A Viking Sword of the Period.
In the 8th century (793), the Vikings, or plunderers from Norway,
(initially), were attracted by the wealth of the Monasterries and the easy
treasure to be found within.
Silver, gold and precious manuscripts were sources of great booty. Islands
like Iona were frequent targets. In 806, the entire Iona community was
murdered and plundered. The Monks of St. Ninian's Island, Shetland, were
also attacked, and the monks, pre-warned, quickly buried all that was of
value. The Monks hidden hoard, (from the Vikings), of 8th century gold and
silver wasn't discovered until 1958. It is a dazzling display of gold and
silver relics in remarkably good condition that is as impressive today, as
it must have been to the treasure hungry sea raiders in the 8th , 9th and
10th centuries.
** {Author's note: The Viking or Norse involvement in Scotland, Ireland and
England (Danes), is a very large topic all by itself. Its scope is huge and an
interseting and a topic on which I have written about extensively and previously
published. I hope to go into their, generally unknown or misunderstood culture,
which had enormous influence on ALL of Britain as well as most of Europe some
time down the road. For now, only significant events concerning Vikings (and
there are many) raids turned settling will be discussed.} **
By the end of the 9th century the Vikings came to Scotland to raid and settle.
It is curious that the Vikings settled so quickly in Scotland and Northern and
east Ireland, and slower in England. Certainly resistance was just as fierce
in Scotland and Ireland as it was in England. In general none of the native
Britains or English were able in any significant way, to stop the Northmen
whatsoever. They appeared unbeatable, even when outnumbered. However, the
Scots seemed to have something in common with the Viking and after a while
intermarriages, both common and noble, with established clans took place in
north Scotland (Caithness and Sutherland) and extensively throughout the
Western Isles of Scotland, called the Inner and Outer Hebrides. To this day
you can find Scottish Clans with direct Viking (Norse) descent. Clan Gunn in
the North, Clan MacDonald of the Isles and Clan MacLeod (pronounced Mac-loud),
in the west mainland and Isles, along with other Clans (such as MacQueen
and MacAulay) are of Norse-Scot origin. They even spoke both Norwegian and
Gaelic for several centuries in the Western Isles. All Clans of this unique
heritage have a reputation as skilled fighters who seemed to live to fight.
These same Clans were some of the earliest to use the longer swords and employ
archers in their ranks.
The most likely reason for the massive numbers of Scandinavians looking for new
lands is attributed to overpopulation in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, but the
truth is we really don't know why the Vikings struck out.
The Norwegian or Norse Vikings, (the word Viking is believed to be derived
from the Norse word "vik" meaning bay - since the Vikings used the longships
so effectively in bays this seems possible), are the specific ethnic Viking
that plundered then settled in Scotland and parts of Ireland. In about 800 A.D.
they settled Jarlshof on the Shetland Islands; also Lewis, in the Hebrides,
where over one hundred villages still have Norse names.
From the Scottish Western Isles the Norse-Scots (Gael-Galls) settled large
areas of Ireland; Iceland; The Isle of Skye, (next to the Scottish mainland);
The Isles of Lewis and Harris (lands the Clans MacLeods of Lewis and Harris
respectively that they eventually settled), and many other islands in and around
Scotland, Ireland, and England. Almost all of the northeast England, i.e. York,
are Viking settled areas. Their Longships gave them mastery of the seas. Their
fearless style of combat, and pagan belief in glory from death in battle, and
their large size for their day, made them nearly invincible foes. Not to
mention the fearsome "Berserkers": certain Vikings were said to be
afflicted with spirits and often fought without armor or clothing, while biting
and chewing on their shields before battle. It is recorded that if the
affliction came over these berserkers while not in battle, they had to go
ashore and wrestle large boulders and trees until the malady passed. Today,
we have the word "berserk" from this peculiar behaviour.
Although a new ship design does not sound like much today, in the eighth
and ninth centuries, this ahead of its time ship was far superior than any
other European, (or any other Continental) ship ever built and the Scots
benefitted from this heritage to this day. The Scots ship building yards,
as in Aberdeen, were where a large portion of the English fleet was built,
and used against France and Spain in later centuries, owes much to this
heritage.
