Clann Somhairle
House of Somerled | |
---|---|
Founder | Somerled |
Titles |
|
Cadet branches | Clan MacDougall Clan Donald Clann Ruaidhrí |
Clann Somhairle, sometimes anglicised as Clan Sorley,
Origins
The origin of Somerled, from whom the clan derives, is obscure. Only the name of his father is directly attested in early records. He was later portrayed as having
The Orkneyinga saga refers to Somerled having "dominion in Dalr" and records that his family are known as the Dalverjar—literally "dale-dwellers". W. F. Skene suggested that although the words have quite different meanings that this name was linked to the earlier pre-Norse kingdom of Dál Riata.[3]
Clan Gothofred
Donald Monro's 1549 Description of the Western Isles of Scotland offers a brief description of the five main branches of Clan Donald that existed in his day under the title "Heir Followis The Genealogies Of The Chieff Clans Of The Iles". Monro also states that in earlier days the House was known as "Clan Gothofred".
This Somerle wes the sone of Gillebryde M'Gilleadam, name Vic Sella, Vic Mearshaighe, Vic Swyffine, Vic Malgheussa, Vic Eacime, Vic Gothefred, fra quhome they were called at that time Clan Gothofred, that is, Clan Gotheray in Hybers Leid, and they were very grate men in that tymes zeire. (Translation from Scots: This Somerled was the son of Gillebryde M'Gilleadam, son of Sella, son of Mearshaighe, son of Swyffine, son of Malgheussa, son of Eacime, son of Gothefred, from whom they were called at that time Clan Gothofred, that is, Clan Gotheray in the Gaelic language, and they were very great men in those times.)[4]
The name "Gofraid" also appears in numerous other versions of Somerled's ancestry.[5]
Similarly, a poetic address to
Ó Ghothfruigh ó hÁmhlaibh Fhinn, Descendant of Gofraidh, descendant of Amhlaibh Fionn
"Amhlaibh Fionn" ("Olaf the White") may be Amlaíb Conung the 9th century Norse–Gael son of the king of Lochlann.[8] Various suggestions have been offered as to which of the possible Gofraid's these texts may have referred to, including Godred Crovan, Gofraid ua Ímair and Gofraid mac Fergusa.[8][9][Note 1]
See also
- Sorley Boy MacDonnell
- Irish nobility
- British nobility
- List of haplogroups of historical and famous figures
Notes
- ^ Although not, for some reason, Gofraid of Lochlann, presumed father of Amlaíb.[10]
Footnotes
- ^ Alex Woolf, The origins and ancestry of Somerled: Gofraid mac Fergusa and 'The Annals of the Four Masters' Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Medieval Scandinavia 15 (2005)
- ^ Iain Moncreiffe, The Highland Clans: the dynastic origins, chiefs and background of the Clans connected with Highland history and of some other families. Clarkson N. Potter. Revised edition, 1982. p. 56.
- ^ Jennings, Andrew and Kruse, Arne (2009) "From Dál Riata to the Gall-Ghàidheil Archived 6 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine". Viking and Medieval Scandinavia. 5. Brepols. p. 132
- ^ Monro (1774) "The Genealogies Of The Chieff Clans Of The Iles".
- ^ Woolf (2005) pp. 3–4
- ^ Woolf (2005) p. 12
- ^ McLeod & Bateman (2007) p. 75
- ^ a b McLeod & Bateman (2007) pp. 502-03
- ^ Woolf (2005) pp. 13-14
- ^ Ó Corráin (1998) p. 3
References
- McLeod, Wilson; Bateman, Meg, eds. (2007), Duanaire na Sracaire: The Songbook of the Pillagers: Anthology of Scotland's Gaelic Poetry to 1600, Edinburgh: Birlinn, ISBN 978-1-84158-181-1
- Monro, Sir Donald (1549) Description of the Western Isles of Scotland. William Auld. Edinburgh - 1774 edition.
- Ó Corráin, Donnchadh (1998) Vikings in Ireland and Scotland in the Ninth Century CELT. Retrieved 15 Nov 2011.
- Woolf, Alex (2005) "The origins and ancestry of Somerled: Gofraid mac Fergusa and The Annals of the Four Masters" (pdf) in Mediaeval Scandinavia 15.