Overview

The carved stone crosses of the Isle of Man of the late fifth to mid-eleventh century are of national and international importance. They provide the most coherent source for the early history of Christianity in the Island, and for the arrival and conversion of Scandinavian settlers in the last century of the Viking Age - a century which produced some of the earliest recognisable images of the heroes and gods of the North; earlier, indeed, than those found in Scandinavia. This, the first general survey of the material for more than a century, provides a new view of the political and religious connections of the Isle of Man in a period of great turmoil in the Irish Sea region. The book also includes an up-to-date annotated inventory of the monuments.

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9781784917562

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Reviews

`In his book, David Wilson discusses the emergence, zenith, and decline of Manx crosses in six stimulating chapters, supported by a comprehensive list of sites and that all-important index. He clearly shows that major influences were brought to bear over the 600-year period, initially by early Christian missionaries, followed by Picts, and finally Vikings. His book is the first comprehensive survey to be undertaken for over a century, and provides invaluable context to their origins and use at a time when, politically, the Irish Sea (province) was experiencing great upheaval. This is a must-read for scholars interested in the religious iconography of the early medieval period.' - George Nash (2019): Current Archaeology #339 `We have needed this book: an authoritative and holistic introduction to the Isle of Man's early medieval sculpture. From the book's Preface we get a good sense of just how hard-won its contents have been for the `retired', eminent Viking scholar Sir David Wilson, who long ago made the Isle of Man his home... Throughout, Wilson draws effectively on his extensive knowledge of the early medieval, particularly Scandinavian world, to situate the Manx story, as revealed through its sculpture, in its Irish Sea and wider European context.' - Sally Foster (2019): Archaeological Journal, DOI: 10.1080/00665983.2019.1590955

Author Information

David M. Wilson, Director of the British Museum from 1977-1992, is a leading authority on the Viking Age and has written a number of studies of the art and archaeology of the Anglo-Saxon period and the Viking Age in their Northern European context. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and lives in the Island.

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