Editing Leod

{{Short description|Founder of Clan MacLoed}}
{{Other uses|Leod (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{infobox person
| name                      = Leod
| birth_date                = {{circa|lk=yes}} 1200
| death_date                = 1280
| resting_place             = [[Iona]] (according to tradition)
| known_for                 = The 1st [[Chief of Clan MacLeod]]
| successor                 = [[Tormod, son of Leod|Tormod]] (son)
| children                  = at least one son (several sons and daughters according to tradition)
| relations                 = [[Foster son]] of [[Páll Bálkason]] (according to tradition)
}}
'''Leod''' ([[Scottish Gaelic]]: '''Leòd'''; [[Old Norse]]: '''Ljótr''') ({{circa|lk=yes}} 1200 – 1280) was the [[eponymous]] ancestor and founder of [[Clan MacLeod]] and [[Clan MacLeod of Lewis]]. Almost nothing is known about him and he does not appear in any contemporary records.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/> Tradition dating to the late 18th century made him a son of [[Olaf the Black]] who was [[King of Man]] (r. 1225–1237).<ref name=dewar>{{cite book |last=Dewar |first=Peter Beauclerk |title=Burke's landed gentry of Great Britain: together with members of the titled and non-titled contemporary establishment |year=2001 |publisher=[[Burke's Peerage & Gentry]] |edition=19, illustrated |isbn=978-0-9711966-0-5| page=941}}</ref> [[Heraldic]] evidence, dating to the late 17th century, is considered to be the earliest evidence of descent from Olaf the Black. However, in recent years, this traditional lineage has been challenged and is no longer considered fact by one historian.<ref name="ref-I1">{{cite web |url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0021/I1.html |title=Leod Olafson (I Chief) |access-date=8 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513073040/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0021/I1.html |archive-date=13 May 2008 }} see "!CAVEAT".</ref>

According to Clan MacLeod tradition, Leod inherited some of his lands from a foster father, who was a sheriff of the [[Hebridean]] island of [[Skye]]; other lands he inherited from his father-in-law, who was also a lord on Skye. MacLeod tradition also states that Leod was the father of four sons and two daughters. Two of these sons founded the two main branches of MacLeods; branches which exist to this day—[[Tormod, son of Leod|Tormod]] (from whom the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan descend) and [[Torquil, son of Murdoch|Torquil]] (from whom the MacLeods of Lewis descend). The traditional belief that Torquil was a son has also been challenged; the current understanding is that he was a great-grandson of Leod.<ref name="ref-I398">{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0016/I398.html |title=Torquil Og Macleod (I of Lewis) |access-date=8 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727052409/http://macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0016/I398.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}</ref> In recent years, the [[Genealogical DNA test#Y chromosome .28Y-DNA.29 testing|DNA]] evidence of men bearing surnames equating to ''MacLeod'' has revealed that a certain proportion share a common ancestor—an ancestor considered to have been the clan's founder.

==Traditional ancestry==
[[File:Arms of "Le sire de bes" from the Armorial de Berry.jpg|right|thumb|150px|The [[coat of arms]] of the MacLeods of [[Isle of Harris|Harris]], recorded in a mid-15th century [[armorial]]. {{#tag:ref|This is the 'MacLeod of Harris and Dunvegan' coat of arms which appears in the mid 15th century [[roll of arms]] ''Armorial de Berry'' (the roll actually lists the arms as those of "Le sire de bes").<ref>{{cite journal |last=Clouston |first=J. Storer |author-link=Storer Clouston |date=1937–1938 |title=The Armorial de Berry. (Scottish Section) |journal=[[Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland]] |volume=72 |url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_072/72_084_114.pdf |pages=84–114|doi=10.9750/PSAS.072.84.114 |s2cid=167008260 }}</ref> The [[blazon]] is: ''[[Azure (heraldry)|azure]], a castle triple-towered [[argent]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldry-scotland.co.uk/Mitchell/berry.html |title=Armorial de Berry |access-date=23 December 2009 |work=heraldry-scotland.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219221642/http://heraldry-scotland.co.uk/Mitchell/berry.html |archive-date=19 February 2009 }}</ref> The castle may represent the [[clan seat|seat]] of the chiefs—[[Dunvegan Castle]], located on [[Skye]].<ref name="ref-Sellar"/> The MacLeods did not add the Manx [[triskelion]] to their arms until hundreds of years after this roll was created.|group=note}}]]
[[File:Coat of Arms of Macleod of Macleod.svg|right|thumb|150px|The present [[Coat of arms|arms]] of [[Chiefs of Clan MacLeod|MacLeod of MacLeod]].]]

