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PAUL AND ERLEND, 20TH AND 21ST EARLS, 1064-1103

CONTEMPORARY PRINCES
NORWAY: 1047 Harald Hardradi; 1066 Magnus II; 1069 Olaf III the Quiet; 1093 Magnus Barefoot; 1103 Olaf IV
SCOTLAND: 1056 Malcolm III Canmore; 1093 Donald Bane; 1098 Edgar
ENGLAND: 1042 Edward the Confessor; 1066 Harald Infelix; 1066 William the Conqueror; 1087 William Rufus; 1099 Henry I;
ROME: 1099 Pascal II
PRELATES
ORKNEY: William the Old 1102-1l68 [See Historiettes]

(Vice Royalty of Sigurd, Crown Prince of Norway, 1098-1103)

Now the sons of Thorfinn succeeded him. Paul was the elder of the two, and he ruled for both Erlend and himself. Though they did not divide their possessions, they almost always agreed in their dealings. When the brothers had succeeded to the government of the Isles, King Harald Sigurdsson came from Norway with a large army. He first touched at Shetland, and thence went to the Orkneys, where he left his queen, Ellisif, and their daughters, Maria and Ingigerd. From the Orkneys he received substantial reinforcements, and both the earls went with him to invade and conquer England. They first landed at Cleveland, and took Scarborough, Then they touched at Holderness, and had a battle there, in which Harald was victorious. On Wednesday, the 26th September, 1066, he was victor in a battle at York, and the following Sunday the borg at Stamfordbridge surrendered to him, so he went on shore to arrange the government, of the town, leaving his son Olaf, the Earls Paul and Erlend, and his brother-in-law Eystein Orri in charge of the fleet. While on shore he was met by Harald Godwinsson at the head of a numerous army, and fell in the engagement that ensued. After his death Eystein and the Orcadian earls arrived from the ships, and made a stout but ineffectual resistance, for Eystein also fell, and nearly the whole army of the Northmen with him. [This encounter was known as "Orri's Storm"]

After the battle Harald Godwinsson generously permitted the Crown Prince Olaf and the Orcadian earls to leave England with all the troops that had not fled. So, in the autumn, Olaf set sail from Ravensere to the Orkneys, Maria, daughter of King Harald, died on the same day and at the same hour he fell, and it is said of them that they had but one life. Olaf spent the winter in the Orkneys, and was very friendly to the earls, his kinsmen, Thora, the mother of King Olaf, and Ingibiorg, the mother of the earls, were daughters of two brothers. In the spring Olaf crossed to Norway, and was crowned king along with his brother Magnus.

Earl Paul had married a daughter of Earl Hakon Ivarsson, and they had several children. Beside Hakon, who succeeded him, there were four daughters, of whom

  1. THORA was married in Norway to Haldor, son of Brynjulf Ulfaldi
  2. INGIRID, married to Einar Vorsakrok
  3. HERBIORG, mother of Ingibiorg Tigna, married to Sigurd of Westness - they had issue Hakon Pik and Brynjolf, and Sigrid (mother of Hakon Barn and Herborg, married to Kolbein Heuga
  4. RAGNHILD, who was the mother of Benedikt, the father of Ingibiorg, the mother of Erling the Archdeacon, and Ragnhild had also a daughter Bergliot, married to Havard Gunnarsson, and their sons were Magnus, Hakon Klo, Dufnial and Thorstein
All these were the families of earls and chiefs in the Orkneys, and all of them will be hereafter mentioned.

The wife of Earl Erlend was Thora, the daughter of Somerled, the son of Ospac by his wife Thordis, daughter of Hall of Side in Iceland. Their sons were Erling and Magnus, and their daughters were Gunnhild and Cecilia. The latter was married to Isak, and their sons were Endridi and Kol. Erling had a natural daughter called Jatvor, whose son was Berg.

