16 h 2 minAudiobook6 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In the northern islands, an earldom is won by the sword—and shared rule offers no promise of peace.
The Orkneyinga Saga follows the Norse earls of Orkney and Shetland from the first settlers to the late twelfth century. Its opening legends reach back to kings and giants. Then generations of one ruling family struggle over land and power, in a world where the sea connects Norway, Scotland, Ireland and the Hebrides.
There is no single hero here. Thorfinn Sigurdsson becomes an earl while still a child. Cousins Magnus Erlendsson and Haakon Paulsson share rule amid bitter strife. Rognvald Kali Kolsson claims his uncle’s earldom, while Svein Asleifarson brings the farmer’s life and the raider’s life together. Plain prose and dry humour give these lives their edge.
What you’ll discover
- Legends before history Follow the earls’ ancestry into a northern world of old kings and giants.
- A child becomes earl Meet Thorfinn the Mighty as his story grows into the rule of a sea kingdom.
- Cousins divided by power Watch Magnus and Haakon struggle with shared rule, family ties and open conflict.
- A poet with a claim Discover Rognvald, the poet who claims an earldom and builds a cathedral for his uncle.
- The farmer who raids Enter Svein Asleifarson’s world, where life on Gairsay includes a summer of raiding.
Who will love it
You will love this if you enjoy Viking tales of feuds and voyages, the history of Scotland and Norway, or true stories of clever, ruthless leaders at sea and ashore.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Raiders become earls of the islands
- Sigurd’s sons divide the islands
- The King of Norway claims the islands
- Thorfinn fights the king of Scots
- Kinsmen at war, fire and a dog's bark
- A peaceful earl and a murder at Easter
- A vow, a trick and a cathedral
- A pilgrimage by sea to Jerusalem
- Swein, rival earls and a bishop's fate
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The Orkneyinga Saga
by Anonymous · 1200
A Viking earl carries his wife through a burning hall in the Orkney night, and his rival believes him dead.
Medium level10–20 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Where does a Viking earl hide when his own nephew burns down his hall? The Orkneyinga Saga, set down by an unknown Icelandic hand, follows the Norse earls who ruled Orkney and Caithness from the days of Harald the Fairhaired.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Raiders become earls of the islands
The saga opens when the Orkney Islands, once a base for Vikings, come under the rule of Earl Sigurd, brother of Rognvald of Moeri. After him comes Torf-Einar, a man of great power who rules for a long time. The first earls hold the islands as vassals of the Norwegian kings.
Einar drives off Halfdan Halegg, a son of King Harald, and kills him on Rinansey. King Harald brings an army and fines the islanders sixty marks of gold. Einar offers to pay it all, on condition that the farmers hand him their inherited lands. The farmers agree, since the poor have little land and the rich think they can buy it back.
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What is the Orkneyinga Saga about?
It tells the history of the Norse earls of Orkney, who also ruled Caithness in Scotland, from the days of Harald the Fairhaired. It covers their feuds, sea battles, a saint, a pilgrimage and their dealings with the kings of Norway and Scotland.
Who was Earl Thorfinn?
Thorfinn was a son of Earl Sigurd and the grandson of King Malcolm of Scots. He became earl of Caithness at five years old and later ruled Orkney too. The saga calls him the most powerful of all the earls of Orkney.
Who was Saint Magnus?
Magnus Erlendsson was an Orkney earl, known for his gentleness and piety. His cousin Hakon had him killed on Egilsey after a failed peace meeting. Pilgrims then came to his grave, and Kirkwall's cathedral was later built in his honour.
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