Kingdom of the Isles
Encyclopedia
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
, the islands of the Firth of Clyde
Islands of the Clyde
The Islands of the Firth of Clyde are the fifth largest of the major Scottish island groups after the Inner and Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. They are situated in the Firth of Clyde between Ayrshire and Argyll. There are about forty islands and skerries, of which only six are inhabited and...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norse as the Suðreyjar, or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the Norðreyjar or Northern Isles
Northern Isles
The Northern Isles is a chain of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The climate is cool and temperate and much influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main island groups: Shetland and Orkney...
of Orkney and Shetland. The historical record is not complete and the Kingdom was not a continuous event throughout the entire period. The islands concerned are sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles during this period, although only some of the later rulers claimed that title. At times the rulers were independent of external control although for much of the period they had overlords in Norway, Ireland, England, Scotland or Orkney. At times there also appear to have been competing claims for all or parts of the territory. The islands involved have a total land area of over 8300 square kilometres (3,205 sq mi) and extend for more than 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) from north to south.
Viking influence in the area commenced in the late 8th century, and whilst there is no doubt that the Uí Ímair
Uí Ímair
The Uí Ímair , or Dynasty of Ivar, were an enormous royal and imperial Norse dynasty who ruled Northern England, the Irish Sea region and Kingdom of Dublin, and the western coast of Scotland, including the Hebrides, from the mid 9th century, losing control of the first in the mid 10th, but the rest...
dynasty played a prominent role in this early period, the records for the dates and details of the rulers are speculative until the late 10th century. Hostility between the Kings of the Isles and the rulers of Ireland, and intervention by the crown of Norway (either directly or through their vassals the Earls of Orkney) were recurring themes.
Invasion by Magnus Barelegs
Magnus III of Norway
Magnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...
in the late 11th century resulted in a brief period of direct Norwegian rule over the Kingdom, but soon the descendants of Godred Crovan
Crovan dynasty
The Crovan dynasty, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century, was the ruling family of an insular kingdom known variously in secondary sources as the Kingdom of Mann, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles...
re-asserted a further period of largely independent overlordship as Kings of Mann and the Isles. This came to an end with the emergence of Somerled
Somerled
Somerled was a military and political leader of the Scottish Isles in the 12th century who was known in Gaelic as rí Innse Gall . His father was Gillebride...
, on whose death in 1164 the kingdom was split in two. Just over a century later the islands became part of the Kingdom of Scotland, following the 1266 Treaty of Perth
Treaty of Perth
The Treaty of Perth, 1266, ended military conflict between Norway, under King Magnus VI of Norway, and Scotland, under King Alexander III, over the sovereignty of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man....
.
Geography
- The Isle of Man, located in the Irish SeaIrish SeaThe Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
equidistantly from modern England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. - The islands of the Firth of ClydeFirth of ClydeThe Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
some 140 kilometres (87 mi) to the north, the largest of which are ButeIsle of ButeBute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Formerly part of the county of Buteshire, it now constitutes part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Its resident population was 7,228 in April 2001.-Geography:...
and ArranIsle of ArranArran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
. - The southern Inner HebridesInner HebridesThe Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
to the west and north of the KintyreKintyreKintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...
peninsula, including IslayIslay-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
, JuraJura, ScotlandJura is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, situated adjacent and to the north-east of Islay. Part of the island is designated as a National Scenic Area. Until the twentieth century Jura was dominated - and most of it was eventually owned - by the Campbell clan of Inveraray Castle on Loch...
, MullIsle of MullThe Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
and IonaIonaIona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
. - The Inner Hebrides to the north of ArdnamurchanArdnamurchanArdnamurchan is a peninsula in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, noted for being very unspoilt and undisturbed. Its remoteness is accentuated by the main access route being a single track road for much of its length.-Geography:...
, made up of the Small IslesSmall IslesThe Small Isles are a small archipelago of islands in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. They lie south of Skye and north of Mull and Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point of mainland Scotland.The four main islands are Canna, Rùm, Eigg and Muck...
(including EiggEiggEigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
and RùmRùmRùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
), SkyeSkyeSkye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
, RaasayRaasayRaasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
and their outliers. - The Outer HebridesOuter HebridesThe Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
, aka the "Long Island" to the west, separated from the northern Inner Hebrides by the waters of the Minch.
These islands have a total land area of approximately 8374 square kilometres (3,233 sq mi) of which:
- the Isle of Man is 572 square kilometres (221 sq mi), 7% of the total
- the Islands of the Clyde 574 square kilometres (222 sq mi), 7% of the total
- the Inner Hebrides 4158 square kilometres (1,605 sq mi), 50% of the total and
- the Outer Hebrides 3070 square kilometres (1,185 sq mi), 36% of the total.
Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
in modern Wales may also have been part of the insular Viking world from an early stage.
Orkney is some 180 kilometres (111.8 mi) east north-east of the Outer Hebrides, Shetland is a further 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) further north east and Norway some 300 kilometres (186.4 mi) due east of Shetland. The total distance from the southern tip of the Isle of Man to the Butt of Lewis
Butt of Lewis
The Butt of Lewis is the most northerly point of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The headland, which lies in the North Atlantic, is frequently battered by heavy swells and storms.-Lighthouse:...
, the northern extremity of the Outer Hebrides, is approximately 515 kilometres (320 mi).
Sources
The presence of the monastery on IonaIona Abbey
Iona Abbey is located on the Isle of Iona, just off the Isle of Mull on the West Coast of Scotland. It is one of the oldest and most important religious centres in Western Europe. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland and marks the foundation of a monastic...
led to this part of Scotland
Scotland in the Early Middle Ages
Scotland in the early Middle Ages, between the end of Roman authority in southern and central Britain from around 400 and the rise of the kingdom of Alba in 900, was divided into a series of petty kingdoms. Of these the four most important to emerge were the Picts, the Scots of Dál Riata, the...
being relatively well documented from the mid 6th to the mid 9th century. However, from 849 on, when Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
's relics were removed in the face of Viking incursions, written evidence from local sources all but vanishes for three hundred years. The sources for information about the Hebrides and indeed much of northern Scotland from the 8th to the 11th century are thus almost exclusively Irish, English or Norse. The main Norse text is the Orkneyinga Saga
Orkneyinga saga
The Orkneyinga saga is a historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200...
, which was written in the early 13th century by an unknown Icelandic scribe and should be treated with care. The English and Irish sources are more contemporary, but may have "led to a southern bias in the story", especially as much of the Hebridean archipelago became Norse-speaking during this period. The archaeological record for this period is relatively scant, particularly in comparison with the numerous Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
finds in the area.
Scholarly interpretations of the period "have led to widely divergent reconstructions of Viking Age Scotland" and Barrett (2008) has identified four competing theories, none of which he regards as proved.
It is clear that the word "king", as used by and of the rulers of Norwegian descent in the isles, was not intended to convey sovereign rule (that is, that of a High King
High king
A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of Emperor; compare King of Kings.Rulers who have been termed "high king" include:...
