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Sigurd Eysteinsson

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22: 646: 199:, towards the end of his reign, Sigurd challenged a native ruler, Máel Brigte the Buck-Toothed, to a 40-man-a-side battle. Treacherously, Sigurd brought 80 men to the fight. Máel Brigte was defeated and beheaded. Sigurd strapped the head to his saddle as a trophy, but as Sigurd rode, Máel Brigte's buck-tooth scratched his leg. The leg 234:
Sigurd's death was apparently followed by a period of instability. He was succeeded by his son Guttorm, who died within a few months. Rognvald made his son Hallad Earl of Orkney, but Hallad could not contain the pirate Vikings, resigned his earldom and returned to Norway in disgrace. The sagas say
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During the conquest, Rognvald's son, Ivar, was killed, and in compensation for his loss Harald gave Rognvald the islands along with the title of Jarl or Earl. With the consent of Harald, Rognvald transferred the title and lands to his brother Sigurd, who was one of Harald's forecastlemen. The
87:, whom Sigurd defeated in battle. As he rode a horse with Máel Brigte's head attached to his saddle as a trophy, one of Máel Brigte's teeth grazed against Sigurd's leg. The wound became infected, later causing Sigurd's death. 151:, written around the same time as the sagas but from a different source, corroborates the conquest of the islands by Rognvald's family, but omits any details. 235:
that Rognvald's other sons were more interested in conquering places other than Scotland, and so the earldom was given to Rognvald's youngest son,
465: 684: 285: 689: 556: 458: 586: 438: 373: 178:. His exploits in conquering the north of Scotland became legendary and earned him the epithet, "the Mighty", or in 451: 227:
meaning mound or barrow. The location of Sigurd's Howe is most probably modern-day Sidera or Cyderhall near
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islands became a refuge for exiled Vikings, who raided their former homeland. The king of Norway,
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Sketch of the Civil and Traditional History of Caithness from the Tenth Century
282: 69: 61: 394: 668: 103: 80: 231:. However, it has also been said that he was buried at Burghead in Moray. 504: 405:, Oxford University Press, retrieved 20 July 2009 (Subscription required) 236: 175: 42: 443: 163: 158:, Sigurd expanded his domains to the Scottish mainland, and conquered 220: 179: 159: 34: 41:. At his death, Sigurd Eysteinsson controlled the area north of the 277:(chapters 4 and 5), which relates the story, can be read online at 126: 30: 228: 212: 208: 45:. The probable site of his burial mound, Sigurd's Howe, is shown. 204: 122: 118: 26: 171: 38: 101:
The two main sources for Sigurd's life are the Norse
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Dates are approximate. Joint earldoms were frequent.
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Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney
