User:Haydencshaw/sandbox

The eleventh century is one of the most well known periods in medieval history. At the beginning of this notorious hundred years, Leif Eriksson and his expedition of Scandinavian settlers reached Vinland in North America. By 1066, William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, and forever changed the political landscape of the European world. Finally, at the end of the century, Pope Urban II sparked the First Crusade, setting off a chain of events that has lasting repercussions still felt to this day. All in all, there was a lot going on. Unfortunately, this also means that significant events in other parts of the world have not necessarily received the scholarly attention they are due. A perfect example of this is the life of Godred Crovan, a man who most people have probably never heard of. Yet, despite your not having heard of him, Godred was an extremely prominent figure in the Irish Sea region and established a multi-cultural dynasty that lasted two hundred years in the Isle of Man. Therefore, this presentation will do it’s best to illuminate the life of Godred Crovan by examining his obscure origins, brief career as a mercenary, and finally concluding with his conquest and reign over the Isle of Man.

This study begins by looking through the various primary sources that discussed Crovan in any way, shape, or form. Exactly when Godred was born is unknown, but he first steps onto the pages of history around the 1070s, and therefore I expected to find number of primary sources detailing his life. While the early to mid part of the Middle Ages is not exactly known for having a plethora of written primary sources, by the eleventh century there usually exists some source of contemporary knowledge that historians can tap to examine their subjects. This is not exactly the case with Godred. By and large, he is mentioned only briefly in a handful of sources, almost all which were written well after the events of his life took place. This is so much the case, that scholars who study the Isle of Man typically refer to him as “the semi-legendary Godred Crovan.” In the Chronicon Manniae et Insularum, or the Chronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles (also referred to as the Manx Chronicles, the Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys or simply just the Chronicle), Crovan has reached that fictional status of heroes like Aeneas. His name is invoked more often as a symbol of power and legitimacy for his descendants than in any real historical context.

The Chronicle is beyond a doubt the most important primary source on Crovan’s life. It was likely composed at the Rushen Abbey in the mid-thirteenth century and is the only piece of “indigenous contemporary writing from Man in this period.” According to historian R. Andrew McDonald, “the main chronicler has made every effort to be as accurate in detail as he possibly can, and has taken seriously the preparation of his account,” yet, despite this, McDonald also concludes it is “riddled with chronological inaccuracies (particularly in the early entries up to the mid-twelfth century)” which are of primary interest when studying Crovan’s life. So, while the Chronicle is one of the most valuable primary sources available to scholars, it must also be approached with some hesitation, as it was written a few hundred years after the fact and contains many errors in both detail and chronology.

Therefore, to supplement the Chronicle, and to better reflect the multicultural nature of Crovan’s life, primary source from both Scandinavia and Ireland have also been implemented. It should be noted that these sources are extremely brief, the longest entry among them being composed of two chronicler style run-on sentences. The Irish primary sources include the Annals of Ulster, the Annals of Inisfallen, the Annals of the Four Masters, and the Annals of Tigernach. They all largely focus on the last year or so of Godred’s reign and his death, and while they do not illuminate how he ran his kingdom, or any real specific details about the man himself, the Irish sources help shed some light on Godred’s early years. This information is extremely valuable because in the Chronicle there is little solid information about his early life; the man sort of just materializes out of thin air in the aftermath of Stamford Bridge. The exact details of these annals will be discussed a little later once we take start taking a look at Godred’s life.

Finally, the last primary source consulted in this presentation is the Orkneyinga Saga which was believed to been written in the early thirteenth century as well by an unknown Icelandic author. Much like the Chronicle the Orkneyinga Saga must be approached with hesitancy. In addition to being written several hundred years after the fact, sagas are notorious for embellishment and twisting of the truth. Fortunately, the saga is not needed here for any specific detail on Crovan’s life. Instead, the Orkenyinga Saga is valuable because it helps provide important background details about the Irish Sea region during the eleventh century.

So, as mentioned before, the Irish sources, while not being long or overly descriptive, actually provide us with the best clues about Godred’s family ties and career. Sadly, the Chronicle, the primary source one would expect to contain the most information about Godred, contains next to no valid background information. According to Sean Duffy, the historian who has studied Godred the most, “the first detailed Manx entry in their chronicle is a (no doubt highly fictionalized) description of Godred’s conquest of the island.” In this entry, Godred’s full name appears as “Godred Crouan,” however, Duffy argues, this is not a familial name, but instead a nickname that roughly translates into “Godred of the White Hand.” The Irish annals echo this nickname, but in a slightly different fashion. Instead of calling him Crouan or Crovan, they referred to him as meranach which “could be translated as something like ‘Godred of the Fingers.’” So, while the Gaelic and Irish people of Man had different nicknames for Godred, they more or less seem to echo the sentiment that there was something striking about his hands.