). This is different from the way the word was used in the emerging Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Alba
The name Kingdom of Alba pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900, and of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence...
at the time. It is also important to bear in mind that different kings may have ruled over very different areas and that few of them can be seen as exerting any kind of close control over this "far-flung sea kingdom". Dates should be regarded as approximate throughout.
Early Viking incursions in the Hebrides
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
incursions the southern Hebrides formed part of the Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
kingdom of Dál Riata
Dál Riata
Dál Riata was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western coast of Scotland with some territory on the northeast coast of Ireland...
(or Dalriada). North of Dál Riata the Inner and Outer Hebrides were nominally under Pictish
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
control although the historical record is sparse. According to Ó Corráin (1998) "when and how the Vikings conquered and occupied the Isles is unknown, perhaps unknowable" although from 793 onwards repeated raids by Vikings on the British Isles are recorded. "All the islands of Britain" were devastated in 794 with Iona being sacked in 802 and 806. Various named Viking leaders, who were probably based in Scotland, appear in the Irish annals: Soxulfr in 837, Turges
Turgesius
Turgesius was a Viking chief active in Ireland who is said to have conquered Dublin. It is not at all clear whether the names in the Irish annals represent the Old Norse Thurgestr or Thorgísl...
in 845 and Hákon in 847. Another early reference to the Norse presence in the Irish records is that there was a king of "Viking Scotland" whose heir, Thórir, brought an army to Ireland in 848.
According to the Orkneyinga Saga, about 872 Harald Fairhair
Harald I of Norway
Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...
became King of a united Norway and many of his opponents fled to the islands of Scotland including the Hebrides of the west coast, and the Northern Isles. Harald pursued his enemies and incorporated the Northern Isles into his kingdom in 875 and then, perhaps a little over a decade later, the Hebrides as well. The following year the local Viking chieftains of the Hebrides rebelled. Harald then sent Ketill Flatnose to subdue them. Ketill achieved this quickly but then declared himself an independent "King of the Isles", a title he retained for the rest of his life. Ketill left no successors and there is little record of the succeeding four decades. However, Woolf (2007) suggests that his appearance in the sagas "looks very much like a story created in later days to legitimise Norwegian claims to sovereignty in the region."
In the 9th century the first references to the Gallgáedil
Norse-Gaels
The Norse–Gaels were a people who dominated much of the Irish Sea region, including the Isle of Man, and western Scotland for a part of the Middle Ages; they were of Gaelic and Scandinavian origin and as a whole exhibited a great deal of Gaelic and Norse cultural syncretism...
(i.e. "foreign Gaels") appear. This term was variously used in succeeding centuries to refer to individuals of mixed Scandinavian-Celtic descent and/or culture who became dominant in south-west Scotland, parts of northern England and the isles. Ketill Flatnose is also sometimes equated with Caittil Find
Caittil Find
Caittil Find was the leader of a contingent of Norse-Gaels, recorded as being defeated in battle in 857 CE. Some historians have considered him to be identical to Ketill Flatnose, a prominent Norse sea-king who had strong associations with the Hebrides of Scotland and Olaf the White...
, a reported leader of the Gallgáedil fighting in Ireland in 857, although this connection is far from definite. There are similar problems with the provenance of Gofraid mac Fergusa
Gofraid mac Fergusa
Gofraid mac Fergusa was said to be a ruler in Hebrides and perhaps the Isle of Man in the 9th century. His existence, at least in the form presented in the Irish annals, is questionable....
, the supposed 9th century ruler of the Hebrides and ancestor of Clan Donald
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
.
House of Ímar
In 870 DumbartonDumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain. It overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock which is high.-Iron Age:...
was besieged by Amlaíb Conung
Amlaíb Conung
Amlaíb Conung was a Norse or Norse-Gael leader in Ireland and Scotland in the years after 850. Together with his brothers Ímar and Auisle he appears frequently in the Irish annals....
and Ímar
Uí Ímair
The Uí Ímair , or Dynasty of Ivar, were an enormous royal and imperial Norse dynasty who ruled Northern England, the Irish Sea region and Kingdom of Dublin, and the western coast of Scotland, including the Hebrides, from the mid 9th century, losing control of the first in the mid 10th, but the rest...
, "the two kings of the Northmen", who "returned to Dublin from Britain" the following year with numerous captives. It is therefore likely that Scandinavian hegemony was already significant on the western coasts of Scotland by then. Amlaíb Conung is described as the "son of the king of Lochlainn" in the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland
Fragmentary Annals of Ireland
The Fragmentary Annals of Ireland are a Middle Irish combination of chronicle from various Irish annals and narrative history. They were compiled in the kingdom of Osraige, probably in the lifetime of Donnchad mac Gilla Pátraic , king of Osraige and of king of Leinster.The Fragmentary Annals were...
and Ó Corráin (1998) argues that Lochlainn
Lochlann
Lochlann is a geographical region in Classical Gaelic literature and in the history of Early Medieval Ireland. In the modern Gaelic and Welsh languages it signifies Scandinavia, and more specifically Norway...
"is Viking Scotland and probably includes Man" at this time suggesting an early date for an organised Kingdom of Mann and the Isles. In the same source Amlaíb Conung is also recorded as having gone to the aid of his father Gofraidh who was under assault from Vikings in Lochlainn, circa 872. Gofraidh died in 873 and may have been succeeded by Ímar who also died that year. Amlaíb died in 874. A lament for Áed mac Cináeda, a Pictish king who died in 878, suggests Kintyre may have been lost to his kingdom at that time. The Isle of Man may also have been taken by the Norse in 877 and was certainly held by them by 900. In 902 the Vikings were expelled from Dublin for period of up to a dozen years, and a year later Ímar, the "grandson of Ímar" was killed in battle with the forces of Constantine II
Constantine II of Scotland
Constantine, son of Áed was an early King of Scotland, known then by the Gaelic name Alba. The Kingdom of Alba, a name which first appears in Constantine's lifetime, was in northern Great Britain...
in mainland Scotland. However these events were setbacks for the Norse rather than a definitive moment. Internecine fighting was recorded by the Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster
The Annals of Ulster are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years between AD 431 to AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, under his patron Cathal Óg Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the...
in 914, in which Ragnall ua Ímair
Ragnall ua Ímair
Ragnall was a Norse overlord or emperor of northern Britain, including Northumbria, the entire Irish Sea region including the Isle of Man, south to Waterford and briefly much of the Irish province of Munster, and then returning to Britain, briefly York as distinct from Northumbria at this time...
defeated Bárid mac Oitir in a naval battle off the Isle of Man.
Battle of Brunanburh
The Battle of Brunanburh was an English victory in 937 by the army of Æthelstan, King of England, and his brother Edmund over the combined armies of Olaf III Guthfrithson, the Norse-Gael King of Dublin, Constantine II, King of Scots, and Owen I, King of Strathclyde...
in 937 is the next King of the Isles on record. After the death of Amlaíb mac Gofraid in 941, Amlaíb Cuarán became King of Northumbria and may well also have succeeded Amlaíb mac Gofraid as King of Man. He is recorded as being the Rex plurimarum insularum and he may have been the first King of both Mann and the Western Isles of Scotland although no early source seems to use the appellation "King of Mann and The Isles" with regard to him. His accession to the kingship of the Isles cannot have been much before 941 as he may have been born as late as 926.
