The The Orkneyinga Saga on Einar
The Orkneyinga Saga > For > Iv. The Earldom In The Norse Line, 872-1231.
attestation: Einar, son of Rögnvald Earl of Moeri, succeeded Hallad as Earl of Orkney, quickly drove out Viking raiders, and famously killed Halfdan Hálegg by cutting a blood-eagle on his back.
"Then Rögnvald sent another son, Einar, to take possession of the earldom. Einar was a man of a different stamp from Hallad. He soon made his power felt among the western vikings, and freed his possessions entirely from their ravages."
attestation: Einar offered to pay Harald's fine of sixty marks of gold himself in exchange for all odal possessions in the Orkney Islands, and the poor farmers agreed since they had little land to lose.
"Earl Einar offered to the Bœndr[16] that he would pay the money on condition that he should own all the odal possessions in the islands—a condition to which they agreed the more readily, says the Saga, "that all the poorer men had but small lands, while those who were wealthy said they would redeem theirs when they pleased.""
attestation: Einar's three sons were Arnkell, Erlend (both killed with King Erik Bloodyaxe in England), and Thorfinn Hausakliuf, who married Grelauga, daughter of Duncan of Duncansby, reuniting the earldoms of Orkney and Caithness.
"When Einar died he left three sons, two of whom, Arnkell and Erlend, were killed with King Erik Bloodyaxe in England. The third, Thorfinn Hausakliuf, married Grelauga, daughter of Duncan, earl of Duncansbay, and thus reunited in the Norse line the two earldoms of Orkney and Caithness."
attestation: Einar, son of Sigurd the Stout, was killed by Thorkel Fóstri at Sandwick in Deerness after making himself unpopular through violent exaction of military services from the Orkney farmers.
"Einar made himself unpopular by the violence with which he exacted his services from the Bœndr for his viking expeditions, and was killed by Thorkel Fóstri (Amundi's son) at Sandwick, in Deerness."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter I. > Of The Earls.
- attestation: Earl Einar, stubborn, taciturn, and avaricious, exacted military services from the Orkney farmers with violence; his brother Brúsi was beloved and his lands had good seasons, while Einar's exactions caused scarcity.
"The brothers Einar and Brúsi were different in their dispositions. Brúsi was clever and fond of company, eloquent and beloved. Einar was stubborn and taciturn, disagreeable and avaricious, yet a great warrior."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Ii > Of Amundi And Thorkel.
- attestation: Earl Einar defeated and killed the Irish king Konufögr at Ulfreksfiord but suffered heavy losses; the following summer he killed Eyvind Urarhorn who had taken shelter in Asmundarvag, an act King Olaf considered a great loss and offence.
"One summer, when ravaging Ireland, he fought in Ulfreksfiord[241] with Konufögr,[242] an Irish king, and was defeated, with a heavy loss of men. The next summer Eyvind Urarhorn[243] (bull's horn) came from Ireland on his way to Norway, and being overtaken by a violent gale, he turned his ships into Asmundarvag,[244] and lay there for a while. When Earl Einar heard this, he went thither with many men, seized Eyvind, and caused him to be killed"
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Iv > Of Earl BrúSi.
- attestation: After Earl Einar's death, Earl Brúsi took possession of Einar's share of the Orkneys based on a prior compact witnessed by many, but Earl Thorfinn demanded half the islands instead of the third he had held.
"AFTER the death of Earl Einar, Earl Brúsi took possession of that portion of the domain which had belonged to his brother (Einar), for there had been many witnesses to the compact which they had made. Thorfinn thought it right that they should each have one-half of the Islands, yet Brúsi had two-thirds that year."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Cxvii > The Vikings Slain.
attestation: Einar sailed to Shetland gathering men, then to the Orkneys where he killed both Vikings Kálf Skurfa and Thórir Tréskegg; a verse commemorated the deed: 'Tré-skegg gave he to the Trows: Skurfa fell before Torf-Einar.'
"Einar sailed to Hjaltland, and there many men gathered round him. Then he went to the Orkneys to meet Kálf Skurfa and Thórir Tréskegg. There was a great battle, and both the Vikings were killed. This was said about it:
Tré-skegg gave he to the Trows: Skurfa fell before Torf-Einar."attestation: Einar was the first man to cut turf (peat) from the ground for fuel at Torfnes in Scotland, because fuel was scarce in the Islands; he was tall, ugly, one-eyed, but very keen-sighted.
"He was the man who first cut turf (peat) from the ground for fuel at Torfnes in Scotland, for fuel was scarce in the Islands. Einar was a tall man, ugly, and with one eye, yet he was very keen-sighted."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Cxvii > Battle Between Earl Einar And Prince Halfdan.
- attestation: Einar ruled the Orkneys a long time and died on a sick-bed; his three sons were Arnkell, Erlend, and Thorfinn Hausakliuf (skull-splitter).
"King Harald went back to Norway, but Earl Einar ruled over the Orkneys a long time, and died on a sick-bed. He had three sons: one was named Arnkell, the second Erlend, and the third Thorfinn Hausakliuf (skull-splitter)."