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CONTEMPORARY PRINCES
NORWAY: 963 Harald Greyskin
NORMANDY: 943 Richard the Fearless
SCOTLAND: 961 Duff; 965 Culen; 970 Kenneth III

ARNFINN, 9TH EARL, 963-967

Arnfinn had, as already mentioned, married the Princess Ragnhilda, daughter of Eric Bloodaxe, ex-King of Norway and of Northumbria, and in a short time by means of her intrigues he was killed in the town of Murkle in Caithness. He was succeeded by his brother

HAVARD, 10TH EARL, 970

who ruled the Isles with the strictest justice, and in his time the country so abounded in cereals and the other necessaries of life that hence he got the surname of Arsoeli, the Happy, or Blessed with good seasons. This honourable soubriquet he might have retained to the end of his days but for an act fatal in its consequences. This was his marriage with the ambitious Ragnhilda, whose hands (though perhaps he was ignorant of the circumstance) were freshly stained with the blood of Arnfinn. Soon tiring of Havard, under promise of marriage, she induced his sister's son Einar Klining, to slay him. Einar was warned by a spaeman to postpone the matter, but pretended not to hear, and upon meeting Havard at Steinsness a hard fight ensued, when the Earl was mortally wounded. The place of his fall is called Havard's teigr or lot. Ragnhild disowned having promised Einar any reward or having counselled the Earl's death, and incited Einar Hardkiopi, son of another sister of Havard, to avenge his uncle's death. Einar Hardkiopi treated the suggestion with circumspection, but forthwith slew his cousin Einar Klining.

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