Today in Military History – April 23, 1014:Battle of Clontarf: Brian Boru Defeats Rebels, Loses His Life

 by Siggurdsson

 

"Battle of Clontarf" (1826), oil on canvas painting by Hugh Frazer

Currently at the Issacs Art Center, Waimea, Hawaii

Clontarf was too important to be left to the historians,
so passed into the legendmaker's hand.
----- Gwyn Jones, A History of the Vikings, London 1973, p. 396

For the great Gaels of Ireland
Are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry,
And all their songs are sad.
----- G.K. Chesterton, with a hat-tip to Demophilus

When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
-----The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962)

If you have been a steady reader of my little history lectures since the beginning, you know that I have a special affection for that period of European history known as the "Dark Ages," especially if it somehow involves the Vikings of Scandinavia. Well, today's presentation is no exception. The Irish of the nineth and tenth centuries were a rowdy lot, but by the year 1002 they were ruled by a man whose life and deeds have truly passed into the realm of legend. His name was Brian Boru, and he held the title of Ard Ri, or High King, of Ireland. The battle of Clontarf, fought on Good Friday in the year 1014, was his swan song.

Background

The facts of the life of Brian Boru are so twisted between history and legend that it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins (hence the quote above about facts and legend). Many of the chronicles relating to Clontarf claim that he was 88 years old at the battle; if so, that means he would have been born in 926 or so. While not impossible, let's just say it is unlikely that Brian was truly that old. Many modern historians place his birthdate closer to the year 941.

Sculpture of Brian Boru, outside Chapel Royal,
Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland

Brian was born at his father's estate Kincora in the town of Killaloe, the capital of the kingdom of Thomond (today part of the province of Munster in southwestern Ireland). His father was Cennétig mac Lorcáin, king of the Dal Cais. Apparently, the Dal Cais were a new collection of Irish tribes that came together right about the time of Brian's birth, threatening the rule of the O'Neils and the Eugenians in central Ireland. The lands ruled by Cennétig included areas watered by the River Shannon, which emptied into the interior of Ireland. Control of access to the Shannon gave Cennétig a great deal of power, allowing him to levy tribute from anyone using the river. [Some historians theorize that Brian's original name, Boruma, is derived from the Old Irish term "bóruma," meaning "of the cattle tribute."]

After his father died in 951, Brian's brother Mahon became king of the Dal Cais. By the year 967, the Annals of Ulster refer to Mahon as the king of Munster. For the next decade, the Dal Cais vied with the O'Neils, the Eugenians and the Norse-Irish of nearby Limerick for power and prestige among the Irish tribes. In 976, Mahon was lured to a meeting with his Eugenian rivals in hopes of reconciliation after a period of armed conflict. Mahon was captured and killed, apparently with the connivance of the Norse-Irish of Limerick. Brian was then declared lord of the Dal Cais and king of Munster.

Brian then sought vengeance on the Eugenians and the Norse-Irish of Limerick. The Irish annals tell a particularly bloody story of how he killed Ivar of Limerick, the Norse-Irish ruler, in a monastery where he had sought sanctuary. Later, using river and naval forces to perfection, Brian brought the provinces of Munster and Leinster under his control. He also waged internecine warfare with Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, the reigning High King of Ireland. In 997 Brian made an arrangement with Máel Sechnaill: both men recognized the other as the ruler of their respective realms – Brian in Munster and Leinster, called the "Southern Half," Máel Sechnaill in Meath, Connacht and Ulster, the "Northern Half."

A year later the king of Leinster was overthrown and replaced by Máel Mórda mac Murchada, who promptly rebelled against Brian's overlordship. In late 999, Brian defeat Máel Mórda and his principal ally, King Sigtrygg (also spelled "Sihtric") Silkbeard of Dublin, at the battle of Glen Mama. In the aftermath of this victory, Brian's forces captured, pillaged and burned Dublin, forcing Sigtrygg to seek refuge elsewhere. However, shortly afterward Brian recalled Sigtrygg to Dublin, restored his position, and arranged a marriage with Sláine, one of Brian's daughters, to cement an alliance. It is likely that around this time Brian married Gormflaith, Sigtrygg's mother, who was also the sister of Máel Mórda and former wife of Máel Sechnaill. She is described thus by Njal's Saga: "She was endowed with great beauty…[but] was utterly wicked."