According to MacLeod tradition, Leod is the [[eponymous]] ancestor of the [[Scottish clan|clan]]. However, little to nothing is known about this man; he does not appear in any contemporary records.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/> The earliest historical record of a [[Chiefs of Clan MacLeod|MacLeod chief]] occurs almost a century after he is thought to have [[flourished]]—when the names of "Malcolme, son to Tormode M'Cloyde",<ref name=robertson48>{{cite book |last=Robertson |first=William |title=An index, drawn up about the year 1629, of many records of charters, granted by the different sovereigns of Scotland between the years 1309 and 1413, most of which records have been long missing. With an introduction, giving a state, founded on authentic documents still preserved, of the ancient records of Scotland, which were in that kingdom in the year 1292. To which is subjoined, indexes of the persons and places mentioned in those charters, alphabetically arranged |url=https://archive.org/details/indexdrawnupabou00grea |year=1798 |publisher=Printed by Murray & Cochrane |location=[[Edinburgh]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/indexdrawnupabou00grea/page/48 48]}}</ref> and that of "Torkyll M'Cloyd",<ref name=robertson48/> appear in a [[royal charter]] during the reign of [[David II of Scotland|David II]], [[King of Scots]] (r. 1329–1371). Until quite recently, Leod has generally been considered to have been the son of [[Olaf the Black]], [[King of Mann and the Isles]] (r. 1225–1237).<ref name=dewar/>

This traditional ancestry may be traced to the late 17th century when a chief adopted the designation of "McOlaus" and another was the first MacLeod to incorporate the royal Manx arms into MacLeod heraldry. In a document dating to 1630, Iain Mòr MacLeod of Dunvegan (chief 1626–1649) appears as "John McOlaus of [[Dunvegan]]e"—''McOlaus'' representing ''MacOlaf''.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/> This chief's son, Iain Breac (chief 1664–1693), is the first MacLeod to have incorporated the Manx [[triskelion]] into his [[coat of arms]].<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/> The triskelion was borne in the arms of the kings of [[Kingdom of Mann and the Isles|Mann and the Isles]] as far back as the 13th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gov.im/isleofman/facts.xml#coat |title=Flag |access-date=2 January 2010 |work=[[www.gov.im]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510212828/http://www.gov.im/isleofman/facts.xml#coat |archive-date=10 May 2007 }}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The royal arms of the Kingdom of Mann are derived from the [[heraldic emblem|emblem]] of the 10th century Manx dynasty.<ref name="McAndrew">{{cite book |author=McAndrew, Bruce A. |title=Scotland's Historic Heraldry |year=2006 |edition=Illustrated |publisher=Boydell Press |isbn=978-1-84383-261-4 |page=65 }}</ref> These arms appear in several mediaeval armorials, such as the English ''Walford's Roll'',<ref name="McAndrew"/> and ''Camden Roll'',<ref name="Greenstreet">{{cite journal |last1=Greenstreet |first1=James |year=1882 |title=The Original Camden Roll of Arms |journal=Journal of the British Archaeological Association |publisher=[[British Archaeological Association]] |volume=38 |issue=3 |page=312 |doi=10.1080/00681288.1882.11887809 }}</ref> as well as the French ''Wijbergen Roll''.<ref name="McAndrew"/> Within the ''Camden Roll'' they appear illustrated as ''[[gules]], three mailed legs embowed, and conjoined at the thighs, [[argent]]''; the original [[Norman French]] blazon reads "l'escu de gules, a treis iambes armes".<ref name="Greenstreet"/>|group=note}} The earliest known arms borne by the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan (''pictured top-right'') are, however, quite different the royal Manx arms.<ref name="ref-Sellar"/> These earliest MacLeod arms date to the mid-15th century; recorded in a leading European [[armorial]] known as the ''Armorial de Berry''.<ref name="ref-Sellar"/> Accordingly, it has been suggested that these points show that 17th-century belief of a descent from Olaf was not one of long standing.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod">{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/APMacLeod.html |title=The Ancestry of Leod |access-date=8 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727051958/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/APMacLeod.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} This webpage cited: {{cite magazine |last=MacLeod |first=Andrew P. |year=2000 |title=The Ancestry of Leod |magazine=Clan MacLeod Magazine |issue=91 }}</ref><ref name="ref-Sellar"/>

