67-568: Clann Somhairle , sometimes anglicised as Clan Sorley , / ˌ k l æ n ˈ s ɔːr l i / refers to those Scottish and Irish dynasties descending from the famous Norse-Gaelic leader Somerled , King of Mann and the Isles , son of Gillabrigte (†1164), and ancestor of Clann Domhnaill . Primarily they are the Clan Donald , and Clan MacDougall and all their numerous branches. Clan Macruari are their lost sept. They are formerly known as
134-638: A contentious term usually considered to mean the newly arrived Vikings, as opposed to the "fair foreigners", i.e. , the Viking population which was resident in arrival prior to this influx. A kingdom in Viking Scotland was established by the mid ninth-century, and it exerted control over some of the Vikings in Ireland. By 853 a separate kingdom of Dublin had been set up which claimed control over all
201-500: A force of Norse-Irish at Araid Tíre (east of Lough Derg and the Shannon in modern-day County Tipperary ). Ossory was a small kingdom wedged between the larger realms of Munster and Leinster . At the beginning of his reign in the 840s, Cerball's allegiance was pledged to the over-king of Munster, but as that kingdom grew weaker Ossory's strategic location allowed opportunities for his advancement. Cerball had previously fought against
268-549: A group of Vikings sometimes known as the Norse-Irish. Máel Sechnaill was the most powerful king in Ireland at the time and his lands lay close to the Viking settlement of Dublin. The fighting began in the previous year: "Great warfare between the heathens and Mael Sechnaill, supported by Norse-Irish" is reported by the Annals of Ulster. The fighting was focused on Munster ; Máel Sechnaill sought to increase his influence over
335-531: A night attack, killing some of the southern men, but his forces took many casualties and were forced to retreat. In retaliation for this invasion Amlaíb and Áed led raids into Meath in 861 and 862, but they were driven off both times. According to the Fragmentary Annals this alliance had been cemented by a political marriage: Áed son of Niall and his son-in-law Amlaíb (Áed's daughter was Amlaíb's wife) went with great armies of Irish and Norwegians to
402-734: A partly rural lifestyle, pursuing fishing, craft-working and cattle raising. Their roles in Ireland's economy made them valuable subjects and the English Crown granted them special legal protections. These eventually fell out of use as the Ostmen assimilated into the English settler community throughout the 13th and 14th centuries. The Lords of the Isles , whose sway lasted until the 16th century, as well as many other Gaelic rulers of Scotland and Ireland, traced their descent from Norse–Gaelic settlements in northwest Scotland, concentrated mostly in
469-740: A people of mixed Gaelic and Norse ancestry and culture. They emerged in the Viking Age , when Vikings who settled in Ireland and in Scotland became Gaelicised and intermarried with Gaels . The Norse–Gaels dominated much of the Irish Sea and Scottish Sea regions from the 9th to 12th centuries . They founded the Kingdom of the Isles (which included the Hebrides and the Isle of Man ),
536-605: A replacement for this female-line derivation from the family. Sir Iain Moncreiffe attempted to reconstruct a male line descent from Somerled back to Echmarcach mac Ragnaill , King of the Isles , but this has received little attention. The Orkneyinga saga refers to Somerled having "dominion in Dalr " and records that his family are known as the Dalverjar —literally "dale-dwellers". W. F. Skene suggested that although
603-584: A war in 868 against his former ally Áed Findliath when several Viking longphorts along the northern coast were razed. Amlaíb disappears from contemporary annals in 871. Later accounts say he returned to Lochlann to aid his father in a war, and the Pictish Chronicle says he died in battle against Constantine I of Scotland. This event is usually dated to 874. The earliest recorded Viking raids in Ireland occurred in 795. Over time, these raids increased in intensity, and they overwintered in Ireland for
670-492: A war. According to the Pictish Chronicle , he died around 874 during a protracted campaign against Constantine I in Scotland: ...after two years Amlaib, with his people, laid waste Pictavia; and he dwelt there from 1 January until the feast of Saint Patrick . Again in the third year Amlaib, while collecting tribute, was killed by Constantine. A short while after that battle was fought in his 14th year at Dollar between
