'Clan Gunn' have no Orkney Islands / Viking origin​I know I have said this before but as too many people like to ignore academic facts and prefer to believe myths are history I am saying it again... The key person here is Snaekollr Gunnison – son of the anonymous supposed first Gunn and from whom the supposed Gunn Chiefs were meant to descend. Snaekollr existed and his life is fully dealt with in the ‘Orkneyinga Saga’ including his murder of the King of Norway’s Earl / Jarl for which he is forced to go to Norway in disgrace. Where Snaekollr lived and with whom in the Orkneys is described in detail in the Saga – and there is no mention of marriage / wife / children at all and there would be if such were around as Snaekollr was important – and notorious. So if you want to say he was married before he was dragged off to Norway then you have to go against centuries of academically supported history and deny the ‘Orkneyinga Saga’ as the key text in Orkney history. Then you need to consider Professor Barbara Crawford’s view - that 'Snaekollr Gunnison … went to Bergen (Norway) in 1232 … (but never seems to have come home again)'[1]. Professor Crawford also made this point even more strongly in 1971 - 'Despite his part in the murder of the earl Snaekoll was not condemned to death at the trial in Bergen but "remained long with earl Skuli and King Hacon" and there is no evidence that he ever returned to Orkney or Caithness (she then footnotes and the footnote reads ‘Despite the claims of Clan Gunn to be descended from him …’.[2] Now Professor Crawford’s academic credentials are beyond dispute - ‘Dr Barbara Crawford M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S.E., F.S.A., F.S.A. Scot., Member of the Norwegian Academy … Honorary Reader in History at the University of St. Andrews … Dr. Crawford is a Member of the Norwegian Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She was a Commissioner of the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland from 1991-2001, chaired The Treasure Trove Advisory Panel for Scotland from 1993-2001, and was President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland from 2008-2011. She was awarded an OBE in 2011 for services to history and archaeology, and has recently been awarded an Honorary Professorship at the University of the Highlands and Islands….’ From https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/staff/barbaracrawford.html accessed 14 March 2016. So if you believe Snaekollr Gunnison managed to make it back to Scotland after his exile in disgrace in Norway (and don’t forget he also joined a rebellion against the Norwegian King – and lost) you have to explain how one of the key academics in the area does not agree with you. Believing in Gunn descent from Snaekollr Gunnison is like supporting a flat earth theory or believing that Elvis is alive or that pigs fly… but in this world of alternative facts (lies) some people believe their absurd dreams to be true… Snaekollr Gunnison died in Norway; get used to it. Gunns have no Orkney islands / Viking origin. *** I will deal with Snaekoll’s supposed son in the next entry… [1] Page 8, B. E. Crawford 'Medieval Strathnaver' in ed. John R. Baldwin The Province of Strathanaver, 2000, The Scottish Society For Northern Studies. [2] http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/handle/10023/2723 accessed 14 March 2016; page 8 of her thesis.
2 Comments
Danyelle Robinson
26/3/2017 02:52:33
Bravo. Well done. This explains why it has been so difficult to find the parents of our immigrant, who was born 1687 in Old England. Our James was known as Robberson and Roberse; his sons went by Roberts and Robertson, while the rest of his decedent's have been Robison -- until my grandmother added the middle "n" on her marriage certificate. My grandfather was named Clisby but everyone called him Roby.
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Alastair
28/3/2017 10:14:12
Thanks. Glad you like my site... :)
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