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At his death, Sigurd Eysteinsson controlled the area north of the river Oykel. The probable site of his burial mound, Sigurd's Howe, is shown. Sigurd Eysteinsson, or Sigurd the Mighty (reigned c. 875–892 [1]), was the second Earl of Orkney—a title bequeathed to Sigurd by his brother Rognvald Eysteinsson.
At his death, Sigurd Eysteinsson controlled the area north of the River Oykel. The probable site of his burial mound, Sigurd's Howe, is shown. Máel Brigte, also known as Máel Brigte the Bucktoothed or Máel Brigte Tusk [1] was a 9th-century Pictish nobleman, most probably a mormaer of Moray.
To its immediate north lies Cyderhall or Sidera, whose name may be a corruption of "Sigurd's Howe", as the reputed burial place of the Viking leader Sigurd Eysteinsson whose death about 875 CE is recounted in the Orkneyinga saga. Skibo Castle is located 0.5 miles to the northwest.
Rognvald thereafter returned to Norway, giving the northern isles to his brother Sigurd Eysteinsson. [14] [11] Sigurd had been the forecastleman on Harald's ship and after sailing back east the king "gave Sigurd the title of earl". [11] However, the Heimskringla states specifically that Sigurd was the first Earl of Orkney. [15]
Rognvald Eysteinsson of Møre received Orkney and Shetland from Harald as an earldom as reparation for the death of his son Ivar in battle in Scotland, [Note 2] and then passed the earldom on to his brother Sigurd Eysteinsson also known as "Sigurd the Mighty". [10] However, Sigurd's line barely survived him.
However, Sigurd's line barely survived him and it was Torf-Einarr (ruled c.895–910), Rognvald's son by a slave, who founded a dynasty that controlled the islands for centuries after his death. [5] Notes 1 ] He was succeeded by his son Thorfinn Skull-splitter ( c. 910–963) and during this time the deposed Norwegian King Eric Bloodaxe often ...
Sigurd's son Guthorm ruled for a year and died childless. [10] Rognvald's son Hallad then inherited the title. However, unable to constrain Danish raids on Orkney, he gave up the jarldom and returned to Norway, which "everyone thought was a huge joke". [ 11 ]
The first sitting earl of Orkney was Sigurd Eysteinsson, brother of Rognvald Mørejarl. After several relations held reigns of less than two years, Torf-Einarr , the youngest of the illegitimate sons of Rognvald Mørejarl , became the fourth earl of Orkney and established the bloodline from which the earls of Orkney would directly descend until ...