Harald I of the Isle of Man
Encyclopedia
Harald Olafsson was a 13th century King of Mann and the Isles. Haraldr was the son of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of Mann and the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty
of sea-kings. During Haraldr's 12 year reign, the dynasty's island-kingdom
encompassed the Isle of Mann (Mann) and parts of the Hebrides
(including the largest Hebridean islands of Lewis
and Skye
). At various times, Haraldr's predecessors were sometimes vassal
s of the Kings of Norway and those of England.
When he was 14 years old, Haraldr succeeded his father, on the latter's death in 1237. Upon taking power, Haraldr chose to live in the Hebridaen portion of his kingdom, and placed a certain Lochlann as governor of Mann. Hostilities soon broke out on Mann between Lochlann and Hebridean followers of Haraldr. When Haraldr returned to Mann Lochlann fled the island and drowned off the coast of Wales
.
Some years later Haraldr was deposed from Mann by followers of the Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway
, because Haraldr refused to visit Hákon at his court
in Norway. Harald made several unsuccessful attempts to reclaim Mann, before travelled to Norway and made amends with the Hákon. Upon his return to his island-kingdom two years later, Haraldr was warmly received by the Manx people
, and a contemporary chronicle
notes that he peacefully ruled for the rest of his reign. Sometime afterwards, the Norwegian king recalled him to Norway, and had Haraldr marry his daughter Cecilia. While attempting to return to the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles in 1248, the newly-wed's ship was lost at sea, in the perilous tidal race
known as Sumburgh Roost, located south of Shetland. In 1249, Haraldr was succeeded by his brother Rögnvaldr
, who reigned for a only a very short time.
Like his father before him, and his younger brother after him, Haraldr was knighted by Henry III, King of England. Three charter
s from Haraldr's reign are known to scholars. He is also known to have bore a waxen seal which depicted a sailing ship on one side and a lion on the other. The original seal, together with two of his charters, were lost in an 18th century fire which consumed and destroyed much of the Cottonian Library.
of sea-kings who ruled the Isle of Mann (Mann) and parts of the Hebrides
for almost two centuries, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century. Although Óláfr is known to have had two wives, and no contemporaneous source names Haraldr's mother, she may have been Óláfr's second wife—Christina, daughter of Ferchar
, Earl of Ross
. Óláfr died in 1237, whereupon Haraldr succeeded to the kingship. According to the Chronicle of Mann, Haraldr was only 14 at the time, which would place his birth around the time when Óláfr married Christina. The chronicle states that during the first summer of his reign, Haraldr went into the Hebridean portion of his kingdom together with all of his nobles, and appointed his kinsman Lochlann to take control of Mann in his absence.
was held on the island at Tynwald
. The three sons of Niall attended the assembly, along with their followers from the islands, as did Lochlann and his men. The chronicle relates how Lochlann and the sons of Niall bitterly argued at the assembly, before leaving the place with their men whereupon they the opposing side began to battle each other. Lochlann's men prevailed over the Hebrideans, and two of the sons of Niall, Dubgall, and Máel Muire, were slain; as was Haraldr's friend Joseph.
The following spring, the chronicle states that Haraldr landed on Mann, at Ronaldsway
, and during the same day, Lochlann fled to Wales
with all his followers, and a certain Guðrøðr Óláfsson, his own foster-son. The chronicle relates how when Lochlann's ship attempted to make landfall at the Welsh harbour, a great storm arose and drove the ship onto a rocky shore. Lochlann is described as being able to make his way ashore, but upon hearing the cries of his foster-son Guðrøðr, he made his way back in an attempt to save him, but the two perished with about forty others on-board. The identity of Guðrøðr and his father is uncertain. Amongst the names of witnesses within a certain Welsh document, which is thought to date to 1241, is one Guðrøðr who appears in Latin
as Godredo filio regis Mannie ("Guðrøðr, son of the King of Mann"). One possibility is that the two were the same person, meaning that the chronicle was wrong about his death off the Welsh coast.
