Earldom of Orkney

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Earldom of Orkney
Orkneyjar / Norðreyjar (Old Norse)
  • c. 872–1231
  • c. 1236–1472
Kingdom of Mann and the Isles-en.svg
The Earldom of Orkney/Norðr in the 11th century, shaded brown, with the Kingdom of the Isles/Sodor shaded red.
Status Dependency of Norway
Capital Kirkjuvagr
Common languages Norn, Old Norse
Religion
Norse Paganism,
Christianity
Jarl (Earl) of Orkney  
• c.872–c. 892
Sigurd Eysteinsson (first)
• 1206–1231
Jon Haraldsson (last Norse jarl)
• 1434–1470
William Sinclair (last jarl under Norwegian Crown)
Historical era Middle Ages
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Blank.png Picts
Kingdom of Scotland Flag of Scotland (traditional).svg

The Earldom of Orkney was a Norse territory ruled by the earls (or jarls) of Orkney from the ninth century until 1472. It was founded during the Viking Age by Viking raiders and settlers from Scandinavia (see Scandinavian Scotland). In the ninth and tenth centuries it covered the Northern Isles (Norðreyjar) of Orkney and Shetland, as well as Caithness and Sutherland on the mainland. It was a dependent territory of the Kingdom of Norway until 1472, when it was absorbed into the Kingdom of Scotland. Originally, the title of Jarl or Earl of Orkney was heritable. [1]

Contents

History

The Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland lie off the northernmost tip of Britain. By the Iron Age, they were part of the Pictish kingdom. From the late 8th century AD, the Picts were gradually dispossessed of the islands by the Norse from Scandinavia. The nature of this change is controversial, and theories range from peaceful integration to enslavement and genocide. [2]

Orkney and Shetland saw a significant influx of Norse settlers during the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Norse Vikings made the islands the headquarters of their pirate expeditions carried out against Norway and the coasts of mainland Scotland. In response, Norwegian king Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) is said to have annexed the Northern Isles in 875; although it is clear that this story, which appears in the Orkneyinga Saga , is based on the later voyages of Magnus Barelegs, and some scholars believe it to be apocryphal. [3] Rognvald Eysteinsson received Orkney and Shetland from Harald as an earldom as reparation for the death of his son in battle in Scotland, and then passed the earldom on to his brother Sigurd the Mighty (ruled c. 875–892). [4]

However, Sigurd's line barely survived him and it was Torf-Einarr (ruled c.895–910), Rognvald's son by a slave, who founded a dynasty that controlled the islands for centuries after his death. [5] [Notes 1] He was succeeded by his son Thorfinn Skull-splitter (c.910–963) and during this time the deposed Norwegian King Eric Bloodaxe often used Orkney as a raiding base before being killed in 954. Thorfinn's death and presumed burial at the broch of Hoxa, on South Ronaldsay, led to a long period of dynastic strife. [7] [8]

Artist's conception of King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway, who forcibly Christianised Orkney. Painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo. Peter nicolai arbo, olaf tryggvasson king.jpg
Artist's conception of King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway, who forcibly Christianised Orkney. Painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo.

Initially a pagan culture, detailed information about the Christianization of Scotland's isles during the Norse era is elusive. [10] The Orkneyinga Saga suggests the islands were Christianized by Olaf Tryggvasson in 995 when he stopped at South Walls on his way from Ireland to Norway. The saga says the king summoned the jarl Sigurd the Stout and said, "I order you and all your subjects to be baptised. If you refuse, I'll have you killed on the spot and I swear I will ravage every island with fire and steel." Unsurprisingly, Sigurd agreed and the islands became Christian at a stroke, [9] receiving their own bishop in the early 11th century. [Notes 2]

