A. Walsh - Scandinavian Relations with Ireland During the Viking Period

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Transcribers Note: The spelling, accents and hyphenation of given names are inconsistent and have been retained as printed.

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SCANDINAVIAN RELATIONS
WITH IRELAND DURING
THE VIKING PERIOD

BY

A. WALSH

The Talbot Press logo

DUBLIN
THE TALBOT PRESS LIMITED

LONDON
T. FISHER UNWIN LIMITED

1922

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PREFACE

This short study was written during my tenure of a Travelling Studentship from the National University of Ireland, and in March, 1920, was accepted for the Research Degree Certificate of Cambridge University.

A glance at the bibliography shows that comparatively little has been written in English on this interesting period of our history. On the other hand modern Scandinavian scholarsAlexander Bugge, Marstrander, and Vogthave thrown a good deal of light on the subject, but unfortunately very few of their books have been translated into English. The present dissertation is based principally upon the Old and Middle Irish annals and chronicles and the Icelandic sagas; reference has also been made to the work of Scandinavian, English and Irish scholars on the subject.

I should like to acknowledge my debt to Professor Chadwick, who directed my work: those who have had the privilege of working under him will readily understand how much is due to his encouragement and stimulating criticism. I wish also to express my thanks to my friends, Miss N. Kershaw and Mr. E. J. Thomas, for many kindnesses while the book was in preparation; to Miss Eleanor Hull and Professor Mille, University College, Galway, for the loan of books; and to the Librarian and staff of Cambridge University Library, the National Library, Dublin, and T.C.D. Library.

A. W.

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CONTENTS

PAGE

Chap.

The Vikings in Ireland (795-1014)

Intercourse between the Gaill and the Gaedhil during the Viking Period

The Growth of the Seaport Towns

The Expansion of Irish Trade

Shipbuilding and Seafaring

Linguistic Influences

(a) Loan-words from Old Norse in Irish.

(b) Gaelic Words in Old Norse Literature.

(c) Irish Influence on Icelandic Place-nomenclature.

The Vikings and the Celtic Church

Literary Influence. The Sagas of Iceland and Ireland

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Scandinavian Relations with Ireland during the Viking Period.

CHAPTER I.
THE VIKINGS IN IRELAND (795-1014).

The Vikings made their first appearance

The arrival of Turgeis

The power of Turgeis was not confined to the north of Ireland. His fleets were stationed on Loch Ree, the centre from which Meath and Connacht were devastated. His wife, Ota (O.N. Authr), desecrated the monastery of Clonmacnois by giving her oracular responses (a frecartha) from the high altar.

After his death the tide of battle turned in favour of the Irish, and the Norsemen were defeated in several battles. Weakened by warfare, they had to contend in 849 with an enemy from withoutthe Dubh-Gaill

Amhlaoibh Conung, son of the King of Lochlann, known in Icelandic sources as Olaf the White, came to Ireland about 852 to rule over his countrymen, and to exact tribute from the Irish.

Olaf returned to Norway some time after this to take part in the wars there,

During the years which followed Ivarrs death the country was comparatively peaceful, and the Irish began to enjoy a rest from fresh invasions, which lasted about forty years. weakened Norse power that the Irish captured the fortress at Dublin in 902, and drove the Vikings across the sea with great slaughter.

The forty years rest terminated abruptly in 913, when several fleets arrived at Waterford and proceeded to ravage all Munster and Leinster. In 916 Raghnall (O.N. Rgnvaldr), grandson of Ivarr, assumed command while his brother or cousin, Sihtric Gale (also nicknamed Caoch, the Blind) came with a fleet to Cenn Fuaid, in the east of Leinster, and built a fortification there.

Scandinavian power in Ireland was now at its height. Large fleets occupied all the lakes in Ulster, so that no part of the surrounding territory was safe from their attacks.

Guthfriths son, Olaf, came forward about this time. Supported by the Norsemen of Strangford Lough he plundered Armagh, but his subsequent attacks on Ulster were checked by Muirchertach MacNeill, son of Niall Glundubh. Olaf fought in alliance with Constantine in the battle of Brunanburh (937), and after the defeat inflicted on them by Aethelstans forces he fled to Dublin.

Another Olaf, the famous Olaf Cuaran, also called Sihtricsson to distinguish between them, also played an important part in campaigns in Ireland and England. He went to York about 941, and was elected king by the Northumbrians, but was expelled after a few years along with Raegenald, son of Guthfrith.

Henceforward Olaf limited his activities to Ireland, where he reigned, the most famous of the Dublin Kings, for some thirty years. In 980, having summoned auxiliaries from the Scottish isles and Man, he prepared to attack the rd-r, Maelsechnaill II. A fierce battle was fought between them at Tara in which the Norse armies were completely routed, Olafs son Raghnall being among the slain. Maelsechnaill followed up this victory by a three days siege of Dublin, after which he carried off a number of hostages from the Norsemen, and also obtained from them 2,000 kine, together with jewels and various other treasures. Olaf himself, utterly disheartened by his defeat, went on pilgrimage to Iona, where he died soon after.

Some fifteen years before, a severe blow had been struck at the power of the Limerick Vikings under Ivarr, grandson of Ivarr and his sons. The attack made on them at Sulcoit (968) by two princes of the Dal Cais, the brothers Mathgamain and Brian, resulted in victory for the Irish, who took Limerick shortly after.

Brian became rd-r in 1002, and after that for about twelve years there was peace. Towards the end of that time Gormflaith, who had meanwhile separated from her husband, incited her brother Maelmordha to make war on Brian. Maelmordha and Sihtric began to gather forces for the coming struggle. Sihtric at his mothers command sought the aid of Sigurthr, Earl of Orkney and of Brodar,

After the Battle of Clontarf the Norsemen became gradually absorbed in the general population except in a few coast towns, where they continued to live more or less distinct and governed by petty kings until the English Invasion (1169). In the chronicles of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries they are generally alluded to as Ostmen (corruptly Houstmanni, Nosmani, etc.),

FOOTNOTES

Zimmer was of the opinion that the Norsemen made their way to Ireland as early as the seventh century. He bases his theory on an entry in the Annals of Ulster and in certain other Irish annals (under the year 617) recording the devastation of Tory Island by a marine fleet. (ber die frhesten Berhrungen der Iren mit den Nordgermanen, p. 279 ff. in Sitzungsberichte der kgl. preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. 1891. Bd. I., pp. 279-317.) But this attack is likely to have been due to Saxon or Pictish raiders rather than to the Norsemen.

Annals of the Four Masters, A.D. 807.

Annals of Ulster, A.D. 811, 820-824, 827, 830.

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