Series 1 > Loyall dissuasive

Ixxxiv
THE LOYALL DISSUASIVE
encroachments of Sigurd the Powerful upon the territory of
Melbrigda. The leaders agreed to meet to adjust differences,
but the effort resulted in the death of both. Melbrigda’s
brother Finlay succeeded him. He marched into Caithness
with his Moraymen, but was utterly routed by Sigurd the
Stout, the son of Thorfinn the Skull-cleaver. It is remark¬
able that this victory gave Sigurd a grip, not only upon
Moray, but upon Dali, that is Dalriada. The way to Lome
was through Moray by both path and kinship. The next
great event was the battle of Clontarf, where Brian Boroimha,
aided by Scots from Albain, routed the Danes on 23rd April
1014. Sigurd the Stout, fighting among the Danes, was there
slain. This decisive battle not only delivered Ireland, but
also slackened the hold of the Danes on their Scottish territory.
This was especially the case with Moray, for the death of Sigurd
entirely freed Finlay and his tribes. Sigurd had by his first
wife three sons, Sumarlidi, Einar, and Brusi, and among them
Orkney and the Isles were divided. His second wife was a
daughter of Malcolm n., and by her he had a son Thorfinn,
aged five years at his father’s death. He had been sent with
his mother to his grandfather’s court at Scone. Finlay was
slain in 1020 by his nephews, the sons of Melbrigda. He is
called by the annalists not only ‘ King of Moray,’ but ‘ King
of Albain.’ Some later authorities say his wife Donada, whom
he married in 1004, was a daughter of Malcolm n. Macbeth
was Finlay’s son. He was only fifteen years of age at his
father’s death. By the law of tanistry, Malcolm, son of
Melbrigda, who had taken part in the slaying of his uncle,
Finlay, became Maormore of Moray. He died in 1029, and
was succeeded by his brother Gillacomgan, who, with fifty of
his men, was burned to death in 1032. It is supposed that
his wife, Gruoch, was daughter of Bodhe, who, had he survived
Malcolm n., would have been King of Scotland. Malcolm
took care that he should not survive him. Macbeth married
Gruoch, and in his own right became Maormore of Moray.