The Laxdaela Saga contains mention of several persons who are said to have come to Iceland from Sodor, which appears to be these Suðreyjar, before or around the middle of the 10th century.Īn invasion by Magnus Barefoot in the late 11th century resulted in a brief period of direct Norwegian rule over the kingdom, but soon the descendants of Godred Crovan re-asserted a further period of largely independent overlordship. Hostility between the Kings of the Isles and the rulers of Ireland, and intervention by the crown of Norway (either directly or through their vassal the Earl of Orkney) were recurring themes. Viking influence in the area began in the late 8th century, and whilst there is no doubt that the Uí Ímair dynasty played a prominent role in this early period, the records for the dates and details of the rulers are speculative until the mid-10th century. The islands have a total land area of over 8,300 square kilometres (3,205 sq mi) and extend for more than 500 kilometres (310 mi) from north to south. At times there also appear to have been competing claims for all or parts of the territory. At times the rulers were independent of external control, although for much of the period they had overlords in Norway, Ireland, England, Scotland or Orkney. The historical record is incomplete, and the kingdom was not a continuous entity throughout the entire period. The territory is sometimes called the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, although only some of the later rulers claimed that title. In Scottish Gaelic, the kingdom is known as Rìoghachd nan Eilean. The islands were known to the Norsemen as the Suðreyjar, or 'Southern Isles' as distinct from the Norðreyjar or Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. The Kingdom of the Isles was a Norse-Gaelic kingdom comprising the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD.

Kingdom men rising