There are various other points which cast serious doubt on Leod's traditional ancestry. In 1265, [[Magnus Olafsson|Magnus, King of Mann]], the last king of this Manx dynasty died. Later in 1275, Magnus's [[illegitimate]] son, Godfrey died while leading a revolt. At least two women later came forward with claims for the kingdom—yet Leod and his sons did not. According to [[W. D. H. Sellar|W.D.H. Sellar]], it is hard to believe that a descendant of the royal line would not have put forward a claim. Another point put forward is that the MacLeods did not adopt the royal names of the 13th century Manx dynasty—names such as ''Godfrey'' ([[Old Norse]]: ''Guðrøðr''; Gaelic: ''[[Gofraid]]''), ''[[Ranald (given name)|Ranald]]'' (Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr''; Gaelic: ''[[Raghnall]]''), ''Olaf'' (Old Norse ''Óláfr''; Gaelic ''Amlaíb''), and ''Harald'' (Old Norse ''Haraldr''; Gaelic ''Aralt'').<ref name="ref-Sellar"/> Sellar illustrated his point by noting the royal names adopted by the descendants of [[Somerled]] (d. 1164) and his wife [[Ragnhildis Olafsdottir|Ragnhild]], daughter of [[Olaf I Godredsson|Olaf the Red]] (grandfather of Olaf the Black).<ref name="ref-Sellar"/>

In the 17th century, [[George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie]] wrote a history of the [[Clan Mackenzie|Mackenzies]], which included a genealogy of the [[Clan MacLeod of Lewis|MacLeods of Lewis]] (from whom he was also descended). Cromartie's genealogy listed Leod as a son of [[Aralt mac Gofraid|Harald]], son of [[Godred Donn]]. Later genealogies, however, made Leod a son of Olaf the Black—genealogies found in Sir [[Robert Douglas of Glenbervie]]'s ''Baronage of Scotland'', of 1798; and the ''[[Bannatyne manuscript (Clan MacLeod)|Bannatyne manuscript]]'', which dates to about 1830.<ref name="Matheson1">{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Matheson1.html |title=The Ancestry of the MacLeods |access-date=16 January 2010 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727052405/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Matheson1.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} This webpage cited: {{cite journal |last=Matheson |first=William |title=The MacLeods of Lewis |journal=Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness |year=1978–80 |volume=51 |location=[[Inverness]] |pages=68–80}}</ref> In the ''Baronage of Scotland'', Glenbervie stated that he had obtained information from the MacLeods of [[Dunvegan]] which was allegedly based upon information found within the mediaeval ''[[Chronicles of Mann]]'' and [[William Camden]]'s 17th century ''Britannia''—however, neither of these two works make any mention of Leod at all. In 1977, historian William Matheson rejected the traditional descent from Olaf the Black on the basis that it is unsupported by any facts whatsoever, and that it is also contradicted by earlier, more authentic, [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic-language]] genealogies.<ref name="Matheson1"/>

===Traditional genealogies reconsidered===
[[File:Leod, relevant pedigrees.svg|thumb|left|The four relevant [[pedigree chart|pedigree]]s concerning the ancestry of Leod<ref name="ref-Sellar"/> (click to enlarge).]]

