Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time

Chapter Iii.--the Early Norse Jarls

790-1014--Constantine I and the Northmen--Kenneth and the Union of the Picts and Scots--Thorstein the Red and Aud--Groa and Duncan of Duncansby--The Vikings and Harald Harfagr--Ragnvald of Maeri and Jarl Sigurd--Cyderhall--Torf-Einar, Thorfinn Hausakliufr, Skuli and others--War for the Moray seaboard--Jarl Sigurd Hlodverson-- Christianity introduced in Orkney--Swart Kell--Earl Anlaf--Story of Barth--Sigurd Hlodverson, Clontarf--"Darratha-liod"--Resumé.

Chapter Iv.--Thorfinn, Earl and Jarl

1008-1064--King Malcolm's matrimonial alliances--Victory of Carham--Thorfinn Sigurdson, Earl of Caithness and Sutherland--His attempts on Orkney--Somarled, Brusi and Einar--Thorkel Fostri slays Einar--Moddan created Earl of Caithness and slain by Thorkel--Battle of Torfness--Death of Duncan--Thorfinn and Macbeth--Thorfinn and Ragnvald Brusison--Marriage with Ingibjorg--Battle of Rautharbiorg-- Thorfinn sole Jarl of Orkney and Shetland--His travels, retirement, and death--His chronology.

Chapter V.--Paul and Erlend, Hakon and Magnus

1058-1123--Paul and Erlend, jarls--Ingibjorg's marriage with Malcolm III--Its objects--Norman conquest of England--King Magnus Barelegs--Hakon and Magnus, jarls--Harold Slettmali and Paul the Silent, jarls--Ingibiorg and Margret--Moddan in Dale--Feudalism in Scotland--The Catholic Church--Alexander I and David I--The three leading families in Caithness and Sutherland, of the Norse Jarls, Moddan, and Freskyn de Moravia--The Mackays--The Gunns.

Chapter Vi.--the Moddan Family, Jarls Harald and Paul and Ragnvald

1123-1158--Harald Slettmali and Paul the Silent--Frakark and Helga--Harald poisoned--Frakark in Kildonan--Plot against Jarl Paul--The Moddan family--Audhild--Eric Stagbrellir--Ragnvald's history and jarldom--Battle of Tankerness--Olvir Rosta and Sweyn--Paul kidnapped--Harold Maddadson--Frakark's Burning--Thorbiorn Klerk--Ragnvald's cruise to the East--Erlend Haraldson's grant of half Caithness--Scramble for the earldom--Ragnvald's daughter Ingirid's marriage to Eric Stagbrellir--Fight at Thurso--Erlend and Sweyn--Erlend's death--Ragnvald's murder--His descendants.

Chapter Vii.--Harold Maddadson and the Freskyns

1158-1206--Harold sole Jarl and Earl; his first family--Sweyn's cruises and death in 1171--Harold's second wife, and family--Eric Stagbrellir's family--Scottish affairs--Moray and the MacHeths-- Freskyn and Duffus--William MacFrisgyn--Hugo Freskyn of Sutherland, and his brother, William of Petty--Hugo's grant to Gilbert, Archdeacon of Moray--Hugo's family--William dominus Sutherlandiae--Events in the North in 1153 and after--William the Lion's accession, 1165--Persons of note at that date--Those in authority--Harold's forfeitures--Events leading up to them--Eddirdovir and Dunskaith--Donald Ban MacWilliam--Defeat of Thorfinn, Harold's son, and of Harold, 1196--Harald Ungi--Ragnvald Gudrodson--Victory of Dalharrold--The Stewards--Death of Thorfinn, Harold's son--William the Lion in Caithness--Death of Harold Maddadson, 1206.

Chapter Viii.--Jarls David and John, Freskin Ii

1206-1263--David's eight years, 1206-1214--King William takes John's daughter as a hostage--Murder of Bishop Adam, 1222--King Alexander's expedition--John's forfeiture--Death of John's son, Harald, 1226--Snaekoll Gunni's son, grandson of Eric Stagbrellir--Murder of Earl John--Trial at Bergen--Lady Johanna of Strathnaver.

Chapter Ix.--the Succession to the Caithness Earldom

1231-9--Difficulty of the subject--The Angus pedigree--The Diploma of the Orkney Earls--Magnus II's charter--The wardship question--Three claimants (1) Magnus, (2) Johanna of Strathnaver and (3) Earl John's nameless hostage daughter--Skene's opinion--The Cheynes and Federeths, descendants of Johanna--Her charitable gift--Her Moddan and Erlend descent--Magnus II, his descent and marriage--Freskin de Moravia, his descent, marriage, life, and death--The settlement of Caithness and Sutherland--Creation of the Sutherland Earldom between 10th October 1237 and Magnus' death in 1239--Conclusion.

