Thorbjorn Thorsteinsson (
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
: Þórbjörn klerkr Þórsteinnson), also known as Thorbjorn the Clerk, was a
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
from the
Orkney Islands
Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland ...
who was executed in 1158.
Thorbjorn was married to the sister of
Sweyn Asleifsson
Sweyn Asleifsson or Sveinn Ásleifarson ( 1115 – 1171) was a 12th-century Viking who appears in the '' Orkneyinga Saga''.
Early career
Sweyn was born in Caithness in the early twelfth century, to Olaf Hrolfsson and his wife Åsleik. According t ...
, but they first quarrelled after Sweyn attacked Thorbjorn's cousin,
Olvir Rosta, and grandmother, Frakkok, and burned her to death inside her house. Earl
Rognvald Kali Kolsson Ragnvald, Rögnvald or Rognvald or Rægnald is an Old Norse name (Old Norse ''Rǫgnvaldr'', modern Icelandic ''Rögnvaldur''; in Old English ''Regenweald'' and in Old Irish, Middle Irish '' Ragnall''). Notable people with the name include:
* Ragnv ...
forced a reconciliation, and the two went plundering together in the
Hebrides
The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...
, but fell out again over the distribution of the loot. Thorbjorn had his marriage
annulled
Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almo ...
and entered Rognvald's service.
['']Orkneyinga Saga
The ''Orkneyinga saga'' (Old Norse: ; ; also called the ''History of the Earls of Orkney'' and ''Jarls' Saga'') is a narrative of the history of the Orkney and Shetland islands and their relationship with other local polities, particularly No ...
'' Later, serving
Harald Maddadsson
Harald Maddadsson (Old Norse: ''Haraldr Maddaðarson'', Gaelic: ''Aralt mac Mataid'') (c. 1134 – 1206) was Earl of Orkney and Mormaer of Caithness from 1139 until 1206. He was the son of Matad, Mormaer of Atholl, and Margaret, daughter ...
, Thorbjorn found himself again thrown into Sweyn's company.
In 1158, Thorbjorn was outlawed by Rognvald for murdering one of his retainers. He placed his faith in his friendship with Harald, but the two Earls had recently become allies, and Thorbjorn was in a very dangerous position. He attempted to resolve it by ambushing and assassinating Ranald, but Harald had him put to death.
References
1158 deaths
12th-century executions by Norway
Executed Scottish people
Scandinavian Scotland
Orkneyinga saga characters
People executed by the Earldom of Orkney
Scottish pirates
Year of birth unknown
Medieval pirates
People from Orkney
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