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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. A son of Eystein Glumra, Sigurd was a leader in the Viking conquest of what is now northern Scotland.
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.
For example, towards the end of his reign as earl, Sigurd Eysteinsson is said to have challenged a native ruler, Máel Brigte the Bucktoothed, to a 40-man-a-side battle. Treacherously, Sigurd brought 80 men to the fight and Máel Brigte was defeated and beheaded. Sigurd strapped the head to his saddle as a trophy, but as Sigurd rode home, Máel ...
The Heimskringla states that his brother Sigurd was the first to formally hold the title. [8] [9] 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 ...
Along with Sigurd's other sons he ruled Orkney and Shetland during the first half of the 11th century and extended his authority over the Kingdom of the Isles. Thorfinn's sons Paul and Erlend succeeded him, fighting at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. [13] Paul and Erlend quarreled as adults and this dispute carried on to the next generation.
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.
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 ...
[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] According to the Orkneyinga Saga, after Sigurd became earl he died in a curious fashion, following a battle with ...