User talk:Brianann MacAmhlaidh/Archive 4

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File:Rögnvaldr Guðrøðarson (Ireland map).png

Hi, I just noticed the file you created for Rögnvaldr Guðrøðarson. I was wondering whether Porchester is "Portchester"? Regards Newm30 (talk) 00:01, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Thanks. I was wondering why "Porchester" was redlinked (I'll redirect it now). At the time, it never dawned on me that "Porchester Castle" redirected to "Portchester Castle".--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 06:58, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

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William Wallace

Hello Brianann MacAmhlaidh it is true that William Wallace's arms aren't known but the coat of arms there represents the arms later associated with the wallace clan it could be that Wallace adopted these or similar arms as guardian of Scotland. Or they could be a later one associated with William Wallace. --Cormag100 (talk) 14:23, 21 January 2012 (UTC)

Origins

I've dropped an essay into Wikipedia:WikiProject Scottish Islands/Origins of the Uí Ímair and the Earls of Orkney and your comments/edits are more than welcome. Some of the reasons it is not (yet) an article are explained on the talk page - I also think it needs some input from those much more familiar with the relevant periods of Norse and Irish history than I am. Ben MacDui 15:44, 21 January 2012 (UTC)

Alexander Og MacDonald,

Hi, I have just seen the file you uploaded (scan of letter to Edward I) signed by Alexander Og MacDonald. I also noticed the link to your draft page. I was curious as Alasdair Mòr was also killed in battle against Alexander of Argyll in 1299. Do you know of any reference to a battle, as it must have been noteworthy with the deaths of two important figures at the time? Regards Newm30 (talk) 03:44, 24 January 2012 (UTC)

Hi. That battle is what my eye too. The Clan Donald historians (used in Alasdair Mor's article) figured it was Alasdair Mor who was slain in 1299, but more recent scholars like R.A. McDonald (1997) and David Sellar (2000) think it was Alexander Og. Although Sean Duffy thinks (or thought in 1991 atleast) that it was Alasdair Mor. Duffy edited a book on this period in 2007 - The World of the Galloglass - There must be some mention about this event in that book, or some note on the identity of the particular 'Alexander' killed. One of contributors of that book is Kenneth Nicholls, and I've seen him note in elsewhere that he regards Alexander Og to have been slain in about 1299 (so I assume it must have been that battle), and also to have been the founder of the main MacDonald gallowglass lineages. From reading McDonald and Sellar, it makes sense to me if it was Alexander Og who was slain - he was the leading MacDonald of his time, he was warring with Alexander MacDougall beforehand, he disappears from contemporary sources afterwards, and by 1301 his brother Angus Og bore the designation 'of Islay' which shows that he had by then succeeded to the leadership of the family. So I think that the current understanding is that it was Alexander Og and not Alasdair Mor. If you're interested I could email you two things by McDonald and Sellar; just send me an email and I'll reply back with them.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:03, 25 January 2012 (UTC)

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Balfron

Please see the Balfron talk page, which you recently edited. Shipsview (talk) 16:33, 30 January 2012 (UTC)

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Arms of William Wallace

Dear Brianann MacAmhlaidh I uploaded an image of the seal which was sent to lubeck by William Wallace please have a look at the the Wallace coat of arms and the second image of wallace's seal both display a lion (and it is highly possible that Wallace as guardian adopted a Lion as part of his Arms . Buaidh no Bàs --Cormag100 (talk) 22:20, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

That's ok. I don't dispute that he might have had a coat of arms with a lion on it, the fact is no one knows what he or his family bore for heraldry. Just don't add attributed arms into infoboxes. It's misleading. That particular coat of arms was never borne by William Wallace. The heraldry borne by modern chiefs of the name doesn't necessarily equate to the heraldry borne by figures in the 13th century. There's a good book of Scottish heraldry somewhat viewable on GoogleBooks - Scotland's historic heraldry by Bruce McAndrew. It mentions that the earliest heraldry for Wallaces of Elderslie dates to the younger son of a man who flourished in the tail-end of the 14th century. His arms were different.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 08:48, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

Sorry to butt in here, but the above image is correct for use. See here: [1] Brendandh (talk) 12:22, 7 June 2012 (UTC)

That's ok. The Lubeck seal has two sides. That particular side actually shows the Royal Arms of Scotland, which appears on other seals of the guardians (here's a better preserved example of one such seal [2]). It's the other side of the Lubeck seal which is important in regards to Wallace [3]. It shows a bow and arrow and contains a legend which translates as 'William son of Alan Wallace'.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:25, 8 June 2012 (UTC)

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William Wallace heraldic arms

File:William WallaceCoat of arms.jpg

Hi. I uploaded this blazon I made which represents William Wallace's arms according to the seal attached to the Lubeck letter. There was a slight problem, it is to small and takes up to much space perhaps you could help by corping them and since i can't anymore "reuploading" them as a blazon !!

