Other Events and Attributes:

• Nickname: Silkbeard
• FSID: LR3R-FGB

Notes:

Sigtrygg Silkbeard
King of Dublin
Reign 989/995–1036
Predecessor Glúniairn / Ivar of Waterford
Successor Echmarcach mac Ragnaill
Born c. 970
Dublin, Ireland
Died 1042 (aged ≈ 72)
Dublin
Spouse Sláine
House Uí Ímhair
Father Olaf Cuarán
Mother Gormflaith ingen Murchada
Sigtrygg Silkbeard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson (also Sihtric, Sitric[1] and
Sitrick in Irish texts; or Sigtryg[2] and Sigtryggr[3] in
Scandinavian texts) was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin
(possibly AD 989–994; restored or began 995–1000; restored
1000 and abdicated 1036) of the Uí Ímair dynasty. He was
caught up in the abortive Leinster revolt of 999–1000, after
which he was forced to submit to the King of Munster, Brian
Boru. His family also conducted a double marriage alliance
with Boru, although he later realigned himself with the main
leaders of the Leinster revolt of 1012–1014. He has a
prominent role in the 12th-century Irish Cogadh Gaedhil re
Gallaibh and the 13th century Icelandic Njal's Saga, as the
main Norse leader at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
Sigtrygg's long reign spanned 46 years, until his abdication
in 1036.[4] During that period, his armies saw action in four
of the five Irish provinces of the time. In particular, he
conducted a long series of raids into territories such as
Meath, Wicklow, Ulster, and perhaps even the coast of
Wales. He also came into conflict with rival Norse kings, especially in Cork and Waterford.
He went on pilgrimage to Rome in 1028 and is associated with the foundation of Christ Church Cathedral in
Dublin. Although Dublin underwent several reversals of fortune during his reign, on the whole trade in the city
flourished. He died in 1042.[4]
Contents
1 Life
1.1 Family
1.2 King of Dublin
1.2.1 First Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
1.2.2 Years between the revolts
1.2.3 Second Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
1.2.4 Reign after Clontarf
2 Issue and legacy
3 See also
4 Footnotes
5 References
6 External links
Life
Family
A posthumous "Sihtric" coin from the
British Museum, minted at Dublin c.
1050
Sigtrygg was of Norse and Irish ancestry.[2] He was a son of Olaf Cuarán (also called Kváran), King of York
and of Dublin, and Gormflaith ingen Murchada.[3] Gormflaith was the daughter of the King of Leinster,
Murchad mac Finn,[5] and the sister of his successor, King Máel Mórda of Leinster.[3] She had previously been
married to the King of Meath and High King of Ireland, Máel Sechnaill[3] — the first of her three husbands.
She was a beautiful, powerful and intriguing Irish woman,[3] who according to the 13th-century Icelandic Njál's
saga, was "the fairest of all women, and best gifted in everything that was not in her own power, but it was the
talk of men that she did all things ill over which she had any power".[3][6] Sigtrygg's paternal half-brother was
Glúniairn, "Iron-knee", who ruled as King of Dublin from 980–989.
An incident involving the ransom of one of Sigtrygg's sons late in his reign, in which "seven score British
horse" were mentioned in the list of demands,[7] suggests that Dublin was one of the main ports for importing
horses into 11th century Ireland, and that Sigtrygg and his family may have been personally involved in animal
husbandry.[8]
King of Dublin
Sigtrygg may have succeeded his paternal half-brother Glúniairn as king
of Dublin in 989,[4] but it is just as likely his rival Ivar of Waterford
came to power in the city then.[9] The Irish annals record little
information about Sigtrygg, his family or Dublin during these first five
years of his reign.[10] Benjamin Hudson claims this was because of the
arrival of the future King of Norway, Olaf Tryggvason, who took up
residence in Dublin for a few years after marrying Sigtrygg's sister
Gytha.[10] Tryggvason had met Gytha while raiding along the coasts of
the Irish Sea.[10] The presence of a powerful Viking leader in Dublin
was a deterrent to Irish raids, and Trygvason may have weakened
Sigtrygg's foes by plundering them.[11]
Hudson argues that Tryggvason's return to Norway in 994 coincided
with the temporary expulsion of Sigtrygg from Dublin by his rival Ivar
of Waterford,.[12] Ivar may have already ruled there from 989 until
forced out by Sigtrygg in 993. Much depends on the interpretation.
Either way, Sigtrygg was back within a year. In 995, he and his nephew, Muirchertach Ua Congalaich, attacked
the church at Donaghpatrick in County Meath.[12] In retaliation, Máel Sechnaill entered Dublin and took the
ring of Thor and the sword of Carlus.[12] Sigtrygg then attacked Kells and Clonard in 997.[12] In 998, Máel
Sechnaill and the King of Munster, Brian Boru, forced Sigtrygg to recognise their lordship by giving
hostages.[12]
Sigtrygg realised that Dublin's wealth made him a target, and that his city needed powerful allies and walls.[12]
The Dublin countryside did not provide sufficient resources for competition against powerful Irish princes.[12]
Sigtrygg first allied with his maternal uncle, Máel Mórda mac Murchada, King of the Uí Fáeláin of north
Leinster.[12] In 999, they defeated their cousin the King of Leinster Donnchad mac Domhnaill, and imprisoned
him in Dublin.[12]
First Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
Late in 999, the Leinstermen, historically hostile to domination by either the Uí Néill overkings or the king of
Munster, allied themselves with the Norse of Dublin and revolted against Brian Boru.[1] This provided the
opportunity for Sigtrygg's second alliance with Máel Mórda mac Murchada.[12] Brian's forces inflicted a
crushing defeat on the united Leinster-Dublin army at the Battle of Glenmama, and followed the victory with
Inch Abbey (Inis Cumhscraigh),
plundered by Sigtrygg in 1002
an attack on the city of Dublin.[1] The 12th-century Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh gives two accounts of the
occupation: Brian remained in Dublin from Christmas Day until Epiphany (6 January), or from Christmas Day
until St. Brigid's Day (1 February).[12] The later Annals of Ulster date the Battle of Glenmama to 30 December
999,[13] while the Annals of Inisfallen date Brian's capture of the city to 1 January 1000.[14] In any case, in
1000 Brian plundered the city, burned the Norse fortress and expelled Sigtrygg.[1]
According to the Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh, Sigtrygg's flight from the city took him north, first to the Ulaid
and then to Aéd of Cenél nEógain.[15] Both tribes refused to help him.[15] As Sigtrygg could find no refuge in
Ireland, he eventually returned, submitted to Brian, gave hostages and was restored to Dublin three months
after Brian ended his occupation in February.[1][12] In the meantime, Sigtrygg may have temporarily "turned
pirate" and been responsible for a raid on St David's in Wales.[15]
Brian's daughter by his first wife was married to Sigtrygg,[3] and Brian in turn took Sigtrygg's mother, the now
thrice-married Gormflaith, as his second wife.[3]
Years between the revolts
Dublin enjoyed a sustained period of peace while Sigtrygg's men served
in the armies of Brian.[16] Sigtrygg never forgot the Ulaid's refusal of
aid when he fled from Dublin, and in 1002 he had his revenge when his
soldiers served in Brian's campaign against the Ulaid and ravaged their
lands.[12][16] His fleet raided Ulster, and he plundered Kilclief and Inis
Cumhscraigh, taking many prisoners from both.[17] They served under
Brian against the Ulaid again in 1005, and against the Northern Uí Néill
in 1006 and 1007.[16] Cenél Conaill, the last of the Northern Uí Néill
Kingdoms, submitted in 1011, and Brian was formally recognised as
High King throughout Ireland.[16]
A remembrance of Sigtrygg's reign during these years is preserved in
the late medieval Icelandic Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent's Tongue.[18] Only fragments survive of the verses in the
Sigtryggsdrápa, a drápa composed by the skald Gunnlaug Illugason while visiting Sigtrygg's court.[18] The
verses praise Sigtrygg for his royal ancestry, and describe Dublin as a busy, thriving port.[18] Archaeological
excavations of ships, gold, clothing, and pieces for games from around this time seem to confirm the