The next year, the chronicle records that Haraldr "took wholesome and useful counsel
", and travelled to the court of the King of Norway, where he remained for two years. The chronicle states that after two years, the Haraldr came into the favour of his feudal superior, and the Norwegian king formally appointed him as king of all of the islands that he his father, uncle (Rögnvaldr Guðrøðarson), and paternal-grandfather (Guðrøðr Óláfsson) had ruled during their own reigns. The chronicle states that Haraldr arrived back into his island-kingdom in 1242. He is described as first collecting a host of ships in the Hebrides before landing on Mann with a great army. The chronicle records that the Manx people warmly welcomed Haraldr when he landed on St Patrick's Isle
, and that Haraldr thus sent home his host of Hebrideans. The chronicle declares that Haraldr then peacefully ruled his kingdom with a firm alliance with the kingdoms of England
and Scotland
.
(which equates to 27 May 1246).
The Chronicle of Mann records that Haraldr, his wife, Lawrence, and numerous noblemen left Norway and sailed for home. As the ship reached the Shetland shore, a storm arose and all aboard were lost at sea. Icelandic sources specifically located the location of the disaster in Sumburgh Roost, a dangerous tidal race
which lies off Sumburgh Head
, Shetland. Upon Haraldr's death, his brother Rögnvaldr
succeeded as King of Mann and the Isles, and began his short reign on 6 May 1249.
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...
of sea-kings. During Haraldr's 12 year reign, the dynasty's island-kingdom
Kingdom of the Isles
The Kingdom of the Isles comprised the Hebrides, the islands of the Firth of Clyde and the Isle of Man 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 of Orkney and Shetland...
encompassed the Isle of Mann (Mann) and parts of the Hebrides
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...
(including the largest Hebridean islands of Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
and Skye
Skye
Skye 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...
). At various times, Haraldr's predecessors were sometimes vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
s of the Kings of Norway and those of England.
When he was 14 years old, Haraldr succeeded his father, on the latter's death in 1237. Upon taking power, Haraldr chose to live in the Hebridaen portion of his kingdom, and placed a certain Lochlann as governor of Mann. Hostilities soon broke out on Mann between Lochlann and Hebridean followers of Haraldr. When Haraldr returned to Mann Lochlann fled the island and drowned off the coast of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Some years later Haraldr was deposed from Mann by followers of the Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway
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....
, because Haraldr refused to visit Hákon at his court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
in Norway. Harald made several unsuccessful attempts to reclaim Mann, before travelled to Norway and made amends with the Hákon. Upon his return to his island-kingdom two years later, Haraldr was warmly received by the Manx people
Manx people
The Manx are an ethnic group coming from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea in northern Europe. They are often described as a Celtic people, though they have had a mixed background including Norse and English influences....
, and a contemporary chronicle
Chronicle of Mann
The Chronicles of the Kings of Mann and the Isles or Manx Chronicle is a medieval Latin manuscript relating the early history of the Isle of Man....
notes that he peacefully ruled for the rest of his reign. Sometime afterwards, the Norwegian king recalled him to Norway, and had Haraldr marry his daughter Cecilia. While attempting to return to the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles in 1248, the newly-wed's ship was lost at sea, in the perilous tidal race
Tidal race
Tidal race is a natural occurrence whereby a fast moving tide passes through a constriction resulting in the formation of waves, eddies and hazardous currents...
known as Sumburgh Roost, located south of Shetland. In 1249, Haraldr was succeeded by his brother Rögnvaldr
Ragnall V Olafsson
Rögnvaldr Óláfsson was a mid 13th century King of Mann and the Isles. After the death of his brother, Haraldr Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles, in 1248, Rögnvaldr succeeded to the kingship in 1249. His reign was a short one; only weeks after his succession, Rögnvaldr was assassinated in near...
, who reigned for a only a very short time.
