Ívarr (Unknown) Gudrødsson (abt. 825 - 873)

Born about 0825 in Scandinavia

Descendants

Died 0873 at about age 48 in Ireland

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Ímar Uí Ímair (Unknown) Gudrødsson was part of early Scandinavian history. Join: Early Scandinavia Project Discuss: EARLY_SCANDINAVIA

Biography

Ímair was the mid 9th century founder of the Uí Ímair, a dynasty of Norse/Irish sea lords who ruled the Irish Sea from their base in Dublin, and branched out to rule the western coasts of northern England and Scotland, including the Isle of Man and the Hebrides. His death is recorded in the year 873; 'Ivar, king of all the Norse of Ireland and Britain, ended his life.' ^[1]

Ímar's father is said to be Gofraid of Lochlann; his brothers are named as Amlaíb Conung and Auisle. Amlaíb, Ímar, and Auisle are noted in the Annuls of Ireland as “kings of the foreigners” in other words, leaders among the invading foreigners. ^[2]

This is not Ivar the Boneless, who plays a major role in both Norse and Anglo-Saxon accounts, is sometimes associated with the Viking leader Ímar (Old Norse: Ívarr), a King of Dublin mentioned in the Irish annals. Please do NOT consider merging Ímair of Uí Ímair dynasty with Ivar the Boneless.

In 857 Ímar and Amlaíb link forces to campaign against the Gallgoídil (Norse/Scots mercenaries from Western Scotland) in Munster, defeating them. That year, the Annuls of Ulster record that 'Ímar and Amlaíb inflicted a rout on Caitil the Fair and his Norse-Irish in the lands of Munster.' ^{[3] [4]}

In 858 Ímar is in alliance with Cerball Mac Dúnlainge, king of Osraige, fighting in north Munster against the Cenél Fiachach (a Southern Irish Uí Néill dynasty) and the Gallgoídil. (Norse/Scots mercenaries) ^{[5] [6]}

Amlaíb and Ímar joined with Cerball and led 'a great army' into Mide to attack Máel Sechnaill, High King of Ireland. ^{[7] [8]} They campaigned as far north as the Fews in south Armagh, and forced the northern Irish to submit.

The year 863 saw 'three kings of the foreigner' i.e. Amlaíb and Ímar and Auisle, plunder the land of Flann son of Conaing (Brega, north of Dublin); and 'Lorcán son of Cathal, king of Mide, was with them in this.' 'The caves of Achad Aldai, and of Cnodba, and of Boadán's Mound above Dubad, and of Óengoba's wife, were searched by the foreigners - something which had never been done before.'^[9]

In the year 869, Ímar joined Amlaíb to attack the British kingdom of Strathclyde. They besieged the fortress of Alt Cluath (Dumbarton rock) took it after a four month siege, then make the fortress their base to plunder Strathclyde. ^[10] Amlaíb and Ímar returned to Dublin with a great fleet of ships filled with the captive Angles, Britons and Picts to be sold in Dublin's slave market.

Ivar the son of Gofraid and grandson of Ragnall, and a friend whose father was Amlaib (Olaf) then went on a wide-ranging expedition in search of plunder. "871-872 - In this year, i.e. the tenth year of the reign of Áed Findliath, Imar son of Gothfraid son of Ragnall son of Gothfraid Conung son of Gofraid and the son of the man who left Ireland, i.e. Amlaib, plundered from west to east, and from south to north." ^[11]

Name(s)

His first name Ivar could also be Ingvar or Yngvar in the Nordic languages.

Irish; Ímair of Uí Ímair.

