Mikill Ofláti ‘A Great Show-off’: Expressions of Self in the Runic Inscriptions of Maeshowe, Orkney
This article examines the runic inscriptions of Maeshowe, Orkney, and discusses how they can be read as expressions of the carvers’ sense of self. I demonstrate that we find various expressions of self in Maeshowe related to runic skills, storytelling, sex, and religious beliefs. Drawing on a combination of cognitive theory and practice theory, I argue that while the inscriptions reveal several topics of interest to the carvers, what they express most of all is the carvers’ wish to be part of the social group. Finally, I hold that there are thematic similarities between the Maeshowe inscriptions and other Norse medieval non-ecclesiastical graffiti inscriptions. Outside of Maeshowe, such inscriptions are mainly found in Norway. Therefore, I argue that the Maeshowe inscriptions should be seen as related to the Norwegian runic tradition.
Publisert i Viking and Medieval Scandinavia, 2020
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