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The Feuds of the Clans

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« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2009, 01:08:45 pm »

the forfeiture of that lordship to the time of James VI., by whose exertions the rebellious clans became more loyal and obedient to the national laws; and the third part may embrace an account of the strenuous exertions of many of the clans to support the House of Stuart, which exertions increased in energy in proportion as the hopes of that unfortunate family became more desperate. It is more immediately to the second part of this interesting but complicated history that we would direct your attention, wherein we see the origin and development of the sovereignty claimed by the Lords of the Isles.

It has been already mentioned that the Lords of the Isles had sprung from Somerled, Lord of Argyle, who was known by the appellation of "Somhairle MacGhillebride na h-uàmha," that is, "Somerled, the son of Gillbride of the cave," so called from his having concealed himself in a cave in Morvern during the invasion of the coast by the Scandinavians. In the year 1158, Somerled invaded the Isle of Man with a fleet of fifty-three ships, routed Godred, the King, and laid the whole island waste. By this time Somerled's

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« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2009, 01:08:54 pm »

power over all the Western Isles became so great that Malcolm IV., then King of Scotland, became so alarmed for the safety of his kingdom that he could get no rest. On various occasions Somerled made himself grievously obnoxious to his majesty, and in 1164 he declared open war against his sovereign. With a view to accomplish his rebellious plots, he assembled a numerous army from Ireland, Argyle, and the Northern Isles, sailed up the Clyde with one hundred and sixty galleys well manned, landed his forces near Renfrew, and threatened to make a conquest of all Scotland. Here, according to the ancient annals, Somerled was killed. It is related that he was betrayed and assassinated in his tent, when his troops, in great confusion, retreated to the Isles. It would fill volumes to trace out and record the various septs which sprung from the descendants of Somerled, such as the MacIans of Ardnamurchan, the MacIans of Glenco, the MacRuàiridhs, the MacDonalds of Clan Ranold and Glengarry, the MacDonalds of Keppoch, and many others. John, the first Lord of the Isles, the lineal

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« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2009, 01:09:05 pm »

descendant of Somerled, lived under the reigns of David II. and Robert II., and married Amie, heiress of the MacRuàiridh of Gormoran. He divorced that lady, by whom he had three sons—John, Godfrey, and Ranold. He subsequently married Margaret, daughter of Robert, High Steward of Scotland, by whom he had other three sons—Donald, John, and Alexander. At the death of King David II., the High Steward ascended the throne by the title of Robert II., so that the King had become the father-in-law of John, first Lord of the Isles. This event added much to John's power and influence, and particularly so as he received a royal charter for the lands of Gormoran, regardless of the claims of the first wife's sons, to whom those lands lawfully belonged. Godfrey, the eldest son by the first marriage, resisted these unjust proceedings, and endeavoured to retain his possessions by the power of the sword. The first Lord died at Ardtornish Castle, and was buried with great splendour at Iona. Donald, the eldest son of the second marriage, then became the second Lord of the Isles, and married Mary Leslie, who afterwards

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« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2009, 01:09:21 pm »

became Countess of Ross, in whose right he became the first Earl of Ross of his family. Out of this event a rebellion arose of such a formidable nature as to threaten a dismemberment of the Kingdom of Scotland. The cause of this rebellion, which resulted in the desperate battle of Harlaw, arose as follows. Walter Leslie succeeded to the Earldom of Ross in right of his Lady, Euphemia Ross, who was daughter of that house. Of this marriage there were two children, a son and a daughter. Alexander, the son, succeeded his father in the Earldom, and Mary became the wife of Donald, Lord of the Isles. Alexander married a daughter of the Duke of Albany, then Governor of Scotland, and son of King Robert II. The only family of this marriage was a daughter, who, being weakly both mentally and physically, became a nun, and resigned the Earldom of Ross in favour of her uncle, John Stuart, Earl of Buchan, to the prejudice of Donald, Lord of the Isles, who supposed himself the nearest heir in right of Mary Leslie, his wife. He consequently claimed his right, but finding the Governor, who thought him already too powerful a

