The rise and fall of the Kingdom of Man - Andrew McDonald

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

On a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea,

在愛爾蘭海中央的小島上，

fortresses preside over the rugged shores.

高低不平的岸邊滿是堡壘。

This unlikely location was the birthplace of a medieval empire

有一個中世紀的帝國就在 這個沒人料到的地方誕生，

that lasted 200 years, ruled by a dynasty of sea kings.

帝國延續了兩百年，

由海洋國王的王朝統治。

The first of these kings was Godred Crovan,

第一任國王是戈德雷德·克洛萬，

a notorious warlord descended from Irish and Viking rulers.

是個惡名昭彰的軍閥，

愛爾蘭與維京統治者的後裔。

Starting in 1079, Godred consolidated power

從 1079 年開始，

戈德雷德就在曼島 和赫布里底群島鞏固勢力，

over the Isle of Man and the Hebrides,

a collection of islands off the west coast of Scotland.

這個群島位在蘇格蘭的西岸外海。

He seized control of important sea routes between the British Isles,

他控制了不列顛群島、 斯堪的那維亞，

Scandinavia, and the North Atlantic.

以及北大西洋之間的重要海上航線。

A turbulent period followed Godred’s death,

戈德雷德死後，是一段動蕩的時期，

characterised by invasions from Norway and Ireland,

知名事件包括挪威和愛爾蘭的侵略，

and intense feuding between princes.

以及王子之間的激烈世仇。

But his descendants held on to power,

但他的後裔把持住了權力，

building coastal fortresses, roving the seaways,

在海岸建造堡壘，在海道上漫遊，

throwing themselves into epic battles,

參與史詩級的戰役，

and consolidating control over an impressive maritime kingdom.

穩穩控制住了讓人敬畏的海上王國。

The inhabitants of this kingdom had both Gaelic and Norse roots,

這個王國的居民兼具蓋爾和挪威血統，

and many probably spoke both languages.

許多人可能兩種語言都會說。

Those on the Isle of Man were known as the Manx people,

曼島上的居民就是 大家所知的曼島人，

while those in the Hebrides were known as Islanders or People of the Isles.

赫布里底群島上的居民則是 大家所知的島民或島上居民。

Though we still don’t know for sure how many there were,

雖然我們仍然不知道人數有多少，

we do know this relatively small group had an outsize impact on the region.

我們知道這個相對算小的族群

對於這個地區的影響大得不成比例。

Perched on cliffs with sweeping views and safe harbors,

座落在懸崖上，有寬廣的 視野和安全的海港，

seaside fortresses helped the kings control shipping, commerce, and resources.

海邊堡壘使國王得以控制 運輸、商業，以及資源。

The empire commanded vast fleets of Viking-style long ships,

帝國統率浩大的艦隊， 由維京式長型船艦組成，

which they used for trading, raiding, and plundering the seas.

他們靠這些船來貿易、 侵襲、在海上掠劫。

Observing this prowess, many neighboring rulers sought their aid.

見識到他們的英勇，

許多鄰國的統治者 都向他們尋求協助。

The brothers Rognvald and Olaf each solved neighbors’ maritime woes:

朗格納瓦德和奧拉夫兄弟

分別解決了鄰國的海洋困境：

King Rognvald supplied military assistance to the Scottish king,

朗格納瓦德國王提供 軍事協助給蘇格蘭國王，

and King Olaf’s forces served as a Coast Guard

應英格蘭國王亨利三世的要求，

at the English King Henry III’s request— for a hefty fee.

奧拉夫國王的軍隊則擔任海岸守軍，

收取的費用不斐。

The sea kings also sparred with their powerful neighbors,

這些海洋國王也和 強大的鄰國有爭執，

but they had a particularly bitter rivalry with another dynasty in their own isles:

但他們和同島上另一個 王朝的對抗才是最辛酸的：

a line of rulers in the Hebrides.

