Gaelic influence in the Northumbrian kingdom

For the first ever DGNHAS online lecture, Dr Fiona Edmonds presented her lecture on the ‘Gaelic influence in the Northumbrian kingdom’, which is also the title of her latest book (2019). The lecture was reassuringly well attended with forty-nine online participants joining the lecture from as far away as Spain and the USA. Dr Edmonds started by separating the eras into ‘The Emergence’, ‘The Golden Age’ and ‘The Viking Age’.

The Emergence

The Northumbrian Kingdom seems to have formed from fragmented proto-kingdoms arising in the sixth and seventh century. There is evidence that this was based on, not only physical and cultural movement of Anglian peoples into the area, but also post-Roman settlement as seen at Birdoswald where two large Dark Age halls have been found on the site of the old Roman fort. The two main territories being Deira and Bernicia. Important neighbours were Welsh-speaking Rheged in the West around the Solway Firth with important sites at Mote of Mark and Trusty’s Hill. These were thriving in the sixth and seventh century with high status imports and an important culture in poetry. In the seventh century competition increased between the kingdoms with tribute being taken from territories.

The Golden Age

The Golden Age was a period of consolidation and expansion of the Northumbrian kingdom. This went along with major cultural achievements such as the Lindisfarne Gospels. The kingdom was initially consolidated by Aethelfrith then Edwin (616–633). However, the most important ruler from this period is the saintly, according to Bede, King Oswald (634–642). Oswald was exiled to Dal Riata and so developed a close link with this Gaelic-speaking area, especially Iona, and became a Gaelic speaker himself. He asked Iona to send a bishop to Northumbria to convert the population and Aidan was sent, Lindisfarne being given as his episcopal see. He defeated Cadwallon, king of Gwynedd, at Heavenfield near Hexham possibly with Scots/Pictish allies. Oswald was then able to stabilise and expand Northumbria. However, the Synod of Whitby in 664 caused a break with Iona and the cult of St Cuthbert became more popular, as seen locally at Kirkcudbright.

The Viking Age

The ninth century proved turbulent for the Northumbrian kingdom and finally collapsed when York was taken by the ‘Great Army’ of the Vikings. The body of St Cuthbert was moved and finally ended at Durham. Fragmentary Northumbrian kingdoms still survived as at Bamburgh but ultimately came under the control of the Vikings.

However, the West around the Solway was less heavily controlled and populations with links to Ireland and the Isle of Man prospered. Silver hoards and possibly the recent Galloway hoard may be connected to this period and Eric Bloodaxe, previous King of Northumbria, was escaping for the Isle of Man when he was caught and killed at Stainmore in the Pennines. Gaelic and Norse place-names mingle in this area and with the expansion of Strathclyde southwards Galloway becomes prominent.

The society was very grateful to have had the opportunity to see and hear this excellent lecture from this complex period of history and showed their gratitude to the lecturer for her agreeing to present this online.

A.G.