VIKING SETTLEMENT ON THE BROUGH OF BISAY, ORKNEY SCOTLAND
Still catching up on my trip to Orkney, I’m taking us back in history again, this time to the Vikings.
I recently read a fantastic historical novel (3 books in 1, really): King Hereafter, by Dorothy Dunnett. Published in 1982, the language is far more dense than modern books, and more Tolkein-esque in style with a leisurely plot and many, many genealogies, but it is a wonderful story, filled with vivid characters, and action that sweeps through Scotland, and into Europe. The remarkable history covered in this novel takes in, amongst others, King Canute’s reign in England, the rise and fall of various popes and bishops, several Scandinavian monarchs, not to mention Scottish kings and war lords.
THE GENEALOGICAL MATCH BETWEEN KING CANUTE AND THE CARRUTHERS IS THROUGH HIS WIFE WHO WAS EMMALINE “FLOWER” BEAUCLERC OF NORMANDY WHOSE FATHER WAS RICHARD I.
It is a fictionalised history of King Macbeth (yes, the Macbeth of Shakespear fame), otherwise known as Earl Thorfinn of Orkney.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN KING MACBETH AND THE CARRUTHERS IS THROUGH BOTH DNA AND GENEALOGY. MAC BETH MOTHER WAS DONADA INGEN MAEL COLUIM MEIC CINAEDA, PRINCESS OF SCOTLAND. SOME MAY ALREADY RECOGNIZE SOME OF THAT NAME, HER FATHER WAS KING MALCOLM II “THE DESTROYER” WHICH WE HAVE A FORENCIS DNA MATCH CTS11603 WITH. SO MAC BETH CARRIES THE CARRUTHERS GENOME THROUGH HIS MOTHER DONADA. MAC BETH WAS KING OF SCOTLAND FROM 1040 – 1057 AT THE BATTLE OF LUMPHANA IN ABERDEENSHIRE, SCOTLAND.
I noticed right away, upon landing on Orkney, that Thorfinn (and others depicted in the book), is well remembered in many ways
This slight digression is by way of an introduction for our next visit, to the Brough of Birsay, a small island accessibly at low tide by a causeway, with a remarkable set of Norse ruins, thought to be the home of Earl Thorfinn.
The stones make for pretty rough walking, but it was worth the effort.https://www.youtube.com/embed/q072YSNOuwI?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en&autohide=2&wmode=transparentStanding on Birsay, above the Norse ruins, looking back towards Orkney Mainland
There is also the remains of a 12th century church, almost certainly built over an earlier place of worship
Wandering amongst these remains was yet another absorbing and breath-taking experience, with time to speculate about the people who lived there over 1000 years before, and yet left such an impression on history.
You do, of course, have to keep an eye on the clock, arriving (and leaving) at appropriate times, taking the tide into account, but it was also very comforting to see this notice on the door of the small hut on site:
Or, unlike King Canute, you could always patiently wait out the tide…
Preserving Our Past! Recording Our Present! Informing Our Future!
The Ancient and Honorable Carruthers Clan International Society CCIS
carruthersclan1@gmail.com carrothersclan@gmail.com
DEBORAH J – SCOTLAND
CLAN CARRUTHERS INT SOCIETY CCIS HISTORIAN AND GENEALOGIST
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