Gofraid of Lochlann

Gofraid
The viking raven war standard shown on a penny minted in the reign of Amlaíb Cuarán.
King of Lochlann (more...)
Reign	pre-849 – 873?
Predecessor	Unknown
Successor	Ímar
Spouse	Unknown
Issue	Amlaib Conung Ímar Óisle
House	Unknown; pre-Ímar
Father	"Ragnall son of Gothfraid" (according to the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland)

Gofraid, King of Lochlann was a key figure in the emergence of Norse influence in Scotland and the likely progenitor of the early Kings of the Isles and of the Uí Ímair that dominated the Irish Sea and environs in the early Medieval period. Very little is known of him, including his origins and the nature of his kingdom, although his descendants are well attested in the Irish annals. Speculative connections between these historical figures and characters from the Norse sagas have also been made.

The Fragmentary Annals of Ireland record of Amlaib Conung that in 871 he:

went from Erin to Lochlann to wage war on the Lochlanns, and to aid his father Goffridh, for the Lochlanns had made war against him, his father having come for him.

Frustratingly, the text continues:

Since it would be lengthy to tell the cause of their war, and since it has so little relevance to us, although we have knowledge of it, we forego writing it, for our task is to write about whatever concerns Ireland, and not even all of that; for the Irish suffer evils not only from the Norwegians, but they also suffer many evils from themselves.

These annals also note that in 849:

the sixth year of the reign of Máel Sechlainn, Amlaib Conung, son of the king of Lochlann, came to Ireland, and he brought with him a proclamation of many tributes and taxes from his father, and he departed suddenly. Then his younger brother Imar came after him to levy the same tribute.

This source is then clear that Amlaib is the son of Gofraid, king of Lochlann, although the location of "Lochlann" is the subject of some dispute. This word is often translated as "Norway" although Ó Corráin (1998) argues that Lochlann "is Viking Scotland and probably includes Man" at this time and suggests an early date for an organised Kingdom of the Isles.

The Fragmentary Annals record little else about Gofraid's life but report of 873:

Ég righ Lochlainne .i. Gothfraid do tedmaimm grána opond. Sic quod placuit Deo. (The death of the king of Lochlann i.e. Gothfraid of a sudden and horrible fit. So it pleased God.)

However, according to Downham (2007) "none of these details can be relied upon" as "there is no contemporary evidence to support the statement that [Amlaib's] father was called Gofraid" the Fragmentary Annals having been compiled at an uncertain date, possibly as early as the 11th century. Neither is the dating of the Annals definitive. Nonetheless, Ó Corráin (1998) argues of 873 that "this is no chronological impossibility: his sons first appeared in Ireland 25 years before, very likely in their twenties or younger, and we may infer from this that he may have been in his sixties when he died." He also states that "it is likely that the father of Amlaíb (Óláfr) and Ímar (Ívarr) is Gothfraidh (Guðrøðr) and that he is a historical person and dynastic ancestor."