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Godred Crovan (died 1095), known in Gaelic as Gofraid Crobán, Gofraid Meránach, and Gofraid Méránach, was a Norse-Gaelic ruler of the kingdoms of Dublin and the Isles. Although his precise parentage is uncertain, he was very likely an Uí Ímair dynast, and probably a descendant of Amlaíb Cuarán, King of Northumbria and Dublin. Godred first appears on record in the context of supporting the Norwegian invasion of England in 1066. Following the collapse of this campaign, Godred is recorded to have arrived on Mann, at the court of Gofraid mac Sitriuc, King of the Isles, a likely kinsman of his. During the 1070s, the latter died and was succeeded by his son, Fingal. Within the decade, Godred violently seized the kingship for himself, although the exact circumstances surrounding this takeover are uncertain. By 1091, Godred seized the kingship of Dublin, and thereby secured complete control of the valuable trade routes through the Irish Sea region. Godred's expansion may be further perceptible in the Clyde estuary and Galloway, and may well have forced the English to consolidate control of Cumberland in an effort to secure their western maritime flank. Godred appears to have drawn his power from the Hebrides; and archaeological evidence from Mann reveals that, in comparison to the decades previous to his takeover, the island seems to have enjoyed a period of relative peace. During his reign, Godred appears to have lent military assistance to Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, a probable kinsman, who was then locked in continuous conflicts with Welsh rivals and encroaching English magnates. The earliest known Bishops of the Isles date from about the time of Godred's reign, although it is almost certain that earlier ecclesiastes held this position. It may have been just prior to Godred's accession in the Isles, whilst Dublin was under the ultimate control of Toirdelbach Ua Briain, King of Munster, that Dublin and the Isles were ecclesiasticly separated once and for all. Godred's rule in Dublin came to an abrupt end in 1094 with his expulsion at the hands of Muirchertach Ua Briain, King of Munster, a man who may have even driven Godred from Mann as well. Documentary evidence reveals that the last decade of the eleventh century saw an upsurge in plague and famine. According to Irish sources, one quarter of Ireland perished from pestilence in 1095 alone. One of the mortalities was Godred himself, who died on Islay, an apparent power centre in the Isles. Godred's greatest impact on history may have been his founding of the Crovan dynasty, his patrilineal descendants who ruled in the Isles for almost two centuries. Godred was an important maternal ancestor of Clann Somairle, a family that held power in the Isles centuries after the final extinction of the Crovan dynasty. As such, he may be identical to Gofraid mac Fergusa, an apparent genealogical construct claimed as a Clann Somairle ancestor. Godred may well be identical to the celebrated King Orry of Manx legend, a figure traditionally credited with instituting the Manx legal system. Godred and King Orry are associated with numerous historic and prehistoric sites on Mann and Islay. ==Familial origins== The familial origins of Godred Crovan are uncertain.〔Duffy (2004a).〕 Although the ''Chronicle of Mann'' calls him in Latin "''filius Haraldi nigri de Ysland''",〔McDonald (2012a) p. 164; McDonald (2007b) p. 62; Duffy (2006) p. 60; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 171; Duffy (2004a); Duffy (2002) p. 55 n. 8; Sellar (2000) p. 190 n. 16; McDonald (1997) p. 33; Duffy (1992) p. 106; Broderick; Stowell (1973) p. 61; Anderson (1922) pp. 43–44 n. 6; Munch; Goss (1874a) pp. 50–51, 144.〕 implying that his father was named Aralt,〔Duffy (2006) p. 60.〕 the ''Annals of Tigernach'' instead calls him in Gaelic "''mac mic Arailt''",〔''The Annals of Tigernach'' (2010) § 1091.5; McDonald (2007b) pp. 61–62; Duffy (2006) p. 60; ''Annals of Tigernach'' (2005) § 1091.5; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 171; Duffy (2004a); Duffy (2002) p. 55; McDonald (1997) p. 33; Duffy (1992) pp. 106–107.〕 contrarily implying that it was Godred's grandfather who was named Aralt.〔 Godred, therefore, may have been either a son,〔McDonald (2007b) p. 62, 62 n. 18; Duffy (2006) pp. 53, 60; Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 54, 83 fig. 3, 171; Duffy (2004a); Woolf (2004) p. 100; Duffy (2002) pp. 55–56; McDonald (1997) p. 33; Duffy (1992) p. 106.