WHO WAS THE LORD OF THE ISLES? Somerled: Dal Riata to King of the Hebrides
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- Somerled Lord of the Isles was not only King of the Hebrides, but a huge figure in Scottish history. Scottish history tour guide Bruce Fummey tells how the Lordship of the Isles began. Dal Riata needed defending from Viking attacks and Somerled was our King Arthur
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Scotland History Tours is here for people who want to learn about Scottish history and get ideas for Scottish history tours. I try to make videos which tell you tales from Scotland's past and give you information about key dates in Scottish history and historical places to visit in Scotland. Not all videos are tales from Scotland's history, some of them are about men from Scotland's past or women from Scotland's past. Basically the people who made Scotland. From April 2020 onward I've tried to give ideas for historic days out in Scotland. Essentially these are days out in Scotland for adults who are interested in historical places to visit in Scotland.
As a Scottish history tour guide people ask: Help me plan a Scottish holiday, or help me plan a Scottish vacation of your from the US. So I've tried to give a bit of history, but some places of interest in Scotland as well.
I’m from Cape Breton Island, Canada: we are Gaels 💯! If you know anything about us or our Bonny isle of Cape Breton you’d know our love for the ancestral homeland can not be overlooked nor overstated..We bleed Scotch and fiddle music!!😁
We are Highlanders through and through which is a fact we are all too proud to admit. A fair portion of my people are very much Norse Gaels coming from Barra. No matter whatever, We are all Gaels ☮️💝 🇨🇦
You Bruce, are hands down one of the most interesting and amazing Lads to have a You tube channel. I have learned so much about Scottish history in such a short time, but most importantly, you have an incredible way to deliver it so it sinks in and makes sense. Thank you for all your videos! Much Love & Respect my Celtic Brother.
Awesome, thank you!
Bruce Rocks!!!
Second that
Love your videos. As a descendant of Scots, and Plantation Scots-Irish who eventually arrived in British North America, I love the thorough, thoughtful way in which you interpret and present the history of Scotland, its history, and the surrounding areas which ultimately aided in creating it. Thank you!
Aye Bruce, wishing you a greatest of days too! Thanks for your believable humorous affection for what we both love. Scotland!
I have Nigel Tranter to thank for my interest in Somerled. I read his book "Lord of the Isles" when it was first published and I was seventeen. Authors of his ilk, who bring history alive in novels, especially to a younger mind, are few and far between.
I also came to Sommerled through Nigel Tranter and many other figures of Scots history.
you know any other historical books besides Nigel tranter and perhaps on wales ?
@@imlaughinq7445 There is RL Stevenson of course, Dorothy Dunnet, Walter Scott. Unfortunately, I don't know of any Welsh authors, which is somewhat embarrassing as I went to school in Wales. However, with such a literary country, there must be at least one or two.
Nigel Tranter was responsible for my interest in the border country with his tales of reivers.
I read that book too, though I'm sure not when it was first published. I've read a good few of his books.
I love this history! As an American, it's fascinating to see and hear what happened to create those of us who carry Scots, Scandinavian, Irish and English DNA. Our country is relatively "new", in comparison to the history that made us, US. 😊 Thanks! And, have a wonderful day yourself!
It's still cold😨
@@ScotlandHistoryTours It's VERY cold here, as well. 15* with lots of snow, which we don't normally have. Ridiculous weather!
It's cuz we are proud to have Norse blood in us. We are Norse-Gael
As am I, My clan name is a sept from clan Donald so I bet we’re related down the line somewhere, cheers lad 🍻 proud of my Norse 🏴 🩸
So you are racist Gael is inferior unless you can add some scots norse too it welcome to the neo Nazi's
@@Dylanmccutcheon747 A Houston here...were all related
Some are proud to be pirates. Others are proud to be patriots. Make your choice Angus.
A lot of Brittonic and Anglo Saxon in there as well pal (plus a bit of Norman and other western European).
