Vikg-n-Irelnd-art - 1/25/03 "Vikings in Ireland" by Mistress Gunnora Hallakarva, also known as "The Viking Answer Lady". Notes for a future article on the same subject. NOTE: See also the files: Norse-msg, Ireland-msg, books-Norse-msg, Norse-crafts-bib, Norse-food-art, Norse-women-bib, amber-buying-art, names-Norse-msg. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 22:42:33 -0500 From: Gunnora Hallakarva To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: Vikings in Ireland I thought some of you might be interested in my notes for a forthcoming "Viking Answer Lady" article on the Vikings in Ireland: There are no unbiased historical accounts of the Vikings. The history of the Vikings in Ireland is told by a number of sources, including The Annals of Ulster, the Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland (the Four Masters), the Annals of Clonmacnoise, The War of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, the accounts of Ibn Ghazal in Arabic, and in sagas and stories by the Vikings themselves. In each of these sources, the author has held very strong opinions about the Vikings, and that opinion influences the account accordingly. It is only in recent years that archaeological investigations have been undertaken to give a less biased view of the Vikings' kingdoms in Ireland. The Irish knew the Vikings as Gaill ("Gentiles" or foreigners), Lochlann ("lakemen"), Normanni ("north-men") and Danes, regardless of where they may have originated in Scandinavia. At the time the Vikings first arrived in Ireland, the land was nominally ruled over by the Ard Righ, but was in truth a warring collection of petty kingdoms which gave lip service only to the ceremonial overlordship of the Ui-Naill. The North of Ireland was ruled by the Ui-Naill family. Meath was ruled by the Southern Ui-Naill, while Ulster was ruled by Njall-Caille of the northern Ui-Naill. By the advent of the Vikings, the Ard Righ was no longer "King of Tara" except in name, for inasmuch as he ruled, he did so from Derry, which was not even in the kingdom of Meath where Tara stood. The petty kings of Ireland, busy warring among themselves and jockeying for power or a few more cattle, ultimately were the cause of the Vikings' great successes in Ireland, and the divisiveness of the small Irish kingdoms with their many rivalries ensured the Celts' downfall. The earliest record of Viking attacks in Ireland is dated 795 CE. By the year 807, the Vikings had won a foothold upon the island of Lindisfarne, in Rechain, Man, Iona and Inishmurray. They had suffered some defeats as well, in Northumbria and Glamorganshire. Suddenly, in the lightning raids characteristic of the Northern raiders, an attack was launched up Sligo water and all down the western coast of Ireland. Contemporary chronicles state that the Vikings were beaten by Ulstermen in 811, burned the west coast in 812, and raided in Mayo, Connaught and Cork harbor, as well as in the south by Killarney. In 820 Viking fleets once more appeared on all coasts of Ireland, plundering Cork, Beggary Island, the Wexford coast and Howth, near Dublin. In 822 Vikings attacked Skellig Michil off the coast of Kerry and in 824 raided the religious community at Bangor (Bennchair) on the coast of Down. By 822 CE, Viking raids became an annual occurrance along the Irish coastlines. By 825, Viking raids were no longer confined to the coastlines. Vikings landed in Wexford Bay, marched west to Taghmon to St. Mullins', went northwards by boat to Leoghlin Bridge and into Ossory County, then to Inistioge where they were finally turned back by a hosting of the Ossory men. The Vikings were still formidable and made their way to Waterford, where they took ship and sailed round to the Youghall harbor and plundered the monastary of St. Molaise. Finally, they raided in Kilpeacon in Limerick County to finish their depradations. In 825 a Viking fleet also fell upon Iona, once again wiping out its community of monks. Between 830 and 840, large Viking fleets expanded the area of these raids, sailing far inland along the navigable rivers. These fleets were under the command of Norwegian jarls. Raids continued until 831-832, when the Vikings were united under a chieftain with vision, ambition, and luck, Thorgisl, called by the Irish chroniclers Turgesius or Thorgeis. Snorri Sturluson in Heimskringla refers to this Thorgisl as ruler of Dublin, and calls him a son of King Harald Harfagra. It is likely that Thorgisl's fleet