272 PEOOEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MAEC , H19149 .

1.

NOTE UPON CARN NAN BHARRAICH, OR CAIRN OP THE MEN OF BARRA, A BURIAL MOUND OF THE VIKING TIME ON THE ISLAND OF ORONSAY, ARGYLLSHIRE, WITH AN OUTLINE OF THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE WESTERN ISLES DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE NINTH CENTURY. By SYMINGTON GRIEVE, F.S.A. SOOT.

In August 1881, while I was carrying on the excavations at Caisteal nan Grillean, Oronsay, the late Sir John Carstairs M'Neill, V.C., Proprietor of Colonsay and Oronsay, came to see how the work was proceeding. In answer to his inquiries I mentioned to him several other places upon the islands which might be worth investigating. One of these was a mound quite near, which seemed to differ from the others, which wer l knowe nameal th f Sitheay o enb n (pronounced Shean) e particulaTh . r moun s knowe nativee th wa th d o y nt b s name of Cam nan Bharraich, or the Cairn of the Men of Barra. Sir Joh I ncoul f i inquire de m givy explanatiof o dan e e nameth f o n, and I told him I could not, but I suggested it might be the remains of larga e cairn erecte o mart d e spokth t where some Barrwern me ae buried, judging from the local name. I hav doubo n e t that from that tim r Joh Si eupoe n ey kep ns hi t t untino s l nearl wa e mound yeart n i th elapsed te y t ha s bu , d that any excavations took place I hav. e been told that earl n 189i y 1 r MalcolSi m thes M'Neillwa n o residenwh , Colonsayn i t , again dr,ew the attention of his brother, Sir John Carstairs N'Neill, V.C., to Cam Bharraichn na . This resulte examination a n di moune th f o nd being begun on 15th April 1891, as related by Sir Malcolm M'Neill in the Proceedings of this Society, llth May 1891 (vol. xxv. p. 432). The discoveries were important, and one of the brooches found BURIAL MOUND OF THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OP OEONSAY. 273

e Nationath n i unique articlesw e l no MuseuTh e . ar Antiquitiesf mo , e collectioth d an n consist f nino s e objects, undoubtedly belongino gt e Vikinth gothero periodtw d s whican , havy hma e found theiy wa r int e mounoth chancey db followine Th .lis a s tgi :—

Eharraich,n na m Ca containing :— 1. Oblong Brooch, inche.3 lengtn si f-incy hb bronzef breadthn o hi s i t I , . and unique. 2. Portion of a Bronze Penannular Brooch of Celtic form, If inches in diameter. 3. Portio smala f no l oval Bronze Ring, J-inc diametern hi . 4. Bea f Serpentineo d a naturall, y forme d flattenean d d ovoid pebble, inc1 greatesn hi t length, f-inc breadthn i h J-incd an , thicknessn hi , witha small hol suspensior efo n perforated throug centree hth . 5. Bead of Amber of dark red colour, 1J inches in diameter, the perforation being fully J-inch in diameter. 6. Iron Knife-Blade, 7 inches in total length. 7. Six portions of thin Bronze, much corrugated, as if by the action of fire. 8. A quantity of Iron Rivets or Clinker Nails, varying from 1J inches to about 1 inch in the length of the shank. 9. Stone Sinker n irregularlya , , wedge-shaped pebbl f steatiteo e t I . measures 4J inches in greatest length, by 2£ inches in breadth, and 1£ inches in thickness. 10. Small Finial of Turned Bone, resembling the flnials on the whalebone ribs of an old umbrella. May have been a recent introduction to the mound, but uncertain. 11. Two Flint Chips. May have no connection with the Viking burial.

The excavation a dept fee 4 t a f st o h belo e surfacwth e exposed two skeletons at full length with the feet pointing about S.S.E. The ye remain th seeme e mala b femaled f o so ean dt , and, froe mth objects associated with their burial, were judged to have been persons of importance. Fro e rivetmth e sthi th foundn d portionan , f o s bronze appearin havo gt e been subjecte fireo dt , theevidentld yha y had a boat burial, of which there has been more than one discovered in Colonsa Islayd yan . The excavations carried on by Sir John Carstairs M'Neill, V.C., on 17th April 1891 consiste e cuttintrencheo th f tw do f go s dowo nt what seeme true dth e ground firslevele thesf o Th t .e passed through VOL. XLVIII. 18 274 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. MARCH 9, 1914.

