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{{Short description|Viking warlord, Earl of Orkney}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox noble|type
| name              = Einarr Rognvaldarson
| title             = [[Earl of Orkney]]
| reign             = c. 895<ref>Smyth (1984) p. 153</ref> to 910<ref name=Johnston393/><ref name=Muirtable>Muir (2005) Preface: Genealogical table of the Earls of Orkney.</ref><ref name=Crawford54>Crawford (1987) p. 54</ref> or later<ref name=crawford/>
| reign-type        = Title held
| predecessor       = Hallad Rognvaldarson
| successor         = Arnkel, Erlend and [[Thorfinn Torf-Einarsson]]
| suc-type          = Successor
| issue             = Thordis, Arnkel, Erlend and [[Thorfinn Torf-Einarsson|Thorfinn]]
| noble family      = Norse Earls of Orkney
| house-type        = 
| father            = [[Rognvald Eysteinsson]]
| mother            = Unknown slave
| spouse            =
| death_date        = c. 910<ref name=Johnston393/> or 930s<ref name=crawford/>
| death_place       =
| native_name       = ''Torf-Einarr'' or ''Turf-Einar''}}

'''Einarr Rognvaldarson''' ({{Flourished}} early 890s–c. 910), often referred to by his [[Epithet|byname]] '''Torf-Einarr''' (sometimes [[anglicised]] as '''Turf-Einar'''), was one of the [[Norsemen|Norse]] [[earls of Orkney]]. The son of the Norse ''[[earl|jarl]]'' [[Rognvald Eysteinsson]] and a [[concubine]], his rise to power is related in [[saga]]s which apparently draw on verses of Einarr's own composition for inspiration. After battling for control of the [[Northern Isles]] of [[Scotland]] and a struggle with Norwegian royalty, Einarr founded a dynasty which retained control of the islands for centuries after his death.

He is portrayed as a successful warrior and has various characteristics in common with the Norse God [[Odin]] but his [[:wikt:historicity|historicity]] is not in doubt. The reasons for his nickname of "Turf" are not certain.

==Sources==
The sources for Einarr's life are exclusively the Norse [[sagas]], none of which were written down during his lifetime. The ''[[Orkneyinga saga]]'' was first compiled in Iceland in the early 13th century and much of the information it contains is "hard to corroborate" according to scholars.<ref name=Woolf242>Woolf (2007) p. 242</ref> Einarr is also referred to in the ''[[Heimskringla]]'', which is of a similar vintage to the ''Orkneyinga saga''. ''Torf-Einarr's Saga'' itself is now lost and a short passage is recorded in the ''[[Landnámabók]]''.<ref name=Johnston393>Johnston, A.W. (July 1916) [https://www.jstor.org/stable/25518943 "Orkneyinga Saga"]. JSTOR/''The Scottish Historical Review''. Vol. 13, No. 52. p. 393. Retrieved 27 January 2014.</ref> These verses, penned by Einarr himself about his feud with [[Hálfdan Long-Legs]], were the source of most of the saga writer's information about him.<ref name=crawford/>

==Family background==
Einarr was the youngest son of [[Rognvald Eysteinsson]], [[Jarls of Møre|Jarl of Møre]], by a concubine. According to the sagas and the ''[[Historia Norvegiae]]'' Rognvald's family conquered the [[Orkney]] and [[Shetland]] islands in the late ninth century.<ref>Phelpstead (2001) p. 9</ref> Rognvald's brother, [[Sigurd Eysteinsson]], was made [[Earl of Orkney|Jarl of Orkney]] and after his death on campaign he was succeeded by his son, Guthorm, who died shortly afterward. Rognvald then sent one of his own sons, Hallad, to govern the islands.<ref name=Thomson30>Thomson (2008) p. 30 quoting chapter 5 of the ''Orkneyinga saga''.</ref>

[[File:Dalsnibba; Blick auf Geiranger 2 Norwegen.JPG|thumb|left|The mountains of [[Møre og Romsdal|Møre]], Einarr's homeland.]]

