Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time

Sutherland and Caithness in
Saga-Time

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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
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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,