Haraldr Guðrøðarson

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Haraldr Guðrøðarson
King of the Isles
Reign1249–1250
PredecessorRǫgnvaldr Óláfsson
SuccessorMagnús Óláfsson
HouseCrovan dynasty
FatherGuðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson

Haraldr Guðrøðarson was a mid thirteenth-century

Mann and portions of the Hebrides, variously known as the Kingdom of the Isles
or the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles.

In the early thirteenth century, Haraldr Guðrøðarson's paternal grandfather, Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, fought over the kingship with his younger half-brother,

Óláfr Guðrøðarson. The kin-strife between the two was continued by their descendants, and in time included Haraldr Guðrøðarson himself. Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson was slain in 1229, whereupon Óláfr took up the kingship. In 1231, Óláfr co-ruled a split kingdom with Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson's son aforesaid son, Guðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson. On the latter's death in the same year, Óláfr ruled the entire kingdom until his own death in 1237, whereupon he was succeeded by his son, Haraldr Óláfsson, who was in turn succeeded by another son of Óláfr, Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson
.

In 1249, Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson was slain by a

Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway, for his seizure of the kingdom. Upon his removal from Mann, Haraldr Guðrøðarson is not heard from again. In his absence, Magnús Óláfsson
, yet another son of Óláfr, unsuccessfully attempted to seize Mann with Hebridean and Norwegian military support. The leadership of the Manx defenders in this action may have been adherents to Haraldr Guðrøðarson's cause. Even so, Magnús returned two years later and succeeded to the kingship, becoming the last of the sea-kings of the Crovan dynasty.

Background

Haraldr Guðrøðarson was a member of the

Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway, and rendered tribute to the latter in recognition of Norwegian overlordship.[2]

Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson and his younger half-brother,

Óláfr Guðrøðarson, warred over the dynasty's island-kingdom in the early thirteenth century, until the former was slain battling Óláfr in 1229. Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson's aforesaid son, Guðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson, took up his father's claim to the throne, and at his height co-ruled the kingdom with Óláfr in 1231. Guðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson was slain in 1231, however, and Óláfr ruled the entire island-kingdom peacefully afterwards until his own death in 1237.[3] Óláfr was succeeded by his son, Haraldr Óláfsson, who later travelled to Norway and married a daughter of Hákon, but lost his life at sea on his return voyage in 1248.[2]

In the year of Haraldr Óláfsson's drowning, two prominent members of Clann Somhairle, Eóghan Mac Dubhghaill, Lord of Argyll, and his second cousin Dubhghall mac Ruaidhrí, travelled to Hákon in Norway and requested the title of king in the Hebrides. Hákon subsequently bestowed the title upon Eóghan, and in 1249, upon learning of Haraldr Óláfsson's death, Hákon sent Eóghan westward to take control of the Hebrides.[4] In May 1249, Haraldr Óláfsson's brother, Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson, formally succeeded to the kingship.[5]

Simplified family tree concerning the patrilineal descendants of Guðrøðr Óláfsson, Haraldr Guðrøðarson's paternal great-grandfather. Except for Ívarr, only kings descended from Guðrøðr Óláfsson are shown.[6]
Guðrøðr (died 1187)
Óláfr
(died 1237)
Guðrøðr (died 1231)Haraldr (died 1248)Rǫgnvaldr (died 1249)Magnús (died 1265)
Haraldr (fl. 1249)

Haraldr Guðrøðarson's ascension

Image a
Image b
Image c
Locations relating to Haraldr Guðrøðarson's life and times. Image a shows the British Isles in relation to Iceland and Norway. Image b illustrates specific locations associated with the Crovan dynasty in England, Ireland, and Scotland. Image c concerns Mann itself.

The thirteenth- to fourteenth-century

Chronicle of Mann records that, on 30 May 1249, Rǫgnvaldr Óláfsson was slain in a meadow near the Church of the Holy Trinity at Rushen, and later buried at the Church of St Mary at Rushen. The chronicle names one of Rǫgnvaldr's killers as a certain knight named Ívarr, and identifies the others as the latter's followers. Immediately following Rǫgnvaldr's death, Haraldr Guðrøðarson makes his first appearance in the chronicle, as it records that he then seized the kingship.[7]

The chronology of events surrounding Rǫgnvaldr's death suggests that Haraldr Guðrøðarson and Ívarr were allies.

élite of some sort.[10] One possibility is that he may have been a member of the Crovan dynasty, and possibly a descendant of Guðrøðr Óláfsson.[11] Certainly, a man of the name is known to have been a son of Guðrøðr Óláfsson,[12] although nothing more is known of him, and it is unlikely that a man born before 1187 would have been active in 1249.[13] The chronicle makes no mention of the knight's ancestry, and this may be evidence that he was not related to the Crovan dynasty in any meaningful way.[13] It is likely that he is identical to the "domino Yuor' de Mann" ("Lord Ívarr of Mann") who is recorded in one of Haraldr Óláfsson's charters of 1246.[5][note 1]

Following Haraldr Guðrøðarson's takeover, the chronicle records that he then drove out all of the chiefs and nobles of the old regime who had been supporters of the deceased Haraldr Óláfsson, and then replaced them with men whom the latter had previously exiled.[15]

An example of the chronicle's bias against the descendants of Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson is one of the two miracle narratives preserved by this source. The story in question is about a miracle attributed to

Clann Domhnaill, and his son, Aonghus Mór.[19]

Henry III, King of England
(image b).

