The Clan MacLeod Society of Australia (NSW) Inc. Newsletter June 2011 Chief: Hugh MacLeod of MacLeod Chief of Lewes: Torquil Donald Macleod of Lewes Chief of Raasay: Roderick John Macleod of Raasay President: Peter Macleod, 19 Viewpoint Drive, Toukley 2263. Phone (02) 4397 3161 Email: [email protected] Secretary: Mrs Wendy Macleod, 19 Viewpoint Drive, Toukley 2263. Phone (02) 4397 3161 Treasurer: Mr Rod McLeod, 62 Menzies Rd, Eastwood 2122. Ph (02) 9869 2659 email: [email protected] Annual Subscription $28 ($10 for each additional person in Important Dates the one home receiving one Clan Magazine & Newsletter, Sat 2 July Aberdeen Highland Gathering see last Newsletter. i.e. One person $28, Two people $38, Three people $48, Sat. 27 Aug. Toukley Gathering of the Clans - see inside. etc.). Subscriptions are due on 30th June each year. Sat. 3rd Sept. - Luncheon and AGM - see below. Dear Clansfolk, Banner bearers for the Kirkin’ It’s AGM and Membership renewal time. AGM details are below and a Membership Renewal enclosed. At the risk of being repetitious, in order to pass the Constitutional changes we need a good turnout at the AGM this year. Peter AGM Saturday 3rd Sept. Venue is Forestville RSL Club, Melwood Ave, Forestville. We will reserve tables in the Bistro for lunch from 12 noon. You can attend the lunch or the meeting, or both. Bistro prices are reasonable and Charles Cooke & Peter Macleod afternoon timing means no night travelling. We would like to know approximate numbers, so if you are coming could Glen Innes Celtic Festival 29th Apr to 1st May you please phone one of the office bearers at the head of Again our Clan was well represented at this popular and well this page. This year we need to pass a special resolu- patronised Festival. Wendy and I made the big drive up from tion to bring our rules into line with current legislation. Toukley on Friday 29th arriving about 3.20pm. Book in and Please take this as a special appeal for attendance of unloading are first then up to the Standing Stones to erect as many members as possible to ensure acceptance. our stand. We are now doing this on the Friday instead of NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND NO- Saturday to save scarce Saturday time and experience has TICE OF SPECIAL RESOLUTION. shown there is often a degree of official disorganisation on The Annual General meeting of The Clan MacLeod Society Saturday with so many things going on. of Australia (NSW) Incorporated is to be held at Forestville Our stand is soon up and at 6pm we are off to the Services RSL Club at 1.30pm on Saturday 3rd September 2011. Club for tonight’s concert and meal. In comes the Haggis Ordinary Business: lead by a piper then the Address as written by Robbie Burns. ● To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting; Our meal is followed by entertainment featuring ‘The High- ● To receive from the committee reports of the activities of landers’, a really good, modern Celtic band. the association during the financial year ending 30th June Saturday morning sees us assemble for the street parade. 2011; The MacLeods, with 10 or 12, are not the biggest clan ● To elect office bearers of the association and ordinary marching but everyone had a banner or flag making us the committee members; most colourful and I’m sure we received the biggest cheers. ● To appoint an honorary auditor; and As soon as the parade finishes we have a mad rush to the ● To receive and to consider the financial statement and Standing Stone site to complete our stand and open for busi- report of the treasurer for the financial year ending 30th ness. Initially, we are rushed off our feet and it takes until June 2011. noon before the last of our decorations is in place. For us Special Business: it was a successful event, we signed up a couple of new ● To consider and if thought fit, pass the following resolution members, sold quite a few Clan books and handed out many as a special resolution: information packs to interested people. “That the existing rules (constitution) of the association be Saturday evening we dine at our Hotel, and following our rescinded and that the constitution as tabled at this meet- meal there is always excellent entertainment by one of the ing be adopted by the association.” Festival bands. This year it’s a five piece group, ‘Wheelers and Dealers’ lead by Christine Wheeler and with a National Fiddle Champion, Mike Kerin, to the fore. Although the Festival is a two day event we only put up our stand on Saturday. Most enquiries come that day and Sun- day off gives us a chance to look around. Sunday