454:
258:
69:
704:
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
494:
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, receiving their own
659:
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
68:
411:
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
1030:
897:
628:
431:
430:
895–910), Rognvald's son by a slave, who founded a dynasty that controlled the islands for centuries after his death. He was succeeded by his son
189:
1045:
679:(also known as "the Fat") who was appointed sometime prior to 1035. The bishopric appears to have been under the authority of the Archbishops of
616:
771:
517:). 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
1025:
827:
736:
534:
137:
331:
98:
397:(Harald Hårfagre) is said to have annexed the Northern Isles in 875; although it is clear that this story, which appears in the
1035:
865:
Abrams, Lesley. "Conversion and the Church in the
Hebrides in the Viking Age: "A Very Difficult Thing Indeed", in Ballin Smith
233:
1050:
585:
522:
1040:
1020:
473:
culture, detailed information about the
Christianization of Scotland's isles during the Norse era is elusive. The
385:
Orkney and
Shetland saw a significant influx of Norse settlers during the late 8th and early 9th centuries. Norse
569:
526:
453:
1015:
726:
581:
894:
684:
442:
often used Orkney as a raiding base before being killed in 954. Thorfinn's death and presumed burial at the
687:
at different times during the early period and from the mid-twelfth century to 1472 was subordinate to the
552:
owed allegiance both to the
Norwegian crown for Orkney and to the Scottish crown through their holdings as
688:
608:
510:
620:
393:
expeditions carried out against Norway and the coasts of mainland
Scotland. In response, Norwegian king
299:
640:
565:
529:
in 1066. Paul and Erlend quarreled as adults and this dispute carried on to the next generation. The
518:
408:
404:
78:
763:
624:
577:
542:
502:
366:
kingdom. From the late 8th century AD, the Picts were gradually dispossessed of the islands by the
335:
327:
251:
94:
680:
553:
470:
462:
412:
394:
163:
132:
43:
823:
767:
732:
374:. The nature of this change is controversial, and theories range from peaceful integration to
496:
491:
478:
458:
901:
852:
662:
538:
447:
399:
584:
in Orkney, en route to mainland
Scotland, caused a disputed succession that led to the
557:
355:
343:
303:
283:
176:
144:
20:
1009:
878:
676:
593:
589:
573:
439:
359:
118:
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443:
339:
627:
in 1472. The last Earl of Orkney to hold the title under the Norwegian crown was
482:
423:
375:
371:
204:
580:
confirmed as Earl of Orkney in 1236. In 1290, the death of the child princess
323:
291:
692:
611:, in his capacity as King of Norway, as security against the payment of the
597:
319:
122:
940:
Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) pp. 72–73.
913:
Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) pp. 66–68.
379:
367:
315:
279:
108:
931:
Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) p. 64.
922:
Crawford, Barbara E. "Orkney in the Middle Ages" in Omand (2003) p. 69.
556:. In 1231 the line of Norse earls, unbroken since Rognvald, ended with
485:
on his way from Ireland to Norway. The saga says the king summoned the
561:
530:
390:
386:
311:
295:
623:. However the money was never paid, and Orkney was absorbed by the
612:
452:
363:
238:
978:. Ed. Colin Renfrew. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 1985.
818:
Wenham, Sheena (2003), "The South Isles", in Omand, Donald (ed.)
487:
728:
The Northern Earldoms: Orkney and Caithness from AD 870 to 1470
290:
from the ninth century until 1472. It was founded during the
999:
461:
of Norway, who forcibly Christianised Orkney. Painting by
438:
910–963) and during this time the deposed Norwegian King
358:
of Orkney and Shetland lie off the northernmost tip of
1002:
detailing the history and culture of the Orkney Isles.
422:
However, Sigurd's line barely survived him and it was
974:
Morris, Christopher. "Viking Orkney: A Survey." In:
904:
Firth's Celtic Scotland. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
883:
Fasti Ecclesia Scoticanae Medii Aevii ad annum 1638
302:). In the ninth and tenth centuries it covered the
200:
183:
170:
157:
143:
128:
114:
104:
90:
30:
509:1025–1064) was a son of Sigurd and a grandson of
407:, and some scholars believe it to be apocryphal.
545:, still today a dominating feature of Kirkwall.
35:
537:, who was killed in April 1116 by his cousin
8:
77:in the 11th century, shaded brown, with the
477:suggests the islands were Christianized by
450:, led to a long period of dynastic strife.
389:made the islands the headquarters of their
298:raiders and settlers from Scandinavia (see
548:Unusually, from c. 1100 onwards the Norse
334:until 1472, when it was absorbed into the
67:
27:
362:. By the Iron Age, they were part of the
981:Magnusson, Magnus and Hermann Pálsson.
809:Thomson (2008) p. 30 quoting chapter 5.
717:
652:
846:
844:
725:Crawford, Barbara E. (8 August 2013).
182:
169:
156:
152:
142:
7:
705:Magnus died for his Christian faith.
588:. In 1379 the earldom passed to the
885:. Scottish Records Society. p. 247.
666:"everyone thought was a huge joke."
403:, is based on the later voyages of
850:Thomson (2008) p. 69. quoting the
14:
603:In 1468 Orkney and Shetland were
192:(last jarl under Norwegian Crown)
629:William Sinclair, Earl of Orkney
592:family, who were also barons of
256:
231:
525:succeeded him, fighting at the
19:For the title of nobility, see
985:. (English translation of the
758:Thomson, William P.L. (2008).
