Map of Miott (+ political system + history)

[mèþru]

I think that the major population center will be the valleys right next to the valleys as well as the inland parts of the southwest. If the soils of the valleys are not good enough, than I would say that Openmahan, Speitha, Arhecasso, Piarhcian, Mgonnodd and are the most populated cities, in something like that order. The whole country would have the wet and miserable feel often ascribed to Scotland by tourists. If Protestantism does not have to be forced on the islanders, a tradition of settlement and oppression like in Ireland is less likely to emerge.
The Hebrides is still very far from any major Catholic power, so that doesn't help.

It is actually closer to Ireland than Scotland. Even then, the parts of Scotland that it is closest to where under Viking rule for a while. To me, an early Scottish conquest of Miott seems ASB, while later conquest is improbable. Maybe England conquers Miott and awards it to Scotland when the kingdoms are under personal union? That also sounds ASB to me, but less so than early conquest. The problem with later Scottish conquest is that the main influence linguistic from Scotland would be Scots instead of Scottish Gaelic.

Here is my new favourite history of the area:
Miott has a long history of conquest and neglect. It has been invaded many times in Antiquity and the Early Medieval Age by the Irish. During the Viking era, various Norse raiders have pillaged, conquered and razed it before the Uí Ímair (Grandchildren of Ivar), a Hiberno-Norse dynasty which is associated with the south and east of Ireland as well as Mann, York and the Hebrides, finally brought peace to the area. The islands did not have much valuable resources and barely grew enough food to support their own population, so the Imair let the local Miottese chiefs do whatever they did before, with the condition that the chieftains provide men to fight for the Imair. This proved crucial when Miottese auxiliaries prevented the takeover of the Hebrides by the Earl of Orkney in the late tenth century. The region was part of the Diocese of the Isles. The remaining lands of the Imair were eventually conquered by Norway under Magnus III. The Earl of Orkney ruled these lands, but Miott was in practice still ruled by the local chiefs. After Scotland won the Hebrides in 1266, the chiefs of Miott begged King Alexander II of Scotland to accept them as overchief of the islands. It has remained a Scottish possession until the Acts of Union 1707.

I am also confused about the name. I thought it might have an English name based on an older form of the native name (which I presumed is Miott).

Edit:
Apparently, Rockall is very hard to access in real life. The Faroe Islands is in fact the easiest place to get there from, even though Ireland is much closer. Also, the oil is closer to Scotland and Ireland than the plateau. The Miottese would have to come from the Faroe Islands, and would be ruled by the Norwegians until the Danish unite with the Norwegians. The colony would become Danish when the Norwegians become independent. The islanders are very remote and were barely affected by any thing that happened among Scandinavians, Faroese, or anyone else. They are probably Lutheran with heavy local pagan influence. The language would have a very large amount of Old West Norse influence and loans, as well as modern influence. In modern times, the islands are a heavily autonomous part of Denmark (practically independent, sharing only the Queen and Army and are not subject to Danish legislation). Due to the lack of strong outside influence, the islanders practice their own unique form of government which combines tribal traditions with modern Danish parliamentary democracy. Like most of the world and unlike the rest of Europe, tribes are still a very relevant part of life (to see how this may harm the development of democracy, read Francis Fukuyama's The Origins of Political Order).

The Norse name for Rockall might have been about its barrenness (the etymology is disputed). Since Miott is a large island with farming, the name would be different. The name is where we probably got Rockall from (again, the etymology is disputed. It might have come from Irish). With my latest idea for Rockall, the English name probably comes from a different Norse name.

[mèþru]

If the oil is too far for Miott to claim, it will probably in the situation of the Faroes and Greenland - a poor home ruled area seeking independence, but it relies on the Danish government to provide money and needs to diversify and expand its economy. Also, Miott needs a Nordic cross flag (unless if they have a very deep-seated hatred of the Danes). I was thinking of red and blue stripes with a white cross.

[din]

Thanks for your input

It is actually closer to Ireland than Scotland. Even then, the parts of Scotland that it is closest to where under Viking rule for a while. To me, an early Scottish conquest of Miott seems ASB, while later conquest is improbable. Maybe England conquers Miott and awards it to Scotland when the kingdoms are under personal union? That also sounds ASB to me, but less so than early conquest. The problem with later Scottish conquest is that the main influence linguistic from Scotland would be Scots instead of Scottish Gaelic.

Actually, it's not; it's closest to North Uist in Scotland. What does 'ASB' stand for?

