Chapter II: Introduction: Page

I. EARLIEST HISTORICAL NOTICES OF ix
THE ORKNEYS

II. EARLY CHRISTIANITY OF THE xi
ISLANDS

III. ARRIVAL OF THE NORTHMEN AND xxi
ESTABLISHMENT OF
THE EARLDOM OF ORKNEY AND
CAITHNESS

IV. THE EARLDOM IN THE NORSE LINE, xxiii
872-1231

V. THE EARLDOM IN THE ANGUS LINE, xlvi
1231-1312

VI. THE EARLDOM IN THE STRATHERNE lv
LINE, 1321-1379

VII. THE EARLDOM IN THE LINE OF ST. lxi
CLAIR, 1379-1469

VIII. THE BISHOPRIC OF ORKNEY, lxxi
1102-1469

IX. THE BISHOPRIC OF CAITHNESS, lxxix
1150-1469

X. ANCIENT CHURCHES OF ORKNEY lxxxvii

XI. MAESHOW AND THE STONES OF ci
STENNIS

XII. MOUSA AND THE PICTISH TOWERS cix

XIII. REMAINS OF THE NORTHMEN cxi

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE cxxv

GENEALOGICAL TABLES cxxxii

ORKNEYINGA SAGA. 1-201
APPENDIX 201-212
INDEX 213

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

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ON SEPARATE PAGES.

View of South Transept and part of Choir Frontispiece
of the Cathedral of St. Magnus

Map of Scotland, with Norse names viii

The Bressay Sculptured Stone xvi

The Bressay Sculptured Stone, Reverse of xvii

Symbols on the Sculptured Stones of xix
Scotland

Cathedral of St. Magnus, Kirkwall, lxxxviii
exterior view.

The Church of Egilsey xcii

Chancel Arch of Church of Weir, and xcviii
Chancel Doorway of Church at Lybster,
Reay

Map of the Orkney Islands cxlii

Map of the Shetland Islands Ibid.

Dragon-ship of the Viking period 132

IN THE TEXT.

Page

Square-sided Iron Bell found at xiv
Saverough, Orkney

Ground-plan of Egilsey Church and Tower, xci
Orkney

Ground-plan of Round Church at Orphir, xciv
Orkney

Ground-plan of Church at Weir, Orkney xcvi

Ground-plan of Church at Lybster, Reay, xcvii
Caithness

Ground-plan and Section of Maeshow, cii
Orkney

View of the Chamber in Maeshow, Orkney ciii

Dragon carved on the wall in Maeshow civ

Stone Circle at Brogar, Stennis, Orkney cvi

Stone Circle at Stennis, and Cromlech, cvii
from the northward

Stone Circle at Stennis, from the cvii
westward

Pictish Tower of Mousa (Moseyarborg), cix
Shetland

Norse Sword found at Gorton, Morayshire cxvi

Scabbard-Point found in a Norse Grave in cxvii
Westray, Orkney

Bronze Tortoise Brooch found in a Norse cxxi
Grave in Caithness

Comb found in a Norse Grave in Westray, cxxii
Orkney

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SYLLABUS OF INTRODUCTION.

Pages

I. Early Population of the Orkneys—Monuments and ix-xi.
Structural Remains—Saxon Invasion in the 5th
century—The Orkneys under Pictish rule—Dalriad
Invasion in the 6th century—Wasting of the
Orkneys by the Pictish King Bruide.

II. Visitation of the Islands by Irish xi-xxi.
Clerics—Dicuil’s Account of Iceland, the Faroes,
Shetland and Orkney—Irish Christian Settlers
driven away by the Northern Robbers—Indications
of the early Christianity of the Islands—Bells
and Christian Monuments of an early Age found in
the Islands—Art of their early Sculptured
Stones—Symbols of the Sculptured Monuments of
the Scottish Mainland: their probable
Period—Indications of an early Christianity in
the Norse Topography of the Islands.

III. Earliest Notices of Northmen on British Shores: xxi-xxiii.
their first Inroads on the Irish Coasts; they
plunder Iona—Establishment of a Norse Kingdom at
Armagh—Olaf the White, King of Dublin—Harald
Harfagri’s Expedition to the Orkneys—Subjugation
of Orkney, Shetland, the Hebrides, and Man.

