Jon Haraldsson
Encyclopedia
Jon Haraldsson was Earl of Orkney
between 1206 and 1231.
Jon Haraldsson and his brother David were the sons of Harald Maddadsson
with his second wife Hvarflod, daughter of Earl Máel Coluim of Moray
. Jon and David were joint Earls of Orkney after the death of their father. David Haraldsson
died of sickness in 1214, leaving Jon Haraldsson to rule alone.
In 1222, Jon Haraldsson was implicated, indirectly, in the burning of Bishop Adam of Caithness in his hall at Halkirk
by local farmers. Jon was accused of looking on or of fomenting the discontent. King Alexander II of Scotland
undertook harsh reprisals for the killing, to the satisfaction of Pope Honorius III
.
Snaekoll Gunnisson, a great-grandson of Rognvald Kali, demanded that Jon Haraldsson should share the Earldom with him. The supporters of Jon and Snaekoll fought a war until it was agreed that King Haakon IV of Norway
should settle the matter. All concerned set off to Norway
, but a ship carrying Jon Haraldsson, his supporters and his kin, was lost at sea on the return voyage during 1231. With his death the Norse
line of the Earldom of Orkney
, dating from the time of Harald Fairhair, became extinct. The Mormaer of Caithness was given over to Magnus
, (Magnus mac Gille-Brighde of Angus), the son of Gille Brigte, Mormaer of Angus, forming the basis for a new governing presence. In 1236, Magnus was granted the Earldom of Orkney by King Haakon IV.
Earl of Orkney
The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse jarl ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness and Sutherland. The Earls were periodically subject to the kings of Norway for the Northern Isles, and later also to the kings of Alba for those parts of their territory in mainland Scotland . The Earl's...
between 1206 and 1231.
Jon Haraldsson and his brother David were the sons of Harald Maddadsson
Harald Maddadsson
Harald Maddadsson was Earl of Orkney and Mormaer of Caithness from 1139 until 1206. He was the son of Matad, Mormaer of Atholl, and Margaret, daughter of Earl Haakon Paulsson of Orkney...
with his second wife Hvarflod, daughter of Earl Máel Coluim of Moray
Máel Coluim of Moray
Máel Coluim of Moray was King or Mormaer of Moray , and, as his name suggests, the son of a Máel Brigte...
. Jon and David were joint Earls of Orkney after the death of their father. David Haraldsson
David Haraldsson
David Haraldsson was joint Earl of Orkney from 1206 to 1214.David Haraldsson and his brother Jon Haraldsson were the sons of Harald Maddadsson with his second wife Hvarflod, daughter of Earl Máel Coluim of Moray. Jon and David became joint Earls of Orkney after the death of their father in 1206...
died of sickness in 1214, leaving Jon Haraldsson to rule alone.
In 1222, Jon Haraldsson was implicated, indirectly, in the burning of Bishop Adam of Caithness in his hall at Halkirk
Halkirk
Halkirk is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east...
by local farmers. Jon was accused of looking on or of fomenting the discontent. King Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
undertook harsh reprisals for the killing, to the satisfaction of Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
.
Snaekoll Gunnisson, a great-grandson of Rognvald Kali, demanded that Jon Haraldsson should share the Earldom with him. The supporters of Jon and Snaekoll fought a war until it was agreed that King Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
should settle the matter. All concerned set off to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, but a ship carrying Jon Haraldsson, his supporters and his kin, was lost at sea on the return voyage during 1231. With his death the Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
line of the Earldom of Orkney
Earldom of Orkney
The Earldom of Orkney was a Norwegian dignity in Scotland which had its origins in the Viking period. The title of Earl of Orkney was passed down the same family line through to the Middle Ages....
, dating from the time of Harald Fairhair, became extinct. The Mormaer of Caithness was given over to Magnus
Magnus II, Earl of Orkney
Magnus II was Earl of Orkney.The son of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Angus by his wife Ingibiorg, sister of Harald III, Earl of Orkney and daughter of Eric Stalbregr by his wife Ingrid , he was granted the Earldom of Orkney by King Haakon IV of Norway in 1236...
, (Magnus mac Gille-Brighde of Angus), the son of Gille Brigte, Mormaer of Angus, forming the basis for a new governing presence. In 1236, Magnus was granted the Earldom of Orkney by King Haakon IV.
Sources
- Anderson, Alan Orr Early Sources of Scottish History: AD 500-1286 2 Vols, (Edinburgh, 1922)
- Hudson, Benjamin T. Kings of Celtic Scotland (Westport, 1994)
- Morris, Christopher Viking Orkney: A Survey ( The Prehistory of Orkney. Ed. Colin Renfrew. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 1985)
- Pálsson, Hermann and Paul Edwards, tr. Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney (Penguin, London, 1978)