Main kingdoms of Ireland, 1014
[Viking settlements in dark pink, including Dublin on the east coast]

Two years later, in 1002 Brian Boru was declared the Ard Ri, after somehow forcing Máel Sechnaill to step down. One chronicle states that Brian challenged the reigning High King to a battle to decide the title. Máel Sechnaill supposedly asked for a month to gather his forces, to which Brian agreed. When the High King could not rally his under-kings to him, he relinquished the title to the ruler of the "Southern Half" of Ireland. While a bit fanciful, this sounds very out of character for Brian Boru. Anyway, by the year 1005, Brian began to consolidate his power, and was named "Imperator Scottorum" or emperor of the Irish, by one of the major monasteries of Ireland. [In mediaeval Latin, Ireland was referred to as "Scotia major," while the land we know today as Scotland was called "Scotia minor." Don't ask me why!]

Prelude to the Battle

In the year 1012, Máel Mórda mac Murchada again rebelled against Brian Boru's authority. One Irish annal says that one of Brian's sons insulted Máel Mórda over a game of chess, spurring him to declare his independence. Máel Mórda promptly sought allies, finding one regional ruler in Ulster who had only recently submitted to the High King's authority. Together they launched an attack on the province of Meath, ruled by the former High King Máel Sechnaill, who appealed to Brian for assistance.

The following year, Brian organized his forces and invaded Leinster. He sent some men under his son Murchad to ravage the southern part of the province, while the High King marched on Dublin, which had joined forces with Máel Mórda. Murchad's men harried Leinster throughout the summer of 1013, joining his father's forces outside Dublin in early September. For the balance of the year, they blockaded the Viking city, hoping to force its surrender. However, Brian's army ran out of supplies first, and withdrew from Dublin around Christmastime.

Máel Mórda knew that Brian would renew the conflict in the spring of 1014. Determined to end the reign of the Ard Ri at all costs, Máel Mórda began efforts to find troops throughout the British Isles, as most of Ireland was not responding to his rebellion. By this time, Brian Boru had divorced his wife Gormflaith, imprisoning her to essentially keep her out of his hair. Nevertheless, she began to engineer her revenge against Brian. She encouraged her son Sigtrygg to find men to join the cause of Máel Mórda. Silkbeard journeyed first to Scotland, then the Orkney Islands, possibly even Normandy, France and Wales, then stopped at the Isle of Man (located in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England) on the way back. As a result of his efforts, Sigtrygg recruited two very dangerous Viking-types for Máel Mórda's army.

First, from the Orkney Islands came Earl Sigurd Hlodvisson, also called "Sigurd the Stout." He brought with him (according to the Orkneyinga Saga) a magical battle standard. It was the work of his mother, a notedvölva, or sorceress. The saga describes the flag as "a finely made banner, very cleverly embroidered with the figure of a raven, and when the banner fluttered in the breeze, the raven seemed to be flying ahead." Sigurd's mother told him that as long as the banner was carried forward he would win, but the person who actually bore it would not survive.

Possible appearance of Earl Sigurd's raven banner
Image courtesy of http://www.patriotic-flags.com

Second, from the Isle of Man came Brodir, described as tall and strong, with hair so long he had to tuck it into his sword belt. Supposedly, he had once been a Christian, but, in the words of the saga, he had become "God's dastard, and now worshipped pagan fiends and was of all men most skilled in sorcery." Brodir and his brother Ospak gathered a fleet of 30 longships, intent on joining the fight against Brian. But, something occurred that persuaded Ospak to desert his brother with ten ships, sail for Ireland and offer his services to Brian Boru. The Ard Ri had them all baptized and added Ospak and his companions to his forces.

[It is interesting to note that both Sigurd and Brodir were persuaded to join Máel Mórda's side with a promise from Gormflaith that she would be hard-pressed to keep. If Brian was defeated and killed, Gormflaith had instructed Silkbeard to tell both Brodir of Man and Sigurd the Stout that she would marry him and he would be proclaimed the new High King. She told Sigtrygg not to tell either man about the promises made to the other, for obvious reasons.]

Early in 1014, Brian Boru marshaled his forces, finally setting off for Dublin. He sent one of his sons ahead of his army to harry the lands of Leinster, tying down forces that Máel Mórda could have used. Brian's army arrived on the north bank of the Liffey River opposite Dublin sometime in mid-April. The forces of Máel Mórda, including Earl Sigurd's Orkneymen, were camped outside the walls of Dublin. At first, neither side was willing to instigate the fighting. On Palm Sunday, Brodir of Man's Viking fleet arrived, anchored in the Liffey estuary and crossed to the southern bank of the river. Still the two sides refused to come to blows.

