THE NORSE OCCUPATION. 23 



There is a tragedy in these few terse statements. With 

 pitiless ferocity, Magnus harried with fire and sword the 

 unfortunate Long Islanders, leaving a desolated country 

 and a slaughtered people to tell their silent tale of his 

 memorable visit. It is not too much to say that the 

 whole face of the Long Island was changed more com- 

 pletely by the massacre of 1098 than it had ever been 

 by any previous event ; and it is certain that no subse- 

 quent invasion of the Outer Hebrides had such far- 

 reaching results.* 



Magnus pressed southwards, leaving behind him a track 

 of blood and fire. Skye, Tiree, Mull, Islay, and Kintyre 

 all felt the weight of his heavy hand, and the deposition 

 of Lagman formed the culminating act in his campaign 

 of vengeance and spoliation. 



While engaged upon his great expedition of 1098, 

 Magnus succeeded in obtaining from Edgar, the reigning 

 King of Scotland, an acknowledgment of his right to 

 the Hebrides. He had already acquired that right, not 

 only by virtue of the long subjection of the Isles to 

 Norway, but by reason of the most cogent argument that 

 could be advanced, viz., conquest by fire and sword. 

 Confirmation by the Scottish Crown, however, obviated 

 the risk of awkward questions subsequently arising, and 

 sealed the vassalage of the Isles to the Crown of Norway. 

 King Edgar "ceded" all those Western Isles, between 

 which and the mainland, the Norwegian King could go 

 in a boat with a rudder. The story is told, that Magnus 

 took advantage of this loose stipulation, to add Kintyre 

 to his dominions; accomplishing that stroke of business 

 by means of a trick, which savours of a pettifogging 

 attorney rather than of a warlike King. It is said that, 

 seating himself at the helm, he caused a boat to be 

 dragged across the isthmus of Loch Tarbert, thus ful- 

 filling the letter, but not the spirit, of Edgar's incautious 

 offer. This story bears a remarkable resemblance to 



* The Lewis tradition, which connects the burning of the trees in the island 

 : th the Norwegians, has reference, doubtless, to this incident. 





