The Chaotic Schemes Of Ragnhild Eiriksdotter In Orkney

According to Norwegian-Icelandic tradition, King Harald Finehair (r. 860-940), turned the lawless Viking hubs of Shetland and Orkney into governed domains of Norway by placing the island regions under the control of the family of Jarl Rognvald of More. Like most events in Harald Finehair’s life, the date of the Norwegian takeover of Orkney and Shetland is difficult to place on a timeline, with dates often having a margin of error spanning decades. As told by the Icelandic sagas, King Harald did not turn his gaze toward the British Isles until he crushed all Norwegian resistance against his rule in the Battle of Hafrsfjord, which has been dated anywhere from 872 to 900. By the time Harald Finehair was succeeded by his son, Eirik Bloodaxe, around 940, several jarls had come and gone in Orkney. The sagas claim that Jarl Sigurd was the first ruler of Orkney, and he was succeeded by two short-lived jarls. There was apparently a brief period when Danish Vikings edged their way back into the region, but Jarl Einar I (a son of Rognvald) reclaimed Orkney for Norway. Einar was said to have lived a long life, but he likely died well before Eirik Bloodaxe came to power.

Around 945, Eirik Bloodaxe was forced to flee Norway when his popular  and well-connected brother, Haakon the Good, made a successful bid for the Norwegian throne. Eirik Bloodaxe made the best of his exile and sailed to the British Isles, where he became king of Northumbria around 947 or 948. While there, he allied himself with Orkney, which was reportedly ruled at that time by three sons of the late Jarl Einar. Two of the three sons, Arnkl and Erlend, supposedly became Eirik’s frequent companions, and they were said to have died alongside Eirik Bloodaxe after having been ambushed at Stainmore in 954.

After the death of Eirik Bloodaxe, his wife, Gunnhild, uprooted her family from Northumbria and sailed to the friendlier shores of Orkney. The last son of Einar, Jarl Thorfinn Skullcleaver, allowed Gunnhild’s family to take control of Orkney and Shetland for a while, but the late King Eirik’s ambitious scions eventually relocated back to Scandinavia and harassed Haakon the Good from a base in Denmark. Yet, before Gunnhild and her sons departed from Orkney, they rewarded Jarl Thorfinn for his hospitality by arranging for his son, Arnfinn, to marry Eirik Bloodaxe’s daughter, Ragnhild. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, this marriage would cause a wave of bloodshed to crash over the ruling family of Orkney.

Thorfinn Skullcleaver was said to have five sons, and while infighting over who would inherit the jarldom may have developed naturally between the sons, the Orkneyinga Saga placed the blame on the scheming of Ragnhild Eiriksdotter. According to the saga, Ragnhild murdered her husband, Arnfinn (presumably Thorfinn’s heir), and instead married Thorfinn’s next eldest son, Havard. After Thorfinn Skullcleaver died, Havard became the new jarl, but his brothers and cousins did not respect his claim to the title. As the saga presents the story, Ragnhild then used her wit and good looks to weave the nobles of Orkney around her will. She supposedly convinced one of the new jarl’s nephews, curiously known as Einar Buttered-Bread, to ambush and kill Jarl Havard. Another of the late jarl’s nephews, known as Einar Hard-Mouth, allegedly also fell to Ragnhild’s charm and killed Buttered-Bread on her command. Meanwhile, Ragnhild Eiriksdotter reportedly married a third son of Thorfinn Skullcleaver, this time called Ljot, and she helped her new husband become the next jarl.

As had happened with the last husband of Ragnhild, other nobles of Orkney did not respect the authority of the jarl. Ljot’s nephew, Einar Hard-Mouth, launched a lack-luster coup attempt and was executed after the conspiracy ended in failure. Ljot’s younger brother, Skuli, however, posed a much more dangerous threat. Skuli sailed to Scotland, where he cultivated some support among the Scots. With a large band of warriors, Skuli returned to Orkney and challenged his brother. Jarl Ljot, however, won the battle and chased his brother all the way back to Scotland. According to the Orkneyinga Saga, Ljot and Skuli continued to battle it out in the then Norwegian-controlled region of Caithness, where Skuli was killed and Ljot was mortally wounded.

After fighting Skuli and the Scots in Caithness, Ljot was said to have returned to Orkney and died of his wounds soon after. His brother, Hlodvir—the last remaining son of Thorfinn Skullcleaver –became the next jarl. Unlike his brothers, Arnfinn, Havard and Ljot, Jarl Hlodvir made the wise decision to distance himself from Ragnhild Eiriksdotter. He instead married Eithne, a daughter of an Irish king, and lived long enough to die peacefully in his bed. After the ascendance of Hlodvir, no further record of Ragnhild was kept, leading many to believe she lost all influence in Orkney or died.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Picture Attribution: (Image of Gunnhild being told of Eirik Bloodaxe's death, by Christian Krohg  (1852–1925), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturluson and translated by Lee Hollander. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1964, 2018. 
• Orkneyinga Saga, written anonymously approximately c. 1200, translated by Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards. New York: Penguin Classics, 1981. 
• The Saga of the People of Laxardal and Bolli Bollason’s Tale, written in 13th-century Iceland, translated by Keneva Kunz. New York: Penguin Classics, 2008. 
• http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SCOTTISH%20NOBILITY.htm#_Toc359671992 
• http://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/9480077 
• http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/vikings_8.html  

King Harald II Allegedly Started A Fashion Trend And Consequently Received A Stylish Name

King Harald II of Norway (r. 961-970) was one of several sons fathered by King Eirik Bloodaxe, ruler of Norway in the early 940s. Nevertheless, the usurpation of the throne in 945 by Haakon the Good, Eirik’s younger brother, caused Eirik Bloodaxe and his family to flee over to the British Isles. There, Eirik managed to set himself up as King of Northumbria in 947 and remained influential in the region until his death during a raid around 954.