737-704: A young man to the Faroe Islands by way of Viking Ireland, and local tradition has it that he settled at Funningur in Eysturoy. Heinrich Zimmer (1891) suggested that the Fianna Cycle of Irish mythology came from the heritage of the Norse–Gaels. He suggested the name of the heroic fianna was an Irish rendering of Old Norse fiandr "enemies", and argued that this became "brave enemies" > "brave warriors". He also noted that Finn 's Thumb of Knowledge
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#1732772394207804-549: Is 'Foreign[er] Gaels' and although it can in theory mean any Gael of foreign origin, it was used of Gaels (i.e. Gaelic-speakers) with some kind of Norse identity. This term is subject to a large range of variations depending on chronological and geographical differences in the Gaelic language , e.g. Gall Gaidel, Gall Gaidhel, Gall Gaidheal, Gall Gaedil, Gall Gaedhil, Gall Gaedhel, Gall Goidel, Gall Ghaedheil, etc. The modern term in Irish
871-579: Is Gall-Ghaeil or Gall-Ghaedheil, while the Scottish Gaelic is Gall-Ghàidheil. The Norse–Gaels often called themselves Ostmen or Austmen, meaning East-men, a name preserved in a corrupted form in the Dublin area known as Oxmantown which comes from Austmanna-tún (homestead of the Eastmen). In contrast, they called Gaels Vestmenn (West-men) (see Vestmannaeyjar and Vestmanna ). Other terms for
938-717: Is similar to the Norse tale Fáfnismál . Linguist Ranko Matasović , author of the Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic , derives the name fíanna from reconstructed Proto-Celtic *wēnā (a troop ), while linguist Kim McCone derives it from Proto-Celtic *wēnnā (wild ones). Even today, many surnames particularly connected with Gaeldom are of Old Norse origin, especially in the Hebrides and Isle of Man. Several Old Norse words also influenced modern Scots English and Scottish Gaelic, such as bairn (child) from
1005-528: The Boyne , County Louth ), fighting against the forces of Amlaíb's former ally Áed Findliath. This battle was a significant victory for the Northern Uí Néill and is recorded in many Irish chronicles. In retaliation for this defeat Amlaíb raided the monastery at Armagh , which was one of the most important religious sites patronised by the over-kings of the Northern Uí Néill. In 870 the situation of
1072-578: The Gaelic language as well as many Gaelic customs. Many left their original worship of Norse gods and converted to Christianity , and this contributed to the Gaelicisation . Gaelicised Scandinavians dominated the region of the Irish Sea until the Norman era of the 12th century. They founded long-lasting kingdoms, such as those of Mann , Dublin , and Galloway , as well as taking control of
1139-583: The Hebrides , the Isle of Man , the Northern Isles and parts of mainland Scotland . Whatever the original sense, by the twelfth century, when Magnus Barefoot undertook his expedition to the West, it had come to mean Norway. If he did indeed leave Ireland, Amlaíb had returned by 857 at the latest when he and Ímar fought against Máel Sechnaill , overking of the Southern Uí Néill , and
1206-694: The Hebrides . Clan Gunn (Scottish Gaelic: Na Guinnich) is a Highland Scottish clan associated with lands in northeastern Scotland, including Caithness, Sutherland and, arguably, the Orkney Isles. Clan Gunn is one of the oldest Scottish Clans, being descended from the Norse Jarls of Orkney and the Pictish Mormaers of Caithness. The Hebrides are to this day known in Scottish Gaelic as Innse Gall , 'the islands of foreigners';
1273-766: The Kingdom of Dublin , the Lordship of Galloway (which is named after them), and briefly (939–944 AD) ruled the Kingdom of York . The most powerful Norse–Gaelic dynasty were the Uí Ímair or House of Ivar. Over time, the Norse–Gaels became ever more Gaelicised and disappeared as a distinct group. However, they left a lasting influence, especially in the Isle of Man and Outer Hebrides , where most placenames are of Norse–Gaelic origin. Several Scottish clans have Norse–Gaelic roots, such as Clan MacDonald , Clan Gunn , Clan MacDougall and Clan MacLeod . The elite mercenary warriors known as
