By A. W. JOHNSTON LONDON Printed for the Viking Society for Northern Research University of London 1914 Note. —Unless where otherwise stated this paper is founded on Orkneyinga Saga (Rolls Series, text and translation). Page references are to Orkney and Shetland Records , Vol. I. Fb., Flateyjarbók . Hkr., Heimskringla . J.J., Jacob Jakobsen’s works. S.S., Sturlunga Saga . This paper is an attempt to describe the mixed races which inhabited Orkney and Shetland from the foundation of the Norse ear

Earl Torf-Einarr, 875–910, was the illegitimate son of the Norwegian earl Rögnvaldr, by a thrall mother who was thrall born on all sides, í allar ættir þrælborinn . He was therefore half Norse and half thrall. His mother was probably of the pre-Norse small dark race, the Finnar or Lappir, which may account for her son being ugly, ljótr , one-eyed, einsýnn , but keen-sighted, skygnstr , an expression which latterly meant second-sighted, and capable of seeing elves, etc. He saw, what others did no

Earl Haraldr Maddaðarson, 1139–1206, was the son of Margrét Hákons-dóttir and Maddadh, Gaelic earl of Athole (Gaelic, maddadh , a dog), and was 51/256 Norse, 205/256 Gael. When about twenty years of age, he was mikill maðr vexti ok sterkr, ljótr maðr ok vel vitr , a big man in growth and strong, an ugly man and well-witted. He was a mikill höfðingi , great chief; manna mestr ok sterkastr , the tallest and strongest of men; ódæll ok skap-harðr , overbearing and harsh. He was twice married, viz.,

The suggestion of Vigfússon in the Oxford Dictionary that the gœðingar of the earls of Orkney were synonymous with the lendir-menn of the kings of Norway can be amply proved by the Saga. One explicit instance gives a clue to the whole mystery, viz., that of Kúgi, a gœðingr (of earl Páll), whom we find living in Hreppisnes, now Rapnes, in Westrey. The bú of Rapnes, Swartmeill, and Wasbuster, were, in 1503, described as boardlands or borlands of the old earldom, paying no skattr. Bordland or borla

In 1106, Dufnjáll (Gaelic, Domhnall , Donald), son of earl Dungaðr (Gaelic, Donnchadh , Duncan) was a first cousin once removed on the father’s side, firnari en bræðrungr , of earls Hákon and Magnús, by whom he was slain. Dufnjáll’s grandfather must have been an illegitimate son of earl Þorfinnr hinn ríki, who lived mostly in Caithness, and was almost a pure Gael. In 1159, Jómarr, a kinsman of earl Rögnvaldr, is mentioned in Caithness, and his name may be the Norse form of some Gaelic name. In 1

The next persons to be described are the family, relatives and companions of Sveinn Ásleifarson. Ólafr Hrólfsson was a gœðingr of earl Páll, and owned Gareksey (Gairsey) in Orkney, and another bú in Dungalsbœr á Katanesi. He was a most masterful man, mesta afarmenni , and his wife, Ásleif, was wise and of great family, vitr ok ættstór , and most imperious, ok hin mesta fyrir sér . In 1135, Ólafr had a great suite, sveit mikla , á Katanesi, which included his sons Sveinn and Gunni, and Ásbjörn an