After Eirik Bloodaxe’s death, his wife and sons left mainland Britain and temporarily stayed in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, but ultimately relocated to Denmark, where they were given shelter by King Harald Bluetooth of the Danes (r. 958-985). From Denmark, the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe raided Norway, where Haakon the Good was still in power. The Saga of Haakon the Good, written by the Icelandic chief Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179-1241), alleged that the sons of Eirik launched four major invasions into Norway. According to the saga, each invasion failed, yet Haakon the Good was mortally wounded while pressing back the final attack in 961. As King Haakon the Good had no male heirs, he reportedly named his troublesome nephews (the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe) as his successors.

At the time of Haakon’s death, Harald II was the eldest living son of Eirik Bloodaxe, and he therefore became the next king of Norway, although he did allow his surviving brothers to share in his power. When he first took the throne, the new king was apparently known simply as Harald Eiriksson. Yet, before the end of his reign, he would gain a stylish addition to his name.

According to Snorri Sturluson, Norway saw an influx of Icelandic trade during the time of Harald II. In particular, an unnamed Icelandic merchant reportedly sailed into the Hardanger region of Norway with a large cargo of sheepskin cloaks. Unfortunately, the Icelandic trader soon discovered that his cloaks were not considered fashionable in Norway. Wealthy Norwegians stayed away from the man’s Icelandic garments as if they were the plague. Yet, the merchant’s luck abruptly changed for the better when King Harald II decided to peruse the newly arrived wares. To the merchant’s delight, the king bought a lordly gray sheepskin cloak, which he draped across his shoulders, and it became an iconic part of his wardrobe.

King Harald II must have looked great in the cloak, for all of his thanes apparently scrambled to find their own sheepskin cloaks. The Icelandic merchant, who earlier had been avoided at all costs, now found himself to be the most sought-after fashion designer in the region. Before long, the merchant’s entire cargo of sheepskin cloaks was sold off to thanes and noblemen who were eager to keep up with the latest royal fashion. According to Snorri Sturluson, it was after this encounter that the king of Norway became known as Harald Graycloak.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Picture Attribution: (Frithjof, the Viking of Norway, and Roland, the paladin of France, (c. 1899), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons and Flickr).

Sources:

• Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturluson and translated by Lee Hollander. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1964, 2018.
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Erik-I 
• https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harald-II-Eiriksson  

Ten Fun And Unique Viking Names

(The Funeral of a Viking, by Frank Dicksee (1853–1928), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

During the Viking Age, the adventurous warriors of Scandinavia had some of the most entertaining and innovative names and nicknames in history.

Without further ado, here are 10 Vikings with very memorable names:

• Ragnar Lodbrok (Hairy-Breeches)—He was a 9th-century Viking king from Denmark whose raids against Britain and mainland Europe became legendary.

• Ivar the Boneless—He was a son of Ragnar Lodbrok. Like his father, Ivar was also a powerful Scandinavian king. He launched another invasion of Britain to avenge his father’s death.

• Magnus Barelegs—He was the king of Norway from 1093-1103. Magnus Barelegs died while fighting in Ireland.

• Hrolf the Nose—He was the grandfather of Hrolf the Walker/ Rollo of Normandy (c. 860-932).

• Ketil Flatnose—He was a Viking who sailed to the British Isles and set himself up as a king in the Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland.

• Harald Bluetooth—Harald Bluetooth (c. 910-987) was a powerful king of Denmark who also expanded into Norway.

• Svein Forkbeard—He was the king of Denmark from around 987-1014, after usurping power from his father, Harald Bluetooth. Svein Forkbeard invaded the British Isles and built himself a strong foothold, but died shortly after invading Britain.

• Ogmund Crow-Dance—He was a Viking officer in the army of the Norwegian king, Hakon IV (r. 1217-1263). Ogmund Crow-Dance participated in the skirmishes between Norway and Scotland, known as the Battle of Largs.

• Viga-Glum (Killer Glum)—Killer Glum was a Viking thought to have lived around 940-1003. There is a saga dedicated to him, detailing his many exploits.

• Eirik Bloodax—He was a 10th-century king of Norway. His father was Harald Finehair, the first king to unite Norway. Eirik Bloodax lost the throne of Norway to Haakon I. He then made himself king of Northumbria, but, again, he could not hold onto power.

Source:

• The Viking Age: A Reader, edited by Angus A. Somerville and R. Andrew McDonald. Ontario: University of Toronto Press, 2010.