Mastodawn

Fiona Campbell-Howes May 2, 2023

My latest blog for fans of early medieval Scottish (and Welsh) archaeology: What can the Pillar of Eliseg tell us about Sueno's Stone? https://fortrenn.substack.com/p/what-can-the-pillar-of-eliseg-tell #EarlyMedieval #Pictish

What can the Pillar of Eliseg tell us about Sueno's Stone?

In which I think about analysing Sueno's Stone using techniques applied with great success to the ninth-century Pillar of Eliseg in north Wales

Becoming an Early Medievalist

Fiona Campbell-Howes Feb 5, 2023

I've been away, learning how to map historical data using Google My Maps: https://fortrenn.substack.com/p/mapping-pictish-stones-with-google

Mapping Pictish stones with Google My Maps

In which I learn—and share—an easy way to use spatial data for historical research

Becoming an Early Medievalist

Fiona Campbell-Howes Jan 11, 2023

A new blog, in which I dig into a cluster of 'earn' place-names in Moray and Nairnshire, and mull W.J. Watson's theory that they all mean 'Ireland': https://fortrenn.substack.com/p/earn-place-names-in-moray-early-irish

'Earn' place-names in Moray: Early Irish colonies?

In which I examine a theory that sees 'earn' place-names as indicators of early Gaelic settlement on the Moray Firth

Becoming an Early Medievalist

Fiona Campbell-Howes Dec 24, 2022

Erik Kwakkel Dec 24, 2022

Horrendous story of how a scholar’s work was lifted from his blog and published by another scholar as her own. For context, the blogger, Peter Kidd, is highly respected and has made numerous contributions to manuscropt studies via his blog, which is his main publication platform. Among the worrying elements of this story: that blogs are not real publications, so contents can be used without attribution. It happens more often.

https://mssprovenance.blogspot.com/2022/12/nobody-cares-about-your-blog.html

"Nobody cares about your blog!"

Fiona Campbell-Howes Dec 23, 2022

Starting work on quite a daunting blog post, looking at place-names in Moray and Nairnshire (past and present) that include the elements 'ern', 'earn', 'eren', 'erin', 'erne', 'herin' and 'heryn'. Do all these elements refer to 'Eriu', or Ireland, as toponymists have suggested? And if so, why?

Fiona Campbell-Howes Dec 21, 2022

OMG Substack is down. Begun the birdsite-alternative wars have.

Fiona Campbell-Howes Dec 21, 2022

Flitcraft Dec 21, 2022

Oh good grief people are putting round that nonsense about alewives giving rise to witch stereotypes and being targeted as accused witches again. It got covered in two normally fairly reliable places which have failed to fact check it properly. Please don't circulate it. It's not the case.
#ScottishHistory #Scottishwitchcraft #witchcraft #witchhunts #alewives

Fiona Campbell-Howes Dec 20, 2022

Just listened to the new BBC World Service #TheDarkIsRising adap on a dark evening walk around Penryn. The start was a bit more brooding than I usually read it, but after that it was excellent; superbly told with some genuinely scary bits. Well worth a listen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4lzn

The Dark Is Rising - 1. Midwinter Eve - BBC Sounds

This night will be bad. Tomorrow will be beyond all imagining

BBC

Fiona Campbell-Howes Dec 19, 2022

For fans of the book - which will be dramatised on the BBC World Service starting tomorrow - this RSA event is online today from 1-2pm: https://www.thersa.org/events/2022/12/stories-against-the-dark

Stories against the dark

For our final event of the year, join us for a festive treat! Live in person from the Great Room, multi-award-winning author Robert Macfarlane and acclaimed theatre-maker Simon McBurney explore the power and purpose of storytelling when dark times draw near.

The RSA

Fiona Campbell-Howes Dec 19, 2022

OK, I'm back on Mastodon and I'm looking for people to follow who are working on #EarlyMedieval #VikingAge Scotland - any recommendations? (Other EM geographic focuses also welcome!)