The ''Orkneyinga saga'' states that Einarr was one of six brothers, the others being: Hallad, Hrollaug, Ivar, Hrólfr, and [[Thorir the Silent]]. The three eldest, Hallad, Einarr and Hrollaug, were [[natural son]]s of Rognvald, and were "grown men when their brothers born in marriage were still children".<ref name=OS26>''Orkneyinga saga'' (1981) Chapter 4 - " To Shetland and Orkney" pp. 26&ndash;27</ref><ref name=SHF24>''Saga of Harald Fairhair'' Chapter 24 - Rolf Ganger Driven Into Banishment.</ref> Ivar was killed on a campaign with King [[Harald Finehair]], which resulted in the [[Northern Isles|''Norðreyar'']] being gifted to his family as compensation. Hrólfr "was so big that no horse could carry him", hence his byname of "Göngu-Hrólf" ("Hrólf the Walker"),<ref name=OS26/> and he is identified by the saga writers with [[Rollo of Normandy|Rollo]], ancestor of the [[Dukes of Normandy]].<ref name=SHF24/> Thorir the Silent was Rognvald's third son by his marriage to Ragnhild.{{#tag:ref|The ''Orkneyinga saga'' states only that Ragnhild, wife of Rognvald Eysteinsson, was a daughter of Hrólfr Nose.<ref name=OS26/> In the ''Heimskringla'' she is called Hild.<ref name=SHF24/>|group="Note"}}

[[Ari Þorgilsson]] quotes a short section from the lost ''Torf-Einarr’s Saga'' in the ''Landnámabók''. It begins: "Earl Turf-Einarr (of Orkney) had a daughter in his youth, she was called Thordis. Earl Rognvald brought her up and gave her in marriage to Thorgeir Klaufi, their son was Einar, he went to Orkney to see his kinsmen; they would not own him for a kinsman; then Einar bought a ship in partnership with two brothers, Vestman and Vemund, and they went to Iceland." The ''Landnámabók'' goes on to make brief reference to Einar's travels there. It also lists his two sons, Eyjolf and Ljot, and some details about them and their descendants.<ref name=Johnston393/><ref>[http://www.northvegr.org/sagas%20annd%20epics/miscellaneous/landnamabok/023.html “Landnámabók: Part 3”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114085323/http://www.northvegr.org/sagas%20annd%20epics/miscellaneous/landnamabok/023.html |date=14 January 2015 }}. Northvegr.org. Retrieved 10 January 2015.</ref> The sagas describe Einarr as tall, ugly and blind in one eye, but sharp-sighted nonetheless.<ref>''Heimskringla'', Harald Harfager's saga, chapter 27; Orkneyinga saga, chapter 7</ref>

==Rise to power==
Einarr's brother Hallad was unable to maintain control in [[Orkney]] due to the predations of Danish pirates. He resigned his earldom and returned to Norway as a common landholder, which "everyone thought was a huge joke."<ref name=Thomson30/> Hallad's failure led to Rognvald flying into a rage and summoning his sons Thorir and Hrolluag. He asked which of them wanted the islands but Thorir said the decision was up to the earl himself. Rognvald predicted that Thorir's path would keep him in Norway and that Hrolluag was destined seek his fortune in Iceland. Einarr, the youngest of the natural sons, then came forward and offered to go to the islands. Rognvald said: "Considering the kind of mother you have, slave-born on each side of her family, you are not likely to make much of a ruler. But I agree, the sooner you leave and the later you return the happier I'll be."<ref name=Edwards>''Orkneyinga saga'' (1981) Chapter 6 - "Forecasts" pp. 28&ndash;29.</ref>