Like his father before him, and his younger brother after him, Haraldr was knighted by Henry III, King of England. Three charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s from Haraldr's reign are known to scholars. He is also known to have bore a waxen seal which depicted a sailing ship on one side and a lion on the other. The original seal, together with two of his charters, were lost in an 18th century fire which consumed and destroyed much of the Cottonian Library.
Parentage and succession
Haraldr was the son of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of Mann and the Isles. The father and son were members of the Crovan dynastyCrovan 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...
of sea-kings who ruled the Isle of Mann (Mann) and parts of the Hebrides
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...
for almost two centuries, from the late 11th century to the mid 13th century. Although Óláfr is known to have had two wives, and no contemporaneous source names Haraldr's mother, she may have been Óláfr's second wife—Christina, daughter of Ferchar
Fearchar, Earl of Ross
Fearchar of Ross or Ferchar mac in tSagairt , was the first Mormaer or Earl of Ross we know of from the thirteenth century, whose career brought Ross into the fold of the Scottish kings for the first time, and who is remembered as the founder of the Earldom of Ross.-Origins:The traditional...
, Earl of Ross
Earl of Ross
The Mormaer or Earl of Ross was the leader of a medieval Gaelic lordship in northern Scotland, roughly between the River Oykel and the River Beauly.-Origins and transfers:...
. Óláfr died in 1237, whereupon Haraldr succeeded to the kingship. According to the Chronicle of Mann, Haraldr was only 14 at the time, which would place his birth around the time when Óláfr married Christina. The chronicle states that during the first summer of his reign, Haraldr went into the Hebridean portion of his kingdom together with all of his nobles, and appointed his kinsman Lochlann to take control of Mann in his absence.
Lochlann, the sons of Niall, and Guðrøðr Óláfsson
There may have been some mistrust of Lochlann, since the chronicle states that during the following autumn, Haraldr sent to Mann a certain Joseph who is described as a friend of his, and three sons of certain Niall—Dubgall, Þórkell, and Máel Muire. The men landed on Mann on 23 October, and two days later an assemblyThing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
was held on the island 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...
. The three sons of Niall attended the assembly, along with their followers from the islands, as did Lochlann and his men. The chronicle relates how Lochlann and the sons of Niall bitterly argued at the assembly, before leaving the place with their men whereupon they the opposing side began to battle each other. Lochlann's men prevailed over the Hebrideans, and two of the sons of Niall, Dubgall, and Máel Muire, were slain; as was Haraldr's friend Joseph.
The following spring, the chronicle states that Haraldr landed on Mann, at Ronaldsway
Ronaldsway
Ronaldsway is a place in Malew in the south of the Isle of Man, between the village of Ballasalla and the town of Castletown. It is notable as the location of Isle of Man Airport and historically RNAS Ronaldsway, together with the adjoining customs free zone and industrial estate.Ronaldsway is the...
, and during the same day, Lochlann fled to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
with all his followers, and a certain Guðrøðr Óláfsson, his own foster-son. The chronicle relates how when Lochlann's ship attempted to make landfall at the Welsh harbour, a great storm arose and drove the ship onto a rocky shore. Lochlann is described as being able to make his way ashore, but upon hearing the cries of his foster-son Guðrøðr, he made his way back in an attempt to save him, but the two perished with about forty others on-board. The identity of Guðrøðr and his father is uncertain. Amongst the names of witnesses within a certain Welsh document, which is thought to date to 1241, is one Guðrøðr who appears in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
as Godredo filio regis Mannie ("Guðrøðr, son of the King of Mann"). One possibility is that the two were the same person, meaning that the chronicle was wrong about his death off the Welsh coast.
