The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

The Highland Monthly.
embraced in that period, they record 173 battles, 593
murders or mutilatings of chiefs or ecclesiastics, and 473
plundering expeditions, hostings and burnings of churches
and monasteries. Many of the events which we class as
murders were massacres of a considerable number of
people, and it is to be borne in mind that the annals of the
Four Masters deal chiefly with the province of Ulster, and
omit many events relating tc other provinces which are
recorded by other annalists.
During the period of which we are treating, and no doubt
as a result of the state of warfare and anarchy which pre-
vailed, there grew up a custom among the Irish princes
and chiefs of employing mercenaries in their inter-tribal
wars. The custom probably originated with the Foreigners,
who, as we have seen, were sometimes in the pay of the
Irish kings, but instances become common of whole tribes
hiring themselves out as soldiers to other tribes, and these
were no doubt the origin of the kernes and gallowglasses
who figure so largely in later Irish history.
In the anarchy, and amid the decay of national life
which prevailed during this period, it might be supposed
that all appearances of civilisation would liave disappeared.
This, however, was not entirely the case, and we even read
of some indications of progress in the material arts. Such
progress as there was, however, may now be traced to
foreign influence. This influence entered Ireland mainly
through the Church, which, as we shall show, fell entirely
under that influence, and through the Danish cities, which,
as trading communities, kept up a considerable intercourse
with England and the Continent. There is even reason to
suppose that in these cities the English language was
spoken as early as 1014. The Irish historian of the battle
of Clontarff, whom we have already quoted, tells that
previous to the battle some sort of challenge to personal
combat had passed between Donald Mormaer of Mar and
and that during
one of the leaders of the Danes of Dublin ;
the battle this leader was heard calling for his adversary in