Rognvald agreed to provide Einarr with a ship and crew in the hope that he would sail away and never return. Despite his father's misgivings, on arrival in the Scottish islands, Einarr fought and defeated two Danish warlords, Þórir Tréskegg (Thorir Treebeard) and Kálf Skurfa (Kalf the Scurvy), who had taken residence there. Einarr then established himself as earl of a territory that comprised the two [[archipelago]]es of Orkney and [[Shetland]].<ref>''[[Heimskringla]]'', Harald Harfager's saga, chapter 27; ''[[Orkneyinga]]'' saga, chapters 6 and 7</ref><ref>Thomson (2008) p. 73</ref>

==Relations with Norway==
[[File:Aerial view of Linklet Bay - geograph.org.uk - 224596.jpg|thumb|The flat landscapes of [[North Ronaldsay]]. According to the ''[[Orkneyinga saga]]'' Einarr slew his enemy Hálfdan on the island.]]
After Einarr had settled in Orkney two of Harald Finehair's unruly sons, Halvdan Hålegg (English: Hálfdan Longlegs) and Gudrød Ljome (English: Gudrod the Gleaming), killed Einarr's father Rognvald by trapping him in his house and setting it alight. Gudrød took possession of Rognvald's lands while Hálfdan sailed westwards to Orkney and then displaced Einarr. The sagas say that King Harald, apparently appalled by his sons' actions, overthrew Gudrød and restored Rognvald's lands to his son, Thorir. From a base in [[Caithness]] on the Scottish mainland Einarr resisted Hálfdan's occupation of the islands. After winning a battle at sea, and a ruthless campaign on land, Einarr spied Hálfdan hiding on [[North Ronaldsay]]. The sagas claim that Hálfdan was captured, and sacrificed to [[Odin]] as a [[blood eagle]].<ref>''Heimskringla'', Harald Harfager's saga, chapters 30 and 31; ''Orkneyinga'' saga, chapter 8</ref>

While the killing of Hálfdan by the Orkney islanders is recorded independently in the ''Historia Norvegiæ'', the manner of his death is unspecified. The blood eagle sacrifice may be a misunderstanding or an invention of the sagawriters as it does not feature directly in the earlier skaldic verses, which instead indicate that Hálfdan was killed by a volley of spears.<ref>Poole (1991) p. 165</ref> The verses do mention the eagle as a carrion bird, and this may have influenced the saga writers to introduce the blood eagle element.<ref>Frank, Roberta (April 1984) [http://ehr.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/citation/XCIX/CCCXCI/332 "Viking Atrocity and Skaldic Verse: The Rite of the Blood-Eagle"]. ''The English Historical Review'' '''99''' (391): 332&ndash;343 (Subscription required)</ref> The sagas then relate that Harald sought vengeance for his son's ignoble death, and set out on campaign against Einarr, but was unable to dislodge him. Eventually, Harald agreed to end the fight in exchange for a fine of 60 gold marks levied on Einarr and the [[Allodial title|allodial owners]] of the islands. Einarr offered to pay the whole fine if the allodial landowners passed their lands to him, to which they agreed.<ref>''Heimskringla'', Harald Harfager's saga, chapter 32; ''Orkneyinga'' saga, chapter 8</ref> Einarr's assumption of control over the islands appears well-attested and was considered by later commentators to be the moment at which the Earls of Orkney came to own the entire island group [[Fee simple|in fee]] to the King of Norway.<ref name=crawford/> Others have interpreted the payment of 60 gold marks as [[wergild]] or [[Blood money (term)|blood money]].<ref>Woolf, p. 305</ref>