IV. Sigurd, first Earl of the Orkneys—Earl Sigurd and xxiii-xlvi.
Thorstein the Red subdue Caithness and
Sutherland—Sigurd’s Death and Burial at
Ekkialsbakki—Thorstein the Red King of “half of
Scotland”—Thorstein slain in Caithness—Duncan,
Earl of Duncansbay—Guttorm Earl—Hallad Earl—Torf
Einar Earl—Thorfinn Hausakliuf Earl—Ragnhild
murders her Husbands—Battle at Skida Myre in
Caithness—Earl Hlödver—Earl Sigurd the
Stout—Earl Finnleik—Battle at Skida Myre—Earl
Sigurd’s Raven Banner—Battle at Duncansbay—Earl
Sigurd marries a Daughter of Malcolm, King of
Scots: is converted to Christianity by King
Olaf, Tryggvi’s Son; falls at the Battle of
Clontarf—Earls Thorfinn, Brúsi, and Einar—Kali
Hundason takes the Kingdom in Scotland—Battles
at Deerness and Baefiord—Rögnvald
Brusison—Battle off Raudabiorg—Earl Thorfinn,
surprised by Rögnvald, escapes from the burning
House—Rögnvald slain on Papa Stronsay—Earl
Thorfinn’s Death—Ingibiorg, his Widow, marries
King Malcolm Canmore—Battle of Stamford
Bridge—Expeditions of King Magnus Barelegs to
Scotland—He carries off the Orkney Earls Paul
and Erlend, and places his own son Sigurd over
Orkney—Earl Hakon Palson—Murder of St.
Magnus—Harald (Slettmali) dies from a poisoned
Shirt—Paul the Silent—Rögnvald Kolson wins the
Orkneys—Earl Paul carried off to Athole by Swein
Asleifson—Harald, Son of Maddad Earl of Athole,
made joint Earl of Orkney—Earl Rögnvald’s
Pilgrimage to Jerusalem—Erlend Ungi besieged in
Mousa by Earl Harald—Earl Rögnvald slain—Earl
Harald at War with King William the Lion—The
Eyarskeggiar—Earl Harald makes Peace with King
Sverrir, and Shetland is taken from him: is
captured by King William the Lion, and
imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle; is released on
his son Thorfinn being given up as a Hostage;
storms a Borg at Scrabster, and mutilates Bishop
John—Penance prescribed for the Mutilation of
the Bishop—Earl John—Burning of Bishop Adam at
Halkirk—Earl John slain at Thurso

V. Magnus, son of Gilbride, Earl of Angus, made Earl xlvi-lv.
of Caithness and Orkney—Gilbride Earl—Magnus,
son of Gilbride—King Hakon Hakonson’s expedition
against Scotland—Battle of Largs—Death of King
Hakon at Kirkwall: his Body lies in State in the
Cathedral; is temporarily interred in the Choir;
is removed to Bergen—Earl Magnus Magnusson—Earl
John—Marriage of King Eirik of Norway with
Margaret of Scotland—Death of Queen Margaret—Her
Daughter Margaret, “the Maid of Norway,” made
Heiress to the Scottish Throne, and betrothed to
Prince Edward of England—The Maid of Norway dies
on her voyage to Scotland—King Eirik marries
Isabella Bruce—Earl John betrothed to their
Daughter Ingibiorg—Appearance at Bergen of “the
False Margaret,” a German woman who gave herself
out as the Maiden of Norway—The False Margaret
burnt at Bergen, and her Husband
beheaded—Magnus, last Earl of the Angus line

VI. Malise, Earl of Stratherne, succeeds to the lv-lxi.
Earldom of Orkney: falls at the Battle of
Halidon Hill—Forfeiture of the Earldom of
Stratherne—Malise the Younger goes to Norway:
marries two of his Daughters to Swedish
Noblemen—Erngisl Suneson, son-in-law of Malise,
made Earl of Orkney—Duncan Anderson’s
Manifesto—Alexander de Ard made Earl of Orkney
for one Year—Resigns his Lands in Caithness—The
Stewarts Earls of Caithness—Sir George Crichtoun
made Earl of Caithness—William St. Clair made
Earl of Caithness

