Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - II. Intercourse between the Gaill and the Gaedhil during the Viking Period
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
THE GAILL AND THE GAEDHIL 17
resistance to Norse rule in the first half of the tenth century.
1
Donnflaith, another of his daughters and mother of the
drd-ri, Maelsechnaill II., married Olaf Cuaran. Their son,
Gluniarainn, reigned in Dublin after his father’s retirement
to lona, and appears to have been on friendly terms with
Maelsechnaill. 8
The relationship between these two families
becomes more complicated owing to the fact that
Maelsechnaill’s own wife, Maelmuire (d. 1021), was a
daughter of Olaf. 3
But perhaps no figure stands out so prominently in the
Irish and Norse chronicles 4
of the second half of the tenth
century as Gormflaith (O.N. Kormloth) who first married
Olaf Cuaran, then his enemy Maelsechnaill II., and finally
Brian Borumha, from whom she also separated.
The interchange of family and personal names which took
place to such an extent during the Viking period also points
to the close connection between the foreigners and the
Irish. As early as 835 mention is made of one Gofraidh
(O.N. Guthrothr), son of Fergus, who went to Scotland from
Ireland in order to strengthen the Dal Riada and died some
time after as King of the Hebrides. 5
The Dublin Viking
who led an attack on Armagh in 895 had an Irish name,
Glun-iarainn, obviously a translation of O.N. Jam-kne.
He was in all probability a relative of lercne or Jargna
(corrupt forms of Jarn-kne) who ruled in conjunction with
1
The Annals of the Four Masters record his death under the year
941 :
"
Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks, lord of Aileach, the
Hector of the West of Europe in his time, was slain at Ardee by
Blacaire, son of Godfrey, lord of the Foreigners."
Muirchertach’s grandson was killed by Olaf Cuaran. ( Ib., A.D. 975).
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
