The islands are famed for being quiet and peaceful most of the visitors are 60+ and families due to this many of the magazines, guide books and books about the Orkney's are all similar in style. The book covers above show a overriding theme of mythological imagery, the type used is mainly serif or like this celtic style. The books often show a mystical image of one of the historical land marks. As all these designs feel a bit naff however it works and feels relevant to the Orkney's and must be effective for the target market as almost every book from the Orkney's is within this style. In my workings I feel it would be interesting to see if I could recreate these kind of mystical, story like aesthetics and make it a bit more modern and fit into both they typographic book circle and the Orkney publications. As the Orkney's is famous for its ancient history many of the books are about Viking tales, Neolithic stories and theories and of course guide books about birds, the things to see and other tourist information. This must in a way be evident in my own publication. At this point my concept seems to be developing as an Guide to type on the Orkney islands. The target market would then be split between people interested in type and visitors to the Orkney's. It is important to make sure that it is not one or the other but both, so someone visiting the Orkneys with no interest in type can engage with the publication and vice versa.
Engraving and carvings formulates a large part of the history of the Orkney's. The ancient burial chamber of Maeshowe houses one of the best preserved collection of 12th century Viking carvings. I found these totally fascinating on my trip and I would love to feature some kind of imagery in my publication based upon this. On top of this some of my images feature ruins of both Viking and Neolithic settlements and structures this is a direct connection from my work and both these ancient cultures.
The Maeshowe Dragon.
These two images above show the Maeshowe Dragon, one of the most instantly recognisable symbols of Orkney around today. Thought to be carved in the 12th century by Norsemen that had broke into the Maeshowe cave this illustration shows a dragon/lion like creature. A quote taken from - http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/maeshowe/maeshdragon.htm - 'whatever the carving was meant to represent, there is no doubt that today, over 800 years after it was first carved in Maeshowe, the "dragon" has become a potent a symbol of our history and heritage.' As this symbol is specific to the Orkney's and to the kind of history of found engravings and typography this image along with the Viking lettering seen in Maeshowe this would be an effective way of linking my images to some history of the Orkney's. It could be displayed effectively in an introduction to the book explaining the origins of the carving and how it has been discovered.
Possible areas of interest based on things to see in the Orkney's
The Ring of Brodgar - Featured as my letter I this Neolithic stone circle is one of the oldest stone circles in the world and is a must see landmark of the Orkney's. Includes loads of mythical tales and stories.
Skara Brae - The oldest settlement in Scotland. Ancient ruins of a settlement older than the Great Pyramids left undiscovered for years. Much like the Rind of Brodgar the ruins are a must see and have many stories and mythical tales connected to them.
Ness of Brodgar - This Neolithic Cathedral has an extra connection to my trip as we were able to visit the site while it was being excavated. There are many unanswered questions about the Ness of Brodgar that adds more intrigue.
St Magnus Cathedral - The most Northernly Cathedral in the British Isle, a staggering example of Romanesque Architecture built intially in 1137 at a time when Orkney was ruled by the Vikings.
Maeshowe - An epic of Neolithic design this large chamber is said to be 4,800 years old. The chamber houses the Vikiing engravings that I have perviously touched on.
The Italian Chapel - Built by Italian prisoners of war this chapel is the accomplishments of years of hard work and dedication. The story behind the chapel is a captivating one and this chapel has become one of the most visited of the Orkney's.
As these are some of the most visited and interesting areas of the Orkney's featuring them in my own publication will add to the content of the book and make it more enjoyable for the reader.
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