Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time

Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time

Project Gutenberg's Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time, by James Gray This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time or, The Jarls and The Freskyns
Author: James Gray
Release Date: May 18, 2005 [EBook #15856]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Alison Hadwin and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS IN SAGA-TIME OR, THE JARLS AND THE FRESKYNS
BY JAMES GRAY, M.A. OXON.
EDINBURGH OLIVER & BOYD. 1922 STROMNESS: PRINTED BY W.R. RENDALL.

PREFACE.
Originally delivered as a Presidential Address to The Viking Society for Northern Research, the following pages, as amplified and revised, are published mainly with the object of interesting Sutherland and Caithness people in the early history of their native counties, and particularly in the three Sagas which bear upon it as well as on that of Orkney and Shetland at a time regarding which Scottish records almost wholly fail us.
When, however, these records are extant, use has been made of them together with later books upon them, of which a list follows, and to which references are given in the notes.
A special effort has been made to deal with the vexed question of the succession to the Caithness Earldom after Earl John's death in 1231, with the pedigree of the first known ancestors of the House of Sutherland, and with the mystery of the descent of Lady Johanna of Strathnaver.
Acknowledgments of assistance received are tendered to the writers of the books above referred to, but thanks are specially due to Mr. A.W. JOHNSTON, Founder and Past President of the Viking Society, for numerous hints, and for making the Index; to Mr. JON STEFANNSON for reading the manuscript; and to Mr. ALAN O. ANDERSON, whose knowledge of the English and Scottish Records of the period is as accurate as it is extensive, and who has made several valuable suggestions.
But for the opinions expressed no one save the writer is responsible, and, where records are scanty, much has necessarily been left to conjecture.
J.G.
53 MONTAGU SQUARE, LONDON, W., 1922.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
LIST OF AUTHORITIES AND BOOKS REFERRED TO

CHAPTER I.
--INTRODUCTORY
A.D. 82-790--Scope of this Book--Authorities--Roman times and their result--Post-Roman days.

CHAPTER II.
--THE PICT AND THE NORTHMAN
Geography and description of Cat--Brochs--Picts--Christianity --Vikings--Gall-gaels--Gaelic--Land Settlement--The rise of the Scots.

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