io HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



and always as piratical adventurers ; now at York, where 

 they defeated the North Saxons, again in Alban, where 

 they slaughtered the Picts, and later than either event 

 in Ireland, once more battling with their old enemies, the 

 Fingalls. We read of one Ragnall, or Reginald, who, 

 early in the tenth century, was King of the Dugalls ; after 

 which, Dubgall, and later, Dugall, appear only as the names 

 of persons ; and in the tenth century, Fiongall also appears 

 as a personal name.* The modern names of Dugald, 

 MacDougal, and MacDowell, are probably derived from 

 Dubgall. Similarly, the Lochlans of the past re-appear 

 in the modern garb of MacLauchlan in Scotland, and 

 McLoughlin in Ireland. On the whole, it seems probable 

 that the Fingalls and Dugalls were rival tribes of Norsemen 

 who had a standing feud. Their names appear to have 

 been originally derived from the Celtic appellatives of their 

 chiefs. 



The Rev. J. Johnstone, who was Chaplain to H.M. 

 Envoy Extraordinary at the Court of Denmark in 1782, 

 gives us a rehearsal by a Scandinavian pirate (seventh 

 century) during his dying moments, of his maraud- 

 ing exploits in the Hebrides. This warrior describes how 

 he and his comrades went " spoil to seek," but apparently 

 they were disappointed in the extent of the resistance with 

 which they met, " until in Skye, soldiers we found, brothers 

 in valour, and wrought their doom " ; a generous tribute to 

 foemen worthy of their steel, notwithstanding the pithy 

 allusion to the outcome of the encounter. The death-song 

 of the semi-mythic Regnar Lodbroc also refers to the 

 " delightful " strife of Scaia (Skye). 



The first King of the Isles of whom there is mention was 

 one Godfrey MacFergus, whose name suggests a Norse- 

 Celtic origin. His death occurred in 853. Two years 

 afterwards, there was a great war between the " Gentiles," 

 and Maelsechnall, an Irish king " with whom were the 



* In the Annals of Ulster, Dungall (Donngal) and Gormgal appear as 

 personal names as early as the eighth century. The name " Donald " is pro- 

 bably derived from the former. 