675:The first recorded bishop was
541:, resulted in the building of
1:
586:Wars of Scottish Independence
506:
435:
427:
416:
1031:Kingdom of Norway (872–1397)
958:Thompson (2008) pp. 146–47.
511:King Malcolm II of Scotland
499:in the early 11th century.
338:. Originally, the title of
326:on the mainland. It was a
1069:
949:Thomson (2008) pp. 134–37.
481:in 995 when he stopped at
18:
1046:Norway–Scotland relations
1026:Former Norwegian colonies
989:) New York: Penguin. 1978
838:Thomson (2008) pp. 56–58.
782:Thomson (2008) pp. 24–27.
760:The New History of Orkney
527:Battle of Stamford Bridge
210:
196:
153:
66:
52:
976:The Prehistory of Orkney
900:7 September 2008 at the
582:Margaret, Maid of Norway
967:Thompson (2008) p. 160.
895:"The Diocese of Orkney"
619:, who was betrothed to
515:Máel Coluim mac Cináeda
457:Artist's conception of
432:Thorfinn Skull-splitter
282:territory ruled by the
36:
1036:Norwegian noble titles
466:
73:The Earldom of Orkney/
37:Orkneyjar / Norðreyjar
16:Medieval Norse earldom
1051:Scandinavian Scotland
800:Thomson (2008) p. 29.
791:Thomson (2008) p. 24.
689:Archbishop of Nidaros
621:James III of Scotland
456:
300:Scandinavian Scotland
145:Jarl (Earl) of Orkney
115:Common languages
641:Kingdom of the Isles
572:, second son of the
566:Earldom of Caithness
519:Kingdom of the Isles
459:King Olaf Tryggvason
409:Rognvald Eysteinsson
159:• c.872–c. 892
79:Kingdom of the Isles
822:. Birlinn, p. 211.
625:Kingdom of Scotland
578:Haakon IV of Norway
543:St Magnus Cathedral
503:Thorfinn the Mighty
336:Kingdom of Scotland
328:dependent territory
252:Kingdom of Scotland
1041:Monarchy of Norway
869:(2007). pp. 169–89
554:Earls of Caithness
521:. Thorfinn's sons
467:
463:Peter Nicolai Arbo
164:Sigurd Eysteinsson
1021:History of Orkney
772:978-1-84158-696-0
535:Magnus Erlendsson
413:Sigurd the Mighty
332:Kingdom of Norway
276:Earldom of Orkney
272:
271:
268:
267:
264:
263:
244:
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185:• 1434–1470
179:(last Norse jarl)
172:• 1206–1231
32:Earldom of Orkney
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615:of his daughter
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492:Sigurd the Stout
479:Olaf Tryggvasson
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190:William Sinclair
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983:Orkneyinga Saga
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902:Wayback Machine
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853:Orkneyinga Saga
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820:The Orkney Book
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663:Orkneyinga Saga
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568:was granted to
539:Haakon Paulsson
523:Paul and Erlend
475:Orkneyinga Saga
448:South Ronaldsay
405:Magnus Barelegs
400:Orkneyinga Saga
395:Harald Fairhair
352:
346:was heritable.
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994:External links
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987:Orkneyingasaga
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881:(ed.) (1969).
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558:Jon Haraldsson
356:Northern Isles
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344:Earl of Orkney
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21:Earl of Orkney
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766:. pp. 43–50.
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738:9780857906182
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677:Henry of Lund
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574:Earl of Angus
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560:'s murder in
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444:broch of Hoxa
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440:Eric Bloodaxe
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742:. Retrieved
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549:
547:
514:
501:
486:
474:
469:Initially a
468:
421:
398:
384:
353:
307:
285:
275:
273:
221:Succeeded by
220:
215:
138:Christianity
82:
74:
59:c. 1236–1472
25:
856:chapter 12.
731:. Birlinn.
609:Christian I
483:South Walls
424:Torf-Einarr
376:enslavement
372:Scandinavia
288:) of Orkney
216:Preceded by
205:Middle Ages
85:shaded red.
56:c. 872–1231
1010:Categories
713:References
419:875–892).
324:Sutherland
308:Norðreyjar
292:Viking Age
284:earls (or
109:Kirkjuvagr
95:Dependency
1000:Orkneyjar
693:Trondheim
691:(today's
647:Footnotes
598:Edinburgh
531:martyrdom
320:Caithness
129:Religion
123:Old Norse
44:Old Norse
898:Archived
744:7 August
635:See also
617:Margaret
590:Sinclair
380:genocide
316:Shetland
764:Birlinn
683:and of
605:pledged
576:, whom
426:(ruled
415:(ruled
387:Vikings
364:Pictish
360:Britain
350:History
330:of the
166:(first)
105:Capital
826:
770:
735:
594:Roslin
570:Magnus
564:. The
562:Thurso
497:bishop
391:pirate
312:Orkney
296:Viking
278:was a
149:
99:Norway
91:Status
40:
867:et al
613:dowry
596:near
550:jarls
471:pagan
446:, on
370:from
368:Norse
310:) of
286:jarls
280:Norse
239:Picts
83:Sodor
75:Norðr
824:ISBN
768:ISBN
746:2016
733:ISBN
681:York
488:jarl
378:and
354:The
340:Jarl
322:and
314:and
274:The
119:Norn
607:by
533:of
342:or
294:by
97:of
1012::
843:^
762:.
695:).
631:.
600:.
507:c.
436:c.
428:c.
417:c.
382:.
121:,
748:.
513:(
505:(
465:.
434:(
306:(
135:,
81:/
46:)
42:(
23:.
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