The sagas incorrectly claim that the Earl of Orkney was called "Turf-Einarr" because he introduced the practice of burning turf or peat to the islands since wood was so scarce. This practice long pre-dates the Norse and the real reason for the nickname is unknown.<ref name=crawford/> The ''Orkneyinga saga'' has him organising peat cutting at [[Tarbat Ness]] far to the south of the Orkney heartland.<ref>Smyth (1984) p. 154</ref> While depletion of woodland could have caused a cultural shift from burning timber to peat, potentially the name arose because the sequestration of the common or allodial rights of the islanders by Einarr forced them away from [[coppicing]] towards cutting [[sod|turves]].<ref>Buckland, Paul (26 March 2002). [http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/paper/bucklandPaul.html "Review of ''The Christianization of Iceland, priests, power, and social change 1000–1300'' by Orri Vésteinsson"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928211010/http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/paper/bucklandPaul.html |date=2006-09-28 }}. Institute for Historical Research, retrieved 25 August 2009.</ref>

==Legacy==
[[Image:LandnamabokManuscriptPage.jpg|thumb|right|A page from a [[vellum]] manuscript of the ''[[Landnámabók]]'' in the [[Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies]] in [[Reykjavík]], Iceland]]
The remainder of Einarr's long reign was apparently unchallenged, and he died in his bed of a sickness, leaving three sons, Arnkel, Erlend and [[Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson, Earl of Orkney|Thorfinn]] who became ''jarls'' of Orkney after him.  Despite his apparent physical shortcomings, as well as his low-born mother, Einarr established a dynasty which ruled the Orkney islands until 1470.<ref name=crawford/>

At this early period, many of the dates relating to the Orkney earldom are uncertain. Einarr's death is stated as being circa 910 in several sources.<ref name=Johnston393/><ref name=Muirtable/><ref name=Crawford54/> Crawford (2004) suggests he lived until the 930s<ref name=crawford/> and Ashley (1998) states that "allowing for the ages of his sons to succeed him he must have ruled to at least the year 920 or later."<ref>Ashley (1998) p. 441</ref>

There are five verses  recorded in the ''Landnámabók'' attributed to Einarr that describe a feud between the families of Rognvald Eysteinsson and that of Harald Finehair. Apart from these verses, no other examples of Torf-Einarr's poetry are known to survive, though they appear to be part of a larger body of work.<ref name=poole/> A couplet that commemorates Einarr's defeat of the two pirate [[Viking]]s, Thorir Treebeard and Kalf the Scurvy, has a matching [[Meter (poetry)|metre]] and alliterative similarities to the attributed verses.<ref name=poole/>
{{Verse translation|
{{lang|non|Hann gaf Tréskegg trollum,
Torf-Einarr drap Skurfu.}}
|
He gave Treebeard to the trolls,
Torf-Einarr slew Scurvy.<ref>''Orkneyinga saga'', chapter 7 "Vikings and Peat" p. 29</ref>}}

Einarr must have had some fame as a poet, as his name is used in the ''[[Háttatal]]'', an examination of [[Old Norse poetry]] written in the thirteenth-century, to refer to a specific type of metre, ''Torf-Einarsháttr''.<ref name=poole>Poole (1991) pp. 169&ndash;170</ref>
{{clear}}

==Interpretations==
Much of Einarr's story in the sagas appears to be derived from the five [[skald]]ic verses attributed to Einarr himself<ref name=crawford>Crawford (2004)</ref> and it is not certain that this account Einarr's conquest is historically accurate. Though the ''[[Historia Norvegiæ]]'', written at the same time as the sagas but from a different source, confirms that Rognvald's family conquered the islands, it gives few details. The scene in the sagas where Einarr's father scorns him is a literary device which often figures in [[Old Norse literature]]. After Hallad's failure in  Orkney the dialogue between the father and his sons has been interpreted as being about Rognvald's desire to cement his own position as Earl of Møre and an allusion to the early history of Iceland, where the sagas were written. Thorir is  a compliant son who Rognvald is happy to keep at home. Hrolluag is portrayed as a man of peace who will go to Iceland.  Einarr is aggressive and a threat to his father's position so can be spared for the dangers of Orkney.<ref>Pálsson and Edwards (1981) "Introduction" p. 13</ref> In the ''[[Landnámabók]]'' version the equally aggressive Hrolfr is also present, and his destiny is anticipated to be in conveniently far-away [[Normandy]].<ref>Pálsson and Edwards (1981) "Introduction" p. 14</ref>{{#tag:ref|In the ''Heimskringla'' Hrolfr is banished by King Harald.<ref name=SHF24/>|group="Note"}}
[[File:Odin rides to Hel.jpg|thumb|"Odin Rides to Hel" (1908) by [[W. G. Collingwood]]]]
The writer of the ''Orkneyinga saga'' established Einarr's status in two contradictory ways. Although in the 
''Historia'' Rognvald's family are described as "pirates" the saga provides them with a legally established earldom instated by the king. Einarr's success is however largely down to his own efforts and he negotiates with King Harald rather than offers blind obedience. The author is thus able to emphasise both the legitimacy and independence of his [[dynasty|house]].<ref>Thomson (2008) pp. 30&ndash;31</ref>