1340-458: The Lord of the Isles . Clan Donald played a significant role in the decline of Norse-Gaelic influence. The origin of Somerled, from whom the clan derives, is obscure. Only the name of his father is directly attested in early records. He was later portrayed as having Gaelic ancestry, with late pedigrees from the 14th and 15th century tracing him from legendary Colla Uais and hence from Conn of
1407-633: The Pictish Chronicle says Amlaíb was killed in battle in Scotland, whereas the sagas say Olaf was killed in battle in Ireland. Hudson proposes a solution for this apparent contradiction—the Vikings did not distinguish between the Gaelic peoples of Scotland and Ireland. Amlaíb's father is identified as Gofraid by the Fragmentary Annals . He was joined in Ireland by his brother Ímar sometime in or before 857 and by his brother Auisle sometime in or before 863. The three are identified as "kings of
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#17327723942071474-629: The Uí Dúnchada , was killed by Vikings in 863, probably by Amlaíb and his kin trying to expand into Leinster. Beginning around 864 the three brothers halted their campaigns of conquest in Ireland, and instead campaigned in Britain . Ímar disappears from the Irish Annals in 864, and does not reappear until 870. Downham concludes he is identical to Ivar the Boneless , a Viking leader who
1541-400: The gallowglass ( gallóglaigh ) emerged from these Norse–Gaelic clans and became an important part of Irish warfare. The Viking longship also influenced the Gaelic birlinn and longa fada , which were used extensively until the 17th century. Norse–Gaelic surnames survive today and include Doyle , MacIvor , MacAskill , and [Mac]Cotter . The meaning of Gall-Goídil
1608-668: The Danes and the Scots, the Scots were annihilated at Atholl . The Norsemen spent a whole year in Pictavia. The Viking sea-king Olaf the White , who features in several Nordic sagas , is positively identified with Amlaíb by Hudson . According to Holman , "Olaf is usually identified with the Amlaíb that is the first recorded king of the Vikings in Ireland." The Landnámabók says that Olaf
1675-468: The Gaelic language, and they were very great men in those times.) The name "Gofraid" also appears in numerous other versions of Somerled's ancestry. Similarly, a poetic address to Aonghus of Islay describes Clann Somairle as having "sprung from Síol nGofraidh" (the seed of Gofraid) and a recently rediscovered poem from a 17th-century manuscript written by Niall MacMhuirich addressed to Domhnall mac Raghnaill, Rosg Mall (i.e. " Domhnall mac Raghnaill , of
1742-709: The House was known as "Clan Gothofred". This Somerle wes the sone of Gillebryde M'Gilleadam, name Vic Sella, Vic Mearshaighe, Vic Swyffine, Vic Malgheussa, Vic Eacime, Vic Gothefred, fra quhome they were called at that time Clan Gothofred, that is, Clan Gotheray in Hybers Leid, and they were very grate men in that tymes zeire. (Translation from Scots: This Somerled was the son of Gillebryde M'Gilleadam, son of Sella, son of Mearshaighe, son of Swyffine, son of Malgheussa, son of Eacime, son of Gothefred, from whom they were called at that time Clan Gothofred, that is, Clan Gotheray in
1809-623: The Hundred Battles , and some versions apparently including the legendary founder of the Scottish state of Dál Riata , Fergus Mór . Historians have distrusted this derivation, though in the 1960s, David Sellar defended a Gaelic derivation. More recently, historian Alex Woolf has pointed out the conflicting information found in the different versions of the pedigree and drawn attention to their faulty chronology. Instead he argues that these pedigrees may derive from an original claim to
1876-712: The Irish were not entitled. They lived in distinct localities; in Dublin they lived outside the city walls on the north bank of the River Liffey in Ostmentown, a name which survives to this day in corrupted form as Oxmantown . It was once thought that their settlement had been established by Norse–Gaels who had been forced out of Dublin by the English but this is now known not to be the case. Other groups of Ostmen lived in Limerick and Waterford. Many were merchants or lived
