 Who were the Norse gales and what was their impact on history? One of the most interesting aspects in the history of these islands in the North Atlantic Ocean is the interaction between different peoples over the centuries, fuelled by invasions and migrations. The Norse Vikings are probably the most famous invading force in these islands, and their interactions with the local Gaelic population produced a people known as the Norse gales, also known as the foreigner gales, a people that had a mixed Gaelic and Norse ancestry as well as culture. Many of these Norse invaders essentially settled down in parts of Scotland and Ireland, and intermarried with the local Gaelic population. This intermarriage meant that many Norse or Viking settlers adopted many Gaelic customs as well as the Gaelic lineage. Many also left their old Norse gods behind and adopted Christianity. Between the 9th and 13th century, the Norse gales controlled large parts of the area around the Hebrides and the Irish Sea. The most powerful Norse scale dynasty was the House of Ivar. The Norse gales went on to rule numerous kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Dublin, the Lordship of Galloway, and briefly in the 10th century, the Kingdom of York. The most notable Norse scale kingdom was known as the Kingdom of the Isles, which included the territory of the Hebridean islands, the Isle of Man, and also the islands of the Clyde, including Arryn and Butte. These to the Norsemen were known as the Southern Isles in general, distinct from the Northern Isles of Shetland and Orkney. Some sources argue that the Kingdom of the Isles was a successor kingdom to the Kingdom of Dahlreada, a Gaelic kingdom that unified with the Picts in 843 AD to form the embryonic kingdom of Scotland, known as the Kingdom of Alipar. The full extent of the Kingdom of the Isles in the early period especially is not fully clear. The exact territorial control they had at different points in time is a bit sporadic just given the nature of the sources, but it probably did centre on some of the Hebridean islands and then expand from there. We know in the 11th century in 1079 AD Gudrid Krovan, a Norse scale ruler who went on to rule the Kingdom of Dublin as well as the Isles, took a force of Hebridean troops and conquered the Isle of Man. Tracing the history of the Kingdom of the Isles is actually quite complicated. We know that there was numerous internal conflicts in different rival claims who would be the rightful ruler of the Isles in general. We know as well that the Kingdom of the Isles essentially split into two separate parts in the 12th century. When King Somerly died in 1164, the Kingdom of the Isles separated into two distinct parts. We know as well that Norway took direct control over many of the Isles at different points, although this rulership seemed quite fluid. In 1266, however, the Hebridean islands and the Isle of Man were absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland when the Treaty of Perth was signed, ending hostilities between Magnus VI of Norway and Alexander III of Scotland. Over the centuries, the Norse scales became more galicised and essentially disappeared from history as a distinct group. They have a significant legacy, however. Numerous place names and numerous clans have Norse scale origins, including clans such as Clan MacDonald, Clan MacDougall and Clan MacLeod. The story doesn't end here, however. Descendants of the Norse scales went on to serve as part of a class of elite mercenary families known as the Galil Glass. These Norse scale mercenaries played a crucial role in Irish warfare from around the 13th to the 16th century and they essentially were found amongst the ranks of pretty much every army and island at various points. These men were selected for the ferocity and their stature and they were often employed by Irish chieftains as personal bodyguards as they were considered to be less likely to be influenced due to the fact that they were often foreign people from the West coast of Scotland that came into Ireland. They were considered to be less influenced by the internal politics and less likely essentially to stab their chieftain in the back. The use of Galil Glass warriors by Irish chieftains is thought to have helped contain the Anglo-Norman invasion in the 12th century. In return for their service, Galil Glass warriors were often given lands and they were entitled to receive supplies from the local population. Speaking of the Vikings, what is the genetic history of the Vikings and what did Vikings actually look like? To find out, please click here. Thanks for watching, please subscribe and hit the bell and tell your friends and family about this channel for ways to support through buying merch through Patreon buyingmercoffee.com they will be in the description below and thank you for all your support in general it really means a lot and it makes these videos possible. Thanks again for watching and I'll see you next time.