Chapter 2: Oucydd The Confessor
Oucydd of Galloway, later known as King Oucydd the Confessor, came to rule over the lands of Alt Clut at the age of 33, having inherited this position upon the death of his grandfather. Like his father Rhun, Oucydd was known to be more interested in wine and women than soldiers and swordplay, though he seemed to have a better grasp of the practicalities of running the Rock. In 877 Great Britain and Ireland continued to recover from the war against the Great Heathen Army. York and Dyflinn stay lay in the hands of the heathens, but the Viking's power on the Isles had been greatly curtailed. The three largest kingdoms of Alba, Mercia and Wessex were strong enough to resist any further invasions from the Norse.
On the continent the Karlings continued to jostle for power. West Francia had emerged as the largest and most stable kingdom in western Europe. Italy was threatened by the Eastern Roman Empire to the south , while East Francia had to contend with their heathen neighbours to the north and east. Lotharingia found itself trapped between the other kingdoms and struggled against all three, while occasionally suffering the depredations of Norse raiders along the Frisian coastline.
Oucydd came to power somewhat earlier than he might have expected, due to the execution of his father on King Artgal's orders six years earlier. Whether Oucydd felt any grievance towards his grandfather over this is unknown, but gaining control of Galloway at a relatively young age may have eased his burden of grief.
Indeed, Oucydd found himself in a position of great power in the Kingdom of Alba, which had yet to fully recover from the war between King Constantine Mac Ailpin and his brother Hugh. Though Hugh had been defeated, there were still those who sought his return. In addition, chieftains of Buchan and Ross refused to recognise Constantine's authority. The king had lacked the strength to deny them their independence, as the two lords together outnumbered his own forces. Having secured control of his brother's lands in Moray, however, Constantine moved against the rebel clans, eventually forcing both Ross and Buchanan to recognise him as their liege.
While Constantine struggled to keep the northern clans in line, Oucydd was free to expand his own territories. Alt Clut already represented by far the largest landholding in the kingdom, greater even than the king's, and Oucydd soon added to it by seizing Airgialla (Oriel) from the Irish, doubling his holdings in Ireland and placing him within striking distance of Dyflinn, the last Norse settlement in Ireland. As he prepared to attack the pagans, however, there was a surprising - though welcome - development: King Constantine declared war on the Irish.
Constantine sought to return Áed Ua Néill to the position of High King of Ireland. Áed had been deposed some years earlier and had been living in exile in Alba. While the High King did not truly rule over the whole island, the position was still a powerful one. Oucydd certainly didn't object to the king's plans, for he was married to Áed's daughter, Eithne. Like Constantine, King Artgal had seen the value in an alliance with the High King and had arranged the marriage twelve years earlier, but his plans had been spoiled when Áed was driven from power.
Constantine's forces defeated the Irish and returned Áed to power, but ultimately both he and Oucydd were to be disappointed, as Áed was unable to hold on to the title for very long. This time, however, he did manage to hold on to the lands of Urmhumhain, in the south of Ireland, rather than be driven into exile.
While Constantine was fighting the Irish, Oucydd moved to seize Dyflinn. The Norse were heavily outnumbered and were unable to stop the Britons from laying siege to the city. Their fellow pagans in Jorvik were unable to lend any assistance and in 882 Dyflinn fell to Oucydd's forces, who renamed the settlement Dulyn.
The pagans had been driven from Ireland, but the Irish would find the Britons no better neighbours than the Norse. Raiders from Alt Clut would strike at Irish villages and monasteries in the years to come, taking loot and slaves.
Oucydd's apparent penchant for fine food and wine seemed to fade as the weight of rulership settled upon him. On the other hand, he remained a noted womaniser, taking numerous mistresses.
Upon his return to the Rock, Oucydd prepared to make an ambitious move. Though King Constantine had subdued the north and defeated the Irish, his position remained vulnerable. With the addition of Oriel and Dulyn to his holdings, Oucydd felt confident he had the strength to force Constantine to surrender the throne to Oucydd's mother, Princess Morag. Oucydd would then be next in line to inherit Alba. Unfortunately Oucydd had not been able to convince any of the Scottish chieftains to support him, but he decided to demand Constantine step down anyway.