Those identities are less romantic but, y'know, it's English that we're communicating in
Proud to have Gaelic and Norse Gael heritage
Love this layered and nuanced history. I'm Irish with Gaelic clan lines from the northern Uí Neill in Ulster on one side of the family and Norse-Gael clan lines from Dublin on the other. We're all in each others pockets for thousands of years in this part of the world. From Lindisfarne to Limerick, Donegal to Dalwhinnie, Caithness to Cork.
Sláinte mhaith a chairde.
True
My grandad was Donegal man-O'Neil clanns, O'Cannon, O'Gallaghaer, and O'Donnel is our Donegal heritage. Gallowglass were given a lot of land in Donegal, and were often given in marriage gifts between Scottish Clanns women and O'Neil Clanns.
Cool lineage you have. :)
As a descendant of Somerled I truly appreciate this post. Fine job. Thank you
Great discussion. Like others here, I first came to Somerled through Nigel Tranter. A great figure, Somerled, there's a point to be made in his name itself being Norse.
that was truly the greatest churchill ever bravo sir bravo :)
Spitting Image here I come😎
Weather: gets snowy and prevents Bruce from going to a castle.
Bruce: YOU'VE JUST MADE AN ENEMY FOR LIFE
Okaaaaaay
I am a decendant of Somerled vis McDonald's of Sleat and Glengarry and also via the MacDougalls of Dunnollie..Strangely enough this also thru my MacLeod ancestors of Skye and Dunvegan Castle. These clans were at war a lot but also intermarried quite a bit.
Somerled was the ancestor of the male line of The MacDonald, MacDougall, MacQueen, MacAlastair and several more Western clans I have not listed. Recent DNA analysis of several different clan chiefs of the MacDonald Septs found a Norwegian type Y male Haplogroup. I think that your take on Somerled is based upon a later, more pro-Gaelic/Scottish version of history. Somerled's paternal ancestry is a matter of dispute - some claim he is from the Norse-Gael House of Ivar. Somerled is a Norse name, he married a Norse Princess, he waged war against the Scottish Crown, he (or at least his sons/grandsons) swore allegiance, and paid taxes to, to the King of Norway for some of their lands. He was of mixed Gaelic/Norse ancestry which was fairly common in the Hebrides/West Coast and Irish Sea at the time. It might have suited the Gall-Gaels Chieftains to have their king in a more remote location across the North Sea rather than on the nearby mainland - thus giving them more autonomy. The Hebrides had been either part of Dal Riada or Pictland before they were taken over by the Norse. At the time of the initial Norse invasion Alba did not exist (or it barely did) so it is debatable if those areas by the time of Somerled were even Scottish. Also why would Somerled feel any more loyalty to the Anglo-Normanised Scottish kings in Dunfermline/Edinburgh than to the equally foreign King of Norway? Judging by the amount of Norse place and family names from the North-West the Norse must have been there in considerable strength and we know that they were there for over 400 years. They became thoroughly Gaelicised and mixed into the original native population and I think that they were not looked upon as foreign occupiers as you make out - they had become the locals. I think there is a mistaken tendency to equate the Norse influence on Gaelic Scotland to the English invasions of the late 13th century. When Somerled fought against the Norse-Gael rulers and took control of their land it was more of a Norse-Gael clan battle than it was Scotland versus Norway. Norwegian control of Argyle continued for over 100 years after Somerled's death. Scotland at the time of Somerled was barely a united country like it would become 200 years later. There were several very distinct regions such as Galloway, the Hebrides , The Lothians, Moray, Caithness, Strathclyde which were historically independent and which, in some cases, did not have a long history of Gaelic culture/language - if at all. Somerled is a big character and there are different versions of who he was and what he did. An interesting video and I am enjoying your work.
Agreed . Unfortunately there are very few contemporary ,or near contemporary, sources on Somerled , and most of what is told of his exploits is simply much later Scottish medieval propaganda and storytelling where his Norse connections were conveniently forgotten. 13th century Clan Donald praise poetry explicitly mentions Norse ancestors . After the wars of independence this changes and an appropriate Gaelic paternal ancestry was promoted, which we now know to have been invented .
