Páll Bálkason

Páll, son of Bálki, or Paal Baalkeson,[note 1] was a 13th-century Hebridean lord who was an ally of Olaf the Black, king of Mann and the Isles.Upon refusing to swear his allegiance to Dugald, this Páll, son of Bálki fled to the Isle of Man, where he alerted the king of Somerled's treachery.The two lords then gathered as many men as possible and under the cover of darkness, they brought five ships from the closest point of the shore, which was about two furlongs from the island.At nine o'clock, Olaf and Páll attacked the island with their full force; every one of Godred's men who could not find protection within the grounds of a church were summarily put to death.[6] The chronicle states that he was unable to prevent the mutilation and torture of his nephew on account of Páll's predecessor, Bálki.He is stated to have owned the Skye estates of Sleat, Trotternish, Waternish, and Snizort; as well as Outer Hebridean Harris.[3] It has sometimes been stated that the "Saint Columba's Isle" mentioned to in the Chronicle of Mann, may in fact represent the Inner Hebridean island of Iona, which is known in Scottish Gaelic as Ì Chaluim Chille.Sellar proposed another location, which he considered to be a much more likely candidate for the isle where Olaf and Páll attacked Godred Donn.This island was originally in the middle of Loch Chaluim Chille, located at grid reference NG37706885; though the long was drained in the 18th century.[1][7] The Bannatyne manuscript states that Paal Baccas had a natural son, from whom descended a family that held the island of Berneray and other lands on Harris under the MacLeods.The manuscript names this family as Clan Vic Phaich and states that they prided themselves in their descent from Paal Baccas.Matheson proposed that the MacPhails, originally from the Sand district on North Uist, and those from Carloway on Lewis, derived their surname from Páll.[note 4] Matheson added more weight to his argument by noting that the 17th century Gaelic poet Duncan Macrae of Inverinate, referred within a song to the MacLeod chief Roderick MacLeod of Dunvegan (chief 1693–1699) as éighre Shìol Phàic (the "heir of the seed of Bálki").[note 5] The current consensus is that Matheson could not have been correct in his proposed relationship between Leod and Páll's father; meaning that Macrae of Inverinate's "heir of the seed of Bálki" must have referred to a non-male-line descent.
Eilean Chaluim Chille, on Skye . The (former) island sits in a now drained loch . The island was long associated with a man now considered to be Páll, son of Bálki.
The four relevant pedigrees concerning the ancestry of Leod [ 1 ] (click to enlarge).
Isle of LewisGofraid DonnHebrideanOlaf the BlackMann and the IslesChronicle of MannsheriffW.D.H. SellarGaelickings of ManhermitGodred II of Mann and the IslesSomerledDugaldIsle of ManArdnamurchanKings of MannReginaldKing of Mann and the IslesWilliam of ScotlandBishop of the IslesconcubineFearchar, Earl of RossGodredEarl of RossSaint ColumbacastratedIcelandic AnnalsHaakonking of Norwayking in the HebridesIcelandic sagaHákonar saga HákonarsonarsenachieHarrisTrotternishWaternishSnizortOuter HebrideanNorth Uistnatural soneponymousMacLeodsInner HebrideanPortreeMacNeacailsKilmuir, Skyegrid referenceChaluim ChilleBernerayMacKillopScottish GaelicCarlowaypedigreesmale-lineDuncan Macrae of InverinateAnglicisedPhilipbynameNorwegianOld EnglishOld West NorseSellar, William David HamiltonPaisleyEdinburghInvernesswww.ancestry.comMunch, Peter AndreasDouglasClan MacLeod of Harris and DunveganClan MacLeod of LewisMacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan(MacLeod of MacLeod)TormodMalcolmIain CiarWilliam CleireachIain BorbWilliam DubhAlasdair CrotachSir Rory MorNormanJohn NormanNorman MagnusSir ReginaldDame FloraHugh MagnusTorquilRoderickDunvegan CastleDunscaith CastleChurch of St ClementArdvreck CastleFairy FlagSir Rory Mor's HornDunvegan CupBannatyne manuscriptBattle of HarlawBattle of Bloody BayBattle of GlendaleBattle of the Spoiling DykeBattle of Coire Na CreicheBattle of Tuiteam TarbhachBattle of LeckmelmBattle of CullodenMacLeòidMacLeodMacaulays from LewisMacCrimmon pipers from SkyeHistory of the Outer HebridesHighland ClearancesShip of the PeopleLjótólfrOlvir RostaÞórkell Þórmóðarson