Then, on the evening of Holy Thursday, the Ard Ri received reports that both Brodir of Man and Sigurd the Stout had embarked their forces and left the Liffey estuary. Brian rapidly made plans to attack the now-depleted Máel Mórda army the next day. Unfortunately, the High King was a victim of a subterfuge: once the Vikings had sailed out of sight of land, they reversed course and re-entered the Liffey River and came ashore once more. On the morning of April 23, 1014 – Good Friday – the High King Brian Boru saw the Vikings were once more deploying for battle among Máel Mórda's army. He took all this in stride, and began his tactical deployment.

Rebel Irish Army

The rebel army totaled about 6000 men. On the right was the division of Brodir of Man, 1000 men strong. Brodir was said to be wearing a coat of chain mail that no weapon could penetrate. Their flank rested on Dublin Bay. In the center was the 1000-man division commanded by Earl Sigurd the Stout of Orkney, with his magical battle standard. These men are described as wearing chain mail from head to toe, armed mainly with two-handed battle axes (sometimes called "Danish" axes).

Viking heavy infantryman (huscarl), artist unknown
Courtesy of http://www.doyle.com.au/battleclontarf.htm

The left wing of the rebel army was composed of three divisions. The forward division consisted of 1000 Dublin Norse-Irish, men who had decided not to cower inside the walls of the city and fight; they were commanded by Silkbeard's brother, Dubgall mac Amlaíb. [Most of the chronicles of Clontarf say that Sigtrygg watched the battle from the walls of his city, while some say that he actually fought and fought well. Personally, I favor the former.] One chronicle claims that some English, Welsh, Flemish, French and Normans were also included in this division. Drawn up behind the Dublin Norse-Irish were the Leinstermen of Máel Mórda, totaling 3000 men divided into two divisions.

Several of the chronicles state that the various Viking contingents were lined up in shieldwalls for maximum protection, then probably switched to the Svinfylking, the "swine array" as contact with the enemy became likely. [For more information, please see my previous posting from January 2010: battle_of_ashdown.] Most of them were likely wearing chain mail or leather armor, helmets, and carrying large round shields. Their armament consisted of spears, swords and two-handed battle axes. The Irish warriors generally wore almost no armor save perhaps a helmet and small shield. Their weapons consisted of spears, javelins, swords and axes. The personal bodyguards of the kings or chieftains may have had helmets or chain mail shirts, but little else. Also, there were likely some skirmishers in front of the line, armed with javelins or slings, with a few bowmen as well.

"Swine array" or wedge formation, used to break enemy shieldwalls
Image courtesy of http://alancaster149.hubpages.com/hub/FORMATION-FIGHTING

Brian's Army

The High King's forces were drawn up similar to their enemy. The right wing of Brian's army consisted of Ospak's Christianized Manx Vikings, as well as some other foreign mercenaries from Scotland and Norway. Most of these men were probably attracted to this fight for the same reason as the Orkney and Manx Vikings: loot. This wing probably totaled 1000-1500 men. The center of the Ard Ri's army comprised about 1500 Irish tribesmen of Connacht in one division under their own kings, and 2000 men of Munster led by Brian's son Murchad. On the left wing were 1400 warriors of Brian's own Dal Caissans led by his grandson Turlogh – a mere boy of fifteen – and Brian's brother Cuduiligh. Several hundred yards to the right-rear of Brian's army were 1500 men from Meath, commanded by Máel Sechnaill. They had a ringside seat to the action, as they mimicked Sigtrygg Silkbeard and watched the proceedings unfold.

Battle of Clontarf

Both sides were several hundred yards apart on a somewhat narrow field, with the shore of the Liffey River and Dublin Bay to one side and a thick wood on the other. Prior to the battle, the Ard Ri addressed his forces astride a horse, a sword in one hand and a crucifix in the other. According to A Concise History of Ireland, Brian "rode from rank to rank and addressed them in a few spirited words. He reminded them that on that day their good Lord had died for them; and he exhorted them to fight bravely for their religion and their country." Afterward, he retired to his tent to pray and chant psalms. [Though he was the High King, he probably felt that his sons and other relatives could manage the battle just fine without him. After all, he was somewhere between 73 and 88 years old. In addition, it was Good Friday and the High King had apparently pledged not to fight on this holy day.]

In the early stages of the battle, individuals shouted insults at each other, leading to personal challenges taking place in the space between the two armies. Traditional enemies fought each other to settle old scores, with catcalls and cheering from both sides. During these contests, the two sides gradually moved closer to each other. Finally, about mid-morning, the two battle lines charged and made contact.