I just wrote something similar. Most decent scholars have known this for a while, even before DNA testing. The Kathleen MacPhee book is a ridiculous, sensationalist false narrative. Unfortunately the type of 'pop history' presented here with little actual research is prevalent nowadays. The cult of personality.
A newbie here and proud Canuck with nary a hint of Scottish in me, but man you weave a tale... Huzzah
Thank you very much my Roman friend
Better late than never! I just happened across your video. It was very informative and I appreciate your sense of humor.
Lord of the Isles was a very fine railway engine in its day. The Irish Sea was an international waterway for thousands of years because water and seaways were more practical than land routes
I absolutely love your videos, thank you so much! I would love to watch one about Ragnhild, wife of Somerled, and her father Olaf the Red. Do you know much about them? So far I haven’t been able to find much...
Thank you! ❤️🙏🏼✨🙏🏼❤️
You raise an interesting question about why we seem OK with the Vikings having ruled big chunks of Scotland. I suspect that it comes down to the concept of 'nation'. At the time of Somerled there was no 'Scotland' as such. Kings controlled lands that they could hold against other kings. One year the dominant king in a particular place may be Angle, the next a Pict, the next a Viking. Bruce is, I think, idolised because largely, after him, the territorial identity of Scotland (apart from the Orkneys and the Shetlands) was defined
Awesome video I can appreciate the work put into it. My grandmothers line is descended from Somerleds line from her Macdonald side of the family. I love the history of the kings of the isles.
Interesting, I haven't read 'Lord of the Isles', but I will. I learned of Somerled from researching my last name. I enjoyed your take on Somerled. I remember reading that he has at least 500,000 descendents, second only to Ggenghis Khan. I don't know for sure if I am a descendent of his, or not, but I like to think it's possible.
All the best Bruce, you’re a real gem! 🇨🇦
Huh, I don't know what happened to my comment. Maybe I forgot to press the "Comment" button. Anyway..., Thank you, Bruce, for the interesting video. All of my known Scottish ancestors came from the Western Isles, and most of them came from Lewis. There's something I think you touched on lightly. Most inhabitants of the Western Isles have had mixed Norse-Gaelic or "Gall-Ghàidheil" ("foreigner-Gaels") ancestry for well over a thousand years, and I think they may see the Norse differently than mainland Scots. The Norse ruled the Western Isles for hundreds of years from the mid 9th century until the Treaty of Perth in 1266 gave Scotland de jure possession of the Western Isles, but the Western Isles were then semi-independently ruled by the Norse-Gaelic Lord of the Isles until 1493 when James IV seized the ancestral homeland, estates, and titles of the last Lord of the Isles, finally giving Scotland de facto possession of the Western Isles. The history and the people of the Western Isles are as much Norse as they are Scottish. While often seen as a Celtic hero, Somerled had mixed Norse-Gaelic ancestry too, and the Crovan dynasty King of the Isles that Somerled defeated to become Lord of the Isles was his brother-in-law, Guðrøðr Óláfsson. I find it ironic that the last bastion of the Gaelic language, the Western Isles are also known as "Innse Gall", loosely meaning "Island(s)/Isle(s) of (the) Foreigner(s)/Stranger(s)" or "Island(s)/Isle(s) belonging to or possessed by (the) "Foreigner(s)/Stranger(s)" (technically that is grammatically incorrect, as both "innse" and "gall" are singular, but that's been the name for a long time, and I think it has become more of an idiom, than an accurate translation). Tapadh leat agus tìoraidh an-dràsta a charaid.
Judging by surviving praise poetry , the descendants of Somerled celebrated their Norse ancestry until the wars of independence under Bruce . Then the propaganda begins and you start to see the constructed genealogies emerge going back to mythical Irish kings and Gael lords of the Isles along his paternal line. When in fact his paternal line was Norse .
Thanks for this! I love your story telling and this is a subject I am deeply interested in. Much appreciated.