Amlaíb was succeeded by Maccus mac Arailt
Maccus mac Arailt
Maccus mac Arailt or Maccus Haraldsson was a Scandinavian or Norse-Gael king. He and his brother Gofraid were active in the lands around the Irish Sea in the 970s and 980s...
, probably his nephew, some four decades later in 980 or 981. Maccus's brother Gofraid mac Arailt
Gofraid mac Arailt
Gofraid mac Arailt , in Old Norse Guðrøðr Haraldsson, was a Scandinavian or Norse-Gael king. He and his brother Maccus were active in the lands around the Irish Sea in the 970s and 980s.-Origins:...
then succeeded him. During their lifetimes these two "sons of Harald" are known to have launched at least two major expeditions against Ireland and the latter is recorded as having won "the battle of Man" in 987. Iona was sacked twice, in 986 and 987, Amlaíb Cuarán's later piety notwithstanding. The Annals of Ulster record Gofraid's death in Dalriada in 989, describing him as "king of Innse Gall" although it is not clear if this was a completely new term or had originally been used earlier, perhaps to refer to Amlaíb Cuarán's island kingdom. The complex geography of western Scotland and the lack of written records makes certainty about the extent and nature of these kingdoms hard to fathom. For example, the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
Chronicle of the Kings of Alba
The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba, or Scottish Chronicle, is a short written chronicle of the Kings of Alba, covering the period from the time of Kenneth MacAlpin until the reign of Kenneth II . W.F...
indicates that almost all these kings who reigned from the mid tenth century to the late eleventh century were buried on Iona. This may mean that Iona and Mull lay either within or close to the emerging kingdom of Scotland. Furthermore, two records in the Annals of Innisfallen hint that the Western Isles may not have been "organised into a kingdom or earldom" at this time but rather that they were "ruled by assemblies of freeholders who regularly elected lawmen to preside over their public affairs".
Earls of Orkney and Kings of Dublin
At this point the Orkneyinga Saga once again becomes the main source of information about the north. In 990 Sigurd the Stout, Earl of Orkney took control of the Hebrides, and placed a jarlEarl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
called Gilli
Gilli (jarl)
Gilli, also known as Gilla, was an early 11th century Norse-Gaelic lord. According to Njáls saga, Gilli was a Hebridean jarl, centred at on the island of Coll, who paid tribute to his brother-in-law, Sigurðr 'the Stout', Jarl of Orkney . Historian Barbara E. Crawford suggested that Gilli must have...
in charge of them. By 1004 the isles' independence had been re-asserted under Gofraid's son Ragnal mac Gofraid, who died in that year. It is possible their rule overlapped, with Gilli's zone of influence to the north and Ragnal's to the south. On Ragnal's death Sigurd re-asserted control, which he held until his death at the Battle of Clontarf
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one rebellious...
after which the islands were held by Håkon Eiriksson
Håkon Eiriksson
Håkon Eiriksson was Earl of Lade and king of Norway as a vassal under Knut the Great.Håkon Eiriksson was from a dynasty of Norwegian rulers in the eastern part of Trondheim, bordering the Trondheimsfjord. He was the son of Eirik Håkonson, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria...
. According to the Welsh text Historia Grufudd vab Kenan Olaf Sigtryggsson
Amlaíb mac Sitriuc
Amlaíb mac Sitriuc was the son of the Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin, Sigtrygg Silkbeard, a member of the Uí Ímair dynasty. His ancestors included Brian Boru, Olaf Cuaran, and Gormflaith, who were influential in medieval Ireland...
is recorded as having been king of a wide variety of places on his death in 1034. These included the Isle of Man, "many of the other islands of Denmark", Galloway, the Rhinns, and Anglesey. Olaf was an Uí Ímair dynast and it is difficult to reconcile his rule with that of the Norwegians who apparently came before and after him according to the sagas. There is also an obscure reference in The Prophecy of Berchán, which hints that King Máel Coluim mac Cináeda
Malcolm II of Scotland
Máel Coluim mac Cináeda , was King of the Scots from 1005 until his death...
of Scotland may have been active in Islay and Arran at about this time, emphasising the potentially fluid nature of Scandinavian, Norse-Gael and Scots influence during this period.
The next recorded ruler is Sigurd the Stout's son Thorfinn the Mighty, who took control circa 1035 until his own death some two decades later. The continuing close alliance of the Isles with Norway is suggested by a record from the Annals of Tigernach
Annals of Tigernach
The Annals of Tigernach is a chronicle probably originating in Clonmacnoise, Ireland. The language is a mixture of Latin and Old and Middle Irish....
for the year 1058: "A fleet was led by the son of the king of Norway, with the Gaill of Orkney, the Hebrides and Dublin, to seize the kingdom of England, but God consented not to this". This monarch of Norway was Magnus Haraldsson
Magnus II of Norway
Magnus II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1066 to 1069, jointly with his brother Olaf Kyrre from 1067.-Background:Magnus was a son of King Harald III of Norway...
, who may have used the death of Thorfinn as an excuse to exert direct rule of Orkney and the Hebrides.
However in the mid 11th century Echmarcach mac Ragnaill
Echmarcach mac Ragnaill
Echmarcach mac Ragnaill was the Gall-Gaidhel King of the Isles, Dublin , and much of Galloway. According to Seán Duffy he was either a grandson or great-grandson of Ivar of Waterford, but an alternative exists. Benjamin Hudson has contended Echmarcach was a grandson of Gofraid mac Arailt...
is said to be the ruler of Man. He was also King of Dublin from 1036–38 and 1046–52 as well as being possibly the King of the Rhinns
Kingdom of the Rhinns
Na Renna, or the Kingdom of the Rhinns, was a Norse-Gaelic lordship which appears in the 11th century records. The Rhinns was a province in medieval Scotland, and comprised, along with Farines, the later county of Wigtown...
in Galloway, suggesting that the overlordship of the Isle of Man and the Hebrides were once again sundered, (although it is possible he ruled over part or all of the Hebrides as well).
Murchad mac Diarmata is then recorded as having control of Mann and Dublin followed by his father Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó
Diarmait mac Mail na mBo
Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó was King of Leinster, and also High King of Ireland .He was one of the most important and significant Kings in Ireland in the pre-Norman era...
, the High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
, who took possession of Mann and the Isles until his death in 1072. Godred Sitricson and his son Fingal Godredson then ruled in Mann at least but the records for the rulers of the Hebrides remain obscure until the arrival of Godred Crovan
Godred Crovan
Godred Crovan was a Norse-Gael ruler of Dublin, and King of Mann and the Isles in the second half of the 11th century. Godred's epithet Crovan may mean "white hand" . In Manx folklore he is known as King Orry.-Ancestry and early life:...
