Thorir Rögnvaldarson

Thórir was the son of Rǫgnvaldr Eysteinsson, first jarl of Møre ({{Lang|non|Mœrajarl}}) and close friend of King Harald Fairhair, and Hildr Hrólfsdóttir, a jarl's daughter and skald in her own right. He was one of three sons born to Rǫgnvaldr and Hildr, along with {{Lang|non|Ívarr|italic=no}} (died {{Circa|872}}) and {{Lang|non|Hrólfr|italic=no}} ({{Circa|860}}–{{Circa|932}}). Through his father, he had three half-brothers, called {{Lang|non|Hallað|italic=no}}, {{Lang|non|Einarr|italic=no}}, and {{Lang|non|Hrollaugr|italic=no}}.

Ívarr accompanied their father on campaign in support of King Harald Fairhair and was slain in battle in the early 870s. The king granted the jarldom of the Northern Isles ({{Lang|non|Norðreyar}}) to {{Lang|non|Rǫgnvaldr|italic=no}} as recompense for the death of his son. Rǫgnvaldr does not appear to have ever assumed the title and instead determined that his brother Sigurd should have it, which King Harald agreed to and Sigurd was installed as the Jarl of Orkney. Einarr, Thórir's half-brother, better known by the nickname {{Lang|non|Torf-Einarr}}, became the fourth Jarl of Orkney and established a direct bloodline that would rule for several hundred years.History of Orkney, Thomson, William P. L., (Edinburgh: Mercat Press, c1987), FHL book 941.12 H2t., p. 14.

Thórir's brother, Hrólfr, gained a reputation as a great Viking and was known as {{Lang|non|Gǫngu-Hrólfr}} ('Hrólfr the Walker') because, as Snorri Sturluson wrote in chapter 24 of Haralds saga ins hárfagra in Heimskringla, "[h]e was such a large man in size, that no horse could carry him, and he walked everywhere he went." Snorri went on to assert that {{Lang|non|Gǫngu-Hrólfr}} was none other than the famed Rollo, who became the first ruler of Normandy – after emerging as an outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had secured a permanent foothold on Frankish soil in the valley of the lower Seine – and progenitor of the House of Normandy. These claims contradict the French- and Norman-origin texts composed in the centuries prior to Snorri's work in the 1200s and are heavily contested.Íslendingabok og Landnámabok, Benediktsson, Jakob, (1 volume in 2 parts. Reykjavík: Íslenzka Fornritafélag, 1968), FHL book 949.12 H2bj., p. 136, 145, 179, 218-223, 309, 314, 396 table 12.Historiæ Normannorvm Scriptores Antiqvi: Res Ab Illis per Galliam, Angliam, Apvliam, Capvæ Principatvm, Siciliam, & Orientem Gestas Explicantes, Ab Anno Christi DCCCXXXVIII. ad Annvm MCCXX / Insertæ Svnt Monasteriorvm Fvndationes Variæ.., Duchesne, André, (Colophon: Lvtetiæ Parisiorvm, 1619), JWML book DC611.N842 D9., p. 77, 227,.

Two sons of King Harald Fairhair and {{Lang|non|Snjófríthr Svásadóttir|italic=no}}, {{Lang|non|Hálfdan háleggr|italic=no}} and {{Lang|non|Guðrøðr ljómi|italic=no}}, killed Thórir's father, {{Lang|non|Rǫgnvaldr|italic=no}}, by locking him in his longhouse with sixty of his men and setting it on fire. Gudrød took possession of the lands of {{Lang|non|Rǫgnvaldr|italic=no}} while Hálfdan sailed west towards Orkney to overthrow Torf-Einarr. King Harald, apparently horrified by the actions of his sons, dispossessed {{Lang|non|Guðrøðr|italic=no}} and restored {{Lang|non|Rǫgnvaldr|italic=no}}'s possessions to Thórir.Heimskringla, saga of Harald Harfager, chapters 30 and 31Orkneyinga saga, chapter 8 In 892, Thórir assumed his role as jarl of Møre.Norsk Biografisk Leksikon, (19 volumes. Oslo: Aschehoug, 1921-1982), FHL book 948.1 D36n., vol. 5 p. 187.

Thórir married Ólǫf árbót Haraldsdóttir ({{Langx|no|Ålov Årbot Haraldsdatter}}), daughter of Harald I of Norway (Harald Fairhair) and Gyða Eiríksdóttir. They had a daughter, {{Lang|non|Bergljót Þórisdóttir|italic=no}} (born {{Circa|914}}), who married {{Lang|non|Sigurð Hákonsson|italic=no}}, Jarl of Lade and was mother of {{Lang|non|Hákon Sigurðsson|italic=no}}.The Viking Age: the Early History, Manners, and Customs of the Ancestors of the English-speaking Nations: Illustrated from the Antiquiites Discovered in Mounds, Cairns, and Bogs as Well as from the Ancient Sagas and Eddas, Du Chaillu, Paul B. (Paul Belloni), (2 volumes. London : John Murray, 1889), FHL book 948 H2d; FHL film 1440113 items 1-2., vol. 2 p. 463.

Landnámabók attests two illegitimate children of Thórir by unnamed women:

• {{Lang|non|Vigdís Þórisdóttir|italic=no}}, who was married to {{Lang|non|Ingimundr Þorsteinsson|italic=no}} and settled in Iceland{{cite web |title=Vatnsdalur og Þing |url=https://www.minjastofnun.is/gagnasafn-/ahugaverdir-stadir/vatnsdalur/? |website=Minjastofnun Íslands |access-date=2022-07-10 |language=is}}
• {{Lang|non|Jörundur háls Þórisson|italic=no}}, mentioned as Thórir's other illegitimate child alongside {{Lang|non|Vigdís|italic=no}}Landnámabók, chapter 56.

Outside of the Norse tradition, he also charged with the paternity of:

• Thorbard av Møre (later Herbert de la Mare),{{Citation needed|date=July 2022|reason=Attestations about this person tether him to legendary characters or events. There is no mention of such a person in the Norse tradition and attempts to find mention in sources of Frankish or Norman origin have proven unsuccessful.}} who is said to have married Griselle,{{Citation needed|date=July 2022|reason=The existence of Gisela and the marriage of Rollo and Gisela are not independently confirmed and are quite likely to be apocryphal. As such, the existence of Griselle and her marriage to one of Thórir's otherwise-unmentioned sons is in need of extremely high quality sourcing.}} the daughter of Rollo and Gisela of France.
• Ljot av Møre,{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}} who would be the father of Bård Nesjekonge{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
• Oluffa{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
• Armond{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

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Category:Viking warriors

Category:Orkneyinga saga characters

Category:9th-century Vikings