赫布里底群島的統治者。

In the 1150s, a chieftain of this line, Somerled,

在 1150 年代，他們的頭目沙瑪雷特，

defeated the Manx King, his brother-in-law, in a naval battle

在海戰中打敗了 曼島國王，也是他的妯娌，

and formed a rival Kingdom of the Isles, fracturing the old kingdom.

成立了競爭的島上王國，

破壞原本的王國。

This began a century-long rivalry between Somerled’s line,

長達一世紀的對立就此展開， 一方是沙瑪雷特的家族，

who ruled the southern and central Hebrides,

他們統治赫布里底 群島的南部和中部，

and the Manx Kings, who ruled the Isle of Man and northern Hebrides,

另一方是曼島國王，他們統治 曼島和赫布里底群島北部，

to control the seaways.

雙方為了海道控制權而戰。

Family feuds often blossomed into bitter civil wars.

家族世仇通常會發展成難堪的內戰。

In 1223, King Rognvald sent a letter to his son

1223 年，朗格納瓦德 寫了一封信給他的兒子，

commanding him to murder his uncle Olaf.

命令他殺掉他的叔叔奧拉夫。

When Olaf discovered the plot, he launched a vicious attack on his nephew,

奧拉夫發現這個密謀後，

對他的姪子發動了猛烈的攻擊，

blinding and mutilating him.

讓他失明又傷殘。

After Rognvald’s death several years later,

數年後，朗格納瓦德過世後，

people realized the letter ordering the attack might have been forged.

大家發現下令攻擊的那封信

可能是偽造的。

The Manx kings attempted to resolve disagreements at Tynwald,

曼島國王打算要在 Tynwald 上解決爭執，

an open-air parliament centered on a mound,

Tynwald 是高台上的露天式國會，

where assemblies ruled on matters of justice and other issues.

在國會上，與會者會裁決 正義及其他議題相關的事務。

Such sites were commonly used in the Viking world

維京世界經常用這樣的機構

for resolving anything from local disputes to matters involving kings.

來解決任何事，從地方爭議

到與國王相關的事務。

These meetings didn’t always go smoothly—

這些會議不見得都會進行順利——

sometimes violence erupted,

有時會爆發衝突，

and in 1237, two rival factions squabbled to the point

1237 年，兩個黨派吵到

of breaking up the assembly at Tynwald.

Tynwald 集會解散的程度

The four-tiered mound at Tynwald survives to this day,

Tynwald 的這個四層高台 一直保存到現在，

and the modern Manx parliament still holds an annual meeting there.

現代的曼島國會仍然 每年會在那裡開會。

In 1248, King Harald of Man died in a shipwreck

1248 年，曼島的哈拉爾 國王在海難中過世，

and was succeeded by his brother.

由他的弟弟繼位。

Weeks into the new king’s reign, a rebel knight assassinated him.

新國王上位幾週後，

被反抗軍騎士刺殺。

His brother Magnus died in 1265 at Castle Rushen— without an heir.

1265 年，他的弟弟馬格努斯 於拉申城堡過世——

沒有繼承人。

According to one scribe, his death marked the day that

根據一份文書， 他過世的這一天被視為

“kings ceased to reign in Man.”

「國王不再統治曼島」的日子。

Scotland annexed Man and the Isles the next year, in 1266.

隔年，1266 年， 蘇格蘭併吞了曼島和群島。

We know about the exploits of the sea kings primarily from a chronicle

我們對海洋國王功勛的了解 主要來自於一部編年史，

written by Christian scribes living on the Isle of Man,

由住在曼島的基督徒抄寫員撰寫，

and from the praise poems composed to celebrate the kings’ victories.

以及為了慶祝國王勝利 而寫的讚美詩。

Today, although the sea kings are long gone,

現今，雖然海洋國王早就不在了，

their presence remains etched onto the landscape.

他們的存在卻被刻劃在 地景當中，繼續留存。