Early Viking & Saxon Helm.
Viking Invasions; Scotland's Nationality
-------------------------------------------------------------
By the middle of the 9th century the Norsemen had moved into the Pictish
Kingdom. In the west they attacked the Scots of the Kingdom of Dalriada, who
had expanded north into Argyll and Uist.
The Scots/Picts capital near Dunstaffnage near Oban, was threatened and under
the leadership of Kenneth MacAlpin, the Scots moved inland, towards Scone on
the East coast. The Vikings helped the Scots and southern Picts create an
enlarged Kingdom called Alba, with Scone (pronounced Skun or Skoon), as its
capital. On the Stone of Scone, Kenneth MacAlpin, already king of Scots,
was made King of Picts. The famous Stone had very religious and ceremonial
ancestory to the Scots dating back to the 6th - 7th century, and earlier, when
the stone is said to have been brought by Fergus to Dalriada to crown the
Kings of Scots. (This stone was stolen from the Scots by Edward I "longshanks"
of England in the 1296).
At this point in time, circa mid 9th century, the Scots themselves only
represented 1/10 (10%) of Scotland's people. They became dominate through
battle and marriage. The Celtic (pronounced Keltic) Scots passed Kingship
down through the male line. The Celtic Picts, by way of the female.
Therefore, Scots marriages, over time, to Picts put and end to the Pictish
system and they became part of Scottish society. The Picts were, due to
their own rules of lineage, in essence, married out of existence as a named
race. Obviously, they were still around, just called Scots now. All this
was due to the male lineage taking precedence of Kingship of the Celtic
Scots. But this does not mean the Picts disappeared, just assimilated into
Scots and Viking society.
In these genetically mixing years, men broke the meager soil, planted grain,
hunted on their beloved horses, (especially the Picts who where by all
accounts expert horsemen), herded cattle, carved their Pictish stones with
loving care, and built a mix of Christian Churches and pagan fires, and led
perfectly normal lives.
As already mentioned, there was a new and more deadly enemy to the
Scot-Picts, and an enemy of all in their way. The slender Longships of the
Norse raiders, determined and hearty men, (reportedly many were over six
feet tall, which for those days was like being seven feet tall today), and
also as earlier mentioned -- they invaded at will, all of the British Isles,
Europe, Russia and elsewhere for plunder and slaves. Interestingly the
Vikings, who were already overpopulated, didn't in fact take many slaves,
but they did take the women they wanted.
Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In 839, an interesting battle took place. Some Picts were fighting the
rebellious Scots under Alpin of Gabhran's house, a large army of Norsemen
came upon their rear. Though Alpin was killed, and his head impaled by the
Picts -- the Pictish army now turned to face the Norsemen and were
destroyed in a wild pitched battle. The Picts not only lost to the
Norsemen, they were "destroyed almost to their very number". Eoghann, the
last King of Picts, died with them and now there was no Pictish leader to
oppose the Scots. Why the Norsemen took part in a battle between Picts and
Scots, that did not involve the Norsemen, is really easily explained. The
Norsemen believed to die in battle was a sure way of entering Vahala, the
great warriors reward in "Asgaard", and because of this pagan belief, the
Vikings showed or had no fear of dying in combat. They happened upon the
battle between the Picts and Scots, which the Scots were losing, and
promptly attacked the winners -- the Picts. Besides the last of the
Pictish Kings dying in the battle, so did Scots King Alpin. Kenneth the
Hardy, son of Scots slain King Alpin, avenged his fathers death by taking
the remaining territory of the Picts. His ascendency to King of Scots and
Picts, was not a peaceful one though.
The first king of Scots and Picts, (southern Picts), MacAlpin, it is said,
murdered seven Earls of Dalriada, kinsmen who might have disputed his claim
to King of Scots and Picts, all this took place during a celebration banquet
at Scone. The ascendency of Kings was a bloody and treacherous affair --
not for the faint of heart, (or stomach in this case).