Einarr is also provided with various characteristics associated with Odin. Both have but one eye and Halfdan's hideous death at Einarr's hands is offered to the god&mdash;an act that contains a hint of Odin's own sacrifice to himself in the [[Hávamál]].<ref>Thomson (2008) pp. 35&ndash;36</ref> Einarr is a man of action who is self-made, and he is a successful warrior who (unlike his brothers) avenges his father's death. He leads a dramatic and memorable life and emerges as "ancient, powerful and mysterious&mdash;but as a literary figure rather than a real person".<ref name=Thomson38>Thomson (2008) p. 38</ref> He is also a {{linktext|heathen}} whose appearance at the commencement of the saga contrasts with the later martyrdom of his descendant [[Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney|St Magnus]] which marks a "moral high-point" of the story.<ref name=Thomson38/>

==References==
===Notes===

{{Reflist|group="Note"}}

===Footnotes===

{{Reflist|2}}

===General references===

{{wikisource|Heimskringla/Harald Harfager's Saga#Of Earl Torfeinar's Obtaining Orkney.}}

* Ashley, Michael (1998) ''The British Monarchs''. Robinson Publishing. {{ISBN|1854875043}}
* Crawford, Barbara E. (1987) ''Scandinavian Scotland''. Leicester University Press. {{ISBN|0718511972}}
*Crawford, Barbara E. (2004). [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/49269 "Einarr, earl of Orkney (''fl.'' early 890s–930s)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, retrieved 20 July 2009 (Subscription required)
* Muir, Tom (2005) ''Orkney in the Sagas: The Story of the Earldom of Orkney as told in the Icelandic Sagas''. The Orcadian. Kirkwall. {{ISBN|0954886232}}.
* Phelpstead, Karl (ed) (2001) ''[http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Text%20Series/Historia%26Passio.pdf A History of Norway and The Passion and Miracles of the Blessed Óláfr]''. (pdf) Translated by Devar Kunin. Viking Society for Northern Research Text Series. '''XIII'''. University of London. 
*Poole, Russell Gilbert (1991). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ND5Su1szecAC Viking Poems on War and Peace: A Study in Skaldic Narrative]''. [[University of Toronto Press]]. {{ISBN|0-8020-6789-1}}
* Smyth, Alfred P. (1984) ''Warlords and Holy Men: Scotland AD 80&ndash;1000.'' Edinburgh University Press. Edinburgh. {{ISBN|0748601007}}
* Thomson, William P. L. (2008) ''The New History of Orkney''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|9781841586960}}
* Woolf, Alex (2007) ''From Pictland to Alba, 789–1070''. Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press. {{ISBN|9780748612345}}

==External links==
*[http://www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/skindex/torfe1.html Torf-Einarr jarl] Poetry attributed to Einarr ([[Old Norse]])
*[http://sacred-texts.com/neu/ice/is3/index.htm ''The Orkneyingers' Saga''] – 1894 translation by [[George Webbe Dasent]]

{{Norse Earls of Orkney}}
{{Scandinavian Scotland}}

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