Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/139

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 131 landed in Orkney, and took Earl Sigurd prisoner in sa ga vu South Bonaldsha, where he lay with one ship. King Olaf allowed the earl to ransom his life by letting himself be baptized, adopting the true faith, becoming his man, and introducing Christianity into all the Orkney Islands. As a hostage, King Olaf took his son, who was called Hund, or the Whelp. Then Olaf went to Norway, and became king ; and Hund was several years with King Olaf in Norway, and died there. After his death Earl Sigurd showed no obe- dience or fealty to King Olaf. He married a daughter of the Scottish king Malcolm, and their son was called Thorfinn. Earl Sigurd had besides older sons; namely, Sumarlid, Br use, and Einar Rangmud.* Four or five years after Olaf Tryggvesson's fall Earl Sigurd went to Ireland, leaving his eldest sons to rule the country, and sending Thorfinn to his mother's father the Scot- tish king. On this expedition Earl Sigurd fell in Brian's battle. f When the news was received in Orkney the brothers Sumarlid, Bruse, and Einar were chosen earls, and the country was divided into three parts among them. Thorfinn Sigurdsson was five years old when Earl Sigurd fell. When the Scot- tish king heard of the earl's death he gave his relation Thorfinn Caithness and Sutherland, with the title of earl, and appointed good men to rule the land for him. Earl Thorfinn was ripe in all ways as soon as he was grown up : he was stout and strong, but ugly ; and as soon as he was a grown man it was easy to see that he was a severe and cruel, but a very clever man. So says Arnor, the earl's scald: — ■j" Brian's battle is supposed to have taken place on the 23d April, 1014, at Clontarf, near Dublin; and is known in Irish history as the battle of Clontarf, and was one of the bloodiest of the age. It was fought between a viking called Sigtryg and Brian king of Munster who gained the victory, but lost his life. K 2
 * Rangmudr — wry-mouth.