Thank you — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cormag100 (talk • contribs) 21:03, 11 February 2012 (UTC)

You'll need a program that can handle SVGs to work with most of the coats of arms on Wikipedia. Try Inkscape. Download any SVG coat of arms and load it in that program and you'll be all set to customise it. You can search the Commons for hundreds of SVG charges.

Cormag100, there's no historical coat of arms for William Wallace. You can't just take an element from a seal, add some colour and whatnot, and put it on a shield and present it as a coat of arms. It doesn't work that way. If you want to create some images for Wikipedia, try and find a good book that gives the specific blazon for an individual's coat of arms, and follow that blazon to create the image. The McAndrew book I mentioned before is good because it gives the specific source for each mentioned coat of arms (usually a medieval armorial of some sort). McAndrew analysed the 900+ known seals of the Ragman Roll and found that most were non-heraldic. The 'Wallace' seals on that roll contain various things: one had a fleur-de-lis, another a curlew, and another a cross paty. So the elements on an individual's seal don't necessarily have anything to do with what is on his coat of arms.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 10:37, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

Thank you !! I downloaded the program and I've got to admit it's great but I can't combine two images or put them on the same window, do you know how cause if it were known to me I could work more effectively. Do you mind just explaining it to me in just a few words ? Thanks!! --Cormag100 (talk) 20:20, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

There's a wikiproject on the Commons about heraldry and making coats of arms: WikiProject Heraldry. There's some help over there. I'll walk you through an easy one. Pretend you found a blazon that reads: Gules, a wyvren Or (a red shield, with a yellow wyvren on it). Pick the first red shield from this category, download it and open it with Inkscape. Then pick the last dragon from this category, download it and click 'file', then choose 'import', and import the wyvren you just downloaded. Now click 'layer', then choose 'layers', and you'll see on the right hand side a menu with a list of layers (which happen to be written in French). Note that you can't centre or move the dragon around, that's because it happens to be on a layer that's locked. Notice how the listed layers have little pictures of locks beside them, and that some of them are closed while others are open? - unlock them all and you'll notice you can move your dragon around. One of the layers is shaded and gives the shield some depth (makes it appear 3D somewhat). You'll need to keep all the charges below that layer to make the coat of arms look good. Select the dragon, click 'edit', and choose 'cut' (or just select the dragon and CTRL-X). Now click on one of the layers named 'meubles' (this is the layer just below the one with the 3D shading), now click 'edit', and choose 'paste' (or just CTRL-V), and your dragon will be on that layer. Now lock all the layers except 'meubles' (just for safety), and manually centre your dragon onto the shield and resize it or whatever. You can important another charge now too. That's it. Save as SVG, and you'll have a nice coat of arms.

To centre things precisely there's a special way to do that, it's a bit trickier. First make sure you've got all the layers locked except the one you've got the dragon on (for safety). See the first line of icons under the top text-menu? See the one that looks like a 'T' that's pretty far to the right? The third one to the right of that (looks like a bar-graph) opens up a menu to centre things. Select your dragon, now look back at that centreing menu you just opened, click the third icon (if you hover your mouse over it it should say something like 'center objects horizontally'. Click that icon a couple times and your dragon should be perfectly centered (horizontally) on the shield.

The more time you spend in the program, the easier it is to understand.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:01, 13 February 2012 (UTC)

Brianann MacAmhlaidh you've been extremely helpful thank you very much (I'll have to think of some special award for you) just one more question: I couldnae crop the pictures and a i didn't find an instruction of how to do so. Anyway thanks again you've been a great help!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cormag100 (talk • contribs) 20:28, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

Thusly is
Brianann MacAmhlaidh!
awarded this Scottish Barnstar of National Merit, for his tireless help and selfless furthering of the presence of Scotland and it's heraldry on Wikipedia.

Tapadh leibh!

Cormag100

hope you like it! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cormag100 (talk • contribs) 20:32, 14 February 2012 (UTC) --Cormag100 (talk) 20:35, 14 February 2012 (UTC)

To crop, select your image or a border you've made, click 'file', choose 'document properties', and then 'fit page to selection'.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:05, 15 February 2012 (UTC)

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Earldom of Ness

Sorry to bother you again, but slightly troubled by the sudden appearance of the Earldom of Ness in the Clan MacNeacail article, and even more so by the fact that the "Earldom" also now has its own article and threatens to take root more generally on Wikipedia. 45ossington (talk) 16:44, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

OK thanks. I'm going to nominate it for deletion. Sellar would have noted a royal charter or an 'earldom'.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:34, 21 February 2012 (UTC)

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Disambiguation link notification for March 5