Those nicknames provide us a little glimpse into Godred’s reputation and even perhaps some knowledge of his physical appearance, but provide next to nothing about his background. The most important passage in the Chronicle for this purpose occurs shortly after the Battle of Stamford Bridge, which was incorrectly recorded as taking place in 1047 instead of 1066. The Battle of Stamford Bridge, like the Battle of Hastings was a monumental battle that shaped the fate of England. This battle took place between the Anglo-Saxon Harold Godwinson and the Multi-cultural Norse army of Harald III Sigurdsson, also known as Harald Hardrada. The battle culminated in a costly defeat for the Norse, the aftereffects of which played an important role in Godred's later success. The fallout from Stamford will come later though, for now, we return to Godred and his flight from Anglo-Saxon territory. According to the Chronicle, “From that defeat, a certain Godred, called Crouan, son of Harold the Black of Ysland, escaped to Godred, son of Sytric, then King of Man, by whom he was received with honour.” The key part of this passage to focus on is the “son of Harold the Black of Ysland” bit. This passage is important because it provides a starting point for researchers to start examining Godred's familial ties. For the most part, historians agree that Ysland refers to one of three places, Ireland, Iceland, or Islay.

The strongest case is, by far, for Ireland, and this is in large thanks to Irish annals which more often than not are more detailed than Manx contemporary sources. To begin, the Annals of Tigernach refer to Godred as “Gofraid mac mic Arailt rf Atha Cliath (Gofraid son of the son of Harald king of Dublin).” According to Duffy, this likely makes him a son of Imar mac Arailt, also known as Ivar Haraldarson, and nephew to Sigtrygrr Silkbeard. With that in mind, we can reexamine the previously mentioned quote where Godred Crovan took shelter with Godred son of Sytric in a new light. Sytric, is in fact Sigtrygrr Silkbeard, and according to the Irish annals, was then likely Godred’s uncle. Thus, it seems to fit nicely that after facing a harsh defeat at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Crovan fled to Man, where his first-cousin was king.

Unfortunately, after fleeing the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, there is  a blind spot in the history of Godred Crovan. The thirteen years that take place between his arrival on Man and his eventual conquest of the island are a mystery. Logically, one can assume Godred spent most of this time recruiting as many willing warriors as he could from the multicultural Irish Sea region. Godred’s force likely consisted of Scandinavians, Irishmen, Scots, and assuredly men gathered from the other various islands surrounding Man. The reasons why Godred chose to attack in 1079 are unclear, but it may have something to do with the death of Earl Thorfinn of Orkney in a decade or so earlier. Earl Thorfinn was one of the most powerful lords to ever rule over the Orkney islands and according to the Orkenyinga Saga he “obtained possession of eleven Earldoms in Scotland, all the Sudreyar (Hebridies), and a large territory in Ireland.” It is likely that Thorfinn also controlled Man, as Viking sources occasionally lump Man and the Hebridies together, as what they call southern isles. Regardless, after Thorfinn’s death, the saga records that “in those parts which he had conquered by force of arms many considered it very hard to be under his rule, and [after his death] many provinces which he had subdued turned away and sought help from the chiefs who were odal-born to the government of them.” Thus, after the defeat of the Norse at Stamford Bridge, and the death of Earl Thorfinn of Orkeny, there were large gaps of power that could be exploited in the isles.

If this destabilization did not pave the way for Godred enough, in 1075 the last Mac Ragnaill king of Dublin and Man died removing another layer of organized opposition that Godred would normally have had to contend with. Perhaps sensing the time was right, Godred finally attempted to exploit this power vacuum in 1079 and, according to the Chronicle, invaded Man three separate times before he was finally able to successfully take control. Once he did have control, however, we quickly began to see hints Godred had deep connections to the Manx community. For instance, after defeating the Manxmen for the final time, he did not take them prisoner or exile them completely from the island. Instead, in one of the more useful entries, the Chronicle records “Godred, yield[ed] to feelings of mercy, and moved with compassion for their misfortune, for he had been brought up amongst them for some time.” This passage implies Godred’s escape to Man in 1066 was likely not his first visit to the island, and also may suggest that perhaps he spent his younger, more formative years there. It may also explain why immediately after his victory, Godred did not completely displace the local Manx and instead split the island; giving his victorious followers the more profitable southern half, while allowing the local Manxmen to keep the north on the condition that “none of them should ever presume to claim any of the land by hereditary right,” which eventually ensured that Godred’s family would come into control of the entire island.

