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The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse jarl ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness and Sutherland. The Earls were periodically subject to the kings of Norway for the Northern Isles, and later also to the kings of Alba for those parts of their territory in mainland Scotland (i.e. Caithness and Sutherland). The Earl's status as a Norwegian vassal was formalised in 1195. In 1232, a Scottish dynasty descended from the Mormaers of Angus replaced the previous family descended from the Mormaers of Atholl, although it remained formally subject to Norway. This family was in turn replaced by the descendants of the Mormaers of Strathearn and later still by the Sinclair family, during whose time Orkney passed to Scots control. ==Norse Earls== Rognvald Eysteinsson, Earl of Møre ''fl.'' 865–890 is sometimes credited with being the founder of the earldom. By implication the ''Orkneyinga saga'' identifies him as such for he is given "dominion" over Orkney and Shetland by King Harald Finehair, although there is no concrete suggestion he ever held the title. The ''Heimskringla'' states that his brother Sigurd was the first to formally hold the title.〔''Orkneyinga saga'' (1981) Chapter 4 pp. 26-27〕〔''Heimskringla''. "Chapter 99 - History Of The Earls Of Orkney".〕 Sigurd's son Guthorm ruled for a year and died childless.〔''Orkneyinga saga'' (1981) Chapter 5 p. 28〕 Rognvald's son Hallad then inherited the title. However, unable to constrain Danish raids on Orkney, he gave up the earldom and returned to Norway, which "everyone thought was a huge joke."〔Thomson (2008) p. 30 quoting chapter 5 of the ''Orkneyinga saga''.〕 Torf-Einarr then succeeded in defeating the Danes and founded a dynasty which retained control of the islands for centuries after his death.〔Thomson (2008) p. 29〕 Smyth (1984) concludes that the role of the brothers Eysteinsson lacks historical credibility and that Torf-Einarr “may be regarded as the first historical earl of Orkney”.〔Smyth (1984) p. 153〕 Drawing on Adam of Bremen's assertion that Orkney was not conquered until the time of Harald Hardrada, who ruled Norway from 1043–66, Woolf (2007) speculates that Sigurd “the Stout” Hlodvirsson, Torf-Einarr’s great-grandson, may have been the first Earl of Orkney.〔Woolf (2007) p. 307〕 Dates are largely conjectural, at least until his death recorded in 1014. Assuming Torf-Einarr is a genuine historical figure, all of the subsequent earls were descended from him, save for Sigurd Magnusson, whose short rule was imposed by his father Magnus Barelegs, and who later became Sigurd I of Norway. One of the main sources for the lives and times of these earls is the ''Orkneyinga saga'', which has been described as having "no parallel in the social and literary record of Scotland".〔Crawford (1987) p. 221〕 One of the key events of the saga is the "martyrdom" of Earl Magnus Erlendsson, later Saint Magnus, c. 1115. The last quarter of the saga is taken up with a lengthy tale of Earl Rögnvald Kali Kolsson and Sweyn Asleifsson — indeed the oldest version ends with the latter's death in 1171.〔Pálsson and Edwards (1981) p. 10〕〔Beuermann (2011) pp. 148-49〕 After the murder of Earl Jon Haraldsson some sixty years later, Magnus, son of Gille Brigte became the first of the Scottish earls. He may have been a descendent of Earl Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, although this has never been corroborated, and was a descendent of Earl Harald Maddadson on his mother's side. However, the line of specifically Norse earls is said to have come to an end when Earl Magnus II was granted his title by Haakon IV of Norway c. 1236.〔〔Muir (2005) p. 127〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Earl of Orkney」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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