Have a look through some of the other videos
@@ScotlandHistoryTours I have been watching them all. I wrote you a few months ago letting you know I was seeking to learn more about somerled and dal riata. I let you know I was a Macinnis from Nova Scotia. I was hoping you would explain more about this story - and you did! Not sure if our previous communication prompted you to make video, but I truly love your ability to tell these stories with passion and personality! I have been sharing your videos with many folk. May your following grow
That Norse Hammer was something of a history-smith's tool. It forged the swirling design of Scotland's patterned steel blade and tempered it to stand the test of time.
again great stuff.
Loved this one, Bruce!
As always brilliant!
Awesome content as usual Sir much thanks from Florida
Well done, you!
Great video again, thanks mate from Oz.
Very interesting video , Somerled mentioned in my Clan history
Very cool!
Cheers big yin, another great one I'm aff tae ma bed night shift 🤪🏴
very interesting thanks this a period which is very much interesting 👍
I've only recently found out through research of my family tree that most of my genome is shared with folks from the area encompassed by Dal Riata. My great gran was born on Benbecula, between the Uists, and my mothers family came from Northern Ireland. Thanks for making and sharing this video from those of us in the diaspora, myself being from the US. You do all of us far flung descendants a great service.
Just how many legends of Scots leaders involved caves? Somerled, Robert Bruce.
Really nice camera work for this type of natural lighting. Well done.
Enjoyed your way of teaching History I found your site looking for info on Somerled. Had a DNA test appears I’m a descendant “ King of Argyll” this fella Somerled! Thanks!
Grandson of Somerled Lord of the Isles checking in -
PER MARA PER TARRAS! ⚔️ 🇺🇸🏴 ⚔️
Fantastic video
I thank you Big Jojo 😁
Hi Bruce,
Hi Bruce,I enjoy all your history programmes. I felt the need to chip in with this, Britain only seemed to start defeating the German army once the 51st Highland Division was up and running again .If you remember the 51st Highland Division was abandoned and sacrificed early in the war in an attempt to keep France in the war and to allow the other British troops to be saved from certain defeat and capture at Dunkirk.The 51st HD was rebuilt and back in time for the big win at El Alamein and was heavily involved in that desert battle..”It is not the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Aye I know about the 51st I had a great Gaelic language book about one of the troops. Here's a link to a video I did. To be fair it was a long time ago and I wasn't as polished. I was in Perth WA doing stand up at the time ruclips.net/video/DPtI38uyVkM/видео.html
I’ve watched all your Somerled videos. And I genuinely think he’s the true hero of Scotland. Maybe as the Americans say, the founding father of Scotland and its clans.
Thankyou for this video Bruce. Yes im proud to have Norse blood to.
Would love to learn Gaelic to.
Arthur as in Arthur's Seat. What a historic site with Arthur's last night before the battle, St Margarets Lake ( the only lake in Scotland) Holyrood Park and Holyrood Castle and Abbey. Loved going boating in the spring on the Lake, in the early days of dating.
Have you done a video on why Holyrood Palace came to be?
Grew up and attended school in Edinburgh which is truly " the Athens of the North."
Somerled had Norse dna full stop. This was learned very recently. Trade and life in general had been going on with the Vikings for some time so they may have been more accepted by the Gaels. I also imagine that Somerled's grandfather being betrayed by his own people may have also struck camaraderie among the Gaels. How they lived life was much closer to how the Norse lived life than how the lowlanders lived life. He also married Princess Ragnhildis Olafsdatter of Man who was the granddaughter of Godred Crovan of the Crovan Dynasty (Uí Ímair).
That Arthur video has yet to be made.
I know, I know
Can I say how much I love what you do. I only recently discovered your channel and am working my way through it.
As to your question why are people happy with Viking links, people do like to choose their history. There is a parallel in Northern Ireland where all protestants believe they are descended from the originals planters. ALL of them are descended from Scots (despite the fact that 40% were English). There is no Ulster- English Agency! I have known people get totally IRATE when you suggest their ancestors were from England.
😂 Good point
Love your videos I just found out my paternal line is decended from him so very cool
Wonderful your history is so intresting as a mythical storys have truth..our family believed...Thank you Mr Bruce...As some would wipe out ..ie I love a truth tellers 💚....
