Olvir Rosta facts for kids

Olvir Rosta (also known as Ölvir Rósta or Aulver Rosta) was a character in the old Norse story called the Orkneyinga saga. He is believed to have lived in the early 1100s. His Norse nickname, rósta, means "brawl" or "riot".

The saga tells us that Ölvir was the son of Þorljót and Steinnvör 'the Stout'. Steinnvör's mother was Frakökk, who is described as a very bad person in the story. Frakökk's sister, Helga, was the partner of Earl Hákon Pálsson. The story explains how the Earldom of Orkney was shared by two half-brothers, Haraldr Hákonsson and Páll Hákonsson. They were both sons of Earl Hákon.

When Earl Haraldr died, Frakökk's family lost their power and had to leave Orkney. Frakökk then made a plan with the father of Earl Rögnvaldr. They agreed to take Orkney by force and share it with Earl Rögnvaldr. Frakökk and Ölvir went to the Suðreyjar (Southern Islands) to gather ships and men. They returned to claim half of the earldom. However, their small fleet of ships was defeated in a battle against Earl Páll.

The saga also says that Ölvir killed an Orkney leader who fought against him. He did this by burning the man to death inside his house. Later, the leader's son found Ölvir and Frakökk at their home in Sutherland. After a short fight, Ölvir's men were defeated. Frakökk was burned to death in her house. Ölvir ran away to the Suðreyjar and was not heard from again.

Ölvir is linked to several places in Sutherland that might be named after him. Some people think Ölvir Rosta might be an ancestor of two Scottish clans from the Outer Hebridean Isle of Lewis. In 1962, a stone with the name Ölvir carved on it was found in the Inner Hebrides. Some believe the men on this stone were related to Ölvir.

The family tree of Ölvir Rosta and Moddan's family, from the Orkneyinga saga.

Who Was Ölvir Rósta?

Ölvir Rósta is a key character in the old Norse story called the Orkneyinga saga. His name in Old Norse is Ölvir rósta. The word rósta means "brawl" or "riot". The saga describes him as "the tallest of men, and strong in limb, exceedingly overbearing, and a great fighter."

The Orkneyinga saga says that Ölvir was the son of Þorljót from Rekavík. This place was likely Rackwick on the island of Hoy, Orkney. Ölvir's mother was Steinnvör 'the Stout'. Steinnvör's mother was Frakökk, whose father was Moddan. Moddan was a rich and important farmer from "Dale," likely in Caithness.

Moddan also had another daughter, Helga. She was the partner of the Orkney earl, Hákon Pálsson. Helga was the mother of Earl Haraldr Hákonsson. Frakökk's brothers included Engus 'the Generous' and Earl Óttarr from Thurso. The saga says Moddan's family was "high-born and thought a lot of themselves." Frakökk is seen as one of the main bad characters in the Orkneyinga saga. She wanted power for her family, especially for Ölvir.

Map showing places linked to Ölvir Rósta and his family.

The Orkneyinga Saga Story

The main story about Ölvir comes from the Orkneyinga saga. This saga was written around 1200 by an unknown Icelander. It is thought to be based on poems, spoken stories, and other writings. The saga tells the lives of many earls of Orkney from the 800s to the 1200s.

Frakökk and Helga Leave Orkney

The Orkneyinga saga tells how Earl Hákon Pálsson's sons, Haraldr Hákonsson and Páll Hákonsson, shared the earldom. But they soon started to disagree. One day, Frakökk and her sister Helga (Haraldr's mother) were sewing a special white garment. They meant it for Earl Páll. However, Earl Haraldr saw it and put it on. Soon after, he died.

Earl Páll immediately took control of Haraldr's things. He was very suspicious of Frakökk and Helga. Because of this, Frakökk and Helga were no longer welcome in Orkney. They left for Caithness and then moved to Sutherland, where Frakökk owned land. Later, some of Frakökk's family, including her daughter Steinnvör and grandson Ölvir, grew up in Sutherland.