Chapter X.--King Hakon's Expedition and the North

1263-1266--Recapitulation--Norse jarls and the Norse Crown--Affairs in Sutherland--Battle at Embo--Dornoch Cathedral and its constitution--The Angus line and the Freskyns--Hakon's fleet at Ragnvaldsvoe sails south--Battle of Largs--Hakon's retreat and death--The mainland of Scotland and the Hebrides won for Scotland--Treaty of Perth, 1266.

Chapter Xi.--Results and Conclusion

The creed of the Viking--The causes of his migration--Odinism--Settlement in the West--Celtic mothers--Effect on race, language and place-names-- Viking remains--Skaill, Dunrobin--Castles--The Viking type of man--The blended race--Norman influence.

NOTES.

APPENDIX.--EARLY PEDIGREE OF THE FRESKYN FAMILY

INDEX

LIST OF AUTHORITIES AND BOOKS REFERRED TO.

Anderson, Dr. Joseph. Rhind Lectures, "Scotland in Pagan Times." Edinburgh, 1883 and 1886.

Antiquaries. Proceedings of The Society of Scottish.

Bain. Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland in Record Office.

Bannatyne Club--Publications of.

Barry, History of Orkney. Edinburgh, Constable, 1805.

Broxburn. (Strabrock.) History and Antiquities of Uphall, by Rev. James Primrose. Edinburgh, Andrew Elliott, 1898.

Burnt Njal. Dasent's Translation. (B.N.) Edinburgh, Edmonston & Douglas, 1861.

Caithness Family History, by John Henderson. Edinburgh, David Douglas, 1884.

Caithness, The County of--by John Home. Wick, W. Rae, 1907.

Calder's History of Caithness. Glasgow, Thomas Murray & Son, 1861.

Cat, History of the Province of--by Rev. Angus Mackay. Wick, Peter Reid & Co., Ltd., 1914.

Chalmers. Caledonia.

Chroniques Anglo-Normandes. Francisque Michel. Rouen, Ed. Frere, 1836.

Corpus Poeticum Boreale. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1883.

Curie. Monuments of Caithness. Royal Commission's Report, 1911.

Curie. Monuments of Sutherland. Royal Commission's Report, 1912.

Dalrymple's Collections, (1705).

Diploma of the Earls of Orkney.

Du Chaillu. The Viking Age. John Murray, 1889.

Dunfermelyn, Register of. (Bannatyne Club.)

Early Scottish Kings, by E. William Robertson, 1862.

Eric the Red--Saga of.

Flatey Book (Flateyjarbok). Christiania, Mailings, 1860. (F.B.)

Fordun. Scottish Annals. Edited by W.F. Skene. Edinburgh, Edmonston & Douglas, 1871.

Genealogie of the Earles of Southerland, by Sir Robert Gordon, Bart. Edinburgh, A. Constable, 1813.

Hailes (Lord) Additional Case of Elizabeth, Claimant of the Earldom of Sutherland and Annals of Scotland, (Dalrymple's Works, vol. 4).

Hakon Saga. Dasent's Translation, Rolls Edition, 1894. (H.S.)

Henderson, George--Norse Influence on Celtic Scotland. Glasgow, Maclehose, 1910.

Henderson, George--Survivals in Belief among the Celts. Glasgow, Maclehose, 1911.

Hume Brown. History of Scotland. (H.B.)

Innes, Familie of. (Spalding Club).

Laing and Huxley. Prehistoric Remains of Caithness. Williams, & Norgate, 1866.

Lawrie, Early Scottish Charters. Glasgow, Maclehose, 1905.

Lawrie, Annals of the Reigns of Malcolm and William, 1153-1214. Glasgow, Maclehose, 1910.

Liber Pluscardensis. Edited by Felix J.H. Skene. Edinburgh, William Paterson, 1877.

Mackay, Rev. Angus. Book of Mackay. Edinburgh, Norman Macleod, 1906.

Magnus Saga (in Rolls Edition of Dasent's Translation of Orkneyinga Saga).

Maxwell, Sir Herbert, Early Chronicles relating to Scotland. Glasgow, Maclehose, 1912.

Moray--Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis (Bannatyne Club) (Reg. Morav.)

Moray--Shaw's History of.

Munch's Symbolae or Notes to the Diploma of the Orkney Earls.

Munro, Dr. Robert. Prehistoric Scotland.

Nisbet's Heraldry.

Orcades, by Thormodus Torfaeus. Copenhagen, 1715.

