Gormfhlaith

Fuinseog

I have probably botched the spelling, but I am looking for information on Gormfhlaith, the wife of Brian Boru. I came across her name when reading a biography of Brian Boru. I gather she was an important figure in Irish history and Wikipedia has little info. Are there any biographies or articles out there?

dubhthach

The name spelling is correct. Though generally in modern Irish you see it spelt as Gormlaith -- a pity given that you use the meaning of the name (fh = silent)
Gorm = Blue
Flaith = Lord/Lady (Prince/princess)

In middle-Irish which is the relevant linguistic period of time the name was written as Gormflaith

Interesting character that's for sure, sister of Mael Mórdha and mother of both Sitric Silkbeard king of Dublin and Donnchad mac Briain (future king of Munster)

There appers to be an artilce in JSTOR (if you have access, which I don't)
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/30104362?uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=47699018438317

A copy of this also appears to be in the National Library collection:
http://sources.nli.ie/Record/PS_UR_043

goose2005

Make sure it's Gormflaith ingen Murchada, because there are lots of Gormflaiths. Strange that the name seems to have died out.

Fuinseog

thanks for the info. i will check out the above article. I somehow have the feeling she was an important figure in history.

Qualitymark

Have a read of Njal's Saga, which has an account of the Battle of Clontarf, and totally blames the poor woman for the row. (A Woman's Place is In the Wrong.)