Gottfried IV (Isle of Man)

Mention of Godred Crovan in a medieval manuscript

Gottfried IV. (Also Godred Crovan , Guðrøðr or Gofraid Méránach ) († 1095 on Islay ) was a king of Man and the islands . He was the founder of the Crovan dynasty, which ruled Man for nearly two centuries.

origin

Gottfried was of Scandinavian descent, but little is known about his exact origins. According to the Manx Chronicle , he is said to have been his son of Harald the Black from Iceland . Other points suggest that he was a Viking from Ireland. According to an Irish chronicle, he was mac mic Arailt , so he could have been a son or nephew of Ímar mac Arailt († 1054), who had been King of Dublin from 1038 to 1046 . His father, of whom only the year of death 999 is known, was a son of King Óláf Sihtricson (also Amlaíb Cúarán ) († 981). Gottfried is probably identical with that king Goree (also Orry ) who, according to tradition on the Isle of Man, was the founder of the family that ruled the island for almost two centuries. His nickname Crovan probably came from the Gaelic crobh-bhán ( German  white-handed ), while the nickname Méránach was derived from the Irish word méar ( German  finger ).

Conquest of Man

Gottfried is supposed to join the army of the Norwegian King Harald III in 1066 . participated in the Battle of Stamford Bridge . After the defeat of the Norwegians he fled to Man, where the then ruler Murchaid mac Diarmait welcomed him. A few years later, probably around 1079, Gottfried gathered a fleet and an army on the West Scottish islands and made three attacks on Man. In his third attack, he landed at Ramsey Harbor . He could squad beat the inhabitants of the island and occupied the island. Then he cut it in half. He gave the southern part to his followers, while the surviving residents of Man received the northern part.

King of Dublin, War in Ireland and Death

In 1091 Gottfried is mentioned as King of Dublin. According to the Manx Chronicle, he is said to have subdued Dublin and much of Leinster . In addition, he retained control of the West Scottish islands and is said to have driven the Scots out of the waters around the islands. According to the biography of the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Cynan , written in the Middle Ages, this advice sought how the Normans invaded Wales could best be defeated. Thereupon Gruffydd was sent to Gofftried in Man, who put a fleet of 60 long boats at his disposal. In 1094, Muirchertach Ó Briain , the Irish King of Munster , tried to regain control of Dublin. Gottfried received support from Domnall Ua Lochlainn and other chiefs from the northern part of Ireland, and with this help and his own fleet of 90 longboats, he was able to defeat Muirchertach Ó Briain and his allies. After the battle, however, the alliance broke up. Thereupon Ó Briain returned with his army and expelled Gottfried from Dublin. According to Irish information, Gottfried died of the plague in 1095 , according to the Manx Chronicle he died on Islay .

Descendants and inheritance

Godred left three sons:

• Lagman († 1096 or 1097)
• Harald
• Olaf I. (Isle of Man) († 1153)

Lagman mutilated Harald and for a short time succeeded his father as ruler of Man, before he had to give up the rule under pressure from the Norwegian king Magnus Barefoot . He was followed by a brief period of Irish and Norwegian rule before the third son Olaf could take over the rule.

Web links

Commons : Godred Crovan  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Ailbhe Mac Shamhráin: Gofraid Méránach (Dictionary of Irish Biography)
• Seán Duffy: Godred Crovan [Guðrøðr, Gofraid Méránach] (d. 1095). In: Henry Colin Gray Matthew, Brian Harrison (Eds.): Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , from the earliest times to the year 2000 (ODNB). Oxford University Press, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861411-X , ( oxforddnb.com license required ), as of 2004

Individual evidence

1. ^ AW Moore: A History of the Isle of Man . Vol. 1., Fisher Unwin, London 1900, p. 102.

predecessor	Office	successor
Fingal Godfredson	King of Mann around 1079-1095	Lagman