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Magnus & Mastermind

I hope this was genuinely helpful and will make it easier for the GA reviewer - it is approaching FAC class in my view. As I've started I'd like to finish with a bonus question. Apparently Ailean mac Ruaidhri "possessed the North Isles of the Uists, and Benbecula." Do you know who was his overlord at the time? Good luck with Magnus. Ben MacDui 20:19, 13 March 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for that, and the review certainly helped. I'm not sure about the MacRuairis. I suppose after Dubhgall's Norwegian-departure/death, Ailean must have taken over the MacRuairi lands and recognised Alexander III's authority. I think it's uncertain when or how Uist fell into possession of the MacRuairis. Duncan and Brown say in Argyll and the Isles (p205) that Uist, Barra, and Harris are known to have been MacRuairi possessions in the 14th century, but beforehand it is uncertain. Sellar in Hebridean Sea kings (p196) says it is reasonable to assume they held Uist and Barra before 1266. McDonald's map, which I followed, allots Uist and Barra to the MacRuairis of c1266.

King John's parliament of 1293 made the Earl of Ross sheriff lands including Uist; but in the years between 1264 and that parliament, the King of Scots appears to have given Alexander of Argyll authority over Kintyre, Argyll, and Lewis - so basically the whole region. See Duncan and Brown (p217), and McDonald Kingdom of the Isles (p132-133) for Alexander these lands.

I just finished reading GWS Barrow's Robert Bruce, and Christiana's brother Lachlan seems to have been a really interesting character. Battling people left, right, and centre. Escaping capture from MacDonald, to be outfitted by MacDougall with 'massive war galleys'. Allotted lands by the Earl of Ross, but then refusing to hand over their revenues with the earl complaining to King Edward that Lachlan is such a high and mighty lord, he will not answer to anybody except under great force or fear of you'. Barrow sums him up: "A shadowy figure, Lachlan flits in and out of the record of the Anglo-Scortish war, always in the background, always a troublemaker. He defied in turn and with impunity King John, King Edward I, the Guardians and the earl of Ross. In his own esteem he may well have ranked as a king of the Isles, after the time-honoured style of the Gaidhealtachd. At last, in 1306, he appeared before the English king at Ebchester in County Durham to petition for the lands (probably in the west) of Patrick Graham. Soon afterwards he disappears from history, surely regretted by no one save his own followers".--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 07:30, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

Interesting - as you rightly suspect I am drawn to these obscure characters for some reason. Probably worth an article in due course, although the antics of some of the male MacRuari's seem to have every bit as venal as their "psychopathic Crovan dynasty" kin. Ben MacDui 08:29, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

John de Vesci

Hi, thought you might be interested in the stub I have just created on John de Vesci. I have seen him referenced as Baron Alnwick or Lord Alnwick. His brother William de Vesci was a contender for the King of Scotland. Regards Newm30 (talk) 02:55, 14 March 2012 (UTC)

Nicely done. I've added it to my watchlist.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 07:33, 15 March 2012 (UTC)

I have just created an article on his brother William de Vesci (d.1297) Regards Newm30 (talk) 01:00, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

Do you know what side William's illegitimate son William de Vescy of Kildare fought on during the Battle of Bannockburn? Regards Newm30 (talk) 01:32, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

The English side, per ODNB. McAndrew's Historic Heraldry on GoogleBooks gives him the same arms as his father and uncle.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 05:23, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for all your help. Very much appreciated. Regards Newm30 (talk) 08:35, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

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Resource request

Hello,

I found that article you were looking for at Wikipedia:WikiProject_Resource_Exchange/Resource_Request#History_Scotland_magazine. InverseHypercube (talk) 19:01, 18 March 2012 (UTC)

Thanks very much for that. I'm reading through it right now.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 06:37, 19 March 2012 (UTC)

No problem. Feel free to ask me if you need anything else from History Scotland; I have access to the entire archive. InverseHypercube (talk) 19:49, 19 March 2012 (UTC)

Diocese of the Isles

Hi, I left a reply on the talk page about your enquiry about Rathlin Island. I believe that Rathlin belonged to the Diocese of Connor. Another question I have is this article is about the Diocese of the Isles, however refers to Sodor in the article, why is this there? I am aware of the old Diocese of Sodor and Man. Regards Newm30 (talk) 01:05, 19 March 2012 (UTC)

OK, thanks for that on Rathlin Island. About the diocese, I think that in this case, the terms "Sodor" and "Isles" are in essence the same word, both refer to what the Norwegians called the "southern isles". In the late 14th century, during the Western Schism (see map in this article), the diocese split apart into a Scottish-aligned diocese and a Manx/English-aligned diocese. The Scottish-controlled Hebrides sided with the Avignon papacy, and the English-controlled Isle of Man sided with the Roman papacy. See the first note in John Dongan (where both dioceses are contemporaneously called "Sodor"). So beforehand they were one and the same - the Diocese of Suðreyjar/Sodorensis/Sodor/the Isles/whatever. --Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 06:15, 19 March 2012 (UTC)

Was the Diocese of the Isles, known as the Diocese of Sodor in Scotland or Norway or both? Could I propose wording the lead: "The Diocese of the Isles, also known as the Diocese of Sodor, was a diocese created in 1387 by Avignon Pope Clement VII, by the division of the Diocese of Sodor and Man"?

