Harald Olafsson

Harald Olafsson (Old Norse: Haraldr Óláfsson; Mediaeval Gaelic: Aralt mac Amlaíb) was a 13th century King of Mann and the Isles. Haraldr was the son of Óláfr Guðrøðarson, King of Mann and the Isles, and a member of the Crovan dynasty of sea-kings. During Haraldr's 12 year reign, the dynasty's island-kingdom encompassed the Isle of Mann (Mann) and parts of the Hebrides (including the largest Hebridean islands of Lewis and Skye). At various times, Haraldr's predecessors were sometimes vassals of the Kings of Norway and those of England.

When he was 14 years old, Haraldr succeeded his father, on the latter's death in 1237. Upon taking power, Haraldr chose to live in the Hebridaen portion of his kingdom, and placed a certain Lochlann as governor of Mann. Hostilities soon broke out on Mann between Lochlann and Hebridean followers of Haraldr. When Haraldr returned to Mann Lochlann fled the island and drowned off the coast of Wales.

Some years later Haraldr was deposed from Mann by followers of the Hákon Hákonarson, King of Norway, because Haraldr refused to visit Hákon at his court in Norway. Harald made several unsuccessful attempts to reclaim Mann, before travelled to Norway and made amends with the Hákon. Upon his return to his island-kingdom two years later, Haraldr was warmly received by the Manx people, and a contemporary chronicle notes that he peacefully ruled for the rest of his reign. Sometime afterwards, the Norwegian king recalled him to Norway, and had Haraldr marry his daughter Cecilia. While attempting to return to the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles in 1248, the newly-wed's ship was lost at sea, in the perilous tidal race known as Sumburgh Roost, located south of Shetland. In 1249, Haraldr was succeeded by his brother Rögnvaldr, who reigned for a only a very short time.

Like his father before him, and his younger brother after him, Haraldr was knighted by Henry III, King of England. Three charters from Haraldr's reign are known to scholars. He is also known to have bore a waxen seal which depicted a sailing ship on one side and a lion on the other. The original seal, together with two of his charters, were lost in an 18th century fire which consumed and destroyed much of the Cottonian Library.