Jarl of Orkney Sigurd Eysteinsson, I^[1]

Abt 832 - 874  (42 years)

• Name	Sigurd Eysteinsson
  Title	Jarl of Orkney
  Suffix	I
  Nickname	The Mighty
  Birth	Abt 832	Maer, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway
  Gender	Male
  Death	874	Orkney, Orkney Islands, Scotland
  Burial	Ekkialsbakki, Sydero, Dornoch Firth, Scotland
  Person ID	I36206	Master
  Last Modified	23 May 2025

  
  

  Father	Eystein "Glumra" Ivarsson,   b. Abt 800, Maer, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway
  Mother	Countess Of Oppland Ascrida (Aseda) Rognvaldsdatter,   b. Abt 804, Maer, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway
  Marriage	Abt 846	Maer, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway
  Family ID	F8651	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - Abt 832 - Maer, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway Death - 874 - Orkney, Orkney Islands, Scotland Burial - - Ekkialsbakki, Sydero, Dornoch Firth, Scotland  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Sigurd Eysteinsson I, Jarl of Orkney http://www.friesian.com/germania.htm#orkney Bror til Ragnvald Mørejar, som ga han jarledømmet på Orkney. Brother of Ragnvald Mørajar. Oversikt over Orkneyjarlene (Earls of Orkney): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Orkney#Norse_Earls_of_Orkney Orkneysagaen (Jarlesoga) på norsk (in Norwegian): http://oaks.nvg.org/orkneyingsoga.html From The Saga of Harald Hårfagri (Fairhair), Snorri Sturluson: "In this war fell Ivar, a son of Ragnvald, Earl of More; and King Harald gave Ragnvald, as a compensation for the loss, the Orkney and Shetland isles, when he sailed from the West; but Ragnvald immediately gave both these countries to his brother Sigurd, who remained behind them; and King Harald, before sailing eastward, gave Sigurd the earldom of them. Thorstein the Red, a son of Olaf the White and of Aud the Wealthy, entered into partnership with him; and after plundering in Scotland, they subdued Caithness and Sutherland, as far as Ekkjalsbakke (Kyle of Sutherland). Earl Sigurd killed Melbridge Tooth, a Scotch earl, and hung his head to his stirrup-leather; but the calf of his leg were scratched by the teeth, which were sticking out from the head, and the wound caused inflammation in his leg, of which the earl died, and he was laid in a mound at Ekkjalsbakke. His son Guthorm ruled over these countries for about a year thereafter, and died without children. Many vikings, both Danes and Northmen, set themselves down then in those countries." http://lind.no/nor/splitt.asp?lang=&emne=&person=&list=&vis=s_be_harald_harfagre Viking chieftain Sigurd Eysteinsson, also known as Sigurd the Mighty, was well known for his military prowess — yet he was killed by the severed head of his vanquished foe. After taking Scotland's Orkney archipelago in 875 C.E., Sigurd landed on mainland Scotland, to the ire of Pictish chieftain Máel Brigte the Bucktoothed, so-named for his protruding teeth. Máel Brigte challenged Sigurd to a battle of 40 men each, to which Sigurd agreed — then brought 80 men with him. Máel Brigte was easily overtaken, and Sigurd chopped off his head to bring home with him. With the head tied to his saddle, Sigurd rode home, only to be scraped by the buck teeth of his decapitated foe. The wound became infected, and Sigurd died shortly afterward.

  
  

• Sources

  [S23] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (R), (Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998).