WI: A 'Norse Scotland'

In OTL, the unification of the Picts and the Gaelic Scots (involving people like Kenneth MacCalpin and Constantine etc) which created the Kingdom of Scotland/Alba resulted in, or sped up, Gaelicisation across the land, in which Gaelic replaced Pictish, Cumbric, defeated Norse and in considerable areas old English with the exception of the extreme North where Norse survived and developed into the local Norn, and the Extreme South East, where English survived.

But what if, during the period where the Vikings were wreaking Havock and turning the tables, Norse had won and the newly forming culture across Northern Britain was not Gaelic, but Norse? If Norse had come to dominate not just the Northern Isles, but the Mainland and the Hebrides aswell, what would the result be of this Norse Kingdom, assuming that some form of National Unity emerges, like in OTL. Perhaps this Norse Kingdom could have eaten into Northumbria?

How would a Norse Kingdom (not being called Scotland) relate to Gaelic Ireland, England and the rest of the Scandinavian world?

Could you imagine Norse giving way to English during the High Middle Ages like Gaelic did in OTL?
 
I guess it would be possible if the Norse folks would have been settled in greater numbers and also on the lowlands. Then (if a strong kingdom existed) perhaps the saxon anglo-scots would have chosen another destination for settling.

If the Norse Scotland remains vassal, or a close ally of a Norse kingdom, then their early presence can save your country from being a target, and it could possible to expand into northumbria.

My main concern would be that when the saxons arrive, they would have a technological advantage over the vikings. And even if Norse Scotland survives the saxons, they have barely the time to recover before the arrival of the normans.

On the long run I don't see many differences in attitude in OTL scot-english and Your TL norscot-english relations. My point is, if it will be a kingdom independent of Scandinavia, it will fare roughly just as ITL scots had. I just can't see the possibility for Edingbourgh to dominate London...

But, if Norscots remain allied to a Scandinavian power, and survives the saxons, then an alliance with the normans could be interesting possibly resulting in a longlasting north-south division of the island. The trick is that North could be Norse, South could be French Norman, which would result in a non-saxon Great Britain. :eek:
 
I guess it would be possible if the Norse folks would have been settled in greater numbers and also on the lowlands. Then (if a strong kingdom existed) perhaps the saxon anglo-scots would have chosen another destination for settling.

If the Norse Scotland remains vassal, or a close ally of a Norse kingdom, then their early presence can save your country from being a target, and it could possible to expand into northumbria.

Scotland expanding into (the Kingdom of) Northumbria is where the lowland Anglo-Saxon Scots are from, though.

They didn't settle in some other country and force the border north, the border was pushed South by said other country.

So are you looking to absorb even more of Northumbria, or overlooking the OTL pushing south?
 
Scotland expanding into (the Kingdom of) Northumbria is where the lowland Anglo-Saxon Scots are from, though.

They didn't settle in some other country and force the border north, the border was pushed South by said other country.

So are you looking to absorb even more of Northumbria, or overlooking the OTL pushing south?

I was thinking about Saxon scots in northumbria in smaller numbers, and Scottish Lowland swarmed with Norse people. Then the norse could vikingize saxon northumbria after a conquest. I just can't find an idea about why the Saxons have appeared in weaker number in this TL.
 
I was thinking about Saxon scots in northumbria in smaller numbers, and Scottish Lowland swarmed with Norse people. Then the norse could vikingize saxon northumbria after a conquest. I just can't find an idea about why the Saxons have appeared in weaker number in this TL.

That I think you'd be well served by asking someone who has studied the Saxon expansion, which I am not.

But are we talking an adjustment in territory from OTL or not?
 
Perhaps the Danelaw could be part of this Norn kingdom as well, getting less dominance from England in Britain, but what would Scotland be called?

Alba > Albland > Alfland

Caledonia > Kelden, or Keldoland > Kelland
 
Perhaps the Danelaw could be part of this Norn kingdom as well, getting less dominance from England in Britain, but what would Scotland be called?

Alba > Albland > Alfland

Caledonia > Kelden, or Keldoland > Kelland

Alf means something in Norse though, unless you want Scots to be known as elves?
 
Elves were not as fantasy-ish back then, and alf was a frequent name-theme in personal names such as Alfr, Alfhildr, Thoralfr, Thorelfr, so having a country called something with alf would not seem odd at all. We have lots and lots of such placenames in Scandinavia, and not all are related to Elves anyway.

Phonologically, alb would become alf due to the sound structure of the language.
 
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