Magnus ‘Barelegs’ Steers a Bold Course
Magnus had just reasserted Norway’s authority over The Isles and Man, when he stumbled into a party of Normans harassing the King of Gwynedd.
1098
King William II ‘Rufus’ 1087-1100
© Robin Drayton, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
A look across the village of Porthaethwy on Anglesey, beside the Menai Strait that separates the island from the Welsh mainland. The Normans who conquered England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 quickly stamped their authority on Great Britain, bringing Malcolm III in Scotland to heel in 1072 and again in 1094. That same year, Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd, rebelled against London but enjoyed his independence for barely four years before the two Hughs drove him into Ireland. Magnus helped him recover his kingdom, but Gruffudd eventually had to acknowledge the overlordship of Henry I (r. 1100-1135) to keep his title.
Introduction
In 1098, Magnus III ‘Barelegs’, King of Norway, boldly reasserted Norway’s authority over the Isles and Man, a realm of islands around Scotland’s coastline which the Vikings had dominated for over two centuries. Pleased with his progress, Magnus sailed on south to Anglesey, where he stumbled upon a party of Normans celebrating victory over Gruffudd ap Cynan, King of Gwynedd.
AFTERWARDS King Magnus sailed to Wales; and when he came to the sound of Anglesey there came against him an army from Wales, which was led by two [Norman] earls: Hugo the Brave, and Hugo the Stout.* They began immediately to give battle, and there was a severe conflict.* King Magnus shot with the bow; but Hugo the Brave was all over in armour, so that nothing was bare about him excepting one eye. King Magnus let fly an arrow at him, as also did a Halogaland man who was beside the king.* They both shot at once. The one shaft hit the nose-screen of the helmet, which was bent by it to one side, and the other arrow hit the earl’s eye, and went through his head; and that [arrow] was found to be the king’s. Earl Hugo fell, and the Britons fled with the loss of many people. King Magnus gained the victory in this battle, and then took Anglesey Isle, which was the farthest south the Norway kings of former days had ever extended their rule. Anglesey is a third part of Wales.*
* Hugo the Brave is Hugh of Montgomery (?-1098), 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury, also known as ‘the Red’. Hugo the Stout is Hugh d’Avranches (?1047-1101), 1st Earl of Chester, also known as ‘the Fat’. The two Norman barons jointly led an assault on Gruffudd ap Cynan (?1055-1137), King of Gwynedd (r. 1081–1137), in 1098, driving him out into Ireland and recovering Anglesey, which had been lost to the Welsh in a revolt four years earlier.
* It is known today as the Battle of Anglesey Sound.
* Hålogaland is a region of far northern Norway, a coastal strip of fjords with many havens for longships.
* The area governed by the Isle of Anglesey County Council today measures some 276 square miles. Wales as it is today measures some 8,000 square miles. It may be that Sturluson was including ancient Gwynedd (984 square miles today), which is thought to have submitted to his rule along with Anglesey.
