Guðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Guðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson
King of the Isles
Guðrøðr's name as it appears on folio 42v of British Library Cotton Julius A VII (the Chronicle of Mann): "Godredus".
Died	1231 Lewis and Harris
Issue	Haraldr Guðrøðarson
House	Crovan dynasty
Father	Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson

Guðrøðr Rǫgnvaldsson (died 1231), also known as Guðrøðr Dond, was a powerful ruler of the Kingdom of the Isles in the 1200s. He was part of the Crovan dynasty, a family that ruled the Isles for a long time. Guðrøðr was the son of Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles.

The Crovan dynasty often had conflicts over who should be king. This family feud lasted for three generations and greatly affected Guðrøðr's life. His mother was Rǫgnvaldr's wife, who was likely from the Clann Somhairle family. This family was also very powerful in the Isles.

Guðrøðr's uncle, Óláfr, was supposed to marry Guðrøðr's mother's sister. But Óláfr ended this marriage and married a Scottish noblewoman instead. Because of this, Guðrøðr's mother told him to attack Óláfr. Guðrøðr attacked Óláfr's lands on Lewis and Harris, but Óláfr escaped. Later, around 1223, Óláfr and his supporter Páll Bálkason defeated Guðrøðr on Skye. Guðrøðr was then blinded.

This event made the feud between Guðrøðr's father, Rǫgnvaldr, and Óláfr even worse. Rǫgnvaldr teamed up with Alan fitz Roland, Lord of Galloway, a strong Scottish lord. But Óláfr eventually won, and Rǫgnvaldr was killed in 1229. After this, Alan and his allies kept fighting Óláfr, forcing him to flee to Norway. There, Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway, decided to make Óspakr (who was related to Clann Somhairle) the new King of the Isles.

Guðrøðr supported Óspakr and joined his fleet that sailed to the Isles in 1230. Óspakr died from injuries during the campaign. Óláfr then took command and became king of Mann. Guðrøðr was made king of the Hebridean part of the kingdom. The next year, after the Norwegians left, both Guðrøðr and Páll were killed. Óláfr then ruled the entire kingdom. Guðrøðr's son, Haraldr, later continued the family feud and even became king for a short time.

Family Background

Locations relating to Guðrøðr's life and times.

Guðrøðr was the son of Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, King of the Isles. He belonged to the Crovan dynasty, a powerful family that ruled the Kingdom of the Isles. Guðrøðr's mother was Rǫgnvaldr's wife, who was called the Queen of the Isles. Her family was likely from Kintyre, suggesting she was part of the Clann Somhairle family.

The name of Guðrøðr's father, Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson, as it appears on folio 40v of British Library Cotton Julius A VII: "Reginaldus filjus Godredi".

Guðrøðr's grandfather was Guðrøðr Óláfsson, King of Dublin and the Isles. He had other children, including Óláfr, who was Guðrøðr's uncle. Óláfr's mother was different from Rǫgnvaldr's mother. When Guðrøðr Óláfsson died in 1187, he wanted Óláfr to be king. However, the people of the Isles chose Rǫgnvaldr instead. They thought Rǫgnvaldr was a strong young man, while Óláfr was still a child. This difference in mothers likely caused the long and bitter conflict between Rǫgnvaldr and Óláfr.

A king gaming piece of the famous Lewis chessmen.

After Rǫgnvaldr became king, he gave Óláfr control of an island called "Lodhus," which was likely Lewis and Harris. But Óláfr wanted more land. Rǫgnvaldr then had Óláfr captured and sent to William I, King of Scotland, who kept him in prison for about seven years until 1214. After Óláfr was released, he went on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Norwegian Influence

A rook gaming piece of the Lewis chessmen.

Around 1210, Norway started to show more power over the Isles. Records from Iceland say that a Norwegian army was preparing to attack the Isles in 1209. The next year, there was "warfare" in the Isles, and the holy island of Iona was attacked.

The name of Ingi Bárðarson as it appears on folio 139v of AM 47 fol (Eirspennill): "Inga Barðar s(son)". The 13th-century kings of Norway were the official overlords of the kings of the Isles.

Norwegian stories say that Rǫgnvaldr and Guðrøðr had not paid their taxes to the Norwegian kings. Because of this, the Isles were attacked until both Rǫgnvaldr and Guðrøðr went to Norway. They made peace with Ingi Bárðarson, King of Norway, and promised to be loyal to him. This shows that Guðrøðr already had some power in the Isles by the early 1200s.

Family Feud Continues

A queen gaming piece of the Lewis chessmen.

When Óláfr returned from his pilgrimage, Rǫgnvaldr arranged for him to marry "Lauon," his own wife's sister. Rǫgnvaldr gave Óláfr back the island of Lodhus. However, a bishop later said the marriage was not allowed because Óláfr had been with Lauon's cousin before. The marriage was cancelled.

The royal title of Lauon's sister—Guðrøðr's mother—as it appears on folio 42v of British Library Cotton Julius A VII: "regina Insularum" ("Queen of the Isles"). Not much is known about queens in the Isles.

This made Guðrøðr's mother (Rǫgnvaldr's wife) very angry. She tricked Guðrøðr into attacking Óláfr in 1223. Guðrøðr gathered his forces on Skye and attacked Lodhus, destroying much of the island. Óláfr barely escaped and fled to his father-in-law in Ross. Páll Bálkason, a local leader on Skye, also supported Óláfr. Later, Óláfr and Páll returned to Skye and defeated Guðrøðr in battle.

