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Famous Vikings and Seafarers

Orkney being an archipelago of around 70 islands means that there is a long and detailed history of seafarers throughout the centuries. Some of the more memorable have been recorded, however, sadly most being fishermen or sailors, their stories were never written down and through the passing years have been lost. Listed here are some of most famous seafarers and a number of the more memorable Vikings and Earls of Orkney.

Sigurd Eysteinsson - Earl Sigurd the Powerful
Sigurd Eysteinsson was the first Earl of Orkney and ruled from c872 to c891. The most notable part of his rule was the part he plays in the origin of the Ba' game played in Kirkwall to this day. He was fighting a Scottish earl called Maelbrigte Tusk (due to his protruding tooth). Sigurd eventually killed Maelbrigte, beheaded him and strapped the head to his saddle. But Maelbrigte did get his revenge as his tooth cut Sigurd in the leg from which he contracted blood poisoning and died.

Sigurd Hlodvisson - Sigurd the Stout
Earl Sigurd the Stout is famous for the myth and legend that surrounded his life as told in the Orkneyinga Saga. He was a powerful leader and ruled over not only Orkney but also Caithness. Indeed he successfully defended Caithness against the Scots. He is thought to be the last of "true heathens" and was converted to Christianity in 995 by Viking chief Olaf Trygvesson. It is told in the Orkneyinga Saga that he eventually met his death when he held aloft the "Raven Banner" during the battle of Clontarf in Ireland. The banner was magical and guaranteed victory for the side that displayed it but death to the man actually carrying it. They won the battle but Orkney lost its Earl.

Magnus Erlendsson - Saint Magnus
Perhaps the most famous of all the Orkney Earls, Magnus becomes important in the Orkneyinga Saga when Orkney was presided over by Paul and Erlend Thorsfinnsson. Magnus was the son of Erlend Thorsfinnsson while Hakon, who was to become the enemy of Magnus, was the son of Paul.

King Magnus Bare-Legs of Norway ousted both Paul and Erlend from the Earldom, and then took the sons on a raiding expedition.

On the trip they ended up in a battle at Anglesey where Magnus refused to participate - instead he prayed and sang psalms. The Norwegian King was so angry with the young pacifist, that Magnus decided to flee and went into hiding until the death of the King in 1102. When Magnus did return to Orkney his father and his uncle Paul Thorsfinnsson were also dead, so Magnus inherited half of Orkney along with Hakon.

They ruled, in harmony, together for many years, however, this was not to last. "Malicious tongues" eventually succeeded in destroying the joint rule. Hakon became jealous of Magnus's popularity, and began to plot ways to overthrow Magnus. It was not long before Orkney was facing civil war. Noblemen in Orkney managed to get the two Earls to agree to a meeting to discuss a resolution. This meeting was to take place on Egilsay, 16th April 1117, with each man to take two ships each and the same amount of men. But Hakon tricked Magnus and came with eight "fully manned warships as he would have taken for battle". Hakon took Magnus prisoner and ordered his men to kill him. However, no one wanted to carry out the task, with it eventually falling to the cook, Lifolf, to kill Magnus.

It was reported that where he had been killed the land had originally been rocky and of poor quality, after his death the land became green and fertile. He was buried at Christchurch in Birsay and at this burial spot many miracles were proclaimed. Bishop William the Old (who took his authority from the Archbishop of Trondheim) exhumed his body after the tales of miracles reached him; eventually his body was moved with great ceremony to a church in Kirkwall where it laid until it could be placed in the newly constructed St Magnus Cathedral.

Rognvald Kolsson - Saint Rognvald
Rognvald is best remembered as the Earl who undertook the building of the Saint Magnus Cathedral in 1136 to celebrate his Uncle's Sainthood. In 1129 he was made Earl of Orkney but had to share it with Paul Hakonsson. He gained sole Earldom by defeating Paul with help of the "Ultimate Viking", Svein Asleifarson. He eventually met his end in 1158 when he went on an expedition and was murdered by Thorbjorn Clerk. He is buried at St Magnus' Cathedral.

Svein Asleifarson - The Ultimate Viking
Svein Asleifarson of Gairsay, Orkney was a Viking chief who was a great warrior, intelligent and fearless. He had quite a life and as detailed in the Orkneyinga Saga spends his time killing, seeking refuge, switching alliances, plundering and looting all around Britain. He is notable as he helped Rognvald Kolsson to gain sole Earldom of Orkney.

After a particularly successful raid on the Scilly Isles he comes back to Orkney to a build a drinking hall on Gairsay, which was reportedly the biggest in Orkney. He eventually settles down and with this only goes on expeditions to the Hebrides and Ireland in the spring and autumn, the rest of the time he spends farming and drinking with his men in Gairsay.

He conquers Dublin on a raiding and looting expedition when the chief of the town surrenders to him. However, during the night the chief gathers his supporters and they plot to kill Svein and his men. The next day Svein meets his death and as the story goes only a few of his men manage to escape to return back to Orkney.

John Gow (1698 - 1725)
John Gow, born 1698 in Wick, moved to Stromness, Orkney at a very young age. As the story goes he ran away to sea as a young boy.

In 1724 there was mutiny on the ship he was on, John ended up shooting the Captain and threw the body overboard. He was made captain and with his men became infamous for their piracy acts around Spain, Portugal and France. With the authorities on to their actions, John decided to head for Orkney, where the plan was to lie low until things settled down.

Once in Stromness, suspicions began to grow about John Gow and when some of his crew deserted, John's true plan came to light. He set sail towards the north but ran aground on the Calf o' Eday where he eventually surrendered.

He and his men were hanged in London in 1725.

George Stewart
George Stewart from Stromness, Orkney joined the HMS Bounty in 1787. Captain Bligh is reported to have said of Stewart that: "…a young man of credible parents, in the Orkneys: at which place, on the return of the HMS Resolution from the South Seas, in 1780, we received so many civilities, that, on that account only, I should gladly have taken him with me…he was a seaman and had always borne a good character."

The HMS Bounty set sail in December 1787 with orders to proceed to Tahiti in the South Seas; they were to take on board fruit trees for transport to the West Indies as a cheap food source for slaves. The ship stayed that long, that many of the crew formed relationships with the local women. This is one of the reasons cited in why mutiny took place on the Bounty; it is thought that Stewart did not take part in the mutiny. But it has been recorded that he remained on board after the mutiny.

Stewart went on to marry the daughter of a Tahitian chief and they had a daughter together.

On 23rd March 1791 HMS Pandora arrived in a bid to avenge the fate of Bligh and the Bounty. George Stewart was one of the four crewmembers that came voluntarily on board immediately after it docked to report the mutiny to the Captain. Captain Edwards branded them all mutineers and handcuffed them in chains in a small cell. On the return voyage to Britain the Pandora sank on the Great Barrier Reef and among the 35 drowned was George Stewart. As a result, George Stewart was never allowed to clear his name.