Hakons Expedition to Scotland 293 



Bishop of Sodor and Man. The Hebrides, now the 

 Nordreyar, formed another kingdom. 



As the power of the kings of Scotland increased, and 

 the adventurous spirit of the Norsemen declined, it 

 must have become clear to these lesser kings and earls 

 that no prospect lay before them but of becoming feu- 

 datories of the Scottish king ; well for them if, on these 

 terms, they could preserve their possessions. Of some 

 of them homage was obtained by the kings of Scotland 

 at the price of a grant of further territory on the main- 

 land, the undisputed possession of the Scottish kings. 

 Alexander 11. sent an embassy to Hakon offering to 

 purchase the claims of suzerainty over these islands of 

 the Norwegian crown ; and the offer was repeated by 

 Alexander iii., but each time decisively rejected by the 

 King of Norway. Such a proposal was enough to put 

 him on the alert; and presently there came news to 

 Hakon that the Scots had been making forays in these 

 western islands, and had committed all sorts of atroci- 

 ties there. 



It was time for him to stir if he would not let drop 

 for ever the claims of Norway to the suzerainty of these, 

 its ancient colonies. Hakon determined, as the crown- 

 ing achievement of his life — it was in the forty-sixth 

 year of his reign — to strike a great blow against the 

 power of the King of Scotland, and for the re-establish- 

 ment of the influence of Norway on that side of the 

 Northern Ocean. In the winter of A.D. 1262 he sent 

 messages throughout the country for the collecting 

 and arming of a fleet. It assembled the following 

 summer to be reviewed by the king, one of the largest 

 fleets which had ever sailed from Norwegian waters. 



