Saint Magnus,
Earl Magnus Erlendsson of Orkney, was the first
EarlThe 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...
of Orkney to bear that name, and ruled from 1108 to about 1115. His story is told in two
saga-Video Games:*Saga , an MMORTS computer game developed by Silverlode Interactive*SaGa, a video game franchise by Square Enix-Old Norse:*Saga, stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc....
s,
Magnus' saga the shorter and longer and one
legendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
,
Legenda de sancto Magno.
Magnus's grandparents Earl
ThorfinnThorfinn Sigurdsson , called Thorfinn the Mighty, was Earl of Orkney. One of four brothers , sons of Earl Sigurd Hlodvirsson by his marriage to the daughter of Malcolm II of Scotland...
and his wife
Ingibiorg FinnsdottirIngibiorg Finnsdottir was a daughter of Earl Finn Arnesson and Bergljot Halvdansdottir , a niece of the Norwegian Kings Saint Olaf and Harald Hardraade. The dates of Ingibiorg's life are not certainly known.She married Thorfinn Sigurdsson, Earl of Orkney...
had two sons, Erlend and Paul, who were twins. Through Ingibiorg's father
Finn ArnessonFinn Arnesson was a nobleman and advisor to Olaf Haraldsson , King of Norway and to Olaf's half-brother Harald Sigurdsson . He later served Sweyn Estridsson, King of Denmark, who made him a jarl...
and his wife, the family was related to the Norwegian Kings Olav II and
Harald IIHarald II Greycloak , was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair. After his father's death, he and his brothers allied with King Harald Gormson of Denmark against King Haakon...
.
Born in 1075, Magnus was the son of Erlend Thorfinnsson, Earl of Orkney, and he first served
Magnus III of NorwayMagnus Barefoot son of Olaf Kyrre and grandson of Harald Hardrada, was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1102...
as
skutilsvein (approx.
ChamberlainA chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
), who took possession of the
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
s in 1098, deposing Erlend and his brother, Paul. Paul's son, Haakon Paulsson, then became regent on behalf of the Norwegian prince, Sigurd, who made Haakon earl in 1105. According to the
Orkneyinga SagaThe Orkneyinga saga is a unique historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, Scotland, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200....
, Magnus had a reputation for piety and gentleness, and was rejected by the Norwegians, refusing to fight in a Viking raid on
AngleseyThe Isle of Anglesey , is an island and county off the northwest coast of Wales, with a predominantly Welsh-speaking population. It is connected to the mainland by two bridges spanning the Menai Strait: the original Menai Suspension Bridge , designed by Thomas Telford in 1826; and the newer...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
, because of his religious convictions, instead staying on board his ships singing psalms. He was obliged to take refuge in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, but returned to Orkney in 1105 and disputed the succession with his cousin Haakon. Having failed to reach an agreement, he sought help from King
Eystein II of NorwayEystein Haraldsson , born c 1125 apparently in Scotland, died 1157 in Bohuslän, Norway, was king of Norway from 1142 to 1157. He ruled as co-ruler with his brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Sigurd Munn...
, who granted him the earldom of Orkney and he ruled jointly and amicably with Haakon until 1114.
Their followers fell out, and the two sides met at the
ThingA thing or ting was the governing assembly in Germanic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
(assembly) on the Orkney mainland, ready to do battle. Peace was negotiated and the Earls arranged to meet each other on the island of
EgilsayEgilsay is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, lying east of Rousay. The island is largely farmland and is known for its corncrakes.-St. Magnus Church:...
, each bringing only two ships. Magnus arrived with his two ships, but then Haakon treacherously turned up with eight ships. Magnus took refuge in the island's church overnight, but the following day he was captured and offered to go into exile or prison, but an assembly of chieftains insisted that one earl must die. Haakon's standard bearer, Ofeigr, refused to execute Magnus, and an angry Haakon made his cook Lifolf kill Magnus by striking him on the head with an axe. It was said that Magnus first prayed for the souls of his executioners. According to the sagas, the martyrdom took place after
EasterEaster is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day from his crucifixion...