Thus began the Mac Ailpin War of Alban Succession, so called because forces loyal to all four of the Mac Ailpin siblings were to take part. The armies of Oucydd and Constantine clashed in the Highlands. While initially successful, Oucydd's forces were eventually defeated and forced to retreat.Oucydd's campaign seemed doomed, but his victories in Ireland had won him much respect amongst the warriors of Alt Clut and upon his return to the Rock he was able to raise a new army. As he began to launch his second invasion of Constantine's lands, the clans of Buchanan suddenly declared for the exiled Prince Hugh. Though they lacked the numbers to challenge Oucydd's new army, they were happy to attack Constantine weakened forces. Oucydd was free to seize control of Gowrie before crushing Hugh's followers. News then reached Oucydd that Constantine had abdicated, giving the throne to his sister. There was some confusion at first, as it seemed Oucydd had won, but Constantine had in fact surrendered to men loyal to his
younger sister, Malmure Mac Ailpin.
The war ground on. Queen Malmure lacked the strength to defeat Oucydd, but refused to give in. Then, just as Oucydd's victory seemed certain, his mother passed away. The war paused as negotiations ensued. Queen Malmure insisted that with Morag's death, Oucydd no longer had a cause. Oucydd disagreed - with his mother dead, her right to the throne passed to him. The war resumed.
After over six years of conflict, Oucydd finally secured victory, crowing himself the King of Alba. Fighting continued in Buchanan for another few months, but King Oucydd's position was secure.
The war had netted the King a small fortune in plunder and ransoms, which he used to pay for improved fortifications across his own landholdings. The number of men loyal to him increased as warriors flocked to his banner. The Rock was bustling with activity, as new recruits were trained and old veterans crowded the halls.
King Oucydd decided to give thanks to God for his victory by traveling on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Along the way he is said to have given willingly to aid his fellow pilgrims, easing their journey greatly. Perhaps he found himself short on funds as a result, for upon his return from the Holy Land he almost immediately embarked on a series of raids against the settlements of the Isles. His men returned with a great deal of valuables, having met little resistance of note. Realising his neighbours were too weak to stop him, King Oucydd launched an invasion of Teviotdale. King Hugh of the Isles, who had defeated Ivar the Boneless, summoned his warriors and counter-attacked, only to be captured at the Battle of Nofant. Oucydd released him in exchange for Teviotdale (or Calchfynedd, as it came to be known), bringing a quick end to the war. Oucydd declared himself the lord of Gododdin (the Brittonic name for the lands to the south of the Firth of Forth.
Somewhat controversially Oucydd revoked the lordship of Calchfynedd from Walan, who had held it under Hugh of the Isles. Oucydd instead kept the lands for himself. It would seem that the King distrusted those not of Brittonic descent. Whenever possible he chose to rule directly, or through his fellow Britons. This seemed to foster the spread of the Brittonic language to those lands conquered by Alt Clut, as did the increasing numbers of settlers spreading from Galloway to Ireland and Gododdin.
Having returned to the Rock once more, King Oucydd set about planning his next move - and to take advantage of every woman he could lay hands on, including Gormlaith, the wife of Seferus, Oucydd's second son. The two men would come to blows over the affair, but Oucydd continued to bed her for years to come.
King Oucydd's wife cannot have been unaware of his many mistresses. Perhaps to assuage her anger, Oucydd chose to press her claim to the lands of Urmhumhain in 899, after the death of her father. The Irish were once again fighting over the position of High King, with mutliple claimants seeking to usurp the position from the boy-king, Eláir Ua Neill. Oucydd's army defeated Eláir's army at the battle of Cill Dara, after which the enemy were too busy fighting amongst themselves to stop the Britons.
As the century turned, Oucydd's forces were still trying to secure Queen Eithne's claim to Urmhumhain. On the continent, West Francia still stood strong. The apparent rise of Lotharingia proved short-lived, as the union with Italy collapsed a few years later. The struggle for Iberia continued, with the Ummayad's trading land with Asturias every few years.
With Queen Eithne firmly in control of Urmhumhain, Oucydd returned to Alba once more. His rule over the kingdom seemed quite secure, despite the efforts of Archibald Mac Ailpin (Constantine's son) to garner support for his own claim to the crown. Archibald simply didn't have the manpower to challenge the king. While some advised caution, the king felt that the best way to strengthen his position was through conquest. The Norse of Jorvik were in complete disarray. The Anglo-Saxons had launched an invasion from the south, which triggered a series of rebellions amonst the heathens. A Christian lord had seized control of Durham and now worked to help Mercia's forces to take Lancaster, while the pagans fought amongst themselves in York itself. Seeing his chance, King Oucydd launced his own invasion of Cumberland. The Norse were unable to offer much resistance and the county was soon added to Alba's holdings.
