Godred Cròvan (in irish gaelic “Gofraid mac meic Arailt“) was a Norse-Gael ruler of Dublin, and King of Mann and the Isles in the second half of the 11th century.
Godred may well be identical to the celebrated King Orry of Manx legend, Godred and King Orry are associated with numerous historic and prehistoric sites on Mann and Islay. As the ruler of Dublin and the Isles, Godred dominated the routes through the Irish Sea region.
MANX VERSION: Birlinn Ghorree Chrovan
In the XX century George Broderick, Douglas Fargher and Brian Stowell wrote the text in manx gaelic from an Hebridean tune. It tells of the King Orry galley’s landing on the Isle of Man.
Cairistiona Dougherty & Paul Rogers live (or sound track here)
Scran
| Manx gaelic O vans ny hovan O, Hirree O sy hovan; O vans ny hovan O, Birlinn Ghorree Chrovan. I Kiart ayns lhing ny Loghlynee Haink nyn Ree gys Mannin Tessyn mooiryn freayney roie Birlinn Ghorree Chrovan. II Datt ny tonnyn, heid yn gheay Ghow yn skimmee aggle; Agh va fer as daanys ayn, Hie yn Ree dy stiurey. III Daag ad Eeley er nyn gooyl Shiaull’ my yiass gy Mannin; Eeanlee marrey, raunyn roie, Birlinn Ghorree Chrovan. IV Hrog ad seose yn shiaull mooar mean, Hum ny maidjyn tappee – Gour e vullee er y cheayn, Cosney’n Kione ny hAarey. V Stiagh gy Balley Rhumsaa hie Birlinn Ghorree Chrovan; Ooilley dooiney er y traie Haink dy oltagh’ Gorree. VI Jeeagh er Raad Mooar Ghorree heose Cryss smoo gial ‘sy tuinney, Cowrey da ny Manninee Reiltys Ghorree Chrovan. |
English translation* O vans ny hovan o, Hirree o ‘sy hovan, O vans ny hovan o, Birlinn Ghorree Chrovan. I Right in the era of the Norsemen, Their king came to Mannin, Running across surging seas, Gorree Crovan’s longship. II The waves swoll up and the wind blew, The crew were frightened, But there was one brave man, The King went to steer. III They left Islay behind them, Sailing southward to Mannin, Sea birds and seals running, Gorree Crovan’s longship. IV They raised the main-sail, The oars dipped quickly, Onwards on the sea, Reaching the Point of Ayre. V Into Ramsey went, Gorree Crovan’s longship, Every man on the beach, Come to salute Gorree. VI (1) Look at the Milkey-Way above, Brightest band in the heavens, A sign to the Manx, Of the Gorree Crovan’s government. |
1) Ramsey is a coastal town in the north of the Isle of Man: landing point of the Viking warrior Godred Crovan around 1079, came to subjugate the island and make it his kingdom. The fact told is obviously after the conquest because the first time the islanders tried to defend themselves from the Vikings, and near the landing of the galley there was a violent battle and not a festive crowd !!
SCOTTISH VERSION: Birlinn Ghoraidh Chrobhain
And here is the Hebridean tune, the song composed by the bard and songwriter Duncan Johnston of Islay (Donnchadh MacIain 1881-1947) and published in his book “Cronan nan Tonn” (The Croon of the Sea) in 1938! The journey, however, is told to the contrary, the Viking galley leaves the Isle of Man to go to Islay.
