General Notes

EARLDOM of ORKNEY [NOR] - subject to King of Norway until after 1379

Brusi, Jarl of one-third of Orkney 1014, a "mild and very peaceable man, wise, eloquent and popular." When Thorfinn invaded Orkney from Caithness in 1018, Brusi induced Einar to allow Thorfinn to have Somerledís share. In return he handed the administration and defence of his own share to Einar on the understanding that if he outlived him he should recover it and acquire Einarís third as well. Thus, after Einarís death in the autumn of 1020, he became entitled to two-thirds of Orkney; but Thorfinn claimed half of Einarís third of right, and suggested that as Brusi was so peaceful a man he might well be content with his original third. Brusi went to Norway with his son Ragnvald (b. 1011) to appeal to King St. Olaf (1015-1028) and became his man for all his inherited lands in Orkney (? Spring 1021). Thorfinn followed and the King divided Orkney, giving one-third to Brusi, one-third to Thorfinn and keeping one third himself, The King gave his own third of Orkney as a fief to Jarl Brusi, who thus had two-thirds once more and returned to Orkney in the autumn of 1021. Thorfinn, who remained in Caithness took taxes and dues from his third of Orkney, but made no provision for the defence of the Nordreys, the whole burden of which fell on Brusi. By a further agreement made after the deposition of St. Olaf in 1028 and before 1034, Brusi surrendered one-third to Thorfinn, who in return assumed the whole defence of the Nordreys. Soon after this Jarl Brusi died (? 1030), "in the days of Cnut the Powerful," a little after the fall of King St. Olaf i.e. between 31 Aug. 1030 and 12 Nov. 1035. He left a son Ragnvald.  [Complete Peerage, X:Appendix A:9-10]