Scandinavian-Britain

248 SCANDINAVIAN BtUTAlNgave Orkney to Ragnvald, who made over the jarldomto his brother Sigurd. He joined Thorstein the Redin the conquest of all northern Scotland, and diedafter his fight with Maelbrigd of the Tusk. Theidentification of Thorstein with the Oistin of Irishannals has led to the placing of these events fifteenor twenty years too early; if we date the death ofSigurd 872 (as usually fixed) we are forced to allowthe next important jarl, Torf-Einar, a reign of sixtyyears, and to place the invasion of Harald Fairhairjust before, rather than just after, the visit of bishopEardwulf to Whithorn, which seems improbable: wealso get too little time for the development of Olafthe White's kingdom, and the conquests of Thorsteinthe Red. But if we understand " Oistin" as Eystein,(see p. 225), and place the invasion of Haraldabout 880, and the death of Sigurd about 888, thechronology of the whole period becomes possible.Dr. J. Anderson identified "Cyder Hall" on theOykel with the Siwardhoch of 1224, and the Ekkjalof the Saga as the scene of Jarl Sigurd's death andburial.Einar, son of jarl Ragnvald, may have come to theOrkneys about 890, and he died 936. He is said tohave taught the Orkneymen the use of peat as fuel,whence his name Torf-Einar ;there are traditions thatthe islands were covered with coppice before thecoming of the Norse, and, as in Iceland, the earliergenerations were doubtless improvident in their use ofwood. But the knowledge of peat seems to havebeen derived from Ireland rather than from Norway.