1943-539: The Norse barn (a word still used in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland). Amla%C3%ADb Conung Amlaíb Conung ( Old Norse : Óláfr [ˈoːˌlɑːvz̠] ; died c. 874) was a Viking leader in Ireland and Scotland in the mid-late ninth century. He was the son of the king of Lochlann , identified in the non-contemporary Fragmentary Annals of Ireland as Gofraid , and brother of Auisle and Ímar ,
2010-448: The Norse colony at York . The Norse are first recorded in Ireland in 795 when they sacked Lambay Island . Sporadic raids then continued until 832, after which they began to build fortified settlements throughout the country. Norse raids continued throughout the 10th century, but resistance to them increased. The Norse established independent kingdoms in Dublin , Waterford , Wexford , Cork and Limerick . These kingdoms did not survive
2077-900: The Norse. This appears to tie in with comments of Dicuil and is given weight by recent archaeological discoveries. The settlement of Iceland and the Faroe Islands by the Norse included many Norse–Gael settlers as well as slaves and servants. They were called Vestmen (Western men), and the name is retained in Vestmanna in the Faroes and the Vestmannaeyjar off the Icelandic mainland. A number of Icelandic personal names are of Gaelic origin, including Njáll , Brjánn , Kjartan and Kormákur (from Niall , Brian , Muircheartach and Cormac ). Patreksfjörður , an Icelandic village,
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2144-648: The Norse–Gaels are Norse-Irish , Hiberno-Norse or Hiberno-Scandinavian for those in Ireland, and Norse-Scots or Scoto-Norse for those in Scotland. The Norse–Gaels originated in Viking colonies of Ireland and Scotland, the descendants of intermarriage between Norse immigrants and the Gaels. As early as the 9th century, many colonists (except the Norse who settled in Cumbria ) intermarried with native Gaels and adopted
2211-589: The Stately Gaze") has the line: "Amhlaibh Fionn" ("Olaf the White") may be Amlaíb Conung the 9th century Norse–Gael son of the king of Lochlann . Various suggestions have been offered as to which of the possible Gofraid's these texts may have referred to, including Godred Crovan , Gofraid ua Ímair and Gofraid mac Fergusa . Norse-Gaelic The Norse–Gaels ( Old Irish : Gall-Goídil ; Irish : Gall-Ghaeil ; Scottish Gaelic : Gall-Ghàidheil , 'foreigner-Gaels'; Old Norse : Gaddgeðlar ) were
2278-505: The Viking settlement which was the base of his power. His brothers arrived in Ireland later and ruled together as co-kings. The Fragmentary Annals go into more detail regarding Amlaíb's arrival : Also in this year, i.e. , the sixth year of the reign of Máel Sechlainn , Amlaíb Conung, son of the king of Lochlann, came to Ireland, and he brought with him a proclamation of many tributes and taxes from his father, and he departed suddenly. Then his younger brother Ímar came after him to levy
2345-536: The Vikings in Ireland. The earliest mention of Amlaíb Conung is in the Annals of Ulster , which in 853 describe his arrival in Ireland: Amlaíb, son of the king of Lochlann, came to Ireland, and the foreigners of Ireland submitted to him, and he took tribute from the Irish. Amlaíb is named in the annals as a "king of the foreigners", but in modern texts he is usually labelled the first king of Dublin, after
2412-469: The Vikings was improved by infighting amongst the ruling Irish of Leinster. Another victory came that year when a previously unknown "dark foreigner" known as Úlfr killed a king of southern Brega. The situation had evidently stabilised enough for Amlaíb to go raiding in Britain again: in 870 Amlaíb and Ímar (once more appearing in the Irish Annals after an absence of six years) laid siege to Dumbarton Rock ,
2479-507: The Vikings, but he allied with them to challenge the supremacy of Máel Sechnaill and his Norse-Irish allies. The following year Amlaíb, Ímar and Cerball conducted a raid on Máel Sechnaill's heartlands in Meath , and in consequence a royal conference was held at Rathugh (modern-day County Westmeath ). Following this meeting Cerball shed his allegiance to the Vikings and formally submitted to Máel Sechnaill in order to "make peace and amity between
2546-520: The White landed in Ireland in 852 and established the kingdom of Dublin, closely corresponding to the Irish annals' account of Amlaíb. Amlaíb's lineage according to this saga is as follows: ...he was the son of Ingald , the son of Helgi, the son of Olaf, the son of Gudraud, the son of Halfdan Whiteleg , the King of the Uplanders . The Laxdæla saga offers a slightly different genealogy, naming Olaf