.
Godred Crovan and Irish influence
"Crovan" means "white hand" and Godred may have been a son or nephew of Imar mac Arailt, King of Dublin and by extension a descendant of Amlaíb Cuarán. He was a survivor of Harald Hardraade's defeat at the Battle of Stamford BridgeBattle of Stamford Bridge
The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire in England on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway and the English king's brother Tostig...
in 1066 and fled from there to Man. Little is then heard of him until he succeeded in taking the island from Fingal in 1079, possibly with the help of troops from the Western Isles. The ancestor of many of the succeeding rulers of Mann and the Isles, he also became King of Dublin. However no contemporary source refers either to him or any of his predecessors as "King of Mann and the Isles" as such. He was eventually ousted from Dublin by Muirchertach Ua Briain and fled to Islay, where he died in the plague of 1095. It is not clear the extent to which Ui Briain dominance was now asserted in the islands north of Man, but growing Irish influence in these seas brought a rapid and decisive response from Norway.
List of early rulers of Mann and the Isles
For much of the period from the mid-late 9th century until the mid 11th century Man and the Isles fell within the imperium of the Uí ÍmairUí Ímair
The Uí Ímair , or Dynasty of Ivar, were an enormous royal and imperial Norse dynasty who ruled Northern England, the Irish Sea region and Kingdom of Dublin, and the western coast of Scotland, including the Hebrides, from the mid 9th century, losing control of the first in the mid 10th, but the rest...
(House of Ivar).
Speculative
| Ruler of the Hebrides | Dates | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown father of Thórir | 848 | King of Viking Scotland | |
| Gofraid mac Fergusa Gofraid mac Fergusa Gofraid mac Fergusa was said to be a ruler in Hebrides and perhaps the Isle of Man in the 9th century. His existence, at least in the form presented in the Irish annals, is questionable.... |
d. 853 | Lord of the Hebrides | The Annals of the Four Masters Annals of the Four Masters The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history... calls him toisech Innsi Gall. |
| Gofraidh | pre 872–873 | King of Lochlainn Lochlann Lochlann is a geographical region in Classical Gaelic literature and in the history of Early Medieval Ireland. In the modern Gaelic and Welsh languages it signifies Scandinavia, and more specifically Norway... |
Father of Amlaíb Conung and Ímar |
| Ímar Uí Ímair The Uí Ímair , or Dynasty of Ivar, were an enormous royal and imperial Norse dynasty who ruled Northern England, the Irish Sea region and Kingdom of Dublin, and the western coast of Scotland, including the Hebrides, from the mid 9th century, losing control of the first in the mid 10th, but the rest... |
873 | King of the Norwegian Vikings of the whole of Ireland and Britain | May have succeeded his father briefly |
| Amlaíb Conung Amlaíb Conung Amlaíb Conung was a Norse or Norse-Gael leader in Ireland and Scotland in the years after 850. Together with his brothers Ímar and Auisle he appears frequently in the Irish annals.... |
873 | King of the Northmen/King of the Western Sea | Ímar's brother |
| Ketill Flatnose | c 890–900 | King of the Isles | The earliest written references to Ketill are from the sagas written 200 years or more after his death. Unlikely to have been ruler of Mann. |
| Unknown | c 900–941 | ||
Likely
| Ruler of the Hebrides and Mann | Period of Rule | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amlaíb Cuarán | c. 941?–980 | King of the Isles (and possibly King of Mann) | Amlaíb was later King of Dublin and succeeded Amlaíb mac Gofraid as King of Northumbria in 941 and died on Iona Iona Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats... in 981. |
| Maccus mac Arailt Maccus mac Arailt Maccus mac Arailt or Maccus Haraldsson was a Scandinavian or Norse-Gael king. He and his brother Gofraid were active in the lands around the Irish Sea in the 970s and 980s... |
980–? | King of the Isles | Said to have been "brought under subjection" by Edgar the Peaceful, King of England who died in 975. |
| Gofraid mac Arailt Gofraid mac Arailt Gofraid mac Arailt , in Old Norse Guðrøðr Haraldsson, was a Scandinavian or Norse-Gael king. He and his brother Maccus were active in the lands around the Irish Sea in the 970s and 980s.-Origins:... |
?–989 | King of the Isles | Brother of Maccus mac Arailt |
| Gilli Gilli (jarl) Gilli, also known as Gilla, was an early 11th century Norse-Gaelic lord. According to Njáls saga, Gilli was a Hebridean jarl, centred at on the island of Coll, who paid tribute to his brother-in-law, Sigurðr 'the Stout', Jarl of Orkney . Historian Barbara E. Crawford suggested that Gilli must have... |
990–? | Jarl | Appointed by Sigurd the Stout, Earl of Orkney Earl of Orkney The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse jarl ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness and Sutherland. The Earls were periodically subject to the kings of Norway for the Northern Isles, and later also to the kings of Alba for those parts of their territory in mainland Scotland . The Earl's... & Mormaer of Caithness. Sigurd himself was a vassal of the King of Norway |
| Ragnall mac Gofraid Ragnall mac Gofraid Ragnall mac Gofraid was a Norse-Gael King of the Isles of Scotland during the early eleventh century. Ragnall's Norse name was Røgnvaldr Guðrøðsson and he was titled rí na nInnsi meaning that he ruled over the Hebrides. It is also possible his territory included the Isle of Man... |
?–1005 | King of the Isles | Son of Gofraid mac Arailt |
| Sigurd the Stout | 1005–1014 | Earl of Orkney & Mormaer of Caithness | Vassal of the King of Norway |
| Unknown | 1015 | Possible "collapse of the earls' control in the west" following Clontarf. | |
| Håkon Eiriksson Håkon Eiriksson Håkon Eiriksson was Earl of Lade and king of Norway as a vassal under Knut the Great.Håkon Eiriksson was from a dynasty of Norwegian rulers in the eastern part of Trondheim, bordering the Trondheimsfjord. He was the son of Eirik Håkonson, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria... * |
1016–1030 | Ruler of the Suðreyar | Possibly as a vassal of Cnut the Great |
| Olaf Sigtryggsson Amlaíb mac Sitriuc Amlaíb mac Sitriuc was the son of the Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin, Sigtrygg Silkbeard, a member of the Uí Ímair dynasty. His ancestors included Brian Boru, Olaf Cuaran, and Gormflaith, who were influential in medieval Ireland... * |
1030?–1034 | King of Mann and many of the other islands of Denmark | Son of Sitric Silkbeard Sigtrygg Silkbeard Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson was a Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin of the Uí Ímair dynasty... and grandson of Amlaíb Cuarán |
| Thorfinn the Mighty | c 1035–c 1058 | Earl of Orkney & Mormaer of Caithness | Vassal of the King of Norway |
| Echmarcach mac Ragnaill Echmarcach mac Ragnaill Echmarcach mac Ragnaill was the Gall-Gaidhel King of the Isles, Dublin , and much of Galloway. According to Seán Duffy he was either a grandson or great-grandson of Ivar of Waterford, but an alternative exists. Benjamin Hudson has contended Echmarcach was a grandson of Gofraid mac Arailt... * |
1052–1061 | King of Mann | Probably ruler of both Dublin and Mann prior to 1052, when he was expelled from the former by Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó. Possibly son of Ragnal mac Gofraid and thus possibly a King of Innse Gall as well. |
