Wolf the Quarrelsome
Encyclopedia
Ulf the Quarrelsome, or Ulf Hreda, is described in Njals Saga as a brother (or sometimes identified as stepson) to Brian Boru
, High King of Ireland
from 1002 to 1014. He is primarily mentioned in Njals saga's account of the Battle of Clontarf
of 1014, in the aftermath of which he gruesomely killed Brodir of the Isle of Man
to avenge his brother's death at the hands of the invaders:
Ulf the Quarrelsome cut open his belly, and led him round and round the trunk of a tree, and so wound all his entrails out of him, and he did not die before they were all drawn out of him.
Some have identified Ulf as a brother of Brian named Cuiduligh. There is no historical evidence from the annals that Ulf is anything more than a fictional figure from Njals saga.
Brian Boru
Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, , , was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated...
, High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
from 1002 to 1014. He is primarily mentioned in Njals saga's account of the Battle of Clontarf
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one rebellious...
of 1014, in the aftermath of which he gruesomely killed Brodir of the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
to avenge his brother's death at the hands of the invaders:
Ulf the Quarrelsome cut open his belly, and led him round and round the trunk of a tree, and so wound all his entrails out of him, and he did not die before they were all drawn out of him.
Some have identified Ulf as a brother of Brian named Cuiduligh. There is no historical evidence from the annals that Ulf is anything more than a fictional figure from Njals saga.
External links
- The Story of Burnt Njal (Njal's Saga) Part 11
- indexed online version of Njåls saga translated to English by George Dasents. The part referring to Clontarf, Brian's Battle, is in chapter 156
- Wolf The Quarrelsome Written by Ben Thompson, author of Badass: A relentless onslaught of the toughest warlords, vikings, samurai, pirates, gunfighters, and military commanders to ever live