Clash of arms, battle of Clontarf, artist unknown
Image courtesy of http://www.doyle.com.au/battleclontarf.htm

Initially, the battle was no contest, as the heavier armor and weapons of the Vikings in the rebel army prevailed. On the rebel right, Brodir's Manxmen took the fight to the Dal Caissans. As expected, Brodir's mail coat was impenetrable. However, according to Njal's Saga, an Irish warrior named Wolf (or Ulf) the Quarrelsome confronted the Manx leader. [Wolf is variously described as the brother, son or stepson of Brian Boru; however, modern historians think he is really a complete fabrication of the saga author.] These two manly men engaged three times in single combat. Each time, Brodir's mail coat prevented him from receiving a wound; but, each time Wolf knocked Brodir to the ground. After the third time, Brodir of Man lost his nerve and fled across the field into the nearby woods, with some of his bodyguards following him. With the Manx Vikings' leader gone, Brian Boru's son Murchad let a "special ops" unit of 140 king's sons – either relatives of Brian or hostages from leaders who had sworn fealty to the Ard Ri. This band of men detached from the center and struck the left flank of Brodir's Manxmen. Despite this flank attack, the Vikings continued to hold their own, despite the cowardice of Brodir.

On the left of the rebel army, the Dublin Vikings were hard-pressed by the Christianized Manx Vikings and Brian's other foreign mercenaries. This portion of the battle was a classic battle of Viking versus Viking, with a few Scots, Norwegian, French and Flemish foreigners thrown in. These two contingents, on opposite sides of the battle, were probably the heaviest armed and armored men on either side, save perhaps the Orkney Vikings in the rebel center. As the Dublin Norse-Irish were ground down, their Irish back-ups could not stand up to the fury of the Manxmen. The men of the rebel left were slowly pushed back until the two sides were fighting in the woods on the edge of the battlefield. One chronicle states that after the fight, "the trees dripped with the blood of the slain."

The major action now shifted to the center, where Earl Sigurd and his Orkney Vikings were fighting under his raven standard. As the fighting moved into the afternoon, Sigurd's men continued to fight the men of Munster toe-to-toe. Sigurd's men – the chronicles frequently refer to them as "Danes" – held their own for most of the day, their armor and weapons holding the men of Munster and Connacht at bay. However, the magical raven banner drew the Irish warriors like a lodestone draws iron filings. Each time a standard bearer was slain, another man bravely took his place, even though everyone knew the prophecy of imminent death for any warrior who held the flag.

Viking shieldwall [How would you like to face these fine gentlemen on the battlefield?]
Viking re-enactors at the Jorvik (York, England) Viking Festival
Image courtesy of http://jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/contact-us/press/

Late in the afternoon, another standard bearer went down, the pole broken; Sigurd called to one of his men named Thorstein, imploring him to pick up the magical banner. Thorstein essentially told his commander, "Pick it up yourself!" Somewhat non-plussed, Earl Sigurd did just that, wrapping the raven banner around his body, and continued fighting. However, right about this time, a blood-soaked apparition approached him; it was Murchad, son of the High King, and he was out for blood, still leading his personal unit of "king's sons." According to the chronicles, Murchad was wielding a heavy sword in each hand, and had been dealing fearful damage this day to the Orkneymen (one chronicle stated he killed 100 men, 50 with each sword). Spotting Sigurd with his magical standard wrapped around his waist, Murchad engaged the Viking lord, striking him in the helmet with one sword, then dealing the death blow with the other.

After felling Sigurd, Murchad and his men attacked the leaderless Manx Vikings, wearing away their last shred of discipline. By this point it was almost sundown, and the rebel army was weakened and near leaderless. The High King's forces made a concerted final charge, and broke Máel Mórda's line. At this point, the men of Máel Sechnaill, spectators to this point, saw that the tide of battle had turned against the rebels, and now jointed the pursuit. The rebel forces began a disorganized rout, some towards Dublin, the foreign Vikings to their ships. However, by this time the tide had come in, and the Vikings' longships were now afloat in Dublin Bay. Many of the Manx and Orkney Vikings were either drowned or cut down as they tried to swim to their ships. Many Vikings and rebel Irish were cut down by the men of Meath, eager to "wash their spears" in the blood of Vikings or of rival Irish clans, as they tried to cross the single bridge to the opposite side of the Liffey River and safety in Dublin.

