The The Orkneyinga Saga on Sigurd
The Orkneyinga Saga > For > Preface.
- attestation: Earl Sigurd honoured Gunnlaug Ormstunga with princely gifts, demonstrating the high esteem in which skaldic art was held among the Orkney settlers.
"we find Earl Sigurd honouring Gunnlaug Ormstunga with princely gifts, Arnor Jarlaskald enjoying the special favour and friendship of Earl Thorfinn, and Earl Rögnvald, the founder of the cathedral, courting for himself the reputation of an accomplished skald."
The Orkneyinga Saga > For > Iv. The Earldom In The Norse Line, 872-1231.
attestation: Earl Sigurd killed the Scottish maormor Maelbrigd the buck-toothed in battle, then died from an infected wound caused by the dead man's protruding tooth scraping his leg as Sigurd rode home with the severed head.
"In this invasion Earl Sigurd killed Maelbrigd the buck-toothed (Melbrigda tönn), a Scottish maormor of Ross or Moray; and having tied his head to his saddle-bow, "the tooth," which was very prominent, inflicted a wound on his leg, and the wound inflaming caused the death of the earl, who was hoy-laid (buried in a mound or cairn) on Ekkialsbakki."
attestation: Earl Sigurd the Stout, son of Hlödver, won victory at Skida Myre against the Scottish earl Finlay by offering to restore allodial lands to the Orkney farmers, and his mother had also made him a charmed raven-banner.
"Then Sigurd offered to restore to the Bœndr their allodial lands, which they had resigned to Earl Einar, his great-grandfather. By this means, more than by the charmed raven-banner made for him by his Irish mother, he obtained the victory."
attestation: Earl Sigurd the Stout fell at the battle of Clontarf bearing a raven-banner 'woven with mighty spells' against the Christian king Brian, and his death was foretold in Caithness by twelve Valkyrie sisters weaving a web of war.
"nearly twenty years afterwards we find Earl Sigurd bearing his own raven-banner "woven with mighty spells," at the battle of Clontarf, against the Christian king Brian; and Sigurd's fall was made known in Caithness by the twelve weird sisters (the Valkyriar of the ancient mythology) weaving the woof of war"
attestation: Sigurd the Stout married the daughter of Malcolm, King of Scots, after becoming reconciled with him following battles at Duncansbay.
"Afterwards Sigurd became reconciled to Malcolm, King of the Scots, and obtained his daughter in marriage."
attestation: Earl Sigurd called for Kari to be seized but no man moved against him, and some defended Kari's action as justified, allowing him to walk away freely.
"Earl Sigurd called out to seize Kari and kill him, but no man stirred, and some spoke up for him, saying that he had only done what he had a right to do, and so Kari walked away, and there was no hue and cry after him."
attestation: At the battle of Clontarf, Earl Sigurd fought on the side of the old (pagan) faith despite being a nominal convert to Christianity, and was killed in battle.
"The battle of Clontarf, in which Earl Sigurd fell, is the most celebrated of all the conflicts in which the Norsemen were engaged on this side of the North Sea. "It was at Clontarf, in Brian's battle," says Dasent, "that the old and new faiths met in the lists face to face for their last struggle," and we find Earl Sigurd arrayed on the side of the old faith, though nominally a convert to the new."
attestation: Earl Sigurd's raven-banner was destined to bring victory to those before whom it was borne but death to its bearer; after two banner-bearers fell, no one would carry it, and Sigurd took it himself, was immediately speared, and the host fled.
"His raven-banner, which was borne before him, was fulfilling the destiny announced by Audna, when she gave it to him at Skida Myre, that it would always bring victory to those before whom it was borne, but death to him who bore it. Twice had the banner-bearer fallen, and Earl Sigurd called on Thorstein, son of Hall of the Side, next to bear the banner."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter I. > Of The Earls.
attestation: Earl Sigurd the Stout married the daughter of Malcolm King of Scots; their son was Earl Thorfinn, and his elder sons by a former marriage were Sumarlidi, Brúsi, and Einar.
"After that Earl Sigurd paid no allegiance to King Olaf. He married the daughter of Malcolm, King of Scots,[235] and their son was Earl Thorfinn; his elder sons [by a former marriage] were Sumarlidi, Brúsi, and Einar."
attestation: Earl Sigurd was killed at Brian's battle (Clontarf) while on expedition to Ireland; his sons Sumarlidi, Brúsi, and Einar divided the islands in three equal parts.
"While on this expedition Sigurd was killed in Brian's battle;[237] and as soon as the news came to the Orkneys his sons Sumarlidi, Brúsi, and Einar, were accepted as Earls, and they divided the islands among them, each taking one third."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Lv > The Reconciliation Of The Orkneymen.
- attestation: King Sigurd judged the differences between Kol/Kali and Jón Pétrsson; as part of the settlement Jón Pétrsson was to marry Ingirid, Kol's daughter; King Sigurd gave Kali half the Orkneys jointly with Paul Hákon's son and the name Earl Rögnvald after the most accomplished of the Orkney Earls.
"As a result of this reconciliation, King Sigurd gave Kali, Kol's son, the half of the Orkneys, jointly with Paul, Hákon's son, and made him an Earl at the same time. He also gave him the name of Earl Rögnvald, Brúsi's son, because his mother, Gunnhild, said that Rögnvald was the most accomplished of all the Orkney Earls, and thought the name would bring good fortune. This part of the Orkneys had belonged to Earl Magnus, Kali's mother's brother."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Cxvi > Of The Stewards.
