Dunvegan Cup

The Macleod chiefs have several other notable heirlooms kept at Dunvegan Castle, such as the Fairy Flag and Sir Rory Mor's Horn (all three pictured right).

[4] In around the 1850s, Alexander Nesbitt gave similar measurements, and added that it was 5.5 inches (14 cm) at the broadest point of the cup, which is somewhat below the middle.

[6] Ian Finlay described the circled, six-pointed stars as not unlike those on the outer-side of the Domnach Airgid, which is held in the National Museum of Ireland.

MacLeod noted that three earlier visitors to Dunvegan Castle— Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, and Thomas Pennant— made no mention of having seen the cup.

he said, "Erst own'd by the royal Somerled: Fill it, till on the studded brim In burning gold and bubbles swim, And every gem of varried shine

[4] In about 1851, Sir Daniel Wilson documented the cup in his The Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, following along the same lines as Scott.

Wilson made a few minor edits to Scott's rendering of the Latin inscription, but at the time he had not seen the cup.

[9] After certain correspondence and the aid of William Forbes Skene, Wilson examined the cup in person and later amended his analysis.

[10] At about the same time, Eugene O'Curry, of the Brehon Law Commission, examined the cup and transcribed the inscription.

Alexander Nesbitt noted O'Curry's transcription and pointed out that the last part of the inscription was from the fifteenth verse of the 145th Psalm.

O'Curry rendered the woman's name as "Katherina ingen ui Neill"; this made her an O'Neill, rather than a MacRannal.

MacLeod later claimed that tradition held that the wooden bowl dated from the 10th century, and that it was the property of Niall Glúndub, the 10th-century Irish king of Cenél nEógain,[6] R.C.

MacDhòmhnaill returned to the Hebrides and left his men behind in Ireland; however, MacLeòid stayed and was present at the fall of Enniskillen Castle in October 1594.

He was still in Ireland the next year at the head of 600 Hebrideans, alongside Ó Domhnaill at the siege of MacCostello's Castle, in County Mayo.

[12] The traditions are supposed to relate events which took place during the tenure of Malcolm, the third chief of Clan Macleod, who lived about 1296–1370.

This man's mother had nursed one of the brothers — she was considered a witch and lived with her son in a small cottage near her foster-son's house.

Of the latter they immediately killed two of the best and fattest and carried away the carcases, leaving the hides filled with froth and slime, resembling bad carrion.

When it again came to Lurran's turn to watch he saw the same thing happen, but this time he joined the crowd and entered the Bruthach unobserved, and found himself in a spacious hall where was prepared a feast of which all partook.

At last it came to Lurran's turn, who, pitching out the contents, made a dash for the door and escaped, carrying the cup with him, before the company were aware of what he was about.

He was hotly pursued but succeeded in reaching his mother's hut, which she immediately charmed so as to prevent the ingress of any spirits, good or bad.

Lurran, however, was eventually killed by the fairies for stealing their cup, which his mother then gave to her foster-son, Neil Glundubh.

A rush was made by the assembled vassals to seize the murderer, who succeeded in escaping to the top of a rock, which is still shown, where he was brought to bay.

He was then captured and flayed alive; his kindred were outlawed or put to death and all their property confiscated to the Chief who in this way became possessed of the cup.