Aralt mac Gofraid
| Aralt mac Gofraid | |
|---|---|
| King of Mann | |
| Reign | 1249–1250 |
| Old Norse | Haraldr Guðrøðarson |
| Predecessor | Ragnall mac Amlaíb (d. 1249) |
| Father | Gofraid Donn (d. 1231) |
Aralt mac Gofraid (meaning "Aralt, son of Gofraid" Old Norse: Haraldr Guðrøðarson) was a 13th century King of Mann. Aralt was the son of Gofraid Donn (died 1231), who co-ruled the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles with his paternal-uncle Amlaíb Dub (died 1237) for a very short period of time in 1231. Aralt's patrilineal ancestry is a long list of Manx-Hebridean rulers, and stretches as far back as Gofraid Méránach (died 1095).
In 1249, the King of Mann, Aralt mac Amlaíb (son of Amlaíb Dub), died and was succeeded by his brother, Ragnall mac Amlaíb. The Chronicle of Mann states that Ragnall began his reign on 6 May 1249, and on the 30th of that month was slain in a meadow near Rushen, by a "knight" named Ímar. On Ragnall's death, Aralt began his reign as King of Mann. The chronicle records how he drove out nearly all of chiefs and nobles who were supporters of the deceased Aralt mac Amlaíb, and replaced them with men whom Aralt mac Amlaíb had previously exiled.
Aralt appears to have attempted to strengthen his hold on the kingdom by rendering homage to Henry III, King of England, since a license of safe-passage, dated from 28 December 1249 to 29 September 1250, granted by the English king, names Aralt as "king" and gives him free pass to travel to the English court.
According to the Chronicle of Mann, in 1250 the King of Norway summoned Aralt to the royal court in Norway, because the king was displeased at how Aralt had "usurped" the Kingdom of Mann. The chronicle notes that the Norwegian king intended that Aralt should never return to Mann, and consequently he was kept from returning to the island kingdom.
Notes
References
- Footnotes
- Bibliography
- Anderson, Alan Orr (1922), Early Sources of Scottish History: A.D. 500 to 1286, 2, Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924077097958
- Moore, Arthur William (1900), A History of The Isle of Man, 1, T. Fisher Unwin, http://www.archive.org/details/ahistoryisleman01moorgoog
- Munch, Peter Andreas; Goss, Alexander, eds. (1874), Chronica regvm Manniæ et insvlarvm: The Chronicle of Man and the Sudreys; from the Manuscript Codex in the British Museum; with historical notes, 1, Douglas: Printed for the Manx Society, http://www.archive.org/details/chronicaregvmma00gossgoog
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aralt_mac_Gofraid
