Labio Castle

The Labio Castle (Castillo de Labio), near Lugo, Spain, is famous in the context of the beginning of the 11th-century Viking nobleman Ulv Galiciefarer fighting against Galician-Leonese king Bermude III.

In 1028^[1] or 1032,^[2] when the political crisis occurred in the context of the struggle between Ferdinand I of Castile and the Galician-Leonese king Bermude III, the Galician troops in rebellion against the Kingdom of León, the Vikings again penetrated the Arousa estuary.

Viking nobleman Ulv Galiciefarer (who entered Spain via Ría de Arousa^[2]) with Galician Count^[3] Rodrigo Romáriz, who was flying the Galician flag against Bermudo III, King of León, together they attacked and conquered the Labio Castle, near Lugo. (Some wrote, Romáriz invited Ulv for the attack^[4]).

The two looted the town of O Grove and the Labio Castle.^[1] It has been told, that "Ulv and his entourage were sowing terror wherever they passed and increasing their booty." Some termed him the "Viking Wolf."^[5]

Some speculate that a reference to "castle of Bermudo" refers to this castle.^[6]

In 2018, a group set out in search of this historic castle.^[7]

References

1. Narvaiz, Silvia Miguens (2010-01-01). Breve historia de los piratas (in Spanish). Ediciones Nowtilus S.L. ISBN 978-84-9763-709-1.^{[permanent dead link‍]} p.136
2. Risco, Vicente (1978). Historia de Galicia (in Spanish). Editorial Galaxia. p.81
3. Catoira, T. Hermida | (2017-01-22). "Hallan en Dinamarca la presunta tumba del vikingo Ulf que asaltó tierras arousanas en el siglo XI". Faro de Vigo. Retrieved 2020-12-29. (in Spanish)
4. Frutos, Pedro de (1981). Leyendas gallegas: De la iniciación al mitogenismo (in Spanish). Tres, Catorce, Diecisiete. ISBN 978-84-85208-20-3. p.81
5. Pontevedra, Diario de (2020-02-25). "Galiza Ulf, el lobo vikingo". Diario de Pontevedra (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-29.
6. Christys, Ann (2015-08-27). Vikings in the South: Voyages to Iberia and the Mediterranean. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4742-1377-6.
7. Lugo, El Progreso de (2018-08-13). "En busca del castillo de Labio". El Progreso de Lugo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-12-29.