| Murchad mac Diarmata* | 1061–1070 | King of Dublin and Mann? | |
| Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó Diarmait mac Mail na mBo Diarmait mac Maíl na mBó was King of Leinster, and also High King of Ireland .He was one of the most important and significant Kings in Ireland in the pre-Norman era... |
1070–1072 | King of Dublin and the Isles | Father of Murchad, but who ruled after him over Dublin "and, one assumes, Man". |
| Godred Sitricson | ?–1074 | King of Man | |
| Fingal Godredson | 1074–? | King of Man | Son of Godred Sitricson |
| Godred Crovan Godred Crovan Godred Crovan was a Norse-Gael ruler of Dublin, and King of Mann and the Isles in the second half of the 11th century. Godred's epithet Crovan may mean "white hand" . In Manx folklore he is known as King Orry.-Ancestry and early life:... |
1079–1094 | King of Dublin and the Isles | Son of "Harald the Black of Ysland" |
| Possibly Lagmann Godredsson | 1095–1098 | Eldest son of Godred Crovan. Whether Lagmann began his reign before or after Magnus Barelegs's arrival is not known for certain. | |
Early rulers of Mann
The Isle of Man may have fallen under Norse rule in the 870s, and paradoxically they may have brought the Gaelic language with them. The island has produced a more densely distributed Viking-Age archaeology than anywhere else in the British Isles, but the written records for this time period are poor.| Rulers of Mann | Period of Reign | Title(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otir Ottir Iarla Ottir Iarla or Jarl Óttar , also Ottir Dub or Óttar the Black, and in English sources Oter comes or Count Óttar, was a jarl who occupied a prominent position among the Norse of Britain and Ireland in the early 10th century. He is believed to be the founder of the settlement, Loch dá Caech in the... |
912?–914? | Jarl and "Master of the Isle of Man" | Possibly as a vassal of Ragnall ua Ímair. |
| Ragnall ua Ímair Ragnall ua Ímair Ragnall was a Norse overlord or emperor of northern Britain, including Northumbria, the entire Irish Sea region including the Isle of Man, south to Waterford and briefly much of the Irish province of Munster, and then returning to Britain, briefly York as distinct from Northumbria at this time... |
914 to 921? | ? | Defeated Bárid son of Otir in a naval battle off Man in 914. |
| Gothfrith ua Ímair Gofraid ua Ímair Gofraid was a Norse-Gael king of Dublin and, for a short time, king of Northumbria... |
pre 927 to? | Father of Amlaíb | |
| Amlaíb mac Gofraid | pre 935 to 941 | King of Northumbria and possibly King of the Isles | After the death of Athelstan Athelstan of England Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia... in 939, Edmund Edmund I of England Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his... ceded Northumbria Northumbria Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was... to Amlaíb. Married a daughter of Constantine II. |
| Amlaíb Cuarán | 941?–980 | King of Northumbria and King of the Isles | Presumed accession to Mann as he succeeded Amlaíb mac Gofraid as King of Northumbria. See also above. |
There then follows a period when it is likely that the Western Isles and Mann were jointly held by rulers of the House of Ímar (see above). Downham (2007) suggests Lagmann Godredson may have "wielded power in Man" and possibly even have been king but was expelled sometime after 1005, perhaps by Brian Bóruma
Brian Boru
Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, , , was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated...
. This may indicate that the Earls of Orkney did not control Man itself in the early 11th century. Echmarcach mac Ragnaill and his successors certainly did control Mann, but the extent of their rule over the islands of the Clyde and the Hebrides is not clear. Óláfr mac Lagmann (or Lagmainn) is recorded as having been killed at Clontarf in 1014, fighting with "warriors from the Hebrides".
| Rulers of Mann | Period of Rule | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lagmann Godredsson | ?–1005 | "King of the Swedes" | Possibly a son of Gofraid mac Arailt |
| Ottar | d. 1098 | Jarl | Earl of "one half of Man" |
The period 1095–1098 seems to have been politically unsettled, culminating in a Manx civil war between the north and south of the island. A battle at Santwat between the northerners under Jarl Óttar and the southerners under Macmaras (or MacManus) in 1098 resulted in the deaths of both leaders.
Early rulers of the Hebrides
Various rulers are mentioned in the sources as having a role of some kind over unspecified areas.| Rulers of the Hebrides | Date | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gebeachan | 937 | King of the Islands | Died whilst fighting with Amlaíb Cuarán at Brunanburh |
| Conmael mac Gilla Airi | 980 | Tributary King of the Gall | Fought with Amlaíb Cuarán at Tara |
Norse and Uí Briain influence
Perhaps as a result of general disorder in the islands, and to counter Irish influence there, Magnus BarelegsMagnus III of Norway
Magnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...
had re-established direct Norwegian overlordship by 1098. He first took Orkney, the northern Scottish mainland and the Hebrides, where he "dyed his sword red in blood" in the Uists. According to the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
, Magnus had his longship
Longship
Longships were sea vessels made and used by the Vikings from the Nordic countries for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship’s design evolved over many years, beginning in the Stone Age with the invention of the umiak and continuing up to the 9th century with...
dragged across the isthmus north of Kintyre
East Loch Tarbert, Argyll
East Loch Tarbert, Argyll is a small sea loch on the eastern side of the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. It is a part of the much larger Loch Fyne...
in 1093 as part of his campaign. By taking command of his ship's tiller and "sailing" across the isthmus he was able to claim the entire peninsula was an island, and it remained under Norwegian rule for more than a dozen years as a result.
In 1098, Edgar of Scotland
Edgar of Scotland
Edgar or Étgar mac Maíl Choluim , nicknamed Probus, "the Valiant" , was king of Alba from 1097 to 1107...
signed a treaty with Magnus which settled much of the boundary between the Scots and Norwegian claims in the islands. Edgar formally acknowledged the existing situation by giving up his claims to the Hebrides and Kintyre.
A second expedition in 1102 saw incursions into Ireland and the Heimskringla saga reports that he obtained Muirchertach Ua Briain's daughter Blathmin Ní Briain in marriage to his young son, Sigurd
Sigurd I of Norway
Sigurd I Magnusson , also known as Sigurd the Crusader , was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his brother Eystein I of Norway , has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway...
, whom he then left in nominal charge of the isles. This arrangement did not last long. On 23 August 1103 Magnus was killed fighting in Ulster and the 14 year-old Sigurd returned to Norway without his bride. The next king was Lagmann Godredsson, Godred Crovan's son, who was apparently appointed with Sigurd's consent. He successfully fought off a rebellion by his brother Harald and after reigning for seven years he abdicated "repenting that he had put out his brother's eyes" and went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he died.
