Ancient history of Orkney, Caithness and the North.
English translation of Orcades sue rerum by Tormodus Torfaeus

English translation and historical notes by Rev. Alexander Pope
Wick, 1866

Tormod Torfaesson, known as Torfaeus (1636-1719) was the son of Torf Erlendsson, an Icelander. Educated at the University of Copenhagen he became historiographer to King Christian V of Denmark. Working among the Royal Archives at Copenhagen the Danish historian Torfaeus had access to the ancient records of the Kingdom of Norway (which had been carried to Denmark after the Union of Kalmar 1389) together with various early manuscripts of the Norse sagas. His work Orcades seu rerum Orcadensium, published in Latin in 1697 for the first time made available to scholars the fascinating genealogies locked away in the old Norse sagas. An abridged version of Torfaeus's work was translated into English by the Rev. Alexander Pope, minister of Reay (c.1706-1782) and published posthumously with added historical notes by Peter Reid at Wick in 1866.

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