I have Dal Riata all over my family tree, including Somerled. Irish and Scots
We are Gall Gael. The Norse never left the Hebrides. We interbred with them.
Amen brother, sounds like it is now days!
Same part of the world but a wee bit later, you should look into the Gallowglass if you havent allready.Scots Norse/Gaelic mercenaries who fought for the various kings of the various Irish Kingdoms. Alasdair Mac Colla was a standout for me. Keep up the good work
Aye, it's just me and my missus holding a camera when she gets a day off. Rome wasn't built in a day by a DIY man in his spare time😂
Great vid but your animation at 4:17 is a bit misleading - Magnus dragged his boat across the isthmus at Tarbert, Loch Fyne, which is much further south than shown. They hold a Viking-themed festival there to re-enact and commemorate it, although Covid might have put a stop to it in recent years...
grew up in paisley i remember people pushing for a full examination of the area where Glasgow airport now is before it was built as that was the scene of the Battle of Renfrew. Where Somerled was murdered the night before the battle.
Shut it! That's episode 3
@@ScotlandHistoryTours Sorry! accidental spoiler.
It's good to see MacInnes being mentioned I didn't know our clan had some Norse-Gael roots.
Very old name. Ferguson is even older. There's even older Pictish names like Caltram, Gunn, Ogilvie. Avalon is a pictish word. Food for thought.
Where can I find more information about Somerled?
I love your last few statements about everyone reveers William wallace lord douglas robert the bruce but at that time. Scotland was already... Scotland. So who were the ones that came before? The ones who held off the Romans? The caledonii who were the ones that held off the vikings? The gaels picts scotii. I vaguely know and to me. THATS THE MOST IMPORTANT. Those guys in the 8th 9th 10th centuries, nothing was built up then and it was alot harder for them to band together in my opinion granted they were so divided, it was a early age. Kenneth macailpin, causauntin l, and more. Some of those guys should be honored more than bruce n wallace ( not to discredit them) I understand its hardly because theres such little knowledge of them. Much appreciate this video!
Agreed although more is known about the Wallace and Bruce periods than the prior.
You forgot to mention the Vikings founding Dingwall in the car park between the community centre and Tesco's.
Don't worry I have several future episodes dedicated to the car park in Dingwall between the community centre and Tescos 😜
Those supermarket trolleys are steeped in history.
Love the thumb nail 😂
Great video! I think the English invaders of Scotland met more opposition than that of the Norse invaders was because of their reasons. For the Norse there was a culture of sailing and fighting in distant lands and the gaels living in a clan based society could possibly relate to their warrior culture. But for the English it was more about the fact that they were more powerful and should enact their will over them. The subject of Gaelic Vikings/pirates has intrigued me as well. New subscriber!
Welcome on board
@GearóidODU - yet the Norse were also Germanic speaking invaders. They had more in common culturally and linguistically with the Anglo-Saxons than the Scots Gaels, though granted the Vikings were killing Saxons who had tried to invade Scotland in the 7th and 8th centuries. "Enemy of my enemy is my friend.......kinda?" I would argue that the reason the English are more reviled has to do that Scottish political institutions being more well developed in the Middle Ages (and after) vs the Viking Age. Not to mention the concept of "Scottish-ness" was far more developed by that point, whereas it did not exist for much of the Viking Age. Its not hard to frame that the English-Scottish interactions of the 13th to 18th centuries were at its base more a clash of nations and all the implications of that. On the other hand, the conflict with Vikings in Scotland between the 9th & 12th centuries was more tribal warfare, which was a state of affairs essentially unchanged since the Bronze Age. The English are coming to take away the "essence of Scottish-ness" while the Vikings simply were killing for land, which all people in Scotland at the time could understand. In both cases though it was clear that the Scots were preyed upon, regardless of the minutiae.
Don’t forget the Scottish were the Irish who could sail! The locals were the Picts. Those in southern Scotland as we now view it spoke Lalands .
@@glynluff2595 the irish were scots who could sail
@@brucecollins4729 Only with a government grant! But that is old history like it all! It does seem clear that the movement of peoples initially seemed to flow upwards from the Continent through what is now St George’s Channel then later the other way from Nordic regions.