I think it is important to take a moment here and explain why the Isle of Man was considered so valuable during the Viking Age. During that time, Man was characterized by “raiding, settlement, and also ‘fruitful interaction’ between Scandinavian incomers and [the] Gaelic-speaking natives.” Perhaps the greatest advantage provided by the Isle of Man was its location. According to historian R. A. McDonald, Man “enjoys a strategic position at the center of the northern Irish Sea basin, very near the geographical center of the British Isles, and almost exactly midway between Ireland (about 60 kilometers to the west) and England (about 50 kilometers to the east).” Due to that positioning, Man also sat astride a number of aquatic roadways, including routes that ran between Ireland, south-western Scotland, Cumberland, and parts of north Wales, thus giving it an important position economically. McDonald also claims “It was a distinct society that may seem remote from the ‘centers’ of European society, but its strategic insular location meant it was closely connected with neighboring states. Its rulers were possessed of wide-ranging interregional contacts and were exceptionally receptive to external influences.”

Man’s strategic position was not the only advantage it offered to would be conquerors. “Medieval writers ranging from Icelandic saga authors to Irish bards all celebrated the fertility of the Island, and despite a high proportion of uplands, Man contains much good farmland ideally suited to the grazing of cattle and sheep.” Thus, it is easy to see how Man would be a perfect base for any Irish or Viking lord. In addition to that, as I mentioned beforehand, there is also quite strong evidence that Man has had a multicultural population that may have made it easier for Hiberno-Norse kings like Godred to control the island. R. A. McDonald refers to man as a “cultural crossroads in the late Norse period,” and hints of this can be seen in grave goods from burials all over the Island.

The earliest of these burials include goods that are of “Irish-Sea type (shield-mounts, a ring-headed pin and bridle mounts),” and “of Anglo-Saxon origin (stirrups and spur-mounts).” Much like in other small islands visited by Scandinavian invaders, “the native inhabitants may initially have been overwhelmed, but inscriptional evidence shows them soon living alongside each other.” More support for this claim can be seen by examining sculpted stones on Man from the Viking Age. Of 100, “about a third bear runic inscriptions in Old West Norse characters. Embellished with ornament basically of Scandinavian origin, they also show traits of contemporary north English, and even Scottish and Irish, taste.” Finally, there are numerous Scandinavian place names to be found throughout the Isle.

According to historian Gillian Fellows-Jensen, several Manx towns ending in -by “seem to have been coined by settlers of Danish or Danelaw origin,” but also that “a few of the names in Man, for example Man, for example Jurby (from djuraby ‘deer farm’) and Sulby (from sulaby ‘farm in or by a cleft or fork’), show from their early recordings and their linguistic development that they must have been subject to Gaelic influence in the tenth or eleventh century.” Fellows-Jensen also believes some of these settlers “may have been recruited there by Godred, Crovan,” as most of these place names occur in the south where Godred settled his victorious warriors. Altogether, the various goods, graves, and place names that dot the Isle of Man help prove that the Island was a cultural mixing place during the Viking Age.

One guess scholars have made as to why Man has such a multicultural population is that Man may also have served as a place of refuge for exiled Vikings long before Godred’s visit in 1066. According to David M. Wilson, “Danish settlers from the Scandinavian Kingdoms of Work and Mercia, who began to settle north-west England towards the end of the ninth century, would have recognized the potential of the Island, while the turmoil caused by the exodus of Scandinavians from Dublin in 902 may have also encouraged Manx settlements.” Wilson claims this is corroborated by the promontory forts that dot the island, stating that “they demonstrate a society some of those whose members lived in defensive positions by the sea – a situation completely different from peaceable farming settlements encountered elsewhere in the Viking regions.”

Despite these fortifications, Godred was far from a defensive monarch and almost immediately set to consolidating his rule from his newfound powerbase in Man. The first challenge to his rule occurred in 1087 when the Mac Ragnaill family launched an assault on the Island of Man in an attempt to wrench it from Godred’s control. The invasion was repulsed. Scholars like Duffy believe this is a significant moment because it signals to Godred that his powerbase is secure. Almost immediately afterward he begins staking his claim to Dublin, “one which is actually based on very solid foundations if, indeed, he was an heir of Sigtryggr Silkbeard.”

As usual, the Manx Chronicle gives us a less than stellar description of what happened next. According to the chronicler, after Godred divided the land between his followers he then “subdued Dublin, and a great part of Leinster, and held the Scots in such subjugation that no one who built a vessel dared to insert more than three bolts.” The deeds described in this entry are as grand as they are vague. Luckily, Irish sources once again come to the rescue here and help corroborate the Manx chronicle’s claims. The most important piece of evidence is that by 1091 the Irish annals report that a “Gofraid mac mic Arailt,” or Godred, son of mac Arailt, is king in Dublin. This entry confirms Godred at least took control of the city itself, yet sadly does not provide any extra details about what surrounding territories he also laid claim to. Logically, we can assume Godred was certainly able to establish direct control over the area surrounding Dublin.