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« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2009, 01:09:26 pm »

subject, not inclined to do him the justice he expected, he immediately raised an army of fully 10,000 men within his own Isles, and put himself at their head. His soldiers were fully equipped with bows and arrows, battle-axes, dirks, and swords. He made a rapid descent on the mainland, and burst like a torrent on the disputed territories, carrying everything before him. He was boldly attacked at Dingwall by Angus Dubh Mackay of Farr, but Angus was soon repelled, and most of his men were left dead on the field. He daily recruited his forces, by the way, from the Isles, was determined to put Aberdeen in flames, and to recruit his resources with its spoils. He set his army in order on his arrival at Inverness, marched through the counties of Nairn and Moray, committed great excesses at Strathbogie and the Garioch, and set on fire hundreds of hamlets on the lands of Mar. The appearance, however, of a well-equipped army, under the command of the Earl of Mar, allayed the terrors of the Aberdonians. Mar was powerfully assisted by many Lords and gallant Knights from the Angus and Mearns, and from other southern

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« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2009, 01:09:59 pm »

districts of Scotland. Marching on the village of Inverury, he descried the Highland army close to a village named Harlaw, on the banks of the Ury, near its entrance into the Don. He saw that he had to contend with tremendous odds, but, trusting to the bravery of his leaders, and to the dauntless courage of his steel-clad knights, he resolved to try his fate. He bravely stood at the head of his army, and so did the Lord of the Isles, who was encouraged by many warlike chieftains, such as the MacIntoshes, the Macleans, and the different septs of the Clan Dòmhnuill. It was a moment of dreadful suspense. At length the battle commenced by the setting up of terrific yells and shouts by the Highlanders, who "scrogged" their bonnets, and, battle-mad, rushed like fiends upon the bristling ranks of the enemy. The knights, under Sir James Scrymgeour, received the attack of the Highlanders with much firmness and bravery. They carefully levelled their spears, raised their battle-axes, and hewed down many of the impetuous Islesmen before them. Sweeping forward, they cut their way through the thick columns of the

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« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2009, 01:10:23 pm »

stern Highlanders, carrying destruction and death at every blow. The carnage was dreadful. Still, the brave Islesmen stood fast and firm, and poured in hundreds around Sir James and his gallant knights, to whom no alternative now remained but speedy victory or death; but, alas! the latter fell to their lot. The disastrous result of this battle was the most sweeping misfortune that ever came over the chief families in Buchan, Aberdeen, Angus and the Mearns, and the provinces around. Several of the families became extinct in the male line. Leslie of Balquhain and his six sons fell in battle. To give an idea of the terrible carnage of that day, the following were found among the slain, viz.:—Sir Alexander Ogilvy and son, Sir Robert Maul of Panmure, Sir Thomas Murray, Sir William Abernethy of Salton, Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum, Sir Alexander Straiton of Lauriston, Sir Robert Davidson, Provost of Aberdeen; five hundred of Aberdeen burgesses, and all the principal gentlemen of Buchan. The Highlanders left nearly a thousand of their brave men on the field, including several chiefs and men of distinction.

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« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2009, 01:11:01 pm »

The bloody battle of Harlaw was fought on 24th July, 1411, and it is difficult to determine on which side the victory lay. Tytler says of it that, "From the ferocity with which it was contested, and the dismal spectacle of civil war and bloodshed exhibited to the country, it appears to have made a deep impression on the national mind. It fixed itself in the music and the poetry of Scotland. A march called 'The Battle of Harlaw' continued to be a popular air down to the time of Drummond of Hawthornden, and a spirited ballad on the same event is still repeated, describing the meeting of the armies, and the deaths of their chiefs, on the battle-field of Harlaw."

In the autumn of the same year, the Duke of Albany, then Regent of Scotland, raised a new army, marched in person at the head of it to the north, seized the Castle of Dingwall, took possession of the lands of Ross, and was determined to subdue the Lord of the Isles. Next season hostilities were renewed, but Donald of the Isles deemed it prudent to surrender his claim to the Earldom of Ross, and to become a vassal to the Scottish Crown.