Haraldr Guðrøðarson may have attempted to strengthen his hold on the kingdom by entering into negotiations with Henry;[20] and was, for a time at least, regarded as a legitimate ruler by that English king, as a license of safe-passage granted by him, valid from 28 December 1249 to 29 September 1250, acknowledges Haraldr Guðrøðarson's kingship, and gives him free pass to travel to the English court.[21]

Forced exile

Haraldr Guðrøðarson's reign was not a long one. In 1250, the chronicle records that he was summoned by letter to the Norwegian royal court because Hákon was displeased at how Haraldr Guðrøðarson had wrongfully seized the kingship which was not his by right. The chronicle notes that the Norwegian king intended that Haraldr Guðrøðarson should never return to Mann, and he was consequently kept from returning to the island-kingdom.[22] Nothing further is heard from him.[23]

St. Michael's Isle
across the tidal causeway to mainland Mann.

In the same year, the chronicle records that

King of the Isles" the Manxmen took offence and broke off all dialogue.[28] The chronicle describes how Eóghan had his men form-up on St Michael's Isle,[29] an island that was attached to Mann by a tidal causeway,[26] and that the Manxmen formed-up on the mainland, on the beach opposite the island. When the tide began to recede, the chronicle states that Eóghan and those men closest to him boarded their ships, although much of his force remained stationed on the island. As evening drew near, the chronicle records that an accomplice of Ívarr led an attack upon the island and routed Eóghan's forces there. The next day, the chronicle states that the invading forces left the shores of Mann.[29]

Ívarr's connection to the Manx attack on the invading forces of Eóghan and Magnús may suggest that there was still considerable opposition on Mann by adherents of Haraldr Guðrøðarson to the prospect of Magnús' kingship there.

King of Mann and the Isles until his death in 1265.[33]

Ancestry

Notes

  1. ^ By the thirteenth century, the Latin term dominus increasingly referred to an individual's knightly status.[14]
  2. ^ One of Eóghan's daughters is known to have been married to Magnús,[4] at the time of the latter's death in 1265.[25]
  3. concubine of Rǫgnvaldr's father.[36]
  4. Fearghus, Lord of Galloway. It is most probable that Guðrøðr's mother was Affraic.[37] Ingibjǫrg was likely Óláfr's first wife.[38]

Citations

  1. ^ Sellar (2000) pp. 191–193.
  2. ^ a b McDonald (2007) pp. 151–152.
  3. ^ McNamee (2005).
  4. ^ a b Sellar (2004).
  5. ^ a b c McDonald (2019) p. 70; McDonald (2007) p. 88.
  6. ^ McDonald (2007) p. 27 tab. 1; Power (2005) p. 34; Sellar (2000) p. 192 tab. i; McDonald (1997) p. 259 tab. iii.
  7. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 2, 25, 70; Anderson (1922) pp. 553–554.
  8. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 3, 70, 72; McDonald (2007) p. 88.
  9. ^ McDonald (2019) p. 72.
  10. ^ McDonald (2007) pp. 88, 216–217.
  11. ^ McDonald (2007) p. 88; Williams (1997) p. 260; Munch; Goss (1874) p. 203 n. 45.
  12. ^ McDonald (2007) p. 88; Williams (1997) p. 260.
  13. ^ a b McDonald (2007) p. 88.
  14. ^ McDonald (2019) p. 83 n. 62; Crouch (2005) pp. 112, 127.
  15. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 2, 70; Anderson (1922) pp. 557–558; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 102–103.
  16. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 3–4, 25; McDonald (2007) p. 99.
  17. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 11–12, 25, 47, 51, 53, 70–71; McDonald (2007) p. 99; Woolf (2007) pp. 78–82; Anderson (1922) pp. 566–567; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 102–105.
  18. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 3–4, 71; McDonald (2007) p. 99.
  19. ^ Woolf (2007) pp. 78–79.
  20. ^ Moore (1900) p. 128.
  21. ^ Anderson (1922) p. 567; Moore (1900) p. 128, 128 n. 2; Oliver (1861) pp. 83–84; Rymer; Sanderson; Holmes (1739) pt. 1 p. 159.
  22. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 2, 14, 71, 92; Anderson (1922) p. 567; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 104–105.
  23. ^ McDonald (2019) p. 71; McDonald (2007) pp. 88–89.
  24. ^ McDonald (2019) pp. 2, 71; Anderson (1922) pp. 567–569; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 104–109.
  25. ^ Munch; Goss (1874) p. 206.
  26. ^ a b McDonald (2007) p. 89.
  27. ^ Sellar (2004); Stringer (2004); Brown (2004) p. 81; McDonald (1997) p. 104.
  28. ^ McDonald (2019) p. 2; Anderson (1922) pp. 567–569; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 104–109.
  29. ^ a b Anderson (1922) pp. 567–569; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 104–109.
  30. ^ McDonald (2007) p. 89; Munch; Goss (1874) p. 206 n. 49.
  31. ^ McDonald (2019) p. 71; Anderson (1922) pp. 573, 573 n. 1; Munch; Goss (1874) pp. 108–109.
  32. ^ McDonald (2019) p. 72; Anderson (1922) p. 578.
  33. ^ a b McDonald (2007) pp. 89–90.
  34. ^ a b c Sellar (2000) p. 192.
  35. ^ McDonald (2007) pp. 72–73.
  36. ^ Duffy (2004b).
  37. ^ a b Duffy (2004a).
  38. ^ Anderson (1922) p. 136 n. 2.

References

Primary sources

  • Anderson, AO, ed. (1922). Early Sources of Scottish History, A.D. 500 to 1286. Vol. 2. London: Oliver and Boyd.
  • Manx Society
    .
  • Oliver, JR, ed. (1861). Monumenta de Insula Manniæ; or, A Collection of National Documents Relating to the Isle of Man. Vol. 2. Douglas, IM:
    Manx Society
    .
  • OL 23299419M
    .

Secondary sources

Haraldr Guðrøðarson
Regnal titles
Preceded by
King of the Isles

1249–1250 		Succeeded by

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