History Literature / OrkneyingaSaga

* MagnusMeansMage: After Magnus Erlendsson's death, officially considered martyrdom, numerous miracles were ascribed to him. These usually took the form of people being miraculously healed after praying at his grave.

''Orkneyinga saga'' (the Saga of the Orkneypeople) is an [[Literature/TheIcelandicSagas Icelandic saga]] from about 1230 CE. It is a history of Orkney from the 9th century to about 1200, although, despite its name, it is primarily concerned with the jarls of Orkney, not so much with their subjects. ''Orkneyinga saga'' has the distinction of being the only known medieval chronicle with Orkney as its focus.

But the vikings are not so easily dismayed and return as soon as the islands are unguarded. Eventually Rognvald sends his least favorite son Einar, the ugly son of a slave, to rule Orkney, if he can free it from the pirates. Defying his father's expectations, Turf-Einar wipes out the vikings and goes on to become the ancestor of an illustrious dynasty which includes such jarls as Thorfinn Skullsplitter, Sigurd Hlodvisson the Stout, Thorfinn the Mighty, Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Rognvald Kali, and many others. In fact, so numerous are the descendants of Einar that naturally there arises a need to kill each other off.

* EndOfAnAge: The summer after the death of Svein Asleifarson on what was supposed to be his last viking expedition, his sons Olaf and Andres set up partition walls in Svein's great drinking hall at Gairsay. This marks the end of Viking Age customs, as people other than kings and jarls do no longer go raiding and have no longer need of drinking halls.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: At the drinking in Jarl Paul's hall, Paul's retainer Svein Breast-Rope tries to pick a fight with Svein Asleifarson and when he eventually feels insulted by a minor taunt, mutters to himself "Svein will kill Svein, and Svein shall kill Svein". Eyvind, another retainer, hears it and warns Svein Asleifarson of Svein Breast-Rope's intentions. Svein Asleifarson decides to not wait for the other Svein's initiative, and thus Svein Breast-Rope's words come true--though naturally not the way he intended them.

* ReleasedToElsewhere: When Jarl Paul is betrayed and captured by his own sister Margaret and her husband Jarl Maddad of Atholl with the help of Svein Asleifarson, Paul offers to give up his jarldom and either travel abroad and never come back, or to enter a monastery for life. Svein Asleifarson spreads in Orkney that thus was the state of affairs when he left Paul in Scotland, implying that Margaret and Maddad accepted the deal. Paul's true fate does not become known, but "according to some people" Margaret instead has him blinded and later murdered in prison.

* ReleasedToElsewhere: When Jarl Paul is betrayed and captured by his own sister and her husband Jarl Maddad of Atholl, Paul offers to give up his jarldom and either travel abroad and never come back, or to enter a monastery for life. His true fate does not become known, but "according to some people", Margaret instead has him blinded and later murdered in prison.

''Orkneyinga saga'' (the Saga of the Orkneypeople) is an [[Literature/TheIcelandicSagas Icelandic saga]] from about 1230 CE. It is a chronicle of the history of Orkney from the 9th century to about 1200, although, despite its name, it is primarily concerned with the jarls of Orkney, not so much with their subjects. ''Orkneyinga saga'' has the distinction of being the only known medieval chronicle with Orkney as its focus.

But the vikings are not so easily dismayed and return as soon as the islands are unguarded. Eventually Rognvald sends his least favorite son Einar, the ugly son of a slave, to rule Orkney, if he can free it from the pirates. Defying his father's expectations, Turf-Einar wipes out the vikings and goes on to become the ancestor of an illustrious dynasty which includes such jarls as Thorfinn Skullsplitter, Sigurd Hlodvisson the Stouth, Thorfinn the Mighty, Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Rognvald Kali, and many others. In fact, so numerous are the descendants of Einar that naturally there arises a need to kill each other off.

* YoungestChildWins: After the death of his brother Sigurd the Powerful and the failure of his son Hallad, Jarl Rognvald decides to give the jarldom to his youngest and least liked son Einar, mostly to get rid of Einar and although he expects Einar to fail as a leader (like Hallad did). Einar, who has been sent away with a single ship, not only defeats the vikings, but turns out a capable leader who rules a long time. Moreover, it is Einar who eventually avenges the killing of his father, not one of Rognvald's three older, legitimate sons.

* EndOfAnEra: The summer after the death of Svein Asleifarson on what was supposed to be his last viking expedition, his sons Olaf and Andres set up partition walls in Svein's great drinking hall at Gairsay. This marks the end of Viking Age customs, as people other than kings and jarls do no longer go raiding and have no longer need of drinking halls.