quick update. not the HUGE update promised but it will be about Cerball and the Irish developments as I can get them out of the way.
To explain the motives of Cerball mac Dúnlainge would take a lifetime, to understand them not as much. The High Kingship of Eire was his goal, dominion over the Isle was his target and he would do all in his power to achieve it.
As King of Osraige, a former vassal to Munster but now in part to the destruction of the Norse kingdoms across Eire had reduced Munsters grip on the smaller nearby kingdoms to virtually null as Cerball no longer needed their assistance or control and Osraige had secured an alliance with King Anarawd ap Rhodri of Cymru who sought the end to raids against his kingdom and more importantly end the pain that followed him following his brothers deaths.
Cerball was not the "Dane Killer" as many perceived him, he was smart and extremely calculated and even from time to time allying with the Danes to further his own goals but seeing the chance to firmly establish his rule over Munster & to expand Osraige in all directions Cerball began the campaigns against the Norse & the Norse-Gaels, brute force and swiftness his weapons and tools to despatch them with. Cerball chose his allies carefully, his last ally Horm, a Norse warlord, suffered rather ironically at the hands of Anarawds father, Rhodri Mawr.
The campaigns were succesful and had further established Cerball as THE powerbroker in the southern lands with Munster unable to quell the rising support for Cerball who unashamedly began using the tome "The Wolf of Osraige", a term used by the Cymro who had witnessed his ruthlessness in the campaign against the Norse of Dublin and of Wexford. Cerball quickly expanded Osraige southwards merging with Munster after Dúnchad mac Duib-dá-Bairenn, King of Munster was executed on the battlefield following Cerball's shock attack on his lands and after mustering only a fifth of the men Cerball had called to him King Dúnchad suffered a humiliation worse than death by being stripped naked by Cerball and paraded around by the wolf who upon growing bored of the King's humiliating torture sked for his fealty and crown but despite the methods used by Cerball Dúnchad staunchly refused and in turn was given a swift execution by beheading.
Cerball, the wolf of Osraige was now King of Osraige,Munster & of Leinster and now set on his path to claiming the High Kingship of Eire, a title currently held by his sisters husband. The remaining powers in Eire were the Ui Neills of the north and of the south & the Dal Riata in Ulster & also the Lordship of Dublin, ruled over by Lord Rhys, Anarawds father in law.
In the year 879 Cerball and Rhys came to blows over the remaining Norse-Gaels who had fled the destruction of Dublin and other Norse-Gaelic kingdoms and towns in Eire, these refugees were not wanted in the Irish Kingdoms nor wanted by the Norse kingdoms either, their only hope lay in Rhys who welcomed them but demanded fealty and for them to work off their debt to the King of Cymru. Cerball whose growing xenophobia over the people who once were his allies and enemies grew quickly and in the summer months of 879 launched an offensive strike at the Lordship's outlying lands as a measure of strength and to test the fires. Unfortunately for Cerball, Rhys was not a fan of the wolf and had begun talks of an alliance between the southern Ui Neill's and himself representing Cymru & his Lordship, with the southern Ui Neills agreeing in part to the establishment of a seperate Norse-Gaelic kingdom away from their territory in the south, something that Cerball disagreed on entirely as the new 'refugee' state would come within and take his land off of him and land that was bountiful to Cerball.
In August 879 Cerball attempted to take Dublin by force but was met by local Norse-Gael soldiers who assisted by Cymro of Dublin & Ui Neill soldiers repelled and chased Cerball back to Osraige where upon their demands he accept their proposition or suffer the same fate he had given Dúnchad a year previous, he accepted but only if the lands of Iarmumu & Desmumu were given only as he claimed "they are not of use to me not to my people and I would gladly give them up". The deal was done. the Norse-Gaels would receiev the southern tip of Eire as their own whilst Cerball's power lsut was allowed to reform itself once more but should he try to re-enact the scenes of Dublin once more he would face the one person he knew he could not beat, Anarawd ap Rhodri.
In the winter months of 879 and the early cold of 880 King Cerball of Osraige, Munster & Leinster recieved the title High King of Eire after welcoming his sister and her second husband, Áed Findliath who had been bestowed the title of "King of Tara" succeeding her first husband in the role. Growing weary of not achieveing his goal quick enough Cerball lured Áed whilst hunting and after employing men from the nearby Norse region to kill the king, Cerball quickly began his plot and with relative ease had the High King killed and made to appear as if it was of true Norse savagery instead of the Norse-Gaels, marking the body of Áed with runes alluding to the Norse gods of death and war.
Cerball had acheived his goal finally and in the month of February was annointed by the church and proclaimed High King of All Ireland, a move that sent ripples and shockwaves throughout the land especially to both branches of the Ui Neill clans instigating a power struggle that would soon see everyone at one another's throats.
In 880 Cerball had his brother Riacán mac Dúnlainge installed as king of the Norse-Gaels, whilst not in violation of the treaty forced on him by the triumvirate of the Ui Neill clans and Rhys it was a loophole sure enough to anger and cause further tension between the kingdoms and lordship. His brother was annointed King Ragnar of Hibernia & the Norse-Gaels.