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« Reply #23 on: July 03, 2009, 01:11:06 pm »

Speaking of bards and their warlike effusions, it is well known that the Highland chieftains were always accompanied by their bards when they went down to the field of strife, in order to inspire the soldiers with courage. We have a beautiful specimen of this in the war-song of Gaul in the fourth book of Fingal. "Go," said the King of Morven to Ullin, "go, Ullin; go, my aged bard! Remind the mighty Gaul of battle, remind him of his fathers; support the yielding fight, for the song enlivens war." But of the "Brosnachadh-catha," or war-song of the Highlanders, perhaps the most remarkable on record, and certainly so in the Gaelic language, is that of the bard of the Clan Dòmhnuill—Lachlan Mòr MacMhuraich Albanaich. This bard was present at the battle of Harlaw, where he sung this extraordinary war-song to rouse his clan to the highest pitch of enthusiasm before entering on the bloody fray. The poem is 464 years old, and consists of 338 lines. It is a specimen of poetry curious for its alliteration and force. It has a part for every letter of the Gaelic alphabet, and every part consists of vocables commencing with that letter. It shows the

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« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2009, 01:11:32 pm »

copiousness of the language in epithets, seeing that the number poured out under each letter is almost incomprehensible. The bard must have had a wonderful knowledge of the idioms of his native tongue, and nothing less so of the genius of the warlike tribe that he addressed. He almost exhausted the adverbial epithets of his mother-tongue for the purpose of infusing the spirit of true heroism into the breasts of his warlike clan.

I may give a few lines of this interesting poem for the amusement of such as understand it, and of such as understand it not.

He begins with the letter "A," and says:—

Leagaibh orra:—

A.


A Chlanna Cuinn, cuimhnichibh,
Cruas a’n am na h-iarghuill,
Gu h-arinneach, gu h-arronnach,
Gu h-àrach, gu h-allonta,
Gu h-athlamh, gu h-arronta,
Gu h-allmhara, gu h-arachtach—
Gu h-anmharach, gu h-aòininntinneach,
Gu h-armeineach, gu h-anamanta, &c.

Leagaibh orra:—

B.


Gu beotha, gu barrail,
Gu brighmhor, gu buàdhach,
Gu borbanta, gu buànfheargach,
Gu builleach, gu buillsgeanach,
Gu borb, gu beothail,
Gu béumlannach, gu béumbhuilleach
Gu bunanta, gu béumach
Gu beachdaidh, gu béucach, &c.

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« Reply #25 on: July 03, 2009, 01:11:53 pm »

Leagaibh orra:—

C.


Gu calma, gu curanta,
Gu crodha, gu crùadatach,
Gu cruàidhlamhach, gu corrghleusach,
Gu colganta, gu cathmhor,
Gu ceannasach, gu cùramach,
Gu cràobhach, gu cliùiteach,
Gu claoidh-bhuilleach, gu colgarra,
Gu cruaidhbhuilleach, gu casbheumach, &c.

Leagaibh orra:—

D.


Gu dian, gu dùr,
Gu dàsanach, gu deaghfhulangach,
Gu dàna, gu discir,
Gu diònganta, gu dichoisgte,
Gu déinnteach, gu dlubhuilleach,
Gu deàrglamhach, gu dòruinneach,
Gu dòiligh, gu dolùbaidh,
Gu drochmheinneach, gu dubhailceach, &c.

[paragraph continues] And so on with all the letters of the alphabet, but concludes the long poem with these thirteen graphic lines:—


Gu ùr-labhrach, ùr-làmhach, neartmhor,
Gu coisneadh na câth-làrach,
Ri brùidhne ’ur biùbhaidh,
A Chlanna Chùinn chéud-chathaich,
Si nis uair bhur n-aithneachaidh,
A chuileanan chonfhadach,
A bheirichean bunanta,
A leoghainnean làn-ghasda,
Aon-chonnaibh iarghuilleach
De laochaibh chrodha, churanta,
De Chlannaibh Chùinn chéud-chathaich,
A Chlanna Chùinn cùimhnichibh,
Cruas a’n àm na h-iarghuill.