description.[18] According to the prose, Sigtrygg considered rewarding the poet with ships and gold, but instead
granted him a new suit of clothes.[18]
Second Leinster revolt against Brian Boru
Some time during the 1010s, Brian Boru divorced Queen Gormflaith, and she began to engineer opposition to
the High King.[19] Around 1012, relations between Brian and Leinster had become so strained that revolt broke
out among the Leinstermen.[20] Sigtrygg aligned himself with the forces of Máel Mórda, leader of the revolt,
and the chiefs Ua Ruairc, Ua Néill, and others.[21] Together, they defeated Brian's ally Máel Sechnaill near the
town of Swords, and Brian for the moment was unable to render assistance.[21]
Sigtrygg sent his son Oleif to lead a fleet south to Munster to burn the Viking settlement of Cork.[16] The fleet
also attacked Cape Clear, crippling Brian's naval power, which was concentrated in Cork.[16]
The Viking settlements of Cork,
Limerick, Waterford and Wexford
(Part of the Kingdom of Munster,
under the control of Boru)
The Kingdom of Dublin, under
the control of Sigtrygg
According to Njál's saga, Gormflaith "egged on her son Sigtrygg very
much to kill King Brian",[6] sending him to win the support of Earl
Sigurd of Orkney, and Bróðir and Óspak of Man at any price.[21]
Sigtrygg arrived in Orkney for Sigurd's Yule feast, where he sat in a
high seat between the two brothers-in-law, Earl Sigurd of Orkney and
Earl Gilli of the Southern Isles.[6] The saga also records that Sigtrygg
was very interested in the Burning of Njáll Þorgeirsson at Bergþórshvoll
and what had happened since.[6] Afterwards, Sigtrygg bade Sigurd to go
to war with him against Brian.[22] Despite Sigurd's initial hesitance and
against the advice of his men, he eventually agreed to arrive in Dublin
by Palm Sunday with all his men, on the condition that if Brian was
slain, Sigurd would marry Gormflaith and become King of
Ireland.[22][23]
Sigtrygg went next to Man, where he also persuaded Bróðir to be in
Dublin by Palm Sunday,[20][24] and he promised Bróðir too that, if
successful, he would be allowed marry Gormflaith and become King of
Ireland; the terms of this agreement were kept secret.[25] Óspak was
dissatisfied with the arrangement,[23] and refused to "fight against so good a king".[22]
The two forces met at the Battle of Clontarf, on Good Friday in 1014, a battle that claimed the lives of the main
commanders on both sides: Brian and his son Murchad on the Munster side; and Máel Mórda, Sigurd and
Bróðir on the Leinster-Norse side.[26] According to Irish sources, Sigtrygg did not take part in the battle, but
held his garrison in reserve in Dublin.[27] The Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh records that Sigtrygg was able to
observe the progress of the battle and the movement of the battle standards from the ramparts of his fortress.[28]
As the modern Irish medievalist historian Donnchadh Ó Corráin notes, Sigtrygg "wisely kept within the city
and lived to tell the tale".[26]
Earlier Scandinavian sources (the Orkneyinga saga, Njál's saga and the Darraðarljóð, composed soon after the
battle) contend that he did actually fight valiantly at Clontarf.[28] The Darraðarljóð, showing the persistence of
paganism among the Vikings of Dublin, describes the Valkyries as following the "young king" Sigtrygg into
battle.[29] Njal's Saga records that Sigtrygg was on the wing opposite Óspak of Man for the whole battle, and
that Óspak eventually put the king to flight.[30]
Reign after Clontarf
Immediately after Clontarf, Sigtrygg's fortunes appear to have declined, even though he emerged with his
kingdom intact.[31] Máel Sechnaill, now again recognised as high king, was undoubtedly the battle's main
beneficiary.[31] In 1015, plague struck Dublin and Leinster, and Máel Sechnaill seized the opportunity to march
south to burn Dublin's suburbs.[31] While Sigtrygg was able to ally with Leinster for another attack on Meath in
1017, the alliance was dissolved when Sigtrygg blinded his cousin Bróen, Máel Morda's son and heir, in
Dublin.[31]
In 1018, Sigtrygg plundered Kells; he "carried off innumerable spoils and prisoners, and slew many persons in
the middle of the church".[32] These captives would either have been ransomed or sold off into Dublin's
lucrative slave trade.[33] When Sigtrygg raided south in 1021, he was defeated at Delgany in County
Wicklow[33] where the new King of Leinster, Augaire mac Dúnlainge, "made a dreadful slaughter of the
foreigners" in the Kingdom of Breifne.[34] In 1022, the Dublin fleet sailed north against the Ulaid, only to be
destroyed in a naval battle against Niall mac Eochaid, after which the Norse crews and ships were taken
prisoner.[33]
The medieval tower of the stone
church of Ardbraccan, County Meath,
in which Sigtrygg burned over 200
men
According to the American medievalist historian Benjamin Hudson, "matters went from bad to worse" for
Sigtrygg after the death of Máel Sechnaill in 1022.[35] The great Irish princes began to compete for the High
Kingship, and the political situation in Ireland became chaotic as there was no clear choice for supremacy.[35]
Accordingly, "Dublin became a prize for those who would rule Ireland and wanted the town's wealth to finance
their ambitions."[35]
Hostages were taken from Sigtrygg by Flaithbertach Ua Néill, King of
Cenél nEógain and the Uí Néill, and Donnchad mac Briain of Munster
in 1025 and 1026 respectively, in support of their bids for the high
kingship.[35] These hostages brought no security, and Dublin was raided
in 1026 by Niall mac Eocada of the Ulaid in revenge for the naval
attack of 1022.[36] Sigtrygg formed a new alliance with the men of
Brega.[37] In 1027, Sigtrygg's son Olaf joined Donnchad of Brega in a
raid on Staholmock, County Meath.[37] Sigtrygg and Donnchad's army
was defeated by the men of Meath under their king, Roen Ua Mael
Sechlainn.[37][38] Sigtrygg rallied to the fight again at Lickblaw where
Donnchad and Roen were slain.[37][38]
In 1029, Sigtrygg's son Olaf was taken prisoner by the new lord of
Brega, Mathghamhain Ua Riagain.[7] Sigtrygg was forced to pay a
ransom of 1,200 cows, 140 British horses, 60 ounces of gold and of
silver, "the sword of Carlus", the Irish hostages of Leinster and Leath
Cuinn, "four hostages to Ua Riagain as a security for peace, and the full
value of the life of the third hostage."[7] An additional 80 cows "for
word and supplication"[7] were to be paid to the man who entreated for
Olaf's release.[8] The incident illustrates the importance of ransoming
noble captives, as a means of political manipulation, increasing one's own revenues and exhausting the
resources of one's foes.[8]
Sigtrygg's fortunes improved in the 1030s. In 1030, he allied with the King of England, Cnut, and together their
fleets raided Wales.[39] A Dublin colony was established in Gwynedd, and for the following years Sigtrygg was
at the height of his power.[39] In 1032, without allies, Sigtrygg won a victory on the Boyne estuary of a type
previously unseen by his dynasty for two decades, against a coalition of three kingdoms:[37] over 300 members
of the Conailli, the Ui Tortain, and the Ui Meith were captured or killed at the Battle of Inbher Boinne.[40] In
1035, he plundered the celebrated stone church Ardbraccan in Meath, burned 200 men inside, and carried
another 200 off into captivity.[37] (In revenge, the church at Swords was plundered and burned by Conchobhar
Ua Maeleachlainn,[41] who took away cattle and captives.[37])
Meanwhile, in a renewal of ancient feuds that same year, Sigtrygg executed Ragnall King of Waterford, in
Dublin[41] Ragnall was the grandson of the Ivar, Sigtrygg's earliest rival, who had contested for Dublin decades
before.[37] Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, King of the Isles forced Sigtrygg to abdicate in 1036.[39] Sigtrygg died in
exile, at an unknown place, in 1042.[39]
Issue and legacy
Sigtrygg married Brian Boru's daughter, Sláine, and they had one son: Olaf (d. 1034).[4] According to the
Annals of the Four Masters, Olaf "was slain by the Saxons" on his way on a pilgrimage to Rome.[41] He was
survived by one Ragnhild, from whom Gruffudd ap Cynan and the Kings of Gwynedd were descended.[4]
Christ Church Cathedral, founded by
Sigtrygg c.1028
Separately from Sláine, Sigtrygg had five children: Artalach (d. 999),
Oleif (d. 1013), Godfrey (d. 1036), Glúniairn (d. 1031) and Cellach (d.