2613-608: The anchorites to leave... the nickname Kamban is probably Gaelic and one interpretation is that the word refers to some physical handicap (the first part of the name originating in the Old Gaelic camb crooked, as in Campbell Caimbeul Crooked-Mouth and Cameron Camshron Crooked Nose), another that it may point to his prowess as a sportsman (presumably of camóige / camaige hurley – where the initial syllable also comes from camb ). Probably he came as
2680-523: The base of their power. The epithet "Conung" is derived from the Old Norse konungr and simply means "king". Some scholars consider Amlaíb to be identical to Olaf the White , a Viking sea-king who features in the Landnámabók and other Icelandic sagas . During the late 850s and early 860s Amlaíb was involved in a protracted conflict with Máel Sechnaill , overking of the Southern Uí Néill and
2747-624: The cause of the war. Early battles seem to have gone the way of the Vikings: Amlaíb and Ímar "inflicted a rout on Caitill the Fair and his Norse-Irish in the lands of Munster". Although there is no certain evidence to suggest that this Caitill is the same person as the Ketill Flatnose of later sagas, Anderson and Crawford have suggested that they are the same person. In 858 Ímar, allied with Cerball , King of Ossory , routed
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2814-434: The chief fortress of the Kingdom of Strathclyde , and captured it following a four-month siege. The pair returned to Dublin in 871 with 200 ships and they "brought with them in captivity a great prey of Angles, Britons and Picts". Amlaíb's return to Dublin in 871 is the final time he is mentioned in contemporary annals, but according to the Fragmentary Annals he returned to Lochlann that year to aid his father Gofraid in
2881-451: The daughter of "Cináed" in another. They also disagree on Amlaíb/Olaf's children, the sagas naming Thorstein the Red , and the annals naming Oistin and Carlus. Todd in his translation of Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh suggests that Thorstein and Oistin are the same person, but later historians have rejected this due to "the obvious discrepancy of their dates". A further complication is that
2948-597: The descent of Somerled from the Crovan dynasty and the Uí Ímair , subsequently obscured by alterations made to link them to the Scottish and Irish foundation legends. In any case, the Clann Somhairle based their claim to the Isles on their descent from Somerled's wife, Ragnhildr , the daughter of king Amlaíb Derg , and Woolf accepts that the male-line Crovan descent claim underlying the pedigrees may have arisen as
3015-422: The first time in 840–841. Later in 841 a longphort was constructed at Áth Cliath (Irish for hurdled ford ), a site which would later develop into the city of Dublin. Longphorts were also established at other sites around Ireland, some of which developed into larger Viking settlements over time. The Viking population in Ireland was boosted in 851 with the arrival of a large group known as "dark foreigners" –
3082-413: The foreigners" by the Annals of Ulster in 863, and as brothers by the Fragmentary Annals : The king had three sons: Amlaíb, Ímar, and Óisle. Óisle was the least of them in age, but he was the greatest in valor, for he outshone the Irish in casting javelins and in strength with spears. He outshone the Norwegians in strength with swords and in shooting arrows. His brothers loathed him greatly, and Amlaíb
3149-401: The growing Viking power in Ireland. In 866 a number of longphorts along the northern coast were destroyed by Áed Findliath, overking of the Northern Uí Néill. It is possible that Áed was still allied with Amlaíb at this point, and that the longphorts which were razed belonged to Vikings not affiliated with the Dubliners, but by 868 at the latest Amlaíb and Áed were at war. In 865 or 866 a battle
3216-488: The historicity of Ragnar is uncertain and the identification of Ragnar as the father of Ivar and Halfdan is not to be relied upon. Two wives of Amlaíb are mentioned by the annals. The first, an unnamed daughter of Áed Findliath is mentioned in passing by the Fragmentary Annals with regards to an alliance between Amlaíb and Áed. Elsewhere the Fragmentary Annals , when reporting the death of Auisle, refer to "the daughter of Cináed" as Amlaíb's wife. It has been suggested that
