From Asset in War to Asset in Diplomacy: Orkney in the Medieval Realm of Norway
The island province of Orkney played a crucial role in Norway’s overseas expansion during the Early and HighMiddle Ages. Located just offshore from mainland Scotland, it provided a resort for westwardsailing fleets as well as a convenient springboard for military forays into Britain and down the Iri...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Island Studies Journal
2013-11-01
|
| Series: | Island Studies Journal |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.285 |
| Summary: | The island province of Orkney played a crucial role in Norway’s overseas expansion during the Early and HighMiddle Ages. Located just offshore from mainland Scotland, it provided a resort for westwardsailing fleets as well as a convenient springboard for military forays into Britain and down the Irish Sea. The establishment of a NorwegianScottish peace and the demarcation of fixed political boundaries in 1266 led to a revision of Orkney’s role in the Norwegian realm. From that point until the its pledging to the Scottish Crown in 1468, Norway depended on Orkney as a hub for diplomacy and foreign relations. This paper looks at how Orkney figured in Norwegian royal strategies in the west and presents key examples which show its transition from a tool of war to a forum for peace. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1715-2593 |