So gooooood on the zukerberg roast.
😜
My ancestor on my mothers side goes back to Sumarliði. I tried to find out what happened to the clan that developed from his sons but it just sort of becomes lost to history.
2 great books on Somhairlidh mhór mac Gillebride mhic Gilledomnán (Somerled) by R. Andrew McDonald: The Sea Kings or The kingdom of The Isles.
I suppose since Scotland borders England the threat from England has continued. Where as the threat from the Vikings faded away. Hence more of a concern about English domination. Looks a bit nippy there great video again. 😊
A bit nippy? A BIT NIPPY !!!!
Did the conversion from Anglo Saxon to Norman french change how the "English," powers operated showcase a the threat of cultural genocide ?
Important fact though : only a small minority of McDonalds , McDougalls , McAllisters , Alexanders, McCains are actually descended from Somerled down the paternal line and carry his Y DNA . About 80-90% of males from these clans do not. However , if you have Scottish ancestry, whether a McDonald or not , then you almost certainly have Somerled as a genealogical ancestor , just not down the paternal line.
Recently learning of my more ancient ancestors and a couple of names you mentioned grabbed my attention. I have focused most of my genealogy search on the paternal side that has taken me back to Duncan. What Id love to know more about is how the "Isle of Man" played a part in Scottish history and its influence, not just where they run the TT Road Race (humor). This is where my maternal side originates with John Kaighin, b) 1540 in Kirk Michael on the Isle of Man. His last name would change to "Cain" by the late 1600's. Go figure, and I thought my mom's side was some boring ole English folk. LOL
Aye, a trip to the Isle of Man sounds nice
Deleted my previous comment cause you made it redundant when i got to the 2nd vid. Cheers. So glad i discovered your chan.
What were some good historical books for knowledge on the kingdom of the isles?
Invasion from West as well. Gaelic. I often wonder how wild Scotland must have been during the Roman occupation of the south.
good vid , personally I don't believe the Vikings really ever had any major influence on mainland Scotland , any they did was short lived and tolerated , as you mentioned the Vikings largely seemed to mix with and adopt the Gael culture and vice versa . The Islands were a different matter though , isolated small populations would always struggle to deal with Viking attacks ..... But then you've got boys like Somerled who step up to the plate , C'mon the Gaels 👌
i know he is irish but what do you have on Lluelynd the great? really enjoy learning about scotland and my ancestors.
I've got nothing, sorry
Lololol the FB rant!! :P
My question may not be directly related to this I know that there were many different languages spoken in what is now Scotland, but from all these different peoples, how did Gaelic prevail as the language above all other languages in Scotland? Or did it?
From what I have gathered over the years, Gaelic prevailed in The Highlands up until Culloden Moore which was a real conundrum of international players. The Scots of The Lowlands were speaking a “dialect/language “ of Scots English which evolved into a more Anglicized form of English. Seems the Gaelic language was spoken more among Catholics while English was the language of Protestants. Confused yet? Lol, it’s not easy to sort out even among Scots. The events of history surrounding The British Isles is so extensive that only scholars and those dedicated to learning can grasp it. Gaelic is alive though!
@@kimberlywallace6148 my ancestors were Protestants from the Highlands. As I am a Protestant as well. They came to America in the early 1600's. Gaelic was spoken in their communities here until very recently. My Grandparents spoke Gaelic. I learned from them but forgot most of it. I am learning again though. That is not what I meant. Gaels colonized Western Scotland, Picts already lived there, Brits lived in the south, And from all those languages, Gaelic was the one that prevailed. And the Scottish name. Why?
Watching for 5th time and I have a question:
You reference the Gual Gaels. I have never heard of this term. I have heard only of Norse - Gaels. Are these the same? Where does the gual reference come from?
I have also read that Macinnis clan chief was killed by a Maclean on order of a McDonald - Lord of the Isles.
Also read the story of the Macinnis clan asking Somerled to lead them after their clan chief what killed in battle.