Lagmann abdicated during his surviving son Olave's minority and either by force, or by the invitation of the nobility of the Isles Domnall mac Taidc Ua Briain (Domnall MacTade), a grandson of Echmarcach mac Ragnaill, became overlord of the isles in 1111. Whatever his route to accession, he proved to be an unpopular tyrant and was expelled by the Islesmen after two years, fleeing to Ireland.
Two years later we read that the King of Norway
Sigurd I of Norway
Sigurd I Magnusson , also known as Sigurd the Crusader , was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his brother Eystein I of Norway , has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway...
had attempted to appoint Ingemund to take possession of the kingdom of the Isles. However, when Ingemund arrived on Lewis he sent messengers to all the chiefs of the Isles to summon them to assemble and declare him king. In the meantime he and his followers spent the time in "plundering and revelling. They violated girls and matrons, and gave themselves up to every species of pleasure amid sensual gratification. When the news reached the chiefs of the Isles, who had already assembled to appoint him king, they were inflamed with great rage, hastened against him, and coming upon him in the night, set fire to the house in which he was, and destroyed, partly by the sword and partly by the flames, Ingemund and all his followers."
The next recorded king was Godred Crovan's son Olave Godredsson, also known as "the Red" to the Highlanders and "Bitling" to the Norwegians, the latter apparently on account of his small size. He had spent time at the court of Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, who may have encouraged his ambitions in an attempt to minimise Ui Briain dominance over the Irish Sea and environs. Olave reigned for forty years, managing to maintain a degree of peace and stability throughout. Nevertheless, the era was not without incident. During his time Oitir Mac mic Oitir
Óttar of Dublin
Óttar of Dublin , in Irish Oitir Mac mic Oitir , was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin. Alternative names used in modern scholarship include: Óttar of the Isles and Óttar Óttarsson.-Life:...
, one of the Hebridean nobles, took Dublin by force and held it for six years before his assassination in 1148. Oitir's son Thorfinn was described as the most powerful of the Hebridean lords in 1150. In 1152 Olave's nephews in Dublin rose against him and attacked Mann, killing him in the process.
Olave's son Godred the Black succeeded him and had his father's killers executed. Shortly thereafter the warring Mac Lochlainn
McLoughlin
McLoughlin is a Gaelic-Irish surname.-Origins:McLoughlin - is the Modern English form of the surnames for two different, but distantly related septs, both of considerable importance to Irish history. 'Mc' is an abbreviation of 'Mac' meaning 'son'/ 'son of'...
clan in Ireland along with "the fleet of Galloway, Arran, Kintyre, Man, and the territories of Scotland" are recorded fighting a naval battle off Inishowen
Inishowen
Inishowen is a peninsula in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. It is also the largest peninsula in all of Ireland. Inishowen is a picturesque location with a rich history...
against the Ui Briain dynasty. During his reign the citizens of Dublin offered him the rule of the city, which he accepted. Then, according to the Manx Chronicle, he inflicted a heavy defeat on his erstwhile Mac Lochlainn allies, following which he and his chieftains returned to the islands, leaving the city to the invading forces of Diarmait Mac Murchada.
Somerled
Godred's dictatorial style appears to have made him very unpopular with the Islesmen and the ensuing conflicts were the beginning of the end for Mann and The Isles as a coherent territory under the rule of a single magnate. The powerful barons of the isles began plotting with an emerging and forceful figure— SomerledSomerled
Somerled was a military and political leader of the Scottish Isles in the 12th century who was known in Gaelic as rí Innse Gall . His father was Gillebride...
, Lord of Argyll
Lord of Argyll
The sovereign or feudal lordship of Argyle was the holding of the senior branch of descendants of king Somhairle, this branch becoming soon known as Clan MacDougallConstruction of the Lordship of Argyll-Lorne essentially started with Donnchad mac Dubgaill....
. Somerled's parental origins are obscure, but it is known that he had married Ragnhildis, daughter of Olave the Red and Godred's half-sister. It is possible that Somerled first found favour with Olave by helping him wrest control of the northern Hebrides from the Earls of Orkney, whose influence had once more spread into the Sudreys. Somerled's popularity led to his son with Ragnhildis, Dubgall
Dubgall mac Somairle
Dubgall mac Somairle was a 12th century Scottish nobleman...
, being heralded throughout the Isles (save Man itself) as a future King of the Isles by "Thorfinn, son of Ottar". When Godred heard of this he engaged Somerled's forces in a naval battle in 1156. There was no clear victor, but it was subsequently agreed that Godred would remain the ruler of Mann, the northern Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides, whilst Somerled's young sons would nominally control the southern Inner Hebrides, Kintyre and the islands of the Clyde under their father's supervision. Two years later Somerled's invasion of the Isle of Man caused Godred to flee to Norway, leaving the former as undisputed ruler of the entire realm.
The Hebrides had been hard to control from a distance since the days of Ketill Flatnose and even in the time of Magnus Barelegs it is likely that de facto control was that of local rulers rather than nominal governance from over the seas. Somerled took this to its ultimate conclusion, declaring himself an independent ruler of the isles and (by tradition) emphasising his Gaelic rather than Norse heritage and claiming descent from the legendary Gofraid mac Fergusa. His power base was in the southern Hebrides and Kintyre and he had, in effect, recreated Dalriada. This prince of Argyll is one of the best known historical figures from the Gàidhealtachd
Gàidhealtachd
The Gàidhealtachd , sometimes known as A' Ghàidhealtachd , usually refers to the Scottish highlands and islands, and especially the Scottish Gaelic culture of the area. The corresponding Irish word Gaeltacht however refers strictly to an Irish speaking area...
of Scotland, and is known in Gaelic as Somairle mac Gille Brigte, although his Norse name, Somarlidi, has the literal meaning of "summer traveller", a common name for a Viking.
Somerled met his death in 1164, possibly assassinated in his tent as he camped near Renfrew
Renfrew
-Local government:The town of Renfrew gave its name to a number of local government areas used at various times:*Renfrew a town to the west of Glasgow*Renfrewshire, the present unitary local council area in which Renfrew is situatated....
during an invasion of the Scottish mainland. At this point Godred re-took possession of his pre 1158 territories and the southern isles were distributed amongst Somerled's sons as previously agreed: Dubgall received Mull, Coll
Coll
Coll is a small island, west of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and for Breachacha Castle.-Geography and geology:...
, Tiree
Tiree
-History:Tiree is known for the 1st century BC Dùn Mòr broch, for the prehistoric carved Ringing Stone and for the birds of the Ceann a' Mhara headland....
and Jura
Jura, Scotland
Jura is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, situated adjacent and to the north-east of Islay. Part of the island is designated as a National Scenic Area. Until the twentieth century Jura was dominated - and most of it was eventually owned - by the Campbell clan of Inveraray Castle on Loch...
