Olvir Rosta
Olvir Rosta appears in the Orkneyinga Saga as a viking raider whose actions set in motion a chain of vengeance.
Olvir Rosta appears in the Orkneyinga Saga as a viking raider whose actions set in motion a chain of vengeance. Returning from a summer viking raid, Olvir Rosta arrived at Dungalsbae in Caithness and surprised Olaf, the father of Swein Asleifarson, in his house. He "set it on fire immediately" and burned Olaf with five others, though the rest of the household were permitted to escape (The Orkneyinga Saga, Chapter LIX). When Swein came home and found his father dead, he was brought secretly to Earl Paul, who invited him to stay (The Orkneyinga Saga, Chapter LIX). The burning and its aftermath connect Olvir Rosta to the broader web of Orkney politics involving Earl Paul and Frakork.
Olvir Rosta's attack connects him directly to Swein Asleifarson, whose father he killed, and to Earl Paul, who sheltered Swein afterward. His actions also link him to Caithness as the site of the burning, and to the Orkney political sphere through Frakork.
On trail: Genealogies