Talk:Maeshowe

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In the Orkneyinga Saga its Earl Harald Maddadarson and not Rognvald who breaks into Maes Howe in - presumably - the early 1150's

[edit] The name

Should the main entry not be for Maeshowe with Maes Howe redirecting to that, since the one word version of the name is correct? Lianachan 08:30, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Hard call, many places I respect say Maes Howe, but the OS and Visit Scotland say Maeshowe, so I've moved it to that. wangi 14:04, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Anywhere that says Maes Howe isn't worthy of such respect! Lianachan 15:12, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

Well... http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/brogar.htm is probably useful to keep in mind for a reference. wangi 15:28, 7 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Chambered cairn design

The design of Maeshowe, to my eye, closely resembles that of Newgrange. Does anyone have formal expertise on this point? Jeremy Tobacman 15:50, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

There are definate similarities, especially with regards to the winter solstice illumination of the back wall, but I'm afraid I don't know enough about Newgrange to go into whether the similarities are superficial. I don't even know how Newgrange is classed (Maeshowe, of course, is a "Maeshowe-type"!) Lianachan 16:34, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] On the first part of the name...

Just out of interest, is there no mention in the litterature of the other norse word for "great", which survives today in danish placenames "Møgeltønder" (Great Tønder) and "Store Magleby" (literally "Big Bigtown"). The base of the word is magul or magli or something like that. The word is a cognate of the first part of the german "Mecklenburg" (transliterable to "Greatcastle"), which incidentally is also the translation used by J.R.R Tolkien for Moria : "Mickleburg".--AkselGerner (talk) 20:35, 6 April 2008 (UTC)