Working with Earl Rögnvaldr

The saga explains how Kali Kolsson helped Haraldr Gille become a king in Norway. King Sigurðr Magnússon then made Kali an earl of half of Orkney. Kali's name was changed to Rögnvaldr.

Later, Earl Rögnvaldr's father, Kolr, sent people to Earl Páll. He demanded that Earl Páll give up the lands the Norwegian king had given to Earl Rögnvaldr. When Earl Páll refused, Kolr's messengers went to Frakökk in Caithness. They told Frakökk Kolr's plan: if she and Ölvir could defeat Earl Páll, they would get half of the earldom.

Frakökk agreed to the plan. She said she would attack in mid-summer. She promised to gather forces from her family and friends in Scotland and the Suðreyjar during the winter. The next summer, Frakökk and Ölvir gathered twelve small ships in the Suðreyjar. They sailed to Orkney to take the earldom from Earl Páll.

Sea Battle Against Earl Páll

The Orkneyinga saga says that when Earl Páll heard Earl Rögnvaldr was in Shetland, he decided to attack quickly. He wanted to stop Rögnvaldr from getting more men from the Suðreyjar. Earl Páll gathered five ships and five leaders. They sailed to Rousay. More men joined them during the night.

The next morning, as they were about to sail to Shetland, they saw ten or twelve ships coming. Earl Páll knew these were Frakökk and Ölvir's ships. He ordered his fleet to stop them. Ölvir's ships were smaller, but they had more men. Ölvir brought his ship right next to the earl's, where the fighting was strongest.

Ölvir was the first to board Earl Páll's ship. He threw a spear at Earl Páll, which hit a shield and knocked the earl down. But then, one of the earl's best men, Sveinn 'Breastrope', threw a large stone at Ölvir. It hit him in the chest and knocked him overboard. Ölvir's men pulled him from the water, but he was badly hurt. His men lost heart and began to retreat.

Ölvir eventually recovered, but he could not rally his troops. The battle was lost. Earl Páll chased Ölvir's fleeing ships but then gave up. Five of Ölvir's ships were captured. Earl Páll then sailed to Shetland and destroyed Earl Rögnvaldr's fleet there. Earl Páll kept control of the earldom. These battles happened in the year 1136.

The Burning of Óláfr Hrólfsson

The Orkneyinga saga states that Ölvir and his men arrived in Duncansby three days before Yule. This farm was owned by an Orkney leader named Óláfr Hrólfsson. Óláfr was Earl Páll's main supporter in Caithness.

The saga tells how Ölvir and his group surprised Óláfr in his house. They set the house on fire and burned Óláfr to death inside. Ölvir and his men took everything valuable they could find before leaving. When Earl Páll heard what happened, he took in Óláfr's son, Sveinn Óláfsson. After his father's death, Sveinn Óláfsson became known as Sveinn Ásleifarson.

Burning houses with people inside was a common part of blood feuds in those times. Later, Sveinn returned to Orkney. He stopped at Thurso, where his friend Ljótólfr helped make a truce between Sveinn and Frakökk's brother, Earl Óttarr. The earl paid Sveinn for Óláfr's death and promised his friendship. In return, Sveinn promised to help Earl Óttarr's relative, Erlendr Haraldsson, try to get the earldom of Orkney.

Ölvir's Defeat and Frakökk's Death

The saga says that later, Sveinn asked Earl Rögnvaldr for men and ships. He wanted revenge on Ölvir and Frakökk for burning his father. The earl agreed and gave Sveinn two ships. Sveinn traveled south and then west to a trading place called Dúfeyrar. From there, he went to Atholl and met Earl Maddaðr.

Earl Maddaðr gave Sveinn guides. Sveinn traveled through the country, over mountains and through woods, away from towns. He reached Strath Helmsdale, near where Ölvir and Frakökk lived. Their home was likely in the valley of Helmsdale, a remote area. Ölvir and Frakökk had spies, but because of Sveinn's secret route, they did not know he was there until he was right behind their home.

