Was Gallowglass a real person?

The Gallowglass (also spelled galloglass, gallowglas or galloglas; from Irish: gallóglaigh meaning foreign warriors) were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were principally members of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Ireland and Scotland between the mid 13th century and late 16th century.

What does the name Gallowglass mean?

The word Gallowglass originates from the 13^th Century Gaelic clans of Scotland - who produced fierce warriors whose services were available for hire. If you study the etymology even more deeply, the name Gallowglass can be broken down into two sections: Gall, meaning foreigner, and oglaoch – soldier.

What language did the Gallowglass speak?

These Norse settlers intermarried with the Gaelic speaking natives and adopted the language. The resulting mixed population became known as the Gael-Gall, which literally means the foreigners who speak Gaelic.

What weapons did the Gallowglass use?

The weapons of choice of the highly skilled gallowglass troops were a two-handed sparth axe (presumably a remnant of their Scandinavian heritage) and a large two-handed sword. The sword quite often featured a distinctive ring-shaped pommel that showed the end of the blade tang running through its centre.

What surnames are Gallowglass?

Firstly one can examine surnames, history records the most notable Gallowglass were from the Clans of McCabe, MacDonald/McDonnell, MacDougall/McDowell, MacRory, MacSheehy, MacSweeney, and McCoy.

Gallowglass: The Viking-Scot Mercenaries of Ireland

What ethnicity were the Gallowglass?

The Gallowglass (also spelled galloglass, gallowglas or galloglas; from Irish: gallóglaigh meaning foreign warriors) were a class of elite mercenary warriors who were principally members of the Norse-Gaelic clans of Ireland and Scotland between the mid 13th century and late 16th century.

What is the oldest Irish family name?

The earliest known Irish surname is O'Clery (O Cleirigh); it's the earliest known because it was written that the lord of Aidhne, Tigherneach Ua Cleirigh, died in County Galway back in the year 916 A.D.

Who is Gallowglass in love with?

2. Although we don't meet Matthew's nephew Gallowglass until Shadow of the Night, we learn that—under orders from Philippe—he has been protecting Diana from afar since she was born. We also learn that Gallowglass has fallen deeply in love with Diana.

Who was the greatest Irish warrior?

Cú Chulainn (pronounced “Ku Kullen”) and Fionn mac Cumhaill (pronounced “Fin Muh-Kool”) are, without a doubt, the most famous warriors from Irish mythology.

Did the Irish fight with axes?

Gaels began to regularly use the double-handed "Dane Axe", wielded by the Vikings. Irish and Scottish infantry troops fighting with the Claymore, axes and heavier armor, in addition to their own native darts and bows.

Did Scottish Highlanders speak Gaelic?

Shaped by our rich history and vibrant culture, the ancient Celtic language of Gaelic is still spoken throughout Scotland. Gaelic has been part of the Scottish consciousness for centuries and is considered to be the founding language of the country.

Which Scottish clans have Viking roots?

To this day you can find Scottish Clans with direct Viking (Norse) descent. Clan Gunn in the North, Clan MacDonald of the Isles and Clan MacLeod (pronounced Mac-loud), in the west mainland and Isles, along with other Clans (such as MacQueen and MacAulay) are of Norse-Scot origin.

When did Scottish Gaelic stop being spoken?

In the late 18th century, the Gaelic language was heavily suppressed during the infamous Highland Clearances following the turbulent Jacobite uprisings. Although speakers of the Scottish language were persecuted over the centuries, Gaelic is still spoken today by around 60,000 Scots.

Does Gallowglass find a mate?

Gallowglass falls in love with Diana. Vampires are predatory, and they will kill those who fall for their mates. Matthew isn't best pleased when he learns that his nephew has fallen in love with his wife.

What is the most common last name for Irish?

Murphy. The most common of all Irish names, the Murphy surname can be found in all four provinces. Murphys are primarily from Antrim, Armagh, Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Roscommon, Sligo, Tyrone, and Wexford, however.

What is the most unusual Irish surname?

Who was the most feared Celtic warrior?

From an early age, Cú Chulainn trained in Ireland and Scotland to become the deadliest warrior of his era. His skill was unmatched, and he was more than capable of taking on many foes at once.

Did Queen Maeve exist?

Was Queen Maeve real? Queen Maeve, the Fertility Goddess of Celtic Ireland, reigned over the West of Ireland for 60 years. This was sometime between 50 BCE – 50 CE. The Sovereignty Goddess was indeed a real person.

Who was the most famous female Irish warrior?

Queen Maeve of Connacht

According to Irish mythology in pre-Christian times Queen Maeve led the warriors of Connacht into battle to claim the most famous bull in Ireland.

Why did Gallowglass love Diana?

Gallowglass is shocked to learn that Diana is Matthew's mate, even more so because she is a witch. It is then that Diana learns that Gallowglass is Matthew's nephew. Gallowglass becomes protective of Diana. In the present, he discreetly watches over her and is even proud of her when she earns her academic degrees.

Who was Gallowglass sire?

Hugh De Clermont is the vampire Sire of Gallowglass. He was the oldest of Philippe's vampire sons and the closest to Matthew Clairmont of any of Matthew's vampire siblings.

What does Fernando call Gallowglass?

On the other hand, it warms my heart to hear Fernando call Gallowglass “mio figlio”- my child. I don't remember him showing his mate's son that much affection in the books.

Who are the Irish most genetically related to?

“We see relatively high percentages of the Irish genome have Norwegian ancestry and specifically from Norwegian coastal areas. We already knew the history of this, but this is now objective scientific fact that there is Viking DNA in Ireland.”

What is black Irish mean?

Black Irish, in its original usage, is the Black Irish (ethnic group) – Irish people, or those in the diaspora of Irish heritage, who have black hair, dark eyes, and a darker complexion than most (pale) Irish people.

Why is it called black Irish?

The term “black Irish” refers to persons of Irish descent who are supposed to be descendants of the Spanish Armada, which sailed around the middle of the 15th century, and had dark hair and or eyes. The term is used among people of Irish descent and sometimes confuses people since it doesn't refer to dark skin color.