In recent years, several historians have noted that within the Gaelic-language genealogies and praise-poetry concerning the MacLeods, Leod's great-grandfather's name appears to equate to the Old Norse ''Ölvir'', ''Olvér''; rather than the Old Norse ''Óláfr''.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/><ref name="ONMensNames">{{cite web|url=http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ONMensNames.shtml |title=Old Norse Men's Names |access-date=21 December 2009 |work=vikinganswerlady.com }} This webpage cited: {{cite book |title=The Old Norse Name |series=Studia Marklandica I |last=Haraldsson |first=Geirr Bassi |year=1977 |publisher=[[Markland Medieval Militia]] |location=[[Olney, Maryland]] |page=13 }}; and also {{cite web|url=http://www.sofi.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=1472 |title=Nordiskt runnamnslexikon (Dictionary of Names from Old Norse Runic Inscriptions) |author=Peterson, Lena |publisher=Språk-och folkminnes-institutet (Institute for Dialectology, Onomastics and Folklore Research) |access-date=30 September 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225031159/http://www.sofi.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=1472 |archive-date=25 February 2011 }}; see also {{cite web|url=http://www.sofi.se/images/runor/pdf/lexikon.pdf |title=lexikon |author=Peterson, Lena |access-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518034405/http://www.sofi.se/images/runor/pdf/lexikon.pdf |archive-date=18 May 2011 }}</ref> There are considered to be four significant Gaelic-language genealogies which concern Leod's ancestry. These [[pedigree chart|pedigrees]] roughly agree with one another in the three generations after Leod. The greatest similarity between these genealogies are the names of Leod's great-grandfather, variously spelt ''Oilmoir'', ''Olbair Snaige'', ''Olbuir Snaithe'', and ''Olbair Snoice''.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/> Taking into account variances in spelling, these names are now considered to represent the literary Gaelic ''Olbhar'', and the [[vernacular]] Gaelic ''Olghair''; both which are in turn forms of ''Ölvir''.<ref name="Matheson1"/>

Matheson proposed that when Camden published his ''Britannia'' which included an account of the kings of Mann, [[genealogist]]s saw the [[Latin]] ''Olavus'' (a [[Latin]] form of the Old Norse ''Óláfr'') and concluded that it represented the Gaelic name ''Olbhar'', ''Olghair''. However, the Scottish Gaelic form of ''Olaf'', ''Olavus'', ''Olaus'', ''Óláfr'', is in fact ''[[Amhlaoibh]]'', and the more modern ''[[Amhlaidh]]''. Matheson further proposed that Leod's father's name also equates to ''Ölvir''.<ref name="Matheson1"/> So in Matheson's opinion, genealogists mistakenly attached Leod's father and great-grandfather to the Manx king Olaf the Black and his own grandfather, Olaf the Red.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/> While Matheson's identification of the name of Leod's grandfather is now accepted, Sellar later disagreed with him on the name of Leod's father; proposing instead that it was more likely the Gaelic name ''Gillemuire''—a name which appears on one of the four Gaelic-language genealogies.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/><ref name="ref-Sellar">{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Sellar.html |title=The Ancestry of the MacLeods Reconsidered |access-date=8 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513072921/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Sellar.html |archive-date=13 May 2008 }} This webpage cited: {{cite journal |last=Sellar |first=William David Hamilton |author-link=David Sellar |year=1997–1998 |title=The Ancestry of the MacLeods Reconsidered |journal=Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness |volume=60 |pages=233–258 }}</ref>

[[File:Family tree of Olvir Rosta, and descendants of Moddan.png|thumb|The ancestry and some of the relatives of [[Olvir Rosta]], according to the ''[[Orkneyinga saga]]''.]]

Leod's name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as ''Leòd''. This name is a Gaelic form of the [[Old Norse]] ''Ljótr'',<ref name="Matheson1"/> meaning "ugly".<ref>{{cite book |last=Reaney |first=Percy Hilde |author2=Wilson, Richard Middlewood  |title=A Dictionary of English Surnames |edition=3rd |year=2006 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=London |page=2054 |isbn=0-203-99355-1}}</ref> Matheson stated that this Norse name was rare in both [[Scandinavia]] and [[Iceland]]. He noted that in Scotland it was peculiar to the MacLeods, though it is almost never used within the clan. Matheson speculated that Leod's great-grandfather would have likely flourished at about the same time as [[Olvir Rosta]] was supposedly [[exile]]d to the [[Outer Hebrides]]. Matheson went even further and proposed that Leod's great-grandfather was in fact Olvir Rosta—a character from the mediaeval ''[[Orkneyinga saga]]''.<ref name="ref-Sellar"/><ref name="Matheson1"/> Matheson noted that while the name ''Ljótr'' is rare, Olvir Rosta's maternal grandfather appears in the saga as ''Ljótr níðingr'' ('Ljótr Villain'). In Matheson's opinion, since the Gaelic-language genealogies are inconsistent in the generations further back than Leod's great-grandfather, this may show that the man was a newcomer in the area.<ref name="Matheson1"/> Sellar, however, rejected Matheson's proposal, commenting that such evidence was entirely [[Circumstantial evidence|circumstantial]]. Sellar stated that ''Olvir'' was not such a rare name; also, Olvir Rosta's genealogy and family within the saga (see above right) has no similarity with that recorded in the Gaelic-language genealogies relevant to Leod.<ref name="ref-Sellar"/>