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« Reply #26 on: July 03, 2009, 01:11:59 pm »

Niel Macdonald, commonly called "Nial" MacMhuraich, and his son Lachlan, were the last of the Clan Ranold family bards, and of the long succession of poets who recorded the illustrious deeds of the clan. Niel Macdonald, who was the fourteenth in lineal descent from Lachlan Mhòr who composed the song at Harlaw, was possessed of some learning, and could write Gaelic well. He kept the records of his clan in Gaelic, wrote their history, and commemorated their talents and prowess in poetic strains. But besides recording what related to the family, he had written volumes of ancient poetry, such as pieces by Ossian, as well as by other ancient bards. It may be interesting to know that, in order to throw more light on these matters, a solemn declaration was made in Gaelic by Lachlan, the bard's son, in presence of the gentlemen afternamed, and said declaration was transmitted to Mr. Henry Mackenzie when composing the Highland Society's Report on Ossian.

I may give a translation in English of this declaration, made in the Island of Barra, on 9th August, 1800.

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« Reply #27 on: July 03, 2009, 01:12:13 pm »

TRANSLATION FROM THE GAELIC.

"In the house of Patrick Nicolson at Torlum, near Castle Burgh, in the shire of Inverness, on the 9th day of August, 1800, compeared, in the 59th year of his age, Lachlan, son of Niel, son of Lachlan, son of Niel, son of Donald, son of Lachlan, son of Niel Mòr, son of Lachlan, son of Donald, of the surname of MacVuirich, before Roderick MacNeil, laird of Barra, and declared that, according to the best of his knowledge, he is the 18th in descent from Muireach, whose posterity had officiated as bards to the family of Clanranold, and that they had from that time, as the salary of their office, the farm of Staoiligary, and four pennies of Drimisdale, during fifteen generations; that the sixteenth descendant lost the four pennies at Drimisdale, but that the seventeenth descendant retained the farm of Staoiligary for nineteen years of his life. That there was a right given them over these lands as long as there should be any of the posterity of Muireach to preserve and continue the genealogy and history of the Macdonalds, on condition that the bard, failing of male issue, was to educate his

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« Reply #28 on: July 03, 2009, 01:12:24 pm »

brother's son, or representative, in order to preserve their title to the lands, and that it was in pursuance of this custom that his own father, Niel, had been taught to read and write history and poetry by Donald, son of Niel, son of Donald, his father's brother.

"He remembers well that works of Ossian, written on parchment, were in the custody of his father as received from his predecessors; that some of the parchments were made up in the form of books, and that others were loose and separate, which contained the works of other bards besides those of Ossian.

"He remembers that his father had a book, which was called the Red Book, made of paper, which he had from his predecessors, and which, as his father informed him, contained a good deal of the history of the Highland clans, together with part of the works of Ossian. That none of these books are to be found at this day because when they (his family) were deprived of their lands they lost their alacrity and zeal. That he is not certain what became of the parchments, but thinks that some of them were carried away by Alexander, son of the Rev. Alexander Macdonald, and others by

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« Reply #29 on: July 03, 2009, 01:12:36 pm »

 Ronald, his son, and he saw two or three of them cut down by tailors for measures. That he remembers well that Clanranold made his father give up the Red Book to James Macpherson from Badenoch; that it was near as thick as a Bible, but that it was longer and broader, though not so thick in the cover. That the parchments and Red Book were written in the hand in which the Gaelic used to be written of old, both in Scotland and Ireland, before people began to use the English hand in writing Gaelic; and that his father knew well how to read the old hand. That he himself had some of the parchments after his father's death, but that, because he had not been taught to read, and had no reason to set any value upon them, they were lost. He says that none of his forefathers had the name of Paul, but that there were two of them who were called Cathal.

"He says that the Red Book was not written by one man, but that it was written from age to age by the family of Clan Mhuirich, who were preserving and continuing the history of the Macdonalds and of other heads of Highland clans.

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