Fig. 1. Showing position of Carn nan Bharraich, from Ordnance Map of Oronsay. BURIAL MOUND OP THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OF OEONSAY. 275

clean sand and was unproductive, but the second exposed the two skeletons. On the following day a third trench was dug, which passed through a considerable amount of charcoal .containing boat rivets, some pieces of bronze, and a stone sinker. Although Sir Malcolm M'Neill in his paper does not mention it, I guess from a remark he makes that the trenches were begun at the west side of the n easterla n i t y mouncu directio d an d n right throug e summithth , the third trench not having been continued beyond the centre of the mound. The south and north portions of Carn nan Bharraich thus escaped examination. The a large stil ar yo t le extent unexplored, and it is quite possible that other discoveries than those I have now to record may yet be made. On the 23rd May 1913 Mr Neil (Ban) M'Neill, the farmer on Oron- s passinsaywa , g Carn Bharraichna n , whe e observeh n a dskull , partly exposed, lying in the sand. The skull was reclining with its frontal aspect toward s crowit ease d nsth an t toward southe sth e th , upper portioe lefth t f o sidn e being exposed r M'NeilM . l began prodding the sand with his walking-stick, and immediately brought e bonth broocheo ee e d pinsurfac tw objecth th an , e d o t th ean st with a hole through it which may be a whistle or an ornament of som beed ha en t solikind f i mad o f I t d .ebon ou t emighi t have served the purpose of a Japanese Netsuke, but its being made out of a bird bone makes this doubtful. I happene arrivo dt thif o Colonsan esi y discoveryda e n i yth d an , a day or two afterwards I heard that a find had taken place on Oron- say. I immediately went over and saw Mr M'Neill, who was kind enough to exhibit what he had found, and offered to present one of the brooches to me. Knowing the interest attached to the various objects I suggested, shoule h d hano allot e dwm ove e collectioth r n thio t s SocietNationae th r yfo l Museum I coul f i , d arrange that they would be 'permanently placed on public exhibition. To these condi- tions the finder agreed, and I told him I would like to visit the ground 6 27 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 9 H1914 .

wher discovere eth mades makd ywa an , emora e careful examination along with himself. As a friend had arrived at Colonsay with his yacht, we sailed to Juneh 6t Oronsa e , th and n yo , having M'Neill r calleM n do wene h , t e moundth o t wit ,s u htakin a littl o a gspaded diggingo t e r M . M'Neill had reinterred the skull at the place where he found it, so we began digging there. We at once saw from the original position of the e placth skuled showan s lwher u e broocheo t nth e d pinan s were found, that, if it had remained undisturbed since its original burial, bode th y must have been placed lying witsout e heae th d h th ho dan t e north foun e th e fee aree W th o t dth t. a thabeed ha tn excavated in 1891 still bare sand, intermixed with broken slabs of stone. The wind had blown out the sand so as to form a hollow from 12 to 15 e incheside th thif o t sdepthn a i s d circulaan , r are e wind ath dha gradually blown away the thin coating of turf all round the space originally excavated, forming arm r projectiono s f sano s d inte oth existing grass land. The bare sand in these projections was about 12 inches b.elow the grassy surface adjoining. The whole appearance of the central portion of the Cam nan Bharraich is now that of a star-shape e turf th s show e sketca f , o th d t n ni areh ou f san t ao dcu plan (fig. 2), on which the inner circle shows the portion of the earn examine r JohSi ny b dCarstair s M'Neil], V.C. n e 1891outei , Th r. circle marks approximatel e extenwhole yth th f eo t aree earnTh a . between the two circles shows, in white, the spaces from which the turf has been broken away. The dark spaces show where the grass is still growing uppee Th r. portio skeletoa f no n showe southth n ni - easter ne sketc parth f o th plan indicate e positioth s f thao n t found Neir 191y M l y (Ban3Ma b n i ) M'Neill, farme Oronsayn o r markX . s where the brooches, pin, and other objects were found, 23rd May 1913s showX e plac. th s e wher e shearth e s were found h Jun6t , e 1913. F stands for female, and M stands for male. The scale of the pla abous ni t one-eight incfoota n a o hf t h. o BUBIAL MOUND OF THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OF OBONSAY. 277

Fro seee m b t presen a nwhao t s difficulexactl y i s i t sa i t o t yt wha s bee e diameteha t n th e moun th f o rd originally I thin t t bu ki , was probably from 35 to 40 feet. Digging northwards from the skull we found some of the bones of uppee th rtrunk e armse par th als th d f f to o an e righ,o andth n t o ,sid e

Fig. 2. Sketch Plan of Carn nan Bharraich, Oronsay.

skeletone oth f iroe th ,n shears, speciawhicf o e har l interes connecn i t - tion with this discovery. As far as I have been able to ascertain, e firsth ts i instanc t i f suc o en implemena h t having been founn i d Scotland in connection with a Viking burial. In Norway, however, similar shears have occurred in connection with burials of the same kind. Having foun e uppeth d e rskeleton th par f o r excavationt ou , s 8 27 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 19149 H .