originated from the Viking settlements in Scotland and Man. The fleet came to Lough Neagh and defeated an Irish fleet of coracles, then attacked the greatest religious establishment of Ireland, Armagh (Ard-Macha) the seat of the heir of St. Patrick. The Vikings concentrated their attacks during the 830's and 840's on the Irish monastic communities. Due to the constant internecine warfare in Ireland, the Irish utilized the monastaries as sanctuaries for high ranking people, for wealth, and for livestock as well as ecclesiastical wealth and ornaments. The sancrosanct nature of the monastic communities was respected by the warring Irish factions, but seemed to the Vikings to be treasure houses of concentrated plunder. The usual Viking raid was a hit-and-run strike, designed to capture the maximum amount of valuable goods and then flee the vicinity before the Irish could mount an effective response. Communities that felt the heavy hand of Viking raiders included Iona, which had to be abandoned in the 830's and 840's, Skellig Michael, and even large communities such as Kildare. Kildare, even though it was the capital of Leinster, was plundered no less than 15 times by the Viking forces between 836 and 1000. Armagh, the prime ecclesiastical center of Ireland was plundered eleven times. Settlements near the established Viking camps were almost certainly extorted for "protection money" by the Vikings. From 833-840, other Norse fleets continued to ravage the coastlines, and joined up with Thorgisl's army. One of these was under the command of a chieftain named Saxulf, who was eventually slain by the Irish. Thorgisl took the great monastary at Clonmacnoise, where his queen Ota, a gydhja or priestess, gave prohpecies from the high altar. Eventually Thorgisl conquered all of Leth Chuinn, the northern half of Ireland, which he ruled from Dublinn. Many Viking settlements were established during this period, including Viksfjordr (Wexford), Waterford, all of the northern third of Kerry, Skellig, Heystone, Bolus Head, Smerwick, Limerick, and Dublinn. Three major Viking kingdoms in Ireland were established during this period, at Dublin, at Limerick, and at Waterford. In 841 CE, the Vikings established winter camps in Ireland. These camps served as areas to regroup and resupply before the next raiding season. These camps are mentioned in the annals as being in Dublin bu the River Liffey, in Waterford by the River Barrow, in Limerick by the River Shannon, and in Anagassan by the River Boyne. Later camps were established at Wexford and Cork. Eventually the Irish began fighting back, and the Viking hold on their winter camps became endangered by Irish defenders. It is possible that further problems in holding the camps arose due to the presence and aggression of a rival fleet of Vikings from Denmark. In 845, King Malachai I (Maelsechlain) of the Meath Ui Naill managed to somehow capture Thorgisl, and had the Norse king of Dublin drowned in Loch Owel. This proved a serious reverse for the Northmen, who apparently did not have a strong leader or asurred succession. Malachai became the Ard Righ, and built a fleet which had several successes over the Vikings. In 847, Cearbhall, King of Ossory, defeated and slew 1200 Vikings. This was followed by Malachai and his champion Tighernach, lord of Loch Gabar, attacking and capturing the Norse stronghold of Dublin in 849. In 850 C.E., Irish annals say that internecine fighting began between two tribes of Vikings in Ireland: the Daunitar or Danes on one side, and the Lochlannar (usually interpreted as Norwegians), under the rule of King Gur Rognvaldsson (Barthi Guthmundsson, Origin of the Icelanders, 14). It is thought that Gur was one of the newphews of the Danish King HErek Gurarson mentioned by Prudentius (Origin of the Icelanders, 14). Scholars interpret these records as indicating that some portions of Norway at least were under Danish rule at this time (Origin of the Icelanders, 15). After three years of fighting the Daunitar gained the upper hand. The fortunes of the Vikings fluctuated back and forth, however the Viking kingdoms of Dublin, Limerick, and Waterford survived and thrived. Around 851, the three Viking kingdoms after some internecine warfare agreed to be ruled by an over-king, who may have been called Ard-Righ and whose role certainly was patterned after that of the Irish Ard-Righdomna. The first of the "Kings of all the Northmen in Ireland" was Olaf the White, a relative of the Norse kings