1042).[4][39] The annals record the death of Oleif—"son of the lord of
the foreigners"—who was killed in revenge for the burning of Cork.[42]
Glúniairn was killed by the people of South Brega in 1031.[43] Godfrey
was killed in Wales in 1036 by one Sitric, "son of Glúniairn"—as
factionalism was common among Viking settlers, this could have been
the same Glúniairn as Sigtrygg's half-brother, thus making Godfrey and
his killer cousins.[44] Sigtrygg's daughter Cellach died in the same
month as her father.[45]
Sigtrygg was also, according to the Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography, "a patron of the arts, a benefactor of the church, and an
economic innovator".[39] In the 990s, he established Ireland's first mint, in Dublin.[39] He established a
bishopric at Dublin and in 1028 he made a pilgrimage to Rome.[39][46] It is thus possible to attribute the origins
of the establishment of territorial bishoprics in Ireland on the Roman model, one of the most important results
of 11th-century Irish Church Reform, to Sigtrygg.[47] He went on to found Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin,
which today is the oldest building in Dublin, but relatively young in comparison to the many monastic
cathedrals in the rest of Ireland. Like many of the other coastal cathedrals in Ireland, it is of Hiberno-Norse
origin. The cathedral, initially a wooden building, was rebuilt in stone in the 1180s following the arrival of the
Anglo-Normans to Ireland, led by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke.[2]
See also
Early Medieval Ireland 800–1166
History of Dublin
Church of Ireland
Footnotes
1. Ó Corráin, p 123
2. Winn, p 46
3. Mac Manus, p 278
4. Hudson, p 83
5. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 821. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
6. "Chapter 153 - Kari goes abroad" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#153). Njal's Saga. www.sagadb.org.
Retrieved 2009-03-03.
7. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 819. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
8. Hudson, p 111
9. Etchingham, p. 181
10. Hudson, p 84
11. Hudson, p 85
12. Hudson, p 86
13. "Entry for AD 999 of the Annals of Ulster "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100001A/text568.html.) Annals of
Ulster. University College Cork. p. 745. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
14. Hudson, p 86-87
15. Hudson, p 87
16. Hudson, p 95
17. "Part 10 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text010.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 745. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
18. Hudson, p 94
19. MacManus, p 278-279
References
Etchingham, Colmán, "North Wales, Ireland and the Isles: the Insular Viking zone", in Peritia 15 (2001
[2002]): 145–187.
Hudson, Benjamin T (2005). Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynasty, Religion, and Empire in the
North Atlantic (Illustrated ed.). United States: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195162374, ISBN 978-0-
19-516237-0.
MacManus, Seumas (1921). The Story of the Irish Race: A Popular History of Ireland. Ireland: The Irish
Publishing Co. ISBN 0-517-06408-1.
Ó Corráin, Donnchadh (1972). Ireland Before the Normans. Ireland: Gill and Macmillan.
Richter, Michael (2005). Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition (Revised, illustrated ed.). Gill &
Macmillan. ISBN 0717132935, ISBN 978-0-7171-3293-5.
Winn, Christopher (2007). I Never Knew that About Ireland. Illustrated by Osawa, Mai (Illustrated ed.).
Macmillan. ISBN 0312368801, ISBN 978-0-312-36880-7.
External links
20. Ó Corráin, p 129
21. MacManus, p 279
22. "Chapter 154 - Gunnar Lambi's son's slaying" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#154). Njal's Saga.
www.sagadb.org. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
23. MacManus, p280
24. "Chapter 155 - Of signs and wonders" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#155). Njal's Saga.
www.sagadb.org. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
25. MacManus, p 279-280
26. Ó Corráin, p 130
27. MacManus, p 281
28. Hudson, p 101
29. Hudson, p 103
30. "Chapter 156 - Brian's battle" (http://www.sagadb.org/brennu-njals_saga.en#156). Njal's Saga. www.sagadb.org.
Retrieved 2009-03-03.
31. Hudson, p 104
32. "Part 12 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text010.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 793. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
33. Hudson, p 108
34. "Part 12 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text012.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 799. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
35. Hudson, p 109
36. Hudson, p 109-110
37. Hudson, p 110
38. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 815. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
39. Hudson, Benjamin T. "Sihtric (Sigtryggr Óláfsson, Sigtryggr Silkiskegg) (d. 1042)"O. xford Dictionary of National
Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.d oi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25545 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodn
b%2F25545). (Subscription or UK public library membership (https://global.oup.com/oxforddnb/info/freeodnb/libraries/)
required.)
40. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 825. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
41. "Part 14 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text014.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 831. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
42. "Part 11 of the Annals of the Four Masters" (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text01.html). Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 769. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
43. "Part 13 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text013.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 823. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
44. Hudson, p 82
45. "Part 14 of the Annals of the Four Masters "(http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005B/text014.html.) Annals of the Four
Masters. University College Cork. p. 843. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
46. Richter, p 124-125
47. Richter, p 125
Njal's Saga
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Glúniairn
(Ivar of Waterford)
King of Dublin
Succeeded by
Echmarcach mac
Ragnaill
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sigtrygg_Silkbeard&oldid=754727687"
Categories: 1042 deaths Monarchs of Dublin Norse-Gaels People from County Dublin
11th-century monarchs in Europe 10th-century monarchs in Europe Uí Ímair
10th-century Irish monarchs 11th-century Irish people
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Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. mac Sitriuc, Amlaíb

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LVZN-V7C

Notes:

Olaf
A coin minted at York in the early 940s, the obverse
(right) face shows a triquetra and the legend
ANLAF CVNVNCC (King Anlaf, the Old English
form of Amlaíb /Óláfr), the reverse (left) face shows
a banner, perhaps the Raven banner and the name of
the moneyer, as FARMAN MONETA[rius]
King of Jórvík
Reign 941 – 944
Predecessor Olaf Guthfrithson
Successor Edmund I
Reign 949 – 952 (second time)
Predecessor Eric Bloodaxe
Successor Eric Bloodaxe
King of Dublin
Reign 945 – 947
Predecessor Blácaire mac Gofrith
Successor Blácaire mac Gofrith
Reign 952 – 980 (second time)
Predecessor Gofraid mac Sitriuc
Successor Glúniairn
Died 980
Iona, Scotland
Burial Iona Abbey
Spouse Dúnlaith
Gormflaith
Issue Glúniairn
Sigtrygg Silkbeard
Gytha
Máel Muire
Harald
House Uí Ímair
Father Sitric Cáech
Mother Edith of Polesworth (possibly)
Amlaíb Cuarán
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amlaíb mac Sitric (c. 927 – 981; Old Norse: Óláfr
Sigtryggsson), commonly called Amlaíb Cuarán, in Old
Norse: Óláfr kváran, was a 10th-century Norse-Gael who
was King of Northumbria and Dublin. His byname, cuarán,
is usually translated as "sandal". His name appears in a
variety of anglicized forms, including Olaf Cuaran and Olaf
Sihtricson, particularly in relation to his short-lived rule in
York.[1] He was the last of the Uí Ímair to play a major part
in the politics of the British Isles.
Amlaíb was twice, perhaps three times, ruler of Northumbria
and twice ruler of Dublin and its dependencies. His reign
over these territories spanned some forty years. He was a
renowned warrior and a ruthless pillager of churches, but
ended his days in retirement at Iona Abbey. Born when the
Uí Ímair ruled over large areas of the British Isles, by his
death the kingdom of Dublin was a minor power in Irish
politics. At the same time, Dublin became a major centre of
trade in Atlantic Europe and mastery over the city and its
wealth became the supreme prize for ambitious Irish kings.
In death Amlaíb was the prototype for the Middle English
romance character Havelok the Dane. In life he was a patron
of Irish poets and Scandinavian skalds who wrote verses
praising their paymaster. Amlaíb was married at least twice,
and had many children who married into Irish and
Scandinavian royal families. His descendants were kings in
the Isle of Man and the Hebrides until the 13th century.
