Blockships from World War I
On our way to the Tomb of the Eagles, we drove through magnificent landscapes and a number of islands connected through the so-called Churchill Barriers, a series of four causeways linking the Orkney Mainland in the north to the island of South Ronaldsay via Burray and the two smaller islands of Lamb Holm and Glimps Holm.As we crossed the barriers, we saw some very fascinating shipwrecks just outside the roads. It turns out these were blockships deliberately sunk in the smaller channels during World War I to further prevent the possibility of the Germans gaining access into Scapa Flow.
Building the Churchill Barriers
However, during World War II a submarine did manage to sail through Kirk Sound, navigating past the blockships at high tide and getting to Scapa Flow undetected. At Scapa Flow HMS Royal Oak was sunk by torpedoes, killing 834 men.
Following this incident, the Churchill Barriers were built to prevent any further attacks. A shortage of local labour was causing delays, so in 1942 Italian Prisoners of War were shipped in to work on the huge building project. Out of the around 2000 people working on the project, 1300 were Italian prisoners.The barriers were built primarily as naval defences to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow, but now serve as road links.
Tomb of the Eagles
The visit to the Tomb of the Eagles started at the visitor centre, where two of the guides gave us a thirty minute personal talk about the two sites we would be visiting, namely the Bronze Age site and the Neolithic Tomb of the Eagles.We were shown artefacts found at the sites and were allowed to handle the least delicate ones. As we were looking at three of the around 30 human skulls found in the tomb, I was fascinated by how good teeth they had. Clearly no sugar, juice or fizzy drinks for these guys.
A tomb full of human bones
Even more interesting was how the bodies were prepared before burial in the tomb. Marks found on the bones indicate that the bodies have been left outside to be picked clean by birds and animals, before the skeletons were taken to the tomb.
The skulls were placed in one chamber while the rest of the bones were placed in another. It is not known why the bones were separated like this, but it must have been a bit of a shock for Orkney farmer Ronnie Simison to find a chamber full of human skulls in the tomb he found on his land .After the farmer discovered the tomb with 16 000 human bones, he notified the authorities and was told they would excavate the site in a year or two. 18 years later no one had turned up and he therefore did the excavation himself, after having observed the professional archeologists excavate the Bronze Age site.
Educational display about the Mesolithic period
We spent another half hour looking at the information and artefacts at the visitor centre.In addition to the rooms that focused on the tomb and the Bronze Age site, the centre also had a separate room which focused on the Mesolithic period (the Middle Stone Age, from 10 000 to 5500 BC). The exhibition contained informative displays and artefacts, and also showed the process of making different tools. I have included a photo of the different stages of harpoon head construction.
The visitor centre was extremely family-friendly. The kids were encouraged to explore and find out things for them selves through a number of hands-on activities. Our boys had so much fun they didn't want to leave.
The Bronze Age building
From the visitor centre we walked to the Bronze Age site, consisting of a building complete with stone trough, water system and hearth. Next to the building was a mound of burnt stone. It was interesting to take a look, but after having seen Skara Brae we found this site a bit small and we did not feel the need to stay for long.
Entering the tomb
After a brisk walk we reached the Tomb of the Eagles. In addition to the human bones found in the tomb, talons and bones of an estimated 14 white-tailed eagles ('sea eagles') were found. This is the only tomb in Orkney with such a density of eagle bones, hence the name of the tomb.
One of our guides at the visitor centre told us that another tomb had a number of dog skulls, so the people at the Tomb of the Eagles visitor centre had nick-named it 'The Tomb of the Beagles'.In order to enter the tomb, you have to go through a very narrow tunnel. A small board with wheels is provided at the site, so you can easily roll into the tomb. Very convenient.
Once inside the tomb we took a look at the individual chambers using the flashlights provided at the site. In one of the chambers were a number of plastic skulls to represent the skulls originally found there. A bit macabre, but also suitable - the hoard of human remains and eagle bones and talons found in this tomb is unlike anything found elsewhere in Orkney.The scenic walk back to our car
We were also lucky and saw three seals in the bay way down below, which of course delayed our departure considerably. The seals are so cute it takes a while to muster the willpower to move on and leave them behind.
Italian Chapel - beauty in a time of despair
Having left the spectacular scenery and the seals, we headed back to the Churchill Barriers and the Italian chapel.
When the Italian Prisoners of War were building the Churchilll Barriers, many camps had to be established to house the POWs, including one at Lamb Holm.
After Italy capitulated to the allies in September 1943, the workers were given more freedom and were actually paid properly for their labours.The Italians requested a proper place of worship and were allowed to build a chapel on Lamb Holm. They were given two Nissen huts joined end to end to convert.
Italian prisoners building a place of worship in their spare time
The condition for building the chapel was that all work was carried out outside working hours on the barriers. The work on the chapel was performed solely by a group of Italian prisoners, all contributing with their skills to create a worthy place of worship.
The corrugated interior was covered with plasterboard and the altar and altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers. The entire interior of the chapel was painted to depict brick walls,
carved stone, vaulted ceilings and buttresses.Frescos of angelic figures, stained glass windows and an altarpiece depicting the Madonna and Child surrounded by cherubic figures with the scroll inscribed ‘Queen of Peace pray for us’ complete the interior paintwork.
Scrap material transformed into beauty
All the materials for the decoration were scavenged from wherever possible. Wood was sourced from a wrecked ship for the tabernacle. A rod-screen and gates enclosing the sanctuary were expertly fashioned from scrap metal. In addition six candelabra which stand on the alter were made by these skilled craftsmen.
As work progressed inside it was decided to construct a more attractive façade for the front of the huts and an ornate frontage with pillars, Gothic pinnacles, archway and bell-tower were built. Directly above the door on the front of the archway a head of Christ was sculpted from red clay, complete with thorn crown. Finally a thick layer of cement was applied to the entire outside of the Nissen huts to protect it from the Orkney weather.The legacy from the Italian POWs
The Churchill Barriers were completed in September 1944 and the prisoners were shipped out. However, one of the prisoners remained behind for two weeks to complete the font which he was working on. When the prisoners left, the chapel had only been used for a very short time. However their work was not for nothing, the chapel is Orkney's most visited attraction.
I felt fortunate to experience such beauty and to learn the story of how the chapel was built. What fascinated me most about the chapel, was how the prisoners managed to create something so beautiful within the prison camp. The skills of those who made this was truly amazing. To me this shows how art and religion can contribute to keeping up hopes and spirits in difficult situations.
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