Orcades, (Torfaeus) Translation by the Rev. A. Pope. Wick, Peter Reid, 1866.

Origines Islandicae. Vigfusson & York Powell. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1905.

Origines Parochiales Scotiae. Vol. ii, part ii. Edinburgh, W.H. Lizars, 1855. (O.P.)

Orkney and Shetland, by John R. Tudor. London, Edward Stanford, 1883. (O. &. S.)

Orkney and Shetland Folk, by A.W. Johnston. Viking Society, 1914.

Orkneyinga Saga. Dasent's Translation, Rolls Edition. (O.S.)

Orkneyinga Saga. Anderson, and Hjaltalin and Goudie's Translation. Edinburgh, Edmonston & Douglas, 1873.

Oxford Essays, 1858. (Dasent's Essay). London, John W. Parker & Son, 1858.

Pinkerton's History of Scotland preceding Malcolm III. Edinburgh, Bell & Bradfute, 1814.

Rhys' Celtic Britain. London, S.P.C.K., 1908.

Robertson's Index. Edinburgh, Murray and Cochrane, 1798.

Rymer. Foedera.

Saint-Clair. Roland William. The Saint-Clairs of the Isles. Auckland, H. Brett, 1898.

Scandinavian Britain, by W.G. Collingwood. London, S.P.C.K., 1908.

Scon. Liber Ecclesiae de.

Scott, Rev. Archibald--The Pictish Nation, its people and Church. Edinburgh and London, Foulis Press, 1918.

Scottish Annals from English Chroniclers, Alan O. Anderson. London, David Nutt, 1908.

Scottish Kings. Sir Archibald Dunbar, Bart. Edinburgh, David Douglas, 1906.

Scottish Peerages. Paul and Cokayne (Gibbs).

Skene, W.F. Celtic Scotland. Edinburgh, Edmonston & Douglas, 1878.

Skene, W.F. Chronicles of the Picts and Scots. Edinburgh, H.M. General Register House, 1867.

Sutherland Book, by Sir William Fraser. Edinburgh, 1892.

Sutherland and the Reay Country, by the Rev. Adam Gunn. Glasgow, John Mackay, Celtic Monthly Office, 1897.

Sverri's Saga. Translation by J. Sephton. London, David Nutt, 1899.

Tacitus--Agricola.

Thorgisl's Saga in Origines Islandicae (as above).

Viking Club. Caithness and Sutherland Records.} London Viking Club. Old Lore Miscellany. } 29 Ashburnham Viking Society. Saga Books, &c. } Mansions, Chelsea

William the Wanderer, by W.G. Collingwood. G.C. Brown Langham & Co., 47 Great Russell Street, London, W.C., 1904.

Worsaae. Danes and Norwegians. London, John Murray, 1852.

Worsaae. The Prehistory of the North. London, Trübner, 1886.

Wyntoun's Chronicle. Edinburgh, Edmonston & Douglas, 1872.

Early Sources of Scottish History, A.D. 500 to 1286, by Alan O. Anderson. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh.

NOTE.--Since this little book was printed, the above great work has appeared. To the student of the Norse invasions its value is inestimable.

ERRATA.

Page 1, line 13, for "they" read "Man." " 28, line 9, for "or" read "of." " 40, line 23, for "Kundason" read "Hundason." " 42, line 24, after "note" reference omitted. " 50, line 17, for "mainland of" read "Unst in." " 65, line 35, for "burnings" read "revenges." " 65, line 37, for "burnt" read "killed." " 87, line 18, for "Earl Ragnvald" read "Jarl Ragnvald." " 104, lines 4 and 5, for "Magnus' great-grandson's granddaughter's husband" read "Magnus' granddaughter's great-grandson." " 117, line 16, omit "a child of."

SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS IN SAGA-TIME OR, THE JARLS AND THE FRESKYNS.

CHAPTER I.. _introductory._

Introductory.

In the following pages an attempt is made to fit together facts derived, on the one hand, from those portions of the Orkneyinga, St. Magnus and Hakonar Sagas which relate to the extreme north end of the mainland of Scotland, and, on the other hand, from such scanty English and Scottish records, bearing on its history, as have survived, so as to form a connected account, from the Scottish point of view, of the Norse occupation of most of the more fertile parts of Sutherland and Caithness from its beginning about 870 until its close, when these counties were freed from Norse influence, and Man and the Hebrides were incorporated in the kingdom of Scotland by treaty with Norway in 1266.

References to the authorities mentioned above and to later works bearing on the subject have been inserted in the hope that others, more leisured and more competent, may supplement them by further research, and convert those portions of the narrative which are at present largely conjectural from story into history.

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