Scottish gaelic lyrics
English lyrics
The Corries The Barge O’ Gorrie Crovan, a more warlike version
The Sound of Mull, a trio from Tobermory, Isle of Mull : Janet Tandy, Joanie MacKenzie and David Williamson. (verses I, II, IV)
Robin Hall & Jimmy Macgregor (verses I, IV)
| Scottish gaelic Hóbhan na hóbhan hó, hi horó na hùbhan, Hóbhan na hóbhan hó, Air Birlinn Ghoraidh Chrobhain (1) I Fichead sonn air cùl nan ràmh, Fichead buille lùghmhor, Siùbhlaidh ì mar eun a’ snàmh, Is sìoban thonn ‘ga sgiùrsadh. II Suas i sheòid air bàrr nan tonn ! Sìos gu ìochdar sùigh i ! Suas an ceòl is togaibh fonn, Tha Mac an Righ ‘ga stiuireadh ! III A’bhìrlinn rìoghail ‘s i a th’ann Siubhal-sìth ‘na gluasad Sròl is sìoda àrd ri crann ‘S i bratach Olaibh Ruaidhe (2) IV Dh’ fhàg sinn Manainn (3) mòr nan tòrr, Eireann a’ tighinn dlùth dhuinn, Air Ile-an-Fheòir tha sinn an tòir Ged dh’ èireas tonnan dùbh-ghorm V Siod e ‘nis-an t-eilean crom!(4) Tìr nan sonn nach diùltadh, Stòp na dìbhe ‘thoirt air lom ‘S bìdh fleadh air bonn ‘san Dùn (5) duinn! |
English Hóbhan na hóbhan hó, hi horó na hùbhan, Hóbhan na hóbhan hó, The barge of Gorrie Crovan I Behind the oars, a score so brave, A lusty score to row her, She sails away like bird on wave, While foaming seas lash o’er her. II Up she goes on ocean wave ! Down the surge she wails O, Sing away; the chorus, raise, A royal prince; he sails her ! III The royal galley onward skims, With magic speed, she sails O, Aloft her silken bunting swims, Red Olav‘s Banner waving. IV The towers of Man we leave away, Old Erin’s hills we hail O, On Islay’s shore her course we lay Though billows roar and rave O. V See the island bent like bow, Where kindly souls await us; The Castle hall, I see it now, The feast’s for us prepared O |
NOTES
Gaelic and English texts by Duncan Johnston (Donnachadh Mac Iain), published in his book Cronan nan Tonn (The Croon of the Sea) 1938/9 and reprinted in 1997 by Dun Eisden of Inverness. These are his comments on the song:
1) Godred, or Gorry Crovan was, according to the ancient sagas, the son of Harald the Black of Isla. Tradition has it that his mother was a lady of the subdued House of Angus Beag, son of Erc, who occupied Isla in 498. This explains his remarkable popularity with both the Norse and Celtic elements in the west. His grand-daughter, Regnaldis (Raonaild), daughter of Olave the Red, afterwards married Somerled, who displaced Red Olave as King of the Isles. Somerled founded the Dynasty of the Lords of the Isles, with its headquarters on an island on Loch Finlagan in Isla. Godred was a celebrated warrior of the eleventh century. He acted as Adjutant to the King of Norway at the battle of Stamford Bridge, 1066. Escaping from that stricken field, he made his way to the Isle of Man, and thence to Isla, where he raised his standard. The Norsemen and the Gaels alike flocked to his standard. With a large force, he crossed over into the North of Ireland (Ulster), and carried everything before him up to the gates of Dublin, which City surrendered to him. For a time, he waged a successful war against the King of Scotland. In Isla he was spoken of with saintly reverence because of his prowess and dauntless gallantry in ridding the island of a huge saurian that had his lair near the present village of Bridgend. Many of our Clans and their Septs of the west can claim descent from Godred. The MacDougalls, MacDonalds, MacAllisters, MacRuaries, MacRanalds, MacIains, etc. 
He died in Isla in 1095, and his grave is marked with a huge white boulder, known locally as “An Carragh Ban.” He founded the Dynasty of the Kingdom of the Isles, of Dublin and of Man. He was succeded by his son King Lagman, who reigned at the time of the “Sack of Isla” by Magnus Barefoot . Lagman was taken prisoner. He latterly, after a short reign of seven years, embraced Christianity, abdicated in favour of his brother, Olave the Red, and went to Palestine to fight for the Holy Sepulchre. He is buried at Jerusalem.
2) Olave the Red, third son of Godred Crovan, and father of the princess Regnaldis.
3) The Isle of Man
4) Isla, so called in Fingalian Poetry. Approaching the island at dusk from the south, the skyline presents the appearance of a bent bow – “Tha e crom mar bhogha air ghleus.”
5) Dunyveg or Dùn Naomhaig Castle, more properly, Dùn Aonghais Bhig, abbreviated “aobhaig.” This was the House of Aengus, or Aonghas Beag, son of Erc, 498.”
LINK
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=31829
http://www.celticlyricscorner.net/mackenziefiona/birlinn.htm
https://thesession.org/tunes/12851
https://wiki1.sch.im/wiki/pages/i063V5H9/Birlinn_Ghorree_Crovan_.html
https://soundcloud.com/cairistiona-dougherty/birlinn-ghorree-chrovan
http://www.iomguide.com/kingorrysgrave.php
http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/hist1900/ch13.htm
