The Ruins of Magnus Cathedral
The crosses used on Faroe Islands in historical posts, are very similar to the crosses
used by Knights Templar for example in Tomar, Portugal. The Knights Templar was a
Catholic military order of knights established around 1119 AD, that was active for
about 200 years. Especially in the city of Tomar in Portugal, very similar crosses, as
those mentioned on Faroe Islands, can be found almost everywhere for example in
the city of Tomar, Portugal. It is said, that the Knights Templar presence in Scotland
began in 1129. Knights Templar visiting Scotland’s neighbour, the Faroe Islands
could possibly explain the findings of the mysterious ring and the rare coin in
excavation Niðri á Bakka in the summer of 2016. The Templar crosses found in
historical buildings on Faroe Islands and the mysterious ring with a Templar cross
and the rare coin could probably support an idea of that the Knights Templar could
have been present on Faroe Islands.
Historical, archaeological and linguistic evidence indicates that the present
population of the Faroe Islands may have a mixture of Scandinavian and British Isles
E A door decoration motif in Convento de
Christo in Tomar Portugal, with a similar cross
as those used in Faroe Islands.
24 SUOMEN MERENKULKU J FINLANDS SJÖFART
ancestry. The current study suggests that only about 17 %
of the female settlers of the Faroe Islands were of
Scandinavian descent, whereas a much larger 83 % had
British Isles ancestry. Previous studies suggested that 87
% of the male settlers were of Scandinavian descent, with
only 13 % having British Isles ancestry. The present study
supports the historical, archaeological and linguistic record
by suggesting that a considerable number of the first
female settlers in the archipelago originated from the
British Isles whereas the majority of the males originated
from Scandinavia. The findings of the mysterious ring, the
rare coin and females having British Isles ancestry might
even be a result of the raiding and looting that the Vikings
began to Britain in the 9th century.
We will probably not get any answers for our questions,
but we can definitely agree upon Faroe Islands having a
very interesting and fantastic historical, natural and
cultural heritage. •
The Ruins
of Magnus
Cathedral.
F Dom Gualdim Pais (1118 – 1195) was a
Portuguese crusader and the fourth grand
master of the Knights Templar. Gualdim Pais
was the founder of the city of Tomar in
Portugal.