Linnonsa
Attested: Linnonsa (or Linonsa) at position 289 in the Ravenna Cosmography
Where: An island off western Scotland, most likely Luing, because this name occurs at the end of a sequence that seems to be heading from the Inner Hebrides into Loch Linnhe, and a very ancient trade route, ultimately running between Ulster and Scandinavia, may have crossed Scotland via the Cosmography's sequence of islands and then along the Great Glen.
Name Origin: Begins like λινον ‘flax’, a very ancient word applied to fish traps and fishing nets, as well as to linen fabrics. The ending -sa was common on geographical names around the Mediterranean, especially islands, such as modern Linosa and Lampedusa.
Notes: Linen was the Romans' preferred material for ships' sails. In the 1700s in Argyllshire “each croft had a plot set aside for the cultivation of flax” and Luing had a pool for steeping flax. There is ample evidence for fish traps in western Scotland, including one on Lismore, but most have not been dated. Whereas tree branches may have been the key component in some fish traps, such as beside Anglesey near Γαγγανων ακρον, Scottish traps often consisted of stone-enclosed ponds to catch fish on a falling tide. Thanks to Jennifer Allison for helping find evidence on fish traps.
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Last edited 26 March 2025 Go to main Menu