Contents
1 Background
2 Origins
3 York
4 Congalach and Ruaidrí
5 York again
6 From Dublin to Iona
7 Marriages and children
8 Cuarán
9 Icelandic sagas
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links
Background
The earliest records of attacks by Vikings in Britain or
Ireland are at the end of the eighth century. The monastery on Lindisfarne, in the kingdom of Northumbria, was
sacked on 8 June 793, and the monastery of Iona in the kingdom of the Picts was attacked in 795 and 802. In
Ireland Rathlin Island, off the north-east coast, was the target in 795, and so too was St Patrick's Island on the
east coast in 798. Portland in the kingdom of Wessex in south-west Britain was attacked during the reign of
King Beorhtric of Wessex (ruled from 786 to 802).[2]
These raids continued in a sporadic fashion throughout the first quarter of the ninth century. During the second
quarter of the century the frequency and size of raids increased and the first permanent Viking settlements
(called longphorts in Ireland) appeared.[3]
Origins
The Ímar from whom the Uí Ímair were descended is generally presumed to be that Ímar (English
pronunciation Ivar): "king of the Northmen of all Britain and Ireland", whose death is reported by the Annals of
Ulster in 873. Whether this Ímar is to be identified with Ivar the Boneless, the leader of the Great Heathen
Army, is rather less certain, although at the same time not unlikely.[4]
Amlaíb Cuarán was probably a great-grandson of Ímar. There is no contemporary evidence setting out the
descent from Ímar to his grandsons, but it may be that the grandsons of Ímar recorded between 896 and 934—
Amlaíb Cuarán's father Sitriuc (d. 927), Ragnall (d. 921), Gofraid (d. 934), Ímar (d. 904) and Amlaíb (d. 896)
—were brothers rather than cousins.[5] Amlaíb's father Sitriuc first appears in the record in 917 when he seized
Dublin, a settlement which had probably been under the control of an Irish king since the expulsion of the
previous Viking rulers in 902.[6]
Sitriuc ruled Northumbria until his death in 927. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records his marriage to King
Æthelstan's sister at Tamworth on 30 January 926. According to some late sources, such as the chronicler John
of Wallingford, Amlaíb was the son of Sitriuc and this West Saxon princess.[7] Sitriuc's other sons included
Gofraid (died 951), king of Dublin, Aralt (died 940), ruler of Limerick, and, less certainly, Sichfrith and Auisle,
listed among those killed at the battle of Brunanburh in 937 by the Annals of Clonmacnoise.[8] A daughter of
Sitriuc named Gytha is said in the Heimskringla to have married Norwegian pirate king Olaf Tryggvason, but
she was probably a daughter of Amlaíb Cuarán.[9]
Following Sitriuc's death, Amlaíb may have become king in York for a short time,[10] but if he did it came to an
end when Æthelstan took over the kingdom of Northumbria and defeated Sitriuc's brother Gofraid. According
to William of Malmesbury, Amlaíb fled to Ireland while his uncle Gofraid made a second unsuccessful attempt
to gain control of York.[11] In 937 an attack on Æthelstan's kingdom by Gofraid's son Amlaíb, assisted by
Constantín mac Áeda, the king of Alba, and Owen, the king of Strathclyde, ended in defeat at the battle of
Brunanburh.[12] William of Malmesbury wrote that Amlaíb was present at Brunanburh and spied out the
English camp the night before the battle disguised as a skald.[13]
King Æthelstan died in 939 and his successor, his half-brother Edmund, was unable to keep control of York.
Amlaíb mac Gofrith, ruling in Dublin, crossed to Britain where he was accepted as king of the Northumbrians.
He died in 941, shortly after sacking the church of Saint Baldred at Tyninghame, struck dead by the saint's
power according to the Historia de Sancto Cuthberto.[14] This traditional view of Amlaíb mac Gofrith's later
career has recently been disputed by Kevin Halloran.[15] The basic argument presented is that Amlaíb mac
Gofrith did not rule in York and the suggestion that only one Amlaíb, Amlaíb Cuarán, was king there may
explain some of the apparent anomalies in the numismatic record.
York
Scandinavian settlements in 10th
century Ireland
Amlaíb Cuarán's career began in 941, following the death of his cousin Amlaíb mac Gofrith, when he became
co-ruler of York, sharing power with his cousin Ragnall son of Gofraid. According to the Annals of
Clonmacnoise, Amlaíb had been in Britain since 940, having left another son of Gofraid, Blácaire, as ruler of
Dublin.[16]
Amlaíb and Ragnall ruled in York until 944. The dating of events in period between the death of Æthelstan and
the expulsion of Amlaíb and Ragnall is uncertain as the various versions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle are in
conflict. It appears that after Æthelstan's death, not only did Edmund lose control of Northumbria, but that the
Five Burghs of the Mercian Danelaw also pledged themselves to Amlaíb mac Gofrith.[17] One of the Amlaíbs
stormed Tamworth according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:
Here Olaf broke down Tamworth and a great slaughter fell on either side, and the Danes had the
victory and led much war-booty away with them. Wulfrun was seized in the raid. Here King
Edmund besieged King Olaf and Archbishop Wulfstan in Leicester, and he might have controlled
them had they not escaped from the stronghold in the night.[18]
It is not clear when in the period between 940 and 943 these events took place, and as a result historians
disagree as to whether they concern Amlaíb mac Gofrith or Amlaíb Cuarán.[19]
Edmund reconquered the Five Burghs in 942, an event celebrated in verse by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The
Chronicle reports the baptism of Amlaíb, with King Edmund becoming his godfather.[20] This need not mean
that Amlaíb was not already a Christian, nor would such a baptism have permanently committed him to
Christianity, as such baptisms were often political acts. Alfred the Great, for example, had sponsored the
confirmation of Christian Welsh king Anarawd ap Rhodri.[21] Amlaíb was expelled from the kingship of York
in 944. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports that "King Edmund conquered all Northumbria and caused to flee
away two kings [or "royally-born men"], Olaf and Rægnald".[22] It is possible that rivalry between Amlaíb and
Ragnall contributed to their fall.[23] Æthelweard's history reports that Amlaíb was deposed by a coup led by
Wulfstan, Archbishop of York, and an unnamed Mercian ealdorman.[24]
Congalach and Ruaidrí
After being driven out of Northumbria, Amlaíb returned to Ireland
while Ragnall may have been killed at York.[25] The Uí Ímair in Ireland
had also suffered in 944 as Dublin was sacked that year by the High
King of Ireland Congalach Cnogba, whose power base lay in Brega,
north of Dublin on the lower reaches of the River Boyne. The following
year, perhaps as a result of the sack of Dublin, Amlaíb's cousin Blácaire
was driven out and Amlaíb replaced him as ruler of Dublin. Amlaíb was
allied with Congalach and may have gained power with his
assistance.[26]
Congalach and Amlaíb fought against Ruaidrí ua Canannáin, a rival for
the High Kingship who belonged to the Cenél Conaill, based in modern
County Donegal. In 945 the two defeated part of Ruaidrí's army in
Conaille Muirtheimne (modern County Louth) and the following year
Amlaíb raided Kilcullen in the province of Leinster. In 947 Ruaidrí
routed Congalach and Amlaíb at Slane. Losses among the Dublin men were heavy, with many drowning while
fleeing the battle. This defeat appears to have lost Amlaíb his kingship, as the annals record that Blácaire not
Amlaíb was the leader of the Dublin forces in the following year. Blácaire was killed in 948 by Congalach, and
was succeeded by Amlaíb's brother Gofraid.[27]
A second style of penny from York
from Amlaíb's time, moneyer
Æthelfrith, the obverse shows a bird,
presumed to be a Raven, the reverse a
cross.