In contrast to Matheson's opinion about the name ''Ljótr'', the 20th-century historian A. Morrison was of the opinion that the name may not be as rare as some people have thought. Morrison noted that the 19th century antiquary [[F. W. L. Thomas|F.W.L. Thomas]] considered another saga character to be an eponymous ancestor of the MacLeods—this character was [[Ljótólfr]], who would have lived on Lewis about a century before Leod's time.<ref name="Morrison"/><ref>{{cite book |editor=Vigfusson, Gudbrand |title=Icelandic sagas and other historical documents relating to the settlements and descents of the Northmen on the British isles |url=https://archive.org/details/icelandicsagasot01stur |year=1887 |location=London |pages=xxxvii–xxxviii |editor-link=Gudbrand Vigfusson }}</ref> Morrison considered it possible that Leod's name could have ultimately originated from that of Ljótólfr's; however, while he considered it possible that Ljótólfr could have been an ancestor of Leod, he did not think it could have been in the male-line.<ref name="Morrison">{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Morrison.html |title=The Origin of Leod |access-date=17 January 2010 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727053820/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Morrison.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} This webpage cited: {{cite book |title=The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod |last=Morrison |first=Alick |year=1986 |publisher=Associated Clan MacLeod Societies |location=[[Edinburgh]] |pages=1–20 }}</ref>

==Leod in clan tradition==

===Clans Mackenzie and Ross===
The first earl of Cromartie's 17th century genealogical account of the MacLeods relates how Leod ("Leodus") was a son of Harald, son of Godred Donn. When the Isle of Man passed into the possession of the Scots, [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]] granted Lewis, Harris, [[Waternish]], and [[Minginish]] to Harald. Leod later succeeded his father to the lands as his father's only son. Cromartie's account also states how Leod's wife was Adama, daughter of [[Fearchar, Earl of Ross]]. However, according to Sellar, there is no record of a son of Harald named ''Leod'', nor is there any record of a daughter of Fearchar named ''Adama''. Sellar also noted that there is no record of the grant of lands by Alexander III. Sellar went so far as to state that Leod's wife, father, and the grant, were nothing but figments of Cromartie's imagination.<ref name="ref-Sellar"/> The manuscript history of the [[Clan Ross|Rosses]] of [[Balnagown]] also notes Leod. This account, according to the 19th-century historian [[W.F. Skene]], is older than that of Cromartie's.<ref name="S1-354355"/> The manuscript states that a [[King of Denmark]] had three sons who came to the north of Scotland—Gwine, Loid, and Leandres. Gwine conquered the [[braes]] of [[Caithness]]; Loid conquered Lewis, and was the progenitor of the MacLeods; and Leandres conquered "Braychat be the sworde".<ref>{{citation |editor=Baillie, W.R. |title=Ane breve cronicle of the earlis of Ross, including notices of The Abbots of Fearn, and of The Family of Ross of Balnagown |year=1850 |location=[[Edinburgh]] |pages=30–31 }}</ref> Skene stated that ''Gwine'' likely was meant to refer to the eponymous ancestor of the [[Clan Gunn]], and that ''Leandres'' refers to the Gilleandres whom "Clan Andres, or old Rosses" took their name.<ref name="S1-354355">{{cite book |author=Skene, William Forbes |author-link=William Forbes Skene |title=Celtic Scotland: a history of Ancient Alban |volume=3 |edition=2nd |year=1899 |location=[[Edinburgh]] |publisher=David Douglas |url=https://archive.org/details/celticscotlandhi03skenuoft |pages=[https://archive.org/details/celticscotlandhi03skenuoft/page/354 354]–355 }}</ref>

