This Palgrave Pivot explores the representation of sea kings, sinners, and saints in the mid-thirteenth centuryChronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles, the single most important text for the history of the kingdoms of Man and the Isles, c.1066-1300. The focus of theChronicles on the power struggles, plots and intrigues within the ruling dynasties of Man and the Isles offers an impressive array of heroes and villains. The depiction of the activities of heroic sea kings like Godred Crovan, tyrannical usurpers like Harald son of Godred Don, and their concubines and wives, as well as local heroes like Saint Maughold, raises important questions concerning the dynamic interactions of power, gender and historical writing in the medieval Kingdoms of Man and the Isles, and provide new insights into the significance of the text that is our most important source of information on these Forgotten Kingdoms of the medieval British Isles.
R. Andrew McDonald is Professor of History at Brock University in St. Catharines, Canada. He is author of several books and many articles and book chapters on medieval Manx, Hebridean and Scottish history, includingKingdom of the Isles (1997),Outlaws of Medieval Scotland (2003),Manx kingship in its Irish Sea setting (2007) andThe Sea Kings (forthcoming 2019).
Introduction: A Medieval Manx Game of Thrones.- The Chronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles.- Heroes: The Manx Sea Kings Descended from Godred Crovan.- Villains: Rivals for the Kingdom: Somerled and his Descendants and the Scottish Kings.- Women in the Chronicles.- Rightful Kings, Usurpers, Feud and Murder in the Chronicles.-The Deeds of the Brothers Reginald and Olaf: The Key to Understanding the Chronicles.-Conclusions.
