Røgnvald Eysteinsson

Røgnvald Eysteinsson ( Old Norse Rognvaldr Eysteinsson ; Norwegian Ragnvald Øysteinsson Mørejarl ; date and place of birth unknown; † around 900, place of death unknown) was Jarl von Møre .

His father was Eystein Glumra , his mother is unknown. He was married to Hild Rolvsdatter, the daughter of Rolv Nevja. His sons were Einar Røgnvaldsson (* around 910), Orkneyjarl , and Gange-Rolv (* around 900), who is often identified with the Viking Rollo .

He was one of the Jarlen that King Harald Fairhair gathered around him. After Snorri he was his best friend, and he is said to have given him the nickname harfagri " fair hair ". His fame is due, among other things, to the fact that he made his brother Sigurd Eysteinsson ( Sigurd the Mighty ) the second Earl (Jarl) of Orkney, who kept this title and passed it on to his descendants.

The information in the sagas about Røgnvald is very poor. It is certain that he was a friend of King Harald and Jarl von Møre. This also agrees with the prevailing view that Harald ruled only the south-west of Norway, while he had only limited influence over the Jarls and the Jarle therefore acted relatively independently.

According to his ancestry, he is said to have been the grandson of Halvdan Gamle , a legendary figure from whom many families derived their family tree. But in the other genealogies there are 13 generations between King Harald and Halvdan, so that the statement that he is Halvdan's grandson can definitely be considered unhistorical.

Other information in the sagas is also doubted and not considered historical. The Orkneyinga saga and Snorri Sturluson in his Heimskringla unanimously report that King Harald conquered the Orkneys and installed Røgnvald as Jarl. But it is assumed that Harald did not make any conquests on his army expedition to the west and therefore did not use a Jarl there. He went to the Irish Sea to fight the pirates there.

However, it is historically certain that Torv-Einar Jarl was on Orkney. It is also certain that he was the son of Røgnvald and that the later Jarle came from this family.

The death of Røgnvald can be deduced from the skald stanzas that his son Einar wrote: He was killed by Halvdan Hålegg, one of Harald's many sons. The motive is said to have been displeasure with Røgnvald's position of power. Einar then complains that the murdered man's brothers did not vigorously vigorously enough. He himself finally took revenge.

Tore Teiande is said to have succeeded Røgnvald as Jarl von Møre. He was married to Åjov, a daughter of King Harald. It is not known where Røgnvald and Tore were based, but it is believed that it was Giske Farm.

literature

• Claus Krag: Article "Ragnvald Øysteinsson Mørejarl": Biography in Norsk biografisk leksikon , accessed on May 6, 2012.