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The The Orkneyinga Saga on Ragnhildr

The Orkneyinga Saga > For > Iv. The Earldom In The Norse Line, 872-1231.

attestation: Ragnhild, daughter of King Erik Bloodyaxe, murdered three of her Orkney earl husbands in succession: Arnfinn, Havard, and Einar Klining, before marrying Liot.

"Earl Thorfinn Hausakliuf left five sons. Arnfinn, the eldest, who was married to Ragnhild, a daughter of King Erik Bloodyaxe, was killed by his wife at Myrkhol (Murkle) in Caithness. She then married Havard, his brother. She soon tired of him, and instigated Einar Klining, his sister's son, to kill him. Havard fell in the fray at Stennis, and was buried there."

attestation: Ragnhild manipulated Einar Klíning, nephew of her husband Hávard, telling him he deserved the earldom; they plotted to kill Hávard; a spaeman warned against the deed but Einar ignored him and killed Hávard at Steinsness.

"She said that it was more suitable that such a man as he should be chief and Earl than Hávard his kinsman, adding that the woman was well married who had him for a husband."
attestation: After Hávard was killed, Ragnhild denied giving Einar Klíning any promises; she then manipulated Einar Hardkiöpt (another of Hávard's nephews) to avenge Hávard; Einar Hardkiöpt killed Einar Klíning but Ragnhild then married their brother Liót instead.

"Ragnhild would have nothing to do with him, saying it was a mere lie that she had given him any promises. Then she sent for Einar Hardkiöpt (hard mouth), who was the son of another sister of Hávard. And when they met, she said it was a great shame to Hávard's kinsmen that they did not avenge him"