24 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



one mentioned in the Sagas, where we read of Beiti, a 

 mythological Sea-King, having acquired certain islands 

 which lay on the port side of his galley, by means of a 

 trick identical with that said to have been played by 

 Magnus on King Edgar. We must believe, therefore, that 

 the Sagaic account of Beiti's exploit has been transferred 

 to the credit of Magnus, in order, possibly, to explain the 

 severance of Kintyre from the possessions of the Scottish 

 Crown ; or that Magnus, taking a leaf from the book of 

 the mythic Sea-King, actually emulated his feat and 

 imposed upon the trustfulness of the amiable Edgar. We 

 know that Robert Bruce afterwards performed a similar 

 exploit at the same place; and Tarbert in Harris derives 

 its name from similar methods of bridging the narrow 

 neck of land which divides North from South Harris. 

 What is more to the point, as a matter of history, is the 

 fact that during his journey of blood and fire in the South 

 Isles, "men in Cantire bowed beneath the sword edge." 

 This simple statement is of itself sufficient to account 

 for the incorporation of Kintyre with the Hebridean 

 possessions of the Crown of Norway. 



But the Scottish Highlanders have at least one reason 

 for keeping a warm corner in their hearts for this 

 Norwegian monarch. Having subjugated the Isles, he 

 passed the winter of 1098 in the Southern Hebrides, 

 where he and his men adopted the native dress. Thus 

 did Magnus gain the name of "Barefod" (Bareleg or 

 Barefoot), by which he is known in Norse history. 

 Highlanders may forgive much to the man who discarded 

 his accustomed attire in favour of the so-called "garb of 

 old Gaul." It is a practice which has been followed in 

 modern times by visitors to the Highlands, with more or 

 less striking effects ; but this is the first, and perhaps the 

 only instance on record, of a foreign King having worn 

 the Highland dress while sojourning in the Scottish 

 islands. Who, with this august example before him, 

 shall deny either the antiquity or the picturesqueness of 

 the kilt ? It is easy to retort that Magnus was, after all, 