I don't think the post 14th century Scottish diocese had much if any contact with Norway. I'm not sure. It was sometimes known as 'Sodor' and 'Isles' in Scottish records at least (see here for example: "Johannes Sodorensis alias Insularum" - Bishop John Campbell of the 1500s; and see his namesake "Joannes electus Soderensis"). I don't think the article should treat it as a 14th century creation. I think both dioceses, the Manx and Scottish, are usually treated as just continuations (for example how that book in the previous link treats the Scottish one). The difference is that a Manx 'Sodor and Man' exists today.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 06:26, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

The diocese appears to have been controlled by the Archdiocese of Trondheim, Norway until 1472. Newm30 (talk) 21:12, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Sheriff of Ayr

Hello, Brianann MacAmhlaidh. You have new messages at Newm30's talk page.
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Dughall MacSuibhne

Just created a stub on Dughall MacSuibhne. It is interesting that he lost his lands in 1262. I have read that some fled to Ireland and set up a dynasty there, while others fled to England and held lands in Durnham. Could it be that he was forced to give up his titles due to his and his brother Maol Mhuire an Sparáin's position of supporting Hakon? The MacSween's were allegedly forced to serve with Hakon in 1263 and offer hostages as surety. Was there a 1262 Scots campaign or expedition into the Hebrides or Argyll? Newm30 (talk) 00:24, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

I think the peripheral families saw the writing on the wall long before Hakon's expedition. I think they would have dreaded the arrival of either Scots or Norwegian king. Maybe the MacSuibhne family were more stubborn than the other families. Or maybe they were merely made an example of - to show the stronger families of the region, Somerled's descendants, what would happen if they didn't sharpen-up and cooperate with the Scots. Unfortunately for Dughall, his family's lands lay right in the path of the Stewarts. I'm reading A. A. M. Duncan's The Making of Scotland right now and he thinks that, while Bute was gobbled up by the Stewarts by at least 1200, it is possible that it and Arran and the Cumbraes fell under their sway in the years after Somerled's fall. That's right on the doorstep of the MacSuibhne lordship, so I guess it makes sense that they would have felt the heat of the Scots first.

G. W. S. Barrow says the contract between Dughall and Walter took place under 'uncertain circumstances'. Richard Oram thinks the contract was merely a fiction, and that the loss of the MacSuibhne lands was really due to a 'large-scale military operation'. Murchadh MacSuibhne was one of the men rewarded by Hakon afterwards (Hakon 'gave' him Arran). Since the Scots carved up his family's lands in the years previous, I guess that Murchadh was in a sense lucky that Hakon launched his expedition when he did! During the expedition, negotiations between the Scots and Norwegians centred around the ownership of Bute, Arran and the Cumbraes - but the Scots refused to budge. When Hakon sent the Islesmen up into Loch Lomond to ransack the Lennox district, Edward J. Cowan thinks it was also aimed at Walter's lands of Menteith (Cowan says that the Islesmen, which included Murchadh, 'knew exactly what they were doing' when they went off deep into the Lennox). Cowan compares Hakon's expedition aimed at Stewart power to Somerled's, the century previous - in both cases, the Stewarts weathered the storm. When the Norwegians left that was it; the Scots had the upper hand, and Murchadh's family had no future in Alexander III's kingdom. Someone should make movie about the this era.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 07:13, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

There was a Scots expedition into Skye in 1262 by Uilleam I, Earl of Ross, I suppose other expeditions by other nobles could have taken place at this time. Newm30 (talk) 00:46, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

I have done some further reading and it would seem that magnates on behalf of the crown made inroads into the Hedrides and made the occupants swear fealty to the King of Scotland and they thereafter held their fiefs on behalf of the Scottish crown. It would appear that Aonghas Mór and Murchadh MacSuibhne still held their lordships and had given hostages to the King of Scotland in 1262. This would appear why Hakon ravaged parts of Kintyre to make Aonghas and Murchadh submit back to his overlordship. The two then were part of the sub-expedition to Loch Long, where they pillaged the lands of Maol Choluim I, Earl of Lennox. They even appear to have travelled as far as Stirling, before returning to their boats taking with them large numbers of cattle. Very interesting indeed. Newm30 (talk) 02:01, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

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Talk:Magnus Olafsson/GA1

I've reviewed the article and left notes on the talk page. I've put the nomination on hold for seven days to allow the issues to be addressed. Feel free to contact me on my talk page, here, or on the article talk page with any concerns, and let me know one of those places when the issues have been addressed. If I may suggest that you strike out, check mark, or otherwise mark the items I've detailed, that will make it possible for me to see what's been addressed, and you can keep track of what's been done and what still needs to be worked on. Ealdgyth - Talk 23:19, 1 April 2012 (UTC)