failed to discover the lower portion; and the only conclusion we could thas comthas wa a t o tet portio bode th f yno woule lyine th db n gi area excavated in 1891, it must have been unsuspectedly removed at that time. e thae boneb th ty sr Johma founSi t I ny b dCarstair s M'Neill, V.C., and identified as those of a female, belong to the body recently discovered, which, fro articlee mth s associated wit , seemhit havo st e bee l probabilitnal a womantha n f i o t d an ,ya perso f positiono n . The skull seemed to be unusually large for one of the gentler sex, and, judging e othefro th e siz f mth ro e bones, must have belongea o dt person wit hheaa d f proportioratheo e bodyt th e res ou rf th o t . o nt The upper part of the skull, although in good condition, showed no visible sutures, which appeared rather remarkable perhapy ma t sbu , indicat epersoa f considerablno e e teetageTh h. wer goon i e d con- dition, but well worn, as if the possessor had lived on gritty or nitrogenous food, and the impression given me was that they had belonged to someone who was beyond middle life. After examina- tion I carefully reinterred the remains at the place at which they were found. The objects that were associated wit considerablburiaf e o hth e ar l e artistic merit, and to some extent unique. Mr James Curie has kindly described these in the paper following this, so I need say nothing more upon that brance subjectth f o h , except thabroochee th t s belono gt an early period—probably the eighth or ninth century. They have been well worn, as the state of some of the ornamentation indicates, d the e probablan yar y objects that have decorate e femaledth f o s more thageneratione s pretti non t i yo S certai. n this burial took place^ in the latter half of the ninth century, or perhaps the beginning of the century following. There is, however, a good deal of interest attached to the considera- e periotioth f no whico dt h they probabl tima ys f ebelongo wa t i s a , much warfar troubld an e n Scotlandi e , Ireland d adjacenan , t Isles. BURIAL MOUND OF THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OF ORONSAY. 279

The political position was peculiar, and it is difficult to untangle the causes that led to the national complications that arose at that time. probabls wa t I yA.D0 betwee93 . tha d persone yeare an t th n0 th s83 s who wer Bharraicn ena interrem Ca h t diedda . The burial of persons wearing pagan ornaments, on Oronsay, t leascenturiea o r tw twhicfo betweed d san hha prioe non thio t r s time been a sanctuary of the early Celtic Church, is worthy of notice. The moun s situatedi d some distance fro e Christiamth n Cemetery, but is within the sanctuary. The question naturally arises, were the persons buried in the mound converts to Christianity who still adhere somo dt theif eo r heathen customs manNorsemee o s th s f a ,yo n did at that time of religious transition ? Or was the power of the Christian communit Oronsan yo unable b weao o yt s preveno et s ka t pagaa n burial taking place withi bounde nth s sanctuar it f so y? An outstanding figure at that period was King Harald Fairhair of Norway. There is an interesting story regarding the way in which he got his name. He made a visit to Earl Rognwald of More, whether aa welcoms r unwelcomo e y case an th e e n t i cleargues t no s bu i ,t Ear sais i l havo dt e combed afterwardd an , t Kincu s g Harald's hair. For some reason, which may have been that he had taken a vow, it t habee t dno previousl ncu s appearanc n hi years te d r an ,yfo d ha e become so uncouth that he was called Shockhead. The Earl was so surprise e abundancth t a d beautd e King'an eth f e yo s th haird an , change tha removas it t l made upo appearances nhi , tha gave h tm ehi the name of Fairhair, by which he was ever afterwards known. The chronology of the Icelandic sagas is contradictory as to the date at which King Harald Fairhair invaded the Western Isles, but s probabli t i e correceth t perio s 852-853di r vero , y near that time. We can with some assurance arrive at this opinion from what we kno f othewo r events that took e latteplacth e n ri th e half o f ninth century. One accoun s about e sayyeawa tha0 th t ti 88 s rt King Harald 280 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 9, 1914.

Fairhair first took measure puniso st brind han g into subjectioe nth Vikings and others who had fled from Norway and taken refuge in the Western Isles of Scotland, but this date is evidently a mistake. Some of these men had been outlawed owing to the raids they had made upon the territory of King Harald in Norway. Others were possessed ha o wh dn extensivchiefme d san e land theicountryn sn i row , whod an , when they refuse becomo dt e subjec rule Haraldf th eo o t t , had to flee abroad. Having made homes for themselves in the Isles and built strongholds, they made these the base of their operations. Each summer they raide e e coastlan th dth f thei o df o sr birth, generally tryin puniso gt beed h ha thos no placeewh manago dt e their land r Kinfo s g Harald t I became. , therefore, necessar o protect y t s Norwegiae recalcitranhi th , so o nd tsubjects o t chief d d an san , Vikings had to be brought under his authority. There are several accounts accomplishedthiw wa sho f e versioo sth t nbu , thas ha t hitherto been generally accepte s followa s i d s :— About the year 880 King Harald Fairhair sent one of his chiefs named Ketil Flatne r Flatnoso b s lieutenanhi e Westers a eth o t t n Isles. ampld Witan n eh resource me ship d san s supplie Haraldy db , Ketil Flatneb was successful in his mission, and soon conquered the Hebrides. He probably made Colonsay his centre of government, and, having established himself securely, as he thought, threw off his allegiance to King Harald, and declared himself King of the Isles. When the news of this event reached Norway, Harald made up his mind that he would visit the Hebrides himself the following summer d brin e an islander, th g s under subjection. Starting upon his expedition, he went south through the Isles, conquering every- where, and sailed as far south as Anglesea and Man. Eeturning to Norway, he spent the winter, but the following summer he appears havo t e returned once Westere morth o et n Isles, toldwheree ar e , w , he " Vikinge roote West.e th t th thit f dou sA o s" time there appears havo t e bee influn na settlerf xo Islee th so s t fro m Norway wero wh e, BUEIAL MOUN F THDO E VIKING TIM ISLANN O E D OF OEONSAY1 28 .