Thorfinn the Mighty (c.1025–1064) was a son of Sigurd and a grandson of King Malcolm II of Scotland (Máel Coluim mac Cináeda). Along with Sigurd's other sons he ruled Orkney and Shetland during the first half of the 11th century and extended his authority over the Kingdom of the Isles. Thorfinn's sons Paul and Erlend succeeded him, fighting at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. [13] Paul and Erlend quarreled as adults and this dispute carried on to the next generation. The martyrdom of Magnus Erlendsson, who was killed in April 1116 by his cousin Haakon Paulsson, resulted in the building of St Magnus Cathedral, still today a dominating feature of Kirkwall. [Notes 3]

Unusually, from c. 1100 onwards the Norse jarls owed allegiance both to the Norwegian crown for Orkney and to the Scottish crown through their holdings as Earls of Caithness. [15] In 1231 the line of Norse earls, unbroken since Rognvald, ended with Jon Haraldsson's murder in Thurso. [16] The Earldom of Caithness was granted to Magnus, second son of the Earl of Angus, whom Haakon IV of Norway confirmed as Earl of Orkney in 1236. [17] In 1290, the death of the child princess Margaret, Maid of Norway in Orkney, en route to mainland Scotland, caused a disputed succession that led to the Wars of Scottish Independence. [18] In 1379 the earldom passed to the Sinclair family, who were also barons of Roslin near Edinburgh. [19]

In 1468 Orkney and Shetland were pledged by Christian I, in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the dowry of his daughter Margaret, who was betrothed to James III of Scotland. However the money was never paid, and Orkney was absorbed by the Kingdom of Scotland in 1472. The last Earl of Orkney to hold the title under the Norwegian crown was William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Sigurd The Mighty's son Gurthorm ruled for a single winter after Sigurd's death and died childless. Rognvald's son Hallad inherited the title but, unable to constrain Danish raids in Orkney, he gave up the earldom and returned to Norway, which according to the Orkneyinga Saga "everyone thought was a huge joke." [6]
  2. ↑ The first recorded bishop was Henry of Lund (also known as "the Fat") who was appointed sometime prior to 1035. [11] The bishopric appears to have been under the authority of the Archbishops of York and of Hamburg-Bremen at different times during the early period and from the mid-twelfth century to 1472 was subordinate to the Archbishop of Nidaros (today's Trondheim). [12]
  3. ↑ The Scandinavian peoples, relatively recent converts to Christianity, had a tendency to confer martyrdom and sainthood on leading figures of the day who met violent deaths. Magnus and Haakon Paulsson had been co-rulers of Orkney, and although he had a reputation for piety, there is no suggestion that Magnus died for his Christian faith. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Orkneyinga saga</i> Scandinavian-Scottish literary work

The Orkneyinga saga is a narrative of the history of the Orkney and Shetland islands and their relationship with other local polities, particularly Norway and Scotland. The saga has "no parallel in the social and literary record of Scotland" and is "the only medieval chronicle to have Orkney as the central place of action". The main focus of the work is the line of jarls who ruled the Earldom of Orkney, which constituted the Norðreyjar or Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland and there are frequent references to both archipelagoes throughout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney</span> Earl of Orkney from 1106 to c. 1117

Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney, sometimes known as Magnus the Martyr, was Earl of Orkney from 1106 to about 1117.

Rognvald Eysteinsson was the founding Jarl of Møre in Norway, and a close relative and ally of Harald Fairhair, the earliest known King of Norway. In the Norse language he is known as Rǫgnvaldr Eysteinsson (Mǿrajarl) and in modern Norwegian as Ragnvald Mørejarl. He is sometimes referred to with bynames that may be translated into modern English as "Rognvald the Wise" or "Rognvald the Powerful".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Orkney</span> Norwegian, then Scottish, noble title over the Northern Isles and northern Scotland

Earl of Orkney, historically Jarl of Orkney, is a title of nobility encompassing the archipelagoes of Orkney and Shetland, which comprise the Northern Isles of Scotland. Originally founded by Norse invaders, the status of the rulers of the Northern Isles as Norwegian vassals was formalised in 1195. Although the Old Norse term jarl is etymologically related to "earl", and the jarls were succeeded by earls in the late 15th century, a Norwegian jarl is not the same thing. In the Norse context the distinction between jarls and kings did not become significant until the late 11th century and the early jarls would therefore have had considerable independence of action until that time. The position of Jarl of Orkney was eventually the most senior rank in medieval Norway except for the king himself.