===Clan MacLeod===
{{multiple image
| footer   = A photo of the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] of [[Iona Abbey]]. The stone said to represent a [[MacLeod]] is visible on the floor in the middle.<ref name="morrison"/> The illustration on the right is a 19th-century depiction of the stone.
| image1   = Iona Abbey - altar.jpg
| caption1 =
| width1   = {{#expr: (160 * 800 / 534) round 0}}
| image2   = MacLeod tombstone, Iona.jpg
| caption2 =
| width2   = {{#expr: (160 * 197 / 562) round 0}}
}}
According to an account of MacLeod tradition written in 1797 for the clan's chief, Olaf the Black had three sons by his third wife, Christina, daughter of the [[Earl of Ross]]—''Gunn'', from whom descended [[Clan Gunn]]; ''Leandres'', from whom descended Clan Leandres in Ross; and ''Leod''. The tradition goes on to say that Leod was fostered by "Pol, son of Bok", sheriff of [[Skye]]. This Pol then gave Leod [[Harris, Outer Hebrides|Harris]]; later Leod married a daughter of "McCraild Armuinn" and, in consequence, received Dunvegan and all the Skye estates which the MacLeods held in later times.<ref name="MacLeodRC">{{cite book |last=MacLeod |first=Roderick Charles |title=The MacLeods of Dunvegan |url=https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl |year=1927 |publisher=Privately printed for the Clan MacLeod Society |location=[[Edinburgh]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl/page/4 4] }}</ref> In the ''Bannatyne manuscript'', the sheriff is called "Paal Baccas", and is stated to have owned the isle of Harris, as well as the following lands on Skye: [[Sleat]], [[Trotternish]], Waternish, and [[Snizort]]. The manuscript states that he had a [[natural son]], but named Leod his heir.<ref name="MacLeodRC-2426">{{cite book |last=MacLeod |first=Roderick Charles |title=The MacLeods of Dunvegan |url=https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl |year=1927 |publisher=Privately printed for the Clan MacLeod Society |location=[[Edinburgh]] |pages=[https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl/page/24 24]–26 }}</ref> The "Pol, son of Bok" and "Paal Baccas" of MacLeod tradition are considered to be identical with the historical [[Páll, son of Bálki]], who is mentioned within the ''[[Chronicles of Mann]]'' as a loyal ally of Olaf the Black.<ref name="ref-APMacLeod"/> The ''Bannatyne manuscript'' states that Paal Baccas was killed in 1231; after which Leod peacefully succeeded to his possessions.<ref name="MacLeodRC-2426"/>