It was during this disordered rout that the High King lost his son and his grandson. Murchad, so tired he couldn't lift his weapons, was confronted with a band of retreating Vikings. Using his main strength, Murchad snatched up the Viking leader named Anrud, threw him to the ground and pulled his armor over his arms and head. He then used the point of his sword and stabbed the Norseman to death. However, the Norseman managed to snatch a dagger from Murchad's weapons belt and gave Murchad a death-blow in return. Meanwhile, Brian's grandson Turlogh ran down a Norseman trying to swim to his ship. The young Irishman grabbed the Viking by his hair and repeatedly dunked him in Dublin Bay, until both men drowned.

"Death of Brian Boru in His Tent;" engraving by Edward Finden (c. 1840)
From The History of Ireland From the Earliest Kings of that Realm Down to Its Last Chief
Image courtesy of Getty Images/Bridgeman Art Gallery

However, the greatest tragedy was yet to come. As the battle wound down, the Ard Ri's bodyguards joined the pursuit of the fleeing enemy, leaving Brian Boru alone in his tent save for a personal attendant. At that moment, Brodir of Man and his companions emerged from the woods, happening upon Brian's encampment. One chronicle states that someone pointed out Brian's tent to Brodir prior to the battle. Brodir entered the High King's tent and struck the old man down at the moment of his greatest triumph, then decapitated the elderly ruler. Never a shrinking violet, Brodir ran from the tent brandishing the severed head of the Ard Ri, screaming for all to hear, "Now let every man know, that it is Brodir of Man who has slain Brian Boru!"[Brodir's fate will be related below…] Shortly after, the sun went down, and the Battle of Clontarf ended.

Aftermath

Nearly the entire rebel Irish-Viking army was killed. The Ard Ri's army lost over 4000 men themselves. The great irony of this battle is that in seeking to unite all of Ireland under his rule, the death of Brian Boru ended that rule. Ireland once more broke up into individual provincial rulers, Máel Sechnaill was once more proclaimed High King, and the Irish resumed their former standing as a nation of fractious, warlike folk.

Footnote #1: Brodir of Man did not escape retribution for his killing of Brian Boru. According to the sagas, he was run down in the pursuit after the battle by…guess who?...Wolf the Quarrelsome. Wolf cut open Brodir's abdomen, and began pulling the Manxman's intestines out, foot by foot, tying Brodir to a tree by his innards, allowing him to expire slowly.

Footnote #2: Brian Boru's body, as well as the remains of his son Murchad, were taken to the city of Armagh, and buried in the cathedral there. Tradition holds they were buried in the northern section of the sanctuary. The chroniclers said that Irish priests said prayers over the late High King's body for twelve days.

Footnote #3: The battle of Clontarf has been fertile ground for writers in the last hundred years. In 1972, a short story entitled, "The Twilight of the Grey Gods" was published posthumously. Its author, Robert E. Howard, would go on to write about Conan the Cimmerian, Bran Mac Morn, Kull the Conqueror, and Solomon Kane. Also, author Morgan Llywelyn wrote a fictionalized biography of Brian Boru entitled, Lion of Ireland, published in 1980. More recently, British author Tim Severin wrote about the battle in Odinn's Child, the first book in his Viking series, published in 2005. In the TV series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the character Miles O'Brien was fond of recreating the battle on the space station's holosuites, naturally taking the role of Brian Boru (from whom he claimed direct descent). Finally, Clontarf has been fodder for musical groups, from Gaelic doom metal, to Celtic/Black Metal, to Celtic Folk Metal bands.

Footnote #4: For those of you who imbibe a pint or two at your favorite Irish pub from time to time, on the label of each bottle or can of Guiness there is a right-facing Celtic harp. It was registered by Guiness as their trademark in 1862, and is known as "Brian Boru's harp." A 15th century replica of a mediaeval Gaelic harp is on display at Trinity College Dublin, and has been dubbed "Brian Boru's harp."

Footnote #5: The only real "winner" from the battle of Clontarf was Sigtrygg Silkbeard, who watched the whole conflict unfold from the walls of his Dublin fortress. [As the modern Irish medievalist historian Donnchadh Ó Corráin noted, Sigtrygg "wisely kept within the city and lived to tell the tale".] He eventually accepted the "White Christ," made a pilgrimage to Rome, and founded Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, which exists to this day. The "Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" describes Sigtrygg as "a patron of the arts, a benefactor of the church, and an economic innovator." He also started the first mint in Ireland in the 990's. He remained ruler of Viking Dublin until 1036, dying in exile six years later. [Another source I found said Silkbeard was taking another pilgrimage to Rome in 1042 when he died.]

Sigtrygg watching the battle from the city walls, artist unknown
Courtesy of http://www.doyle.com.au/battleclontarf.htm

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