men who held views in accordance with those of King Harald, and who had become accustomed to his supreme authority and were loyal in their allegiance. If we accept this story, it is evident some reconciliation must have taken place between King Harald and King Ketil Flatneb, as the latter seems to have continued to rule in the Isles, probably agreeing scay tributr pa o Kine t o th t Norwayf go o et . The late Sir George Webbe Dasent, D.G.L., accepted this version Introductios e storhi oth f n yi e Sagath f Burnt o o n t Njal. Ther, eis however, a difficulty which is not explained, and that is, how did the reconciliation come about with King Harald by which King Ketil Flatneb was allowed to continue his rule in the Western Isles 1 From what we know of the history of the doings of King Harald, it seems most unlikely tha e woulh t d forgive King Ketil Flatner bfo breakin allegiancs ghi refusind tributey ean pa o gt . The version of these events, as told in the Saga of King Olaf Tryggwason, Northern Library, . vol166-167pp . .i , seems more likelcorrecte b o yt thers narrates a ,i t ei d that King Harald Fairhair, having gone more than one expedition to the Western Isles of Scot- land, "e Viking rootinth d t outlawan ou sg s whereve e went,h r " returned hom o Norwayet e theH .n sent Ketil s Flatnebwa o wh , o rulunwillint , e go ovee Isle o th r t ghimr fo s , givin amplm hi g e d shipsan supplien . me f o s Ketil soon brough e islandth t s under subjection thend an , , some time later, throwing off his allegiance to King Harald Fairhair, he declared himself King of the Isles. He appears after this to have reigne exercised dan s authoritdhi e Hebrideth yn i s without question until his death, and no mention is made of any attack upon him by King Harald. The seat of his rule was most likely on Colonsay, as for centuries previou thato s t time that islan bee plachad dthe n e from which, during the rule of the Celtic kings and chiefs, who were the pro- 282 PROCEEDINGS or THE SOCIETY, MARCH 9, 191*.

genitor Islese e lord th e th governmen f f th ,so so beed ha t n carrien do e Southeroth f n Isleshave W e. also good reaso o believnt e that, fot leas a periodre on t e nortth , Irelanf ho governes dwa d from Colon- say, and possibly at other times parts of the mainland of the west of Scotland. When Ketil Matneb sailed from Norwa muse yh t haven beema na approaching fifty year f age o se too H s wif.k hi wite m Ynghildhhi , his grown-up son Helgi Biola, and his daughters Aud the deep-minded, and Thorun Horn. He left behind him, in charge of his Norwegian estates, his eldest son Biorn, who later became known as Biorn the Easterling, from his adhering to the pagan faith. famils hi Keti l becamd yal an l e Christian werd san e baptisee th n di West, wit exceptioe hth f Biornno . When Biorn arrive Islese th n d,i after havin o flegt e from Norway foune h ,s fatherhi d , King Ketil, dead, and his brother and sisters Christians. This made him sad d e sorryregretteh an s a , d their chang f religiono e . He stayed with his sister Aud, and her son Thorstein, for. two winters thee H n. saile Icelando dt , wher tooe eh lanp k u t Breidda a- firthdweld an t , Biarnarhavena t . burieWhes wa e diet nh da e h d Borgarbroo a cair n i kn accordin o heathet g n custom (se e Sagaeth of King Olaf Tryggwason, Northern Library, vol . 167p . .i ; alse oth Story of the Ere Dwellers (Eyrbyggia Saga), p. 10). Ketil formed an alliance with Amlaf (otherwise known as Olaf the White), King of Dublin, and gave him in marriage his famous daughter Aud, the deeply wealthy, or some say the translation should read " deeply minded. issue thif Th eo " s marriag Thorsteis ewa Eede nth , whomr onlhe y s childa , dearld Au , e knowyw loveds fas a a r ,, .He ' must have been brough n Dublini s 'mothep u hi t , d wherran e h e remained until about the time of his father's death. When that e Sudreys th flen eveno t so d r Southerr o , the happened d an n d Au , Hebrides, where they would be under the protection of Ketil Flatneb. There is little doubt they went to Colonsay. Thorstein married BURIAL E VIKINMOUNTH F GO D TIM ISLANN O E F OEONSAYO D 3 28 .