Here is my new favourite history of the area:
Miott has a long history of conquest and neglect. It has been invaded many times in Antiquity and the Early Medieval Age by the Irish. During the Viking era, various Norse raiders have pillaged, conquered and razed it before the Uí Ímair (Grandchildren of Ivar), a Hiberno-Norse dynasty which is associated with the south and east of Ireland as well as Mann, York and the Hebrides, finally brought peace to the area. The islands did not have much valuable resources and barely grew enough food to support their own population, so the Imair let the local Miottese chiefs do whatever they did before, with the condition that the chieftains provide men to fight for the Imair. This proved crucial when Miottese auxiliaries prevented the takeover of the Hebrides by the Earl of Orkney in the late tenth century. The region was part of the Diocese of the Isles. The remaining lands of the Imair were eventually conquered by Norway under Magnus III. The Earl of Orkney ruled these lands, but Miott was in practice still ruled by the local chiefs. After Scotland won the Hebrides in 1266, the chiefs of Miott begged King Alexander II of Scotland to accept them as overchief of the islands. It has remained a Scottish possession until the Acts of Union 1707.

Hm, interesting ideas. I don't know much about the dynasty of Ivar, but weren't they mostly active around the Irish sea? I also think that there shouldn't be much of an issue having enough food to support a local population. There's a wealth of marine life in the area, and there should be puffins to eat, too. Domesticated animals shouldn't be much of a problem either (especially sheep), and I'm sure that some small scale agriculture shouldn't be an issue: Iceland can sustain crops too (though their soil is probably more fertile due to volcanic activity).

The reason Ireland doesn't support large scale food production is (I believe) because of the acidity of the soil (peatlands). Looking at the geography of Miott, I don't see that happening, because due to the elevation differences, I don't foresee the formation of large marshlands, and because you'll have a lot of sediment coming down from the mountains and through the valleys, the lower lying areas should actually be pretty fertile.

Probably all of that is still not interesting enough to attract a lot of attention from foreign rulers, though, so any takeover would, in practice, indeed probably be mostly in name and allegiance.

I am also confused about the name. I thought it might have an English name based on an older form of the native name (which I presumed is Miott). The Norse name for Rockall might have been about its barrenness (the etymology is disputed). Since Miott is a large island with farming, the name would be different. The name is where we probably got Rockall from (again, the etymology is disputed. It might have come from Irish). With my latest idea for Rockall, the English name probably comes from a different Norse name.

Well, don't forget that I have some freedom here, as this is a fictional place. In my version of the world, Rockall is derived from the Tormiott Roccal, which is a combination of ropp- (pref) big, large; tall; long; high (reach), and a local variation of caul (n) mountain ridge.

Apparently, Rockall is very hard to access in real life. The Faroe Islands is in fact the easiest place to get there from, even though Ireland is much closer. Also, the oil is closer to Scotland and Ireland than the plateau.

We're not talking about the (real life) islet of Rockall though. My concountry has nice natural harbors, so landing shouldn't be a problem.

With regards to oil: Not much exploration has actually been done in real life. Again, though, since we're in a constructed alternative reality, I can say "let there be oil" (within Miott's territorial waters), as it is not terribly unlikely. I mean, if I can raise the seabed, I can add some oil in there, right ?

The Miottese would have to come from the Faroe Islands, and would be ruled by the Norwegians until the Danish unite with the Norwegians. The colony would become Danish when the Norwegians become independent. The islanders are very remote and were barely affected by any thing that happened among Scandinavians, Faroese, or anyone else. They are probably Lutheran with heavy local pagan influence. The language would have a very large amount of Old West Norse influence and loans, as well as modern influence. In modern times, the islands are a heavily autonomous part of Denmark (practically independent, sharing only the Queen and Army and are not subject to Danish legislation). Due to the lack of strong outside influence, the islanders practice their own unique form of government which combines tribal traditions with modern Danish parliamentary democracy. Like most of the world and unlike the rest of Europe, tribes are still a very relevant part of life (to see how this may harm the development of democracy, read Francis Fukuyama's The Origins of Political Order).

I don't really plan on going down this route, though. Remember that I've been working on the language for a decade. It's much more important, to me, to find a history that fits in with the language, than the other way around. Although the old 'clan based' forms of government, as you suggest, do fit in with some of the ideas which we've discussed in this thread before, so that is likely to end up in the final story. Probably indeed mixed in with some form of parliamentary democracy which has blown over from the British Isles or the continent.

[mèþru]

I checked to see what is closer on Wikipedia and you were right.
ASB stands for Alien Space Bats, and is used to describe impossible/implausible alternate histories. The creator of the term used it when talking about alternate histories where Operation Sealion succeeded. She said that the only way the operation could have succeeded was if alien space bats came and assisted them. She later went on to write an alternate history entirely based on these creatures.
The dynasty of Ivar were also active in Hebrides.
As to accessibility issues, this is due to the deep Rockall Trough between the Rockall Plateau and the British Isles. For easier navigation from Ireland or Scotland, the Trough needs to be raised as well as the Plateau.

[din]

As to accessibility issues, this is due to the deep Rockall Trough between the Rockall Plateau and the British Isles. For easier navigation from Ireland or Scotland, the Trough needs to be raised as well as the Plateau.

Are troughs harder to navigate?

[jal]

Are troughs harder to navigate?

I would think this is due to stronger currents, as the surface waters flow more easily over deep water (less friction) than over a continental shelf.


JAL