Why is the Bishop of the Isle of Man called Bishop of Sodor and Man?

zbeckabee

The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1 November 1980. The diocese is now called "Sodor and Man". The termination "and Man" appears to have been added in the 17th century and the designation "Sodor and Man" had become a fixture by 1684. Sodor and Man is a diocese of the Church of England. Originally much larger, today it covers just the Isle of Man and its adjacent islets. The Norwegian diocese of Sodor was formed 1154, covering the Hebrides and the other islands along the west coast of Scotland. More history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocese_of_Sodor_and_Man http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_of_Sodor_and_Man Jan 02 09, 1:57 PM

author

This is correct. Here is another Wiki page to tell you about the Norwegian control of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man. Quote: The Hebrides began to come under Norse control and settlement already before the 9th century. Norwegian rule of the Hebrides was formalised in 1098 when Edgar of Scotland recognised the claim of Magnus III of Norway. The Scottish acceptance of Magnus as King of the Isles came after the Norwegian king had conquered the Orkney Islands, the Hebrides and the Isle of Man in a swift campaign earlier the same year, directed against the local Norse leaders of the various islands. By capturing the islands Magnus imposed a more direct royal control over land seized by his kinsmen centuries earlier. The Norwegian control of both the Inner and Outer Hebrides would see almost constant warfare until the partitioning of the Western Isles in 1156. The Outer Hebrides remained under the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles while the Inner Hebrides broke out under Somerled, the Norse-Gael kinsman of both Lulach and the Manx royal house. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrides#Norwegian_control Jan 02 09, 8:34 PM

satguru

I can now understand why Thomas the Tank Engine came from the island of Sodor, I always thought it was made up but now know it was based on somewhere real. I like detective work! Jan 03 09, 7:34 AM

Baloo55th

I had quite a collection as a cub, but wasn't aware until very recently that they were set in Sodor. (I did know about the Bishop of Sodor and Man, on the other hand.) Jan 03 09, 9:10 AM

author

Just one comment: Sodor is not the name of just one island, it is the name of the Hebrides Islands. In Old Norse: Súðreyjar, which means Southern Islands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodor Jan 03 09, 12:12 PM