Einar Sigurdsson facts for kids

Einar Sigurdsson (died 1020) was an important leader, also known as Einar Wry-Mouth. He was the son of Sigurd Hlodvirsson. From 1014, he shared the title of Earl of Orkney, which meant he helped rule the Orkney Islands. We learn about his life from an old story called the Orkneyinga Saga.

Becoming an Earl

Einar's father, Earl Sigurd, passed away in 1014 during a big battle called the Battle of Clontarf. Earl Sigurd had four sons: Einar, Brusi, Sumarlidi, and Thorfinn. Thorfinn was still a child, but his three older brothers were adults.

Because of this, the Earldom of Orkney was split among Einar, Brusi, and Sumarlidi. Thorfinn, even though he was young, was given a special role. His grandfather, the King of Scotland, made him the ruler of a region called Caithness in Scotland.

Einar's Personality

The Orkneyinga Saga describes Einar as a very strong and determined leader. It says he was a successful fighter who didn't like to compromise or argue. He was known for being quite bossy.

Einar often went on raids to other lands. To do this, he would ask farmers in Orkney for help and supplies. However, these raids didn't always bring back much treasure. Also, when the farmers were away fighting, it caused problems at home, leading to shortages of food.

His brothers, Sumarlidi and Brusi, were different. Sumarlidi passed away not long after they became earls. Brusi, on the other hand, was well-liked by everyone.

Farmers' Concerns

Because of the difficulties, some farmers were unhappy with Einar's demands. A man named Thorkel Amundason went to Einar to talk about the problems. The first year, Einar agreed to help. But the next year, Einar was very angry and refused. He even said that only one of them would be alive to see the next meeting. Because of this, Thorkel and many other important people left Orkney. They went to live with Thorfinn in Caithness.

Sharing the Earldom

After Sumarlidi died, Thorfinn asked for his share of the Orkney Earldom. Brusi was willing to give it to him. However, Einar thought Thorfinn already had enough land in Scotland. So, Einar took Sumarlidi's share of the islands for himself.

Thorfinn then started gathering an army in Caithness. When Einar heard about this, he also prepared his own army and headed to Scotland. A war between the brothers was avoided thanks to Brusi, who helped them make peace. They agreed that Einar would be the main earl. Einar and Brusi would share two-thirds of the earldom, and Thorfinn would get the remaining one-third, just as he had wanted.

Conflict with Eyvind Aurochs-Horn

Einar continued to go on raids. During one raid in Ireland, he lost a big battle near Larne Lough. He was defeated by a local Irish king. This king was helped by some Norwegians led by a man named Eyvind Aurochs-Horn. Eyvind was a friend of King Olaf Haraldsson.

Einar blamed Eyvind for his defeat. By chance, Eyvind's ship was forced to land in Osmundwall in the Shetland Islands because of a storm. Einar heard about this. He quickly gathered his men and went to capture Eyvind. Einar had Eyvind and some of his men killed. He allowed the rest to return to Norway. King Olaf Haraldsson was very upset about this, feeling that Einar had done it to disrespect him.

Einar's End

Thorfinn later traveled to Norway to visit King Olaf Haraldsson. King Olaf welcomed him warmly. When Thorfinn returned to Orkney, Einar once again started gathering an army. Brusi stepped in again to make peace between them.

They agreed that Thorkel Amundason, who was now like a father to Thorfinn, should make up with Einar. They decided that Einar and Thorkel should host feasts for each other. Einar came to Thorkel's feast first. Things did not go well.

When it was time for them to go to Einar's feast, Thorkel's men reported that Einar had armed men waiting along the road, as if to ambush Thorkel. Thorkel acted quickly. He attacked Einar first, killing him. Thorkel then escaped to Norway, where he met King Olaf. King Olaf was pleased to hear what Thorkel had done.

Einar did not have any sons. His share of the earldom then passed to his brother, Brusi.