As an aside - I noticed you made the maps for that article - would you be available for making a couple of maps for Middle Ages? Ealdgyth - Talk 00:22, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

OK, thanks Ealdgyth, I'll let you know went I ready for you. Sure I can work on some maps, I just need a good base-map to work with, and was lucky to find some good svg maps on the Commons. Here are some blank ones of Europe [4].--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 07:35, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

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Battle of Largs

Great work on the improvements, so I think it better for me not to butt in, but let me know if there is anything I can do. I can always give it the once over when you think it is close to GA.--SabreBD (talk) 09:54, 24 May 2012 (UTC)

OK, I'll let you know. Thanks for the pointers on the talkpage.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 05:43, 25 May 2012 (UTC)

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Note

I came across you requesting High Beam in resource exchange]. You can gain full and free access to the full articles by applying for it at Wikipedia:HighBeam/Applications .Through I have not interacted with you ,I can see you are one of the most tenured and senior editors. Pharaoh of the Wizards (talk) 18:31, 7 June 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for the compliment. I think I've only needed something from HighBeam only once or twice so far. Other editors could probably put it to use more than me. I'd rather not hog it. I'll keep my eye on the page though, in case I do need more than a few things in the future. Thanks!--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:25, 8 June 2012 (UTC)

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Talkback

Hello, Brianann MacAmhlaidh. You have new messages at WP:RX.
Message added 06:49, 9 July 2012 (UTC). You can remove this notice at any time by removing the {{Talkback}} or {{Tb}} template.

Shrike (talk)/WP:RX 06:49, 9 July 2012 (UTC)

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A cup of tea for you!

Thank you for your reponse to my query. Bearian (talk) 13:11, 4 August 2012 (UTC)

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Somerled

Hello Brianann. I am a descendant of Somerled and I request that you do not publish information about my ancestor that is not correct. I note that you are a patrilineal descendant of Olav the Black. I am descended from him through a female line. I know my lineage and my patrilineal line which was preserved intact as my family went into exile after the battle of Culloden. My ancestor's wife and son were killed and he started a new family abroad. They were not subjected to the rape of the Highlands. We have had a DNA test and our male lineage is R1b Pictic from the line of Conn. We are Macdonalds from Clan Ranald. The information you have provided about Somerled's R1a1a haplotype is not from a reliable source and I not that the article is biased towards Olav the Black and neglects to mention the argument that Somerled was descended from Picts. There are hundreds of years worth of documents published in books which refer to his noble lineage. Even if you don't agree, you have no right to assert his Viking lineage when you are not a direct patrilineal descendant of Somerled and as such cannot test your own DNA. Either include the relevant material or I will delete the offensive statements which are not based on peer reviewed or reliable sources.— Preceding unsigned comment added by Moidart (talk • contribs) 05:31, 3 September 2012

Hi Moidart. Read the article talkpage. You're using out of date sources which don't reflect modern understanding. Modern historians don't consider early-modern traditions to be automatically reliable unless they can be collaborated by other evidence. Instead they tend to prod traditions for hints and clues, rather than use them as historical narrative. You're also inappropriately using sources to bolster your own personal opinions: you can't take unrelated statements and combine to reach a totally different conclusion, or take a sourced statement and tack on your own opinion at the end. You have to understand that your personal family tree carries no weight on Wikipedia. From reading everything you've written, it's clear your imagined ancestry is actually a detriment, because you can't distance yourself from the topic. If you can't convey, in a neutral manner, what modern historians have written about the man, then you're really just wasting your time here. If want a good, easy-to-read, academic account of Somerled and his immediate family, search your library for The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's western seaboard, c.1100-c.1336, by R.A. McDonald.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 08:31, 3 September 2012 (UTC)

Looks we've ended up here. And I think testing your own DNA may possibly count as original research.--Shirt58 (talk) 08:26, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for letting me know of that post. Yep, it's totally OR. If you're going to take one of those tests you've got to be prepared to accept that you may find that you aren't related to the people you thought you were. If only a quarter of MacDonalds are genetically descended from the chiefs, and in theory from Somerled himself, that means there are probably more than a few disillusioned clansmen out there!--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:42, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

I have not included personal DNA testing as original research. I am just letting you know who I am so you know where my point of view is coming from in regards to ethical considerations. I'm not sure if you know what ethics are. Your argument is scant, remains without citation for whole paragraphs ignoring four hundred of years of well documented history books. Your theory that Somerled was a Viking is fringe and unsubstantiated by anything other than pop science from unreliable sources. You should try reading some historical books instead of dismissing the majority of evidence as 'old'. In terms of a valid source of genealogical documentation the older the better. Modern historians are further removed from the source and cannot be relied upon. I have included modern studies and genealogical research to back up the history books. The person you are referring to is not the same person as Somerled the Viking slayer whose lineage is widely documented. I am in no way 'disillusioned' with my DNA as I come from a long line of Irish High Kings which is in accordance with Somerled's documented lineage. I don't know what Somerled you are referring to but it is not my ancestor. Your fringe argument without proper discussion of the mainstream documented lineage of Somerled is racially biased and contentious. I suggest that you remove it and stop trolling.

