Thorstein the Red facts for kids

Thorstein the Red or Thorstein Olafsson was a famous viking leader who lived in Scotland a long, long time ago, in the late 800s. He was known for his adventures and for helping to rule a large part of Scotland.

Thorstein's Early Life

Thorstein was born around the year 850 AD. His father was Olaf the White, who was the King of Dublin (a city in Ireland today). His mother was Aud the Deep-minded, whose father was a powerful leader named Ketil Flatnose.

After Thorstein's father, Olaf, passed away, Thorstein and his mother Aud moved to the Hebrides. The Hebrides are a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland. At that time, Aud's father, Ketil, was in charge of these islands.

Becoming a Viking Leader

As Thorstein grew up, he became a strong viking warrior and a leader. He joined forces with another important Viking chief named Sigurd Eysteinsson, who was the Jarl of Orkney. A "Jarl" was a powerful noble, similar to a duke or count. The Orkney Islands are north of mainland Scotland.

Together, Thorstein and Sigurd led many battles and campaigns. They fought in different parts of Scotland, including Caithness, Sutherland, Ross, and Moray. They were so successful that they managed to get "tribute" from half of Scotland. Tribute means that other local leaders had to pay them money or goods to avoid being attacked.

Thorstein's Family

Thorstein married a woman named Thurid. She was the daughter of a person known as Eyvind the Easterner.

Thorstein and Thurid had several children. They had one son named Olaf Feilan. They also had a number of daughters, including Groa, Thorgerd, Olof, Osk, Thorhild, and Vigdis.

The End of Thorstein's Rule

Even though Thorstein was very powerful, the Scottish leaders he had conquered were not happy. They secretly planned against him. Thorstein was eventually killed by these Scottish chieftains. We don't know exactly how he died, but it probably happened around the years 880 or 890.

After Thorstein's death, his mother Aud left Caithness. She stayed in Orkney for a while before moving with other family members to Iceland.