York again
The course of events in Northumbria while Amlaíb was in Ireland is
uncertain. While Edmund certainly controlled Northumbria after
Amlaíb was expelled and Ragnall killed, he may soon after have lost
control of the north to a Scandinavian king named Eiríkr, usually
identified with Eric Bloodaxe.[28] If Erik did rule in Northumbria before
Edmund's death, it was only for a short time. Edmund was killed in 946,
and succeeded by his brother Eadred. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
records that Eadred "reduced all the land of Northumbria to his control;
and the Scots granted him oaths that they would do all that he
wanted".[29] The Northumbrian submission to Eadred led to a meeting
with the notables of York led by Archbishop Wulfstan in 947, but the
following year King Erik was back ruling Northumbria and Eadred laid
waste to the southern parts of the kingdom— Ripon is mentioned as a
particular target—to force the Northumbrians to expel Erik, which they did.[30]
The following year, 949, by which time Blacáire was dead and Amlaíb's brother ruling in Dublin, the
Northumbrians invited Amlaíb to rule in York.[31] His return to England may have been with Eadred's
agreement.[32] That year Máel Coluim mac Domnaill, the king of Alba, raided Northumbria as far south as the
River Tees, capturing many slaves and much loot. Whether this invasion was directed against Amlaíb, or
perhaps intended to support him by plundering only northern Northumbria which may have been outwith his
control, is uncertain. A second invasion from the north in 952, this time an alliance including Máel Coluim's
Scots and also Britons and Saxons, was defeated. Again, whether this was aimed against Amlaíb, who was
deposed in 952 and replaced by Erik, or was mounted against King Erik in support of Amlaíb, is unclear. Erik's
reign was short and the Viking kingdom of York was definitively incorporated into the kingdom of the English
on his death in 954. Amlaíb returned to Ireland, never again to rule in York.[33]
From Dublin to Iona
In 951, while Amlaíb was in Britain his brother Gofraid died in Dublin of disease.[34] Congalach's rival Ruaidrí
was also dead, leaving Amlaíb's former ally as undisputed High King and thus a serious threat to Dublin and
the south-eastern Irish kingdom of Leinster. This threat was perhaps what led to Congalach's death in an
ambush at Dún Ailinne (modern County Kildare) or at Tech Guigenn in the region of the River Liffey while
collecting tribute in Leinster in 956.[35] The main beneficiary was the brother of Amlaíb's new wife Dúnflaith,
Domnall ua Néill, who became the next High King of Ireland. The marriage linked Amlaíb not only to the
northern Uí Néill kindred of Cenél nEógain, but also to the southern Clann Cholmáin as he was now stepfather
to Dúnflaith's young son Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill.[36]
In the early 960s Amlaíb Cuarán probably faced a challenge from the sons of his cousin Amlaíb mac Gofrith.
In 960 the Annals of Ulster report that Cammán, son of Amlaíb mac Gofrith, was defeated at an unidentifiable
place named Dub. Two years later one Sitriuc Cam—Cam means crooked or twisted and Cammán is simply the
hypocoristic form of this byname, so that Sitriuc Cam and Cammán are presumed to be the same person—was
defeated by the Dubliners led by Amlaíb Cuarán and the Leinstermen while raiding in Leinster. Amlaíb Cuarán
was wounded in the battle but Sitriuc fled to his ships. Sitriuc and his brothers appear to have raided Munster
after this, but disappear from the record soon afterwards and do not appear to have returned to Ireland.[37]
Amlaíb's activities in the early 960s seem largely to have been limited to occasional raids in Leinster. He
attacked Kildare in 964, and it was a target again in 967 when Muiredach mac Faeláin, abbot of Kildare, a
member of Uí Dúnlainge kindred which ruled Leinster, was killed by Amlaíb and Cerball mac Lorcáin, a
kinsman of Muiredach's. Another raid south in 964 ended in a heavy defeat for Amlaíb near Inistogue (modern
County Kildare) at the hands of the Osraige.[38]
Until the late 960s Domnall ua Néill, Congalach's successor as would-be High King, was occupied with
enemies close to home, and in Connacht and Munster, and did not intervene in Leinster or the hinterlands of
Dublin. Having defeated these, in 968 he marched south and plundered Leinster, killing several notables, and
laid siege to Dublin for two months. While Domnall did not take the port, he carried off a great many cattle.
Amlaíb, allied with the king of Leinster Murchad mac Finn, retaliated by attacking the abbey of Kells in 969. A
pursuit by ua Néill's allies was defeated near Ardmulchan (County Meath).[39]
In 970 Domnall ua Néill and his allies attacked Amlaíb's new-found ally, Congalach's son Domnall, the king of
Brega. Domnall mac Congalaig was married to a daughter of Amlaíb, perhaps at about this time. Churches in
Brega, including Monasterboice and Dunleer, guarded by Amlaíb's soldiers, were a particular target of the
raids. Domnall of Brega and Amlaíb fought against Domnall ua Néill's northern army at Kilmona in modern
County Westmeath. Domnall's army, which included allies from Ulaid was defeated, and Ardgal mac Matudáin,
king of Ulaid, and Cináed mac Crongilla, king of Conaille Muirtheimne, were among those killed. The battle at
Kilmona did not end the war in the midlands. Monasterboice and Dunleer were burned after the battle and
fighting spread to the lands of Clann Cholmáin the following year when Domnall ua Néill's enemies there
drove him out, only for him to return with an army and ravage both Mide and the lands around Dublin before
marching south to attack Leinster. This campaign appears to have established Domnall ua Néill as effective
overlord of the midlands and Leinster for some years.[40]
In 977, in unknown circumstances, Domnall ua Néill's sons Congalach and Muirchertach were killed and
Amlaíb is given credit for their deaths by the annals. Domnall made no effort to avenge the deaths, retiring to
the monastery at Armagh where he died in 980. The Dubliners campaigned against Leinster the late 970s. The
overking of Leinster, Úgaire mac Túathail, was captured in 976. He was evidently ransomed or released as he
was killed, along with Muiredach mac Riain of Uí Cheinnselaig of south Leinster, fighting against the
Dubliners in 978 at Belan (County Kildare). Úgaire's successor Domnall Claen was little more fortunate, being
captured by the Dubliners the following year.[41]
Following the death of High King Domnall ua Néill, Amlaíb's stepson Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill claimed
the title. Amlaíb's former ally Domnall son of Congalach had died in 976, removing one potential rival, and as
Amlaíb had killed two of Domnall ua Néill's sons he may have cleared the way for Máel Sechnaill to take
power. If so, it was unlikely to be by design. Máel Sechnaill had become king of Mide and head of Clann
Cholmáin in 975 and had inaugurated his reign with an attack on his stepfather when he burned "Thor's Wood"
outside Dublin. In 980 Máel Sechnaill had the support of the Leinstermen when he faced Amlaíb's sons—
Amlaíb himself was by now an old man—near the hill of Tara. The Dubliners too had allies as the Irish annals
record the presence of warriors from the Isle of Man or the Hebrides. Amlaíb's son Ragnall (Rögnvaldr) was
among the dead in the battle which followed, and although several kings fighting alongside Máel Sechnaill
were killed, the result was clearly a crushing blow for Dublin. Máel Sechnaill occupied the city and imposed a
heavy tribute on the citizens.[42]
In the aftermath of this defeat Amlaíb abdicated, or was removed from power. He was replaced by a son named
Glúniairn (Járnkné), a son of Dúnlaith and thus Máel Sechnaill's half-brother. Amlaíb retired to the monastery
on Iona where he died soon afterwards.[43]
Marriages and children
He was succeeded by his son Glúniairn (Járnkné, literally "Iron Knee"), son of his wife Dúnlaith, daughter of
Muirchertach mac Néill. Among his wives was Gormflaith, daughter of Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster,
and future wife of Brian Boru. Gormflaith's son Sitric Silkbeard was king of Dublin after Glúniairn's death.
Amlaíb's other children included Gytha, who married Olaf Tryggvason, Máel Muire, who married Máel
Sechnaill mac Domnaill, and Harald, possibly the grandfather of Godred Crovan.[44]
Cuarán
Amlaíb's byname, cuarán, is usually translated as "sandal" or "shoe". It derives from the Old Irish word cúar
meaning bent or crooked. It is first applied to him in the report of the battle of Slane in 947 in the Annals of
Ulster. The usual translation may be misleading. The epithet probably refers to a distinctive style of footwear.