Moidart (talk) 10:34, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

I was away for a long weekend and I see I missed most of the excitement. Interesting to see how quickly the system can react. I am short of time right now but improving the article will hopefully lead to more stability. Ping me if you think I can help. Ben MacDui 09:50, 5 September 2012 (UTC) PS I love the comment by Shirt58 - one for the archives.

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Battle of Renfrew

Hello, Brianann MacAmhlaidh. You have new messages at Newm30's talk page.
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Norwegian monarchs

Could you give your opinion on Talk:Harald II of Norway#Request move?--The Emperor's New Spy (talk) 20:53, 2 October 2012 (UTC)

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Your free 1-year Questia online library account is approved and ready

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13th-14th century Scottish nobles

Hi Brianann, I have created a number of stub articles for Hugh Bisset, John MacSween and Malcolm McQuillan. Do you have any sources to expand these further? Regards Newm30 (talk) 04:33, 25 January 2013 (UTC)

Hi Newm30. I've added them to my watchlist. I'll keep my eyes peeled for info on them.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 10:53, 28 January 2013 (UTC)

Questia email success: Codes resent

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Eilean Donan

Hi there, a discussion which may interest you has been started at Talk:Eilean Donan, regarding use of clan histories as sources, and the availbility of more reliable alternatives. I note that you worked on articles such as Leod Macgilleandrais which presents the distinction between history and tradition well. Thanks, Jonathan Oldenbuck (talk) 12:30, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

And thank you so much for the revelatory link to "Kingis rabellis" to Cuidich 'n' Rìgh; the emergence of Clann Choinnich, c. 1475-1508: truly fascinating. There is enough material in there to justify the re-writing of half a dozen articles, though it will be something of an Augean task. How much more modern historical writing on the late mediaeval North West Highlands is out there, I wonder.45ossington (talk) 18:17, 17 February 2013 (UTC)

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The Donald

The Donald redirects to Donald Trump, Sr., which torqued me off as I was looking for The Chief of the Name, and it took me longer than I thought necessary to find Clan Donald and the current holder of the title, The Donald. --Pawyilee (talk) 15:04, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

OK I understand now. The chief of the name tends to be called "Macdonald of Macdonald", the chief of the name and arms of Macdonald of Macdonald. [5][6].--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:58, 26 February 2013 (UTC)

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M17

Hi Brian, yes M17 is an incorrect but common way of shortening the name of R-M17, and Somerled's descendents are well-known to be in a clade of R-M17.--Andrew Lancaster (talk) 13:37, 11 March 2013 (UTC)

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Lifting the Gibraltar DYK restrictions

A couple of months ago, you opposed a proposal to lift the restrictions on Gibraltar-related DYKs, which were imposed in September 2012. Could you possibly clarify (1) under what conditions you would support a lifting of the restrictions, and (2) when you think it would be appropriate to lift the restrictions? Prioryman (talk) 20:19, 7 April 2013 (UTC)

I think most people would be okay with a review of things in September.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 10:04, 11 April 2013 (UTC)

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Re:given name and surnames articles

The how come pages like James (name) exist? Can't we just conjoin both given names and surnames into one page just with other name pages like Marshall (name)? I think I'm just going to do the same for the Patrick article. It makes no sense to have multiple pages for one name when they can be all on one page. Other name articles I have seen on wikipedia also do this. Banan14kab (talk) 00:42, 3 May 2013 (UTC)

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SVG arms

Is there a way you can remove the smudge from the upper left corner of the SVG file and send a cpy to me. I do not know how to edit svgs. The file: File:Maclean of Duart and Morven arms (2).svg

I want to add the arms to Familypedia and Familysearch without the smudge. I think it is there to give a faux three dimension look, but none of the other files in the cgart I am creating have the smudge. --Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) (talk) 18:23, 7 May 2013 (UTC)

I'll show you how to do it yourself. It's easy. Download and install Inkscape. Download the image and open it with Inkscape. Click Layer in the top menu bar, and then click Layers. Now look over to the farthest right of your screen to the dialog box that just popped up. It'll show four layers, each with a little eye ball and lock beside them. To remove the 'smudge' layer, click the eyeball of the layer titled "Reflet final", and that'll make this layer invisible. Another way to remove the layer is to just select it, and then click Edit in the menu bar, and then click Delete. Either way works. Now save your image (click File in the menu bar, and then click either Save, or Save as, or Save a copy). That's it, you're done.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 09:21, 8 May 2013 (UTC)

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Please comment on

Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Human Genetic History#Guidelines desperately needed. Thanks. Dougweller (talk) 12:28, 2 July 2013 (UTC)

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• EdwardsBot (talk) 03:01, 2 August 2013 (UTC)

Carragh Bhàn

Thanks for fixing this. I am not sure where this came from, but mea culpa I fear. You've probably seen my rather feeble tables in the Summary of proposals section of WP:ORIGINS. Its a puzzle and all the more frustrating in that it is unlikely ever to be resolved.

