The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-06-29
THE cELTs AND THE NOR sE1EN.

4
In a Dublin paper we find = report Of an ~
interesting lecture recently delivered in
London by Dr.. Sigerson, the famous Irish
scholar, il which he attempt Is 70 show that
the Irish under Brian R b dig not win
the battle of Clontarf against the Danes in
1914 as is commonly recorded IN history.
HeSalso denies that the Norsenlen y were s as
savage as they are represented to- have
been Il hat they never drank ale 'out Of
their enemies skulls, but simply drank it
outs;of horns, and That they never were 50
barbarous as to destroy books wherever
found, demolish churches, burn colleges,
and that by such deeds they wrecked
civilization and culture in Ireland. a Il
DR.. Sigerson states that the Danes have
been grossly slandered in history and that
instead Of retardiag civilization IN Ireland
they helped to advance it BY aIlnalga.nl'a't-
ing with the Cells. He says that Conn OF
the hundred battles had q Morse mother, a
Morse grandmother, and o Scotch great
grand mother, while Brian Boru himself
sprang from Aine, daughter Of the king Of
Saxony, and in the heart. OF Cornnac- Mac
Art the triple Of Morse, Milesian and All
ban blood co-mingled.
A writer in Omitted Ireland" finds fault
with many, of DR.. Sigerscn's statements
and declares that he has been led to make
them out.of esteem for his Scandinavian
ancestry and, that his allegations cannot
be borne out by history.
If the Danes were not defeated at Clon-
tart there is no reliance to be put In any
thing in the shape of history, for both the
Irish and Scandinavian accounts OF the
battle say that there was q cruching de-
feat for the invaders, and that it Utterly de-
sroyed their power in the island ever
after.
Brian's army consisted almost entirely
of Munstermen and strictly speaking, it
was not national battle at all, as there is
no historic evidence to show that any Irish
troops from any. other province fought on
that day except small body Of troops
from Connaught and thousand men be-
longing to the deposed King Malachy OF
Meath and the Leinster army fought ON
the side Of the Danes.
DR.. Sigerson says that the Norselnen
we're stronger after Clontarf than before.
we, and no doubt the public in general,
says the writer, would feel greatly obliged
to the doctor il heatells us where he got
that piece of information: It he got It IN
some vet untranslated Celtic or Scandina-
Wan manuscript he ought to give the pub
lie In general, who are neither Gaelic nor
Icelandic scholars, the benefit OF MS
researches. That the Danes were more
powerful In England after Clontarf than
before Is. quite certain, for two years after
that battle they totally defeated the Saxon
English at Ashington, in Essex, coD1p leSe~
" conquered England, and made their
countryman, Canute, its king. But after
Clontarf they seem to have left Ireland
alone.
There is no doubt about the Danes, or
Norsemen, were "a magnificently heroic
race. but so were the American Indians.
Heroism and savagery can 80 hand in
hand. That the Norsemen were even
more Savage than the men Of the savage
age in which they lived there. can hardly
be q doubt. To ireland they were an I'm
mixed curse. They burned and plumber
ed; they almost totally DESTROYED the
greatest literature Of mediaeyal times, tor
it has been stated that there was not a
monastery in all Ireland that had not,
during the 800 yearsof Danish invasions,
been plundered five times, and some
scores of times by the Danes, and the
monasteries were the Libraries Of ancient
ireland. If they. had completely con-
quered ireland, as they did England, it
might In the long run have benefited Ire
land BY doing away with the provincial tiI
Kingdoms, and establishing political unity
lin d sorely faction iyided country. &. /.
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