Medieval mystery marvels museum

March 21, 2024 at 7:00 pm

The Latin transcription for the first painting in the triptych’s sequence is understood to read: ‘Indeed, Tirelli, a Northman, sailed from the Orkney Islands with his brother Hrolfre, converted to the faith of Christ’.

A mysterious painting, unearthed in Italy, could place Orkney at the centre of Norman history, The Orcadian can exclusively reveal this week.

Investigative journalism is nothing new to the team at this newspaper, but last month we found ourselves faced by a genuine enigma.

A flurry of blurry images sent by email appeared to show a large stone triptych, allegedly dating from the medieval era — and one thing stood out loud and clear: the words “Orcadibus Insulis”.

So too did images strikingly similar to those on the Bayeux Tapestry, and the mention of an ancient legend surrounding the death of England’s King William II.

Five weeks on, Orkney Museum looks set to make an acquisition it “couldn’t have imagined”.

Read the full story in this week’s edition of The Orcadian, available now in shops and online.