- attestation: The three most powerful Earls of Orkney according to historians were Sigurd Eystein's son, Thorfinn Sigurd's son, and Harald Maddad's son.
"The following have been the most powerful of the Earls of Orkney, according to the relation of those who have made histories of them:—Sigurd, Eystein's son; Earl Thorfinn, Sigurd's son; and Earl Harald, Maddad's son."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Cxvii > Earl Melbrigd Slain By Sigurd.
attestation: Earl Sigurd allied with Thorstein the Red, son of Olaf the White and Aud Djúpaudga, conquering all Caithness, Moray, and Ross; he built a borg on the southern border of Moray.
"Earl Sigurd became a great chief. He formed an alliance with Thorstein the Red, son of Olaf the White, and Aud Djúpaudga (the very wealthy), and together they conquered all Caithness and much more of Scotland—Mærhæfui (Moray) and Ross. He built a borg on the southern border of Mærhæfui."
attestation: Earl Sigurd agreed to meet Scottish Earl Melbrigd Tönn (tooth) with forty men each, but brought eighty men on forty horses; Melbrigd saw the treachery but resolved to fight bravely.
"Melbrigd Tönn (tooth), an Earl of the Scots, and Earl Sigurd, made an arrangement to meet in a certain place, with forty men each, in order to come to an agreement concerning their differences. When the appointed day arrived Earl Sigurd was suspicious of treachery on the part of the Scots. He therefore caused eighty men to be mounted on forty horses."
attestation: Melbrigd fell with all his men; Sigurd's men tied the heads to their saddle-straps in triumph; as Sigurd rode, Melbrigd's protruding tooth scratched his leg, the wound became swollen, and Sigurd died of it.
"it was not long till Earl Melbrigd fell, and all his men with him. Earl Sigurd and his men fastened the heads [of the slain] to their saddle-straps, in bravado, and so they rode home triumphing in their victory. As they were proceeding, Earl Sigurd, intending to kick at his horse with his foot, struck the calf of his leg against a tooth protruding from Earl Melbrigd's head, which scratched him slightly; but it soon became swollen and painful, and he died of it."
attestation: After Sigurd's death and his son Guthorm's brief one-year reign (dying childless), Rögnvald sent his son Hallad west; Hallad grew tired of the dignity and resigned the earldom and returned to Norway in disgrace.
"Sigurd's son was named Guthorm. He reigned one winter, and died childless.
When Earl Rögnvald heard of the death of Earl Sigurd and his son, he sent his son Hallad out to the west, and King Harald gave him the title of Earl. Hallad came out to the west, and took up his residence in Hrossey,[467] but Vikings went prowling about the islands"
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Cxvii > Battle.
attestation: Sigurd the stout's mother, a wise woman, gave him a raven banner she had made, telling him it would bring victory to he before whom it was borne but death to its bearer.
"She replied: "I should have reared thee up long in my wool-bag if I had known that thou wouldst wish to live for ever. It is fate that rules life, and not the place where a man may go. It is better to die with honour than live with shame. Take thou here this banner which I have made with all my skill, and I ween that it will bring victory to him before whom it is borne, but death to its bearer.""
attestation: Sigurd the stout restored the odal rights to the Orkneymen to gain their support against Earl Finnleik; in the battle of Skida-mire Sigurd's standard-bearers were killed one by one but Sigurd won the victory and the Orkneymen regained their freeholds.
"Earl Sigurd was very wroth at his mother's words. He restored their odal rights to the Orkneymen to induce them to assist him, and went to meet Earl Finnleik at Skida-mire, where they both placed their men in battle array."
The Orkneyinga Saga > Chapter Cxvii > Meeting Between Olaf (Tryggvi'S Son) And The Earl.
attestation: Earl Sigurd refused to renounce his ancestral faith despite Olaf's ultimatum; he said he did not know better counsels than his forefathers had.
"he hardened his mind against him, and said: "I will tell you, King Olaf, that I have absolutely resolved that I will not, and I dare not, renounce the faith which my kinsmen and forefathers had before me, because I do not know better counsels than they, and I do not know that the faith which you preach is better than that which we have had and have held all our lives.""
attestation: Earl Sigurd became Olaf's vassal, holding his lands as subject-earl; his son was baptized as Hlödver and taken to Norway as a hostage; after Hlödver's early death Sigurd stopped paying homage to Olaf, then married the daughter of Melkolf King of Scots; their son was Thorfinn.
"Then Earl Sigurd became the Earl of King Olaf according to this world's dignity, and held from him lands and dominions, and gave him as a hostage his son who has already been mentioned. His name was Hvelp or Hundi (whelp or hound). King Olaf had him baptized by the name of Hlödver, and took him with him to Norway. Earl Sigurd confirmed all their agreement with oaths. After this King Olaf sailed from the Orkneys, leaving priests to instruct the people in the holy faith."
attestation: After Hlödver's death Earl Sigurd married the daughter of Melkolf King of Scots; their son was Thorfinn.
"Hlödver lived but a short time, and after his death Earl Sigurd paid no homage to King Olaf. Then he married the daughter of Melkolf, the King of Scots, and their son was Thorfinn."