Galloway

:See George Galloway for the British Member of Parliament.

Prehistory

The Romans named the inhabitants of Galloway the Novantae. According to tradition, before the end of Roman rule in Britain, St. Ninian established a church at Whithorn in Galloway in 397 which remained an important place of pilgrimage until the Reformation.

Related Topics:
Roman - Novantae - St. Ninian - 397 - Pilgrimage - Reformation

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Rerigonium

In the west, the city of Rerigonium (literally 'very royal place'), shown on Ptolemy's map of the world, later referred to in the Welsh_Triads as 'Penryn Rionyt' and remembered as one of the 'three thrones of Britain' was probably the caput of the post Roman kingdom of Rheged. Its exact position is uncertain except that it was 'on Loch Ryan', close to modern day Stranraer; it is possible that it is the modern settlement of Dunragit (Dun Rheged).

Related Topics:
Ptolemy - Welsh_Triads - Rheged - Loch Ryan - Stranraer

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Anglians

Galloway remained a Brythonic-speaking region until the late 7th century when it was taken over by the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia. Local historian Daphne Brooke has suggested that the Anglians took over the more fertile land and religious centres like Whithorn, leaving the native inhabitants the less fertile upland areas.

Related Topics:
Anglian - Bernicia - Historian - Whithorn

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The Gallgaidhill

The Annals of Ulster has entries in the years 856, 857 and 859 describing activities of mercenary warbands referred to as 'Gallgaidhill' (literally, 'foreign gaels'). It is possible but by no means certain that these warbands may have originated from Galloway, and there is no real historical support for the suggestions either that the Gallgaidhill were a new group of mixed Scandinavian/Gaelic origin, or that such a group achieved hegemony in Galloway, although it is certain that Galloway did have Gaelic and Scandinavian - as well as Brythonic and Anglian - settlement during this period.

Related Topics:
Annals of Ulster - 856 - 857 - 859 - Mercenary - Scandinavia - Gaelic

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