Open [36.0 MB]

BOOK II
CHAP. VI.
Vid-itudes
of the ring
and sword.
Last notice of
the sword of
Carlus.
128 THE SCANDINAVIANS, AND
worshippers of Thor, Carlus, slain in A.I>. 866,
being the eldest son of Aulaf, then King of Dublin,
and Tomar (Thormodr or Thorsman), " Earl tanist of
the King of Lochlann. 2
After A.D. 994, when the
power of the Ostmen kings was restored, the sword of
Carlus again came into their possession. But in
A.D. 1028, 3 Sitric abandoned his kingdom, and with
Flannagan Ua Cellaigh, King of Bregia, went to
Rome. In their absence Sitric's son was captured
by Mathgainhain Ua Biagain, then Lord of Breagha,
who exacted for his ransom " the sword of Carlus,"
and other articles of value. 4
Ao-ain, however, the sword of Carlus was restored
O ' '
to the Ostinen of Dublin, but soon again they were
deprived of it; the last notice of this emblem of
temporal sovereignty, being, that it " and many other
precious things were obtained by the son of Mael-
nambho " in A.D. 1058. 6 But the " 6
ring of Tomar"
never reappeared among the regalia of the Ostmen.
Christianity had severed the authority of the priest
1
Ann. Four Mast., A.D. 866.
8
Ibid, A.D. 846.
3 Ann. Four Mast., 1028. Sitrie's
son, Aulaf, also commenced a
pilgrimage, but " was slain by the
Saxons on his way to Rome." Ibid,
1034.
Ibid, 1029.
* Ann. Four Mast., A.D. 1058.
* " A bull of excommunication
was given to William's messenger,
and to it was added a consecrated
banner of the Roman Church, and
a ring containing one of St Peter's
hairs set under a diamond of great
price. This was the double emblem
of military and ecclesiastical in-
vestiture." Thierry. Conquest
of England by the Normans, vol.
i., b. in., p. 159. (Bonn's Translation,
P2mo, London, 1847.)
"
By
a bull in favour of Henry, and
another ring, a valuable emerald,
&c." Macaria Excidium, being a
secret (allegorical) history of the
War of the Revolution ( 1 689-1 69 1
)
in Ireland, by Colonel Charles
O'Kelly, edited by John Cornelius
O'Callaghan, for the Irish Archaeo-
logical Society : 4to, Dublin,
1850.