Norwegian exile
In 1238, the chronicle records that, under the orders of the King of Norway, two men—a certain Gospatric and Gilla Críst mac Muirchertach—landed on Mann and drove Haraldr from island, because Haraldr refused to travel to the court of the Norwegian king. Gospatric and Gilla Críst then took control of the island, taking tribute from the island which was due to the Norwegian king. There is no indication from the chronicle which suggests that Haraldr was also deprived of his holdings in the Hebrides. It may be that Mann was much more valuable than any of the Hebridean portions of the kingdom, and that withholding Mann was considered a sufficient reprimand. The chronicle records that Haraldr made two attempts to return to Mann, however the army of Gospatric and Gilla Críst prevented not only his landing, but also the replenishment of his ships; and in the end, Haraldr was forced to return back to the Hebrides.The next year, the chronicle records that Haraldr "took wholesome and useful counsel
Counsel
A counsel or a counselor gives advice, more particularly in legal matters.-U.K. and Ireland:The legal system in England uses the term counsel as an approximate synonym for a barrister-at-law, and may apply it to mean either a single person who pleads a cause, or collectively, the body of barristers...
", and travelled to the court of the King of Norway, where he remained for two years. The chronicle states that after two years, the Haraldr came into the favour of his feudal superior, and the Norwegian king formally appointed him as king of all of the islands that he his father, uncle (Rögnvaldr Guðrøðarson), and paternal-grandfather (Guðrøðr Óláfsson) had ruled during their own reigns. The chronicle states that Haraldr arrived back into his island-kingdom in 1242. He is described as first collecting a host of ships in the Hebrides before landing on Mann with a great army. The chronicle records that the Manx people warmly welcomed Haraldr when he landed 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 that Haraldr thus sent home his host of Hebrideans. The chronicle declares that Haraldr then peacefully ruled his kingdom with a firm alliance with the kingdoms of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
and Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
.
Knighthood
Like his father before him and his brother Magnús after him, Haraldr is recorded to have been knighted by Henry III, King of England. The Chronicle of Mann dates this to the year 1247. This event may be confirmed by certain letters of safe-conduct, issued by Henry III on 9 January 1246, which order that Haraldr be given safe-passage through England, and was valid until PentecostPentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
(which equates to 27 May 1246).
Seal and charters
The earliest member of the Crovan dynasty who is known to have utilised a seal was Haraldr's paternal-grandfather, Guðrøðr Óláfsson (d. 1187). Haraldr's seal depicted a sailing ship on one side and a lion on the other side. The seal itself and two of Haraldr's charters were lost in the fire that destroyed many of the priceless documents of the Cottonian Library, in October 1731. Fortunately for historians, the seal and two of Haraldr's charters were documented about a century before their destruction by Sir Christopher Hatton (d. 1670), in his Book of Seals.Marriage and death
According to the Chronicle of Mann and the Chronicle of Lanercost, Hakon sent for Haraldr and the latter travelled from the English court to Norway, where he was honourably received their by the Norwegian king, who gave him his daughter in marriage. Icelandic sources state the king's daughter was Cecilia. The chronicle records that Haraldr returned home with much honour and many great gifts.The Chronicle of Mann records that Haraldr, his wife, Lawrence, and numerous noblemen left Norway and sailed for home. As the ship reached the Shetland shore, a storm arose and all aboard were lost at sea. Icelandic sources specifically located the location of the disaster in Sumburgh Roost, a dangerous tidal race
Tidal race
Tidal race is a natural occurrence whereby a fast moving tide passes through a constriction resulting in the formation of waves, eddies and hazardous currents...
which lies off Sumburgh Head
Sumburgh Head
Sumburgh Head is located at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland in northernScotland. The head is a 100 m high rocky spur capped by the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. The Old Norse name was Dunrøstar høfdi, it means "The Head onto the Thunderous Noise", referring to the noise of Sumburgh Roost...
, Shetland. Upon Haraldr's death, his brother Rögnvaldr
Ragnall V Olafsson
Rögnvaldr Óláfsson was a mid 13th century King of Mann and the Isles. After the death of his brother, Haraldr Óláfsson, King of Mann and the Isles, in 1248, Rögnvaldr succeeded to the kingship in 1249. His reign was a short one; only weeks after his succession, Rögnvaldr was assassinated in near...
succeeded as King of Mann and the Isles, and began his short reign on 6 May 1249.