The saga says Ölvir and sixty of his men faced Sveinn. After a short fight, Ölvir's men quickly gave up, and many were killed. Ölvir survived and ran away up the Helmsdale river. Meanwhile, Sveinn and his men went to the houses. They took valuables and burned the houses to the ground with the people inside. This is how Frakökk died.

Sveinn and his men caused a lot of damage in Sutherland before returning home. Ölvir fled through the mountains and was last seen heading for the Suðreyjar. He is not mentioned again in the Orkneyinga saga. Later, another of Frakökk's grandsons, Þórbjörn 'Clerk', who was Sveinn's friend, had two of Sveinn's men killed for their part in the burning.

Places Linked to Ölvir and Frakökk

Several writers have noted a place where Frakökk was supposedly burned. The CANMORE website suggests a possible castle site at grid reference NC8728, near Kinbrace. In 1769, Thomas Pennant mentioned ruins at Kinbrace called "Cairn Shuin," which were thought to be the remains of the home Sveinn burned.

Another place linked to Ölvir is a hill in the forest of "Sletie" called "Craggan Aulver." There is also a part of the Helmsdale river called "Avin Aulver."

Possible Scottish Family Links

Some people think Ölvir might have fled to his relatives in the Suðreyjar after his defeat. It has been suggested that the memory of Ölvir might have been kept alive in the Hebrides. In the late 1800s, F.W.L. Thomas thought that the Macaulays on the Isle of Lewis might be descendants of a man named Oliver. This Oliver was said to be the eldest son of a Norse king. Thomas wondered if this Oliver could be Ölvir Rósta.

Some family trees of the MacLeods have names that might be forms of the Old Norse name Ölvir.

It has also been suggested that Ölvir might be an ancestor of the MacLeods. For a long time, historians believed the MacLeods came from Olaf the Black, King of Mann and the Isles. But in the late 1900s, William Matheson suggested that the MacLeods might have come from Ölvir Rósta instead. Matheson found old Gaelic family trees that showed Leod's great-grandfather had Gaelic names that looked like the Old Norse name Ölvir.

Matheson thought that Leod's great-grandfather would have lived around the same time Ölvir fled to the Suðreyjar. He also noted that Leod's name comes from the Old Norse name Ljótr, which was rare. Ölvir's maternal grandfather was also named Ljótr 'Villain'.

However, other historians like W.D.H. Sellar and Alick Morrison have disagreed. They said that Ölvir and Ljótr were not as rare as Matheson thought. They also pointed out that Ölvir's family tree in the Orkneyinga saga does not match the MacLeod family trees.

Hebridean Runes: Old Family Clues

In 1962, a piece of a carved stone with a runic inscription was found on the island of Iona. It was near Reilig Odhrain grid reference NM286245. This stone had the name Ölvir on it. It is one of only three rune-stones found in western Scotland. The stone is decorated with a simple cross. The runes are carved on the side.

The full inscription on the stone translates to: "Kali, son of Ölvir, laid this stone over Fugl his brother." We do not know who these three men were from other sources. In the 1980s, a Norwegian expert named Aslak Liestøl suggested that the stone shows these brothers were important people in the area. The runes and art suggest the stone is from the late 900s or 1000s.

Liestøl thought these three men might be related to Ölvir from the saga. He noted that the names Kali, Ölvir, and Fugl appear in the Orkneyinga saga and have links to the Hebrides. Kali was the original name of Earl Rögnvaldr, who Ölvir fought for. The earl was named after his grandfather, Kali Sæbjörnarson, who died in the Hebrides.

The name Fugl is rare and appears only on this stone and for a small character in the saga. This character was the son of Ljótólfr from Lewis. Liestøl also noted that Ölvir's father was Þorljót, and his maternal grandfather was Ljótr. He concluded that the men on the stone likely lived around the year 1000. This was about four to six generations before the people with the same names in the saga. The stone is now kept in the museum at Iona Abbey.