Einarr Rognvaldarson, often referred to by his byname Torf-Einarr, was one of the Norse earls of Orkney. The son of the Norse jarl Rognvald Eysteinsson and a concubine, his rise to power is related in sagas which apparently draw on verses of Einarr's own composition for inspiration. After battling for control of the Northern Isles of Scotland and a struggle with Norwegian royalty, Einarr founded a dynasty which retained control of the islands for centuries after his death.

Thorfinn Torf-Einarsson also known as Thorfinn Skull-splitter was a 10th-century Earl of Orkney. He appears in the Orkneyinga saga and briefly in St Olaf's Saga, as incorporated into the Heimskringla. These stories were first written down in Iceland in the early 13th century and much of the information they contain is "hard to corroborate".

Thorfinn Sigurdsson, also known as Thorfinn the Mighty, was an 11th-century Jarl of Orkney. He was the youngest of five sons of Jarl Sigurd Hlodvirsson and the only one resulting from Sigurd's marriage to a daughter of Malcolm II of Scotland. He ruled alone as jarl for about a third of the time that he held the title and jointly with one or more of his brothers or with his nephew Rögnvald Brusason for the remainder. Thorfinn married Ingibiorg Finnsdottir, daughter of Finn Arnesson, Jarl of Halland.

Sigurd Hlodvirsson, popularly known as Sigurd the Stout from the Old Norse Sigurðr digri, was an Earl of Orkney. The main sources for his life are the Norse Sagas, which were first written down some two centuries or more after his death. These engaging stories must therefore be treated with caution rather than as reliable historical documents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rögnvald Kali Kolsson</span> Earl of Orkney

Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, also known as Saint Ronald of Orkney, was a Norwegian earl of Orkney who came to be regarded as a Christian saint. Two of the Orkney Islands are named after Rögnvald, namely North Ronaldsay and South Ronaldsay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harald Maddadsson</span> Earl of Orkney and Mormaer of Caithness

Harald Maddadsson was Earl of Orkney and Mormaer of Caithness from 1139 until 1206. He was the son of Matad, Mormaer of Atholl, and Margaret, daughter of Earl Haakon Paulsson of Orkney. Of mixed Norse and Gaelic blood, and a descendant of Scots kings, he was a significant figure in northern Scotland, and played a prominent part in Scottish politics of the twelfth century. The Orkneyinga Saga names him one of the three most powerful Earls of Orkney along with Sigurd Eysteinsson and Thorfinn Sigurdsson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mormaer of Caithness</span>

The Mormaer of Caithness was a vassal title mostly held by members of the Norwegian nobility based in Orkney from the Viking Age until 1350. The mormaerdom was held as fief of Scotland and the title was frequently held by the Norse Earls of Orkney, who were thus a vassal of both the King of Norway and the King of Scots. There is no other example in the history of either Norway or of Scotland in which a dynasty of earls owed their allegiance to two different kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigurd Eysteinsson</span> Norse Jarl of Orkney

Sigurd Eysteinsson, or Sigurd the Mighty, was the second Earl of Orkney—a title bequeathed to Sigurd by his brother Rognvald Eysteinsson. A son of Eystein Glumra, Sigurd was a leader in the Viking conquest of what is now northern Scotland.

Brusi Sigurdsson was one of Sigurd Hlodvirsson's four sons. He was joint Earl of Orkney from 1014. His life is recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga.

Rognvald Brusason , son of Brusi Sigurdsson, was Earl of Orkney jointly with Thorfinn Sigurdsson from about 1037 onwards. His life is recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga.