is also the Kirkin’ of the Tartan Day and we make sure the MacLeod Banner is duly Kirked. The Kirkin’ takes place in the centre of the Standing Stone circle and attracts a huge audience. The weekend weather did not look promising. At home we had showery days for weeks before. The drive up saw show- ers and heavier rain all the way to Scone. But then it cleared and for the rest of Friday and Saturday it was mostly bright MacLeods on Parade, Glen Innes and sunny. Sunday was magnificent with clear blue skies. Norse Origin of The Fairy Flag By Weedon Nichols Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Duke of Kiev & Prince of Russia. of Clan MacLeod USA - Leod, our first chief, was (always Olaf the Stout took refuge with Yaroslav in Kiev after Olaf arguably) grandson of Olaf the Black, last chief of the Norse was deposed and before he attempted his comeback. The Kingdom of Man and the Isles, a subordinate kingdom to the wounded Harold made his way to Kiev, where he was given King of Norway. The Norse Kingdom of Man and the Isles refuge in the court of Yaroslav. He recovered from his wounds included, the Isle of Man and the Hebrides. It was headquar- and grew to full manhood. Harold served Yaroslav well as a tered on the Isle of Man. There were periods when this king- leader in military campaign after military campaign. dom was pretty much independent, and periods when it was No doubt, Harold had reached manhood and military lead- brought closely under the control of the King of Norway. The ership status when he communicated to Yaroslav that he end of the Norse Kingdom of Man and the Isles came when wished the hand of Princess Ellisef. There are no portraits, King Magnus of Norway ceded the Western Isles to Alexan- of which I know, of Ellisef (or of any of the principals of this der III of Scotland in 1266 in the Treaty of Perth. We have story), but you may be sure she was a beauty. In addition, mixed reports on the kingship of Black Olaf, but it cannot be her pedigree through Yaroslav went back to Rurik and the denied that the end of the kingdom was on his watch. Olaf original Swedish rulers of Russia, and to the Emperors of the Black was the son of Olaf the Red, in my opinion one Byzantium. Ellisef’s mother was Princess Ingegard of the of the shrewdest and most capable of our purported Mac- then royal family of Sweden (and sister-in-law of the now Leod forebears. Olaf the Red was known and respected deceased St. Olaf). No one knows Yaroslav’s exact words to everywhere as a king of good judgment and clear vision, Harold, but probably they were something like, “Harold, my who was a more than competent campaigner on land or sea, boy, I’m sure you would make a very fine son-in-law, but you but who avoided unnecessary conflict. He maintained his don’t have enough (any) gold.” authority, at the same time reinforcing the traditional Viking Harold obtained an appointment as an officer of the Verang- democracy and avoiding the taint of any hint of despotism. ian (Viking) Guard of the Byzantine Empire. It might surprise The great half-Celtic, half-Norse conqueror Somerled made you to know that the Verangians, or Vikings, had frequented peace with Olaf the Red, even marrying the daughter of Olaf that part of the world for a very long time. Vikings were a the Red, waiting until the death of Olaf to enlarge his own bit of a pain-in-the-neck to the Byzantines. They were dirty, sphere of influence. The “Banner of Red Olaf” mentioned in irreverent, and disrespectful, and they fought among them- the poem of Duncan MacIain may have been another ban- selves when there was no one else to fight. However, the ner we know well. We shall return to that. Olaf the Red was Verangians owned no property in the Byzantine Empire and the son of Godred Crovan Haroldson, King of Man and the had no political agenda. These factors, plus the Vikings’ Isles (himself son of Harold the Black, King of Islay) and one skills as warriors, their fierceness, and their love of fighting Maria Haroldsdotter, daughter of the most successful Viking made them much more valuable to the Emperors of Byzan- of all time. I’m speaking of Harald Sigurdson (also known as tium (in particular, Zoe, Empress of Byzantium, during Ha- Harold Hardraade, Harold The Ruthless, King Harold III of rold’s tenure), than local troops. Between what Harold was Norway and The Thunderbolt of the North). paid, what he took in booty from the Seljuk Turks, and what In the year AD1030, Olaf the Stout (formerly King Olaf II of he was able (probably) to embezzle, Harold is reputed to Norway, and later to be known as St.