Auisle facts for kids

Auisle (pronounced AW-is-leh) was a powerful Viking leader. He was active in Ireland and Scotland during the mid to late 800s. Auisle was the son of Gofraid, who was a king from a place called Lochlann. He also had two famous brothers, Amlaíb Conung and Ímar. Ímar later started a very important Viking family called the Uí Ímair dynasty. This family became very powerful around the Irish Sea for many years.

Auisle and his brothers, Ímar and Amlaíb, were known as "kings of the foreigners." Today, historians often call them "kings of Dublin." This is because Dublin was the main Viking settlement and the center of their power. Auisle is mentioned three times in old records called the Irish Annals. These records tell us about his raids and his death.

Viking Life in Ireland

Ireland in the late 800s. Viking settlements like Dublin are shown.

Viking raids on Ireland began around 795. Over time, these raids became more frequent and intense. Vikings started staying in Ireland through the winter for the first time in 840–841. In 841, they built a special camp called a longphort (pronounced LONG-fort) at Áth Cliath. This place later grew into the city of Dublin. Other longphorts were built around Ireland, and some also became big Viking towns.

Auisle's brother, Amlaíb, arrived in Ireland in 853. The Annals of Ulster, an old Irish record, says:

Amlaíb, son of the king of Lochlann, came to Ireland, and the foreigners of Ireland submitted to him, and he took tribute from the Irish.

Amlaíb was called a "king of the foreigners." Modern historians usually see him as the first king of Dublin. His brothers, including Auisle, came to Ireland later. They ruled together as co-kings.

Lochlann was the land where Amlaíb's father was king. Many people think Lochlann was Norway. However, some historians believe it might have meant the Viking lands around Scotland and its islands. By the 1100s, it definitely meant Norway.

Auisle's Adventures and Death

Auisle is first mentioned in the Irish Annals in 863. He and his brothers, Amlaíb and Ímar, raided Brega. This area was known for its ancient burial mounds. They even searched underground tombs at famous sites like Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth. This was something that had never been done before.

Before this, Auisle's brother Amlaíb had been fighting with Máel Sechnaill, a powerful Irish king. Máel Sechnaill died in 862. His lands were then split between two rulers. The Viking raids in 863 were probably a way for the Dublin Vikings to gain more power.

Around 864, Auisle and his brothers stopped their campaigns in Ireland. Instead, they went to Britain. In 866, Amlaíb and Auisle led a large army to Pictland (an area in modern-day Scotland). They raided much of the country and took many people as hostages.

Auisle is mentioned for the last time in 867. The Annals of Ulster reported his death:

Auisle, one of three kings of the heathens, was killed by his kinsmen in guile and parricide.

Later records, called the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland, say that Amlaíb and Ímar were responsible for their brother's death. They say Amlaíb struck the fatal blow. The reasons for this family conflict are not fully explained in the old texts.

Auisle's Family

Auisle's father was Gofraid. The Fragmentary Annals describe Auisle and his brothers:

The king had three sons: Amlaíb, Ímar, and Óisle. Óisle was the least of them in age, but he was the greatest in valor, for he outshone the Irish in casting javelins and in strength with spears. He outshone the Norwegians in strength with swords and in shooting arrows. His brothers loathed him greatly, and Amlaíb the most; the causes of the hatred are not told because of their length.

Some historians believe that Halfdan Ragnarsson, another Viking leader, might have been a fourth brother. This idea comes from old English records that say Halfdan and Ívar (who might be Ímar) were brothers. However, the family connections of these Viking leaders can be complicated and are not always clear in historical records.

A person called "mac Auisli" (meaning "son of Auisle") is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster in 883. This suggests Auisle might have had a son. The record says:

Death of Auisle's son at the hands of Iergne's son and the daughter of Mael Sechnaill.

This entry describes the killing of Auisle's son, but it does not give a reason for it.

Family tree