Thurid, the daughter of Eywind, surnamed East-man. She was the siste f Helgo r e Lean marrieo th i wh , d Thorun Horn, Ketil Flatneb's daughter, and aunt of Thorstein. d fivan e n Thorsteidaughtersn so so e e d Thurion an nTh d . ha d was named Olaf Feilan and was the youngest of the children. The names of Thorstein's daughters were Groa, Osk or Olivi, Thorhild, Thorgerd Wigdisd an , . Thorstein became a warrior king, and undertook a joint expedition with Earl Sigur f Greate Eysteio d th n so , n Rattle. Their victorious army conquered Caithness, Sutherland, Ross, Moray, and more than half Scotland, over which Thorstei nyeare ruleon r . dfo After his father King Amlaf lost his life in battle in Ireland (see Saga of King Olaf Tryggivason, p. 167), his widow Aud went with her s witdurinm wa hi hs invasio sond hi g an , d reig an nn Scotland i n , and from that time onwards devoted herself to the upbringing of his t knono wo d family whethee W . r Thorstei becomd nha ewidowea r by this time, but, when he was killed and his followers dispersed, Aud hi r dgrandchildre he hersel d an f a wood n i n . There,- under he r r lathe edirection f son'o w sfe followera , t dowcu s n timbe build an r t a merchant ship in which they all escaped to Orkney. From there vessela the t takyo go t e Southere theth mo t n Isles therd an , e seems little doubt they too theip ku r abode once mor Colonsayn ei . There they lived for some years, but the Celtic element in the popu- lation beginnin o assert g s ascendencyit t d determineAu , d about 892, or more likely some years later, to sail for Iceland, where her two brotheis had already settled. The account given in the Saga of King Olaf Tryggwason, Northern Library, vol . 168p . i , says that Aud and her grandchildren went direct from Orkney to Iceland, visitin Faroe gth ewaye Isleth d spen n ,an so t some time theree Th . probability, however, seems to be that Aud, after leaving Orkney, returne Sudreye th timea o dt r sfo . The Laxdale saga says(whosd Au , e nammistaken i n gives ei Un s )na 284 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH », 1914.

wenprobabls Icelano e earl wa t tyeae A.D5 th t I th yn 89 yri .n di summe f thao r t yea lefe Sudreyse th sh trknoe arrived w ws Au a , n di Iceland at the beginning of winter, where her ship was wrecked. Aud had called at Orkney on the way north, where she gave away her granddaughter Grroa in marriage. She also broke her voyage at the Faroes, where Olof or Ost, another of her granddaughters, was married, so there would be some delay in reaching the shores of Iceland. The impression mad Norsn vers eo wa ye d greathistorAu s a y , yb references to her occur in so many of the sagas. She was a grand old dame who tenderly looked after the best interests of her grand- children, as became a good Christian. She lived in troublous times, r womao whe e pilote s n secure e lifsh f nnr th o wa nma oet dhe bu , ship through all the shoals of life, and, when the end came, she died whe r descendantnhe pagad san n relative assembled sha fease th r t dfo at the marriage of her grandson and heir, Olaf Feilan. She died as livedshd e ha lan y Christiana , pagadr n d i o unconsecrated n nd an an , d Iceland was good enough for her burial. She left instructions that interree heb ro t bod s d beloywa w high-water mark upo e shorenth , and her wishes were carried out. Aud had settled at Hvammsfirth in Iceland, and called her estate Hvamm. -She probably died durin e yearth g s 915-920 A.D., althoug e authoe Sagahth th f Burnt f o o r Njal, thn i e Introduction, suggest e periot th s bu d; d 908-91e deate timAu th th f f ho o es 0a that date seems too early to fit in with the correct chronology. s intimatelwa Thad Au ty acquainted wit e leadinhth g peoplf o e Barr evidents ai r whe fo r ,grands'o nhe n Olaf Feilan Thorsteif o n so , n the Red, consulted her as to whom he should marry, she told him to obtain Aldis, a Barra woman, the daughter of Konal, son of Steinmod, sof Olivo n i childs-friend. This marriage took placeI hav s a e, mentioned, about the period 915-920 A.D. The Landnamabok also takes notice of this event, Book ii., chap, xv., Origines Islandices, BURIAL MOUND OF THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OF OKONSAY. 285

