others from Orkney make the trip to Norway to take part in the celebrations and visit the exhibition in Bergen. We encourage anyone in Orkney who wishes to attend to contact the Orkney Norway Friendship Association (ONFA) for more information and support. 

To contact ONFA: https://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/onfa/feedback.asp 

Warmest regards from across the icy North Sea which binds our lands together, 

Convener Graham Bevan and Leader Heather Woodbridge 

Orkney Islands Council