Kolr Kalason, the forgotten hero of The Saga of the Earls of Orkney
16/11/2024
Working in the Orkney Archive not long ago, I came across an intriguing booklet called The Saga of Kol Kalison, about the Norwegian father of the twelfth-century Earl of Orkney Rǫgnvaldr Kali Kolsson: The author, Charles Grant, kindly sent me the following information about it: The book was written for the Jarl Squad 2008 Lerwick …
The First Bird-Watcher on North Ronaldsay
25/09/2024
Chapter 8 of the Saga of the Earls of Orkney contains a very well-known episode in which Turf-Einarr kills Hálfdan High-leg, one of the sons of King Haraldr of Norway who killed Einarr’s father, Earl Rǫgnvaldr of Møre in Norway. After a battle in an unspecified location, the victorious Einarr and his men scour the …
About this blog
Ragna’s Islands is an AHRC-funded research project built around a new translation of The Saga of the Earls of Orkney (Orkneyinga Saga). It will bring together evidence of archaeology and place-names to transform our understanding of the Viking and Norse periods in northern Scotland. In this blog, project members and guests will highlight the texts, locations and findings emerging from the project.