Paul Thorfinnsson and Erlend Thorfinnsson were brothers who ruled together as Earls of Orkney. Paul and Erlend were the sons of Thorfinn Sigurdsson and Ingibiorg Finnsdottir. Through Ingibiorg's father Finn Arnesson and his wife, the family was related to the Norwegian Kings Olav II and Harald II. They are both described as "tall, handsome men, shrewd and gentle, taking rather more after their mother's side of the family. Their lives and times are recounted in the Orkneyinga Saga, which was first written down in the early 13th century by an unknown Icelandic author.

Haakon Paulsson was a Norwegian jarl who ruled the earldom of Orkney together with his cousin Magnus Erlendsson from 1105 to 1123. Their lives and times are recounted in the Orkneyinga saga, which was first written down in the early 13th century by an unknown Icelandic author.

Karl Hundason, also Karl Hundisson, is a personage in the Orkneyinga Saga. The saga recounts a war between Thorfinn Sigurdsson, Earl of Orkney, and Karl, whom it calls king of Scots. The question of his identity and historicity has been debated by historians of Scotland and the Northern Isles for more than a century. However a literal translation suggests that the name may simply be an insult.

Ragnhild Eriksdotter was the daughter of Eric Bloodaxe and his wife, Gunnhild. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, she was an ambitious and scheming woman who sought power through the men of the family of Thorfinn Torf-Einarsson, who was Earl of Orkney. The period after Thorfinn's death was one of dynastic strife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandinavian Scotland</span> 8th- to 15th-century historical period

Scandinavian Scotland was the period from the 8th to the 15th centuries during which Vikings and Norse settlers, mainly Norwegians and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, and their descendants colonised parts of what is now the periphery of modern Scotland. Viking influence in the area commenced in the late 8th century, and hostility between the Scandinavian earls of Orkney and the emerging thalassocracy of the Kingdom of the Isles, the rulers of Ireland, Dál Riata and Alba, and intervention by the crown of Norway were recurring themes.

Helga Moddansdóttir was the mistress of Haakon Paulsson who was Earl of Orkney from 1105 to 1123.

References

  1. ↑ Crawford, Barbara E. (8 August 2013). The Northern Earldoms: Orkney and Caithness from AD 870 to 1470. Birlinn. ISBN   9780857906182 . Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Thomson, William P.L. (2008). The New History of Orkney. Birlinn. pp. 43–50. ISBN   978-1-84158-696-0
  3. ↑ Thomson (2008) pp. 24–27.
  4. ↑ Thomson (2008) p. 24.
  5. ↑ Thomson (2008) p. 29.
  6. ↑ Thomson (2008) p. 30 quoting chapter 5.
  7. ↑ Wenham, Sheena (2003), "The South Isles", in Omand, Donald (ed.) The Orkney Book. Birlinn, p. 211. ISBN   1-84158-254-9
  8. ↑ Thomson (2008) pp. 56–58.
  9. 1 2 Thomson (2008) p. 69. quoting the Orkneyinga Saga chapter 12.
  10. ↑ Abrams, Lesley. "Conversion and the Church in the Hebrides in the Viking Age: "A Very Difficult Thing Indeed", in Ballin Smith et al (2007). pp. 169–89
  11. ↑ Watt, D.E.R. (ed.) (1969). Fasti Ecclesia Scoticanae Medii Aevii ad annum 1638. Scottish Records Society. p. 247.
  12. ↑ "The Diocese of Orkney" Archived 7 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine Firth's Celtic Scotland. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  13. ↑ Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) pp. 66–68.
  14. ↑ Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) p. 69.
  15. ↑ Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) p. 64.
  16. ↑ Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) pp. 72–73.
  17. ↑ Thomson (2008) pp. 134–37.
  18. ↑ Thompson (2008) pp. 146–47.
  19. ↑ Thompson (2008) p. 160.
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