207:, and as a result Sigurd died. He was buried in a 413:Icelandic Sagas, Vol. III: The Orkneyingers' Saga 666: 74:Viking conquest of what is now northern Scotland 90: 79:His death was said to have been caused by the 459: 133:, subdued the pirate Vikings with the aid of 64:—a title bequeathed to Sigurd by his brother 366:The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens 466: 452: 308: 306: 304: 302: 300: 298: 473: 113:sagas. According to the sagas, after the 260: 258: 256: 254: 252: 20: 403:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 295: 667: 385:(2nd ed.). Wick: W. Rae. p.  378: 326: 324: 322: 320: 318: 25:Map of north-eastern Scotland showing 447: 420:Sutherland and Caithness in Saga-Time 249: 315: 13: 644: 14: 706: 577:"the Jerusalem-farer" (1098–1103) 429:; Edwards, Paul Geoffrey (1981). 339:Dasent, chapters 4 and 5, note 9 188: 170:, which some sources say was in 513:Erlend Torf-Einarsson (910-954) 510:Arnkel Torf-Einarsson (910–954) 423:. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd. 342: 333: 267: 1: 501:Hallad Rognvaldsson (893–895) 393:Crawford, Barbara E. (2004). 355: 72:, Sigurd was a leader in the 57: 685:9th-century counts in Europe 569:Paul and Erlend Thorfinnsson 239:, whose mother was a slave. 201:became inflamed and infected 7: 10: 711: 690:Orkneyinga saga characters 519:"Skull-Splitter" (910–963) 330:Gray, chapter 3, pp. 21–22 655: 642: 625:"the Younger" (1191–1198) 505:Torf-Einarr Rognvaldarson 482: 395:"Einarr, earl of Orkney ( 379:Calder, James T. (1887). 166:at least as far south as 60:875–892), was the second 559:"the Mighty" (1025–1064) 498:Guthorm Sigurdsson (893) 489:"the Wise" (9th century) 242: 553:"Wry-mouth" (1014–1026) 517:Thorfinn Torf-Einarsson 649: 535:"the Stout" (990–1014) 46: 648: 613:"the Old" (1138–1206) 605:Rögnvald Kali Kolsson 523:Arnfinn, Havard, Ljot 495:"the Mighty" (to 892) 409:Dasent, Sir George W. 121:in or after 872, the 24: 539:Sumarlidi Sigurdsson 527:Hlodvir Thorfinnsson 487:Ragnvald Eysteinsson 433:. Penguin Classics. 417:Gray, James (1922). 368:. London: Robinson. 273:Translations of the 135:Rognvald Eysteinsson 115:Battle of Hafrsfjord 66:Rognvald Eysteinsson 16:Norse Jarl of Orkney 557:Thorfinn Sigurdsson 264:Ashley, pp. 440–441 675:Deaths from sepsis 650: 533:Sigurd Hlodvirsson 493:Sigurd Eysteinsson 288:2008-05-16 at the 211:known as Sigurd's 50:Sigurd Eysteinsson 47: 662: 661: 617:Erlend Haraldsson 611:Harald Maddadsson 593:Harald Haakonsson 587:Magnus Erlendsson 563:Rögnvald Brusason 399:early 890s–930s)" 193:According to the 156:Thorstein the Red 148:Historia Norwegiæ 119:Norwegian kingdom 54:Sigurd the Mighty 702: 629:David Haraldsson 623:Harald Eiriksson 575:Sigurd Magnusson 551:Einar Sigurdsson 545:Brusi Sigurdsson 468: 461: 454: 445: 444: 427:Pálsson, Hermann 390: 349: 346: 340: 337: 331: 328: 313: 310: 293: 271: 265: 262: 59: 710: 709: 705: 704: 703: 701: 700: 699: 680:Earls of Orkney 665: 664: 663: 658: 651: 640: 599:Paul Haakonsson 581:Haakon Paulsson 478: 476:earls of Orkney 472: 358: 353: 352: 347: 343: 338: 334: 329: 316: 311: 296: 290:Wayback Machine 275:Orkneyinga saga 272: 268: 263: 250: 245: 196:Orkneyinga saga 191: 154:In league with 131:Harald Fairhair 99: 17: 12: 11: 5: 708: 698: 697: 692: 687: 682: 677: 660: 659: 656: 653: 652: 643: 641: 639: 638: 635:Jon Haraldsson 632: 626: 620: 614: 608: 602: 596: 590: 584: 578: 572: 566: 560: 554: 548: 542: 536: 530: 520: 514: 511: 508: 502: 499: 496: 490: 483: 480: 479: 471: 470: 463: 456: 448: 442: 441: 