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Páll, son of Bálki, or Paal Baalkeson, was a 13th-century Hebridean lord who was an ally of
Olaf the Black Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and F ...
,
king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
of Mann and the Isles. He was long remembered in Gaelic tradition and is traditionally the progenitor of certain families with roots in the Hebrides. Páll is recorded as being a "sheriff" of
Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...
, a post which had earlier been held by another ''Páll, son of Bálki'', who was possibly an ancestor. This earlier sheriff was said to have been a close friend of Godred II, King of Mann and the Isles.


Background

Much of the contemporary knowledge of Páll comes from his appearances in the mediaeval ''
Chronicle of Mann The ''Chronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles'' () or Manx Chronicle is a medieval Latin manuscript relating the early history of the Isle of Man. Dating The main part of the manuscript is believed to have been composed and written in 12 ...
'' and later MacLeod tradition. Within the ''Chronicle of Mann'' he is named as ''Paul filius Boke'', and is titled as a ''vicecomes'' of
Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some o ...
. This title has usually been translated into English as "
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
", since it is the regular form of "sheriff" in later times in Scotland. According to W.D.H. Sellar, it is more likely that ''vicecomes'' refers to a Norse title, such as ''syslumadh'' or ''armadhr'' (
Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
: ''armann''). His title appears to show that he was the official representative of the kings of Man on Skye. In later Gaelic tradition, Páll is portrayed as a "
hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...
"; it has been suggested that this description may actually refer to this Norse title. The post of "sheriff" had at one time been earlier been held by another ''Páll, son of Bálki'' who was possibly an ancestor of Páll. This earlier sheriff was said to have been a close friend of Godred II of Mann and the Isles. The early 20th-century historian W.C. Mackenzie related how
Somerled Somerled (died 1164), known in Middle Irish as Somairle, Somhairle, and Somhairlidh, and in Old Norse as Sumarliði , was a mid-12th-century Norse-Gaelic lord who, through marital alliance and military conquest, rose in prominence to create the ...
had his sights set on becoming king in the Hebrides; his own son, Dugald, was paraded through the Hebrides and proclaimed king, with the local chieftains called upon to support his claim. Most of the chieftains, however, refused to give their support, including Páll's predecessor, ''Páll, son of Bálki''. Upon refusing to swear his allegiance to Dugald, this Páll, son of Bálki fled to the
Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
, where he alerted the king of Somerled's treachery. Godred II immediately sent a fleet to the Hebrides to crush the insurrection; however, Somerled was waiting for him, and the opposing fleets met in battle. Both sides fought into the night; by morning Godred II and Somerled agreed to a truce and agreed to divide the Hebrides between them. Somerled retained the islands south of
Ardnamurchan Ardnamurchan (, ) is a peninsula in the ward management area of Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoiled and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its l ...
and Godred II retained those to the north. Mackenzie stated that this treaty dates to the year 1156 and marks the date on which the South Isles passed permanently from the dominion of the Kings of Mann.


Sources


''Chronicle of Mann''

The ''Chronicle of Mann'' describes how Páll was an ally of
Olaf the Black Óláfr Guðrøðarson (died 1237) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Amhlaibh Dubh''), also known as Olaf the Black, was a thirteenth-century King of the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty. He was a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of the Isles and F ...
, brother to Reginald, King of Mann and the Isles. The chronicle relates that Reginald gave Olaf the Outer Hebridean
Isle of Lewis The Isle of Lewis () or simply Lewis () is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides archipelago in Scotland. The two parts are frequently referred to as if they were separate islands. The t ...
. The island was, however, thinly populated and the land was mostly unfit for cultivation. After a while Olaf determined that he could no longer support himself and his followers; he then asked his brother for further lands. Reginald then had Olaf seized and sent to William of Scotland, where he was kept imprisoned for almost seven years. On the seventh year the king of Scots died and Olaf was subsequently released. Olaf returned to his brother on Mann, and then set off on a pilgrimage; upon his return, the two brothers got on amicably, with Reginald setting up a marriage between Olaf and Lauon, sister to his own wife. After the marriage between Olaf and Lauon the couple proceeded to Lewis, where they lived. Some time later, Reginald,
Bishop of the Isles The Bishop of the Isles or Bishop of Sodor was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of the Isles (or Sodor), one of Scotland's thirteen medieval bishoprics. The bishopric, encompassing both the Hebrides and Mann, probably traces its origins as ...
(and nephew to Olaf), the island. The bishop disapproved of Olaf's marriage on the grounds that Olaf had a
concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...
who was a cousin of Lauon. A
synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...
was assembled the marriage was nullified. Olaf later married Christina, daughter of Fearchar, Earl of Ross. The nullification of the marriage enraged Lauon's sister, the Queen of the Isles. In bitterness, the queen sought to sow discord between Olaf and her husband. The queen wrote secretly to her son, Godred, who was on Skye. The letter was written in the king's name; it ordered Godred to seize and kill Olaf. Godred then gathered a force on Skye and proceeded to Lewis where he laid waste to most of the island. Olaf, however, managed to narrowly escape with a few men and fled to the protection of his father-in-law. The chronicle describes Páll as having power and energy which "were felt throughout the whole kingdom of the Isles". It states that Páll refused to consent to the murder of Olaf and that he fled Godred to reside with Olaf who was then safe under the protection of the
Earl of Ross The Earl or Mormaer of Ross was the ruler of the province of Ross in northern Scotland, as well as chief of Clan Ross. Origins and transfers In the early Middle Ages, Ross was part of the vast earldom of Moray. It seems to have been made ...
. Páll and Olaf then entered into a pact of friendship; together they went to Skye, where they learned Godred was staying on a certain island called "the island of
Saint Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Gaelic Ireland, Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the ...
", without much protection or many attendants. The two lords then gathered as many men as possible and under the cover of darkness, they brought five ships from the closest point of the shore, which was about two furlongs from the island. When morning came, Godred and his few followers were shocked to find themselves surrounded by enemies. At nine o'clock, Olaf and Páll attacked the island with their full force; every one of Godred's men who could not find protection within the grounds of a church were summarily put to death. Godred was seized, blinded and
castrated Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses use of the testicles: the male gonad. Surgical castration is bilateral orchiectomy (excision of both testicles), while chemical castration uses pharmaceutical ...
, against Olaf's wishes. The chronicle states that he was unable to prevent the mutilation and torture of his nephew on account of Páll's predecessor, Bálki. The chronicle dates the event to the year 1223. This act is confirmed in contemporary '' Icelandic Annals'', which also state that despite his injuries, Godred was appointed by Haakon,
king of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty king ...
, as king in the Hebrides. Not long afterwards, Godred had Páll killed in the Hebrides.


''Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar''

Páll is mentioned within the 13th century
Icelandic saga The sagas of Icelanders (, ), also known as family sagas, are a subgenre, or text group, of Icelandic sagas. They are prose narratives primarily based on historical events that mostly took place in Iceland in the ninth, tenth, and early elev ...
''
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar ''Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar'' ("The Saga of Haakon Haakonarson") or ''Hákonar saga gamla'' ("The Saga of Old Haakon") is an Old Norse Kings' Saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway. Content and styl ...
''. He is recorded as being active in the year 1223; and his death is recorded in the year 1231. The saga also states that at the time of his death, he had a son, Bálki, who was by that time a grown warrior.


''History of the MacDonalds''

The story of Godred Donn's blinding and castration was long remembered in Gaelic tradition. An account of it appears in the 17th-century manuscript history, ''History of the MacDonalds'', written by the
Sleat Sleat ( ) is a peninsula and civil parish on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan '' MacDonald of Sleat''. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic , which in tur ...
senachie, Hugh MacDonald. This account is, however, quite garbled. It dates the event about 80 years out of sync. This account states that "Olay" and
Somerled Somerled (died 1164), known in Middle Irish as Somairle, Somhairle, and Somhairlidh, and in Old Norse as Sumarliði , was a mid-12th-century Norse-Gaelic lord who, through marital alliance and military conquest, rose in prominence to create the ...
"killed Godfrey Du, or the Black, by putting out his eyes, which was done by the hermit MacPoke, because Godfrey Du had killed his father formerly". Sellar noted that for MacDonald's "Olay" and "Olay the Red", one should read ''Olaf the Black''; for "Godfrey Du", one should read ''Godred Donn''; and for "the hermit MacPoke", one should read ''Páll, son of Bálki''.


MacLeod tradition circa 1767

In 1767, a memorial was drawn up for the chief of Clan MacLeod, which contained a traditional account of the clan. This tradition states that Leod was fostered by Pol, son of Bok, who was sheriff of Skye. Pol gave Leod
Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle ...
and Leod later married the daughter of McCraild Armuinn and doing so received estates on Skye.


''Bannatyne manuscript''

The ''Bannatyne manuscript'' dates to about the year 1830. Páll appears in this manuscript as "Paal Baccas". He is stated to have owned the Skye estates of
Sleat Sleat ( ) is a peninsula and civil parish on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan '' MacDonald of Sleat''. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic , which in tur ...
,
Trotternish Trotternish () is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, spanning in length from Portree to Rubha Hunish. The Trotternish escarpment runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some ,Ordnance Survey ''Landranger'' 1:50000 ...
,
Waternish Waternish or Vaternish () is a peninsula approximately long on the island of Skye, Scotland, situated between Loch Dunvegan and Loch Snizort in the northwest of the island, originally inhabited and owned by Clan MacNeacail/MacNicol/Nicolsons a ...
, and Snizort; as well as Outer Hebridean
Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle ...
. The manuscript also notes that during this era, the northern part of
North Uist North Uist (; ) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Etymology In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist are described as one isla ...
was considered part of the lands of Harris, and that he owned this northern part of Uist as well. The lands he held had originally been ruled by several Gaelic and Norse families, though they were since then won by his ancestors. In consequence, the local populations acknowledged his authority over themselves. The manuscript also states that Paal Baccas had a
natural son Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally marriage, married to each other, and of a child Fertilisation, conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitim ...
; when Paal Baccas died in 1231, he did not leave his lands to this son, and instead left all of his estates to
Leod Leod (Scottish Gaelic: Leòd; Old Norse: Ljótr) ( 1200 – 1280) was the eponymous ancestor and founder of Clan MacLeod and Clan MacLeod of Lewis. Almost nothing is known about him and he does not appear in any contemporary records. Tradition ...
eponymous An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
ancestor of the MacLeods. According to the manuscript, no one opposed Leod's claim to these lands.


