Sections

Saturday, November 24, 2012

[November 24] Magnus, king of Mann and the Isles

Parents: Óláfr Gu∂rø∂arson, king of the Isles
House: Crovan
Spouse(s): Máire, daughter of Eógain, lord of Argyll
Predecessor: Haraldr
Reign: 1254 – 1265
Brief: The kingship of the Isles was in peril when Magnus succeeded his cousin Haraldr to the Manx throne. Magnus was a member of the Norwegian royal family whose father had been slain by Haraldr, who was the leading contender of a senior line. Deemed a pretender, Haraldr was forced to submit to Harold Hákon of Norway and never returned. Eógan, the lord of Argyll, and Magnus invaded the Isle of Man and fought a short war before retreating to Ireland. The next year, in 1254, the Manx people recognized his right to succeed, and Magnus returned as king. In the 1260s, the Scots sought to buy the Hebrides from Norway, which prompted a vicious war within the Isles. Magnus joined the side of the Norwegians, fighting at numerous battles and commanding a major fleet of ships. The Scots won the battle and prepared to invade Man, an invasion Magnus was unable to repulse. Magnus submitted to Scottish authority and joined the Scots fleet in pillaging the Isles. He retired to his castle the next year and died peacefully at his Rushen Castle. His death ended the rule of Norse-Gaelic rulers in Mann and on the isles. In 1266, the Isles and Mann were passed legally from the Norwegians to the Scots via the Treaty of Perth and the kingship over the islands formally ended.
Date of Death: 24 November 1265
Successor: Godred (as pretender)

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
  • Kotoku, emperor of Japan (654)
  • Bagrat IV, king of Georgia (1072)
  • Ulrika Eleanora, queen of Sweden (1741)
  • Abdullah III, emir of Kuwait (1965)

No comments:

Post a Comment