Norse-Gaels

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The Norse-Gaels were a people who dominated much of the Irish Sea region and western Scotland for a large part of the Middle Ages, whose aristocracy were mainly of Scandinavian origin, but as a whole exhibited a great deal of Gaelic and Norse cultural syncretism. They are generally known by the Gaelic name which they themselves used, of which "Norse-Gaels" is a translation. This term is subject to a large range of variations depending on chronological and geographical differences in the Gaelic language, i.e. Gall Gaidel, Gall Gaidhel, Gall Gaidheal, Gall Gaedil, Gall Gaedhil, Gall Gaedhel, Gall Goidel, etc, etc. The nativised presence of Norsemen in Ireland also lent at least one self-reference, that of Ostmen. Other modern translations used include Scoto-Norse, Hiberno-Norse and Foreign Gaels.

The Norse-Gaels originated in Viking colonists of Ireland and Scotland who became subject to the process of Gaelicization, whereby starting as early as the ninth century, they intermarried with native Gaels and adopted the Gaelic language as well as many other Gaelic customs, such as dress. The terminology was used both by native Irish and native Scots who wished to alienate them, and by the Norse-Gaels themselves who wished to stress their Scandinavian heritage and their links with Norway and other parts of the Scandinavian world. Gaelicized Scandinavians dominated the Irish Sea region until the Norman era of the twelfth century, founding long-lasting kingdoms, such as the Kingdom of Man, Argyll, Dublin, York and Galloway. The Lords of the Isles, a Lordship which lasted until the sixteenth century, as well as many other Gaelic rulers of Scotland and Ireland, traced their descent from Norse-Gaels. Norse-Gaels are recorded as the allies of Harold Godwinson's sons in their battles against the Normans, which occurred circa 1069-1070.

The Norse-Gaels settlement in England was concentrated in the North West. This migration of Norsemen from Ireland spread out to places like the Lake District, Arnside and Silverdale, Howgill Fells, Yorkshire Dales but it was not as heavy in Cheshire and may or may not have extended to the North Pennines. One feature of the Norse conversion to Gaelic life was the custom of stone constructed buildings as opposed to the practice of log-houses back where they came from. These settlers (like the native Cumbrians) favoured higher grounds of fells and moors for animal husbandry, whilst Anglo-Saxons and Danes preferred the lowlands for raising grains and other crops. In 1133, Norse-Gaels in the Debatable Lands populated the Diocese of Carlisle. In 1541, the Anglican Diocese of Chester[1] was formed upon the area settled by Norse-Gaels, but appeared as English when the Domesday Book was recorded.

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[edit] Iceland and the Faroes

It is recorded in the Landnamabok that there were papar or culdees in Iceland before the Norse, and this appears to tie in with comments of Dicuil. However, whether or not this is true, the settlement of Iceland and the Faroe islands by the Norse would have included many Norse-Gaels, as well as slaves, servants and wives. They were called "Vestmen", and the name is retained in Vestmanna in the Faroes, and the Vestmannaeyjar off the Icelandic mainland, where it is said that Irish slaves escaped to.

[edit] Modern names

Even today, many surnames connected particularly with Gaeldom are of Norse origin, especially in the Western Isles and Isle of Man.

[edit] Surnames

Gaelic Anglicised form "Son of-"
MacAsgaill MacAskill Ásketill
MacAmhlaigh MacAulay, MacAuliffe Óláfr
MacCorcadail MacCorquodale/Corquadale, Corkill, McCorkindale Þorketill
MacIomhair MacIver, MacIvor Ívarr (Ingvar)
- MacKitrick, Sherry Sigtryggr
MacLeòid MacLeod Ljót (lit. "the ugly one")

[edit] Personal names

Gaelic Anglicised form Norse equivalent
Amhlaigh Aulay (Olaf) Óláfr
Goraidh Gorrie (Godfrey, Godfred) Godfriðr
Iomhar Ivor Ívarr (Ingvar)
Raghnall Ranald (Ronald, Randall) Rögnvaldr
Somhairle Sorley (sometimes Englished as "Samuel") Sumarliði (Somerled)
Tormod NA (Englished as "Norman") Þormundr
Torcuil Torquil Torkill, Þorketill

[edit] See also

[edit] Bibliography

  • Haywood, John (1995). The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-051328-0. 
  • McDonald, R. Andrew (1997). The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard, c.1100-c.1336. East Linton: Tuckwell Press. ISBN 1-898410-85-2. 
  • Ó Cróinín, Dáibhí (1995). Early Medieval Ireland, 400-1200. London: Longman. ISBN 0-582-01566-9. 
  • Oram, Richard (2000). The Lordship of Galloway. Edinburgh: John Donald. ISBN 0-85976-541-5. 
  • Scholes, Ron (2000). Yorkshire Dales. Derbyshire: Landmark. ISBN 1-901522-41-5. 
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