General Notes

[Direct Linage1.FTW]

Note:
bk&q chart 27, NB5, pp 425, 441, 444, 446

Earl of Orkney c894-?920.
He was known as Torf-Einar because he introduced turf as a fuel to the islanders. He was the brother of the disgraced Hallad who had been unable to control the Danish pirates in the western seas. Einar pleaded with his father to let him have the responsibility. He was given one longship and crew. He sailed first to the Shetlands to recruit more men and then advanced on the leaders of the Danish Vikings, Thori Treebeard and Kalf Skurfa, whom he killed, regaining control of the Orkneys. Soon after the Orkneys were invaded by Halfdan Haaleg, the son of the Norwegian king. Halfdan had already killed einar's father, Ragnald, and seemed intent on wiping out Ragnald's family. Einar escaped but conducted a surprise raid and captured Halfdan, whom he killed by carving an eagle shape out of his body in revenge for the death of his father. He sacrificed the remains to Odin. Harald Finehair brought his fleet to the Orkneys and exacted compensation from Einar for the death of his son, but he allowed him to retain his title as earl of Orkney. Although Einar is described as ugly, with one blind eye, he was remembered as a strong leader who protected his islanders, though in return confiscated their independent tenure and treated them as tenants. He apparently ruled much of the territory conquered by Sigurd and Thorstein, which included Caithness and Sutherland and parts of Ross. The date of his death is not recorded, though the sagas note that he ruled for a long time and died of a sickness. Allowing for the ages of his sons to succeed him he must have ruled to at least the year 920 or even later.