of the Scottish ISlands and the Hebrides, and remotely related to certain prominent Icelanders. Olaf's brother Ivar ruled over Limerick. In 853 CE, a Viking leader named fr Gurarson seized control of the remaining Viking camps in Ireland. Irish sources say that fr was the "son of the king of Lochlann" -- possibly Rogaland in southwestern Norway. Ari the Learned later says in Dslendingabk that this fr was his ancestor on the "sword-side" and claims for fr descent from the Swedish Yngling kings of Uppsala, saying that fr is the son of Ingjald. fr ended the annual raids, instead hiring his fleets to the highest bidder as mercenary forces. Irish sources say that fr united the forces of the Daunitar and Lochlannar. This proved lucrative, since during this period Ireland was divided into three or four kingdoms, and these kingdoms were always at war. Only during rare, short truces did fr's fleet find itself unemployed, and then they turned again to random raids to support themselves. fr was to rule successfully over the Viking forces in Ireland for eighteen years. In 857 CE, =CDvarr the Boneless, son of Ragnarr Lo=F0brokk, became co-regent of Dublin, sharing the rule with =D3lafr. This joint rulership continued until 873 CE. The sons and grandsons of =CDvarr meanwhile established themselves in Britain as the rulers of Viking Jorvik (modern York). The Norse rule of Ireland was certainly not an unenlightened period of barbarism. The Norse were, before all else, traders and merchants. It has been commented on that the graves of wealthy or even noble Vikings often contains a trader's scales as well as the more martial accoutrements of the Viking chieftain. It was around the year 1000 that the Vikings introduced the first native coinage into Ireland. In 870 Olaf the White was recalled to Norway. Ivar took over rule of both Dublin and Limerick. The Norse in Ireland began fighting among themselves, the curse of those who live in Ireland, and on 901, the Irish managed to capture Dublin from the Vikings. In 871 C.E., the Irish chroniclers tell us that King Gu=F0r=F6=F0 Rognvaldsson, father of =D3lafr Gu=F0r=F6=F0arson, ruler of the Irish Vikings, sent a message to his son in Dublin, asking him to return home to help put down a rebellion which had broken out against him. Ari the Learned puts the Battle of the Hafrsfjord in either 871 or 872 C.E., and some scholars think it is likely that King Harald Harfagra fought that battle against Gu=F0r=F6=F0 Rognvaldsson and his son =D3lafr Gu=F0r=F6=F0arson. The Battle of Hafrsfjord therefore marks the end of Danish rule in Norway during this era (Origin of the Icelanders, 15). Later Danish kings such as King Harald Gormsson, his son Svein Haraldsson called Frokbeard, and his grandson Canute Sveinsson the Powerful all lay claim to overlordship in Norway, perhaps based upon the prior reign of King Gu=F0r=F6=F0. In 902 CE, the Vikings were temporarily expelled from Ireland. It is thought that this was due to a truce between the various warring Irish kingdoms. The Norsemen found occupation for their warriors in England and in France. By 914 CE, new Viking fleets had come to occupy the old Viking winter camps in Ireland. The grandsons of =CDvarr the Boneless led these new Viking forces, and between their hoildings in Jorvik and Ireland, came to control all of the Irish Sea. Unfortunately for the Viking forces, the Dublin-Jorvik kingdom never achieved political stability, due to the constant pressure of warfare with its neighbors. The Viking leadership was never successful in establishing amicable relations with their neighboring kingdoms. In 927 CE, Godfred was driven from Jorvik by the Anglo-Saxon king AEthelstan. Falling back on his Irish possessions in Dublin, Godfred was able to regroup and eventually to recapture Jorvik by 939 CE, holding it until 952. By the 940's, Viking power in the Irish camps was broken, and the Irish Vikings forced again to serve as mercenaries in the eternal Irish internecine fighting. The Viking camps at Strangford, Carlingford Loughs, and Anagassan came under permanent Irish control during this period. By 968 CE, the Viking camp at Limerick had come under Irish control. In 980 CE, the rulers of Dublin were forced to recognize the overkingship of the Irish king of Meath. The end of the Viking rule in Ireland came with the reign of Ard-Righ Brian Boru. The last Norse rulers of Dublin were Sigtrygg and his son Olaf Curan (Olaf Shoe). Under Olaf, Norwegian influence reached