VII. First Notices of the St. Clairs in Orkney—Obscure lxi-lxxi.
Questions connected with the Succession of the
St. Clairs—Henry St. Clair made Earl of Orkney
and Shetland—Malise Sperra slain at
Scalloway—Henry II. Earl of Orkney—Bishop
Tulloch made Commissioner for the King of
Norway—David Menzies made Commissioner: his
oppressions—William St. Clair, last Earl under
the Norwegian Dominion—Impignoration of the
Isles

VIII. Origin of the Bishopric of Orkney—Bishops of lxxi-lxxix.
Orkney consecrated at Hamburg—Bishops of Orkney
consecrated at York—William the Old, “first
Bishop”—William II.—Bjarni—Jofreyr—Henry
I.—Peter—Dolgfinn—William III.—William
IV.—William V.—Henry II.—John—Patrick—Thomas de
Tulloch—William de Tulloch—The See of Orkney
placed under the Metropolitan Bishop of St.
Andrews

IX. Earliest Notices of the Bishopric of lxxix-lxxxvii.
Caithness—Andrew, first known
Bishop—John—Adam—Letter of Pope Honorius
referring to the burning of Bishop Adam—Gilbert
the Saint—William—Walter—Archibald—Alan—Adam—
Andrew—Ferquhard—Nicolas—David—Alan—Thomas—
Malcolm—Alexander—Robert—William.

X. Cathedral of St. Magnus—Removal of the Relics of lxxxvii-ci.
St. Magnus from Christ’s Church in Birsay to St.
Olaf’s Church in Kirkwall: Transference to the
Cathedral—Egilsey Church—Munch’s view of the
Origin of the Name Egilsey—Discussion of the
probable Age of the Church—Church of Orphir
built in imitation of the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre at Jerusalem—Earl Hacon probably its
Founder—Christ’s Church in Birsay the first
recorded Christian Church in the Islands—Remains
of an older Church at the Site of the present
Parish Church—Church of Weir: Bishop Bjarni
probably its Founder—Church at Lybster, in Reay,
Caithness—Church on the Brough of Birsay
probably twin-towered—Church on the Brough of
Deerness: Superstitious Practices at it in last
Century—Old Parish Church of Deerness—Towered
Churches of Shetland

XI. Maeshow, the Orkahaug of the Saga—The ci-cviii.
Hogboy—Description of Maeshow—The Runic
Inscriptions on its Walls—Carved Dragon and
Cross on its Buttresses—The Jorsala-farer
s—Names of Persons mentioned in the Saga carved
on it—The Stones of Stennis—The Ring of
Brogar—The Ring of Stennis, and Cromlech—The
Ring of Bookan—Stennis mentioned in the
Saga—Havard’s teigr—Earl Havard’s Grave-Mound

XII. Mousa and its Tower—Description of cix-cxi.
Moseyarborg—Number and Distribution of the
Pictish Towers—Results of recent Excavations in
them—Condition of the People who lived in
them—Roman Coins found in them—Notices of the
Tower of Mousa in the Sagas

XIII. The Norse Territory in Scotland still cxi-cxxiii.
distinguished by its Norse Place-names—Notices
of the Norse Language in Orkney and
Shetland—Norse Ballads—The Ballad of Hiluge and
Hildina recovered by Low in Foula: Outline of
its Story; its Dialect and Date—Runic Monuments
in Orkney and Shetland—Actual Relics of the
Northmen—Burial Customs of the Pagan Northmen in
Orkney and Shetland—Narrative of an Eye-witness
of the Incremation of the Body of a Norse Chief
of the 10th century—Description of the Funeral
Rites—“The Dead Man’s Angel”—Sacrifice of Oxen,
Horses, etc.—Slaughter of a Female Slave to
accompany the Chief—Burning of the Bodies and
erection of the Grave-Mound—Diversity of the
Burial Usages—Burial in Stone Urns and Cooking
Pots—Brooches of a peculiar Scandinavian type
found with Norse Burials in Scotland—Group of
Norse Graves in Westray, Orkney

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