3283-489: The irony of this being that they are one of the last strongholds of Gaelic in Scotland. The MacLachlan clan name means 'son of the Lakeland' believed to be a name for Norway. It has its Scottish clan home on eastern Loch Fyne under Strathlachlan forest. The name and variations thereof are common from this mid/southern Scottish area to Irish Donegal to the extreme west. It is recorded in the Landnámabók that there were papar or culdees (Gaelic monks) in Iceland before
3350-422: The kings there. He took hostages from the province in 854, 856 and 858, and the power of the over-kings had been weakened in 856 by a Viking raid on the royal centre at Lough Cend, when Gormán son of Lonán, a relative of Munster's over-king, was killed alongside a great many others. This weakness likely drew the gaze of both Máel Sechnaill and the Vikings, and their competition for Munster's resources may have been
3417-408: The latter of whom founded the Uí Ímair dynasty, and whose descendants would go on to dominate the Irish Sea region for several centuries. Another Viking leader, Halfdan Ragnarsson , is considered by some scholars to be another brother. The Irish Annals title Amlaíb, Ímar and Auisle "kings of the foreigners". Modern scholars use the title " kings of Dublin " after the Viking settlement which formed
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#17327723942073484-413: The men of Ireland". With their ally turned against them, Amlaíb and Ímar sought a new alliance with Áed Findliath , overking of the Northern Uí Néill , and rival of Máel Sechnaill. In 860 Máel Sechnaill and Cerball led a large army of men from Munster, Leinster, Connacht and the Southern Uí Néill into the lands of Áed Findliath near Armagh . While the southern forces were encamped there, Áed launched
3551-603: The most powerful ruler in Ireland. The cause of the conflict is uncertain, but it may have been sparked by competition for control of Munster and its resources. Amlaíb allied successively with Cerball , King of Ossory and Áed Findliath , overking of the Northern Uí Néill against Máel Sechnaill. Máel Sechnaill died in 862 and his lands were split, effectively ending the conflict. Following this Amlaíb and his kin warred with several Irish leaders in an attempt to expand their kingdom's influence. In later years Amlaíb conducted extensive raids in Scotland, though these were interrupted by
3618-477: The most; the causes of the hatred are not told because of their length. The Annals of Ulster say that Auisle was killed in 867 by "kinsmen in parricide". The Fragmentary Annals state explicitly that Amlaíb and Ímar were responsible for their brother's death: [Auisle] said: 'Brother,' he said, 'if your wife, i.e. , the daughter of Cináed, does not love you, why not give her to me, and whatever you have lost by her, I shall give to you.' When Amlaíb heard that, he
3685-446: The plain of Mide, and they plundered it and killed many freemen. In later years, alliance between the Northern Uí Néill and the Vikings of Dublin became a regular occurrence: the Northern and Southern Uí Néill were frequent competitors for supremacy in Ireland, and the uneasy neighbourhood between Dublin and the Southern Uí Néill made the Vikings natural allies for the Northerners. Máel Sechnaill died in 862, and his territory in Meath
3752-399: The reference to Áed is mistaken, and that Amlaíb's wife was a daughter of Cináed mac Conaing, who had been drowned by Máel Sechnaill in 851. Another possibility is that the Cináed in question is Cináed mac Ailpín ( i.e. , Kenneth MacAlpin , which would make Amlaíb a brother-in-law of his killer Constantine I, a son of Kenneth). Two sons are noted by the annals: Oistin and Carlus, each of whom
3819-400: The same tribute. Lochlann , originally Laithlinn or Lothlend, the land where Amlaíb's father was king, is often identified with Norway , but it is not universally accepted that it had such a meaning in early times. Several historians have proposed instead that in early times, and certainly as late as the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, Laithlinn refers to the Norse and Norse-Gael lands in
