Old Lore Miscellany of the Viking Club for Northern Research March 2022

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The Old-Lore Miscellany of Orkney, Shetland, Caithness and Sutherland is a series of journals published by the Viking Society for Northern Research in 75 parts between 1909 and 1946. Originally founded as the Viking Club in 1892, it became the Viking Club or Society for Northern Research in 1902, and the Viking Society for Northern Research 1912. Any of these names may be found as the publisher on the 75 parts of the Old-Lore series of journals.

More information on the history and current activities of the Viking Society for Northern Research can be found on their website https://vsnr.org/. The society is still active, both publishing and holding meetings. Details can also be found on their website.

The Old-Lore journals are a valuable resource of knowledge and information, covering the Viking period of Orkney, Shetland, Caithness and Sutherland. Many of the contributors will be well known, such as Jessie Saxby, Hugh Marwick & Ernest Marwick. A full list of authors with an index of the papers can be found in J.A.B. Townsend’s Index to the Old-Lore Miscellany 1992. ISBN 978 0 903521 26 0.

A comprehensive list of downloadable PDFs of Viking Club publications can be found at http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/

Navigating the journals is a nightmare and Townsend’s Index is a valuable tool. Three separate series are interwoven amongst the 75 journals. The main titles being The Old-Lore Miscellany, The Orkney & Shetland Records, and The Caithness & Sutherland Records; the Orkney and Shetland records are further divided into the sub sections of translations of a series of Viking Records known collectively as Diplomatarium Orcadense et Hiatlandese, and translations of records relating to land ownership entitled The Sasines. The first two parts of Volume 10 of the Old-Lore series were issued as additional sections in Volume 11 of the Viking Society’s Saga-Book series.

As a rough guide to what to expect if you were able to obtain and bind the complete set of works you would have -

• Old Lore Miscellany of Orkney, Shetland, Caithness & Sutherland 10 volumes

• Orkney & Shetland Records, including the Sasines 3 Volumes

• Caithness and Sutherland records 1 volume

Copies of these journals rarely come to market, and are usually found as paper wrapped parts. However original subscribers of the work were able to have volumes bound at a cost 1/6d by Messrs Curtis & Beamish, 40 Hertford Street, Coventry. Bound copies are very scarce.

The last almost complete set that I am aware of, as there is no reference to Volume 9 & 10 in the lot description, was sold at auction in 2009 by Lyon & Turnbull Edinburgh for £650 plus commission. It included some other journals such as Saga Books.

Birsay Books has acquired a near complete run of the Old-Lore series from 3 different sources, and a further set of volumes 1 to 8. We are pleased to offer them for sale. Also on offer are a number of Saga Books. Where possible sets of journals have been collected in complete Volumes, in addition there are a large number of individual parts. All are in paper wraps. We also have a number of individual parts priced £5 each – please ask if you are seeking a specific issue.

OL1.1: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 1

This set consists of 8 parts published in 1907 & 1908. We can also offer the 2^nd issue revised index with this set. There is no title page as that was issued with the 1^st revision of the index. Priced £45.
We have another similar set available

OL1.2: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 1

This set consists of 8 parts published in 1907 & 1908. With the 1^st and 2^nd revisions of the index, so it is corrected and has the title page. Priced £50.

OL2.1: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 2

Complete with 4 parts published in 1909. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25
Another set without index or title page priced £20

OL3.1: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 3

Complete with 4 parts published in 1910. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL3.2: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 3

Complete with 4 parts published in 1910. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL4.1 Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 4

Complete with 4 parts published in 1911. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL 4.2: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 4

Complete with 4 parts published in 1911. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25
1 other similar set available lacking index and title page for £20

OL5.1: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 5

Complete with 4 parts published in 1912. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL5.2: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 5

Complete with 4 parts published in 1912. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL6.1: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 6

Complete with 4 parts published in 1913. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL6.2: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 6

Complete with 4 parts published in 1913. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL6.3: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 6 Scarce Bound Volume.

Complete with 4 parts published in 1913 Index and Title Page. Priced £60

OL7.1: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 7

Complete with 4 parts published in 1914. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL7.2: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 7

Complete with 4 parts published in 1914. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL8.1 Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 8

Complete with 4 parts published in 1915. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL8.2: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 8

Complete with 4 parts published in 1915. This set includes the Index and Title Page. Priced £25

OL9: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 9

Complete with 4 parts but lacks the Index and Title Page. Priced £20

OL10: Old-Lore Miscellany Volume 10

Parts 1 to 6 bound in red cloth. Lacks part 7 [pp 293-321] and index. Scarce volume £40

C1: Caithness and Sutherland Records Volume 1 (only volume printed) 1909-1928

in 11 parts, part 11 is the index and title page. Original papers wraps and all ½ titles. Being a collection of ‘miscellaneous documents’ edited and translated by the Rev Henry Paton MA, published in Latin and English. The set for £60