One would think that after a history making battle such as the one above
described would be a dramatic turning point and famous in all history
books. Curiously this didn't happen, and the reason is, most likely, that
it actually took another century, and more battles, before the union was a
stable union of Pict and Scot. In time, however, it did become stable and
the Scots gained tremendous lands, wealth, and access to expert
horsemanship, as well as countless more Scottish subjects, from the fall of
the Picts. The two peoples had been locked in ferocious combat for so long
that the bonds of war had actually helped unite the people, as two metals in
a great flame, they became fused and then were tempered by a cooling hand of
Christianity.
Kenneth MacAlpin was the first King of Picts and Scots, the same title given
to the brother and then the son who succeeded him. The Picts pass from
history as most unknown races do, and also with them, the Kingdom of Dalriada,
though the evocative memory of that would last for a thousand years among the
western Clans.
The Vikings were another story. As already stated, it is worth mentioning
again the importance the Norse and Danish had, not only on Scotland alone,
but to all of the British Isles and France, Spain, Germany, Russia,
countries in Eastern Europe, and the Mediterrainian, as in Sicily, and North
Africa. It seems amazing to this author how little credit we as a modern
society give to the Vikings as settlers as well as invaders. If you are
descended from Europe, there is a very good chance the Vikings had some
effect on your heritage.
In Scotland they invaded then settled. The Norsemen had easy pickings in
early Scotland, which at the time was a confused collection of rival
kinglets, prior to MacAlpin. It was not until 843 that the country was
united under already mentioned Kenneth MacAlpin, a Scot who now ruled Scots
and Picts.
When Kenneth MacAlpin died in the latter half of the 9th century, Scotland
went through a series of mediocre kings who were kept very busy trying to
hold the Norsemen out of Scotland and keep its borders fixed. Three kings
died in battle, others had short reigns. The Scots unity held, but barely.
One hundred and sixty years of Norse invasions and counter attacks occurred,
led by, only partially successful kings, (three of whom died in battle) and
then, finally the Vikings began to settle more than invade.
The unity did not keep the Norsemen out. They took Dumbarton, on the River
Clyde, and lorded it over the area, and they were the death of Scots'
Kings, Constantine, Donald the Second and Indulf.
They were the kings in a time when not many Scottish kings died in their
beds. Turbulence was never far from the surface, and a king was liable to
be struggling against the Norsemen, and new territorial aggression from
England, as well as the uncurable rebelliousness of the men of Moray in the
north. It was not until Malcolm II arrived on the throne in 1005, that the
country even acquired, at last, a geographical unity with fixed borders.
Malcolm II vainly tried to extend his borders to occupy parts of the north
of England, but had his armies cut to pieces.
England also had trouble with the Vikings, the Danes (a generic term the
English called all Vikings), had been invading England and now began to
thirst for England's land. They took nearly half of England by force and
then demanded to be paid to stop further aggression. Actually, it was an
English king's idea to pay the money, or "Danegeld" (Dane gold) as it came
to be known, to halt the Viking attacks. This "ransom" or Danegeld was at
first successful, and the Danes left the rest of England alone......for a
while.
However, the idea of easy pickings, the Danegeld, was just too much for the
Vikings to resist and they began to demand more and more payment of Danegeld
from the English, at this point in time, England was in serious crisis.
Plus they (the Danes) were now settling large areas of England and marrying
the locals. The villages in the north and east of England still have many
Viking names. Eventually the Danes became so powerful in England, one of
their own became King of England. This was King Cnut who took the English
throne in 1016.
King Cnut of England (pronounced Kanewt) now began to eye Scotland,
especially the Lothian area which he considered belonged to him by right.
What right isn't clear. His forces went to repossess it in 1018, and the
combined Britons and Scots massacred them on the banks of the River Tweed,
at a battle called Carham in 1018, under the King of Scotland Malcolm II, a
descendent of Kenneth MacAlpin. The army they defeated was an Angle army
from Northumbria, which brought the rich Lothians under Malcolm II's rule.
Scotland, and her borders, were now stable, but not necessarily for long.
