Caittil Find

Caittil Find (fl. 857) was the leader of a contingent of Norse-Gaels, recorded as being defeated in battle in 857 CE. Some historians have considered him to be identical to Ketill Flatnose, a prominent Norse sea-king who had strong associations with the Hebrides of Scotland and Olaf the White.[1] This view is however not shared by all.

The Annals of Ulster record that in 857 Caittil Find was defeated in battle in Munster, Ireland.

Roiniudh re n-Imar & re n-Amlaiph for Caittil Find cona Gall-Gaedelaibh h-i tiribh Muman.[2]

Ímar and Amlaíb inflicted a rout on Caitil the Fair and his Norse-Irish in the lands of Munster.[3]

The name "Caittil" may be a Gaelicisation of the Old Norse "Ketill". Ketill was a popular name at this period and it is not clear whether the Gaelic Caittil even represents this Norse name. Caittil's byname means "white" (or "fair") not "flat-nosed", as Alex Woolf points out.[4]

Nor do the Icelandic sources which document Ketill hint at his being active in Ireland. Ketill was the father-in-law of Olaf the White, yet Caittil is recorded as battling Amlaíb (≈Olaf the White).[4] Other historians propose that Caittil may have been active in Wales prior to his coming to Ireland.[5]

See also

References
  1. Smyth, Alfred P. (1977). Scandinavian Kings In The British Isles 850-880. Oxford University Press. pp. 116–126. ISBN 0-19-821865-6.
  2. "Annals of Ulster 857.1". CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts (www.celt.ucc.ie). Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  3. "Annals of Ulster 857.1 (English translation)". CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts (www.celt.ucc.ie). Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  4. Woolf, Alex (2007). From Pictland to Alba 789–1070. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 295–296. ISBN 978-0-7486-1233-8.
  5. Downham, Clare (2007). Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to AD 1014. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press. p. 18n. ISBN 978-1-903765-89-0.
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