Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Alison Hadwin and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS IN SAGA-TIME OR, THE JARLS AND THE FRESKYNS BY JAMES GRAY, M.A. OXON. EDINBURGH OLIVER & BOYD. 1922 STROMNESS: PRINTED BY W.R. RENDALL. PREFACE. Originally delivered as a Presidential Address to The Viking Society for Northern Research, the following pages, as amplified and revised, are published mainly with the object of interesting Sutherland and Caithness people in the early history of their native counties, and particularly in the three Sagas which bear upon it as well as on that of Orkney and Shetland at a time regarding which Scottish records almost wholly fail us. When, however, these records are extant, use has been made of them together with later books upon them, of which a list follows, and to which references are given in the notes. A special effort has been made to deal with the vexed question of the succession to the Caithness Earldom after Earl John's death in 1231, with the pedigree of the first known ancestors of the House of Sutherland, and with the mystery of the descent of Lady Johanna of Strathnaver. Acknowledgments of assistance received are tendered to the writers of the books above referred to, but thanks are specially due to Mr. A.W. JOHNSTON, Founder and Past President of the Viking Society, for numerous hints, and for making the Index; to Mr. JON STEFANNSON for reading the manuscript; and to Mr. ALAN O. ANDERSON, whose knowledge of the English and Scottish Records of the period is as accurate as it is extensive, and who has made several valuable suggestions. But for the opinions expressed no one save the writer is responsible, and, where records are scanty, much has necessarily been left to conjecture. J.G. 53 MONTAGU SQUARE, LONDON, W., 1922. TABLE OF CONTENTS. LIST OF AUTHORITIES AND BOOKS REFERRED TO CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTORY A.D. 82-790--Scope of this Book--Authorities--Roman times and their result--Post-Roman days. CHAPTER II.--THE PICT AND THE NORTHMAN Geography and description of Cat--Brochs--Picts--Christianity --Vikings--Gall-gaels--Gaelic--Land Settlement--The rise of the Scots. CHAPTER III.--THE EARLY NORSE JARLS 790-1014--Constantine I and the Northmen--Kenneth and the Union of the Picts and Scots--Thorstein the Red and Aud--Groa and Duncan of Duncansby--The Vikings and Harald Harfagr--Ragnvald of Maeri and Jarl Sigurd--Cyderhall--Torf-Einar, Thorfinn Hausakliufr, Skuli and others--War for the Moray seaboard--Jarl Sigurd Hlodverson-- Christianity introduced in Orkney--Swart Kell--Earl Anlaf--Story of Barth--Sigurd Hlodverson, Clontarf--"Darratha-liod"--Resume. CHAPTER IV.--THORFINN, EARL AND JARL