Meanwhile, in the farthest southwest corner of England, Alfred the Great and
his descendents, made a stand against the Danes and won a series of victories,
which led in time, to the Saxons reclaiming England. The Vikings, remained
however, slowly mixing with Britain and in all of Europe with the native
populations and eventually the "Age of the Vikings" comes to a
gradual end.
Alba grew even more:
----------------------------
In the same year as the Scottish victory at Carham, 1018, the King of the
Britons of Strathclyde died without issue (no heir) and was succeeded by
Malcom II's grandson and heir -- Duncan, (who was not the ageing and
venerable monarch portrayed by Shakespeare in "MacBeth"), Duncan had
some type of claim to the throne of Strathclyde through the female line.
Exactly how he did this isn't clear, but 16 years later, in 1034, Duncan
became King of Scotland. In this way the frontiers of the Scottish Kingdom
were still further extended, reaching far down into what is now English
territory.
The Last of the Great Scottish Kings
----------------------------------------
Duncan I of Scotland, was actually, (as opposed to the more well known
Shakespeare version), an impetuous and spoiled young man whose six years of
kingship brought glory neither to Scotland nor to his family. Against wise
advice, Duncan invaded Northumbria and attacked Durham. The poorly planned
campaign was a total disaster for the Scots and Duncan was compelled to
withdraw. News of his disasterous and humiliating defeat had preceeded his
return to Scotland and in no time he was faced with a revolt among the
lords, particularly from his cousin MacBeth, Mormaer (or lord) of Moray.
In a skirmish at Bothgouanan, Duncan was slain by MacBeth. Duncan had come
to the throne by a strange set of claims to succession. MacBeth had a much
better claim, as far as strict descent was concerned: so had his wife,
Grauch, who was his cousin. (Not unusual in those days). Both MacBeth and
his wife were descended from Kenneth MacAlpin, and the Moray party were keen
to have MacBeth the new ruler of Scotland. Again, reality is much different
from legend, and as you will see, MacBeth was not at all the same MacBeth
portrayed in fiction. Of course I refer, again to Shakespeare's, excellent,
but inaccurate version "MacBeth" with whom most of us are familiar.
It is a beautiful work of art and fiction, but it is far from reality and
worse, gives a good impression of Duncan, while giving a bad version of
MacBeth. Royality murdering each other was, almost like a game, in all medieval
history, and was quite common and even encouraged among all countries.
Under MacBeth, north and south Scotland were united and a stable Scottish
kingdom looked likely. MacBeth appears, contrary to popular belief, to have
been a wise monarch who ruled Scotland successfully for seventeen properous
years. Coming to power, (in a time, where differing peoples, who were
trying to adjust to unity at the same time, but didn't want to give up their
own ways of life, which were not always compatibale with those of their
neighbours), he organized troops of men to patrol the wilder countryside and
enforce some kind of law and order. An example of how stable the kingdom
was under MacBeth, was that he was able to make a pilgrimage to Rome in
1050, returned to find his kingdom quiet and went on to enjoy seven more
years of successful rule.
There is actually so much to MacBeth's life prior and during his reign that
is generally unknown and is very fascinating. I plan, some time in the
future, to devote a whole work to MacBeth -- the greatest of early
medieval Scottish kings. He did have his battles, and he dealt with them as
decisively as he did every other aspect of his rule, but that is another
story..........
Unfortunately, MacBeth (who had just united Scotland for 17 years) was
killed in the year 1057. One of Duncan's sons, Malcolm, (known as Ceanmor
or Canmore, meaning 'big head'), who was brought up in exile in England,
raised an army (with English help), invaded Scotland and reached deep into
Aberdeenshire. At the battle of Lumphanan, he defeated MacBeth, who was
slain in battle, and after some further resistance, he became king of
Scotland, calling himself Malcolm III -- with English help.
NEVER again were the emerging Kings of England to leave Scotland alone.
There are times in history that one could say were turning points, without
being overly dramatic, MacBeth's reign, had it continued ..... well,
Scotland might now rule England.
The north of Britain would absorb the life giving red of the Scots and
English for seven more centuries of brutal carnage.
|