Benjamin Hudson points to the description of a cuarán in a twelfth-century satire, where it is made of leather
folded seven times and has a pointed toe. In Aislinge Meic Con Glinne and Scél Baili Binnbérlaig, the cuarán is
waterproof. In the first story Mac Con Glinne cleans his by dipping them in his bath; in the second, a cuarán
serves as a vessel to drink from. That the cuarán was a piece of footwear specific to Dublin is suggested by
statements in other stories that have cobblers in the town owing a cuarán in taxes.[45]
Icelandic sagas
Amlaíb Cuarán (Olaf Kvaran) is referred to at least twice in the Icelandic sagas, once in Njal's Saga and again
in Saga of Gunnlaugr Serpent-Tongue [46] It is from these references that Einar Hjorleifsson Kvaran and his
siblings chose the name "Kvaran" as their own.
Notes
1. In Old English he was Anlaf. To Irish speakers he may
also have been Amlaíb mac ua Ímair or Amlaíb ua
Ímair but others shared these names. Likewise, his
Norse nickname, "Olaf the Red" was applied to several
Norse rulers in Ireland and the Isles.
2. Keynes, "Vikings in England", pp. 50–51; Ó Corráin,
"Ireland, Wales, Man, and the Hebrides", pp. 83–85.
3. Keynes, "Vikings in England", pp. 51–52; Ó Corráin,
"Ireland, Wales, Man, and the Hebrides", pp. 84–89.
4. Ó Cróinín, Early Medieval Ireland, pp. 250–254,
discusses Ímar's career and the various agruments. See
also Woolf, Pictland to Alba, chapter 2; Downham,
Viking Kings, chapters 1–3, especially pp. 17–23 & 64
–67. Ó Corráin, "Vikings in Scotland and Ireland",
passim, sets out the case against the identification.
5. Thus Downham, Viking Kings, p. 29, figure 6. Cyril
Hart's contributions to the Oxford Dictionary of
National Biography make Ragnall, Sitriuc and Gofraid
brothers; likewise Hudson, Viking Pirates, p. 31, figure
1, makes these three brothers, sons ofG uthred.
6. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 27–35.
7. According to William of Malmesbury, who states that
he did not know the princess's name, she was
Æthelstan's full sister, daughter of Edward the Elder
and his first wife Ecgwynn, John of Wallingford gives
her name as Orgiue, perhaps Eadgifu; Hudson, Viking
Pirates, pp. 28–29.
8. Hudson, Viking Pirates, p. 31, figure 1, shows only
Gofraid; Downham, Viking Kings, p. 29, figure 6 & pp.
245, 247, 254 & 269; Annals of Clonmacnoise, s.a.
931.
9. Hart, "Sihtric Cáech"; "Saga of Olaf Tryggvason",
chapter 32, Heimskringla, pp. 171–173; Hudson,
Viking Pirates, p. 31, figure 1 & p. 84.
10. Thus Keynes, "Rulers of the English", p. 505.
11. Downham, Viking Kings, p. 100; Hudson, Viking
Pirates, p. 29; Woolf, Pictland to Alba, p. 151.
Hudson, "Óláf Sihtricson", presumes Amlaíb to have
been born in York, in which case he was a child at this
time.
12. Woolf, Pictland to Alba, pp. 168–173; Downham,
Viking Kings, pp. 103–105; Hudson, Viking Pirates,
page numbers to be supplied.
13. Hudson, Viking Pirates, pp. 30–31; Hudson states: "If
there is any historical basis to this story, Olaf Cuaran is
clearly confused with his cousin ...".
14. Hudson, "Óláf Guthfrithson"; Woolf, Pictland to Alba,
p. 174.
15. Halloran, Kevin (September 2013)." Anlaf
Gufthrithson at York: A Non-existent Kingship?" (htt
p://www.maneyonline.com/doi/abs/10.1179/0078172X
13Z.00000000042). Northern History. University of
Leeds. 50 (2): 180–185.
doi:10.1179/0078172X13Z.00000000042 (https://doi.o
rg/10.1179%2F0078172X13Z.00000000042).
16. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 43, 241 & 248;
Costambeys, "Ragnall Guthfrithson"; Hudson, "Óláf
Sihtricson"; Hudson, Viking Pirates, pp. 33–34; Woolf,
Pictland to Alba, p. 181; Annals of Clonmacnoise, s.a.
933.
17. Higham, "Five Boroughs"; Higham,K ingdom of
Northumbria, p. 193; Miller, "Edmund"; Woolf,
Pictland to Alba, p. 174; but that either Amlaíb
controlled the Mercian Danelaw is questioned by
Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 108–109.
18. Swanton, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, p. 111, Ms. D, s.a.
943.
19. The events are associated with Amlaíb mac Gofrith by
Higham, Kingdom of Northumbria, p. 193; Miller,
"Edmund"; Woolf, Pictland to Alba, p. 174. Others,
such as Swanton, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, p. 111, note
11; Downham, Viking Kings, p. 110; Hudson, "Óláf
Sihtricson", associate them with Amlaíb Cuarán.
20. Swanton, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, pp. 110–111, Ms. A,
s.a. 942, Ms. D, s.a. 942 & 943.
References
Costambeys, Marios; Harrison, B. (2004), "Ragnall Guthfrithson (fl. 943–944)"O, xford Dictionary of National
Biography, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/23314, retrieved 2007-10-25
Downham, Clare (2007), Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014, Edinburgh: Dunedin,
ISBN 978-1-903765-89-0, OCLC 163618313
Etchingham, Colman (2007), "Viking age Gwynedd and Ireland: political relations", in Januklak, Karen; Wooding,
Jonathan M., Ireland and Wales in the Middle Ages, Dublin: Four Courts Press, pp. 149–167,I SBN 978-1-85182-748-0,
OCLC 52919358
Hall, R. A. (2001), "A kingdom too far: York in the early tenth century", in Higham, N. J.; Hill, D. H.E, dward the Elder
899–924, London: Routledge, pp. 188–199,I SBN 0-415-21497-1, OCLC 45313225
Hall, R. A. (1999), "York", in Lapidge, Michael, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England, Oxford:
Blackwell Publishing, pp. 497–499,I SBN 0-631-22492-0, OCLC 185380798
Higham, N. J. (1999), "Five Boroughs", in Lapidge, MichaelT, he Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon Englan,d
Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, p. 186,I SBN 0-631-22492-0, OCLC 185380798
Higham, N. J. (1993), The Kingdom of Northumbria AD 350–100, Stroud: Sutton, ISBN 0-86299-730-5,
OCLC 25551623
Hudson, Benjamin T.; Harrison, B. (2004), "Óláf Guthfrithson (d. 941)"O, xford Dictionary of National Biography,
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/20670, retrieved 2007-10-25
Hudson, Benjamin T.; Harrison, B. (2004), "Óláf Sihtricson c(.926–981)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25544, retrieved 2007-10-25
Hudson, Benjamin T. (2005), Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynast,y Religion and Empire in the North Atlantic,
Oxford: Oxford University Press,I SBN 0-19-516237-4, OCLC 55286670
21. Asser's Life of King Alfred the Great. Thus Hudson,
Viking Pirates, p. 34. Regarding the confirmation,
Hudson describes it as "... a politically motivated act ...
a recognised means of sealing an alliance with a
dominant individual ...". Ragnall was baptised some
time later according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
22. Swanton, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, pp. 110–111, Ms. A,
s.a. 944, Ms. E., s.a. 944.
23. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 46 & 111–112; Woolf,
Pictland to Alba, p. 182.
24. Hudson, Viking Pirates, p. 35; Woolf, Pictland to Alba,
p. 182, suggests that the unnamed Mercian leader was
Æthelstan Half-King.
25. Costambeys, "Ragnall"; Downham,V iking Kings, p.
46; the killing of Ragnall is reported in theA nnals of
Clonmacnoise, s.a. 937.
26. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 46, 241 & 248; Hudson,
Viking Pirates, pp. 35–36.
27. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 46–47 & 241; Hudson,
Viking Pirates, pp 36–37; Woolf, Pictland to Alba, p.
186.
28. For a contrary view of Erik's identity see Downham,
Viking Kings, pp. 115–120 and Woolf, Pictland to
Alba, pp. 187–188.
