Man and the Isles
During the time of the later Norse Kings, the Isle of Man formed the centre of a great maritime kingdom, based on the dominance of the Viking longship, and embracing all the Western Isles of Scotland (as shown in the map). This Kingdom was the Sudreys or Sudr-eyjar (Southern Isles), in contrast to the Nordreys or Nordreyjar (Northern Isles that is Orkney and Shetland).
These Kingdoms acknowledged the overlordship of the King of Norway, though towards the end of the period of Norse rule the King of Man was also paying tribute to the Kings of England and Scotland.
At its height the Kingdom of Man and the Isles was ruled by a Tynwald comprising 32 representatives (the “keys” from the old Norse “Kjosa” meaning “chosen”). Sixteen from Man, and four from each of the island groups centred upon the principal Hebridean islands of Lewis, Skye, Mull, Islay.
During the 12th century Mull and Islay were lost to Argyll. This reduced the number of members of the keys in Tynwald to 24, a number which has remained unchanged ever since.
The medieval bishopric, centred on St German’s Cathedral at Peel, also embraced the whole of the Island Kingdom, and at first came under the Norwegian see (the arch-diocese of Nidaros, which is now Trondheim). The first element of the modern name of the Manx Bishopric of “Sodor and Man” is derived from Sodorensis (latinised Sudr-eyjar), the Southern Isles.
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