8 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



tance in the history oflreland, the Northmen had devastated 

 " all the islands of Britain." From this we may conclude 

 that the tide of invasion proceeded from the Orkneys along 

 the line of the Hebrides, and perhaps the Isle of Man, until 

 finally it reached the shores of that fertile country which 

 was the goal of the Northmen's desires. In the year 794, 

 Sci, or Skye, was pillaged and wasted, and it is highly pro- 

 bable that at the same period, stirring events were taking 

 place in the Outer Hebrides. It is almost certain that 

 previous to the eighth century, the Long Island was a 

 resort of Vikings, but whether or not before that period any 

 permanent settlement by Scandinavians had been effected 

 can only be conjectured. It is reasonable, however, to sup- 

 pose that the Northmen who first appeared on the Irish 

 coast were bands of piratical adventurers from the 

 Orkneys, and, perhaps, from the Long Island, bent on 

 finding richer booty than those lands afforded. 



The Irish Annals are full of records of the mischief 

 wrought, during the ninth century, by the Scandinavians, 

 who are indifferently styled " Gentiles," and " Galls," or 

 foreigners. We find a distinction made in the year 850 

 between these Gentiles and Galls. The Annals of Ulster 

 record " the coming of the Dub-gennti to Ath-cliath 

 (Dublin) who made great slaughter of the Finn-gallaib." 

 And in the following year, according to the same authority, 

 " eight score ships of Find-gentib came to fight against the 

 Dub-gennti at Snamh-aigneach," when a great battle took 

 place, which lasted for three days and three nights, result- 

 ing in the ultimate victory of the Dub-gennti. These 

 opposing bands are usually described as " Dubhghoill " or 

 " Dugalls," and " Finnghoil " or " Fingalls " : the dark and the 

 fair foreigners. The Norsemen have been identified with the 

 Fingalls, and the Danes with the Dugalls. It is difficult to 

 see on what grounds this distinction has been made. If 

 we assume that "Fingall" really means " fair foreigner," and 

 Dugall " dark foreigner," we must discover satisfactory 

 reasons for associating the idea of fairness with the Nor- 

 wegians, and that of darkness with the Danes. Various 