424: 415: 406: 391: 376: 357: 354: 351: 350: 341: 332: 314: 294: 266: 247: 246: 244: 241: 217:Sigurðar-haugr 190: 187: 98: 89: 70:Eystein Glumra 62:Earl of Orkney 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 707: 696: 693: 691: 688: 686: 683: 681: 678: 676: 673: 672: 670: 654: 647: 636: 633: 630: 627: 624: 621: 618: 615: 612: 609: 606: 603: 600: 597: 594: 591: 588: 585: 582: 579: 576: 573: 570: 567: 564: 561: 558: 555: 552: 549: 546: 543: 540: 537: 534: 531: 528: 524: 521: 518: 515: 512: 509: 506: 503: 500: 497: 494: 491: 488: 485: 484: 481: 477: 469: 464: 462: 457: 455: 450: 449: 446: 440: 439:0-14-044383-5 436: 432: 428: 425: 422: 421: 416: 414: 410: 407: 404: 400: 398: 392: 388: 384: 383: 377: 375: 374:1-84119-096-9 371: 367: 363: 360: 359: 348:Calder, p. 51 345: 336: 327: 325: 323: 321: 319: 309: 307: 305: 303: 301: 299: 291: 287: 284: 280: 276: 270: 261: 259: 257: 255: 253: 248: 240: 238: 232: 230: 226: 222: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 198: 197: 189:Sigurd's Howe 186: 184: 181: 177: 173: 169: 165: 161: 157: 152: 150: 149: 142: 140: 136: 132: 128: 124: 120: 116: 112: 111: 106: 105: 97: 93: 88: 86: 82: 77: 75: 71: 67: 63: 55: 51: 44: 40: 36: 32: 28: 23: 19: 492: 430: 419: 412: 402: 396: 381: 365: 362:Ashley, Mike 344: 335: 279:Sacred texts 274: 269: 233: 224: 216: 203:, developed 194: 192: 182: 168:Ekkjalsbakka 167: 153: 146: 143: 117:unified the 108: 104:Heimskringla 102: 100: 95: 92:Heimskringla 91: 81:severed head 78: 53: 49: 48: 18: 637:(1206–1231) 631:(1206–1214) 619:(1151–1154) 607:(1136–1158) 601:(1123–1136) 595:(1123–1130) 589:(1106–1116) 583:(1104–1123) 571:(1064–1098) 565:(1036–1046) 547:(1014–1031) 541:(1014–1016) 219:, from the 176:river Oykel 85:Máel Brigte 68:. A son of 43:river Oykel 695:892 deaths 669:Categories 356:References 164:Sutherland 110:Orkneyinga 96:Orkneyinga 529:(963–988) 507:(895–910) 283:Northvegr 221:Old Norse 180:Old Norse 160:Caithness 56:(reigned 35:Caithness 411:(1894). 364:(1998). 312:Crawford 286:Archived 127:Shetland 31:Shetland 229:Dornoch 209:tumulus 474:Norse 437:  372:  237:Einarr 205:sepsis 123:Orkney 27:Orkney 243:Notes 225:haugr 223:word 215:, or 172:Moray 52:, or 39:Moray 525:and 435:ISBN 370:ISBN 281:and 213:Howe 183:ríki 162:and 139:Møre 125:and 107:and 94:and 37:and 397:fl. 137:of 83:of 671:: 401:, 387:51 317:^ 297:^ 251:^ 185:. 141:. 76:. 58:c. 33:, 29:, 467:e 460:t 453:v 389:. 292:.

Index

The Orkney and Shetland islands lie to the north and east of the north-east coast of mainland Scotland. Caithness is the northernmost part of the mainland, with Moray further south. Caithness and Moray are divided by a firth, called Moray Firth. Just north of this, towards Caithness, lies another firth, Dornoch Firth, into which flows the river Oykel. Sigurd's Howe lies on the north bank of Dornoch Firth.
Orkney
Shetland
Caithness
Moray
river Oykel
Earl of Orkney
Rognvald Eysteinsson
Eystein Glumra
Viking conquest of what is now northern Scotland
severed head
Máel Brigte
Heimskringla
Orkneyinga
Battle of Hafrsfjord
Norwegian kingdom
Orkney
Shetland
Harald Fairhair
Rognvald Eysteinsson
Møre
Historia Norwegiæ
Thorstein the Red
Caithness
Sutherland
Moray
river Oykel
Old Norse
Orkneyinga saga
became inflamed and infected

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