I recently learned that one of my 8th great grandfathers in Norway was a Scot who, according to local legend, escaped from the Battle of Kringen, August 26, 1612, in Gubrandsdalen (the valley of Gubrand), Norway. I've been able to find quite a lot of interesting information about the battle. Of around 500 Scottish mercenaries traveling across Norway on their way to be outfitted in Sweden, most were killed, eight were taken captive, and an unknown number escaped. The Scots were under the command of Colonels Ramsay and Sinclair. The former's troops were primarily prisoners from southern Scotland, while the latter's were men from Caithness (mostly Wick). Two of the escapees, one named Walter and the other named Aage (pronounced OH-geh), surnames unknown, made their way to the Trøndelag district near Trondheim where they settled on the north side of the fjord in what is today Rissa (also spelled Rissen and Ritsen), then part of the Stadsbygd parish. I'm descended from Aage, born ca. 1580. The names Walter and Aage (sometimes combined as Walter Aage) have been passed on to many generations of males from this community. The local legend has it that the name Aage is a Norwegian approximation of the original Scottish name which has been written as Ogee. There has been speculation that the name might be a nickname based on a Scottish word indicating the size of the individual. I'm sure there is no surviving roster of the men who served on this mission 400 years back (wouldn't that be great!), but I would be interested in comments on origins of the Ogee/Aage (spelled Åge today) name in Scotland. If it can be identified, is it more common in Caithness than in southern Scotland or vice versa? Is it possible that since the Caithness area had substantial Norse contact and early settlement that the name was one carried over from Old Norse? Many thanks! Dennis http://www.stadsbygd.org

What astounding information!! My family's name, OAG, has always been said in family lore to have had Norse origins. Not to mention blond(e) hair just this side of platinum. i'd love to hear input from othe listers on this topic. Caithness was land-locked from the rest of the isle for so long, comings and goings by sea were virtually exclusive. Laurie in Ontario, Canada. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis L. Haarsager" <dennis@h2a.net> To: <SCT-CAITHNESS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 1:58 AM Subject: Ogee/Aage > I recently learned that one of my 8th great grandfathers in Norway was a > Scot who, according to local legend, escaped from the Battle of Kringen, > August 26, 1612, in Gubrandsdalen (the valley of Gubrand), Norway. I've > been able to find quite a lot of interesting information about the > battle. Of around 500 Scottish mercenaries traveling across Norway on > their way to be outfitted in Sweden, most were killed, eight were taken > captive, and an unknown number escaped. The Scots were under the command > of Colonels Ramsay and Sinclair. The former's troops were primarily > prisoners from southern Scotland, while the latter's were men from > Caithness (mostly Wick). > > Two of the escapees, one named Walter and the other named Aage (pronounced > OH-geh), surnames unknown, made their way to the Trøndelag district near > Trondheim where they settled on the north side of the fjord in what is > today Rissa (also spelled Rissen and Ritsen), then part of the Stadsbygd > parish. I'm descended from Aage, born ca. 1580. The names Walter and Aage > (sometimes combined as Walter Aage) have been passed on to many generations > of males from this community. > > The local legend has it that the name Aage is a Norwegian approximation of > the original Scottish name which has been written as Ogee. There has been > speculation that the name might be a nickname based on a Scottish word > indicating the size of the individual. > > I'm sure there is no surviving roster of the men who served on this mission > 400 years back (wouldn't that be great!), but I would be interested in > comments on origins of the Ogee/Aage (spelled Åge today) name in > Scotland. If it can be identified, is it more common in Caithness than in > southern Scotland or vice versa? Is it possible that since the Caithness > area had substantial Norse contact and early settlement that the name was > one carried over from Old Norse? > > Many thanks! > > Dennis > http://www.stadsbygd.org > >