58 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



This brings us to another tradition, the genuineness of 

 which was accepted by Dr. Skene himself; it dates at 

 least as far back as the sixteenth century. This tradition 

 states that three brothers came out of Denmark (or 

 Norway) Leod, Guin, and Leandris ; that Leod conquered 

 Lewis, and gave rise to the Clan MacLeod ; and that from 

 Leandris was descended Paul McTyre, who gave his lands 

 of Strathoykell, Strathcarron, and Westray, to Walter Ross 

 of Balnagown. It has been shown that Paul was the son 

 of Leod " the Wolf," the son of Leandris, the son of Olave 

 the Black, history thus tallying with tradition. If, there- 

 fore, this portion of the tradition is confirmed by historical 

 proof, it may be reasonably assumed that the portion 

 which affirms that Leod was a brother of Leandris is also 

 historically correct ; and if that be admitted, it follows 

 that Leod was a son of Olave the Black. 



Lewis tradition offers confirmation of this view. Captain 

 Dymes (1630) was told that Leod was the son of a 

 " Danish Kinge." John Morison of Bragar (circa 1680) 

 states that Torquil Macleod, the first of that name, was 

 the son of " Claudius the son of Olipheous," said to be a 

 son of the King of Norway. These are simply variants 

 of the tradition which makes Leod a son of Olave the 

 Black. 



As far back as 1630, it was supposed that Leod had 

 given his name to the Island of Lewis, and the mistake, 

 which was natural enough, seeing that both names are 

 identical, has been frequently repeated in modern times. 

 If an opinion may be hazarded, it is that Leod was born 

 in Lewis during his father's occupancy of the island, and 

 derived his name from his birth-place. Tradition tells us 

 that he was fostered by his father's friend, Paul Balkasson, 

 governor of Skye, who gave him Harris, which Olave the 

 Black may have ceded to Balkasson ; and that the Earl 

 of Ross, his maternal grandfather, gave him part of the 

 barony of Glenelg. Leod is said to have married the 

 daughter of a Norseman in Skye, MacRaild Armuinn 

 (Mac Harald the lord) and to have received as his 



