An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Deo-gréine > Volume 3, October 1907-September 1908

AN deo-greiNI:.
lubadh air a shochdair troimh 'n ghleann.
Bha na h-uile dath bu bhoidbche na cheile ri
fhaicinn eadar a cheile, na-h-achaidhean agus
a’ monadh.
Air taobh thall na h-aibhne bha Gleann-
Glasdar le laraichean uaine, a Chreag Dhubh
a cumail dubhar air iomairean Bhohinni, agns
an t-Aonach-Beag’s an t-Aonach Mor, ’s iad
ball-breac le sneachda. Air an ciil-thaobh, ’s
i a’ cur a ceann a mach a curachd oidhche de
cheo, bha Beinn Nivais a toradh thar a comp-
anaich.
Cha b’ e gleadhraich a bhaile-mhoir bha
’n ar cluasan san am sin, ach torman binn nan
caochan agus gaire cridheil nan eas. Bu
shurmdach lead a chiobair agus bu shiubhlach,
uallach a cheum’s e gabhail ris a mhullach le
choin ’na dheigh. Bha na caoraich ag ional-
tradh air gach taobh, agus na h-uain bhoidh-
each bheaga a meilich a’ measg an fhraoich^
Co bu sgairteil na’n coileach-ruadh is e a’
gairm air cnocan aig ar taobh, mur gu’m biodh
e muidheadh oirnn air son tighinn gu m’ chuir-
eadh air oighreachd shbnraichte fhein !
Shuidh sinn tacan air mullach na beinne,
gus an d’ thug an t-acras oirnn tearnadh, ach
bi greis mu‘n di-chuimhnich sinn an turus a
ghabh sinn gu mullach
Beinn-a-Mhonigaig.
THE HISTORY, LANGUAGE AND CUS¬
TOMS, RELIGION AND LEGENDS,
OF THE GAEL OF CARRICK AND
GALLOWAY.
By the Earl of Cassillis.
THE PICTS OF SCOTLAND.
CHAPTER III.
In 941 after Aethelstane’s death, the Northum¬
brians threw off the Anglian yoke, and in 943
we find Anlaf the son of Sitriuc and son-in-law
of Constantine, King of Northumberland. In
943 he took Tamworth and gained a great
victory over the English. He escaped from
Eadmund at Leicester and then made peace
with him, and later received King Reginald
at the Bishop’s hand. This Reginald being
designated as son of Guthfrith, was probably
his cousin. In 944 however, a rupture occurred,
King Eadmund subduing all Northumberland
expelled the two Kings, Anlaf son of Sitriuc
and Regnald son of Guthfrith. The Danish
princes of Northumbria had been deriving
assistance from Ireland through the country of
the Cumbrians, who seemed themselves only
too willing to help them against the Angles,
and very probably the Piets of Galloway sup¬
ported them in this attitude. Eadmund, there¬
fore, harried Cumbria* in 945 and gave it,
together with Galloway to Malcolm, on the
understanding that he, who was connected by
marriage with Anlaf Cuaran, son of Sitriuc,
should give assistance to the English by land
and sea against the Danes. The name Cum¬
berland used in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
must be taken as meaning the whole territory
of the Cumbrian Britons from the Clyde to the
Derwent and not only modern Cumberland.
In 946 Eadmund was succeeded by his younger
brother Eadred, who proceeded to reduce
Northumbria under his power. However, in
spite of this the Northumbrians-revolted and
set up Eric, Bloody Axe, the son of the
Norwegian King Harald Harfagr, who had
been driven out of Norway, and had been given
by King Aethelstane a settlement in North¬
umbria. In 948 Eadred ravaged all Northum¬
berland, but Eric’s army within York overtook
him on his return and defeated him with great
slaughter. Eadred made up his mind to return
and to totally destroy the country, but the
Northumbrian Witan forsook Eric and made
compensation to Eadred. Anlaf Cuaran again
returned to Northumberland in 949, and under
the instigation, if not with the active assis¬
tance, of Constantine, who seems by this time
to have begun to weary of his monastic cell,
laid waste the Anglic territories as far as the
river Tees. In 952 the Northumbrians ex¬
pelled Anlaf and again received Eric Bloody
Axe, but in 954 they expelled him and accepted
Eadred’s rule, who then made Northumbria an
earldom.
Malcolm was slain (954) at Fodresach, now
Feteresso in Kincardineshire according to
Skene, and Indulph, son of his predecessor
Constantine, succeeded him. It was to Indulph
that the Angles surrendered Edinburgh. Soon
after 966, when Eadgar was King of England,
the earldom of Northumbria was divided into
two, Bernicia and Deira.
Kenneth the son of Malcolm reigned over
Scotland 971-995 and he is said by the Pictish
Chronicle to have laid waste the territory of
the Britons (of course of Strathclyde). He
invaded Bernicia two years running and carried
off its Earl, Eadulf, prisoner.
In the year 1000, Aethelred ravaged the
country of the Cumbrians,whose King, Malcolm
son of Donald King of the Northern Britons,
Tighernac informs us had died 997. He was
doubtless the son of that Donald, who was
King of the Cumbrians when Cumbria was
*The King of Cumbria at this time was Donald son of
that Eugenius or Owen who was at the Battle of Brun-
anburh. He is called King of the Northern Britons. We
find in the British Annals that at this time Strathclyde
was ravaged by the Saxons, 944 and 946. (See Brut of
Tywysogion and Annales Cambrenses.)