Evidence of the last glaciation of the Shetland Islands, UK, is re-examined and combined with new data on terrestrial glacigenic deposits and recent offshore data from the continental shelf to produce a dynamic, integrated model of the history of the whole ice cap. It is shown that evidence which has previously been attributed to last glacial, or earlier, Scandinavian ice incursion, might be explained by the eastwards migration of local ice sheds. At its maximum, the ice sheet reached the continental shelf edge to the west of the islands, at least 75 km east, at least 50 km north and might be seen as a peninsular extension of the Scottish ice sheet to the south. The changing patterns of ice flow during deglaciation are reconstructed, implying an early phase of deglaciation at the west and northwest margins (possibly accounting for the suggested eastern migration of the ice shed), followed by retreat at more northern, then eastern, then southern margins. It is suggested that the above pattern reflects tidewater calving controlled by bathymmetric variation around the ice sheet. During a later phase of deglaciation, the margin of the ice cap may have grounded at around the current -100m bathymmetric contour and from there retreated terrestrially. The importance of topographic control on patterns of deglaciation as ice retreated towards the island group is clearly established. Some minor moraines in parts of Shetland are due to active ice margins but their age is unknown. Radiocarbon dates reported here show that the last glaciation was Late Weichselian and that the maximum northern extent was at least 50 km north of the islands. The concepts of an eastwards migrating ice shed and an early, extensive ice cap retreating to a grounding point, could have parallels elsewhere in Scotland during the last glaciation. The methodology applied in this study of Shetland - integrating onshore and offshore data, and developing a dynamic picture of the whole ice cap - needs to be applied to the last Scottish ice sheet also.

Based around the concepts of landscape and identity, this thesis examines several contemporary debates in the Shetland Islands with a view to finding out more about where people in this group of islands currently ‘are’ in terms of their geographical and cultural location, from both a local and non-local perspective. Drawing on a multi-method approach, including textual analysis, participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the study points to the often complex and contentious relationship between power structures and notions of local versus national interests, particularly in the areas of landscape management and nature conservation. The image of Shetland is also discussed in some detail, revealing the importance of how this island group is perceived both outside the islands and among people living in Shetland. It becomes evident, in this context, that ideas associated with ‘northness’ and ‘remoteness’ can be understood as something quite problematic while, at the same time, such ideas can also be used as an asset with which to brand the islands to external markets. The study is set against a backdrop of devolved power structures, nation building and the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence. From a broader perspective, the thesis ties in with a more general discourse in which local and place specific studies are gaining increasing importance in what is frequently referred to as a rapidly globalizing world.

Šioje disertacijoje tyrinėjami keltų ir skandinavų kalbų ir kultūriniai kontaktai Vikingų laikotarpiu, atnešę esminių permainų abiems kultūroms. Vikingų epochos Meno salos runų įrašai savo forma, turiniu bei kalbos ypatybėmis skiriasi nuo skandinaviškų runų korpuso. Šios salos runų įrašams įtakos turėjo Ogamo įrašų tradicija, dėl kurios runų tradicija suklestėjo Meno saloje Vikingų laikotarpiu. Vienas iš unikaliausių bruožų yra taip vadinamieji dvikalbiai runakmeniai, kur greta runų įrašo yra Ogamo įrašas, išraižytas ant akmens tuo pat metu kaip ir runos. Svarbus Meno salos runų įrašų skiriamasis bruožas – jų kalbiniai ypatumai. Viena vertus, runose gausu keltiškų vardų, antra vertus, galima pastebėti, jog senosios skandinavų kalbos gramatika gerokai pakitusi. Ištyrus runų įrašus matyti, kaip skandinavų kalbos gramatika keičiasi dvikalbėje visuomenėje. Antroje disertacijos dalyje aptariami keltiški elementai vienintelėje išlikusioje norn kalba užrašytoje „Baladėje apie Hildiną“, kuri buvo sukurta nuolat besikeičiančioje kalbinėje, socialinėje ir kultūrinėje aplinkoje. Jūrinės Šetlando ir Orknio salų visuomenės generavo įvairius pasakojimus, kurių motyvai ir elementai atkeliaudavo iš įvairių kraštų. „Baladė apie Hildiną“ yra neabejotinai vakarų skandinavų kilmės, tačiau joje aptinkama keltiškų motyvų. Baladės teksto analizė rodo, jog pasakojimo lygmenyje ji yra nemažai pasiskolinusi iš keltų pasakojamosios tradicijos. Ypač ryški „karaliaus ir deivės tema“. Tačiau jei ir būta... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This dissertation deals with Viking Age Celtic and Scandinavian language and cultural contacts which resulted in profound changes in both societies. Viking Age rune-stones found in the Isle of Man contain some exceptional features and in many ways diverge from the rest of the Scandinavian runic corpus. Presence of the Ogam tradition in the Isle of Man might have been one of the factors why rune-stones were so well accepted and flourished in the isle during the Viking Age. One of the most unique features is the presence of bilingual runic-Ogam inscriptions which were carved at the same time as runic inscriptions and not earlier. Linguistic research of the Manx rune-inscriptions revealed the influence of Celtic upon Scandinavian language. First of all, rune-inscriptions contain a lot of Celtic personal names. Besides, there are many cases of inflectional confusion that is likely to arise in a bilingual society. The second part of the dissertation discusses Celtic elements in the only surviving ballad in Norn language Hildinavisen, which seems to have been created in continually changing linguistic, social and cultural conditions. The marine societies of Shetland and Orkney Islands generated various stories, where motifs and elements traveled from various directions. Hildinavisen is certainly of West Scandinavian origin, but it contains or rather is adorned with Celtic motifs. The analysis of the text of Hildinavisen seems to indicate that in the level of the story Hildinavisen... [to full text]