Between the hollowed out voiceless Bell Tower and disregarded opening of The Reliquary where birds now nest in the church erected upon Egil’s island, Egilsay, Egilsey and even Eagleshay where Saint Magnus Erlendsson an Earl of Orkney was martyred.
The island has been recognised under several names and the church here has been venerated as the site of the martyrdom of Saint Magnus. The legend of Saint Magnus Erlendsson an Earl of Orkney born in 1080 and died on 16 April 1117 has been passed down to us even if some believed it more and less. Please see the quote below for those that found a proof to substantiate the legend into history, the vita that is the living even holy writings of a hagiography.
© PHH Sykes 2024
phhsykes@gmail.com
“The island is largely farmland and is known for St Magnus Church, dedicated or re-dedicated to Saint Magnus, who was killed on the island in 1117 by an axe blow to the head. For hundreds of years the story of St. Magnus, part of the Orkneyinga saga, was considered just a legend until a skull with a large crack in it, such as it had been stricken by an axe, was found in the walls of St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.”
Egilsay Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egilsay