The ''Bannatyne manuscript'' is the main authority for information on the early chiefs of Clan MacLeod.<ref name="I7">{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0027/I7.html |title=Malcolm Gillecaluim Macleod (III Chief) |access-date=16 January 2010 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727053728/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0027/I7.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} This webpage cited: {{cite book |first1=MacKinnon |last1=Donald |first2=Morrison |last2=Alick |title=The MacLeods: the genealogy of a clan |year=1969 |location=[[Edinburgh]] |publisher=Clan MacLeod Society |pages=10–11 }}; and also {{cite book |title=The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod |last=Morrison |first=Alick |year=1986 |publisher=Associated Clan MacLeod Societies |location=[[Edinburgh]] }}</ref> It states that the first seven chiefs of Clan MacLeod were buried at [[Iona]].<ref name="MacLeodRC-30"/> The [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] of [[Iona Abbey]], for the most part, dates from the early 16th century. Within the centre of the choir there is a large stone which once contained a [[monumental brass]], traditionally said to have been a MacLeod.<ref name="morrison">{{cite book |last=Morrison |first=John |title=Behold Iona |url=https://archive.org/details/beholdionaguides00morruoft |year=1947 |publisher=[[Iona Community]] |location=[[Glasgow]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/beholdionaguides00morruoft/page/14 14] }}</ref> The stone formed a [[Matrix (printing)|matrix]] which at one time contained the [[brass]] inlay (tradition states it was a silver inlay). It is the largest carved stone on the island, measuring {{convert|7|ft|9.25|in|m|2}} by {{convert|3|ft|10|in|m|2}}.<ref name="MacMillan">{{cite book |last=MacMillan |first=Archibald |title=Iona: Its History and Antiquities |url=https://archive.org/details/ionaitshistoryan00macmuoft |year=1898 |publisher=Houlston & Sons |location=London |pages=[https://archive.org/details/ionaitshistoryan00macmuoft/page/82 82]–83 }}</ref> The early 20th-century clan historian R.C. MacLeod speculated that perhaps Leod and five of his successors were buried beneath—however, in his opinion the fourth chief, [[Iain Ciar MacLeod|Iain Ciar]], was buried elsewhere.<ref name="MacLeodRC-30">{{cite book |last=MacLeod |first=Roderick Charles |title=The MacLeods of Dunvegan |url=https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl |year=1927 |publisher=Privately printed for the Clan MacLeod Society |location=[[Edinburgh]] |page=[https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl/page/30 30] }}</ref>{{#tag:ref|Also buried within the tomb, according to tradition, was the [[standard bearer]] of the seventh chief (see [[Fairy Flag]]). MacLeod noted that there was another MacLeod stone on Iona; in his opinion this stone marked the grave of the fourth chief, [[Iain Ciar MacLeod|Iain Ciar]].<ref name="MacLeodRC-30"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0028/I8.html |title=John Iain Ciar Macleod (IV Chief) |access-date=10 January 2010 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924085329/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0028/I8.html |archive-date=24 September 2011 }} This webpage cited: {{cite book |title=MacLeod Chiefs of Harris and Dunvegan |last=MacKinnon |first=Donald |year=1969 |publisher=[[Edinburgh]] |page=11 }}; and also {{cite book |title=The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod |last=Morrison |first=Alick |year=1986 |location=East Kilbride, Scotland }}</ref>|group=note}} In fact, the stone may actually mark the tomb of a [[Clan MacLean|MacLean]], rather than that of a MacLeod.<ref name="Sharpe">{{cite journal |last1=Sharpe |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Sharpe (historian) |year=2012 |title=Iona in 1771: Gaelic tradition and visitors' experience |journal=[[The Innes Review]] |volume=63 |issue=2 |page=186 footnote 77, 253 |publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] |doi=10.3366/inr.2012.0040 }}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The stone is mentioned in the late 17th century by William Sacheverell (c. 1675–1715), who visited Iona in August 1698: "In the middle on a flat stone, the proportion of a Man in Armour engrav'd, which seems very Ancient, and they say was laid there in Honour of one of the Family of Mac-Leon, who were for many Ages Lords of Mull".<ref name="Sharpe"/>|group=note}}

===Issue===
According to MacLeod tradition, Leod had two sons—[[Tormod, son of Leod|Tormod]] and [[Torquil, son of Murdoch|Torquil]]. The tradition is that Tormod was the ancestor of the MacLeods of Harris and Dunvegan (the chiefs of [[Clan MacLeod]]), and Torquil was the ancestor of the [[Clan MacLeod of Lewis|MacLeods of Lewis]]. The ''Bannatyne manuscript'' does not specifically state which son was the elder, and subsequently there has been debate over which branch was more 'senior' in descent. In the late 20th century, Matheson called into question this tradition of brothers, and his work was followed up by other historians. The current view of historians is that the two were not brothers at all; but that Torquil was actually the grandson of Tormod.<ref name="I2">{{cite web |url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0022/I2.html |title=Tormod <nowiki>[</nowiki>Norman<nowiki>]</nowiki> Macleod (II Chief) |access-date=20 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727052526/http://macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0022/I2.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} see "!CAVEAT".</ref>

The ''Bannatyne manuscript'' also names two other sons; however, Matheson considered the manuscript to be of dubious authority, since it is the only source for these names.<ref name="Matheson2">{{cite web|url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Matheson2.html |title=The MacLeods of Lewis |access-date=30 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727052014/http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/Research/Matheson2.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} This webpage cited: {{cite journal |last=Matheson |first=William |title=The MacLeods of Lewis |journal=Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness |year=1978–80 |volume=51 |location=[[Inverness]] |pages=320–337}}</ref> It lists Leod's third son as John, stating that John followed [[Robert the Bruce|Bruce]] to Ireland. The manuscript continues that in Ireland he acquired considerable estates in [[Galway]] and was [[knight]]ed; although he was the principal man of his name there, his descendants were known not as ''MacLeods'', but as ''MacElliots''. The manuscript states that his daughter, and heiress, married Maurice, 2nd [[Lord of Kerry]]. According to MacLeod, the statement about John following Bruce to Ireland is a mistake, since John's daughter couldn't have married later than 1285. Bruce was, however, born in 1275, and did not go to Ireland until 1306. Leod's fourth son is listed by the manuscript as being Olaus. The account states that this Olaus was the reputed ancestor of the MacLewis, or Fullarton family, which originated on the [[Isle of Arran]] and that this family traced its ancestry from Lewis, or MacLoy, son of Olaus, son of Leod.<ref name="MacLeodRC-3133"/>