Eilean Chaluim Chille, Kilmuir, Skye. This area was once a loch, and may have been where Guðrøðr was defeated by Óláfr.

The battle took place on an island called "the isle of St Columba" on Skye. Guðrøðr's followers were killed, and Guðrøðr himself was blinded. This was a harsh punishment. Óláfr may have had help from his father-in-law in this attack.

The name of Páll Bálkason as it appears on folio 42v of British Library Cotton Julius A VII: "Pol filius Boke".

Worsening Conflict

The seal of Alan fitz Roland, Rǫgnvaldr's ally against Óláfr.

In 1224, Óláfr confronted Rǫgnvaldr on Mann. They agreed to split the kingdom: Rǫgnvaldr would keep Mann and the title of king, while Óláfr would rule parts of the Hebrides. With Óláfr gaining power, Rǫgnvaldr sought help from Alan fitz Roland, Lord of Galloway, a very powerful Scottish lord.

Detail from Maughold IV, a Manx runestone showing a ship. The power of the kings of the Isles came from their fleets of armed galleys.

Around 1225 or 1226, Rǫgnvaldr arranged for his daughter to marry Alan's young son, Thomas. This marriage, however, made the people of Mann unhappy. They removed Rǫgnvaldr from power and made Óláfr king instead. The people might have worried that Alan's son would take over the kingdom, especially since Rǫgnvaldr was old and Guðrøðr was blinded. Many people likely saw Óláfr as the rightful heir.

Tynwald Hill, near St John's, was an important meeting place for the Kingdom of the Isles. It was the site of the final battle between Óláfr and Rǫgnvaldr. Kings might have been crowned here, and laws made.

Rǫgnvaldr went to live with Alan in Galloway. In 1228, while Óláfr was away, Rǫgnvaldr, Alan, and Alan's brother took control of Mann. Óláfr fought back and regained the island. In early 1229, Rǫgnvaldr invaded Mann again. The two half-brothers met at Tynwald Hill, where Rǫgnvaldr's forces were defeated, and Rǫgnvaldr was killed.

Norwegian Invasion

Guðrøðr's name and epithet as it appears on folio 44v of British Library Cotton Julius A VII: "Ghotdredo Don". The epithet refers to the color brown.

Even after Rǫgnvaldr's death, Alan and his allies continued to pressure Óláfr. News of the fighting reached Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway, in 1229. Óláfr went to Norway in early 1230, but King Hákon had already decided what to do.

The name of Óspakr-Hákon, a powerful leader from Clann Dubhghaill, as it appears on folio 163v of AM 47 fol: "Uspakr konungr".

King Hákon made Óspakr the new King of the Isles. Óspakr was from the Clann Dubhghaill family and had served in Norway for a long time. Guðrøðr was one of Óspakr's main supporters. King Hákon gave Óspakr command of a large Norwegian fleet to bring peace to the Isles. Óspakr's fleet sailed to the Isles, growing bigger as it went. They met with other powerful leaders on Islay.

Ruinous Rothesay Castle. Norwegian accounts say Óspakr's forces attacked the castle's stone walls. Later, the castle was rebuilt.

The Norwegian fleet reached the Isle of Bute and successfully captured Rothesay Castle. The castle fell after three days of fighting. The fleet was now very large, with possibly over eighty ships and more than three thousand men. However, reports that Alan fitz Roland was nearby with a huge fleet forced the Norwegians to retreat.

Coat of arms of Hákon Hákonarson as shown on folio 216v of Cambridge Corpus Christi College Parker Library 16II (Chronica majora).

Óspakr became sick and died, likely from injuries he got attacking Bute. Óláfr then took command of the fleet. He managed to avoid Alan's forces and sailed to Mann. Óláfr became king of Mann again, but he had to share the kingdom with Guðrøðr, who became king of the Hebrides.

The name and title of Óláfr Guðrøðarson as it appears on folio 44r of British Library Cotton Julius A VII: "Olavus rex".

In the spring of 1231, the Norwegian forces left Mann and went home. Guðrøðr was left to rule the Hebrides. However, before the end of 1231, both Páll and Guðrøðr were killed. Guðrøðr died on Lewis and Harris.

After the Norwegians left, the fighting in the Isles started again. Guðrøðr likely took revenge on Páll, who had supported Óláfr and helped blind Guðrøðr. Óláfr then took full control of the kingdom. He ruled until his death in 1237.

Guðrøðr's name and epithet as it appears on folio 163v of AM 47 fol: "Gudʀeði Svarta". This epithet—given to Guðrøðr by Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar—refers to the color black.

Óláfr was followed by his son, Haraldr, and then another son, Rǫgnvaldr. Rǫgnvaldr was killed in 1249, possibly by someone connected to Guðrøðr's son, Haraldr. Guðrøðr's son then became king. This shows that the family feud between the lines of Rǫgnvaldr and Óláfr continued for another generation. The fighting finally ended with the last king of the dynasty, Óláfr's son, Magnús.

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  Guðrøðr's name as it appears on folio 42v of British Library Cotton Julius A VII (the Chronicle of Mann): "Godredus".