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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 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. 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'.

Contents

British Isles

Iceland and the Faroes

Modern names

Surnames

Forenames

See also

Notes

Bibliography

British Isles

The Norse-Gaels originated in Viking colonies of Ireland and Scotland who became subject to the process of Gaelicization, whereby starting as early as the ninth century, most intermarried with native Gaels (except for the Norse who settled in northwest England) (and adopted the Gaelic language as well as many other Gaelic customs, such as dress. Many left their original worship of Norse gods and converted to Christianity, and this contributed to the Gaelicization. Gaelicized Scandinavians dominated the Irish Sea region until the Norman era of the twelfth century, founding long-lasting kingdoms, such as the Kingdoms 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. The Norse-Gaels settlement in England was concentrated in the North West.

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.

Modern names

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

Surnames

'Gaelic'	'Anglicised form'	'"Son of-"'
MacAsgaill	MacAskill	Ásketill
MacAmhlaigh	MacAulay, MacAuliffe	Óláfr
MacCorcadail	MacCorquodale/Corquadale, Corkill, McCorkindale	Þorketill
MacIomhair	MacIver, MacIvor	Ívarr (Ingvar)
MacShitrig[1]	MacKitrick	Sigtryggr
MacLeòid	MacLeod	Ljót (lit. "the ugly one")

Forenames

'Gaelic'	'Anglicised form'	'Norse equivalent'
Amhlaibh(confused with the Gaelic name Amhlaidh/Amhalghaidh)	Aulay (Olaf)	Óláfr
Goraidh	Gorrie (Godfrey, Godfred)	Godfriðr
Iomhar	Ivor	Ívarr (Ingvar)
Mael Maedóc	Marmaduke	none; Gaelic & brought through Cumbria to Richmondshire, North Yorkshire.[1] (e.g. Marmaduke Constable, Marmaduke Wyvill)
Raghnall	Ranald (Ronald, Randall)	Rögnvaldr
Somhairle	Sorley (sometimes Englished as "Samuel")	Sumarliði (Somerled)
Tormod	NA (Englished as "Norman")	Þormundr
Torcuil	Torquil	Torkill, Þorketill

See also

★ Earl of Orkney

★ Kings of Dublin

★ List of Kings of the Isle of Man and the Isles

★ Diocese of Sodor and Man

★ Galley

★ Lord of the Isles

★ Lords of Galloway

★ Papar

Notes

1. http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?fid=10&ln= Retrieved on June 27, 2007

Bibliography

★ The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings, , John, Haywood, Penguin, 1995, ISBN 0-14-051328-0

★ The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard, c.1100-c.1336, , R. Andrew, McDonald, Tuckwell Press, 1997, ISBN 1-898410-85-2

★ Early Medieval Ireland, 400-1200, , Dáibhí, Ó Cróinín, Longman, 1995, ISBN 0-582-01566-9

★ The Lordship of Galloway, , Richard, Oram, John Donald, 2000, ISBN 0-85976-541-5

★ Yorkshire Dales, , Ron, Scholes, Landmark, 2000, ISBN 1-901522-41-5