vol. i. p. 83. It says, " Anlaf-feilan, son of Thor-stan the Red, marrie Icelann di d Al-di Barrae sth y woman (Barre Hebrides)th n ai . She was the daughter of Conal, the son of Stan-mod, the son of Aulive Bairn-Carle. The children of An-laf and Al-dis were Thor-gelle and Thora. Thor-gelle married Hrodny e daughteth , f Mid-frito r h Sceg. They had a son Ey-wolf the Grey. He married and had a son, Thor- great-grandfathes wa Kello historian.e wh , th i Ar o t r" The dat t whicea h Ketil firs t Sudreye wenth o t viceros sa mors yi e likel havo yt e been about 855, instea kno e f 880w do ws a , thad Au t was unmarried whe r fathenhe probabls r Weste wa wen th t I o yt .t early in the period when he established himself as viceroy in the Isles that Ketil gav daughtes o eAmlafhi t d Au ,r Kin f Dublingo n i , marriage. We know that intimate relations were maintained between relativer he e Souther Aud th dan n si n Isle s; als Thorn o so tha r - he t stein the Red married the sister of his uncle by marriage, namely Helgi the Lean, and that there were five daughters and one son by this marriage. Also tha e eldesth t f Thorstein'o t s daughter marries swa d in Orkney not very long after her father was slain at Oykel, on the boundary between RosSutherlandd an s , that date being aboue th t year 891 t seemI . s more than probable from these facts that Icelandic chronolog thin yi s instanc t quitno s eei correct s alsi ot I probabl. e that it was only towards the end of his life that Ketil Flatneb declared himself e Isle Kinthred th f san go w s allegiancofhi f o Kinet g Harald wron r Fairhairquits i fa t t i regards e ga d no likel s an i , date 0 syth e88 this event. There is little doubt that it was not long after Ketil declared his independence that King Harald seized his estates in Norway and compelled Ketil's eldest son Biorn the Easterling to take o flightt t I tooaboum . hi k a yeat o react r h Colonsay, whee h n foun s fathe hi ddied Dwellers,e ha rd Er (see e Sagath eth f o chap . v . p. 10). Whe e examinw n e this evidenc y comparisob e n with statements from Celtic source f informationso fine w ,d tha s alst Amlafowa o wh , 286 PBOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 9, 1914.

know s Olae a nWhite th f , became Kin f Dublio g e n 852i nTh . annals of Ulster tell us that in 856 there was a great war between the Gentiles and Maelsechnaill, along with the Gallgaidhel of Munster. e yeath r n I following (857) a victor, s recordei y y Imaib dd an r Amlaiph, otherwise Olaf the White, against Caittel Finn with the Gallgaidhel—tha , againsis t t Ketil FlatneScotce th Iris d d han bh an Vikings he had brought under his authority. It may have been upon conclusioe th peacf no e after this defeat that Aud daughtee ,th Ketilf ro , was give n marriagi n o Amlat e o cement f t friendship betweee th n chiefs. But Aud was not the only wife of Amlaf, as he also married a daughter of Kenneth MacAlpin, the Pictish King of Scotland, as mentioned in The fragments of Irish Annals, p. 172; Chron. of Picts and Scots, p. 405. Kenneth began to reign in 832, and died in 860. It may have been over the Pictish succession that war ensued, as we fin Amlaebd6 tha86 n Imad i t han r wen Fortreno t t n wit Galle hth s of Erid Alban an nd ravagean , l Cruithentuathal d d carriean , f of d hostages. In other words, invaded Scotland as far as Forfarshire, taking hostages. Out of this circumstance trouble evidently arose, as it was against the Picts that Thorstein directed his attacks when he invaded the north of Scotland and conquered the northern portion of the country. The Picts, having been defeated, and no doubt fearing further losses, were glad to make peace with Thorstein, thereby getting time to. intrigu brind an e g abou s durins murder hi twa e campaig t gth I . n just mentioned that Earl Siguard killed Maelbrig cut'ofd an ds hi i head, hanging it to the crupper of his saddle. Maelbrigd had a projecting tooth, which scratched the leg of Sigurd as he rode along. woune s poisoneTh dwa d fro e toothm th Sigurd an ,s dwa diede H . buried at Ekkialsbakki, at the estuary of the river Oykel, where hoylaids hewa , tha , burietis howa n di , named Siwardhoc Siward'r ho s How knoww no , Cydes na r Hall, Orkneyinga Saga (1873), Intro., xxiii. We do not know the exact date of the death of Amlaf. The annals BURIAL MOUND OF THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OF OEONSAY. 287