We also have some odd volumes £2 each
Parts 1,2,4,5,6
Also in stock are odd volumes of the Orkney & Shetland records and Sasines all priced £2 each
Volume 1 Part 5
Volume 1 Part 6
Volume 1 Part 7
Volume 1 Part 8
Volume 1 Part 9
Volume 1 Part 12
Volume 2 Part 4
Volume 2 Part 5
Volume 3 part 3
Sasines Volume 2 Part 3
Plus a bound volume of Volume 1 parts 3,5,6,7,8 £25

The best known publications of the Viking Club are their Saga Books which contain a series of papers relevant to Viking settlement in Northern Britain. All are in their original paper wraps, clean contents, with chipping to the paper spines.

S1: Volume 3 Part 3 January 1904 £10

S2: Volume 4 complete Part 1 January 1905 Part 2 January 1906 £25

S3: Volume 5 complete Part 1 April 1907 Part 2 April 1908 £25

S4: Volume 6 complete Part 1 January 1909 Part 2 January 1910 £25

S5: Volume 11 Parts 1 & 2 only of 3 1928-1935 Includes Old Lore Miscellany Volume 10 Part 1 £10

S6: Volume 12 Parts 1 & 2 only of 3 1937-1940 £10

S7: Volume 13 parts 1 to 5 £40 and another part 2 & part 3 £10 each

S8: Volume 19 Parts 1 & 4 only of 4 1974-1977 £10 Another Part 1 for £5

S9: Volume 20 Parts 1 to 4 1978-1981 £20

S10: Volume 21 Parts 1 to 4 1982-1985 £20

Other Viking Society publications currently in stock

John F West . Beinta Og Peder Arrheboe: A Case Study in Faroese Oral Tradition; Reprint from Saga-Book Vol XXI Parts 1-2. London: Viking Society for Northern Research, 1982-3. reprint . Offprint with author's complements. Very good. Softcover. (1644) £1.00

M J Driscoll (editor and translator) . Agrip Af Noregskonungasqgum. A Twelfth-Century Synoptic History of the Kings of Norway. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 1995. 1st Edition. ISBN: 090352127x. Fine. Softcover. (3975) £10.00

Martin Arnold and Alison Finlay (editors) . Making History. Essays on the Fornaldarsogur. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 2010. 1st Edition. ISBN: 9780903521840. Fine. Softcover . (3976) £8.00

Philip Lavender (editor and translator) . Illuga Saga Gridarfostra. The Saga of Illugi, Gridur's Foster-Son. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 2015. 1st Edition. ISBN: 9780903521918. Fine. Softcover . (3978) £8.00

Armann Jakobsson and David Clark . The Saga of Bishop Thorlak. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 2013. 1st Edition. ISBN: 9780903521888. Fine. Softcover . (3979) £8.00

David Clark and Carl Phelpstead (editors) . Old Norse made New. Essays on the Post-Medieval reception of old Norse literature and culture. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 2007. 1st Edition. ISBN: 9780903521765. Fine. Softcover . (3980) £8.00

Dario Bullitta (editor and translator) . Pals Leizla. The Vision of St Paul. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 2017. 1st Edition. ISBN: 9780903521963. Fine. Softcover. (3981) £8.00

Helen Carron (editor and translator) . Clemens Saga. The Life of St Clement of Rome. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 2005. 1st Edition. ISBN: 0903521679. Fine. Softcover . (3982) £8.00

Eric Christiansen . The Works of Sven Aggesen. Twelfth-Century Danish Historian. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 1992. 1st Edition. ISBN: 0903521245. Fine. Softcover . (3985) £9.00

William W Ratter . A Boat Song from Unst. London: Viking Society for Northern Research , 1946. Offprint . Tatty offprint from Miscellany Vol X part VI. In old wraps and staple bound . Fair. Softcover - staple bound . (4312) £0.20

John Mooney and others. Octocentenary of S Magnus Cathedral Kirkwall. The Church of Scotland St Magnus Cathedral Kirkwall Octo-Centenary Memento 1937. Saint Magnus Cathedral Octocentenary 1937. St Magnus Cathedral Kirkwall. An Octocentenary Souvenir. Kirkwall: Viking Society of Northern Research. James Brown. Royal Burgh of Kirkwall. David Spence, 1937. 1st Edition. 4 booklets produced for the 1137 - 1937 celebrations of St Magnus Cathedral. All are complete and internally clean. They are staple bound so the staples are getting a bit rusty. Covers generally sound and clean. Good +. Softcover - staple bound . (5606) £30.00

Here is a list of the 75 issues of the Old-Lore Series giving their volume and part number for the Old-Lore Miscellany, Orkney & Shetland Records and the Caithness & Sutherland Records.

If you spot any errors or have any additions please let us know.