its peak. An Irish chronicle says, "There was a Norse king in every province, a Norse chief in every clan, a Norse abbot in every church, a Norse sherrif in every village, a Norse warrior in every home." Olaf eventually converted to Christianity, dying as a monk in 981 in the monastary at Iona. In 980 The Norse suffered a heavy defeat at Tara under the leadership of Brian Boru (Boroimhe). Brian Boru became Ard Righ of all Ireland, forcing the petty kings to acknowledge his rule. Eventually even the Norse came under the Ard Righ's rule, for by 1000 Brian was king even of Dublin. In 989 CE, Sigtryggr Silkiskegg ("silkbeard") became ruler of the Vikings in Dublin. Sigtryggr's rule lasted from 989-993, and from 995-1042. SIgtryggr chafed under the King of Meath, and repeatedly during his reign attempted to throw off the yoke of Meath by allying with the King of Leinster. Meath managed to overcome Siggtryggr's attempts to break free, and Dublin was forced to pay tribute to Meath in 995, 998, and 1000. =20 It is thought that Sigtryggr was the engineer of the alliance between the King of Leinster and ___, Jarl of Orkney in 1014, which led to the Battle of Clontarf. In 1012 the Irish King of Leinster decided to rebel against Brian Boru, and hired the aid of the son of Olaf Curan, Siggtrygg Silken-beard, the current Norse ruler of Dublin. Siggtrygg, fearing Brian Boru's military might, recruited the aid of Sigurd Digri. On April 23, 1014, the forces of Brian Boru met those of Siggtrygg. Brian Boru and Sigurd Digri dies in the fight. Siggtrygg survived, and Dublin was untouched by the battle. Thus Siggtrygg ruled in Dublin for many years after, eventually becoming the first king in Ireland to mint his own coins. Siggtrygg eventually became a Christian., and like his father ended his life as a monk in the monstary at Iona. Though the Norse continued to live and rule in Dublin, Limericak, and Waterford, they steadily became more Irish and less connected to Scandinavia. Despite the best efforts of Siggtryggr, Dublin remained a minor political power. However, Dublin grew steadily in importance as a mercantile center. Dublin was especially well-known for its market in luxury goods, and the profits accruing to the ruler of Dublin from its markets made the town an attractive prize for many rulers. Despite losing its importance as a political power, Dublin continued to maintain its mercenary fleet, hiring the fleet to the irish, Scots, Welsh, and even Normans, all the way up until the dissolution of the fleet at the time of the Norman Conquest. By 1035, the Viking camp at Waterford had come under Irish control. In 1052, a son of the King of Leinster was named Regent in Dublin. Irish rule of Dublin was interrupted from 1078 to 1094, when the Norse King of Man and the Isles (the Hebrides) added Dublin to his holdings. After 1094, however, Dublin remained firmly in control of the Irish kings. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alfred P. Smyth. Scandinavian York and Dublin I: The History and Archaeology of Two Related Viking Kingdoms. Dublin: Templekieran. 1975. Alfred P. Smyth. Scandinavian York and Dublin II: The History and Archaeology of Two Related Viking Kingdoms. New Jersey: Humanities Press and Dublin: Templekieran. 1979. Alfred P. Smyth. Scandinavian Kings in the British Isles, 850-880. Oxford: Oxford Univ Press. 1977. Donnchadh O Corrain. "High-Kings, Vikings and Other Kings." Irish Historical Studies 21 (1979), pp. 283-323. Patrick Wallace. "The Archaeology of Viking Dublin." In: The Comparative History of Urban Origins in Non-Roman Europe: Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Russia from the Ninth to the Thirteenth Century. Ed. Helen B. Clarke et al. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports, 1985. pp. 103-142. Francoise Henry. Irish Art During the Viking Invasions (800-1020 AD) Ithaca: Cornell Univ Press. 1967. W.E.D. Allen, The Poet and the Spae-Wife: an Attempt to Reconstruct Al-Ghazal's Embassy to the Vikings." Dublin: Allen Figgis & Co. 1960. C.F. Keary. The Vikings in Western Christendom, AD 789-AD 888. 1891. Millwood, NY: Kraus Reprint Co. 1975. Johannes Brondsted. The Vikings. New York: Penguin. 1965. ISBN 0-14-020459-8 (I have this one, and it has much useful historical and archaeological info.) Gwyn Jones. A History of the Vikings. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. 1984. Gunnora Hallakarva Herskerinde Edited by Mark S. Harris Vikg-n-Irelnd-art Page 7 of 7