Do you know if historians ever look at problems like this in a mathematical way? Something like - if Source A has a reliability of 80% and states that King Zog ruled in 873, and Source B has a reliability of 40% and states that King Zog son of Log ruled in 883 and that Source C with a reliability of 30% states King Zog son of Log ruled after Log son of Mog, then it is more than 50% likely that King Zog was the son of Log and ruled in 873 but the rest is <50% likely. Ben MacDui 10:38, 3 August 2013 (UTC)

I've no idea. I guess it all depends on the situation. If that's all you've got to work with for someone's parentage, grading the information in such a ways seems like a good way of trying to get to something to build upon. The combination of coincidences or possible-coincidences (like names and similar time-frames) with uncertain or debatable terms (like lochlann, dubhgaill/finngaill) is frustrating. There are so many possibilities. The particular source that a historian might use as the linchpin to an argument, an argument that may form the foundation of further investigation down the road, may well be an mistaken assumption on behalf of a medieval chronicler, or just a coincidence, or something less than honest.

Thinking about the various theories on Imar/Ivarr, and realising that with the more modern commentators that come to the table the more confusing things get, reminded me about some of the Max Planck quotes out there. This seems to be a legit one: "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it" (popularly paraphrased as "Science advances one funeral at a time" and "truth never triumphs - its opponents just die out"). A little disheartening, eh? I'd like to think that stronger arguments triumph over weaker ones. But what happens when so many theories seem equally possible to us, with so little evidence to work with? I guess it's a combination of a convincing argument and being one of the last men standing.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 23:52, 3 August 2013 (UTC)

Sadly true, but at least scientific inquiry does genuinely advance. When I first got involved in the Kingdom of the Isles I got a drubbing for quoting Gregory's 1881 History of the Western Highlands on the grounds that it was old hat. Now that I know a little more about the subject it's pretty clear that for the early period at least modern historians may have more theories, but they don't seem to have any more evidence. Someone may discover an old grave stone or two but it's hard to imagine there are quasi-contemporary written works out there waiting to be discovered. Short of time travel it's likely to remain a mystery - perhaps that's its appeal. One day we will know all there is to know about the moons of Saturn, but the provenance of a man who once stood on Dumbarton Rock a thousand years ago is forever hidden. Ben MacDui 08:56, 4 August 2013 (UTC)

FYI

FYI: Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/Stevenbfg The Banner talk 23:49, 9 August 2013 (UTC)

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Apology

The sockpuppet investigation cleared your name completely. So I hope you will accept my apologies for the mix up and the stain on your name I caused with that. The Banner talk 14:20, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Moving day on Mann

You may have seen these moves. I have dropped a note at User talk:Kjhskj75 asking for some RSs. Ben MacDui 18:47, 12 August 2013 (UTC) PS Bit grim re this sockpuppet nonsense.

I was wrong so I apologised. Unfortunately, I make mistakes. The Banner talk 19:56, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Thanks MacDui. Can't say I like the move. (This is the first time I've noticed that if someone mentions you on a talkpage with your username wiki-linked, it sends you a notification. Handy! I think I'll do that from now on.) No worries, The Banner. I was a bit shocked and ticked at the time, but it's ok now. I appreciate the apology, and there are no hard feelings.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 23:16, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

Okay, unfortunately you picked the wrong moment to come out of "hibernation" as I just had identified IP en registered user as one. The Banner talk 23:22, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

I did a quick google and I can't see any obvious sign of this roman numeral business for Manx kings and sadly I don't have much material on this general topic. We should give Kjhskj75 a day or two to reply. If nothing is forthcoming we'll need a single place to sort this out - Talk:Rögnvaldr I Óláfsson may be the best place. I think we were happy with "Rognvald Ólafsson (fl. 1164)" a while back - and I'm sorry I missed your April post there. Ben MacDui 07:49, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

