ORKNEY 
wegian invafion, the inhabitants of Orkney appear to have 
been worfhippers of the fun, and to have had Druids for 
“their event, however, brought along with i 
r; and thote ie fell - battle were deemeti fo many 
victims on his altars. Death in a@tion was the fureft pafs- 
port to his paradile,, the plete of which confifted of in- 
dulging in immortal nkennefs, accompanied with the 
Hee) of Lae Oe or of drinking ale to all eternity out of 
the fkulls of ane 
id “worhhip fucceeded the milder doGtrines of 
end of the tenth century, when 
The manner in 
ipa te was Ou Naa. 
the t 
earneft defire of converting ethers. 
cordingly, he vifited Ireland; and on his return, beau ught 
his fleet to anchor in one of the harbsurs of South Ronald- 
fay, and fent an invitation to Sigurd and his fon to come on 
board his fhi The earl fufpecting no treachery, and co 
fident in his acknowledged fame and power, a com- 
plied, imagining that the king i to hold a paral 
with him refpecting fome military ent was foon, 
however, undeceived, by Olaus telling him the objet of his 
expedition, and declariny, that unlefs a and his people would 
immediately embrace the Chiiitian faith, he would defclate 
his country, and put every heretic to death. Sigurd, thorgh 
confounded at this unexpected threat, TT an{wered 
with fir rmnefs, that he could not fuffer him mfelf to renounce 
=] 
fhould be guilty of fuch abjuration. wegian mo- 
narch ae by feizing the fon of the ay a cane he 
e his fword into his breait, fh his father con- 
was followed (hortly after by all the people; and, from that 
perioc, Chriftianity conflituted the ye of the Orkneys, 
which, with Shetla:d, ever after f one 
Some of the prelates who filled this fee were men diftin- 
guifhed, not only as divines, but as eminent iiterary and 
political chara€ters. Among the more ceiebrated « 
were Robert Reid and Adam Bothwell 
8000 marks, for the purpofe of founding a college in Edin- 
burgh. Adam Bothwell, his fuccefflor, was the firft epil- 
copal peaae a of the ifles. This prelate performed the mar- 
riage ceremony between queen Mary and Boihwel; and 
alfo aaa her fon, king James, after fhe was com. 
pelled to refign her crown. By his affiitance the Scotch 
laws were firft collef&ted into a body, and publifhed; and 
when the unhappy differences occurred between the young 
_ king and his nother, during ber imprifonment in Engiand, 
he was chofen by the e&ates to aid the regent in bringing 
them to a termination. 
So long as the Catholic and epifcopal form of church 
evernment continued in thefe iflands, eighteen ordinary 
oie acne clergymen were ftationed here. The fame num- 
er was employed after the eftablifhment of pre fbyterianifm ; 
moft of whom had, as their fucceffors itill have, two or even 
ISLANDS. 
all the parifhes both of Orkney aa. of Shet 
Civil Government.—Before the transfer of ae Orkneys to 
the crown of Scotland, the inhabitants were governed by 
the laws, and adhered to the cuftoms of Norwa Indee 
for a long period after they changed their matters, the iflands 
fill retained the fame political conftitution as be The 
fupreme court, ca'led in the language of the comme law- 
ting, continued in the exercife of its legiflative powers fo 
late even as the time of the commonwealth, when it was 
entirely abolithed. The aéts paffed in this aflembly, which 
are ftili known under the name of county aéts, are faid by 
Mr. Barry to difcover much regard to the profperity of the 
place, as police regulations, though lamentably defective on 
the fubjeét of trade and commerce, The conftitution of the 
lawting is f{uppofed to have refembled, in vg degree, that 
of the tyndal-court, or houfe-cf-key:, int e of Man. 
The prefident, or principal perfon of this ue was named 
the great foud, or lagman; and fubordinate to him were 
feveral little fouds, or under-fherifis or bailiffs: and as the 
of jultice in the refpective iflands. 
added, at leaft latierly, the governors for the time, the 
gentlemen of the county, and even a certain number of the 
eae vine among a free Lae a claimed a vote in 
lord lieutenant of the county,: 
Orkney and the Shetland ifles, has the one of nominating 
ho ae s conftables, a faceeatend the morals of the 
ated par ines wall, which is the feat of juf- 
tice, there are, befides the ‘heriff?s court, a ated a 
juftice of the peace, and admiralty court. miflary 
court is appropriated to pleas of an ee a aun fuch 
s divorces, marriages See spe meee 
to contain nearly 
The former is a royal burgh, and the capital of the county 5 
but 
