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The Northern Earldoms
£14.99
The Northern Earldoms—Orkney and Caithness from AD 870 to 1470
Six centuries of Norse and Scottish rule in Orkney and Caithness
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About the Ebook
The medieval earldoms of Orkney and Caithness were positioned between two worlds, the Norwegian and the Scottish. They were a maritime lordship divided, or united, by the turbulent waters of the Pentland Firth. This unlikely combination of island and mainland territory survived as a single lordship for 600 years, against the odds. Growing out of the Viking maelstrom of the early Middle Ages, it became an established and wealthy principality which dominated northern waters, with a renowned dynasty of earls. Despite their peripheral location these earls were fully in touch with the kingdoms of Norway and Scotland and increasingly subject to the rulers of these kingdoms.
How they maintained their independence and how they survived the clash of loyalties are themes explored in this book from the early Viking age to the late medieval era when the powerful feudal Sinclair earls ruled the islands and regained possession of Caithness.
This is a story of the time when the Northern Isles of Scotland were part of a different national entity which explains the background to the non-Gaelic culture of this locality, when links across the North Sea were as important as links with the kingdom of Scotland to the south.
Why You'll Love This Ebook
- Discover six centuries of Norse and Scottish rule in the north
- Explore the political history of Orkney and Caithness
- Engage with authoritative medieval Scottish and Norse history
- Read another celebrated title from Origin - an imprint of Birlinn Ltd
Reviews
'One of the finest monographs available for any Scottish region in the medieval period' Scottish Archaeological Journal
About the Author
Barbara E. Crawford was born and brought up in Yorkshire. She read Modern and Medieval History at the University of St Andrews, gaining a PhD in 1971. She was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA) of Scotland in 1964, FSA in 1973, Member of the Norwegian Academy in 1997 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2001. In 2011 she was awarded an OBE for services to History and Archaeology.Publication Details
Publisher: Origin (an imprint of Birlinn Ltd)
Publication Date: 08 August 2013
Print Length: 448 pages (Ebook edition)
ISBN (Ebook): 9780857906182
Format: Ebook
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