The manuscript also states that Leod also had two daughters. Again, the manuscript is the only source for the existence of these offspring and does not mention their names.<ref name="I96">{{cite web |url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0043/I96.html |title=<nowiki>[</nowiki>Daughter<nowiki>]</nowiki> Macleod |access-date=20 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org }} This webpage cited: {{cite book |title=The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod |last=Morrison |first=Alick |year=1986 |location=East Kilbride, Scotland |page=29 }}; and also {{cite book |first1=MacKinnon |last1=Donald |first2=Morrison |last2=Alick |title=The MacLeods: the genealogy of a clan |year=1969 |location=[[Edinburgh]] |publisher=Clan MacLeod Society |page=10 }}</ref><ref name="I97">{{cite web |url=http://www.macleodgenealogy.org/ACMS/D0044/I97.html |title=<nowiki>[</nowiki>Daughter<nowiki>]</nowiki> Macleod |access-date=20 December 2009 |work=macleodgenealogy.org }} This webpage cited: {{cite book |title=The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod |last=Morrison |first=Alick |year=1986 |location=East Kilbride, Scotland |page=29 }}; and also {{cite book |first1=MacKinnon |last1=Donald |first2=Morrison |last2=Alick |title=The MacLeods: the genealogy of a clan |year=1969 |location=[[Edinburgh]] |publisher=Clan MacLeod Society |page=10 }}</ref> It states that one of the daughters married Fergus of [[Galloway]]; while the other married John, Lord of [[Isle of Mull|Mull]]. It is unknown who these men could have been.<ref name="MacLeodRC-3133">{{cite book |last=MacLeod |first=Roderick Charles |title=The MacLeods of Dunvegan |url=https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl |year=1927 |publisher=Privately printed for the Clan MacLeod Society |location=[[Edinburgh]] |pages=[https://archive.org/details/macleodsofdunveg00macl/page/31 31]–32 }}</ref><ref name="I96"/><ref name="I97"/>

==DNA and the founder of Clan MacLeod==
In 2011, DNA tests were performed on a sample of 45 men with the surname ''MacLeod''; 47% were found to share a common ancestor in the male line (the remaining 53% of the sample contained 9 different genetic male line lineages). The [[genetic marker]] of the 47%-lineage was found to be the S68 branch of [[Haplogroup R1b (Y-DNA)|Haplogroup R1b]]. This marker is found not only in the Western Isles, but also in [[Orkney]], Shetland, England, Norway, and Sweden. In consequence, the study concluded that the genetic origin of Clan MacLeod likely lies in Scandinavia.<ref>{{citation |last1=Moffat |first1=Alistair |last2=Wilson |first2=James F. |author1-link=Alistair Moffat |title=The Scots: a genetic journey |publisher=[[Birlinn (publisher)|Birlinn]] |year=2011 |pages=191–192 |isbn=978-0-85790-020-3 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Coat of arms of the Isle of Man]], description of the current and past coats of arms of Lords/Kings of Mann
*[[Ljótólfr]], a saga character associated with Lewis and once said to have been the eponymous ancestor of the MacLeods
*[[Léot of Brechin]]
*[[MacLeòid]]

==Notes==
<references group=note/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Good article}}

{{Clan MacLeod}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leod}}
[[Category:1200s births]]
[[Category:1280 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:13th-century Scottish people]]
[[Category:Clan MacLeod Chiefs]]
[[Category:Isle of Skye]]
[[Category:Isle of Lewis]]
[[Category:Norse-Gaels]]
[[Category:Gaelic families of Norse descent]]