Having captured Cumberland, Oucydd now had to divvy out the spoils. The King saw an opportunity to rid himself of a persistent annoyance - his son, Seferus, to whom he granted the bishopric of Carlisle. Oucydd would no longer have to worry about Seferus confronting him over the affair with Gormlaith.
Though Alba and Mecia had withdrawn from the war against the Norse, the fighting continued in Durham. Eventually the Norse chieftain Vagn succeeded in breaking the Christian resistance. King Oucydd (belatedly) marched to drive out the heathens. After recapturing Durham, the Britons continued south and laid siege to York. King Oucydd let his men ravage the city and the surrounding countryside, looting and taking prisoners for ransom long after the Norse were willing to surrender.
The King's army returned to Durham loaded down with plunder. Though York itself remained in Norse hands, the Vikings of the city were no longer a threat to their neighbours. Those Norse still living in Cumberland and Durham, on the other hand, remained resistant to conversion and would prove troublesome subjects.
The Britons would make no more conquests for some time following the York War, instead engaging in numerous raids in Ireland and against the Isles. King Hugh of the Isles had died, leaving his daughter Martha as Queen. This had resulted in a rebellion amongst the Islanders, who were then too busy fighting amongst themselves to stop Oucydd's raiders.
Queen Martha's complete inability to stop the Britons from raiding her lands emboldened Oucydd, who decided to drive the Islanders from Gododdin completely. Queen Martha's forces were heavily outnumbered, but she refused to give in, forcing the Britons to lay siege to her holdings one at a time.
Far to the east, Khan Sol of the Cuman nomads sought to bring unity to his people by reforming the Tengri faith. Over the next century the Tengri Church would spread out across Cumania, emerging as a major religion dominating the steppes.
In 915 King Ouccyd's beautiful granddaughter Clarisent ap Rhun came of age. Oucydd had arranged for her to marry an Anglo-Saxon nobleman of a minor house... who would inherit the kingdom of Mercia should King Marcus have no children of his own. Oucydd hoped that one day one of his great-grandchildren might rule over the Anglo-Saxons.
As King Ouccyd grew older, he took an interest in his son Rhun's abilities as a ruler. Oucydd recalled how unprepared he had been when he charge of Galloway. He decided to grant his heir control over Dulyn in the hope that Rhun would gain the experience he would need to rule over Alba. Rhun was a competent warrior and administrator, but lacked a talent for court intrigue. Rumours that he preferred the company of men to women continued to plague him, despite the fact that he had already fathered three daughters and a son.
However the king would not have to rely on Rhun alone to continue his legacy. Before becoming the bishop of Carlisle, Prince Seferus had fathered a son, whom he named for his father. Young Oucydd had married the Queen of East Anglia and would inherit Gododdin upon the king's death, becoming one of the most powerful rulers in Great Britain.
King Ouccyd's men were still fighting the Islanders when he received a message from King Louis III, Ouccyd's son-in-law. The Franks were at war with the Ummayad Sultanate and King Louis sought the aid of his father-in-law. This was certainly not the first time Ouccyd had been asked to send troops to his allies on the continent. Previously he had promised to assist them, but had never dispatched the troops. On this occasion, however, he decided to act. The Muslims were a threat to all of Christendom and could not be allowed to expand across the Pyrenees. Leading his armies personally, Oucydd landed in Asturias, before marching east and joining with the Franks.
For months the Sultan refused to engage the Christians. While King Louis sacked Muslim settlements along the border, Oucydd kept his forces in reserve, growing restless at the lack of action. He was debating whether or not to launch a raid of his own when word reached him from home. The pagans were revolting.
Led by the Viking warrior Sæmundr, the Norse settlers in Cumberland had taken up arms and marched on Nofant. King Oucydd had left a small force behind to mop up the last of the Islander resistance, but they were heavily outnumbered. Chief Archibald marched south with a thousand men and Prince Rhun raised another 500 in Dulyn, but the odds were still not favorable. Yet if the king returned home with his army, the Franks would surely be defeated by Sultan Sami's army. Instead Oucydd hired a band of Swiss mercenaries and sent them to the Rock. Together with the men of Alba they broke Sæmundr's rebellion at Nofant.
Meanwhile the Franks marched on Barcelona, finally forcing the Sultan meet them. King Oucydd's men arrived just in time for the battle, helping to tip the odds against the Muslim army. While the flanks held, the Sultan's centre broke and the Muslims fled the field, taking heavy casualties. King Louis accepted Sami's offer of a white peace and King Oucydd began the long journey home. Unfortunately, he never saw the Rock again. His ship was still at sea when he passed away.
