The The Orkneyinga Saga on Karl Hundason
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter V > Of The Earls BrúSi And Thorfinn.
attestation: Karl Hundason took the kingdom of Scotland after the King of Scots died; he claimed Caithness as his and demanded tribute, but Thorfinn refused, and they became open enemies.
"Karl Hundason took the kingdom in Scotland. He considered Caithness to belong to him, as to the former kings, and demanded tribute from it as from other places. Thorfinn, however, did not think his inheritance from his mother's father large, though he had Caithness; and besides, according to his own opinion, it had been given to him first; he was therefore unwilling to pay any tribute. Thus they became open enemies, and made war on each other."
attestation: Karl Hundason appointed his sister's son Moddan as Earl over Caithness; Moddan went to Sutherland and collected forces, but Thorfinn gathered an army in Caithness and was joined by Thorkel Fóstri with men from the Orkneys, and the combined forces were more numerous, causing the Scots to withdraw.
"King Karl wished to appoint a chief, by name Moddan, over Caithness; he was his sister's son, and he gave him the title of Earl. Then Moddan went down from Scotland and collected forces in Sutherland.
When Earl Thorfinn heard of this, he gathered together an army in Caithness. Thorkel Fóstri also came to Earl Thorfinn from the Orkneys with many men, and their united forces were somewhat more numerous than those of the Scots."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Vi > Of The Orkneymen.
- attestation: King Karl reassembled a large army from all parts of Scotland and Ireland against Thorfinn; they met at Torfnes on the south side of Bæfiord in a fierce battle where the Scots greatly outnumbered Thorfinn's forces.
"NOW it is to be told of King Karl that he went to Scotland after the battle with Earl Thorfinn, and collected an army as well from the south as the west and east of Scotland, and all the way south from Satiri (Kintyre); the forces for which Earl Moddan had sent also came to him from Ireland. He sent far and near to the chieftains for men, and brought all this army against Earl Thorfinn. They met at Torfnes, on the south side of Bæfiord. There was a fierce battle, and the Scots were by far the most numerous."