The heart of the kingdom of the Isles: the Isle of Man, with its assembly at Tynwald, its abbey of Rushen and the kings' seat in the south; and the northern Hebrides that stayed with the Crovan dynasty after Somerled's war, Skye above all.
Who he is
- Name
- Rognvald son of Godred (Rognvaldr Gudrodarson)
- Title
- King of Mann and the Isles
- Since
- 1187
- Born
- Not pinned (1160s?)
- Family
- See Mann and the Isles
- Confidence
- medium
See Mann and the Isles. The king's own lands: Mann, with Skye and the outer isles south of Harris. Whether the Uists and Barra are still Mann's or already Clann Somairle's in 1200 is not pinned.
Overlord
The king of Norway in name
What it holds
- The Isle of Man
- Skye
- North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra (thin)
- Overlordship of Lewis and Harris, granted to Olaf
How it was acquired
Inheritance; chosen king 1187.
Allies and rivals
See Mann and the Isles.
How things stand that morning
Held by Rognvald.
Wealth
See Mann and the Isles.
Military
The galley fleet of Mann and the Isles.
Threats
- Olaf
- Clann Somairle
- Harald Maddadsson
Places of note
- Rushen Abbey: Cistercian abbey
- Peel: St Patrick's Isle
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Man and Skye are secure; the Uists and Barra are not.
On the map: Man has no modern district in the GBR layers, so it is given as a polygon; the compiler may need the IM places (Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey, Port Erin, Laxey).
Primary sources for Mann and the Isles
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of the Kings of Mann and the Isles, Anonymous (monks of Rushen abbey, Mann) (about 1257, with continuations to 1316). The only native record of the kingdom of Mann and the Hebrides. Read online
- Saga of the Earls of Orkney, Anonymous (Icelandic) (about 1200 to 1230; surviving text mainly from Flateyjarbok, about 1390). The saga's last chapters are about Earl Harald Maddadsson, who in 1200 held Orkney under King Sverre of Norway and Caithness under William the Lion: his long rule, his quarrel with the Scottish king that cost him Caithness in 1196 to 1197, his recovery of it, and the maiming of Bishop John of Caithness and the king's revenge in 1201 to 1202. Read online
- The saga of King Sverre of Norway, Karl Jónsson and a continuator (begun about 1185 under Sverre's own supervision, completed about 1210 to 1220). The king's own authorised saga. Read online
- The Norwegian diplomatarium and the Norwegian regesta (documents of 1050 to 1590; Regesta vol. 1 covers 991 to 1263 and was published 1898). The Norwegian documents of the year are few and mostly papal: Innocent III's letters on Sverre's excommunication and the interdict, the correspondence of the exiled Archbishop Eirik and the bishops, and a handful of church grants. Read online
- Early Sources of Scottish History, Various; collected and translated by A. O. Anderson (sources of the 6th to 13th centuries; collection published 1922). The quickest way to every non-English witness to Scotland and the Isles in 1200, in translation and in date order: the Irish annals on the Isles and Galloway, Orkneyinga saga and the Norwegian sagas on Harald Maddadsson of Orkney and Caithness and his war with William the Lion, the Chronicle of Mann on Ragnall and the Hebrides, Melrose and Holyrood, and Scottish charters. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.