til he reached _Cill Maighnenn_ (Kilmainham). They now blockaded
Dublin, where they remained from St. Ciaran's in harvest (Sept. 9th)
until Christmas Day. Brian was then obliged to raise the siege and
return home for want of provisions.

The storm was now gathering in earnest, and the most active preparations
were made on both sides for a mighty and decisive conflict. The Danes
had already obtained possession of England, a country which had always
been united in its resistance to their power, a country numerically
superior to Ireland: why should they not hope to conquer, with at least
equal facility, a people who had so many opposing interests, and who
rarely sacrificed these interests to the common good? Still they must
have had some fear of the result, if we may judge by the magnitude of
their preparations. They despatched ambassadors in all directions to
obtain reinforcements. Brodir, the earl, and Amlaibh, son of the King of
Lochlann, "the two Earls of Cair, and of all the north of Saxon
land,"[220] came at the head of 2,000 men; "and there was not one
villain of that 2,000 who had not polished, strong, triple-plated armour
of refined iron, or of cooling, uncorroding brass, encasing their sides
and bodies from head to foot." Moreover, the said villains "had no
reverence, veneration, or respect, or mercy for God or man, for church
or for sanctuary; they were cruel, ferocious, plundering, hard-hearted,
wonderful Dannarbrians, selling and hiring themselves for gold and
silver, and other treasure as well." Gormflaith was evidently "head
centre" on the occasion; for we find wonderful accounts of her zeal and
efforts in collecting forces. "Other treasure" may possibly be referred
to that lady's heart and hand, of which she appears to have been very
liberal on this occasion. She despatched her son, Sitric, to Siguard,
Earl of the Orkneys, who promised his assistance, but he required the
hand of Gormflaith as payment for his services, and that he should be
made King of Ireland. Sitric gave the required promise, and found, on
his return to Dublin, that it met with his mother's entire approbation.
She then despatched him to the Isle of Man, where there were two
Vikings, who had thirty ships, and she desired him to obtain their
co-operation "at any price." They were the brothers Ospak and Brodir.
The latter demanded the same conditions as the Earl Siguard, which were
promised quite as readily by Sitric, only he charged the Viki