Orkney Folk Tales

Orkney Folk Tales gathers traditional stories linked to the islands’ Pictish and Viking past, preserving legends shaped by sea, landscape and belief. Tom Muir retells accounts in which Orkney is formed from a monster’s teeth, while a giant creates lochs and hills in pursuit of fertile ground. Another story attributes the movement of the waves to a goddess, giving the surrounding waters a distinctly mythic presence.

Muir was born in Orkney and works as a professional storyteller, bringing an Orcadian perspective to these inherited narratives. The collection presents local tradition through tales of creation, giants and divine power, showing how the islands’ natural features and maritime setting have been given meaning through storytelling.