Seems like we'll get it sorted out.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 00:03, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

of that Ilk

Hi Brianann,

Please forgive me for introducing myself to your talk page – but you look as if you may be able to answer a question. How should "of that Ilk" be capitalised? My own feeling is that it should be "of that ilk", just as the word "same" would never be capitalised. But throughout Wikipedia, I see "of that Ilk". I would appreciate your view. Maproom (talk) 18:30, 13 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure if one way is more or less correct than another, but I think it tends to be spelt capitalised more often than not. It's not always though. For example, Google Books shows that Bruce McAndrew's Scotland's Historic Heraldry (a good modern book on the subject) spells it with a lower-cased letters. The Oxford Dictionary and Collins Dictionary websites give it in lower-case as well [7] [8]. User:QuintusPetillius has got a good book that likely covers the term somewhat: Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia, a book endorsed by the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 00:06, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Thank you. I shall ask User:QuintusPetillius for his opinion. Maproom (talk) 13:06, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

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Summer travels

You did a great job on Somerled while I was away on my travels. You might be interested in Finn Rindahl's post on my talk page today if you haven't seen it. Ben MacDui 07:33, 24 August 2013 (UTC)

Wow! Very interested. Thanks! It looks like it hot off the press too. Academia.edu is such a great website. So much of the content there would be otherwise be hidden away from the general public - I doubt many people have easy access to the Sydney Society for Scottish History, or have even heard of it (like me!). I'm finishing up work on Olaf in my sandbox ATM. I'm trying to get my head around Wimund's adventure, and figure out how to mention him in Olaf's article. I think it'll be pretty much ready to go after that.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 21:07, 24 August 2013 (UTC)

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Mac Mhic Iain

Hi Brianann, in answer to your question, the Collins Scottish Clan & Family Encyclopedia states that the "Gaelic title" of the Scremgeours is "Mac Mhic Iain".QuintusPetillius (talk) 16:40, 5 September 2013 (UTC)

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Prograce

Wild sage, wild clary = salvia verbenaca

Torman - can't find any sources for this, hoax? Dougweller (talk) 12:32, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

It's either an intentional hoax or another example of this user's original research run amok. The link is to a website that lets you search an old scanned dictionary giving the definition of the Irish-language tormán. Two definitions are given on page 1234: 1. "a rumbling noise" 2. "clary or wild sage" (Search "tormán" here. The definitions will appear in the bottom third of the right column of the page). Colin Mark's The Gaelic-English dictionary, p 594 (viewable on GoogleBooks), gives two definitions for the Scottish Gaelic torman: 1. "wild clary, vervain sage" 2. "hum, murmur". Focal.ie is a searchable Irish-language database, associated with the Dublin City University. So it's a good source. It gives several definitions for tormán: 1. "rumble" 2. "noise" 3. "wild clary", "wild sage" (Latin "Salvia verbenaca") 4. "boom" (Click here for the definitions, and note the Latin translation in the third one).

So the word has nothing to do with a "Gaelic term denoting a one of five types of sages within the Irish Fili system". In all of the above definitions, tormán/torman refers to either a noise or a plant - the plant variously known as "wild sage", "wild clary", "vervain sage" - aka salvia verbenaca. So the article is either an honest mistake or Prograce craftily meant to hide a hoax behind the common English meaning of "sage" ('a man profound wisdom'/etc). Either way, he's a sock, and he'll continue to waste our time with his word games if he's allowed to edit any further.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 19:59, 6 October 2013 (UTC)

I've deleted it as a hoax. Prograce won't last long. Dougweller (talk) 11:20, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Why did you exclude Whirlwind,he's only sound and fury, from your findings--Prograce (talk) 11:39, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Heres a shortcut to help you correct yourself [[9]] --Prograce (talk) 11:42, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

A cheeseburger for you!

Cause you deserve something substantial for your help! Thanks again! Mark Miller (talk) 00:00, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

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Books and Bytes: The Wikipedia Library Newsletter

Books and Bytes

Volume 1, Issue 1, October 2013

by The Interior (talk · contribs), Ocaasi (talk · contribs)

Greetings Wikipedia Library members! Welcome to the inaugural edition of Books and Bytes, TWL’s monthly newsletter. We're sending you the first edition of this opt-in newsletter, because you signed up, or applied for a free research account: HighBeam, Credo, Questia, JSTOR, or Cochrane. To receive future updates of Books and Bytes, please add your name to the subscriber's list. There's lots of news this month for the Wikipedia Library, including new accounts, upcoming events, and new ways to get involved...

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Thanks very much for your work on the FitzGerald dynasty pages

By removing any reference to Alice, the supposed daughter of Arnulf of Montgomery, you've removed a rather severe genealogical error from the various FitzGerald dynasty pages. Since, IIRC, it was an error I introduced into those articles myself, I am both crestfallen (for the error) and extremely grateful (for the correction). I've copied your citations for Arnulf's childlessness from his article, and added them to the article for Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, since it seems like a good idea to have a cite there, too, for the assertion about Arnulf's childlessness. Amazing work on Arnulf's article, btw. Anyway, thanks very much for your help! Rinne na dTrosc (talk) 18:27, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for the kind words.--Brianann MacAmhlaidh (talk) 22:51, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

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