; Islay and Kintyre went to Raghnall
Raghnall mac Somhairle
Ragnall mac Somairle, or Ragnall son of Somairle, was a late 12th century and possibly early 13th century magnate, seated on the western seaboard of Scotland. He was likely a younger son of Somairle mac Gilla Brigte, Lord of Argyll and his wife, Ragnhildr, daughter of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of...
; Bute to Aonghas
Áonghas mac Somhairle
Aonghas mac Somhairle was a son of Somerled and Ragnhild, . Aonghas succeeded his father, inheriting lands in Garmoran, Skye, Rum, Eigg, Bute and Arran and became known as Lord of Bute and Arran...
, with Arran possibly divided between him and Reginald. Dugall and Raghnall at least were styled "Kings of the Isles". However, their descendants do not seem to have held this title and The Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys lamented that Somerled's marriage to Ragnhildis "was the cause of the ruin of the whole kingdom of the Isles".
A divided kingdom
Lord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
, with Dubgall giving rise to Clan MacDougall
Clan MacDougall
Clan MacDougall is a Highland Scottish clan consisting of the descendants of Dubgall mac Somairle, son of Somerled, who ruled Lorne and the Isle of Mull in Argyll in the 13th century...
, and Raghnall to Clan Donald and Clan Macruari
Clan Macruari
Clan Macruari was a Scottish clan. The founder of Clan Macruari is Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill, a son of Raghnall mac Somhairle who was a son of Somhairle mac Gillebride. The lands of Clan Macruari were in Bute, Uist, Barra, Eigg, Rùm, and Garmoran....
. Aonghas and his three sons were killed on Skye in 1210. In theory Somerled and his descendents' island territories were subject to Norway and his mainland ones to the Kingdom of Alba
Kingdom of Alba
The name Kingdom of Alba pertains to the Kingdom of Scotland between the deaths of Donald II in 900, and of Alexander III in 1286 which then led indirectly to the Scottish Wars of Independence...
, whilst the Kings of Mann and the north isles were vassals of the Kings of Norway.
However, both during and after Somerled's life the Scottish monarchs sought to take a control of the islands he and his descendants held. Diplomacy having failed to achieve much, in 1249 Alexander II
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
took personal command of a large fleet which sailed from the Firth of Clyde and anchored off the island of Kerrera
Kerrera
Kerrera is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, close to the town of Oban. In 2005 it had a population of about 35 people, and it is linked to the mainland by passenger ferry on the Gallanach Road....
. Alexander became ill and died there, but the action was continued by his successor Alexander III
Alexander III of Scotland
Alexander III was King of Scots from 1249 to his death.-Life:...
. This strategy eventually led to an invasion by Haakon Haakonarson
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
, King of Norway. After the stalemate of the Battle of Largs
Battle of Largs
The Battle of Largs was an engagement fought between the armies of Norway and Scotland near the present-day town of Largs in North Ayrshire on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland on 2 October 1263. It was the most important military engagement of the Scottish-Norwegian War. The Norwegian forces were...
, Haakon retreated to Orkney, where he died in December 1263, entertained on his death bed by recitations of the sagas. Following this ill-fated expedition, the Hebrides and Mann and all rights that the Norwegian crown "had of old therein" were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland as a result of the 1266 Treaty of Perth
Treaty of Perth
The Treaty of Perth, 1266, ended military conflict between Norway, under King Magnus VI of Norway, and Scotland, under King Alexander III, over the sovereignty of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man....
.
In Man, having overcome his usurper brother Ragnald who reigned for a brief time in 1164, Godred the Black resumed his kingship of Mann and the north isles. One his death in 1187, the kingship passed to his eldest son, Raghnall mac Gofraidh, rather than his chosen successor, Olaf the Black (Raghnall's half-brother), who instead became overlord of Lewis. In 1228, Olaf battled Raghnall at Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
and the latter was slain. On 21 May 1237, Olaf died on St Patrick's Isle
St Patrick's Isle
St Patrick's Isle is a small island off the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, largely occupied by Peel Castle and noted for its attractive and relatively well preserved historic castle ruins. These ruins include St Patrick's Church and an Irish-style round tower, St German's Cathedral, and the more...
, and was succeeded by his three sons who all ruled the kingdom in turn: Harald Olafsson (reigned 1237–48), Ragnvald (1248–52), and Magnus Olafsson (1252–65). Magnus, who died in 1265, was the last of the Norse kings to rule Mann, which was absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland.
Kings of Mann and the Isles
| Ruler of the Hebrides & Mann | Period of Reign | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnus Barelegs Magnus III of Norway Magnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:... |
1098–1102 | Direct Norwegian rule Possibly King of the Isles | |
| Sigurd Magnusson Sigurd I of Norway Sigurd I Magnusson , also known as Sigurd the Crusader , was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his brother Eystein I of Norway , has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway... |
1102–1103 | Direct Norwegian rule | Nominal control by under-age son of Magnus Barelegs |
| Lagmann Godredsson | 1103–1110 | Eldest son of Godred Crovan | |
| Domnall mac Taidc Ua Briain | 1111–1112 | Regent during the minority of Olave the Red | Nephew of Muirchertach Ua Briain. Expelled by the Islesmen. |
| Olave the Red | 1112–1152 | Son of Godred Crovan | |
| Godred the Black | 1154–1156 | King of Man and the Isles | Son of Olave the Red. |
| Somerled's sons & Godred the Black | 1156–1158 | Rulers of the southern isles and of Mann and the north isles respectively. | Somerled's sons were Dubgall, Raghnall and Aonghas |
| Somerled Somerled Somerled was a military and political leader of the Scottish Isles in the 12th century who was known in Gaelic as rí Innse Gall . His father was Gillebride... |
1158–1164 | Lord of Argyll | Son-in-law of Olave the Red, his origins are otherwise obscure. |
Kings of Mann and the north isles
| Kings of Mann | Period of Reign | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ragnald | 1164 | Brother of Godred the Black | |
| Godred the Black | 1164–1187 | King of the Isles | Re-instated |
| Raghnall mac Gofraidh | 1188–1226 | King of the Isles | Son of Godred the Black |
| Olaf the Black | 1226–1237 | King of Mann and the Isles | Half-brother of Raghnall mac Gofraidh |
| Harald Olafsson | 1237–1248? | King of Mann and the Isles | Son of Olaf the Black |
| Ragnvald Olafsson | 1249 | King of Mann and the Isles | Son of Olaf the Black, his rule was brief |
| Harald Godredsson | 1249–1250 | King of Mann | Son of Gofraid Donn and grandson of Raghnall mac Gofraidh |
| Magnus Olafsson | 1252–1265? | King of Mann and the Isles | Son of Olaf the Black |
In a precursor to 1263, Norwegian forces invaded in 1230 in response to dynastic struggles amongst Godred the Black's descendants. The Chronicle of Lanercost states that a Norwegian fleet sailed down the west coast of Scotland with Óspakr Ögmundsson, who had been appointed "King of the Suðreyjar" by the King of Norway (and who may have been a son of Dubgall mac Somairle and foster son of "Ögmund"). His forces took Rothesay Castle
Rothesay Castle
Rothesay Castle is a ruined castle in Rothesay, the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in western Scotland. Located at , the castle has been described as "one of the most remarkable in Scotland", for its long history dating back to the beginning of the 13th century, and its unusual circular...