of Ulster mention him as alive in 871, as in that year Amlaiph and Imhar returned from Alban with, two hundred ships and a great body of men—Angles, Britons d Picts—ian , n captivity. e lasThith t s i s notice I have been able to find regarding Amlaiph, and he was probably killed shortly after this time. According to the Pictish chronicle, Thorstein the Red, son of Amlaiph, is said to have ruled over the northern half of Scotland for e annal th onle year f d Ulsteyon o s an s , wa r e stath 5 e 87 tha n i t treacherousl ypeople slaith y Albannf eb o . That this dat mistaka s ei e seems probable correctf i , as ,woul e w , d hav antedato et e marriageth e somy b o f d eAmla yearsAu o t f . Besides, if we are correct in supposing Thorstein to have been born about 858, it seems impossible he could have died, the father of six e wifeofamila f on n 875e knoi , y W b y.w from other sources that these warrior kings sometimes began their careers when mere boys, and the wonder is that even high birth inspired their followers with confidenc themn ei . It is, however, more likely that 891, the date given in the saga, is about the correct year of the death of Thorstein, and that in this instance the annals of Ulster are wrong. When we return to a consideration of the causes which created the trouble that led to the attacks of King Amlaf and his son Thorstein upon the Pictish kings of Scotland, we find that it was probably in connection wite successioth h e throneth o t n . Kenneth MacAlpin was Scottish by his father's side, but his mother was a Pict, and there doubo in s te successio thath s a t nfemale amonth n o ePicte s gth swa side, King Amlafdeate th Kennetf n ho o , h MacAlpin, believed ha e dh certain e rightsuccessionth n i s , throug s wife e hi hdaughte th , f o r Kenneth. This rule of succession was directly opposed to that which prevailed among the Scots, who followed the laws of tanistry; and aware war e e thae Scot soos th t a possessio t s go sna e Pictisth f no h kingdom, they made every effortanistrf o w t thala ye shoultth d prevail. 288 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 9, 1914.

It was this conflict in the views regarding the succession which prob- ably led to the invasions of Scotland by Amlaf and later by his son Thorstein. Kenneth MacAlpin began to reign in 832, and died 860 A.D. He was succeede s brothehi y db r Donald MacAlpin reigneo wh , d about four years, .dying about 864. Constantine f Kennetho n so w e no , th , came to the throne and ruled for fourteen years—others say sixteen tha7 86 t d Amlafan 6 , 86 Kin n i f Dublin go s yearswa t ,I raide. d Pictavia t a whic, h time Constantin succeedes wa s kinge H wa e d. s brothehi y b r Aedreigned r Hughha ho o d wh , onl yeare yon , when peoplen ow s killes . hi wa Thesy db e h e four kings wer l Scoteal y sb Irise th hn i raceannal t termebu ,e sar d Reges Pictorum. This successio e Pictisth o nt h thron contrars e Pictiswa e th o yt h regulation as to females succeeding. The people therefore 'made e Strathclyde Kinth th f go n Ru Eochaf o e n Britonsso , ,s kinghi s a , mothe daughtea s wa r f Kenneto r h MacAlpin. They also associated e Iristh h s wita Grigm calle , hi hor , d him f Donal,o Ciric n r so o d, Dungal, the king who succeeded his brother Kenneth MacAlpin. It was probably at this period, when some dispute had arisen about the succession, that Thorstein made claim to become King of the Picts by his supposed rights through his father Amlaf, who had a daughter of Kenneth MacAlpin as one of his wives. Winformee ear d in-the Saga of Olaf Tryggwason, . 165p , that Orlyg, the son of Rapp, brother of King Ketil Flatneb, was brought up in the Sudreys or Southern Hebrides as foster son of Bishop Patrick. Orlyg pled with Patric o supplt k witm hi ya hplenariu e th d man necessary consecrated article f equipmento s d alsan o, wood with whic e coulh d buil d furnisan d a churchh , whic e proposeh o t d erec Icelandn i t . After som emakin n delayo d an g, certain promises to the Bishop, Orlyg went to Iceland and built his church. followere Th f theso s e Norse chiefs seem o havt e been mostlf o y that mixed race named the Gallgaidhel. They, like most other mixed BUKIAL MOUND OF THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OP ORONSAY. 289