, on 16 April. The year is often given as 1115, but this is impossible: 16 April fell before Easter that year.
Magnus was first buried on the spot he died. According to his legend, the rocky area around his grave miraculously became a green field. Later Thora, Magnus' mother asked Haakon allow her to bury him in a Church. Haakon gave his permission and Magnus was then buried at
Christchurch at
BirsayBirsay is a parish in the north west corner of The Mainland of Orkney, Scotland. Almost all the land in the parish is devoted to agriculture: chiefly grassland used to rear beef cattle...
.
There were numerous reports of miraculous happenings and healings.
William the OldWilliam the Old [William Senex] was a 12th century prelate who became one of the most famous bishops of Orkney. Although his origins are obscure in detail, William was said to have been a "clerk of Paris". Saga tradition had it that William had been bishop for 66 years when he died in 1168, meaning...
, Bishop of Orkney, warned that it was "heresy to go about with such tales" and was then struck blind at his church but subsequently had his sight restored after praying at the grave of Magnus, not long after visiting Norway (and perhaps meeting Earl Rognvald Kolsson).
Magnus's nephew, Rognvald Kali Kolsson, laid claim to the Earldom of Orkney, and was advised by his father Kol to promise the islanders to "build a stone minster at
KirkwallKirkwall is the largest town and capital of Orkney, off the coast of northern mainland Scotland. The town is first mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in the year 1046. It was established as the settlement of Rögnvald II, Earl of Orkney, who was killed by his successor, Thorfinn...
" in memory of his uncle the Holy Earl, and this became St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. When the cathedral begun in 1137 was ready for consecration the relics of St Magnus were transferred, and in 1917 a hidden cavity was found in a column, containing a box with bones including a damaged skull. These are held without (much) doubt to be the relics of St Magnus.
In the Faroes, the St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkjubøur was built about 1300 at the time of Bishop Erlendur. It is quite sure that the church was used for services (though it never was finished, or has been destroyed later), for estimated relicts of Saint Magnus were found here in 1905.
KirkjubøurKirkjubøur is the southernmost village on Streymoy, Faroe Islands and the country's most important historical site.*Population: 80*Postal code : FO 175*Location: *Municipality: Torshavnar...
is one of the most important Faroese historical sites and expected to become a
World Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site that is on the list that is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term.A World Heritage Site is a...
. In total there are 21 churches in Europe dedicated to St Magnus.
Saint Magnus is the subject of the novel
MagnusMagnus is a novel by the Orcadian author George Mackay Brown. His second novel, it was published in 1973. it is a fictional account of the life and execution of the twelfth century Saint, Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney.-Plot introduction:...
by Orcadian author
George Mackay BrownGeorge Mackay Brown , was a Scottish poet, author and dramatist, whose work has a distinctly Orcadian character. He is considered one of the great Scottish poets of the 20th century.-Biography:...
, which was published in 1973, and
St Magnus, Earl of Orkney by
John MooneyJohn Mooney was a Scottish historian. He was a founder of the Orkney Antiquarian Society.-Biography:During his life Mooney was the director of R. Garden Ltd, and was also a Kirkwall Town Councillor.-Bibliography:...
. There are also two Icelandic sagas of St Magnus's life as well as the account in the
Orkneyinga SagaThe Orkneyinga saga is a unique historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, Scotland, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200....
. In addition to this there are several devotional works in
GaelicThe Goidelic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. They historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland, through the Isle of Man, to the north of Scotland. There are three modern Goidelic...
and
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
about St Magnus. In 1977
Peter Maxwell DaviesSir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE , is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:Davies was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. He took piano lessons and composed from an early age...
wrote a one-act
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
,
The Martyrdom of St MagnusThe Martyrdom of St Magnus is a chamber opera in one act by the British composer Peter Maxwell Davies. The libretto, by Davies himself, is based on the novel Magnus by George Mackay Brown. The opera was first performed in St...
, based on Mackay Brown's novel.
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