, hacking through the walls with their axes. The Eirspennill
Eirspennill
Eirspennill, also known as AM 47 fol, is a medieval manuscript which contains copies of four sagas: Heimskringla, Sverris saga, Böglunga sögur, and Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar. The manuscript is considered to date to the early 14th century, and a marginal note within states that in the mid 14th...
version of Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar is an Old Norse kings' saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway. The saga was written by the Icelandic historian and chieftain Sturla Þórðarson, in the 1260s...
states that the fleet then sailed to Kintyre where Óspakr fell ill and died. Olaf the Black then took control of the fleet, and led it to the Isle of Man. He and Gofraid Donn
Gofraid Donn
Gofraid mac Ragnaill was a 13th century Hebridean king, who descended from a long line of kings who ruled the Hebrides and the Isle of Man...
, the son of Raghnall mac Gofraidh, divided the kingdom between themselves, with the latter retaining Mann, and the former controlling the northern islands. A short time later Gofraid Donn was slain, possibly on Lewis.
On 30 May 1249, Ragnvald Olafsson was slain in a meadow near the Church of the Holy Trinity at Rushen
Rushen
Rushen , formerly Kirk Christ Rushen , is a parish in the sheading of the same name in the Isle of Man. The parish is a fishing and agricultural district at the south-westernmost point of the island. The parish is one of three in the sheading of Rushen...
by a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
named Ívarr, along with several of the knight's followers. The Chronicle of Lanercost states that he had reigned for only 27 days. Harald Godredsson then seized the kingship, although he was summoned to Norway the following year and effectively dispossessed.
Kings of the south isles
| Rulers of the Hebrides | Period of Reign | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubgall mac Somairle Dubgall mac Somairle Dubgall mac Somairle was a 12th century Scottish nobleman... |
1164–c1175 | King of the Isles | Son of Somerled |
| Raghnall mac Somhairle Raghnall mac Somhairle Ragnall mac Somairle, or Ragnall son of Somairle, was a late 12th century and possibly early 13th century magnate, seated on the western seaboard of Scotland. He was likely a younger son of Somairle mac Gilla Brigte, Lord of Argyll and his wife, Ragnhildr, daughter of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of... |
1164–1207 | King of the Isles | Son of Somerled |
| Donnchadh mac Dubhghaill Donnchadh of Argyll Donnchadh of Argyll or Donnchadh mac Dubhghaill was a late 12th and early 13th century Scottish noble. He was the son of Dubhghall mac Somhairle, son of Somhairle mac Gille Bhrighde... |
? - c.1244? | King of the Sudreys | Son of Dubgall mac Somairle |
| Dubgall "Screech" mac Dubgaill | ? | King of the Sudreys | Son of Dubgall mac Somairle |
| Somairle mac Dubgaill | ? - 1230 | King of the Sudreys | Probably a son of Dubgall mac Somairle |
| Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill was a 13th-century Scottish magnate. The son of Raghnall, son of Somerled, he appears to have spent his career fighting, in both Ireland and in Scotland... |
1207?–1247? | King of the Isles | Son of Raghnall mac Somhairle |
| Eóghan of Argyll Eóghan of Argyll Eóghan MacDubhghaill was a 13th century Scottish nobleman and warrior who was styled "King of the Isles", "Lord of Argyll"... |
1248-1263 | King of the Sudreys | Son of Donnchadh mac Dubhghaill |
| Dubhghall mac Ruaidhri | 1249-1266? | King of the Sudreys | Son of Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill |
The 1780 Anecdotes of Olave the Black (which are based on Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar) state that there were 3 Sudreyan kings all existing at one time who were "of the family of Somerled" and who were "very untrue to King Haco". It is not entirely clear which three kings are being referred to. They include Dubgall "Screech" mac Dubgaill and his brother Donnchadh and either Eóghan of Argyll who "was king afterwards" or possibly an unknown "relation of theirs, called Somerled, [who] was then also a King in the Sudreys". This Somerled, who died in 1230, may have been a brother or cousin of Dubgall and Donnchadh.
Raghnall mac Somhairle's son, Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill
Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill
Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill was a 13th-century Scottish magnate. The son of Raghnall, son of Somerled, he appears to have spent his career fighting, in both Ireland and in Scotland...
may have been the "king of the Isles" who was recorded in the Irish chronicles as having been killed fighting against the English at the Battle of Ballyshannon
Battle of Ballyshannon (1247)
The Battle of Ballyshannon was a battle fought in 1247 between Maurice FitzGerald, Justiciar of Ireland and Melaghlin Ó'Donnell, Lord of Tyrconnell, Kinel-Moen, Inishowen, and Fermanagh, near Ballyshannon, Ireland...
in 1247. Ruaidhri's direct descendents Dubhghall and Ailean
Ailean mac Ruaidhri
Ailean mac Ruaidhri, also known as Alan, was the son of Ruaidhri mac Raghnaill and brother of Dubhghall mac Ruaidhri. He fought on the side of Haakon IV of Norway for control of the Hebrides against other Scottish claimants....
, who ruled Garmoran
Garmoran
Garmoran is an area of western Scotland. It lies at the south-western edge of the present Highland Region. It includes Knoydart, Morar, Moidart, Ardnamurchan, and the Small Isles....
and the Uists
Uist
Uist or The Uists are the central group of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.North Uist and South Uist are linked by causeways running via Benbecula and Grimsay, and the entire group is sometimes known as the Uists....
are generally not given titles by Scottish sources. However the Icelandic Annals recorded for the year 1249 that: "Dubhghall took kingship in the Sudreys." Norse sources also refer to kingship being held by Eóghan of Argyll
Eóghan of Argyll
Eóghan MacDubhghaill was a 13th century Scottish nobleman and warrior who was styled "King of the Isles", "Lord of Argyll"...
, although this was rescinded by King Haakon when he refused to participate in the latter's expeditions against Scotland.
See also
- List of Manx consorts
- Lord of MannLord of MannThe title Lord of Mann is used on the Isle of Man to refer to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the island's Lord Proprietor and head of state.-Relationship with the Crown:The title is not correctly used on its own...
- Kings of Jorvik
- Lords of GallowayLords of GallowayThe Lords, or Kings of Galloway ruled over Galloway, in south west Scotland, for a large part of the High Middle Ages.Many regions of Scotland, including Galloway and Moray, periodically had kings or subkings, similar to those in Ireland during the Middle Ages. The Scottish monarch was seen as...
- Duke of ArgyllDuke of ArgyllDuke of Argyll is a title, created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful, if not the most powerful, noble family in Scotland...