Location of the "island of Saint Columba"

It has sometimes been stated that the "Saint Columba's Isle" mentioned to in the ''Chronicle of Mann'', may in fact represent the
Inner Hebridean The Inner Hebrides ( ; ) is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which experience a mild oceanic climate. The Inner Hebrides compri ...
island of
Iona Iona (; , sometimes simply ''Ì'') is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaeli ...
, which is known in Scottish Gaelic as ''Ì Chaluim Chille''. There have been several other islands suggested—all of which are located on, or near, Skye. One such location is the "Island of St. Colm", near
Portree Portree (; , ) is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.W.H. Murray, Murray, W.H. (1966) ''The Hebrides''. London. Heinemann. Pages 154-155. It is a civil parishes in Scotland, civil parish and lies ...
at Skeabost; suggested by historian Alick Morrison. Sellar, however, noted that Morrison gave no evidence in support of this location. Another proposed location is the "Island of St Columba", which is situated in the middle of the river Snizort; and which is located only few hundred yards from the sea. This island was for a time, the site of a mediaeval cathedral; it is also the site of the traditional burial grounds of the MacNeacails of Scorrybreac. Sellar proposed another location, which he considered to be a much more likely candidate for the isle where Olaf and Páll attacked Godred Donn. This was Eilean Chaluim Chille, at
Kilmuir, Skye Kilmuir (Scottish Gaelic: Cille Mhoire) is a village on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula in the north of the island of Skye, and a civil parish covering the north of the peninsula. It is in the Scottish council area of Highland a ...
. This island was originally in the middle of Loch Chaluim Chille, located at ; though the long was drained in the 18th century. Sellar asserted that this location fit perfectly with the location described in the ''Chronicle of Mann''. He also noted that the island was associated in local tradition with a man who is now thought to represent Páll.


Legacy

Páll has long been remembered in Gaelic tradition. One tradition, still recounted in the early 20th century in the vicinity of Kilmuir, concerned a man described as ''Fear Caisteal Eilean Chaluim Chille'' ("the man of the castle of Eilean Chaluim Chille")—a man considered to represent the historical Páll. The ''Bannatyne manuscript'' states that Paal Baccas had a
natural son Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally marriage, married to each other, and of a child Fertilisation, conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitim ...
, from whom descended a family that held the island of Berneray and other lands on Harris under the MacLeods. It continues that the family was once powerful and numerous, but it fell into decline until only a few remained. The manuscript names this family as ''Clan Vic Phaich'' and states that they prided themselves in their descent from Paal Baccas. This Berneray family is today surnamed '' MacKillop''; yet they are known in
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
as ''MacPhàic''. Matheson stated that their traditional Gaelic name presumably referred to ''Bálki'', father of Páll; or perhaps to a son of Páll who was also named ''Bálki''. Matheson proposed that the MacPhails, originally from the Sand district on North Uist, and those from
Carloway Carloway ( ) is a crofting township and a district on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The district has a population of around 500. Carloway township is within the parish of Uig, and is situated on the A858. ...
on
Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohe ...
, derived their surname from Páll. There is a township on the northern tip of the Island called Baile Mhicphail (Macphail's village). According to Matheson, the MacLeods are
male-line Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...
descendants of Páll's father. Matheson proposed that three of the four genealogies relevant to Leod's ancestry (''pictured right''), show that Leod was the grandson of Bálki; that the names ''Raice'', ''Raoige'', ''Raisi'' were garbled Gaelic forms of the Old Norse name ''Bálki''. Matheson added more weight to his argument by noting that the 17th century Gaelic poet Duncan Macrae of Inverinate, referred within a song to the MacLeod chief Roderick MacLeod of Dunvegan (chief 1693–1699) as ''éighre Shìol Phàic'' (the "heir of the seed of Bálki"). Matheson speculated that if Leod, founder of Clan MacLeod, was the nephew of Páll, then this may help explain why MacLeod tradition states that Paal Baccas left his estates to Leod, instead of his own (illegitimate) son. Matheson's proposal was, however, met with considerable criticism from his peers. The three Gaelic names singled out by Matheson are not considered to represent ''Bálki''. Sellar proposed the names represented the Gaelic ''Raingce''; while A.P. MacLeod proposed they equated the very rare Old Norse name ''Ragi''. The current consensus is that Matheson could not have been correct in his proposed relationship between Leod and Páll's father; meaning that Macrae of Inverinate's "heir of the seed of Bálki" must have referred to a non-male-line descent.


Notes


Bibliography

;Notes ;References * - Total pages: 266 {{DEFAULTSORT:Balkason, Pall Year of birth unknown 1231 deaths People from Skye and Lochalsh Nobility from Highland (council area) 13th-century Scottish nobility Clan Macleod Norse-Gaels