29. Swanton, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, pp. 112–113, Mss A
& D, s.a. 946, Ms. E, s.a. 948.
30. Swanton, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, pp. 112–113, Ms D,
s.a. 947 & 948.
31. Swanton, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, pp. 112–113, Ms E,
s.a. 949.
32. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 114–115.
33. Woolf, Pictland to Alba, pp. 178–190; Hudson, Viking
pirates, pp. 37–38; Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 153–
155.
34. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 47 & 254; Hudson, "Óláf
Sihtricson".
35. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 48 & 241; Hudson, "Óláf
Sihtricson".
36. Hudson, "Domnall ua Néill"; Hudson,V iking Pirates,
page numbers needed.
37. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 48–49, 184–185, 242,
249, 263 & 269; check Hudson,V iking Pirates.
38. [Muiredach, see Byrne, "Church and politics", @673?]
Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 50 & 242; Hudson,
"Domnall ua Néill".
39. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 50 & 242; Hudson, "Óláf
Sihtricson"; Hudson, "Domnall ua Néill".
40. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 50–51 & 242; Hudson,
"Óláf Sihtricson"; Hudson, "Domnall ua Néill". Check
Viking Pirates also.
41. Downham, Viking Kings, p. 51; Hudson, "Óláf
Sihtricson"; Annals of Tigernach, AT 976.3, 977.1,
978.2 & 979.2. Domnall Claen may have been a
personal enemy of Amlaíb as he had killed Amlaíb's
father-in-law Murchad mac Finn "deceitfully" in 972;
Hudson, "Óláf Sihtricson"; Annals of Ulster, AU
972.2.
42. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 51–52 & 190; Hudson,
"Óláf Sihtricson"; Hudson, "Máel Sechnaill"; Hudson,
Viking Pirates, page numbers needed.
43. Downham, Viking Kings, pp. 51–53; Hudson, "Óláf
Sihtricson"; Hudson, Viking Pirates, page numbers
needed. Only son by Dúnlaith?
44. Downham, Viking Kings, p. 29, figure 6; Hudson,
Viking Pirates, p. 49, figure 2 & p. 83, figure 3;
Etchingam, "Gwynedd and Ireland", p. 167, fig. 7.1.
45. Hudson, Viking Pirates, pp. 36–37.
46. GunnlaugsSaga Ormstungu/The Story of Gunnlaug
Serpent-Tongue, Notes by P.G. Foote translated by R.
Quirk, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. London, 1957, p.
18
Wikisource has the text of
a 1911 Encyclopædia
Britannica article about
Olaf.
Keynes, Simon (1999), "Rulers of the Englishc, .450–1066", in Lapidge, Michael,T he Blackwell Encyclopedia of
Anglo-Saxon England, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 500–516I, SBN 0-631-22492-0, OCLC 185380798
Keynes, Simon (1997), "The Vikings in England, c.790–1016", in Sawyer, Peter, The Oxford Illustrated History of the
Vikings, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 48–82I, SBN 0-19-285434-8, OCLC 45338877
Keynes, Simon (1999), "Wulfstan I", in Lapidge, Michael,T he Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon Englan,d
Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 492–493I, SBN 0-631-22492-0, OCLC 185380798
Miller, Sean (1999), "Edmund", in Lapidge, MichaelT, he Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon Englan,d Oxford:
Blackwell Publishing, pp. 159–160,I SBN 0-631-22492-0, OCLC 185380798
Ó Corráin, Donnchadh (1997), "Ireland, Wales, Man, and the Hebrides", in Sawye,r Peter, The Oxford Illustrated
History of the Vikings, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 83–109I, SBN 0-19-285434-8, OCLC 45338877
Ó Corráin, Donnchadh (1998)," The Vikings in Scotland and Ireland in the Ninth Century "(PDF), Peritia, 12: 296–339,
retrieved 2007-12-01
Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (1996),E arly Medieval Ireland 400–1200, Longman History of Ireland, London: LongmanI, SBN 0-
582-01565-0, OCLC 185365556
Stenton, Frank M. (1971), Anglo-Saxon England (3rd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press,I SBN 0-19-280139-2,
OCLC 185499725
Sturluson, Snorri (1964), Hollander, Lee M., ed., Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway, Austin: University of
Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-73061-6, OCLC 123332200
Swanton, Michael (1996), The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, New York: Routledge, ISBN 0-415-92129-5, OCLC 214956905
Woolf, Alex (2007), From Pictland to Alba, 789–1070, The New Edinburgh History of Scotland, Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press, ISBN 978-0-7486-1234-5, OCLC 123113911
External links
Olaf 4 at Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Olaf Guthfrithson
(also known as Amlaíb mac
Gofrith)
King of Northumbria
with Ragnall?
941–944
Succeeded by
Ragnall or English control
Preceded by
Blácaire mac Gofrith
King of Dublin
945–947
Succeeded by
Blácaire mac Gofrith
Preceded by
English control?
King of Northumbria
949–952
Succeeded by
Erik Bloodaxe
Preceded by
Gofraid mac Sitriuc
King of Dublin
952–980
Succeeded by
Glúniairn
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amlaíb_Cuarán&oldid=740763010"
Categories: 927 births 981 deaths Monarchs of Dublin Monarchs of Jorvik
10th-century English monarchs People from County Dublin Norse-Gaels 10th-century Irish monarchs
Uí Ímair
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Amlaíb married ingen Murchada O'Faelain, Gormflaith. Gormflaith (daughter of O'Fáeláin, King of Leinster Murchad MacFinn and Connaught, Princess O'ruarc) was born in 960 in Naas, Kildare, Ireland; died in 1030 in Kincora, Munster, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LV63-B9Z

Notes:

Gormflaith ingen Murchada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gormflaith ingen Murchada (960-1030), was an Irish queen. She was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, as the daughter of Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster, sister
of his successor, Mael Mórdha mac Murchada. According to the annalistic accounts, she was married to Olaf
Cuaran, the Viking king of Dublin and York until his death in 981;[1] and mother to his son, King Sigtrygg
Silkbeard.[2] Additionally, and perhaps most famously, after her son, Sigtrygg's defeat at the Battle of Glen
Mama in 999, Gormlaith was married to Brian Boru, the King of Munster and High King of Ireland, and
mother to his son and later King of Munster, Donnchad. It is also alleged that she married, Máel Sechnaill mac
Domnaill after Olaf's death, but this is somewhat contentious as the sources for this marriage are less reliable.
The Irish annals record Gormlaith's death in 1030. Gormlaith is most infamous for allegedly inciting men to
such a degree that she caused the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Given that her goading episode exists only in
literary sources not contemporary with her lifetime, and, indeed, written long after her death, it is highly
unlikely that such an event ever occurred.[3] Since the majority of depictions of Gormlaith were composed well
after her life, very little is known about the actual historical figure.
Annalistic and Genealogical Accounts
The first annalistic account regarding Gormlaith appears in the Annals of Inisfallen. This is a major extant
record of Munster history, and as such maintains a preference for Munster kingship and ancestry. The entry of
her death was composed some 62 years after her death, making it the most contemporary and temporally
proximate.[4] This account stated,
The Daughter of Murchad son of Finn, queen of Munster, dies.[5]
— Annals of Inisfallen, p. 197
Gormlaith's father was Murchad, son of Finn and this statement paired with Queen of Munster, leaves little
doubt amongst scholars that this reference is to Gormlaith. The Annals of Tigernach are the next
chronologically contemporaneous account with a reference to Gormlaith. These annals, compiled in the Irish
midlands, stated,
Gormlaith, daughter of Murchad, son of Finn, mother of Sitric, son of Amlaíb Cuarán, king of the
Foreigners, and of Donnachad, son of Brian, king of Munster, died.