So I am now confused as to which version is most accurate.
Can you shed any light on this for me?
Thanks so much !
Does the Gual reference mean to infer foreign Gael ?
Yes. If you check out my video about how Scotland got it's borders ruclips.net/video/8_UT2HSVinQ/видео.html you'll see I point to three areas with different uses of Gall but all essentially meaning that Norse had taken over. Obviously the Hebridean being the most prominent. That's why in Gaelic the name for the Hebrides is Innse Gall. In terms of the MacInnesses I did say that it was a messy period and there's quite a bit of gap filling with legend. There's more than one opinion on Somerled's origins. I've chosen the dominant one, but there will be others who favour him being more Norse and others favour him being more of a Gael. My point is are we talking about the same chief MacInnes and even if we are there will be more stories than one for every event. This is an oral culture that's passed on stories through generations
Sorry, simple answer is YES
@@ScotlandHistoryTours thanks for the reply and I love the longer answers :) so interested!
Just had DNA results come back saying I am related to Somerled. Pretty awesome news.
I suspect the viking conquests are less bothersome to modern Scotts because they are historical. The Vikings are gone, the English remain and still exert a lot of influence.
I waited for this one. My ancestry. MacDougall Clan start.
Adam Ardery wrote a couple of books on merlin and Arthur. He presented the history from a solicitors point of view as if going to court. IE nae nonsense.
hahaha love it
I think that one very romanticized reason we oppose English rule over Norse is that we have Norse in our Blood and all that Jazz. But personally, I think it's probably because of Modern Day politics. You see, I think if we were governed by the Nordic Council like we are Westminster, then we'd probably resent them just as much. The Grass is always Greener. Maybe in Somereds time, people felt attachment to the English in the romantic way people do the Norse today.
The Grass is always Greener
Aye
Surely the lack of perturbation about Viking invasions is similar to lack of perturbations regarding the Roman invasion in that in the end all were thrown out. Perhaps, should independence happen then after a few hundred years our descendants would be similarly unperturbed by the current system of Anglocentric governance.
Aye you may have a point, but ye had tae use the 'I' word 😅
@@ScotlandHistoryTours Oops. Force of habit 😅
😉
They didn't get thrown out. they settled and integrated and lost their own language and culture, but they are there still in the DNA.
Where is this cemetery
In my village
Do the Morrisons.
So, is this where they found the ficticious Lord Sunnerisle of "Wickerman"?
That would be Gunn!
I think due to the fact we are currently under the English crown and due to how we have countless lost traditions descended from the Vikings and the fact they interbred themselves and the Picts out of the local populace (that we are now called Scots) and the fact that it was so long ago why we are so hostile of the current colonials.
the Vikings shocked but failed, they could hold onto the isles and poor land in the west coast but completely failed to hold onto Moray ,so they could never take enough good arable land to become a threat, it's all about sustaining a warband, or bands. so failing to hold the north east and southern Alba, Kenneth McAlpine made is bones as an effective leader against the new Viking threat, as a Gaelicized Pict, the Norse in my view created Gaelic Scotland like they created a united England, like the romans and Northumbrians help create Pictland and alba. Scotland wasn't in danger after the initial shock, the Norse became Gaelicized during the 10th and 11th century, like the Northumbrian's failed to angelized the southeast. might sound strange but winning battles doesn't always win wars, just as native American's, it's manpower and logistics. the English with all there victories in the sixteenth century failed to win a war, (rough wooing).
it remained welsh as much as English until 9th and 10th/11th century when the scots were able to take advantage of the power vacuum made by the Norse. In fact Gaelic culture thrived in this period.
I think it was more in Scottish physic because England actually overcame the whole of Scotland. during the wars of independence and the war against the Vikings was a Canmore story, (though the battle of larges is painted large in the national museum of antiquates) the wars of independence had a political statement at the end of it and were a Bruce and Stewart story the crown was also now based in the south not the north, England being an existential threat.
there's actually battles all over lowland Scotland between the Norse and us, but they were raids and even if the scots kingship had a high mortality rate, the nature of Celtic succession at the time meant this was not a game stopper as it was in later mediaeval Scotland within the feudal system. the Norse also had a mutual enemy with the scots so deals were always done, and that was to stop any major power from emerging from the south.