races, appea o havt r e develope e worsth d t qualitie f eacho s , and, wherever they went, were e outragefeareth r crueltied fo d an s s they perpetrated upon those that they attacked. They see mhavo t e been fearless, but proved terrible and remorseless foes. When the so-called Celtic element in later times became paramount, they had a large strain of Norse blood in their veins, and their chiefs were sometimes e cas th f Somerled eo n i s a , s muca , h Nors s Celticea . Possibly by that time some of the more vicious principles in their nature becomd sha e t tonetakno e d knoe downdi w t wt i bu , much to arouse their violent passions, and that they engaged in internecine war. e Epiphanye Onighth nth f o t , 1156 A.D. a grea, a fighse t t took place off Oronsay between Godred, King of the Northern Hebrides (whic e samhth includet ea tims wa e e do Kin th Barra) f wh go d an , Isle of Man, and Somerled, who was his brother-in-law, and was Than f Argyllo e . Somerle livings l probabilityal dwa n i Evan,n Du t , a ,Colonsay t a , fleea thi eightf d o ts ha time yd ships"e an , outlooTh . k Cnon "o c a fairen , Scalasaig, would announc e appearancth e f Godred'o e s expected fleet. As soon as night fell, Somerled, with his ships, sailed t froou m Loch Staosonai d Scalasaian g g Bay, and, steering south, met Godred's fleet when between Isla and Oronsay. A fierce fight ensued n whici , h neither party seem o havt s e obtained muca f o h victory t manbu , y were kille n boto d h sides. Somerled evidently e contest e besth f th o r Godrett fo ,go d mad treatea y with him, con- possessioe th firminn i m f Kintyrislande no ghi th d sean e soutth f ho Point of Ardnamurchan. Man f thoso y e killed must have been burie n Oronsayo d , and, knowing that men from Barra were engaged in this fight, I was at first inclined to think that the earn had been erected over the bodies of the men from that island. The evidence of the objects recovered, however, all points to a period about three centuries earlier. If the 9 1 VOL. XLVIII. 290 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 9, 1914.

buria d beeha l n tha f warrioro t a o purelwer n wh o se y fighting expedition t seemi , s unlikely thafemaly an t e remains woul foune db d associated with suc intermentn ha . Before and also long after the ninth and tenth centuries, Barra appear havo st e bee e centrnth e from whic islande hth s e nortth f ho Poin f Ardnainurchao t n were rule d; while Colonsay occupiee th d same position in connection with the Hebridean Islands south of Ardnamurchan—the Isle of Man having at times also an independent administration. s eveha n t I been thought thae Clath t n Nei f Barr theio e l ow ar name to a Norwegian named Nicolas, the abbreviation of that name being Neil in the Norse. . This was the opinion of Johnstone, the translator of the Anecdotes of Olave the Black, as he mentions at p. 28 s notesohi f . When the Hebrides and Man were under one rule, as happened in the time of Somerled, and probably both before and after his reign, then Colonsay became the place from which the rulers ruled the whole islandth f eo s fro e Butmth f Lewi e Cal o tManf th o f o st , along with certain portion e adjoininth f so g mainlan f Scotlanddo . t otheA r times Barra seem havo t s e bee e sea f governmennth o t t in the Northern Isles or Nordereys, while Colonsay was the centre of administratioe th e Southerth f no n Isle r Sudreysso . At the present time the greater portion.of the Colonsay families hav Clae e chiefblooe th th eth n f f o do sNei f Barro l thein ai r veins, d claian m descent from lain 4 Chuains e (JohOcean)wa th o f no wh , a son of the Chief of Barra. He was born while his mother was in a a voyagboa n o t o Colonsayt e verA . y remarkabl interestind an e g stor s toli y n connectioi d n wit o hlon. to thito g s i s t eventi t bu , narrate here. That there were intimate relations between Colonsay e anth d people of Barra for many centuries is undoubted, if we are to trust to oral tradition and also notices in the' sagas and other sources of BURIAL MOUND OP THE VIKING TIME ON ISLAND OF ORONSAY. 291 information. Who the persons were who were buried in Carn nan y Bharraichfeelma assuree w t t ,kno dno bu Oronsay w o ; d e w , they were persons of importance belonging to Barra, who met their deat t Oronsaya h , tha o celebrates t d were they, either froe mth circumstances of their deaths or their position in life, that their names were associated with the cairn in which they were buried. What was the story of their lives may never be known, but that it made a great impression at the time and for generations afterwards seems certain e e nammounth th f r eo o whicn , di h they were buried woul t havdno e been handed down the centurie oray sb l traditios na Carn nan Bharraich.

PROBABLE APPROXIMATE DATES op EVENTS MENTIONED E FOREGOINTH N I G NOTE. A.D. Kenneth MacAlpin reigns ..... 832 to 860. Amlaf, King of Dublin, reigns .... 852 until after 871. Aud, probably married about .... 857. ,, became a widow about .... 873. ,, arrive Icelann di d about .... 898. ,, died betwee yeare nth s ... 920d an . 5 91 . Ketil Flatneb Islee . cam855th so et abou . . t ,, ,, died King of the Sudreys about . 884. Thorstein the Red, son of Amlaf, King of Dublin, and Aud, daughter of King Ketil Flatneb, was probably born about .... 858. Thorstein Red,e th . marrie879 . .d abou . t killed about .... 891. Groa, eldest daughte f Thorsteio r e Redth n , marrie Orknen di y about .... 897. OlafFeilan, f Thorsteio n so s e Redhi th n d ,an youngest child, married about . . .915. Biorn e Easterling,th f Kino eldes n g so tKeti l Flatneb, settles n Icelani d after staying n twso o r yearhe d s witan s sisted hhi Au r Thorstein in the Sudreys .... 886.