Scandinavian-Britain

THE DOWNFALL OF THE DANELAW 169Saxon England to its downfall. A few words will beenough to fix the sequence of events.Si ward the Stout of Northumbria died in 1055 ;Henry of Huntingdontells how he would not die"the death of a sick cow," but bade his folk bringhelmet and sword and battle-axe, "and when armedaccording to his desire he gave up the ghost." Hisearldom did not descend to his son Waltheof, nor toEadulfs son Oswulf, but to King Eadward's andQueen Eadgyth's favourite Tosti. But Tosti left hisearldom to the care of an underling, and amusedhimself at court. When he did interfere with Northumbrianaffairs it was for mischief. Gamel Ormssonand Ulf Dolfinsson were murdered at his house atYork ; Gospatric was murdered at the Queen's Courtat least folk called it murder, and laid it to Tosti.The Northumbrians rose against him ;on October 3,1065, three of their chief men attacked his house atYork, and slaughtered his hiiskarls. The names ofthese Yorkshiremen are not without significance:Gamelbearn, a Norseman, Dunstan son of y^Ethelnoth,an Englishman, and Glonieorn (Glunier in Yorks.Domesd^} son of Heardulf, connected with the royalDanish family of Dublin, for the Gaelic Gluniarainn,translating the Norse Jarn-kne, was famous amongthe O'lvar; one of the name was half-king in 851,another was father of Ottar jarl, the comrade ofRagnvald who became king of York, and a thirdwas son of Olaf Cuaran. With these leaders thepeople of Northumbria deposed Tosti and invitedM6rkari, son of /Elfgar, to be their earl. He led