A Brief History Of The Isle Of Man During The Middle Ages
The Isle of Man (also simplu known as Mann) is a relatively small island situated in the Irish Sea, between Ireland and Britain. The Isle of Man was inhabited since ancient times. In the beginning of the 7th century, the Isle of Man was conquered by Edwin of Northumbria (initially the King of the early medieval kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira which united and subsequently formed the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria).
Previously settled by the Celts, this strategically-situated island in the Irish Sea was eventually conquered by the Norse (more specifically the Norwegian Vikings) during the Viking Age (a sub-epoch or sub-era of the large Early Middle Ages) and used by them as a type of ‘pirate cove’ or ‘pirate harbour’ where they docked and assembled their ships for further raids in the region, most notably to Ireland. The Norse invasions of the island started in circa 800 and unfolded until 815 for the goal of plundering (prospering from trade conducted between Ireland and the relatively nearby Scottish islands shortly thereafter). Later on, they settled on the island from 850 to 900. It was also during this period of time that the island became ruled by the Scandinavian Kings of Dublin. Subsequently, the Isle of Man became a part of the Earldom of Orkney which was ruled by Norse jarls (earls).
The flag of the Isle of Man, represented by a triskelion (or a triskele) in the form of three legs and a red background. Image source: www.pixabay.com
The Norse-Gaelic ruler Godred Crovan (King of Dublin) went on to become king over the Isle of Man and the Scottish islands to the north (namely the Inner and Outer Hebrides) which turned into the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles (alternatively known as the Kingdom of the Isles as well) under his reign, starting in 1079. According to Manx legend, he is referred to as King Gorse or Orry. The capital of his kingdom was situated on St. Patrick’s Isle, the island on which Peel Castle was also built (on the site of a former Celtic graveyard). The Isle of Man remained a crown dependency of the medieval Kingdom of Norway and, consequently, under Norwegian suzerainty up until 1266 when the Treaty of Perth was signed and the island was ceded to the Kingdom of Scotland. Then in 1290, the isle fell under the English during Edward I’s reign and remained as such until 1313 when it was captured by Robert I of Scotland (also known as Robert the Bruce), in the wake of a five week-long siege of Castle Rushen.
Heading back to the Viking Age for an additional important contextual information (which can also serve as the conclusion of this brief article), the Scandinavian warriors and navigators known as Vikings left an indelible mark on the history of the island, influencing its political system represented by the Tynwald (the Manx parliament) which has been operating there ever since. Nowadays, the Isle of Man is a crown dependency of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK).
Documentation sources and external links:
- History of the Isle of Man on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- Isle of Man was a pirate island in medieval times, author says on www.bbc.com
- Isle of Man on www.britannica.com
- The History of the Island of Man on www.historic-uk.com
- Isle of Man on www.vikingeskibsmuseet.com
- ‘A Visitor’s Guide To The Medieval Kingdoms Of Man And The Isles, 1066-1275’ on www.manxnationalheritage.im