Plus are written records the templates of our story were written later when England had become the major threat and many of our history's were lost through Viking raids on monasteries and there removal by longshanks anyway, actually a lot of history was lost when the royal records were being moved to London by Charles the 1st they sank in the forth, but anyway history is about rewriting.
Gaelic culture was also very mixed up with Norse, and the kings based in the east were not going to give rival lineages that's my take on it's own creation myth.
Anyway it's a bit of a congested rant but maybe some points are worth thinking about. my family on my mums side are MacKay's and Frasers who helped bring the north back into the Scottish fold (even if the Frasers were French Norsemen, funny old world). for my self I'm sort of happy we weren't taken by the Norse or the Northumbrians /English or the romans for that matter.
I think the Scots don't mention the Viking Invaders as much as the English Invaders because I feel like the English the Scots look down upon as being posh and pompous and in Vikings are known as fierce and strong and brave. So Scott's C more of themselves in Vikings than they do in the English I'm sure among other things also probably.
Here is to the Macinnis clan, whom , with Somerled, an others , turned the tied
By Sea By Land
Another tease about King Arthur being Scottish, well, if the one, I am thinking you are referring to, he was not a king, but maybe a prince, although is name is very close.
@420rgb2 2 According to Adam Ardrey, Arthur was the son of the Scottish king, Aedan.
Clann Gunn Caithness Pict-Norse-Gael here... lol, Can't hate ourselves now can we? lol
I can't speak for Scots, but I'd imagine it's similar to why Irish people aren't bothered so much about the viking invaders, we're talking almost a millenia ago (ballpark) that the Vikings were doing their invading, so it's relatively far back in time, and also they were defeated in both Ireland and Scotland eventually, thirdly they left a genetic legacy, in both ireland and Scotland, moreso in Scotland, so in effect anybody with non recent ancestry in Scotland and Ireland is at least a little bit Viking, though saying that it didn't show up in my siblings ancestry DNA test, despite having a Viking origin name on the family tree. Getting back to why people are more bothered in the Scots case by invaders from the South, or in our (Ireland's) case from the East. In both cases, it's historically not that long ago, and these invasions were unfortunately successful in our case, less so in Scotland's case, but still had a massive cultural impact on Scotland, the decline in Gaelic being one, and arguably the Norman feudal system led eventually to things like The Highland Clearances. I don't know if that's a stretch or not, someone better informed on Scottish History could confirm or rebut that suggestion. So, despite the third reason also being there in both cases, i.e. The English (Scots and Welsh too in Ireland's case) left a genetic legacy in both Scotland and Ireland, just like the Vikings did, I think the negative elements to that legacy are much more closer to the bone.
Well answered young Jedi
I'm a direct descendant of Somerled through the MacDonalds and McKeans
I'm a descendant of the Alasdair clan or donald clan. Descendant of somerled.
Macdougall are descendents of somerled
His name was Somhairle. Somerled was written for people to read in other languages. His name was Gaelic.
Somhairle was Middle Irish. Somerled was Anglicized form of the Old Norse name Sumarliði meaning "summer traveller".
And even better, Somhairle gets anglicized to Sorley. If you want to be really purist write out using Norse runes!
Good to see some Mac/Mc Donalds and Dougalls here
Sounds a bit like Ireland’s Brian Boru fights with his head as well as his sword.
Well Scots came from that tradition
@@ScotlandHistoryTours a think you need to do some reasearch into that myth.www.glendiscover.com/dalriada.htm. .....www.irishtimes.com/culture/in-a-word-1.1691760
HEA rankings? OK, when I get a bit of time
@@ScotlandHistoryTours you might have to type these links in, sometimes don,t work. heres another.type in.....the origins of the irish and scots gaels on irish origenes...cheers.
@@brucecollins4729 Ignore Bruce Collins he's a bigot with a vendetta against the Irish, also illiterate and poorly educated and still can't post links.