— Annals of Tigernach, p. 371
Gormlaith also appears in genealogical accounts written more than 100 years after her death. The first of these
accounts is found in the Banshenchas, which is essentially a catalogue of famous medieval Irish women.[6] The
entry in this account echoed the annalistic accounts and names Olaf Cuaran and Brian Boru as her husbands
and Sigtrygg and Donnchad as her sons. Gormlaith also appears in the twelfth century genealogies found in the
Book of Leinster dating from 1150-1201. From this entry derives the famous "three leaps" of Gormlaith poem,
which states she made a "leap in Dublin, a leap in Tara and a leap in Cashel".[7] Some scholars have used these
"three leaps" as evidence of her three marriages to Olaf Cuaran, Brian Boru and Máel Sechnaill, contradicting
the annalistic accounts which refer to only two marriages. In particular, the validity of this third marriage to
Máel Sechnaill and her alleged divorce from Brian Boru, have been of serious contention amongst scholars.
The "three leaps" poem contained in 12th century genealogies is the only medieval Irish account to potentially
suggest a third marriage. However, some scholars have argued that the reference here to "three leaps" is
referring instead to children and not, in fact, to marriages.[8]
Mediaeval Literary Accounts
Gormlaith has been depicted in many contexts since her death, and she is arguably best known for her portrayal
in the Cogadh Gaedhil re Gallaibh[9] This literary work of propaganda was composed between 1103 and 1111
by a descendent of Brian Boru, Muirchertach Ua Briain. This text detailed the ascent to power of his illustrious
ancestor in an effort to highlight the prestige of his dynasty.[10] Gormlaith makes her appearance in a singular
scene in which she has garnered much notoriety in subsequent sources, is her inciting scene. To provide
context: prior to this her brother, Mael Mordha, has ceded vassalage to Brian Boru.
"Now when they arrived at Cenn Cordah, the king took off his tunic, and it was carried to his sister
to put a silver button on it, viz. to Gormlaith, daughter of Murchad, Brian's wife; and she was the
mother of Donnchad, son of Brian. The queen took the tunic and cast it into the fire; and she began
to reproach and incite her brother because she thought it ill that he should yield service and
vassalage and suffer oppression from any one or yield that which his father or grandfather never
yielded and she said that his Brian's son would require the same thing from his son."
— Todd, Cogadh Gaedhel Re Gallaibh, p. 143.
In this depiction, Gormlaith, unsuccessfully, attempted to goad her brother into going to war against her
husband Brian Boru.
Njál's Saga, a thirteenth century Icelandic literary work,[11] referred to her as Kormloð, and portrayed her as a
jealous divorcee bent on revenge on her ex-husband Brian Boru.
“She was a very beautiful woman, but her best qualities were those over which she had no control,
and it was commonly said that her character was evil insofar as she had control over it.”
— Cook, Njal's Saga p. 296
In this narrative, she goads her son Sigtrygg, unlike the Cogadh, where she attempted to incite her brother,
Mael Mordha. She prompted Sigtrygg into gathering support from Vikings outside Ireland, most notably Earl
Sigurd of Orkney and Brodir of the Isle of Man, by promising her hand in marriage. This is the first work to
introduce the idea that Gormlaith was divorced from Brian Boru.
Early Modern Narrative Texts
A separate strain of wholly negative conceptions of Gormlaith appeared in Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa Ar
Eirinn composed in 1634. In this text Keating makes explicit the link between Gormlaith’s goading and Máel
Mórda’s declaration of war. Gormlaith’s remarks in this Early Modern account weighed on Máel Mórda,
contributing to his quarrel with Murchad and eventually lead the “Leinster king to seek allies in the war against
the Dál Cais”.[12] As to why Keating decided to place the cause of hostilities with Gormlaith is up for some
debate. One scholar, Meidhbhín Ní Úrdail suggested that he was influenced by Meredith Hamner's Chronicle of
Ireland published in 1633, where the cause of Clontarf is attributed not to Gormlaith, but an anonymous
"merchant's wife".[13] Keating's work would in turn influence a slightly later text of the same period, Cath
Cluana Tarbh. Only one version of this work contains a reference to Gormlaith, but the depiction is derived
from Keating.[14]
See also
Mongfind
References
1. Ni Mhaonaigh, Maire (2002). "Tales of Three Gormlaith's in Medieval Irish Literature"E. riu. 52: 18.
2. Forte, Angelo; Oram, Richard; Pedersen, Frederik (2005)V. iking empires (1st ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 0521829925.
3. Wade, Christina (2012). Contextualizing Gormlaith: Portrayals and Pecreptions of a Medieval Irish Queen. Dublin:
Unpublished MPhil Dissertation.
4. Mac Airt, Sean (1951). The Annals of Inisfallen. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. p. xxi.
5. Mac Airt, Sean (1951). Annals of Inisfallen. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. p. 197.
6. Connon, Anne (2000). Alfred P. Smyth, ed. "The Banshenchas and the Ui Neill queens of aTra". Seanchas: Studies in
Early and Medieval Irish Archaeology, History, and Literature in honour of Francis J. Byrne: 98.
7. Sullivan (ed), Anne (1988). Book of Leinster Vol. 6. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. pp. 1492–1493.
8. Ni Dhonnchadha, Maire (2002). Angela Bourke, ed. "Gormlaith and Her Sisters c. 750-1400F".i eld Day Anthology of
Irish Writing. 4: Irish Women's Writing and Traditions: 188.
9. James Henthorn Todd, ed. (1867). Cogadh Gaedhel Re Gallaibh. London: Longmans, Green, Reade,r and Dyer.
10. Ni Mhaonaigh, Maire (2007). Brian Boru: Ireland's Greatest King?. Stroud: Tempus. pp. 45–46.
11. Cook, Robert (2001). Njal's Saga. London: Penguin.
12. Keating, ed. David Comyn, Geofrey; et al. (1902). Forsa Feasa ar Eirinn le Seathrun Ceitinn. London: Irish Texts
Society. p. 268.
13. Ni Urdail, Meidhbhin (2011). "Introduction". Cath Cluana Tarbh: 'The Battle of Clontarf.' London: Irish Texts Society.
p. 14.
14. Ni Urdail. "Introduction" of Cath Cluana Tarbh. p. 1.
Further reading
Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis
Weis; Lines 175-1, 239-2
External links
The Story of Gormlaith: Jealous Divorcee or Literary Victim?
A History of Vikings in Scotland
Events leading up to the Battle of Clontarf
Njal's Saga
Gormflaith's marriages and families online
Gormflaith was a Naas woman
Who was Gormlaith's mother? A detective story, by Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin. In: Lost and Found II –
Rediscovering Ireland’s past. (Ireland, 2009), pp. 83–94.
‘Tales of three Gormlaiths in early Irish literature by Máire Ní Mhaonaigh. In Ériu 52 (2002), pp. 1–24.
'Viking Age Queens and Identity by Shannon Lewis-Simpson. In The Viking Age: Ireland and the West,
Proceedings of the Fifteenth Viking Congress (Cork, 2005), John Sheehan & Donnchadh Ó Corráin
(eds), pp. 217–226.
Gormflaith, the Queen by L. M. McCraith. In: Romance of Irish Heroines (Dublin) pp. 42–50.
‘Gormflaith and the Northmen of Dublin by G. C. Stacpoole. In: Dublin Historical Record, Vol. XX, No.
1, December (1964) pp. 4–18.
‘Gormlaith ingen Murchada ben Briain by Catherine Swift. From: Brian Boru Lecture Series, Mary
Immaculate College.
Contextualizing Gormlaith: Portrayals and Perceptions of a Medieval Irish Queen by Christina Wade.
Unpublished M.Phil Dissertation, 2012.
Queen Gormlaith, Brian Boru and the Northmen of Dublin by Howard B Clarke, Dublin City Lunchtime
Lecture Series, 8 April 2014.
"Gormflaith - A Naas Woman?" by James Durney, Co. Kildare Online Electronic Journal, 16 February
2008.
"A Game of Thrones: Leinster v Munster at the Battle of Clontarf" by James Durney, Co. Kildare Online
Electronic Journal, 27 March 2014,

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gormflaith_ingen_Murchada&oldid=775132434"
Categories: Irish royal consorts 960 births 1030 deaths 10th-century Irish people
11th-century Irish people 11th-century women Irish princesses Women of medieval Ireland
Viking Age women People from County Kildare
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Murchad married Connaught, Princess O'ruarc. O'ruarc was born in 920 in Connacht, Ireland; died in 960 in Leinster, Ireland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]