A Dog Is A Dog, But A Wolf Is So Much More
The History of Cerball mac Dúnlainge
“War is the only proper school of the surgeon. " - Hippocrates
The History of Cerball mac Dúnlainge
“War is the only proper school of the surgeon. " - Hippocrates
To explain the motives of Cerball mac Dúnlainge would take a lifetime, to understand them not as much. The High Kingship of Eire was his goal, dominion over the Isle was his target and he would do all in his power to achieve it.
As King of Osraige, a former vassal to Munster but now in part to the destruction of the Norse kingdoms across Eire had reduced Munsters grip on the smaller nearby kingdoms to virtually null as Cerball no longer needed their assistance or control and Osraige had secured an alliance with King Anarawd ap Rhodri of Cymru who sought the end to raids against his kingdom and more importantly end the pain that followed him following his brothers deaths.
Cerball was not the "Dane Killer" as many perceived him, he was smart and extremely calculated and even from time to time allying with the Danes to further his own goals but seeing the chance to firmly establish his rule over Munster & to expand Osraige in all directions Cerball began the campaigns against the Norse & the Norse-Gaels, brute force and swiftness his weapons and tools to despatch them with. Cerball chose his allies carefully, his last ally Horm, a Norse warlord, suffered rather ironically at the hands of Anarawds father, Rhodri Mawr.
The campaigns were succesful and had further established Cerball as THE powerbroker in the southern lands with Munster unable to quell the rising support for Cerball who unashamedly began using the tome "The Wolf of Osraige", a term used by the Cymro who had witnessed his ruthlessness in the campaign against the Norse of Dublin and of Wexford. Cerball quickly expanded Osraige southwards merging with Munster after Dúnchad mac Duib-dá-Bairenn, King of Munster was executed on the battlefield following Cerball's shock attack on his lands and after mustering only a fifth of the men Cerball had called to him King Dúnchad suffered a humiliation worse than death by being stripped naked by Cerball and paraded around by the wolf who upon growing bored of the King's humiliating torture sked for his fealty and crown but despite the methods used by Cerball Dúnchad staunchly refused and in turn was given a swift execution by beheading.
Cerball, the wolf of Osraige was now King of Osraige,Munster & of Leinster and now set on his path to claiming the High Kingship of Eire, a title currently held by his sisters husband. The remaining powers in Eire were the Ui Neills of the north and of the south & the Dal Riata in Ulster & also the Lordship of Dublin, ruled over by Lord Rhys, Anarawds father in law.
In the year 879 Cerball and Rhys came to blows over the remaining Norse-Gaels who had fled the destruction of Dublin and other Norse-Gaelic kingdoms and towns in Eire, these refugees were not wanted in the Irish Kingdoms nor wanted by the Norse kingdoms either, their only hope lay in Rhys who welcomed them but demanded fealty and for them to work off their debt to the King of Cymru. Cerball whose growing xenophobia over the people who once were his allies and enemies grew quickly and in the summer months of 879 launched an offensive strike at the Lordship's outlying lands as a measure of strength and to test the fires. Unfortunately for Cerball, Rhys was not a fan of the wolf and had begun talks of an alliance between the southern Ui Neill's and himself representing Cymru & his Lordship, with the southern Ui Neills agreeing in part to the establishment of a seperate Norse-Gaelic kingdom away from their territory in the south, something that Cerball disagreed on entirely as the new 'refugee' state would come within and take his land off of him and land that was bountiful to Cerball.
In August 879 Cerball attempted to take Dublin by force but was met by local Norse-Gael soldiers who assisted by Cymro of Dublin & Ui Neill soldiers repelled and chased Cerball back to Osraige where upon their demands he accept their proposition or suffer the same fate he had given Dúnchad a year previous, he accepted but only if the lands of Iarmumu & Desmumu were given only as he claimed "they are not of use to me not to my people and I would gladly give them up". The deal was done. the Norse-Gaels would receiev the southern tip of Eire as their own whilst Cerball's power lsut was allowed to reform itself once more but should he try to re-enact the scenes of Dublin once more he would face the one person he knew he could not beat, Anarawd ap Rhodri.
In the winter months of 879 and the early cold of 880 King Cerball of Osraige, Munster & Leinster recieved the title High King of Eire after welcoming his sister and her second husband, Áed Findliath who had been bestowed the title of "King of Tara" succeeding her first husband in the role. Growing weary of not achieveing his goal quick enough Cerball lured Áed whilst hunting and after employing men from the nearby Norse region to kill the king, Cerball quickly began his plot and with relative ease had the High King killed and made to appear as if it was of true Norse savagery instead of the Norse-Gaels, marking the body of Áed with runes alluding to the Norse gods of death and war.
Cerball had acheived his goal finally and in the month of February was annointed by the church and proclaimed High King of All Ireland, a move that sent ripples and shockwaves throughout the land especially to both branches of the Ui Neill clans instigating a power struggle that would soon see everyone at one another's throats.
In 880 Cerball had his brother Riacán mac Dúnlainge installed as king of the Norse-Gaels, whilst not in violation of the treaty forced on him by the triumvirate of the Ui Neill clans and Rhys it was a loophole sure enough to anger and cause further tension between the kingdoms and lordship. His brother was annointed King Ragnar of Hibernia & the Norse-Gaels.