3886-415: The son of Ingjald, the son of King Frodi the Valiant. Both of these options are problematic since according to the Irish annals (albeit the non-contemporary Fragmentary Annals ) Amlaíb was the son of Gofraid, King of Lochlann. The sagas identify Aud the Deep-minded, daughter of Ketill Flatnose , as Olaf's wife, but the Irish annals name a daughter of Áed Findliath as the spouse of Amlaíb in one account, and
3953-455: The subsequent Norman invasions, but the towns continued to grow and prosper. The term Ostmen was used between the 12th and 14th centuries by the English in Ireland to refer to Norse–Gaelic people living in Ireland. Meaning literally "the men from the east" (i.e. Scandinavia), the term came from the Old Norse word austr or east. The Ostmen were regarded as a separate group from the English and Irish and were accorded privileges and rights to which
4020-399: The words have quite different meanings that this name was linked to the earlier pre-Norse kingdom of Dál Riata . Donald Monro 's 1549 Description of the Western Isles of Scotland offers a brief description of the five main branches of Clan Donald that existed in his day under the title "Heir Followis The Genealogies Of The Chieff Clans Of The Iles". Monro also states that in earlier days
4087-425: Was active in England during this period as a commander of the Great Heathen Army . According to O Croinin "Ímar has been identified with Ívarr Beinlausi (the boneless), son of Ragnar Lodbrok, but the matter is controversial". In 866 Amlaíb and Auisle led a large army to Pictland and raided much of the country, taking away many hostages. The native Irish kings took advantage of this absence to fight back against
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#17327723942074154-473: Was destroyed. Amlaíb returned to Ireland in 867, probably to try to stop this string of defeats. His return is attested to in the Annals of Inisfallen , which mention an "act of treachery" committed against the church of Lismore (modern-day County Waterford ). Around this time his brother Auisle was murdered by a kinsman, possibly by Amlaíb himself. In 868 another of Amlaíb's kinsmen was killed, this time his son Carlus, who died in battle at Killineer (near
4221-453: Was named after Saint Patrick . A number of placenames named after the papar exist on Iceland and the Faroes. According to some circumstantial evidence, Grímur Kamban , seen as the founder of the Norse Faroes, may have been a Norse Gael: According to the Faereyinga Saga... the first settler in the Faroe Islands was a man named Grímur Kamban – Hann bygdi fyrstr Færeyar , it may have been the land taking of Grímur and his followers that caused
4288-409: Was seized with great jealousy, and he drew his sword, and struck it into the head of Óisle, his brother, so that he killed him. Some scholars identify Halfdan Ragnarsson as another brother. This identification is contingent upon Ímar being identical to Ivar the Boneless: Halfdan and Ivar are named as brothers in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . According to the Annals of Ulster Amlaíb's son Oistin
4355-416: Was slain in battle by "Albann" in 875. This figure is generally agreed to be Halfdan. If that is correct, then it may explain the reason for the conflict: it was a dynastic squabble for control of the kingdom. One potential problem is that according to Norse tradition Ivar and Halfdan were the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok , whereas Ímar and Amlaíb are named as sons of Gofraid in the Fragmentary Annals . However,
4422-424: Was split between two rulers, Lorcán mac Cathail and Conchobar mac Donnchada. Amlaíb and Ímar, now joined in Ireland by their younger brother Auisle, sought to make use of this change to extend their influence in the lands of the Southern Uí Néill. In 863 the three brothers raided Brega in alliance with Lorcán, and the following year Amlaíb drowned Conchobar at Clonard Abbey . Muirecán mac Diarmata , overking of
4489-404: Was won by Flann mac Conaing, overking of Brega, against the Vikings, possibly in retaliation for the raids on his land by Amlaíb and his brothers in 863. Numerous further setbacks for the Vikings occurred in 866–867 when their camps at Cork and Youghal were destroyed, an army was routed in Kerry , two battles were lost against the native Irish in Leinster, and Amlaíb's fort at Clondalkin
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