While the brother earls ruled Orkney they agreed extremely well, but on their sons attaining manhood Erling and Hakon became very violent. Magnus was the quietest of them all. They were all men of large stature, strong and accomplished in everything. Hakon, Paul's son, wished to take the lead over his cousins. He held himself of higher birth than the sons of Erlend, as his mother was the daughter of Earl Hakon Ivarsson by the Princess Ragnhild, daughter of King Magnus the Good. Hakon wished his friends to have the lion's share of everything before those who leant to the sons of Erlend, but Erlend did not like his sons to be inferior to any in the Isles. A meeting was appointed to adjust these differences, but it soon became apparent that each of the earls was inclined to side with his own son, and therefore no agreement was arrived at and dissensions arose. After this well-disposed men interposed, and a meeting for reconciliation was appointed in the Orcadian mainland, when peace was secured by dividing the islands into two shares, as in the days of Thorfinn and Brusi. Hakon, when he became of age, was very violent, and continually away all war trips. He greatly molested those who adhered to Erlend and his sons, till at last they came to open war. So Havard Gunnarsson and others once more endeavoured to restore tranquility, but Erlend and his sons refused to make peace while Hakon stayed in the Isles. Hakon's friends induced him not to let that condition stand in the way. Hakon now left the Isles and first went to Norway, and there saw King Olaf the Quiet, with whom he remained for a while. This was towards the end of Olaf's reign. After that he went east to Sweden to King Ingi Steinkelsson, who received him well. There he found friends and kinsmen, and was highly honoured on account of the esteem in which Hakon, his mother's sire, was held. This elder Hakon had possessions from Steinkel, the king of the Swedes, ever since he was banished by King Harald Sigurdsson, and became greatly beloved both by king and people. A son of the second daughter of Hakon Ivarsson was Hakon, called the Norwegian, and he was the father of King Eric the Wise, who was King of Denmark after King Eric the Ever-remembered. In Sweden Hakon of Orkney was well treated by King Ingi, but after a time he felt home-sick, and wanted to go west again to the Isles.

Christianity was then newly-planted in Sweden. Many men still dabbled in ancient lore, and were persuaded that by such means they were enabled to foretell future events. Hakon, happening to bear of a man who practised sorcery and spae-craft, became curious to know what he could about his future, and, finding the spaeman, asked if he should succeed in regaining his dominions, or what other fortune awaited him. He was told that he would eventually become sole ruler of the Orkneys, and his sons should rule there after him. Also, that he would commit a great crime.

After this Hakon went to see King Ingi, with whom he stayed a short while, and then obtained leave from the king to depart. He went first to Norway to see his kinsman, King Magnus, who received him very well. There he heard that the government of the Orkneys was almost exclusively in the hands of Earl Erlend and his sons, and that they were greatly loved, but that his father, Paul, took little part in the government. He also perceived that the Orcadians were satisfied with the condition of affairs, and had no desire for his return. Revolving this in his mind, he thought his kinsmen might try to deprive him of his possessions, and that it would be dangerous for him to go west without a numerous retinue. Therefore he devised a scheme to induce King Magnus to put him into his Orkney possessions. This was after Magnus had put Steiga-Thorir and Egil to death, and suppressed all opposition to his rule. Hakon was a sagacious man, and, aware of Magnus' ambition, began to tell him it would be a princely feat to go west and subdue the Isles as Harald the Fairhaired had done, and that if he established his power in the Hebrides be might easily make forays into Ireland and Scotland from them. Then, having subdued the western countries, he might. with the help of the Northmen, attack the English, and thus take revenge for his grandfather, Harald Hardrade. It was evident the king was pleased with this proposal, saying it was spoken like a nobleman and quite according to his mind. "But I wish yon not to be surprised, Hakon", said the king, "in case I shall be persuaded by your words to carry an army into the west, if I put forward a strong claim to the possessions there without regard to the claims of any man". Hearing this suggestion, Hakon no longer urged the expedition; nor was it necessary, for Magnus was resolved to undertake it, and gathered together forces throughout his realm. So, when the brothers Paul and Erlend ruled the Orkneys, King Magnus came from Norway with a large army, having with him his son Sigurd, the Crown Prince, then eight years of age. On arriving at the Orkneys be seized the earls, Paul and Erlend, and sent them east to Norway, placing over the Isles his son Sigurd, for whom he appointed counsellors. He then passed on to the Hebrides, accompanied by Magnus and Erling, the sons of Erlend, and by Hakon, the son of Paul. He subdued all the Hebrides, and seized Logman, the son of Gudrod, King of the Western Isles. Thence he went on to Wales, and fought a great battle in Anglesea Sound with Hugh the Stout, Earl of Chester, and Hugh of Montgomery, surnamed the Bold, Earl of Shrewsbury. The latter was killed by an arrow from the bow of King Magnus, and the Normans then fled. Throughout the battle Magnus of Orkney did not take up arms, having no just cause; nor did he shelter himself from the weapons, but sat on the fore-deck, Magnus of Orkney had been appointed one of the nobles in waiting at the royal table, and he performed continually the duties of that office. But after the battle in Anglesea Sound he could see he had incurred the king's displeasure, so during the night Magnus stole away. Hiding himself in the woods till the search was over, he afterwards made his way to the court of Edgar, the Scottish king, and stayed there for a while. For some time he was with a certain bishop in Wales. The writer of the "Life of St.Magnus" says he also went to England to wait on King Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, and that he was assisted by King Henry, continuing a year in England with his retinue at the king's charges, and when he came away receiving many costly presents. He did not return to the Orkneys during the life of King Magnus.

