NORMANDY NEWS
The conference organised in Normandy on The Viking Maritime Heritage in Western Europe, with which readers of the SPNNews will be familiar, passed off successfully from 30 Sept. to 3 Oct. 1999. It was the first event to be held in the brand-new, high-tech conference centre beside the little village of Flottemanville-Hague near Cherbourg. The local population showed its lively interest in the subject, with daily attendances of between 100 and 150 people.
The SPNSociety was well represented, with 8 members giving papers. One whole day was devoted to toponymy, especially maritime, with contributions by R. Cox (Aberdeen), D. Mac Giolla Easpaig (Dublin), R. Lepelley (Normandy) and D. Waugh (Edinburgh).
The proceedings of the conference will be published by Caen University Press at the end of 2000.
I have also written a full report of the Conference in French in Archéologia 362 (Dec. 1999); also a short article on the Viking nautical heritage in Normandy in the bulletin of OUEN (Office Universitaire d'Etudes Normandes). Let me know if you would like a copy by writing to me at OUEN, Université de Caen, 14032 Caen Cédex, France.
Elisabeth Ridel
In the last Newsletter (#4) we carried a piece on an exciting new project based in Normandy, with strong toponymic interest, which has received funding from both the European Community and the local District of la Hague. As promised, we bring you an up-date from the co-ordinator, Elisabeth Ridel:
Within the framework of the Raphaël Programme, the District of la Hague and the School of Normandy Studies ('l'Office Universitaire d'Etudes Normandes' OUEN), Caen, are organising, with the support of the Scottish Place-Name Society, a conference entitled 'The Viking Maritime Heritage in North-West Europe'; Date: 30 September - 3 October, 1999; Place: Omonville-La-Rouge, canton de Beaumont-Hague, by Cherbourg, France.
Please note my new address:
Elisabeth Ridel (conference organiser), 26 rue de l'Ancien Quai, F-50100 Cherbourg, France.
Tel. 0033 (0)2 31 56 62 97 fax 0033 (0)2 31 56 64 30.
British Contact: Simon Taylor, St Andrews Scottish Studies Institute, St Andrews KY16 9AL Tel. 01334 462942 fax 01334 463334.
Academic Committee Members:
Dr B Crawford, St Andrews University; Dr C Etchingham, National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Dr G Fellows-Jensen, Copenhagen University; Mr D Mac Giolla Easpaig, Ordnance Survey, Dublin; M. R Lepelley, OUEN, Caen; M. F Neveux, OUEN, Caen; Ms O Owen, Historic Scotland, Edinburgh; Dr M Redknap, National Museums, Wales; Mle. E Ridel, OUEN, Caen; M. E Rieth, Musée de la Marine, Paris.
Conference Organising Committee
M. P Bouet, OUEN, Caen; M. F Neveux, OUEN, Caen; M. F Renault, technical adviser, Normandy; Mle. E Ridel, OUEN, Caen; Dr S. Taylor, University of St Andrews (British contact).
Elisabeth Ridel, a SPNSociety member, who is writing her Ph.D. thesis on Norse-derived place-names on the Normandy coast, reports on exciting developments on the other side of ‘La Manche':
In January or February 1999 in Normandy, probably in Cherbourg, I am organising a conference entitled ‘The Viking Maritime Heritage in North-West Europe (Great Britain, Ireland and Normandy)'. This conference is being held under the auspices of the Raphael Programme, a European project for the appreciation of European cultural heritage, and will lead on to a permanent exhibition on the above-mentioned theme.
The project has recently received financial backing from the District of la Hague [the origin of the Scots surname Haig, ed.] and the European Community. It has received generous moral support from the Scottish Place-Name Society, The Maritime Fife Project and the Institute of Maritime Studies, University of St Andrews, as well as l'Office Universitaire d'Etudes Normandes, University of Caen and St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland.
The Conference will be multi-disciplinary (archaeology, toponymy and historical linguistics) and will cover the following: 1) the boat: Scandinavian influence on boat-construction, nautical vocabulary; 2) fishing: names of marine flora and fauna, fishing techniques, maritime law; 3) description of the sea-scape: maritime toponymy; and 4) possible studies on the ‘Viking myth'.
Any suggestions for papers or themes for the Conference will be gratefully received. Please write to me at:
Les Aunettes, 14 330 Le Molay-Littry, France. Phone & fax 00332 31923155.
Congratulations to Ms Ridel and the District de la Hague on their successful application to the E.C.. Scottish Place-Name News will of course keep the SPNSoc. membership informed of developments.