Parents and Family

The parents of this profile are unknown as historians are not sure who he really was. Suggestions have been made that he would have been the same person as either Ivar the Boneless or Ivar Vidfamne. Wikipedia also mentions that "According to Irish annals, Ímar was the son of Gofraid of Lochlann (Scotland) and his brothers are usually named as Amlaíb Conung and Auisle. ^[12] His birthdate is only an estimate, set to about 800. Andersson-4409 12:26, 8 March 2019 (UTC)

"Ímar son of Gofraid son of Ragnall son of Gofraid Conung son of Gofraid" ^[13]

Wife and children

According to the book "Biographical Encyclopedia of the Kings & Queens of Great Britain" by Mike Ashley^[14]; the children of Ivar were;

• Sigfrid Ivarsson King of Dublin (835 - 888)
• Sitric Ivarsson King of Dublin born (837 - 896)
• Guthorm Ivarsson born (839 - 890)

According to The Annuls of Ireland, which name three kings of Dublin as sons of Ímar;

• Bárid ^[15]
• Sichfrith ^[16]
• Sitriuc ^[17]

Death and burial

Although we are not told of the place or circumstances of his death, we can be sure that, in the year 873 "Ímar, king of the Norsemen of all Ireland and Britain, ended his life." ^{[18] [19]}

According to Annals of Ulster he is said to have died 873. His death is also recorded in the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland under the year 873. Original source quoted: Fragmentary Annals of Ireland 409^[20]

Research Notes

• Ellen Lloyd in Ancient Pagesoffers an interesting discussion about the identity of the Ivar/Ímar active in Ireland and England in the 9th C. Mystery Of Ivar The Boneless And Ímar

Sources

1. ↑ Celt: Annals of Ulster : U873.3 - Imhar, rex Nordmannorum totius Hibernie & Brittanie, uitam finiuit.
2. ↑ Wikipedia : Ælla of Northumbria
3. ↑ Celt: Annuls of Ulster: U857.1
4. ↑ Caitil is a common name, he has been identified at Ketill Flatnose by some historians. Wikipedia : Caitil Find
5. ↑ "A victory by Cerball son of Dúnlang and Imar over the Gall-Gaedil in Ara Tíre" Celt : Fragmentary Annuls of Ireland: FA 263 corpus of electronic texts edition
6. ↑ Celt pdf: The Vikings and Ireland
7. ↑ [Celt: The Corpus of Electronic Texts - Annals of Ulster : U859.2
8. ↑ Wikipedia : Máel Sechnaill mac Máele Ruanaid
9. ↑ Celt : The Annuls of Ulster: U863.4 corpus of electronic texts edition
10. ↑ "The siege of Ail Cluaithe by the Norsemen: Amlaíb and Ímar ..... laid siege to the fortress and at the end of four months they destroyed and plundered it." Celt : Annuls of Ulster: U870.6 corpus of electronic texts edition
11. ↑ Celt : Fragmentary Annals of Ireland: FA 401 corpus of electronic texts edition
12. ↑ Wikipedia : Ælla of Northumbria
13. ↑ Celt : Fragmentary Annals of Ireland: FA 401 corpus of electronic texts edition
14. ↑ "Book: Biographical Encyclopedia of the Kings & Queens of Great Britain, author: Mike Ashley, published: ??, ISBN/Marc: ??, page: ??
15. ↑ Celt: Chronicon Scotorum: Annal CS881
16. ↑ Celt : Annuls of Ulster: U888.9
17. ↑ Celt : Annals of the Four Masters: M891.17
18. ↑ Celt : Annuls of Ulster: U873.3 corpus of electronic texts edition
19. ↑ "Ímar, king of the Norsemen of all Ireland, rested" Celt : Chronicon Scotorum: Annal CS873 page: 317 corpus of electronic texts edition
20. ↑ "Fragmentary Annals of Ireland 409". CELT. Retrieved 2 February 2009. Fragmentary Annals of Ireland

See also:

• Anglo-Saxon chronicler Æthelweard
• Annals of Ulster
• Ashley, M. (n.d.). Biographical Encyclopedia of the Kings & Queens of Great Britain. N.p.
• Fragmentary Annals of Ireland
• Celt : THE VIKINGS & IRELAND