The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-31
Clan Donald, Lords OF the Scottish
Islea.

Clan Donald, Lords Of the Scottish
A professediy romantic supplement
to the sufficiently historifled record OF
the Scottish Isles is Mcdonald Of the
Isles, by A. NJ. w. STIRLING Lane).
This chronicle OF the wild men OF Skye
bears about the same relation to a
sober. critical statement of tho facts
about them as william Blacks glor1fled
Stornoway does to the physical reali-
ties OF that rosily remembered metrop-
oils Of rugged Lewis. (The memory
may be more roseate radiant than au-
thent1c.) one who knows the High
lands and the islands only through the
printed page may smell prejudice in the
exaltation OF the Macdonalds over their
hereditary foemen tho Macleods; and
the other Macs.
Mrs. Stirling. begins her story at a
point almost prehistoric" in an age
where the connecting links must be-
tracked through an abiding haze OF ro-
nance. OF poesy. of folk lore and OF
the angry clash OF ancient feuds."
Conn of the Hundred Fights was High
King Of Ireland seventeen centuries
ago. One OF his descendants mar
rled a Scottish princess, and twenty
two generations down the line an
other, Godfrey Macfergus. was Toshach.
or Ruler of the Isles. Came then the
Vikings and settled as pirates settle in
the isles, until near 900 Harald Haar-
fager drove them out and brought the
Western Isles and Man under his
widely dispread sway; and after the
Norsemen the Danes. Godfrey Mac
fergus fees to Ireland. His daughter
is welded to Harold Gillies, King OF
Norway. Glllebride, son OF Godfrey
fighting hard but vainly for the inheri-
lance of his right. ends a cave dweller
in Kenalban. Morven or Morvern, in
Argyllshlre: Glllebrlde Nan Uaimh.
Gillebride Of tho Cave.
Gillebride had cons and sons sons. OF
whom Somerled was best and bravest:
"A well tempered man. In body shapely
OF n fair and piercing eye, OF middle
stature and quick discernment." And
the men OF the isles. In sore straits for
leader, bethought them Of this de-
scendant OF their erstwhile overload, and
they sought Somerled, whom they
found fishing, and offered to take him
as their chief and his sons TO be chief
tans over them forever. And Somer-
led, listening, was silent with thought.
Then: "Islesmen," ne said, "in the black
pool yonder turks salmon, newly run.
If / catch him then will / go to be
your chief; II ! catch him not then I
shall remain as am" 1t was sport
ing proposition" well suited 10 the tenn
per of the times and of the hardy
islanders. Soon the fish lay cleaning
by the riverside, and the islesmen rose
with a mighty shout. hailing Somerled
as their chief. who sailed away with
them in their bounding galley for
windy. watery Skye. II tradition
merely II Is picturesque. as OF right
tradition ought to be; and how Somer-
led ruled In war and in peace, by hand
right and head right: but mostly In
war, for those were unruly times: and
how by vile he won for wife the fair
Ragnhildis, daughter OF Olave the Red
King OF Man. lsla, Null and the isles
south of Ardnamurchan, and how he
gained such power that Malcolm ~. of
Scotland, Malcolm the Maiden. feared
and would crush him, until by foul
treachery Somerled's own nephew,
Maurice MacNeil slew the warrior king
1T IL all a story and not the less
likable a story because OF the undoubted
fact that the heroes OF romantic legend
were so uncouth q breed OF blood spill
ing tyrants.
One of Somerled's three sons was
Reginald, and one of Reginald's three
sons was Donald; and Donald has his
legend. worthy OF the founder OF q
mighty clan. The galleys lay battling
in the surf; tho commander OF the
islesmen swore that the warrior whose
hand first touched the land before
them should be the owner OF that land
forever. Then the Macdonald hero
"sprang to the prov OF his galley. and
with one bold stroke of his dirk sew
ering his wrist In twain he cast his
bleeding hand with the sword still
lodged in It far over the waves on to
the shore beyond" And OF this legend
the truth is amply approved by the
fact that even now the crest OF the
Macdonalds Is the bleeding hand.
A proud and hardy race. For cour-
age and loyalty at Bannockburn they
won tho privilege. made hereditary,
OF station at the right of the clans IN
honor made much trouble through it,
tHt sollS VI
found themselves stationed at the left
wing and refused to charge. Marching
sullen from the field they watched
without raising a hand tho defeat OF
their own cause; and this was pride
very different from that of Donald
Gormeson. grandfather of tho first
Baronet of Sleat in tho days OF Eliza
beth. He It was. according to this
writer. and no MacGregor, who fathered
tho famous phrase, Wherever Mac
whatshisname Is sitting, that will be the
head of the table,, At Lord Mayor,
banquet Donald was seated well down
the table. Il was explained to the Lord
Mayor that the islesman's rank anG
power called for a seating OF greater
honor. His lordship sent down q
message apologizing for the breach OF
etiquette and inviting Donald to a sea,
beside the Mayor. Tell his lordship, ;
quoth the uebridean, mot to be trou.
bling himself; and added the epigram
forgotten by the clansmen on Cullo-
denis unhappy field
Macdonald legend Is vastly more en-.
9aRtn8 In the RenAral aftantiou TIKI