And, as it turns out, Crovan’s decision to expand his reach to Dublin after the conquest of Man was not an original one. According to Sean Duffy, “Ireland and Man had always enjoyed a close link, and there had been perennial if sporadic Irish intrusion into Manx affairs for centuries.” When considered alongside his familial connections to Ireland, it is easy to see how Godred moved so quickly from Man to Dublin. It was the natural next step. Godred may also have formed some personal connections of his own in the city during his younger years, especially when one considers that his family was part of a warband based out of Dublin in 1058. Godred’s also attempted to assert his newfound power in Scotland. R. Andrew McDonald believes that this decision was tactical due to the territories proximity and the close relationship that Man and the Hebrides shared. However, McDonald also concludes that control of the Hebrides was “intermittent and hotly contested,” which may explain why Godred’s influence is less significant in these parts.

Intermittent and hotly contested once again can be used to describe Godred’s rule in Dublin. According to the Annals of Ulster, in 1094 “an army was led by Muirchertach ua Briain to Áth Cliath, and he expelled Gofraidh Méranach from the kingship of the foreigners, and killed Domnall ua Mael Sechlainn, king of Temair.” This entry is corroborated by the Annals of Inisfallen which stated “Great warfare in this year between Ua Briain and Leth Cuinn and Gofraid, king of Áth Cliath. Muirchertach went on a hosting to Áth Cliath, imprisoned Ua Conchobuir Fhailge, and banished Gofraid therefrom.” Interestingly enough, the Manx chronicle was silent about this whole affair. This leaves us in the unfortunate situation of knowing that something momentous has happened, but not knowing exactly how it occurred. Thankfully, scholars like Sean Duffy have done some heavy lifting and managed to piece together a more detailed sketch of how Godred’s short tenure as king of Dublin.

Essentially, it seems that once Godred felt comfortable in Dublin, he laid claim to Leinster. This brought Ua Briain into the conflict and he began to gather together his allies in order to cut short this upstart Manx king and his attempts to consolidate power in Ireland. In 1094, Ua Briain’s army was made up of men from Munster, Osraige, and Leinster before he finally marched on Dublin. There he was met by a “fleet of ninety ships,” led by Godred and his own northern allies. Ua Briain was heavily defeated. Unable to stand against Godred and the power of his levies, Ua Briain and his men retreated for a time. This retreat, however, was no retreat at all, but instead a feint. The moment Godred’s northern allies disbanded and sailed home, Ua Briain attacked once more and this time successfully removed Godred from Dublin, exiling him to Islay.

Godred did not live long after this defeat and according to the Manx chronicle he died less than a year after arriving in Islay. The Annals of Tigernach supported these claims by simply stating that “Godfriadh mac Maic Arailt king of the Normans died.” While we are let down once again by the Manx chronicle here, as one would expect it to be the most detailed source on the subject of their own lords death, the Annals of the Four Masters reveals the most about how Godred died. In the entry for 1095, it discusses how a plague swept across Ireland that year and they claim that “of the same pestilence died also Godfrey Mearanach, lord of the foreigners of Ath-cliath and the islands.” Whether Godred contracted this plague during his time in Dublin, or if the disease jumped ship and traveled with his retreating army to Islay, it is hard to say.

What is not hard to say, however, is that during his lifetime, Godred Crovan was one of the most successful and enterprising kings of the eleventh century. When taken at first glance though, Godred appears to be just a nameless, kingless, penniless man who all of the sudden captures one of the most important trading hubs in the Irish Sea region. When taken at first glance, most scholars and academics skip over men like Godred Crovan. Why waste time with such mythological beings when there so many monumental figures and events to study in the same century?

With a little bit of digging though, one realizes that Godred is anything but unconnected and while the early records of his life have some mystery surrounding him, he is certainly worthy. After all, he used his multi-cultural connections established through his Irish family, Norse allies, and Manx subjects, alongside some fortuitous events outside his control, to make himself king of all Man, and for a short time, the Hebrides and Dublin as well.. From his seat of power in Man he achieved much before overplaying his hand in Leinster which led to his eventual defeat. Despite this loss, despite eventually losing Dublin and the Hebrides, and despite dying of plague on Islay as an exile, Godred Crovan used his multi-cultural connections to the fullest, and established a dynasty that lasted more than a century..

Thank you for listening, my name is Hayden Shaw and I hoped you enjoyed this presentation.