King Magnus held northwards along the Scottish coast, and received word from the Scottish sovereign that he was willing to give him all such islands lying west, between which and the mainland he could pass in a vessel with the rudder shipped. By a strategic expedient Magnus added Kintyre to the others, by having his boat drawn across the isthmus, he himself holding the helm. He wintered in the Hebrides, at which the men were discontented. His favourite courtier, Kali Saebiornsson of Agdir, advised him to hold a wapinschaw, to ascertain the number of his army. This the king did and missed many men, after which a watch was kept to prevent desertion. Whilst in the Hebrides, Magnus obtained for his son Sigurd, then nine years of age, the hand of Bladmonia, then five years old, the daughter of Muirceartach, the son of Thialbi, royalet of the Connaught Irish, and son of Brian Boroinhe, King of Munster. This winter Kali of Agdir died from his wounds.

Early in the spring King Magnus left the Hebrides and went first to the Orkneys, where he heard of the death of the Earls. Paul died in Bergen, and Erlend in Drontheim, where he was buried. In order to compensate Kol for the loss of his father, King Magnus married him to Gunnhild, daughter of Earl Erlend. Guunhild's dowry consisted of Orcadian lands, including a farm at Papul. At his wedding Kol became the vassal of King Magnus. Afterwards he went to Norway with the king, and home to Agdir with his wife, and resided on his estate there. Kol and Guunhild had two children. Their son was called Kali and their daughter Ingirid. They were both very promising children, and were brought up with affectionate care. After Earl Erlend's death, his wife Thora married a man called Sigurd. Their son was Hakon Karl. They had estates in Papul. Of Erling, son of Erlend, some say he fell in Anglesea Sound, but Snorri Sturlusson says be fell in Ulster with King Magnus.

When Magnus had been nine winters king, he went to the west and made war in Ireland, spending the winter in Connaught. The next summer on St. Bartholomew's Day, 1103, he fell in Ulster. When Sigurd heard of this, he left the Orkneys for Norway, and was made king conjointly with his brothers Eystein and Olaf. He left Bladmonia in the west. One or two winters after King Magnus' death, Hakon of Orkney came from the west, and the kings gave him an earl's title and possessions befitting his birth. He then returned and took possession of the Orkneys, He had always accompanied King Magnus when alive. He was with him in his expedition to Gautland, which is mentioned in the song made about Hakon Paulsson.

[From Orkneyinga Saga; Barry and Torfaeus]

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