〕 nephew,〔McDonald (2007b) p. 62 n. 18; Duffy (2004a); Duffy (2002) pp. 55–56; Duffy 1992 p. 106; McDonald (1997) p. 33.〕 or brother of Ímar mac Arailt, King of Dublin (died 1054).〔Woolf (2004) p. 100.〕 As such, Godred was likely a descendant of Amlaíb Cuarán, King of Northumbria and Dublin (died 981), and a member of the Uí Ímair.〔Oram (2011) p. 31; Duffy (2006) p. 53; Hudson, B (2006) pp. 77, 110, 170; Forte; Oram; Pedersen (2005) pp. 232–233; Hudson, BT (2005) pp. 9, 53–54, 83 fig. 3, 170–171; Duffy (2004a); Woolf (2004) p. 100; Woolf (2001); Oram (2000) p. 19; Sellar (2000) p. 190; Hudson, B (1994b) p. 146; Duffy (1992) p. 106.〕 The chronicle's aforesaid passage may further cast light on Godred's familial origins. Although "''Ysland''" may represent Iceland,〔McDonald (2012a) p. 164; Duffy (2006) p. 60; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 171; Duffy (2002) p. 55 n. 8; Sellar (2000) p. 190 n. 16; Thornton (1996) p. 95; Duffy (1992) p. 106; Anderson, AO (1922) pp. 43–44 n. 6; Munch; Goss (1874a) p. 144.〕 there is no other evidence linking Godred to this island.〔 Alternately, the word may instead represent the Hebridean island of Islay,〔McDonald (2012a) pp. 164, 180–181 n. 145; Duffy (2006) p. 60; Hudson (2005c) p. 171; Sellar (2000) p. 190 n. 16; McDonald (1997) p. 33 n. 24; Anderson, AO (1922) pp. 43–44 n. 6; Munch; Goss (1874a) p. 144.〕 where he is otherwise known to have ended his life.〔McDonald (2012a) pp. 180–181 n. 145; McDonald (2012b); Duffy (2006) pp. 60–61; Duffy (2004a); Sellar (2000) p. 190; Anderson, AO (1922) pp. 43–44 n. 6; Munch; Goss (1874a) p. 144.〕 Another possibility is that "''Ysland''" represents Ireland,〔McDonald (2012a) p. 164; Duffy (2006) pp. 60–61; Hudson, BT (2005) p. 171; Duffy (2002) p. 55 n. 8; Munch; Goss (1874a) p. 144.〕 which, if correct, would evidence Godred's close familial links with that particular island.〔McDonald (2007b) p. 62; Duffy (2006) pp. 60–61.〕 Whatever the case, according to the same source, he had been brought up on Mann.〔McDonald (2007b) p. 61; Duffy (2004a); Munch; Goss (1874a) pp. 50–51.〕 When Godred is first noted by the Latin ''Chronicle of Mann'', he is accorded the epithet "''Crouan''" or "''Crovan''".〔Duffy 2006 p. 59; Duffy (2002) p. 56 n. 9; Broderick; Stowell (1973) p. 61; Anderson, AO (1922) p. 18 n. 1; Munch; Goss (1874a) pp. 50–51.〕 The origin and meaning of this name are uncertain. It may well be derived from the Gaelic ''crob bhán'' ("white-handed").〔Duffy 2006 p. 59; Fellows-Jensen (1998) p. 30; McDonald (1997) p. 33 n. 23; Duffy (1992) p. 106 n. 66; Megaw (1976) p. 16.〕 Another Gaelic origin may be ''cró bán'' ("white-blooded"), in reference to being very pale.〔McDonald (2012a) p. 174 n. 44; McDonald (2012b); McDonald (2007a) p. 46 n. 5; McDonald (2007b) p. 64 n. 34; Anderson, AO (1922) p. 43 n. 6.〕 Alternately, it could originate from the Gaelic ''crúbach'' ("claw"). If the epithet is instead Old Norse in origin, it could be derived from ''kruppin'' ("cripple").〔McDonald (2012a) p. 174 n. 44; McDonald (2012b); McDonald (2007b) p. 64.〕 In several Irish annals, Godred is accorded the epithet ''meranach''. This word could represent either the Gaelic ''meránach'' ("mad", "confused", "giddy"); or else ''méránach'' (which can also be rendered ''mérach''), a word derived from ''mér'' ("finger" or "toe"). If ''meranach'' indeed corresponds to the latter meaning, the epithet would appear to mirror ''Crouan''/''Crovan'', and imply something remarkable about Godred's hands.〔Duffy (2006) p. 59; Duffy (2002) p. 56 n. 9.〕 Godred and his patrilineal royal descendants, who reigned in the Isles for about two centuries, are known to modern scholars as the Crovan dynasty, a name coined after Godred himself.〔McDonald (2012b); McDonald (2007a) p. 50.〕 The combination of Old Norse personal names and Gaelic epithets accorded to Godred, and his dynastic descendants, partly evidence the hybrid nature of the Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of the Isles.〔Heald (2007) pp. 23–24; Davey (2006); Fellows-Jensen (1998) p. 30; Sawyer (1982) p. 111.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Godred Crovan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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